Choosing Your First Micro Drone: What’s the Best in 2019?

It’s no secret Micro Drones have exploded in popularity this year. With the increasing demand for brushless models, there are lots to choose from. We’ll explain the pros and cons of the hottest models out right now and help you choose what’s best for your flying style.

What’s new?

The most popular brushless models have now released HD versions of their flagship models. The unbeaten Mobula7 by HappyModel has been refreshed with a new HD version suitably dubbed the Mobula7 HD. It sports a flashy 1080p 60fps Caddx Turtle V2 which allows for HD recording straight into the onboard micro SD card.

The addition of an extra large camera presents its own issues, however. The DVR (Digital Video Recorder) board contributes to the weight of the quad, requiring more powerful motors and often a larger battery to compliment.

The current trend in Micro Drone purchases suggests 2S Brushless is the best investment right now if you don’t require HD recording. We recommend either sticking to the traditional 65mm frame quads and 0802 motors for lightweight and zippy flying – such as the BETAFPV Beta65 Pro 2 or try a build perhaps more suited to outdoor flying with a larger frame such as the original Mobula7.

‘1S’ or ‘2S’ Capable 

Referring to the battery cells in series configuration, these terms determine the highest battery voltage a drone can handle. The majority of brushed motor quads are limited to 1S which has long been the standard for micro quads. The 2019 new wave of quads has presented us with more options including many 2S and even 3S capable quads.

1S Drones – Despite our best attempts flying outdoors with 1 cell quads, we’ve never found the ‘perfect’ outdoor/indoor quad. If you plan on regularly making outdoor flights, we recommend making the switch to 2S.

2S Drones – A recent development in AIO (All-in-one) flight controllers has made 2S micro drones much more accessible and now sits proudly in the top features of almost every 2019 brushless quad. On top of that, most of these flight controllers also allow for 1S batteries too (See the Beta65 Pro 2 and Mobula7). If you’re buying a micro drone in 2019, we highly recommend sticking with 2S for maximum customisability. Plug-and-play motors (plugs for accessibility and ease) make it easier than ever to swap between KV motors to find your perfect match.

08XX or 11XX motors?

These two brushless motor sizes are the go-to for manufacturers right now. Although new and still rather experimental, every new 65mm and 75mm features these sizes. We’re yet to decide what we like better – they’re both demonstrably high-performance options. Our experience shows a preference for 08XX motors when flying in close proximity locations such as a house while 11XX motors exceed in more open areas such as a large hall or the local park. That being said, after testing both outdoors we had no issues flying full acro and didn’t notice any wind effect even on the Beta65 Pro 2 with a 65mm frame.