I've been writing about drones for years – I'd say I've written the book on the subject but that'd be forgetting the other book! Not that anyone needs me to blow my own trumpet – the point is that as an enthusiast, professional, and reviewer, I know a lot about drones – and I enjoy them.
- Amazon USA Always a lot of deals 🇺🇸
- Amazon UK Always a lot of deals 🇬🇧
- B&H Drones Great for photographic drones
- Walmart Lean into the weekend prices
- Adorama Lot of photo/video deals
Now we're being bombarded with offers for discounted drones, it's difficult to sort the good from the bad, and this year it's especially challenging because several different sides of the US government also seem to be lending their opinions on the matter too.
That's actually good news for prices, though, as some of the best drones – from the biggest brands – are being reduced in price thanks to the uncertainty. So on this live page I'll be sharing the latest good deals, and details about whether they're safe to buy! At the top here are some of the best deals I've seen so far, but keep watching for live updates below.
Best Drone Deals – USA 🇺🇸
Oh no! The deal on the Neo in the USA seems to have run out 😢
Best Deals – UK 🇬🇧
Drone Seller QuickLinks
Amazon Drones Deal Page | B&H Beginners Drones Page | Wex mini drones
There has been a lot of movement on pricing in the UK around the DJI Neo. This drone – still incredibly giftable – remains cheaper than the Neo 2, and has most of the same features, so if you're buying for someone, there is much to be said for it. Many recipients would prefer the Neo and three batteries than the Neo 2 and one battery, I assure you.
In the USA, the Neo 2 isn't officially available yet, but that doesn't mean the discounts haven't made it.
The reason I recommend the Neo series of drones is that you can buy the drone relatively cheaply, and if it goes down well (it will) it can be upgraded later with a traditional remote control or even a floating wand controller and FPV goggles. It is also very safe because of its lightweight caged design.
See it on: Amazon USA (you can save $60 on the 3 battery bundle) | Amazon UK
If you're looking to spend AND save on a high-end drone in the USA, and need to side-step the DJI brand but want all the same features, then don't miss the Skyrover X1, which is being sold in a three-battery bundle with a charging hub
This drone basically has all the features of the DJI Mini 4 Pro – and a similar bundle for that drone with three batteries will set you back $1,500. This, however, is a brighter color, has no DJI software or branding, and costs A LOT less this Black Friday, in America at least.
(And when I say the same features, I mean it – many have commented on the similarities, but not the FAA, you'll be pleased to know!)
Amazon.com Skyrover X1 was $898 NOW $629 (SAVE $)269
I was really impressed with the original HoverAir X1 drone, and I think many people might find the 8K version – the HoverAir X1 Pro Max – a bit excessive in terms of features (and cost). Good news is that you can find the original for a generous discount – plus the bundle that includes the one accessory you'd actually want (an extra battery) is reduced by $100 – and it's in stock at Amazon. I absolutely love the super-safe, light, pocketable folding design of this 'follow-me' drone because it keeps the propellers in a cage and the whole drone folds away like a book and can be pocketed. Brilliant.
Amazon.com 🇺🇸 HoverAir X1 WITH EXTRA BATTERY Was $389 Now $289
I also found a similar deal in the UK:
Amazon.co.uk 🇬🇧 HoverAir X1 WITH EXTRA BATTERY Was £279 Now £237
SAVE $10,000 on this drone camera!
OK, I admit this update is a bit niche, but the saving is mighty impressive, so I think you'd be disappointed in me for not mentioning it when I saw it! Adorama – is a great place to pick up a drone during Black Friday because it respects the discounting AND it stocks premium equipment and this is a great example. It has a 1080P night vision gimbal camera for the M300 drones – pretty high-end stuff that police departments use – and the price is down by $10,000. Not too bad at all!
(Consumers might also be interested to know that Adorama seem to think they will stock the Neo 2 in the USA... interesting, but no discount there obviously!)
Adorama CZI C30N was $25,999 NOW $15,999
SAVE $10,000
At the other end of the scale, I've also noticed that some of the kind of drone I always recommend that people buy at this time of year as simple gifts are showing up with good percentage discounts.
Walmart have $6 off the Sharper Image stunt drone, which has a good safe design for indoor play and the same stick arrangement as any other drone so it's a great beginning point for anyone learning (or a younger sibling eying a more expensive or more vulnerable device).
