5 Best Selfie Drones You Can Buy Today

Ahh… Selfies… I really hated them back in the day when they first became popular. Truth be told, that’s mostly because all those “popular” chicks became so obsessed with them that it simply killed all the selfie fun for me.

Group of people taking a selfie using a drone

But, nowadays, selfies have evolved and adapted to the modern world. Nowadays, everyone takes them and everyone loves them. It’s a whole another story than what was the case a couple of years back. With that being said, the fact that the drones’ market is becoming flooded with pocket selfie drones comes as no surprise.

Drones on this list :

5 Best Selfie Drones

5. Holy Stone HS720
4. DJI Spark
3. DJI Mavic Mini
2. Hubsan Zino
1. DJI Mavic Air

 

Best Selfie drones – scroll down to:

5 Best Small Selfie Drones
How to take a perfect drone selfie
Selfie drones FAQ (Very helpful)

These mini selfie drones are characterized by their small size (plus they’re usually foldable as well which makes them perfect traveling companions), solid camera and ease of use. Even though they have just started to grow in popularity, there are already a bunch of models available on the market.

 

Table: What is the best selfie drone?

ImageNameCameraRangeTimeBest Price
Holy Stone HS720 drone5. HStone HS7201080p0.8km23minSee best offer
DJI Spark drone4. DJI Spark1080p2km16minSee best offer
DJI Mavic Mini drone3. DJI Mavic Mini2.7K4km30minSee best offer
Hubsan Zino drone2. Hubsan Zino4K4km22minSee best offer
DJI Mavic Air drone1. DJI Mavic Air4K4km20minSee best offer

 

Holy Stone HS720 with Transmitter

5. Holy Stone HS720

The first selfie drone we’re going to talk about today is an entry-level model coming from the labs of Holy Stone. HS720 is the name, and it brings forth mediocre performance across all departments. The best thing about it isn’t the software or the hardware, but the price tag that’s been set up quite aggressively.

Camera and Features

Camera-wise, if you’re not too worried about videos, you’ll love what HS720 has to offer. That’s because this little bugger doesn’t have an even remotely good stabilization system for its camera. This results in videos filled with jitteriness that makes them outright unwatchable. On the bright side, HS720 has a solid full HD camera, packing high-quality aerial images, perfect for upping your selfie game.

Talking about your selfie game, HS720 ought to take you to the very next level. The aforementioned camera coupled with stuff like altitude hold, GPS, and geofencing make up for a great package that goes for as low as $300. There’s not a single drone on the market that sports better all-around performance and is priced lower than Holy Stone HS720, remember that!

Specifications

The specifications of this bad boy are well beyond its price range! For starters, you’re looking at a drone that can fly for as long as 25 minutes. That’s in ideal conditions, mind you, but it’s impressive nevertheless. Especially when combined with 800ish meters of range, well beyond anything else available for so cheap.

 

 

DJI Spark drone with transmitter

Best selfie drones 2020.

4. DJI SPARK – Small Selfie drone

If you’re a DJI fanboy then I am sure you’ve already heard about the DJI Spark pocket selfie drone. This amazing new drone is the talking point of the entire drone industry and there’s no way you could’ve missed its announcement. So basically, we are talking about the smallest DJI drone yet… yup, even smaller than the Mavic Pro.

The specifications are nowhere those on Mavic but are still respectable nevertheless. If you ask me, this is pretty much the second try for DJI to squeeze themselves into the selfie drone market. Even though the initial job of Mavic Pro was just that, with such a huge price tag the majority of selfie market was driven away to cheaper alternatives… But it did not last for very long before DJI came up with the perfect solution of their own…

Performance

That’s where the Spark kicks in. With a very aggressive price tag and excellent specifications, this could indeed be another major success for the drone giant. 2 kilometers of range and cca 15 minutes of flight time, in addition to the FHD camera, make up for an awesome package that’s already available for pre-orders. With all that being laid out on the table, the Spark could be set for this holiday’s selfie season. We know they’re just around the corner and I’m certain DJI Spark sales will start increasing at a much higher rate.

