Flying a drone can be a great way to do everything from taking selfies, to streaming video footage, to just relaxing after a long day. Of course, racing them was the only logical conclusion to this line of thinking. As drone technology has become more prominent and more pervasive, drone racing has risen in popularity. The appeal is obvious – racing your own personal flying robot. And with the camera giving you a first-person view, you’ll really feel like you’re the one flying across the court.
If you want to get in on the new trend, then you’ll have to get a good racing drone with a first-person view (FPV) camera, and we’re here to help. We’ve made this list of the best racing drones out there that come completely ready to fly, so you won’t have to buy multiple products to try out your new hobby.
Carry on reading to see our full list of the best ready-to-fly racing drones, followed by a recap breaking down what makes each product on our list stand out. Or jump straight to our number #1 pick on Amazon here.
What Should You Look For in an FPV Ready-to-Fly Racing Drone?
It can be hard and daunting to get into a new hobby and start researching all of the products out there. Even if you’ve bought a drone before, you may be new to racing drones in particular. Of course, that will give you a starting-off point, but we want to make this transition into drone racing as smooth as possible. We’re going to lay out all of the criteria we used to assess the best FPV racing drones so that you can forget about all the specs and details and just worry about the fun part – racing your new drone. By the time you finish this quick read, you’ll feel like a racing drone expert, and you’ll be ready to read about all the drones on the market with a good idea of what makes one drone better or worse than another.
Criteria #1: Speed – Obviously, if you’re going to be racing your drone, then you want it to be fast. The two big factors that will determine how fast your drone is able to fly will be its motor and its frame. We’re looking for the fastest racing drones out there that have powerful motors and lightweight frames that will let you fly as fast as possible and be the first one to pass the finish line every single time your drone is lined up on the track.
Criteria #2: Camera Quality – That FPV view won’t be all that interesting if it’s coming from a camera that gives you video quality straight out of the 90s. And just as much as we need good picture quality, we need a reliable stream going to your FPV headset. Since there’s pretty much an industry-standard in the stream- and video-quality, this is more of an entry point than a spectrum of quality. That being said, we’re looking for drones that boast 5.8 G real-time image transmission and an HD camera.
Criteria #3: Durability – When the goal is to fly as quickly as possible, you’re inevitably going to get a little reckless every now and then, and your drone is going to take some hits. Of course, the biggest factor contributing to the durability of your FPV racing drone will be the material it’s made from. It’s sometimes difficult to find a material that’s durable and light enough that your drone can still hit the top speeds that will help you win your races, but we’re hoping to avoid compromise as much as possible. That being said, if it does come down to one or the other, we will usually give preference ot the faster drone.
Criteria #4: Price – We’re not here to make you spend a ton of money for no reason. Meeting this criterion is less about being cheap and more about justifying your price. We’d rather buy an expensive product that’s cheaper than it should be than waste money on a cheaper product that isn’t worth the money and that will just break on you or not perform well. I won’t sugar-coat it – racing drones are pretty expensive. But we’ll try to keep things as cheap as possible without giving you a sub-par drone.
Here’s How We’ve Determined the Best FPV Ready-to-Fly Racing Drones
We measured the specs of the top products on the market against our listed criteria to see how they held up and if they’re worth buying. We then checked customer reviews, blog posts, and “best ready-to-fly racing drones” articles to see if the products on our list performed as advertised. On top of that, we made sure to be on the lookout for any extra features that didn’t fit squarely into any of the criteria we listed above. We also tried to include a wide variety of drones from different price ranges to make sure everyone can find a product that’s perfect for their tastes and for their budget.
And without further ado, here is our list – tailored to your specific needs – of the best first-person-view ready-to-fly racing drones.
#1: Arris X220 V2 220mm RC Quadcopter FPV Racing Drone (Best Value – All-Purpose)
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Our list gets started with the Arris X220 V2 220mm RC Quadcopter FPV Racing Drone. This ready-to-fly racing drone is a great option for anyone who plans on taking drone racing pretty seriously, and it’s one of the best options out there in terms of bang for your buck.
Arris is one of the premier names in racing drones, so you can rest easy knowing that you’re getting a tested product from a highly regarded brand. Our number one First-Person-View racing drone is made out of a carbon-and-glass-fiber frame that gives the Arris X220 V2 220mm RC Quadcopter FPV Racing Drone a weight of just 400 grams to help you zoom through the hoops and across the track as quickly as possible.
