This article discusses the best indoor drones for kids, teenagers, FPV flying, or photography, it also talks about the benefits of indoor drones, things you should consider before buying, and flying tips you may need to know.
If you are in a hurry, here is a quick overview:
- Best indoor drone for kids – The BOMPOW Mini Drone
- Best indoor drone for Teenagers – The Ryze Tello
- Best indoor drone for FPV – EMAX Tinyhawk Indoor Racing Drone
- Best indoor drone for Photography – DJI Mini 2
After more than 50 hours of researching on over 30 top-selling drones that can fly indoors by reading reviews from other websites, studying customers feedbacks, watching YouTube videos, etc., We have compiled a list of FIVE best indoor drones based on the price range and use.
The Best Indoor Drone Review
The Ryze Tello
The Ryze Tello features an HD camera that allows you to take stable 5MP photos and 720P videos with EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) system. The built-in propeller guards allow you to fly indoors with ease, no need to worry about 
It offers a pretty decent flight time as long as around 13 minutes for each battery life when fully charged. The flight distance is up to 100m (300+ feet) which is long enough for you to control the drone anywhere inside. The compatibility of the VR headset allows you to enjoy exciting FPV (first-person view) when flying.
It packs several fun-to-fly functions like Throw & Go, 8D Flips, and Bounce Mode. You can fly the drone simply by just throwing the drone into the air with Throw & Go mode, 8D Flips allows you to perform cool aerial stunts while Bounce Mode makes the drone fly up and down from your hand automatically.
Another thing makes the Ryze Tello stand out is the programmable ability which may benefit teenagers to explore their interest and advance their skills.
Most of the users commented that the crash resistance is excellent, it works just fine after crashing on the walls or floor. I personally crashed my Tello more than 5 times and nothing went wrong, not even a scratch can be found.
When it comes to flight performance, users said that the 13 minutes (around 9-10 in real-life experience) is fairly decent compared to others in this category. The 100 meters control range is far from enough to even fly outdoor. Another thing that users liked is the easy and fun to fly features, beginners said it takes no time to get familiar with the controls. Takeoff and landing are insanely simple, and dogs, cats, or small kids really like it when the drone performs flipping. My 2-year old girl tried the 8D flip every time I flew it.
People do have problems with this model. Users who use android smartphones complained that App compatibility is not satisfactory. Although it works with a 3-party remote controller, it doesn’t include in the package, you will need to pay for that. Also, App control may cause sluggishness, it’s suggested to use a remote for a better flying experience.
Pros
- Powered by DJI and Intel, excellent flight performance
- Up to 13 minutes flight time and 100m flight distance
- Precise hovering. The altitude and position hold work quite well.
- Fun to fly with 8D Flips, Bounce Mode, and Throw & GO
- 5MP photos & 720P Video with easy-to-shoot features
- Auto Takeoff/Landing, and Low Battery Protection
- 720P HD Live View with VR headset compatibility
- Suitable for fly outdoor (not on windy days)
- Programmable with Scratch
Cons
- One battery included, need to pay for extra ones for longer flight time
- No controller included
- Android compatibility is not as good as iPhone
The BOMPOW Mini Drone
Features & Benefits
The Bompow features a UFO shape design which is not only cool looking but also provides overall flight safety by protecting you from spinning propellers, especially for kids. Takeoff is pretty simple, you just need to turn on the drone and throw it up in the air.
Thanks to the built-in infrared sensors, you can control the drone with just your hands, no remote or smartphone is needed. Put your hand to its side, it will fly forward, when it detects your hand at the bottom, it will go up, and it falls back to a certain level and hover steadily if no gesture is sensed for 1-2 seconds. To stop the drone, you just need to grab it and flip the drone over.
It offers 2-speed modes which can tell by the LED light, blue stands for fast and green means slow, which gives you flexibility when flying in different situations. The 360 degrees Rotating allows the drone to perform cool stunts.
When it comes to durability, the non-toxic and high-grade ABS material makes the drone really tough and has collision-resistant. During our research, we saw people flying it with many crashes but it just survived.
It comes with a rechargeable Lithium battery which provides you with 5-8 minutes’ flight time depends on what you do with it. The charging time is around 40 minutes which is pretty decent.
Here is a video shows the hand control and how durable it is:
Pros and Cons
People were very impressed with this drone for its hand controlling which is often seen on more expensive ones. It’s easy-to-use and interactive, letting you free your hands. Many users who bought this for their kids really liked the crash-resistance ability, commenting that no matter you crash it on walls or floor or other objects in the room, it still does what it does.
