The Drones with the Best Battery Life in 2021

Last updated: 5th March 2021
DJI Mavic Air 2

DJI Mavic Air 2

DJI Mini 2

DJI Mini 2

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DJI Mavic Mini

DJI Mavic Mini

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Drone flight time – it’s the one thing pilots can’t get enough of.

It’s understandable, really. Flying a drone is fun, and you want that thing in the air for as long as you can. Unfortunately, our technology is still in that state wherein flight times are counted in minutes, not hours.

There are notable exceptions, of course – drones that can stay airborne for 20 minutes or more are definitely worth paying a premium for right now. 

If you’re a drone pilot who wants to get the most flight time out of your UAV, then this will be a treat. We’re going to uncover some of the longest flight time drones in the market.

The Best Battery Life Drones 2021

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The Mavic Air 2 is a groundbreaking development in the mid-budget range. Almost no other drone compares for the price.

DJI Mavic Air 2
  • Flight Time: 34 minutes
  • Weight: 1.3lbs / 0.59kg
  • Camera: 48MP with 4K/60FPS video
  • Range: 10km / 6.2 miles

The DJI Mavic Air 2‘s quality isn’t much of a surprise to anyone that knows the drone space — we’ve been blown away with what this machine is capable of considering it falls way below the $1,000 price tag that is usually required for such a premium product.

Its 34 minutes of flight time is staggering given its size and price, making it one of the biggest battery life drones you’ll find.

The Mavic Air 2 has obstacle detection in three different directions and intelligent tracking, along with DJI’s ActiveTrack technology, to also make this one of the best bang-for-the-buck follow me drones that there are.

With a 48MP 1/2-inch CMOS sensor camera and 4K video supported by a 3-axis gimbal, this is a brilliant option for anyone looking to take premium quality photos and videos without having to spend an arm and a leg.

+ Pros

+ Long battery life
+ Intelligent flight options
+ Stunning photos and video

- Cons

- Doesn't work with DJI goggles

Our top rated mini drone with huge performance in a tiny body. Perfect for…everyone!

DJI Mini 2
  • This drone weighs less than 250g
  • 12MP camera / 4K video, 4x digital zoom
  • 3-axis motorized gimbal for image stability
  • 10km range, max altitude of 4km
  • Battery life: 31 minutes

DJI just can’t seem to stop releasing incredible drones.

The original Mavic Mini was our best ever value-for-money pick and now DJI have outdone themselves with the Mini 2.

We are blown away with the quality, performance and battery life that you can get with the DJI Mini 2 for a fairly affordable price. No, it’s not cheap, but its price falls far below most top products from competitors.

We’d say it’s now our favorite value-for-money pick by a long way, and it’s perfect for photography, videography, traveling, hobbyists and, well, everyone else too!

Better still, with its weight under 249g, it doesn’t even need to be registered with the FAA or CAA. That means you don’t need to be a registered drone pilot to fly this beauty.

+ Pros

+ Long 31-minute flight time
+ Stunning camera quality
+ Stabilized 4K video recording
+ Price that makes it a suitable gift for loved ones

- Cons

- None

Offering value, portability and great battery life, the Mavic Mini is arguably the best value for money drone around.

DJI Mavic Mini
  • Flight Time: ~28 minutes
  • Charge Time: ~90 minutes
  • Range: 3000m / 9842ft
  • Remote Controller: WiFi 5.4GHz & 2.4Ghz (included in the set)
  • Camera: 3-axis gimbal 2K Camera with 12MP
  • Live Video Transmission Range: 2500m / 8200ft
  • Weight: 249g / 8.78oz
  • Working Temperature: 0°C ~ 40°C
  • Rated for indoor and outdoor use

The Mavic Mini marks DJI’s foray into entry-level drones, even more so than the previously sold DJI Spark. This is pretty evident with the tiny size that easily fits in the palm of your hand. With a weight of just around 249g, it’s certainly light and lean.

It’s magical, then, that the Mavic Mini has managed to cram every little bit of space with features worthy of the DJI name. Luckily, one of these is flight time. Like other entries in the Mavic series, Mini manages around 30 minutes of flight. This is one of the perks of a light body, we suppose.