Features

“DJI Spark mini selfie drone” has access to ActiveTrack and TapFly among other smart flight modes available from the DJI GO App. However, it supports gesture control too. More precisely, PalmLaunch and PalmControl features seem like great finishing touches, allowing you to control this birdie with just your bare hands. If that’s not enough to drive you towards buying DJI Spark, then I don’t know what else to say…

 

 

DJI Mavic Mini with Transmitter

3. DJI Mavic Mini

DJI Mavic Mini is the next drone on our chopping order! It’s the second of three DJI devices and one that packs impressive value for money thanks to its superb performance and intricate set of features. DJI Mavic Mini excels at all departments and is rightfully considered as one of the best selfie drones the world has ever seen!

Camera and Features

Let’s start off with the camera, because let’s face it, the camera is the most essential part of every selfie drone out there. When it comes to DJI Mavic Mini, you can rest assured you’re getting your money’s worth with this one, even though it’s not exactly the highest resolution. Yep, you’re not getting 4K with this one, but 2.7K is still more than enough for today’s standards.

In terms of the features, we’re talking about a highly versatile drone equipped with everything except omnidirectional obstacle avoidance. Of course, that can’t be pointed out as a downside because, after all, we’re not talking about a premium model here.

Specifications

When looking for beefy selfie drones to buy, you should never underestimate the power of the specs sheet. Even though you’re not going to fly too far with these miniature drones, it’s always good to have extra breathing space because you never know what you might use your new drone for. Luckily, DJI Mavic Mini is an absolute champ in the range department, packing impressive 4 kilometers of both transmission and FPV range. This foldable DJI bugger does great in terms of battery duration too, capping at half an hour, all thanks to its lightweight design!

 

 

Hubsan Zino with Transmitter

2. Hubsan Zino

Hubsan Zino is the second-best selfie drone we got for you here. It’s not exactly the most popular model out there, but it definitely has a couple of aces up its sleeves. For starters – it’s incredibly cheap. Both of its versions, to be more precise – landing at max $400. Wait till you see what this little bugger is all about!

Camera and Features

Since we’re talking about selfie drones here, the first factor we have to take into consideration is the camera. Hubsan Zino passes this test with flying marks thanks to its 4K ready camera and a sophisticated motorized gimbal that allows it to shoot aerial videos and still images with impressive smoothness. The Pro version also comes with lens filters which add an extra layer of cinematic atmosphere to your footage.

Hubsan has implemented a solid set of features too. Zino is a smart drone, featuring stuff like altitude hold, GPS, return to home and several failsafe layers. It’s simple to operate, requires no special knowledge, but can still achieve solid top speed and do all sorts of stuff you’d come to expect from a lot of pricier drones.

Specifications

Once again, you don’t really need state of the art performance from selfie drones. After all, most of the time you’ll be using them merely a few feet away from you. Ideally, you’d need them for advanced moves like similar to those of DJI’s asteroid of other quick shot modes. Luckily, Hubsan has more than enough range, with the Pro version capping at 4 kilometers. Flight time isn’t bad either, with roughly 20ish (slightly more) minutes of pure selfie entertainment!

 

 

DJI Mavic Air With Transmitter

The best selfie drone 2020?

1. DJI Mavic Air

And finally, we’re down to the third and final DJI drone on this list. But wait, this is DJI Mavic Air, not DJI Mavic 2 Pro or the original, now slightly cheaper, DJI Mavic Pro. Yep, this is Mavic Air! Realistically speaking, you don’t need a more expensive selfie drone than this one. In terms of selfie drones you can buy at the moment, DJI Mavic Air is as good as any… and here’s why!