Sharper Image® 2.4GHz RC Glow Up Stunt Drone was $44.99 NOW $38.96 🇺🇸
In the UK, for example, I've added a toy with LEDs and a camera to the list for under £40 too:
AVIALOGIC drone was £49.99 NOW £32.99 🇬🇧
You can see this on the drone deals page too.
When is a DJI Avata 2 not a DJI Avata 2? When it is a DJI Neo!
There is a deal that looks too good to be true on Amazon UK, and, well, it is. Try ordering the DJI Neo with three batteries on this link and the text promises an Avata 2, but the link seems to suggest otherwise.
I tried it, and it was a Neo that came in the post. Luckily Amazon.co.uk will accept a return for me, or – interestingly – let me keep it and accept £17 for their error (and to be fair £209 isn't a bad price for the Neo, if that had been what I wanted... just saying...)
Looking for a good price on a non-DJI drone? The Potensic Atom SE is a great choice.
This is a drone I have reviewed and impressed me. It has a good build quality, with some definite nods toward the market leader, but keeps the costs down to a minimum at the best of times.
Moreover I'm a big fan of the design of the remote control which builds a solid phone holder so you can see the screen and keep the control sticks in a comfortable place. Ontop of all that, Potensic manage to throw in an extra battery with the standard bundle.
The only thing to remember: EIS means Electronic Image Stabilization. That's good, but it's not as good as a full gimbal, which is what you find in the ATOM.
Amazon.com 🇺🇸 Potensic ATOM SE was $269.99 NOW 199.99
I just mentioned the Potension Atom SE with its electronic image stabilization. That's great, but if you're looking for something a bit more impressive in terms of quality, the Potensic Atom 2 drone is also discounted for Black Friday, and it has either the same cool concept for the remote or even a remote with a built-in screen (for more bread, of course). This is another drone that did very well in my review, and only a few months ago!
This deal is for Prime members this Black Friday:
Amazon.com 🇺🇸 Potensic Atom 2 was $359 NOW $299.99
And in the UK
Amazon.co.uk 🇬🇧 Potensic Atom 2 was £299 NOW £239
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine Premium Combo can be had from B&H for a whopping $2,100 saving this Black Friday and I've only just seen the deal!
This is a pro-quality drone with spectacular imaging from three cameras including a 20MP 5.1K Wide-Angle 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad. I'd snap it up.
B&H are one of the most trusted photography dealers in the world, and they are shifting their stock of Mavic 3 drones at some pretty special prices it seems, but this is easily the best of them (just follow the link below and explore the Configure options to see the other bundles):
DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine Premium Combo was $4,799 NOW $2,699
If you like to take your drone tech everywhere, even in your hand (but aren't entirely sure about all those whirling propellers) did you know that DJI has produced the Osmo Pocket 3 camera, which has a gimbal to keep the camera steady and smooth, just like a drone, but cannot fly – instead you carry it in a handle?
It's become one of the most popular cameras in the world, and there are some quite surprising discounts around this Black Friday, including this bundle with a microphone:
Amazon.com: DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo was $979 NOW $669, save $310
Exciting to see a significant discount on a drone that offers a good mix of a decent camera, child-friendly safety features, foldable design for portability, and – if you want – no controller at all because it has the AI to follow you – BUT is being sold in a bundle with a controller with a screen so you don't need to find a phone and can fly a good long range. The deals do keep chopping and changing today, but you can read more about the DJI Flip in my review.
DJI Flip With RC 2 Screen Remote Controller was $639 NOW $509
When is a 6K drone not a 6K drone?
So this is a really good deal, I think, but don't be fooled into thinking that it can shoot 6K video from that name. It's a 4K 30fps video – in that respect similar to the DJI Mini 4K, but the 6K is being given as a measure of the resolution of still photographs – and that isn't very impressive.
When you're buying discount drones remember that 4K is good and 30fps is fine (60fps is great), but watch out for this trick. I've seen a lot of 6K and 8K measurements given for devices that can only capture 4K video and stills at higher resolutions (the only 8K video drones I can immediately think of are the very different Hover Air X1 Pro Max and the somewhat less affordable DJI Inspire 3.)
