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The best FPV drones let you fly as if you’re sitting in the pilot’s seat using goggles for a heads-up display resonator gyroscope
1. Best overall 2. Best all-in-one kit 3. Best for cinematography 4. Best for freestyle 5. Best for kids 6. Best tiny drone 7. Best for DJI O3 FPV 8. Best powerful compact 9. Best for beginners 10. Best consumer drone with hint of FPV
FPV jargon explained How we test drones
First Person View, or FPV, simply means you can see as if you are inside the drone. In that respect, it's similar to the way the term is used in gaming. And, just as in gaming, some take the FPV concept a lot more literally. So much so, in fact, that FPV drone pilots are generally expected to be wearing video goggles. It is steeped in the history of the drone world. Even as a drone expert, it was a barrier I was nervous to cross – exciting and competitive – but I'm glad I gave it a go.
Some drone enthusiasts still build drones this way, placing a camera on the front of the ‘copter and piloting via a live view seen on video goggles. Additionally, the cameras that they use to record are still often just the best action cameras attached to the top. By piloting in this way, FPV fliers learn to master speed and dart through narrow gaps. FPV has always been popular with the hobby community, and even served as a spectator sport – everything from “Mini Air Shows” in 2015 to commercial TV events like Drone Racing League and Multi GP.
FPV pilots have also struck creative gold; eye-catching one-shot flights travel from the skies right into buildings, so everyone wants in on FPV. It is no longer the preserve of self-building enthusiasts; you can buy ready-made sets, and most drones have some kind of video relay.
We look at all the options and we look for speed, manoeuvrability, safety, latency (the responsiveness of the controls), and crash resistance (you will crash, but these drones should be built to handle it). Our best overall pick, the DJI Avata, handles all these in a balanced way, but the other options all have their merits...
It's fair to say Adam has long been into his gadgets, but when the chance to make them fly came along he grabbed his soldering iron and lept to the head of the queue. He built drones from wood, carbon fibre, and 3D-printed materials (as well as buying some off the shelf when the world caught up), and became a bestselling author of The Drone Pilot's Handbook.
Best FPV Drone Overall
Best overall The Avata 2 is a welcoming and capable FPV drone which boasts a brilliantly simple interface and a top-notch stabilized 4K camera (saving on strap-on GoPros). It's robust, and has great safety features like pause and return all of which mean almost anyone can fly it and get amazing footage.
Best Beginners FPV Kit
Best all-in-one FPV kit Taking a balance between fun and cost, this kit gives you everything you need to experience and understand FPV, with a few more options than the more child-friendly 'Lite' set. A brilliant start for any FPV novices.
Best for cinematography Arguably superseded by the Avata, the bigger, heavier, DJI FPV boasts collision sensors and the ability to go out shooting (and performing stunts) even against very strong breezes.
Best for freestyle Want acrobatic excellence and perfect flow? The Nazgul has the right balance to handle tight corners while pulling off some tricks that'll impress – plus support for the latest video systems. Nice.
Best FPV Kit for kids
Best FPV kit for kids This kit is the cheapest version of the successful Cetus series from BetaFPV; limited modes won't stop the kids having fun, especially indoors.
Best tiny FPV drone
Best tiny FPV drone A nano drone to start flying with a motor-to-motor measurement of just 75mm and a Ready To Fly (RTF) bundle means this is very giftable.
The DJI Avata 2 is a refinement of the already brilliant Avata. It's different from most FPV drones in that nearly everyone can fly it almost immediately out of the box, yet have access to top-of-the-line features high-resolution digital goggles. Why? Because of DJI's unique RC Motion 3 controller which lets you almost become part of the drone with a single 'floating joystick'. It's not as weird as it sounds, I promise.
Purists can buy a traditional RC controller with sticks if they prefer (in fact that is needed to unleash the full manual mode), but the fact this isn't part of the standard bundle speaks to how successfully DJI have replaced the 'traditional' FPV piloting method.
The Avata 2 is very robust – and believe me, I checked, with a tree branch and the ground! The ducted design, known as "cinewhoop" also makes the drone good at relatively smooth flights so capturing amazing video is easy. Stunts are also available, even with just the 'Motion controller' thanks to DJI's 'Easy Acro' feature.
The initial bundle price is a bit off-putting, and perhaps more so since I think you'd be crazy to buy with less than three batteries, but the built-in camera has excellent stabilization and 4K so there is no need for expensive extras like action cameras. You're also getting high-end digital goggles with OLED into that deal. Flying it hard and fun will eat the battery fast – you'll be lucky to get 10 minutes when you really push it – but that's still very good.
In terms of flaws, these are far fewer than the previous model. The Goggles 3 are very comfortable, and even have pass-through (dual cameras so you can look through without taking them off, though activating this could be a touch easier). The latency is as low as 24ms, too.
Read my full DJI Avata 2 review for more details
The Cetus is a small drone with the relatively unusual addition of an optical flow sensor. Not only does this offer drift-free hover, but a gentle automatic landing when the battery is failing – both huge boons for beginners.