Camera and Features

DJI Mavic Air really has one of the best selfie cameras out there. It’s not the most advanced one, that’s for sure, but it definitely belongs to the top of the food chain in terms of price/performance ratio. Resolution-wise, we’re looking at a 4K camera. Stabilization-wise, we’re looking at a 3-axis gimbal that brings forth buttery smooth footage. Color-wise – DJI Mavic Air can record HDR images which look absolutely phenomenal.

This little bugger ticks all boxes not just in the camera department but in terms of features too. GPS is here, altitude hold (GPS and sensor-based) too, as well as numerous advanced features such as obstacle avoidance, autonomous flight modes, active object tracking and more.

Specifications – best selfie drones

You won’t be disappointed with the numbers DJI Mavic Air brings to the table. Approximately 20 to 22 minutes of flight time might not be the greatest, but considering the speed and camera quality of this little bugger, it’s good enough. More than enough for selfies, that’s for sure. Rounding things off, the operating and FPV range go for around 3-4 kilometers, which isn’t half bad to say the least.

 

What makes the best selfie drone?

Getting a drone that will suit all of your needs can be tricky, especially if that need is for selfies. But still, since this is an informative portal, I am going to help you with that. So, if you want to purchase a new selfie drone there are 3 things you should keep in mind:

Camera

The most important aspect of the best selfie drones is certainly the camera. If you’re going to take awesome aerial shots and videos, your drone needs a top-notch image sensor. Depending on your budget, you should ideally look for stabilized cameras that can capture FHD or even 4K videos/images. Even though the old myth that claimed “more megapixels equals higher quality” is wrong, you still aim for at least a 12mpx sensor. Don’t take stabilization for granted. Especially if you’re thinking of recording videos. Motorized gimbals are more important than most of you think. If you go for a drone that doesn’t have one, you’re up for a rough time shooting anything decent…

Size

The second noteworthy aspect of the best selfie drones are their size. Also, keep in mind that most of today’s new drones are foldable in a way (7 most popular foldable drones), whether just by their propellers or entire prop arms. With that being said, make sure you keep an eye out for their folded and unfolded sizes not to mess them up when making your decision. Ideally, you should look for a drone that you can easily carry around with you. Most models featured on this list down below can easily fit into a man’s purse. Mobility is a key factor – what good is your new selfie drone if it’s never there when you need it the most…

Flight Time

If you’re buying a selfie drone then the range isn’t on your worry list. But, the battery is a completely different story. I don’t have to tell you twice that it takes an awful lot of time to take the perfect selfie. It’s art! That’s why anything less than 10 minutes is a complete miss. Even 15 if you plan on taking more than a couple of selfies per day. Here’s a list of 10 drones with long flight time.

 

Girl Hiking and taking a selfie with a drone

Step by step guide for snapping the perfect drone selfie:

1. Find the perfect location

Every good selfie is based on an interesting location. Whether we are talking about your home, the park or somewhere absolutely exquisite like mountain peaks, woods, lakes etc… they’re the vital part of a selfie. So, once you are comfortable with the location you plan on shooting your selfie, then feel free to move onto the next step.

 

2. Choose the perfect angle

Choosing the perfect angle for your selfie will depend on your particular drone and whether or not it has a gimbal. If it doesn’t, you will most likely have to adjust the camera angle beforehand. On the other hand, if it does, you will be able to adjust it while your drone is in midair. Keep in mind though, the camera angle will greatly affect the required flying altitude of your drone. Also, if you own a drone without obstacle avoidance, I am afraid you will be forced to pay a great deal of attention to the altitude of your drone.

 

3. Experiment with different features

Pricier selfie drones are equipped with GPS which brings a whole bunch of additional features you can play around with. Follow Me, Orbit, Cable Cam and so on… each of these features could give you a lot of room to work with.  Experiment with them and I’m sure you’ll find the optimal method for shooting selfies with your drone. Remember guys, practice makes perfect!

 

Boy and girl taking a selfie with a drone

Why are selfie drones so popular these days?

I think the better question would be – how come selfie drones did not become popular way earlier?

