Complete Drone Glossary - A guide to UAV terminology in 2023
January 15, 2023
A complete glossary of Drone Terms, introduction into types of drones and everything you should know about UAV, quadcopters and more.
Best Drones Under 250 grams
Updated for 2021
So you’re looking for a good drone under 250g because you really don’t want to register it, do you?
You’re as smart as they come, as the new regulations in US, Europe, Uk and Australia have arrived at a consensus that drones weighing less than 0.55 pounds (250g) can be deemed as harmless.
Recently, DJI, the leader drone manufacturer in the world has already released their perfected version of an outstanding camera drone under 250g, the DJI MIni 2.
Things point into one clear direction and if you get yourself a lightweight drone, you’re set for quite a while in terms of avoiding annoying regulation.
Another great benefit is that smaller drones also tend to be cheaper!
Table of Contents
My 9 best drones under 250g in 2021
In this section we’re jumping straight into my favorite drones and details on why I chose each of these to fit a specific role. This means you won’t end up confused after reading this list (like other sites usually make you). At the end of the article there’s more details into the legislation and frequently asked questions.
| Mini 2 | Ex5 | Tinyhawk 2 | JJRC X12 | Tello | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
31 min | 30 min | 6 min | 16 min | 12 min |
 |
10 km | 1 km | 100 m | 1 km | 100 m |
 |
4k | ~4k | FPV | 1080p | 720p |
 |
3 axis gimbal | GPS | goggles | 2 axis gimbal | EIS |
| $$$ | $$ | $$ | $$ | $ | |
 |
Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
1.DJI Mini 2 - Best camera drone under 250
4k
31min
10km
GPS
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If you had to make a choice in the next 5 seconds and money would be no concern, this is by far the winner, as the best camera drone under 250 grams (0.55lbs).
DJI outdid themselves this time, making a stunning 4k drone with 3 axis gimbal stabilization, 10km range and 31 minute flight time.
These specs alone should make you want it, but even the price is pretty good for the fact that you pretty much get a professional camera drone, which you don’t need to register.
The drone has accommodative flight modes that adjust according to your skill. For instance, Position P is good for beginners and helps them make basic maneuvers, Sport S is for extreme flight, and CineSmooth C is for cinematography shots.
I compared the DJi mini 2 with the Mavic Air 2 (which is a high end drone) and there’s really barely any differences.
If you want, you can also check my complete review of it right here.
ADVANTAGES
- 4k crisp footage
- 3 axis stabilized gimbal
- under 250g
- stable gps
- very easy to control
- return to home
- flight modes
- long battery life and range
DISADVANTAGES
- Doesn't have follow me option
2.Eachine Ex5 - Best Cheap GPS drone under 250g
4k-ish
30 min
1 km
GPS
The Eachine Ex5 is for sure one of the best camera GPS drones you can get under $100 that’s also under 250g.
It’s a foldable drone designed to copy the DJI Mavic Mini 2 in form, but even though it’s far from it, there’s no denying that for the price it could just as well be one of the best acquisitions you can make.
One thing they definitely got right is the really long battery life (around 30 minutes).
The camera may say 4k, but it’s certainly lower quality than what one would expect for that resolution. It also doesn’t come with a gimbal, but you really can’t find one at this price.
ADVANTAGES
- Long battery life (30 min)
- Brushless motors
- Camera can be moved up and down
- Foldable design
- GPS
- Pretty good range
DISADVANTAGES
- Camera isn’t as good as advertise, but still great for the price
3.FPV Drone Tinyhawk 2 (best FPV drone under 250 grams)
FPV
6 min
100 m
With Goggles
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The tinyhawk 2 is no joke, a tinywhoop brushless quadcopter that’s under 250 grams.
It’s suited for both beginners as well as more advanced pilots. It can be used indoors too, but it’s main use should be outdoors, as it comes with some really powerful motors and can use both 1s as well as 2s batteries.