For a beginner drone, that’s a huge deal. You’ll be able to practice and play around with it for far longer and develop your skills with minimal downtime. This reason alone, we think, warrants a newbie pilot (or even experienced, honestly) getting the Mavic Mini.

Newbie pilots will also appreciate the many flight features that get them right in action, even with no prior flying experience. The included DJI Fly app has a Flight Tutorial feature, giving you a guided lesson on how to fly this quadcopter.

Speaking of the app, it also gives you lots of easy one-touch maneuvers. One such is QuickShot mode, used to create pre-programmed paths for shooting cinematic shots quite quickly.

And if you want to really develop your skills, the included remote controller allows you to pilot your drone manually. This was a gripe we had with the Spark, that thankfully got resolved with the Mini.

Aside from generous battery life and newbie flight modes, the Mini also features a powerful 12-megapixel camera that’s able to shoot 2.7K videos. Surprising for an entry-level drone is the presence of a 3-axis gimbal, giving images and footage incredible stability.

Overall, we’re really liking the DJI Mavic Mini. It might be nimble, but it has an exceptional flight time.

+ Pros

+ Amazing portability
+ Excellent autonomous options
+ Long battery
+ Excellent camera
+ Long range

- Cons

- Narrow field of view
- Low wind resistance

No products found.

The Outlaw might not have the Apple-like design that DJI boasts, but this LED-equipped UAV has a lot to offer.

No products found.
Altair Aerial Outlaw SE
No products found.
  • Follow Me Method: GPS
  • Flight Time: 20 minutes
  • Camera: 1080p HD built-in camera
  • Weight: 2.8 pounds

The Altair Aerial Outlaw SE might not have the extended flight times like others on this list. Still, it makes it up by having great features at an affordable price tier.

Besides, the 20 minute flight time on its own is pretty commendable, especially if you consider that other drones in its price range often don’t even get near that.

The Outlaw SE takes professional feature sets and placing it inside a low-to-mid priced drone.

First, the Outlaw SE has GPS built-in, giving it access to a wide array of autonomous and flight positioning modes. It’s capable of holding its altitude well, even with strong winds trying to displace it.

Safety features are also a fundamental part of the Outlaw. One of these is the Return to Home functions, where the drone will automatically return to its takeoff point if it encounters events such as low battery power.

Beginner features such as Headless Mode and One-Touch Takeoff and Landing make flying the Outlaw SE very easy, without any knowledge of piloting at all.

The Outlaw’s camera has a 1080p HD resolution that takes stunning looking photos and video footage. You can then use this in combination with its surprisingly good autonomous flight features, such as Follow Me and Waypoint.

All in all, the Outlaw SE is a great budget drone pick. It has a decent flight time that’s actually the best in its price range, it implements great intelligent features, and has satisfactory flight performance.

+ Pros

+ GPS flight gives excellent flight stability even for beginner flyers
+ Follow Me mode is quite accurate
+ 1080p HD camera gives great footage

- Cons

- For a beginner drone, the lack of prop guards might be concerning

The Mavic 2 Pro is the drone to beat in the UAV space. It might be a bit costly, but you get what you pay for.

DJI Mavic 2 Pro
  • Flight Time: 30 minutes
  • Range: 7 kilometers
  • Camera: 4K resolution at 30 fps; 20 MP stills
  • Weight: 1.64 pounds
  • Gimbal: 3 Axis

The DJI Mavic 2 series is the pinnacle of what’s possible in a consumer drone. It’s certainly at the top of everyone’s list of the most game-changing devices ever. It is continually blurring the line between pro and consumer.

The Mavic 2 has the longest flight time ever achieved in a drone – at the time of writing at least — 31 minutes. This gives you an enormous amount of time to produce great looking shots and breath-taking cinematic footage.

To say that the Mavic 2 has an awesome camera is a bit of an understatement. It’s more like a photographer’s dream come true.

The Mavic 2 comes in two flavors – Pro and Zoom. The Zoom comes equipped with a 24-88mm optical lens camera with a 1/2.3 inch CMOS sensor. The advantage of the Zoom is the ability of the camera to perform up to 2x zoom (hence the name). The Pro, however, has the far superior camera in the form of a Hasselblad L1D-20c camera with 20-megapixel resolution and 4K UHD video resolution, paired with a full 1 inch CMOS sensor.

