Looking for a drone with a long flight time can be overwhelming due to the numerous options in the market. Though long flight time provides more opportunities for video shooting and exploration, it comes with trade-offs such as higher prices and heavier weights.
To find the best drone, you need to balance your preferences and needs with the available options.
In this article, we will be discussing and reviewing some of the best drones with the longest flight time so that you can be sure you’re getting the most flight for your money!
Note: All the drones we’ve included in today’s roundup come with cameras – just to make the comparison fair
Here is a quick overview:
- Best All-Round: DJI Mini 3 (51 Mins)
- Budget Pick: DJI Mini 2 (31 Mins)
- Also Great: Autel Robotics Evo 2 (40 Mins)
- Best for Pros: DJI Mavic 3 (40 Mins)
Buyer’s Guide and FAQs
Before we get started, I wanted to run through a few common questions that crop up when it comes to purchasing any kind of drone, which should also be considered when solely looking at a drone for its flight time capabilities.
What Other Things Should I Look For When Buying a Drone?
This is a great question because although flight time is a huge factor when considering purchasing a drone (especially if it’s an expensive one) you need to consider what other types of tech you’re going to be getting for your money.
The answer to this question also depends on what you’ll be using your drone for. Generally speaking, things such as the camera quality, the range, and intelligent flight mode options such as ActiveTrack/Follow Me modes are great places to start when it comes to comparing features.
Also, it’s important not to forget where you’ll be taking it and its portability!
Should I Buy Extra Batteries?
Absolutely! Especially with the introduction of fly more combos that include multiple additional batteries and accessories for a cheaper, bundled price! I personally travel and camp a lot and I find having those extra batteries helps me so much.
What Flight Time Do I Need From My Drone?
This depends on entirely what you’ll be using the drone for. Most casual/hobbyist drone pilots have no issues with a flight time of around 20 minutes. However, if you’re shooting commercially then you may want something with a little more power that lasts a bit longer.
Many photographers will be happy with a battery that lasts up to and around 25/30 minutes. If you’re a filmmaker, however, who wants to shoot complex scenes, you may want to purchase a drone with an even longer flight time so you can get the shot without the worry of having to charge your battery.
Drone With the Longest Flight Time Review
As you can see, this post is very ‘DJI heavy’. We’re not biased, they’re just somewhat of a powerhouse and always seem to have that slight edge on their competition in so many fields. We have managed to squeeze in a couple of great options from alternative brands that give DJI a run for its money.
Here’s what we came up with:
The Best All-Round: DJI Mini 3
The DJI Mini 3 comes with 2 different batteries, the standard one (2453 mAh) and the Plus version (3850 mAh). One of the most impressive features of this drone is its long flight time, which can reach up to 38 minutes with the standard battery and up to 51 minutes with the optional Intelligent Flight Battery Plus.
It also features a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor that supports stunning 4K videos and 12MP photos. The ability to shoot in D-Cinelike color mode provides you with more visual information and richer color possibilities for post-processing.
The drone also boasts a flagship-level video transmission system, DJI O2, which ensures a clear and stable live feed at distances of up to 10 km (6.2 miles).
Another thing that makes this drone stand out is that it’s capable of vertical shooting, giving you more flexibility in creation.
The DJI Mini 3 has an upgrade version DJI Mini 3 Pro which is capable of obstacle avoidance and packs intelligent flight modes like ActiveTrack, and APAS 4.0 and beginner-friendly video shooting modes like MasterShots. Learn more about DJI Mini 3 Pro vs Mini 3.
Also Great: Autel Robotics Evo 2
4K at 60fps is now a thing of the past since Autel launched its Evo II. With 8k filming capabilities, you’ll essentially have a drone with quality that’s going to futureproof– at least for the next few years anyway.
But what about the flight time? The Evo 2 has been fitted with a 7100mAh battery meaning you’ll get a 40-minute flight time out of it which includes 35 minutes hovering, smashing the barriers that its’ predecessors set.
Our users that tested this drone reported that the 40-minute flight time does make all the difference though they found they had to fly it relatively slow to get the full flight time; around 16kph.