It comes in a very complete package including the FPV Goggles, controller, spare batteries and other accessories like a multi charger and spare props.
The drone itself weighs 32g without the battery, so it’s well under that flight limit for registration.
ADVANTAGES
- Safe protective gear
- Full package
- Very good price
- Brushless motors
- Acro mode included
- Betaflight ready
- Indoor and outdoor
DISADVANTAGES
- Battery may seem low, but it's normal for the category.
4.JJRC X12(Best Gimbal Stabilized Drone under 250g)
1080p
25 min
1 km
3 axis gimbal
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The JJRCx12, also known as the Eachine Ex4 is one of the best quadcopters you can get for under $200 and for a good reason: it comes with 3 axis gimbal stabilization which is very rare in this price range.
The camera is 1080p and comes with a 1km range that I tested myself in this youtube review.
And what’s best about this foldable quadcopter is that it comes under 250 grams with battery.
ADVANTAGES
- Great gps stability
- 3 axis gimbal (very stable)
- Camera Isn't fisheye
- Comes with a great case
- Great flight time
- 1km range (teste by me)
DISADVANTAGES
- Dynamic range isn't' great (typical for drones in this price category)
5.DJI Tello - Best beginner camera drone under 250g
720p
12 min
100m
IMG stabilzation
The DJI tello is a lightweight drone for which you need no registration and it works both as an indoor as well as outdoor drone. It’s made mainly for beginners and as a selfie drone and it’s on this list because of some really cool features it has for the price.
First of all the image stabilization in the camera makes it unique for the price range. Second of all, the 12 minute battery is very very competitive for its size and all this comes with bottom facing sensors to keep it hovering steady wherever you are.
It comes only with phone controlling capability, however you can get an aftermarket bluetooth controller and use it like that.
ADVANTAGES
- Optical flow sensors for stable flight
- Electronic Image Stabilization
- Extra Bluetooth controller option
- Multiple flight modes
- Long battery life for the size
DISADVANTAGES
- Need to buy an aftermarket controller (if you're not happy with the phone controls)
6.Holy Stone HS510 - Best foldable drone under 250g
4k-ish
16 min
300 m
GPS
The Holy Stone HS510 is a very small foldable camera drone that weighs under 0.55 pounds and comes just under $200 in terms of price but with some really solid specs.
You’re getting 2 batteries in the package each flying for 16 minutes in total.
It has some really solid GPS and powerful brushless motors. The controller comes with telemetry, which means you can see at all times the distance, height, battery level even without having signal from your phone. Since it comes with GPS, it also has the follow me function. The camera isn’t stabilized, but it can move up or down.
ADVANTAGES
- Camera angle can be adjusted
- Under 250g
- Foldable
- Comes with 2 batteries and a complete package
- GPS and return to home
- Great range and battery life
DISADVANTAGES
- No stabilized camera
7.Parrot Mambo - Best drone under 250g For kids
Optional
8 min
100 m
Bottom Sensors
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The Mambo is a very high quality toy drone made by Parrot, the biggest drone manufacturer in the US.While being under 250 grams, it also specs some interesting features.It’s a very stable flyer thanks to the bottom facing sensors, so you can pretty much remove your hands from the controller at any time and it will hover in place.
But the neatest trick it can do is mount a few very cool and fun accessories on top (like on a lego). Some of which include a grabbing claw and a small cannon that shoots plastic balls.
I don’t think you need me to tell you how much fun shooting things with a drone (safely) can be.
It’s in no way dangerous for kids, since the shooting part isn’t very powerful, but it has a lot of potential for creative stuff, even using the claw to deliver notes or small objects. The drone is also big enough to take outside and play with it there.