The result is mind-blowing photos, dynamic shots, and crisp, cinematic videos. Really, it’s something to be seen to be believed. The low light performance is also exceptional, with ISO ranges up to 12,800.

You also have robust flight controls at your disposal, thanks to ultra-responsive controls and tight handling. It’s also equipped with some of the most advanced intelligent flight modes ever to grace a drone. The Mavic 2 uses a revamped version of DJI’s ActiveTrack technology, allowing it to track and follow objects visually.

All of this power comes in a foldable and relatively compact frame, giving the Mavic 2 surprising portability. This drone is truly one of the best you can ever buy.

+ Pros

+ Incredible photo and video quality that has to be seen to be believed
+ Tight controls and intelligent flight modes make it a breeze to fly
+ Robust obstacle avoidance system makes it one of the safest drones to fly even for inexperienced pilots

This Mavic 2 Pro competitor goes head-to-head with specs to try to compete for your attention. Did it succeed?

Autel Robotics EVO
  • Flight Time: ~30 minutes
  • Charge Time: ~210 minutes
  • Range: 7050m / 4.4 miles
  • Remote Controller: WiFi 2.4GHz (included in the set)
  • Camera: 3-axis gimbal 4K 60fps camera with 12MP
  • Live Video Transmission Range: 7000m / 4.3 miles
  • Weight: 863g / 1.9lbs
  • Carry Capacity: N/A
  • Working Temperature: 0°C ~ 40°C
  • Rated for outdoor use

It might not look like it, but the Autel Robotics EVO is one rugged drone. We’ve even seen someone splash water on it, and it still continued to fly on. Indeed, it’s one of the more advanced consumer drones out there that’s not made by DJI.

The EVO is capable of flight times of up to 30 minutes, and we find that to be pretty accurate.

Even in adverse weather, and with a slew of advanced features activated, the flight time never really dropped significantly. At most, it never dipped below 25 minutes.

This is impressive to say the least, because the EVO’s features really pack a punch.

Just the camera itself had the potential to be a significant battery drain. It’s a 4K UHD camera capable of up to 60 fps footage and 12-megapixel photos. The equipped 3-axis gimbal makes the resulting footage smooth and jitter-free.

The Autel EVO’s performance is commendable, with responsive controls and stable flight. You can easily operate the drone using the included remote controller and a smartphone app.

One of the areas where the EVO shines is the intelligent flight modes. At the heart of this is Dynamic Track, Autel’s advanced visual recognition system. With it, the drone can visually track you or any other object you choose, with exceptional precision.

With Dynamic Track, you can achieve cinematic shots easily. You can have the EVO follow you, orbit around you or track you around from a stationary position. You can also use Waypoint Mode to give the drone a pre-determined path to follow.

With a great flight time, advanced features, and superb performance, this drone is an exceptional choice.

+ Pros

+ Follow Me modes are great for taking awesome looking shots autonomously
+ Stunning video quality thanks to the powerful 4K camera onboard
+ Sensors and safety features like obstacle avoidance keep your drone and others around you safe

- Cons

- Can be tricky for beginners to pick up straight away

GPS, 4K video and a staggering 21 MP. This extended version also gives a combined flight time of 1 hour 15 minutes!

Parrot Anafi Extended
  • Flight Time: ~75 minutes (combined)
  • Charge Time: ~240 minutes (per battery)
  • Range: 4000m / 2.5mi
  • Remote Controller: WiFi 5.4GHz & 2.4Ghz (included in the set)
  • Camera: 180° adjustable f/2.4 ASPH lens 4K Camera with 21MP
  • Live Video Transmission Range: 4000m / 2.5mi
  • Weight: 320g / 11.28oz
  • Working Temperature: -10°C to 40°C
  • Rated for indoor and outdoor use

As far as powerful yet compact drones go, the Parrot Anafi is undoubtedly at the top of that list. Folding down to the size that can fit on your hand, it’s one of the best long flight time drones you can get.

It has a generous 25 minutes of flight time, possible thanks to Parrot’s proprietary intelligent LiPo battery that’s able to smartly regulate its own usage for more efficient discharge. However, this Extended version also comes with two additional batteries, giving you an hour and a quarter of combined flight!