 

It’s true guys, come on, just think of it… Think of the global phenomenon called selfies. They’ve shaken the world with their popularity and have established themselves as a daily activity in our lives. It’s true! Realistically speaking, I’m sure most of you reading this have taken at least 1 selfie in the last few days. Perhaps not your proudest achievement, right?

 

So, with everything stated above, the conclusion is basically coming on its own – with the massive popularity of selfies, it was just a matter of time before first selfie-oriented drones hit the market. And it did not take them a lot of time. First, there were those tiny toy-grade drones with awful cameras which were marketed like selfie friendly drones. Then, there was an uprising on the market with the introduction of Zerotech Dobby, Yuneec Breeze, DJI Spark and so on… This revolution is still going on and it does not seem like it will end anytime soon, especially with talks of DJI Spark 2 hitting the shelves next year!

 

FAQ: Best Selfie drones

Are these drones easy to use?

Yes! Pretty much all selfie quadcopters fall into the beginner-friendly category meaning they are insanely intuitive and easy to use. However, this is not an accidental case – selfie drones are aimed at a much broader audience (with plenty of first-time flyers) than standard ones meaning they have to provide an encouraging learning curve.

However, do not think these drones have some limitations due to their simplicity. Quite the contrary, pricier models such as DJI Spark or Wingsland S6 offer most (if not all) features that are popular with full-sized models. So basically, what I am trying to say here is that selfie drones serve as great learning platforms but are not making any compromises in terms of features and functionality.

 

Girl holding Skydio 2 drone in a hand

Are drones allowed in public places?

Well, even though drones are technically allowed to use in public places, there are still some remarks on how to use them. Most importantly, you need to know that you must not fly them in highly congested areas. Also, you are not allowed to fly them anywhere near other people in public areas. Anywhere near means roughly 20-30 meters (above doesn’t count, only away), otherwise, you will be breaking the law. With all that taken into account, I strongly suggest going to parks during the early morning or past the peak visit times when there aren’t many people around.

 

Are there any autonomous selfie drones?

Yes! In fact, the entire high-end selfie quadcopters market is autonomous, meaning you can expect intelligent flight features such as Follow Me, Orbit, Facial Recognition and even Selfie modes in some cases.

Drone recording a runner

 

Are there any waterproof selfie drones?

Unfortunately, there is not a single waterproof selfie drone out there. Actually, there might be a few of those toy-grade drones with cameras, but their sensors are awful and they’re not exactly made for selfies. So, yup… if you are looking for a waterproof selfie drone I am afraid you will not have any luck.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a drone that can take selfies and comes with a waterproof controller, then I have good news for you. AirDog ADII sports an innovative controller called AirLeash. it straps around your wrist or biceps and is fully waterproof. Plus, it allows navigating through features and will help you get that awesome wet selfie you’ve been craving for.

 

Are there any best selfie drones with facial recognition software?

Drone technology is advancing at a rapid pace so it is not really that surprising to see Facial Recognition software present on a huge number of available drone models. Luckily, these include selfie drones which are heavy users of this Facial Recognition feature. However, it is limited only to higher-priced drones such as DJI Spark and Zerotech Dobby.

 

Hover Camera drone in hand

How to download selfies taken by my drone?

Drones take downloading selfies and other photos/videos in a wide variety of methods. Cheaper drones in most cases provide you with a micro SD card slot on the drone itself which will be used for storing media. On the other hand, there are also models that save them directly to your smartphone. This is, needless to say, present with app-controlled drones which are actually quite popular in the selfie drones section of the market.

 

Do any of these drones have collision avoidance systems?

Even though collision avoidance systems are usually seen with fully sized (flagship) models, there are several selfie drones that incorporate them as well. Mainly, I am referring to DJI Spark, DJI Mavic Pro, and AirDog ADII, but I don’t know if the latter counts as a real selfie drone. That’s why it’s been put as an honorable mention in the first place.