Another thing that stood out for many people is the UFO-Shape design which makes the drone super safe when flying or controlling with your hands.
One flaw but not a dealbreaker is that the battery is a built-in one, you will need to wait for 40 minutes to recharge after playing for up to 8 minutes.
Pros
- Hand control, easy-to-fly, free your hands
- Fun to fly with 2-speed modes and 360 degrees rotating
- Protect you from high-spinning propellers
- Durable and solid and cool looking
- Lightweight and portable
- Prompt customer service
Cons
- No camera
- Not suitable for flying outdoor
- Poor instructions and manual
- Built-in battery, every flight takes 40 minutes to recharge
EMAX Tinyhawk Indoor Racing Drone
The EMAX Tinyhawk is a beginner ready-to-fly FPV racing drone for indoor flying. The kit includes a pair of FPV goggles, a controller, and a drone.
It allows you to enjoy the real FPV flying without using your smartphone or WIFI connection. The drone is made from lightweight and super durable materials so you don’t need to worry about the quality.
It’s a fast drone with a max speed of up to 35 mph, and there are three different modes to help you get started even if you are new to drones.
The Tinyhawk has a range of up to 200 feet which is long enough for indoor flying. When it comes to flight time, the battery offers up to 4 minutes for each charge. It’s not long but fairly enough for a beginner indoor racing drone.
Users liked this drone for its great durability, fast speed, and good flying range, saying that there is no scratch after crashing many times.
Though it’s a racing drone with super fast speed, it’s very small and the propellers are covered by built-in propeller guards for safety.
The battery life is only up to 4 minutes for each charge, so do remember to buy extra batteries for more fun.
DJI Mini 2
When it comes to flying a drone indoor for photography, most of the camera drones that cost a few hundred bucks or more are capable of getting the job done, the thing is flying a powerful drone indoors is full of danger and your drone may easily get damaged.
So safety is the most important thing you need to consider, and DJI Mini 2 is one of the best in terms of price, camera, and everything we considered
DJI Mini 2 is is an FAA register-free drone that only weights 1.55 lbs (249 g). It features a long battery life of up to 31miutes, a 3-Axis gimbal for stable and smooth videos and photos, and a camera that is capable of 4K videos and 12MP photos. For a more detailed review of DJI Mini 2, check this post.
When flying indoors, the DJI Mini 2 has a propeller guard (DJI Mini 2 360° Propeller Guard) that can fully protect the fast-spinning propellers and enhance flight safety. It’s designed for beginners and pilots who need to fly indoors or in locations with obstacles.
Also great: The Holy Stone F181C
The Holy Stone F181C could be a better option for those who only focus on flying while don’t pay much attention to the bells and whistles like the real-time view, FPV, and programming. It features easy-to-fly functions like one-key return & landing which allows you to control the drone with just a few taps, and you can control the drone to always move forward by pushing the joystick up no matter which direction the drone is in. Its ability to hold the position steadily after takeoff allows you to fly the drone with ease and more confidence as well as shoot stable footage with the built-in 720P HD camera.
The battery life is around 7-9 minutes which is adequate for flying indoor, and the control range is about 50-l00 meters.
In terms of fun to fly, the Holy Stone F181C offers 4-Speed Modes which give you more options when flying inside, beginners or experts can also choose the suitable mode accordingly. The 4D Flips enables the drone to do 360 flipping in 4 directions which makes the flying more exciting and interesting.
Pros & Cons
Compared to the Ryze Tello, this one is more affordable but lacks some important features which make it more suitable for entry-level users. When it comes to flight performance, many people commented that the flight time and control range are adequate, but the battery life sometimes may only last for 5 minutes depending on what you do.
Another thing people like is the easy-to-fly, saying that you can start flying the drone out of the box with an easy setup. Those who bought this for their young children found that kids took it pretty well and really enjoyed the time flying together.
The customer service is very responsive and helpful, we found that a lot of cases of technical or product defection issues were solved timely during our research, which also reveals the poor management of the company’s quality control procedure.
The drone can also be controlled with the remote that comes with it. Although it packs a camera, you can’t get a real-time view when flying and it doesn’t support FPV. Many people complained that the camera is shaky, you can’t expect quality photos and videos from it.
The main downside of this model is that the motors heat up very easily with high-speed spinning, and you will have to cool the motors down for 10 minutes between each flight.
Pros
- Up to 10 minutes of flight time, and 50 – 100 meters flight distance
- One-Key Return & Landing and Headless mode for easy flying
- 4D Flips and 4-Speed Modes
- Left / Right Hand Operation Mode
- Durable and solid
- Comes with a remote and two batteries
- Prompt customer service
Cons
- No FPV (First Person View)
- Altitude hold works not as well as advertised.
