Are you having a tough time finding the longest flight time quadcopter drones on the market today? – If so, you’re in the right place!!!
Just imagine that you have just saved enough money to finally buy the drone of your dreams. You’ve charged the battery, driven to the beach, and got the thing in the air. Then after 15 minutes, your fun is on hold until you can charge the battery again!
Whether you use your drone for pleasure or professionally (to take aerial photography or survey land), finding a quadcopter with the longest flight time can be pretty tricky. You could easily spend hours trawling through the manufacturer’s websites and still not find the info you need.
That’s why we’ve done all the hard work for you and compiled the stats in an easy-to-read table. Now all you have to do is decide on which features you need and choose a unit that suits your budget.
As a general rule, you get what you pay for. For example, you won’t get much more than 5 minutes of flight time from a $20 drone and you won’t get much more than 20 minutes from one costing $200. In the case of quadcopters, more money equals more battery power and obviously longer flight times.
We understand the pain that SFS (Short Flight Syndrome) can take on budding drone pilots and that’s why we’ve researched the best drones on the market to find the longest flight time quadcopter available today (and its 8 longest-flying competitors).
Longest flight time quadcopter and its rivals
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Drones with long flight times are essential for some businesses – real estate, construction, farming, and so on. To get the job done the first time, you’ll want a machine that can stay airborne for the longest time possible on a single charge of the battery.
(Of course, you should always take an extra battery (or two) with you when you want to take to the skies, but it can be a real pain to stop what you’re doing and have to return to base.)
Even with rapid advancements in drone technology, the maximum flight time that you’re going to get is just over the 30-minute mark and that’s with the impressive DJI Mavic 2 Pro. This top-of-the-range drone has a top speed of 72 km/h and a maximum range of 8000 meters (8km).
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Flight time: 31 minutes
DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone Quadcopter with DJI Care Refresh Combo Bundle
- Please update the firmware version of your Mavic 2 to 01.00.00.00 or above via the App tips or DJI Assistant 2 on a computer before using. After upgrading, you can use the new feature such as “Hyperlapse” to experience the super amazing shooting effect of Mavic 2.
- Please update the firmware version of your Mavic 2 to 01.00.00.00 or above via the App tips or DJI Assistant 2 on a computer before using. After upgrading, you can use the new feature such as “Hyperlapse” to experience the super amazing shooting effect of Mavic 2.
- See the Bigger Picture: Equipped with a Hasselblad L1D-20c camera with a 20MP 1” CMOS Sensor, the Mavic 2 lets you capture gorgeous aerial shots in stunning color detail.
- Up to 31 minutes flight time, 44 mph max speed, 907g takeoff weight, 3-axis gimbal for steady shots, 8GB internal storage, SD card support up to 128 GB
- DJI Care Refresh: Provides two replacement units for a small additional charge in one year and covers kinds of accidents, such as water damage and collisions, giving you peace of mind. DJI Refresh Care can only be registered within 48 hours of the activiation of the drone.
- What you get: Mavic 2 Pro, Intelligent Flight Battery, Gimbal Protector, Remote Controller, 3x Propellers (Pair), Battery Charger, Power Cable, Communication Cable (USB3.0 Type-C), USB Adapter, Spare Control Sticks (Pair), RC Cable (Lightning connector), RC Cable (Standard Micro USB connector), RC Cable (USB Type-C connector) and DJI Care Refresh Card
DJI Phantom 4 Pro
Flight time: 30 minutes
DJI Phantom 4 PRO Drone Quadcopter Bundle Kit with 3 Batteries, 4K...