Performance-wise, the Anafi has superior handling and responsive controls. It’s capable of hovering on its own, even against strong winds. It’s also one of the more quiet drones we’ve seen (or heard). Flying the drone is pure bliss, thanks to the ergonomically designed Skycontrollr 3 remote controller and the FreeFlight 6 app.

The Anafi’s camera is a remarkable 4K resolution camera that’s capable of shooting at 21 megapixels, mounted on a 3-axis gimbal. It can shoot at frame rates of up to 60 fps.

This opens up some creative doors in the form of slow-motion shots. You can use Slow Motion mode to capture crisp action footage, or Hyperlapse mode to produce some fantastic time-lapse videos.

The Anafi also has plenty of intelligent flight modes. The two standouts are Follow Me and Cameraman, allowing you to capture pictures even without manual control of the drone.

All in all, the Parrot Anafi has a lot of high points that make it a fantastic compact drone. With a generous 25 minute flight time, superb handling, and a powerful camera, this is an excellent travel drone to have by your side.

+ Pros

+ Very portable
+ Excellent GPS features
+ Superb camera
+ Very long range

- Cons

- Somewhat delicate — we recommend that you have some prior drone flying experience
- Reports of customer service related issues

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This mid-priced UAV from UPair offers some exceptional value, and the 24-minute flight time is definitely impressive at the price.

No products found.
UPair Two
No products found.
  • Flight Time: 24 minutes
  • Camera: 3-eye camera system at 16 megapixels
  • Sensor Size: 1/2.3 inch CMOS
  • Gimbal: 3-axis with adjustable pitch angle from -90 to 10 degrees
  • Weight: 1.5 kg

The UPair 2 is a significant upgrade to the original UPair 1, with tons of new features thrown in.

Let’s start with the battery life. The UPair 2 comes equipped with a 5,100 mAh Lithium smart battery that precisely regulates its discharge and stretches its capacity. This fuels a powerful yet efficient brushless motor that drains less power than your typical drone motor.

The result is a generous 24 minutes of flight time. Plus, even if the battery runs out, it’s easily detachable, making swapping in with a fresh one quite easy. This makes the UPair 2 a fantastic drone for extended outdoor shoots.

When it comes to flight performance, the UPair 2 covers all the bases. The controls are good, and the drone handles pretty well. It has the standard flight modes of other drones, such as Headless Mode and One Key Start/Landing for those new to drone piloting. You also have safety features like GPS Return, which gives you plenty of options on how and when you want it to trigger.

A unique feature of the UPair 2 is a 3-lens 3D camera system, which is meant to shoot videos or FPV in stereoscopic 3D. The primary camera is at 4K resolution, while the two side cameras are 2K each. This system gives you plenty of flexibility while shooting, aside from having a lovely 3D effect.

As expected, the photo and video quality produced by this 3-lens camera are pretty awesome. Video is crisp and smooth, while photos are vibrant. By the way, for the 3D effect, it’s best enjoyed via a VR headset.

Overall, the UPair 2 drone is a good drone alternative to DJI at a price tier that’s more friendlier to the typical, casual user. Long battery life, powerful 3-lens camera system, and commendable flight performance make this drone a winner in our book.

+ Pros

+ 3 lens camera system gives a lot of power and flexibility
+ Easy to fly with lots of flight features
+ Relatively affordable compared to DJI or other drones

- Cons

- No obstacle avoidance

No products found.

Considering this is an extremely budget-friendly drone, it has a mind-blowing battery life of half an hour.

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QCopter Quadcopter
No products found.
  • Flight Time: 30 minutes
  • Battery: 3.7V 11,000 mAh
  • Weight: 226g
  • Camera: 720p HD

Out of all the beginner drones we’ve seen, this is by far the one with the longest flight time. The QCopter Drone comes in at a lengthy 30 minute flight time, despite being priced below $100.

Indeed, other drones in its price range come in at just 10 minutes at best. The QCopter comes equipped with a powerful 3.7V 11,000 mAh, making it last up to 3x longer.

When it comes to features, this is a pretty strip-downed drone. It does have those other extra features like LED lights for better night flying and one-button tricks like 350 Eversion and Feature for Flips, but that’s about it.