Amazon.com: G11PRO 6K Drone was $532.99 NOW $299.95
Can you trust Rufus, the Amazon AI? It suggested to me (without me even asking) that this is what it'd tell me about the G11PRO drone – which does NOT have what we would call 'obstacle avoidance' or 'collision avoidance':
"Based on the product specifications and features, the Gleesfun G11PRO Drone includes several safety and navigation features rather than traditional obstacle avoidance sensors..."
and it goes on to list several other systems which it admits are not "traditional obstacle avoidance sensors that actively detect and avoid objects" but the system is very keen to, lets say, highlight their benefits! In other words, my advice is, if you're buying a product, perhaps an AI run by the retailer might be a little more 'positive' than you need.
One of the great DJI accessory deals is the company's Power Stations, which – until December 1 – are starting at just $279 instead of $499.
Not a lot more to be said about that, except check out the link – you can buy from DJI direct and some of the bundles – but not the basic Power Station 500 – are out of stock already. I've tested the Power Station 1000 and I found it a great way to keep my drones going a lot longer than usual out in the field (and my MacBook Pro!)
I mentioned the 8K-capable HOVERAir X1 PROMAX in a recent update, and it's worth noting that if you do fancy a very capable, but also very pocketable drone, then there are bundles for the Pro version of that "follow me" drone that start around the $600 mark, but the big bundles are impressively discounted at Amazon – check it:
Amazon.com: HoverAir X1 Pro Max was $1,282 NOW $949
Don't forget great Christmas and holiday presents can be stocking fillers and the like – the Snaptain SP350 is just $35 even though it includes three batteries (OK, small ones – it is for indoor play) and the controller.
This will be all anyone needs to get used to the basics of controls and, as I've said many times before (and it never gets any less true), learning the basics on a simple drone with not many automatic tricks (like GPS) means you'll be all the better a pilot when it comes to a more expensive camera drone! (Of course they're good toys too...)
Bestbuy: Snaptain SP350 was $49.99 NOW $29.99
I've just updated Digital Camera World's not-so-live drones deals page. (we do really try to serve you well over the Black Friday period) and I've seen that some of the better deals have already disappeared, especially the massive discounts on the DJI Neo in the USA, so I had to take that away for now. Other prices are still there.
Check out what is now called the Black Friday +1 Drones Deals Page.
All the deals say they are 'Cyber Monday Deals' now - not Black Friday deals. So one small taste of my experience that I can give you is that Cyber Monday deals can get very good on wholly digital products (things like electronic subscriptions) where there is no significant physical cost to the retailer, but most of the prices that were good enough for Black Friday might carry on through the weekend if the stocks last but I wouldn't be holding out for longer on physical products if I saw a really good deal. That's just my thoughts, of course, and the rules change every year (this year started even earlier, for example), but that's my experience for what it is worth.
Rest assured, I'll definitely mention it if I see something that breaks this rule!
Take a chance on me...?
OK, so I've not reviewed this drone and, honestly, without having done so and not knowing the brand it woudln't be my first choice – but – with two batteries of about 22 minutes each, a 4K camera (promised) on a mechanical gimbal (admittedly only 2-axis) and GPS, this definitely seems worth trying out if you're able to take full advantage of the 63% price cut!
At full price this is not a patch on the DJI Mini 4K – which is also discounted to as little as $239 – and with one 31-minute battery would still be my first choice of the two – but if cost is your key criterion then I should at least draw your attention to this possibility. (The nice thing about Amazon, after all, is that you can always return it).
Redrie 4K GPS drone was $299.99 NOW $109.99 (Prime members)
I've just been and edited the main drone deals page and I'm seeing that there is still some movement in the pricing and supply levels, but there are definitely still some deals out there!
Oh, and don't forget to keep an eye out for online vouchers if you are buying – simple tick boxes that can save you a little extra cash!
,Remember, most drones use MicroSD cards to store video and pics (and only a few have built-in memory including the DJI Neo and HoverAir X1)
Fun one today now it's officially Cyber Monday. Incidentally, that does not mean the deals are only available to robots, despite the fact that I've been asked by no fewer than six websites if I'm a human this morning!
Anyway, I've been writing up all my favourite drones that I've flown with my 'junior reviewing assistant' in order too encourage him to become a drone enthusiast – you can read the separate article here:
Drone expert reveal: The $33 drone I used to hook my son on flying... (and every step to FPV)