This ready-to-fly FPV drone comes with everything you need to get started, so you’ll be racing the second you open the box. With 1200 TVL (TV lines), the Arris X220 V2 220mm RC Quadcopter FPV Racing Drone has one of the smoothest and most-detailed cameras of any drone on the market, so you’ll get a dazzling view of everything your drone sees during your race. Its 5.8 G video transmission will make sure there’s absolutely no delay.
This Arris RTF FPV racing drone has three different flight modes – GPS Mode, Attitude Mode, and Manual Mode. GPS Mode is the most casual option, as it’s the easiest to control but also the slowest and least precise. While it’s not ideal for racing, it’s a great way to practice your basics and just blow off some steam.
Attitude Mode is a harder option, as it basically turns off all of the automated flight-assisting features that your racing drone has, but this makes it a great way to “train with weights”, so to speak.
Finally, there’s Manual Mode, which turns off all stabilization features and leaves it up to you to control everything about your flight. While this is harder, it gives you the full control that will be necessary to pull off certain tight turns while you’re racing, and it’s a great way to practice some tricks and impress your friends.
Multiple different reviewers praised the durability of the Arris X220 V2 220mm RC Quadcopter FPV Racing Drone, so you don’t have to worry too much about one crash doing this drone in.
The camera angle of the drone is adjustable so you can see exactly what you want to see while you fly instead of just staring at the ground the whole time. The presence of both manual mode and automatic features such as return-to-home landing and position hold make the Arris X220 V2 220mm RC Quadcopter FPV Racing Drone a fantastic option for beginners and more experienced drone pilots alike.
Finally, this drone boasts a battery that offers a 12-minute flight time, which is longer than most of the competition, and will help you really sink your teeth into your new hobby as you won’t have to stop as often.
The only problem with our number one FPV racing drone is that it doesn’t actually come with FPV goggles, but that’s unfortunately usually the case.
This is the best deal on the market whether you’re a beginner or a pro, and that’s why the Arris X220 V2 220mm RC Quadcopter FPV Racing Drone was an easy pick as our best ready-to-fly FPV racing drone.
#2: Xiangtat Walkera Furious 215 FPV Racing Drone (Best Overall FPV Ready-to-Fly Racing Drone)
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The Arris X220 V2 220mm RC Quadcopter FPV Racing Drone is one of the more affordable racing drones out there, and it’s an incredible deal. But what if you’re okay with splurging for something that might suit you a little better? Well, there are plenty of options still out there, and one great choice for you might be the Xiangtat Walkera Furious 215 FPV Racing Drone.
This premium ready-to-fly FPV drone is more expensive than our number one drone, but it has some features that the Arris X220 V2 220mm RC Quadcopter FPV Racing Drone just can’t offer you. Here are some reasons why you might decide that Xiangata has earned your money with the Walkera Furious 215 FPV Racing Drone.
Reason #1 to Choose This Product: A Smaller and Lighter Build
As our basic understanding of physics over the years has taught us, smaller usually equals faster. And as speed is our top priority with FPV racing drones, that means that bigger is usually not better. That’s why it’s very important that the Xiangtat Walkera Furious 215 FPV Racing Drone weighs 375 grams compared to the 400 grams of our top-ranked FPV drone. Every gram counts with FPV racing drones, and you never know when a race will come down to the wire.
If you want every last bit of help you can get, you’ll want to splurge for the Xiangtat Walkera Furious 215 FPV Racing Drone. It may just be the difference between first place and second place.
Reason #2 to Choose This Product: Extremely Durable
Thanks to its rugged crash structure, the Xiangtat Walkera Furious 215 FPV Racing Drone is ready to take a hit despite having a lightweight carbon fiber frame. This makes it great for beginners who are a little nervous about crashing their drone on the first flight as well as more experienced drone pilots who are looking to take on more demanding turns that might not always end so well. The Xiangtat Walkera Furious 215 racing drone is the perfect blend of strength and speed.
In addition to its small size and its durable build, the Xiangtat Walkera Furious 215 racing drone boasts a 5.8G video transmission speed and high-performance brushless motors. It has a flight time of 8-9 minutes that’s shorter than that of the Arris ready-t0-fly drone, but that’s still pretty solid.
The biggest complaint I have with this drone is that its 600 TVL leaves a little something to be desired, so you may feel that the video feed isn’t as crisp as you would like. But if you’re trying to win your next big race, the Xiangtat Walkera Furious 215 will almost definitely deliver a better performance than any of the other FPV racing drones on the market, and for a lot of customers, that’s certainly worth a few extra bucks.