ADVANTAGES
- Very fun accessories
- Bottom facing sensors for stability
- It goes POW POW
- Additional FPV camera can be bought
- High build quality
DISADVANTAGES
- Don’t really know
8.Cheerson CX10 - Best nano/micro drone
No cam
6 min
60 m
Durable
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The cheerson CX10 is way under the 250g limit and although it is mainly an indoor drone, it can also be used outside in proper weather. It’s a nano drone so don’t expect much technology out of it. But it can do flips, it’s very durable and comes in plenty of colors. One downside is that the battery can’t be removed so you’ll have to recharge before using it again.
ADVANTAGES
- nano drone
- can be flown indoors
- very durable
- super cheap
- easy controls
- can do flips
DISADVANTAGES
- No replaceable battery
9.Potensic A20 - best beginner drone under 250 grams
No cam
6 min
60 m
Durable
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This made it on my list with the best beginner drones simply because it is effective in teaching you the basics, it’s cheap, comes in a great package and can be used both indoors and outdoors.
It comes in the package with 2 or 3 batteries and that can give you a total flight time of almost 20 minutes, which is great for when you need to get that time in as a beginner to master the craft.
It’s quite durable and comes with prop guards so you can safely hit it on the walls with pretty much no serious consequences. And of course, it’s well under 250 grams.
ADVANTAGES
- Durable
- Cheap
- Works indoors and outdoors
- Altitude hold
- Easy to fly
- Changeable batteries
DISADVANTAGES
- Nothing for the price you pay
What to look for in a drone under 0.55lbs
In this section we're looking at the main points you should focus on when picking the perfect underwater drone for you.
Size and Weight - Weight is a pretty obvious one, being under 0.55 pounds allows you to skip registration in most countries, but what about size? Well, the smaller the drone, the less wind resistance it usually has as well as battery life. So buying a small quadcopter might have the benefit of being flyable indoors but if you are to take it outside and a stronger breeze blows, you might lose it entirely.
Cost - How good is a drone in fact? Short answer: as good as the price allows. If you have high expectations for a drone under $100 to have 4k cameras, stabilization, GPS and brushless motors, you might find out that there are some compromises to be made in some areas. However, keep in mind that there are some overpriced drones out there (quite a lot actually) that will trick people who don’t know what they should look for in a drone specifically.
Spare Parts and Popularity - Yes, popularity is important in some way, as you might find out that there are more spare parts for it, be it new or second hand. You can also buy the drone second hand directly if it’s popular enough and this can save you some money.
Brushless Motors - Brushed motors can be found on cheaper toy drones that work as beginner learners and are good and all, but inferior to their brushless counterparts. The brushless motor is indeed more expensive, but also much more durable and way more powerful. That’s why these are used in larger drones or more premium ones (usualy beyond the $100 price point).
GPS and flight modes - with drones this small you usually don’t get very advanced GPS flight modes, but you can certainly get good GPS and like in the case of the DJI MIni 2, even other satellite systems like GLONASS and GALILEO.
Camera - I advise you not to get a camera drone if it’s under $100, because the footage you get out of it is usually pretty crap. The ones around $100 I have on the list are quite good for what you pay, but usually it’s best to wait until you have at least $200 to invest in a drone so you can get a higher quality rig and maybe even image stabilization.
Some rules for drones under 250 grams
There’s obviously the advantage of not having to register your drone if it’s under a certain weight, but are there still other limitations?
Can you fly a drone under 250 grams anywhere?
No, you certainly cannot fly your under 250 grams drone anywhere near an airport, military bases and usually you can find these areas marked on a map like this.
Having said that, there are also limitations in regards to how far you can fly away from crowds, property and such, all depending on the specific country regulation.
Conclusion
Although buying a drone under 250g means you don’t have to register it, you still need to be careful of your surroundings and where you fly it.
Drones in this weight category can range from simple beginner drones you can fly indoors to solid camera quads like the DJI MIni 2 that can capture outstanding footage.
Paul Posea
Hi, I'm a long-time drone reviewer and I hope my articles and comparisons on this site as well as Dronesgator's youtube channel are of as much help as possible.
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