You really only use this as a starter drone, which you can use to hone your skills. And with the generous flight time, you’re able to do this quickly, uninterrupted.

However, the great thing about the QCopter is that it’s a stable drone to fly. The built-in stabilization system does an excellent job of keeping the drone afloat, making this one easy to operate even for beginners. The 720p camera can also be used in FPV mode, which is viewable via the mobile app.

The QCopter might be basic, but it’s not any less fun to fly. If you’re looking for a very affordable beginner drone with the longest flight time possible, this is the one for you.

+ Pros

+ Extended 30 minute flight time for a beginner drone
+ Very affordable
+ 720p FPV camera

- Cons

- Very basic
- Cheap looking
- Not rugged

Offering a lot of DJI’s features for a little bit lower of a price tag, the F11 Pro has a great flight time.

Ruko F11 Pro
  • Flight Time: ~28 minutes
  • Charge Time: ~210 minutes
  • Range: 1219m / 4000ft
  • Remote Controller: WiFi 5GHz (included in the set)
  • Camera: 90°Adjustable 4K Camera with 13MP
  • Live Video Transmission Range: 500m / 1640.4ft
  • Weight: 520 g / 18.34 oz
  • Rated for indoor and outdoor use

We highly consider the Ruko F11 as one of the ultimate long-life battery drones out there. Chiefly, because of its mammoth 60 minute flight time!

Well, okay, it’s just technically around 30 minutes per battery, with the included extra battery taking that up to 60. Still, around half an hour is very impressive. Plus, not all drones have a spare battery included as default — in fact, not many do.

In many ways, the F11 Pro is similar to the drone it’s inspired from (or trying to unseat, more like), the DJI Mavic Pro. The foldable, compact body is undoubtedly there, as is the sleek gray color. But the Ruko is also much smaller, compressing to the size of a smartphone.

Price-wise, it’s also more affordable – even cheaper than DJI’s least expensive drone, the Mavic Mini.

But enough comparisons – the F11 Pro certainly can stand up on its own merits with its fantastic features. One of these is the 4K resolution camera, which shoots crisp, high definition shots. The camera’s angle can also be adjusted, which makes for easier framing.

When it comes to flight modes, the F11 Pro also has plenty. You can do one-touch takeoff and landing, making launching this drone pretty easy. GPS Hold function does a great job at steadying the drone’s position, while Headless Mode is fantastic for beginners learning how to fly.

Did we mention that this quadcopter is fast as well? The Ruko has 3-speed modes, which control how quickly you can fly this thing. And at top speeds, it can clock in at an impressive 43.2 km/h – which places it almost in drone racing territory.

So if you want a DJI drone but at a more affordable price, the Ruko F11 Pro is your top pick. The 60 minutes combined flight time from the two included batteries is reason enough to get this one.

+ Pros

+ Full GPS automation
+ Extreme controller range
+ 4K video
+ Excellent 28-minute flight time

- Cons

- Mediocre app

No products found.

4K video, 12MP photos and 25-minute battery life for stunning aerial shots.

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Walkera Vitus 320
No products found.
  • Flight Time: 28 minutes
  • Camera Resolution: 4K UHD
  • Sensor Size: 1/2.3 inch CMOS
  • Frame Rate: 30 fps and 60 fps
  • Gimbal: 3-axis with 90-degree adjustable angle
  • Weight: 890g

Known primarily for their racing drones, Walkera nevertheless came out with a powerful drone for recording videos, the Vitus 320. It’s a compact and foldable UAV, with plenty of flight features.

Let’s take a look at the video quality. The Walkera Vitus 320 sports a 4K UHD resolution camera, paired with a 1/2.3 inch CMOS sensor. This allows it an ISO range of up to 12,800, giving it plenty of leeway in low light conditions.

Video quality is particularly impressive. Thanks to its equipped 3-axis gimbal, video capture was buttery smooth, even while we were zipping around the place. The 85-degree FOV is a standard narrow range, although we would’ve preferred a wider one for its supported FPV mode.

The video quality is way above average and is comparable to a DJI Mavic Pro model.

Flight performance-wise, there’s a lot to be had. Equipped GPS/GLONASS dual positioning is much more accurate when using features like Altitude Hold and GPS Return, even when signal quality is poor.