#3: EMax Tinyhawk RTF Micro Indoor Racing Drone (Best Low Cost / Best for Beginners)
We warned you that racing drones are pretty expensive, and after our first two FPV racing drones, you may be starting to feel like there’s no way to break into drone racing if you’re not willing to spend a ton of money. We’d definitely forgive you for thinking that, but fortunately, it’s not always the case. With the Tinyhawk RTF Micro Indoor Racing Drone, Emax offers one of the best completely ready-to-go racing drones on the market that’s perfect for beginners who don’t want to spend a fortune while they’re still getting their feet wet.
The EMax Tinyhawk RTF drone is a little heavy at 2.65 pounds, but it has a very solid top speed of 35 mph despite its weight. On top of its solid speed, the real selling point of this FPV drone is its incredibly cheap price. This EMax FPV drone is more than 50% cheaper than both of the other FPV racing drones on our list, and it’s one of the only racing drones out there that comes with FPV goggles included. That means that this product gives you simple one-stop shopping so you can focus on the fun part. You’ll be able to buy everything together in one bundle so there won’t be any confusion for new drone pilots.
The biggest flaw of our EMaxx budget drone is that it has a pretty short flight range of just 200 feet, but that’s still more than enough to help you learn your way around the path. For any beginner looking to keep things cheap, there’s just no better option than the complete bundle of the EMax Tinyhawk RTF FPV drone. It comes with everything from the flight controller to the FPV goggles to a carrying kit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Set Up a Ready-to-Fly FPV Racing Drone?
As the “ready-to-fly” part would have you believe, the true ready-to-fly racing drones are, well, ready to fly the second you open the box. Of course, the sad truth is that most manufacturers are a little lenient with their definition of ready to fly.
Some drones don’t even come with a flight controller. Don’t worry, we haven’t included any such FPV racing drones on our list. Most don’t come with FPV goggles. That being said, all of the drones on our list will be ready right out of the box, but the only one that comes with goggles is the EMax drone. You can still fly the rest, you just won’t have the FPV experience unless you buy some goggles.
What Are Some Options Besides Ready-to-Fly Drones?
If you’re a little all-or-nothing like I am and you’re disappointed by what you may consider false advertising by the RTF drone market, you may want to go all out in the other direction. The best racing drones are not ready-to-fly products. They’re built part by part by their owners.
Obviously, I would only recommend this to someone who either has prior experience with tools in general or with drones in particular. But if you do decide to go this route, it’s worth knowing that you can either buy a pre-packaged kit of all the parts you need or buy each part individually. Buying a kit is easier and perhaps cheaper, but buying each part separately gives you more customization.
Verdict: Your Best Ready-to-Fly FPV Racing Drones
We’re reaching the end of our list, and you’re hopefully starting to get a good idea of which of our products is best for you. But if you haven’t made up your mind yet, not to worry. We don’t want to rush, and we know how important it is to make sure you’re getting the FPV Racing Drone that’s perfect for you. That’s why we’re going to recap all of our racing drones and focus on their standout features. This way, you’ll be able to see the highlights and really know what each product has to offer for you.
If you want the best value for your money, pick the Arris X220 V2 220mm RC Quadcopter Racing Drone.
With its 1200 TVL, the Arris X220 V2 will give you one of the best video feeds on the market, and you’ll have no lag thanks to the standard 5.8 G image transferring. On top of that, the three different flight modes – GPS Mode, Attitude Mode, and Manual Mode – make this drone perfect for pilots of all skill levels. You can make things as easy or difficult as you want to hone your skills to perfection before your next race. Finally, thanks to its lightweight carbon fiber build, you’re sure to get a solid speed from this drone. Virtually all of the customers praised it for its durability, so don’t be too worried about crashing every now and then – it’s part of the learning process.
If you need the fastest drone available, pick the Xiangtat Walkera Furious 215.
If you already trust your piloting skills and you want something that will give you the extra speed boost you really need to start winning races, then you’ll need the Xiangtat Walkera Furious 215. This drone is one of the lightest on the market. With its brushless motor and carbon-fiber frame, you’ll be zooming past the competition in no time with this top-quality drone.
If you want to keep the spending cheap, pick the EMax Tinyhawk RTF Micro Indoor Racing Drone.
The EMax Tinyhawk is by far the best option out there for anyone who wants to keep the spending to a minimum. This budget drone comes with everything you need, including FPV goggles. It’s pretty hard to find FPV racing drones that come with everything you’ll need to get started, so when an all-inclusive option that’s this cheap comes along, you take it.
That brings us to the end of our list. The market for racing drones is still growing, so there aren’t that many premier products out there just yet. If you’re having trouble choosing among our three drones, it may help to think about which feature is most important to you. Of course, you’re always free to conduct your own further research.
That’s all for now. Enjoy the drone racing!