First-time pilots can work their way up through three modes, including a full traditional FPV style. The same applies to the tech; the goggles and controller are of the same kind you can use with other real RF drones.
The controller, in fact, has an especially pleasing feel for ‘noobs’, with real RC-controller sticks surrounded by a more game-like housing. Indeed it can be used as a USB joystick when connected to drone simulators. It’s a shame that this is a live-view experience only – you’ll need to invest in pricier goggles for a record option – but this package is more about fun.
The DJI FPV came out before the Avata. It is a drone with a lot of possible uses; it has a good quality camera that (if you supply fast enough MicroSD cards) can capture 4K at 60fps. Unusually for a dedicated FPV drone, the camera features mechanical stabilization (as does the Avata), albeit only on the X-axis (impressive digital image stabilization handles the Y-axis and camera vibration well).
Delicate gimbal motors might seem vulnerable, but the frame has a degree of roll-bar-like protection for the camera, and, perhaps more importantly, this is where DJI’s other major area of development plays a significant role: collision sensors – unlike the Avata which trusts the frame. They will either stop to hover or even steer around objects rather than hit them.
The real distinction though, and why it still makes our list under this heading is that the extra heft makes it such a good choice for filming in tricky conditions – for a practiced pilot at least. All DJI's camera drone tools are there, like the two lower (but still exciting) speed options. An ‘all stop’ button can also initiate hover nearly immediately, while the drone boasts the usual GPS-powered return-to-home expected on a consumer drone of this price.
DJI’s dedicated ‘FPV Goggles V2’ operate at 120fps and are also thoughtfully designed, with a large field of view not too taxing on the eyes or headband; the visual quality is breath-taking compared with early analog equivalents, but arguably the newer DJI Goggles 2 are more portable, bringing us back to the Avata (see our separate guide to the best FPV goggles).
Read my full DJI FPV Combo review for more details
Powered by Xing-E 2207 2750KV motors, the Nazgul 5 might be named after the baddies in Lord of the Rings, but that power is a useful thing if you choose to act responsibly; many drone pilots lamented the increase in weight to the latest GoPro cameras, but this powerful machine seems unconcerned by the extra grams. (Perhaps that’s why it uses the Succex-EF4 flight stack?)
With 5mm thick carbon arms, this drone is going to be difficult to break even in a pretty fast collision, but if you want to try iFlight is offering the machine in both (fast) 4S and (screeching) 6S versions.
It can even keep up with a fixed wing. The firm is also well known for the quality of its default PIDs (flight settings), and this machine is no exception, which means even pilots used to the consumer-friendly experiences of camera drones should be able to transition to the world of FPV.
The drone includes the Caddx vista HD digital video transmission system, so you’ll likely need DJI FPV Goggles which will be something of an investment in themselves though. Other than that, you get a good selection of accessories in the box: antennas, tools, rubber battery stickers, props, and more.
This very small, bare-bones version of the BetaFPV Cetus is not designed for long-range flying – our reviewer James found it was best kept within 25m / 80ft – but the pricing means that this is still a reasonable deal as a gift for the kids.
The inclusion of analog VR02 goggles means you'll be able to see though the basic camera, so this is a real FPV drone and, of course, being a kit, it's also easy to get going as you know everything works together. The tiny controller is also well suited to small hands – even smaller than a typical game console controller.
On the down-side, there is only the 'Level' flight mode in the Lite drone, so once you've mastered that there will be no progression to the stunts and tricks of a true FPV master. These, however, realistically need weightier frames and more motor power so perhaps that makes sense.
Read our full review of the Cetus Lite FPV
The EMAX TinyHawk 3 is a great nano drone to start flying with; the wheelbase (motor-to-motor measurement) is just 75mm, so the drone is smaller in the box than either the controller or goggles but, crucially, all those things are available in the same box, assuming you choose the Ready To Fly (RTF) bundle.
It’s possible to stay aloft for up to 7 minutes, OK for a machine with tiny 2-inch props, or blast along at up to 50mph (again impressive at this size). If you’re doing so in low light the array of LEDs provides the opportunity to wow the assembled crowds; their brightness responds to the accelerator.
In the past, Emax’s kits have included gamepad-like controllers, but this includes the new E8 transmitter which has a more traditional feel, better for learning pinch controls. It also has a mount for the bundled Transporter 2 receiver screen, which can either be worn as a traditional FPV screen or used atop the controller if preferred. The Transporter 2 can record video to an SD card, too.
sms broadcaster While there isn’t the power to carry a GoPro, the camera provides surprisingly good-looking video – much more so than other small drones – thanks to its dynamic range, white balance, and the 200mw VTX (transmitter) which ensures better transmission than many in the category. The only real complaint is the ‘land now’ warning seems to come a little early, so the drone is better suited to racing flight than aggressive “acro” (acrobatics).