- Shaky videos & photos
- Poor performance outdoor, drift even in a light breeze
- Descending speed is too slow
- Motors will heat up easily with high-speed spinning. You will have to cool the motors down for 10 minutes between each flight.
Best Indoor Drone Buying Guide
Apart from the basic things you need to consider when purchasing a drone for indoor use, there are a few more aspects you need to pay attention to for choosing the best indoor drone.
Who is it for?
There are basically three types of indoor drones, Toy Indoor Drones, FPV Racing Indoor Drones, and Professional Indoor Drones. If you are looking for an indoor drone for fun and practice, then a toy drone may be the right one. If you want a drone for racing, just go for the FPV racing drone. If you need something for 3D mapping or inspection, then a pro drone is what you should get.
Reliable Flight Performance.
Flight performance usually refers to flight time, speed and stability. A good drone should at least provides 6 minutes of flight time otherwise you will need to pay more on extra batteries and spend a lot of time on changing batteries. Drones with different speed modes will also offer you a better flying experience especially when you want something exciting occasionally. Drones can hover stably when flying give you more confidence and ensure easy control.
Good Durability.
When flying indoors, you are more likely to crash your drone on the walls or ceiling which is totally normal no matter you are an experienced pilot or just a beginner. A good drone should survive most of the indoor crashes or just break the spare parts as propellers which can be easily replaced.
Easy to use.
As space is limited indoors, beginner pilots or kids may get nervous. Apart from good durability and reliable flight performance, drones featured easy-to-use functions like auto takeoff and landing, low battery alert, and return to home will greatly remove your pressure.
Fun to fly.
Flying inside limits the possibility for aerial photography, so the fun you will get when flying is one of the most important things. Drones that can flip, bounce or fly in different speed modes will bring you so much joy.
Customer Service.
As not everyone has experience in flying a drone, and it’s more likely to encounter technical issues with electronic products, so good and responsive customer service is also what you should consider when buying a drone.
Conclusion
When it comes to the best indoor drone with a camera, most would agree that there is no such perfect one that fits everyone’s needs.
The Ryze Tello is the best one for teenagers and people who want an indoor drone for practice. It’s suitable for pilots of any skill level thanks to its reliable flight performance, programmable ability, up to 13 minutes flight time, the ability to take 5MP photos, and 720P videos, and a pack of easy and fun to fly features. The Holy Stone F181C is an alternative you can get for a lower price.
When it comes to the best indoor drone for kids, the Bompow mini drone could be a good choice. It stands out for its easy-to-use hand control, UFO-Shape safe design, and excellent durability which makes it the best Indoor drone for kids.
If you are looking for a beginner indoor drone for FPV racing, then the Tinyhawk Indoor Racing Drone might be a perfect choice.
As we are limited in resources that it’s impossible for us to test and research every drone that can fly indoors, thus, we welcome your opinion on this topic and hope to see you sharing your experience by commenting below.
Tips for flying a drone indoor
When flying inside, safety is the most important thing you should always consider. If you are new to drones, don’t forget to read the following tips before getting started.
1. Check the space or flying area, especially when flying at home. Make sure your kids, pets or delicate furniture are not in your way.
2. Know your drone. Different types of drones have different features or controls, knowing what your drone can do and what it’s not capable of will help you avoid some accidents.
3. Stay away from the walls and ceiling. Don’t get too close to the walls, ceiling, furniture, or floor.
4. Make sure the lighting condition is good. Don’t fly in darkness or dim light, some drones require good light conditions when flying, and it will enhance the chances of crashing your drone.
5. Keep your drone within the visual line of sight.
6. Don’t go too fast. Some drones can go really fast. When flying indoors, the space is limited, going too fast may lead to losing control of your drone.
7. Don’t fly at home if you are flying a Racing drone. Unless you are an experienced pilot, then don’t fly your racing drone at home, it may put your things or even your self in great danger.
Frequently Asked Questions about Indoor Drone
1. Do you need an FAA license to fly a drone indoors?
No. FAA license is only applicable when it comes to the national airspace. In fact, any indoor space is not within the jurisdiction of the FAA. That is to say, there are no related laws or regulations that can be implemented on indoor drone flying.
2. Can You Fly a Drone Indoors?
Yes. But it really depends on what type of drone and your skill level. If it’s a toy drone, you can fly it even if you are a completely new pilot. If you are flying a professional drone, then you need to practice until you master the drone flying skills before flying indoors.