So, if you are looking for the benefits that collision avoidance systems bring to drones, then you should pick one among those 3 contestants. If you want raw performance, Mavic is the right way to go. If you want portability, DJI Spark is your pick. Lastly, if you want unparalleled and fast-paced autonomous performance, AirDog ADII is all for you.

 

Family taking a selfie with a drone

How will I know when I’m in the camera frame?

We get this question from first-time users (and would-be users) a lot lately. So, we might as well answer it right away. So, if you have a strictly LOS flying drone without any sort of an FPV system onboard, you will have a tough time knowing when you’re in the camera frame. Of course, you can get a feel for it every now and then, but there’s no guarantee that you’re right an that your selfie will turn out as awesome as planned.

If that seems like a huge problem to you, there is a very simple solution – get an FPV capable drone. No matter if its WiFi or 5.8G, an FPV ready drone will do you a world of good in terms of knowing when you’re in the camera frame. Thanks to the live video feed, you will be able to see what your drone’s camera is seeing and effortlessly align it to your wishes.

 

Do I need GPS on my selfie drone?

Just a heads-up before answering the next few questions – there’s no “one size fits all” methodology on the line when it comes to GPS, Altitude hold, hardware stabilization and range. It’s all a highly subjective matter and instead of telling you what to buy, I’m going to give you my honest opinion about how I think the matter should be. So, let’s kick it off with GPS.

Even though GPS is not an essential part of what makes a drone, it is still a very important one… Especially when it comes to selfie drones which greatly benefit from GPS-based features such as altitude hold, waypoints and follow me. Because of that, I highly recommend getting a drone with GPS since you won’t be able to do nearly as decent selfies without it.

 

Do I need Altitude Hold on my selfie drone?

Like I said above, this is not a one size fits all scenario meaning altitude hold is not essential for every drone out there. However, mid to high-end models all come equipped with them. This draws to a conclusion that altitude hold is somewhat of a huge deal, right?

Well, technically – yes! Altitude hold will provide you with that extra bit of stability and allow your drone to hover at a constant altitude without the need for manually adjusting the throttle. Furthermore, this will allow you, as the user, to adjust all settings and enable the functionalities/features you want. Lastly, you will be able to get that perfect pose and snap the best dronie (aerial selfie taken with a drone) you can imagine!

 

Is 3-axis stabilization a must?

Again, the 3-axis gimbal stabilization system is not a must, but it greatly helps with the quality of your selfies. In addition to that, a gimbal, whether it’s 3-axis or 2-axis, will make up for smoother aerial videos so keep that in mind if selfies aren’t the only reason why you’re buying a drone in the first place.

 

What sort of an operating range is a minimum for best selfie drones?

When it comes to selfie drones, I’m sure you will agree with me when I say that the operating range isn’t of utmost importance. After all, most of the time you will be just trying to get the perfect angle with the drone being just a couple of meters away from you. That’s basically how aerial selfies are taken. So, if you are buying a drone strictly for the purpose of taking selfies, you should not be considered with the operating range.

However, if you are not only interested in taking selfies but have some exploration or aerial expeditions plans, then I advise you to pay a big attention to the range. If we are to be more precise here, there are only 2 drones on the list below which are equally good at taking selfies and exploring. Of course, I am talking about 2 DJI’s models – Mavic Pro and Spark. Mavic Pro has an amazing operating range of up to 7 kilometers. Little Spark is not bad either, reaching as far as 2 kilometers when controlled with its dedicated controller.

 

Blue DJI Spark flying indoors

DJI Spark 2 will kick things up a notch…

DJI Spark has already brought a ton of innovative things in the field of selfie drones. With a 2-axis gimbal providing hardware stabilization and an exceptional full HD camera, it is able to capture selfies like no other drone out there. With that being said, just imagine what a stir on the market will we have once DJI Spark 2 gets released.

Even though there is a ton of time before DJI Spark 2 goes onto the big stage, there are already some rumors available.

Read more about DJI Spark 2 here

Larry Haller