Enhancing its performance are the onboard infrared sensors and optical flow camera. Aside from powering the Vitus 320’s flight stability, it’s also responsible for its robust 3-way obstacle avoidance system, able to detect obstacles up to 8m away.

When used with its intelligent flight modes, this makes autonomous tracking that much safer to use with Vitus 320. 

The most unique thing about this drone has to be the VR compatibility. Sure, lots of drones are VR compatible, but the Vitus has a dedicated app with augmented reality games; collection, combat and racing. So. Cool.

+ Pros

+ 4K UHD camera produces high-quality videos
+ Foldable design makes it easy to transport and store
+ 3-way obstacle avoidance system for safer operation
+ VR-compatible and Vitus-specific augmented reality games

- Cons

- Not massively durable — be careful when flying

What Affects A Drone’s Flight Time?

Most people will say that battery life affects a drone’s flight time the most, and this is true. But other factors come into play, which is why frequently you’ll never quite reach the flight time the manufacturer promised you.

So let’s explore the things that affect flight time. We hope that you’ll learn a thing or two, which you can use to maximize your drone flight sessions further.

Let’s start with the obvious one first:

Battery Life

Pound for pound, this is the one and only determiner of how long your drone stays afloat. Every other factor listed here has something to do with affecting how fast your drone drains the battery.

The only reason your drone is flying is that it is being powered by the onboard battery. The more powerful it is, the more charge it has, and the longer it can make the drone fly. Unfortunately, this will also make the drone more expensive and heavier (which can negatively affect flight time, as you’ll see)

Battery capacity is measured in milliamp hours, or mAh, and is usually listed as part of your drone’s specs. However, you can only guess your drone’s flight time based solely on its mAh rating. As we said, there’s a lot of factors at play here.

Batteries come in many different types, but probably the best one you could get is Lithium drone batteries. They have a bigger charge capacity, and can better withstand repeated charge/discharge cycles than the average battery. This makes them last longer overall; plus, they’re lighter, too.

Lithium batteries come in two flavors: Lithium Polymer (LiPO) and Lithium Polymer High Voltage (LiHV). The difference in the two is voltage: LiPO batteries have 4.2V at full charge, while LiHV batteries have 4.35V.

For most drones in the market, the LiPO is the one most commonly used. It provides a more even discharge rate, which makes predicting battery capacity and flight time easy. LiHV delivers an initial burst of power before slowing down, which is excellent for improving the performance of micro drones.

As you can probably guess, Lithium batteries are expensive. But if you’re looking for the best performance, these are the best you can find.

Battery Age and Maintenance

Like any electrical component, batteries degrade over time (although if you have Lithium batteries, this will happen much slower). You’ll eventually notice that as your battery gets older, your flight times get shorter and shorter. Then, your battery just dies.

This is inevitable, but there are ways to delay this from happening. The key is proper battery maintenance. A battery that’s regularly charged and discharged is a good practice.

Also, charged batteries that are left out for too long without using them can lead to gas build-up, damaging the components inside and shortening its life. So you can either drain it or be sure to use it regularly

Batteries must also operate at an ideal temperature. If it’s too hold or too cold, it can discharge the battery and lower its service life.

Finally, note that maintenance just delays the inevitable. If your battery is on the verge of dying out, stop using it, and get a new one. A critical battery can prematurely shut down your drone while it’s in the air, potentially causing a catastrophic crash.

Weight of the Drone

Next to the battery, a drone’s weight has the most significant impact on flight times. This is because the heavier the drone is, the more the propellers need to work to keep it afloat. This overworks the motor, who now needs to draw extra juice from the batteries. Faster drain, hence less battery life overall.

Now, if you think the solution is to just increase the battery life, it’s not that simple. The irony of that is it a higher capacity usually involves a more substantial battery. This adds weight, which can negate the extra flight time you added!

Drone design, then, is a balance of drone weight vs. propeller and battery power. Remember that most ready-to-fly drones have this balance pretty much figured out. Fitting it with add-ons might significantly reduce its flight time.

Something as simple as prop guards can negatively impact flight time. That’s why it’s recommended that you remove them as soon as you’re confident with your flying skills, as it can add significant minutes to your sessions.

