Choosing Your First Drone
Reviewing The Best Drones 2018
Adam Clark Estes over at Gizmodo did a great job running through your inexpensive options for your very first drone, take a look at their video or read below to find out more! There are three drones all under $200 for you to consider, Gizmodo tested them against each other for:
1. Usability
2. Air Worthiness
3. Quality
Drocon Cyclone ($70), is the cheapest of the three and also Amazon’s biggest seller. Though it may be popular, the drone does look and feel cheap right off the bat. It does come with a downloadable app, giving the user ability to control the drone without the unit’s remote.
However, the app is not quite user friendly – a lot of buttons and no clear instructions. The drone itself lifts fairly quickly into the air, even if the controls are a little sensitive.
While flying, the Drocon Cyclone struggles to stay balanced in the air – shooting up, and falling down – it seems difficult to control (god forbid a windy day). In looking back and checking the image quality, the Drocon Cyclone gave a grainy, almost Google Earth quality image.
The drone lifts easily into the air from a flat surface, but you can have more fun with the Ryze Tello if you’d like, by tapping twice in the app, waiting for the engine to start, then tossing your unit gently into the air.
The Parrot Mambo FPV ($180) comes in a couple parts and is slightly more complicated than the other two drones on our list. Similarly to the others, you need put in the battery, however, on this unit, there is also a place to attach the camera to the top.
While not as low quality as the Drocon Cyclone, the picture quality of the Parrot Mambo is a touch blown out or over exposed. Overall the Ryze Tello is the most easy to get started, it handles well and stays in the air, and, most importantly, delivers the best image quality.