Budget Pick: DJI Mini 2
The DJI Mini 2 is an upgrade to the Mavic Mini. It’s almost the same size as the Mavic Mini but has a flight time of up to 31 minutes. Though it’s a little bit pricer than the Mavic mini, it comes with a lot of great features such as a 4K camera, Ocusynce transmission system (6.2 miles range), better wind resistance (level 5), stronger motors, etc.,
If you want to know more about the difference between the new DJI Mini 2 and Mavic Mini, check out this article:
Best for Pro Pilots: DJI Mavic 3
The DJI Mavic 3 is DJI’s top-tier camera drone with exceptional performance and imaging capabilities. It boasts a long flight time of up to 46 minutes, enabling you to capture more footage and push creative boundaries.
The dual-camera system includes a Hasselblad L2D-20c camera with a 4/3-inch CMOS sensor and a tele camera with a 1/2-inch CMOS sensor. It also features omnidirectional obstacle sensing, a max transmission range of 15 km (9.3 miles), and intelligent modes such as ActiveTrack 5.0, MasterShots, and QuickShots.
The Mavic 3 Cine version also includes a 1TB SSD and a 10Gbps lightspeed data cable for faster data transfer. Ideal for professional creators seeking high-quality aerial footage.
Runners Up
DJI Mavic Air 2
The Mavic Air 2 features a 3500 mAh battery that can fly up to 34 minutes. It quickly took the spotlight from others for its 6.2 miles (10 km) transmission range, 1/2″ sensor capable of 4K 60fps videos, and 48MP photos.
It also packs DJI’s latest intelligent flight technology like APAS 3.0, Spotlight 2.0, FocusTrack, QuickShots, SmartPhoto. More importantly, it comes at a more affordable price than the Mavic 2 and Autel Robotics EVO 2.
DJI Mavic Mini
The Mavic Mini had us in awe for many reasons, it’s one of the first ultra-light drones equipped with a camera and has revolutionized drone flying for hobbyist drone pilots.
Despite having a maximum flight time of 30 minutes, we ranked it below the Mavic 2 Pro because in order to achieve the flight time, you will have to cap your speed at 14 kph. Nevertheless, it’s still impressive that when doing this, it can stay airborne for just one minute less than a drone almost 4 times its price.
If you want to know the full low-down on the Mavic Mini and how it compares with similar drones check out these articles:
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DJI Mavic 2 Pro
It’s small, foldable, has an incredible quality camera, and has a maximum flight time of 31 minutes when flown at a consistent speed of 25 kph. You can even leave the drone hovering for 29 of these minutes!
Although it is one of the more expensive options in the roundup, you really get what you pay for with the Mavic 2 Pro and get all the usual bells and whistles like intelligent flight modes, active track, impeccable image quality on any screen size, and HDR colors.
DJ Phantom 4 Pro V2.0
The Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 is an upgraded version of the Phantom 4 Pro which launched a few years ago. It can fly up to 30 minutes with a top speed of 72kph, making it one of the fastest drones in the market.
It features a 1-inch sensor that allows you to capture 4K60fps videos and 20MP photos. With Ocusync 2.0, you will get an 8 km transmission range with 1080p HD live streaming.
It would have made it to this list and as of the date of publishing, but drones nowadays are becoming more and more portable, the foldable design has become mainstream. Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 features the iconic DJI Phantom design which may be a problem when taking out for hiking or traveling, but it’s still loved by many old Phantom drone users and professional aerial photographers for its classic appearance and incredible performance.
Autel Robotics EVO
With camera quality and range to rival that of giant DJI, Autel’s sleek EVO drone has an equally as impressive flight time of up to 30 minutes; although they don’t state what speed you should be flying to achieve this.
Nevertheless, our users that tested this drone reported the 30-minute estimate to be pretty accurate with most people achieving that – more interestingly, they said it did stay in the air longer than the DJI, even if it was just for a couple of minutes.
Verdict: Which is the Best Drone with the Longest Flight Time?
If your budget isn’t an issue and you want the crème of the crop when it comes to both flight time, price, and added features, I would highly recommend the Mavic Air 2. It’s great for drone pilots who want a cool gadget that also performs well, making it equally ideal for professional photographers and videographers.
If you want something that still has an impressive flight time and is super cheap without compromising on too much camera resolution or quality, the Mavic Mini would be the perfect option, especially if you’ll just be using the drone leisurely.
Have you purchased or flown any of the drones we mentioned recently? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below!