Weather Conditions

Believe it or not, weather plays a significant role in your drone’s flight time. When the specs specify that a drone can fly for 30 minutes, this assumes it’s at ideal conditions – no winds, with just the right temperature.

If any of these changes, however, and you’re looking at reduced flight times. Wind is the common culprit. Whenever wind tries to push your drone, it will work hard to resist that to maintain its position. The stronger the wind, the more the drone needs to work to stabilize itself. This, of course, puts a strain on the battery.

Temperature plays a significant impact, as well. This is because drone batteries operate at ideal temperatures, which is around 15 C. Once it gets lower than this, you’ll start to see your flight times drop. At freezing -10 C temperatures, your drone might just suddenly stop mid-air.

Finally, humidity is also a factor, although to a lesser extent. Too much will allow moisture to build-up, which can cause your batteries and rotors to overwork. Not to mention, moisture and electronics generally don’t mix well.

So to maximize flight time, you either want to fly indoors or during fair weather with little wind, cool (not cold) temperatures, and low humidity.

Using Cameras and Drone Features

Remember that the battery powers not only the drone’s flight but also all the other features installed onboard. This includes the camera, sensors, and other non-flight components.

Using the camera can put an additional drain on the battery and make it last a little less longer. Live video or FPV can also overwork the battery since signals need to be transmitted continuously from the drone to the remote controller. 

Propellers

To further increase your drone’s flight time, you can look at your propeller. Specifically, pay attention to their surface area and angle of attack. 

Larger rotors with an efficient angle of attack will extend your flight time, all things being equal. If you’ve already tried everything to maximize your flight time, this is a great trick to try and make it go that extra mile.

There are no hard or fast rules, and the only way to find the perfect propellers for your drone is to experiment. Set the baseline flight time with your drone’s default propellers. Then try different sizes and configurations while flying them in the exact same conditions, and note their flight times. See which one gives you the longest flight time, and go with that.

What Is The Average Drone Flight Time?

With many different configurations and battery types, various drones have varying flight times. These mostly range from around 5 minutes to as long as 30 minutes in high-end drones. 

The rule of thumb is that the more expensive drones will have longer flight times (although this isn’t always the case). This is because more expensive drones will have bigger battery capacities, rotors, and frame balance.

Entry level drones at below $200 will usually give you 5-10 minutes of flight time. Short, I know, especially since these are geared for newbies who need all the flight time they can get to develop piloting skills. The good news is that since the drone itself is usually cheap, it’s not a stretch to invest in an extra battery or two.

Mid range drones give you the best balance of performance and flight time, providing 15 – 20 minutes of uninterrupted fun with your drone. For taking casual photos or videos, this is usually plenty enough time.

Higher end drones will have flight times above 20 minutes, with the best of the best reaching 30 minutes. This is about the maximum time a consumer drone can fly using a single battery. It’s enough for longer, more complicated shots or maneuvers.

Racing drones are geared more for speed than the usual hover drones, achieving top speeds of 50 km/h or more. All this burst of power means that they drain the battery really fast. Most average racing drones will only last for 5 minutes max.

What Is The Average Drone Charge Time?

Generally speaking, how long your battery takes to charge is a function of its capacity. Of course, this makes sense, since it takes more time for a bigger battery to fill up. 

A typical 600 mAh LiPO battery, for example, would take an average of 60 mins to charge fully. Most drones take around 1 – 2 hours.

However, you can speed up this process by getting a faster charger. This is like getting a bigger hose to fill up a bucket faster. Most chargers included with a drone will be rated at 2 amps. Buying a 6 amp charger will cut down your charging time by around half or even less.

However, do be careful with buying unlicensed chargers, as the wrong one can severely damage your drone (and it usually voids the warranty; double whammy!).

DJI Mavic Air 2

DJI Mavic Air 2

The Mavic Air 2 is a groundbreaking development in the mid-budget range. Almost no other drone compares for the price.

DJI Mini 2

DJI Mini 2

Our top rated mini drone with huge performance in a tiny body. Perfect for...everyone!

DJI Mavic Mini

DJI Mavic Mini

The Mavic Mini has replaced the hugely popular Spark model and will become one of the most popular drones of all time.