- ALL ORDERS PLACED AFTER 6/26 WILL RECEIVE V2.0 PHANTOM 4 PRO! The Phantom 4 PRO Series is just the Most Powerful Drone in the market, it is equiped with the following unparalleled features:
- ALL ORDERS PLACED AFTER 6/26 WILL RECEIVE V2.0 PHANTOM 4 PRO! FIVE Directions of Obstacle Sensing, you really need to be the Crashing PRO to damage this drone
- ALL ORDERS PLACED AFTER 6/26 WILL RECEIVE V2.0 PHANTOM 4 PRO! The Phantom 4 PRO Series is just the Most Powerful Drone in the market, it is equiped with the following unparalleled features:
- ALL ORDERS PLACED AFTER 6/26 WILL RECEIVE V2.0 PHANTOM 4 PRO! FIVE Directions of Obstacle Sensing, you really need to be the Crashing PRO to damage this drone
- ALL ORDERS PLACED AFTER 6/26 WILL RECEIVE V2.0 PHANTOM 4 PRO! 20 Megapixels Camera with HUGE 1" Sensor and MECHANICAL Shutter. FYI, the 1" sensor is over 4 times bigger than the 1/2.3" sensor in the latest Gopro Hero 5 which is amazing. Think about how great the video will be for the Phantom 4 PRO. Also the Camera is 20 Megapixels compared to 12 Megapixels of the Gopro Hero 5. Mechanical Shutter eliminating rolling shutter distortion which can occur when taking images of fast moving subjects
- ALL ORDERS PLACED AFTER 6/26 WILL RECEIVE V2.0 PHANTOM 4 PRO! Up to 4K 60FPS Video Recording! YES 4K 60FPS, 4K slow montion is at your figer tips
- ALL ORDERS PLACED AFTER 6/26 WILL RECEIVE V2.0 PHANTOM 4 PRO! We make the factory package more complete by adding some unique and must have accessories to the pacakges. Please see the description for a list of everyting included in thsi bundle
Blade Chroma
Flight time: 30 minutes
CHROMA QUADCOPTER DRONE W/1080P CGO2+ & ST-10+ CONTROLER
- CHROMA QUADCOPTER DRONE W/1080P CGO2+ & ST-10+ CONTROLER
- CHROMA QUADCOPTER DRONE W/1080P CGO2+ & ST-10+ CONTROLER
The Blade chroma has been around for a while but is still proving very popular. It comes with a 6300mAh Li-Po battery which has a very respectable battery life that gives a flight time of around 30 minutes and a range of about 2500 meters.
The 5.5″ touchscreen controller is a perfect size and is very straightforward to use. It only features controls that are strictly necessary so as not to complicate the flying process.
The CGO2+ model has a 1080P camera and the CGO3 model has a 4K camera. With both models, the camera is very stable thanks to the three-axis gimbal system. We also like the “leg-like” structure of the drone which does a great job of keeping the camera safe when landing on rough surfaces.
The Blade is designed with patented Safe technology. This helps you to have a smooth and steady flight – no matter how bad your flying skills are! This GPS-enabled drone has a 5.5-inch touchscreen display and integrated 5.8 GHz WiFi, which means that you get clear live latency-free video transmission.
The CGO2+ camera captures 16MP photos with an intelligent no-distortion lens which is very good for capturing detailed aerial shots. It’s also capable of taking awesome aerial footage in 1080P resolution and it can even make slow-motion videos (120 frames per second).
Another great feature worth mentioning is that you can record audio with the built-in microphone. This function can be turned on or off using the ST-10+ controller or the app.
This quadcopter has many modes including Smart Mode, AP (Aerial Photography) Mode, Follow Me Mode, and a Return Home mode.
The Smart mode is great for noobies, in that the drone moves in the direction relative to the direction you select with the controller. Also, you can create a “virtual barrier” which prevents your drone from flying too far away from you.
The Follow Me Mode allows the drone to follow you (or anything else) allowing the unit to maintain a constant distance and altitude. The Return Home mode makes sure the drone can find its way back to you if the battery gets low or it loses its signal.
With a flight time of 30 minutes, the Blade Chroma is the third-longest flight time quadcopter available today.
DJI Phantom 4
Flight time: 28 minutes
DJI Phantom 4 Starter Bundle Includes: DJI Phantom 4 Drone + Controller...
DJI Inspire 2
Flight time: 27 minutes
DJI Inspire 2 Quadcopter + Zenmuse X4S Starters Bundle
- Quadcopter is compatible with 5.2K Gimbal Cameras and features CineCore 2.0 Image Processing.
- Drone supports CinemaDNG and ProRes Recording.
- Bundle kit drone comes with a Dual-Battery Design.
- Flying copter features Advanced Obstacle Sensing.
- Quadcopter is compatible with 5.2K Gimbal Cameras and features CineCore 2.0 Image Processing.
- Drone supports CinemaDNG and ProRes Recording.
- Bundle kit drone comes with a Dual-Battery Design.
- Flying copter features Advanced Obstacle Sensing.
- Starter kit comes with a 2-Axis Stabilized FPV Camera.
DJI Mavic Pro
Flight time: 27 minutes
DJI Mavic Pro Fly More Combo Collapsible Quadcopter Drone Bundle
- Fly for miles. From your pocket; Inside the Mavic's pocket-sized remote controller is DJI's brand new OcuSync transmission technology, with a range of 4.3mi (7km) and Full HD 1080p video streaming; No bumps and scrapes When you know what's in front of you, you won't bump into it. The same is true of the Mavic. Using FlightAutonomy it can see obstacles as far away as 49ft (15m) in front, so that it can fly at up to 22mph (36kph) while avoiding the things it sees.
- Fly for miles. From your pocket; Inside the Mavic's pocket-sized remote controller is DJI's brand new OcuSync transmission technology, with a range of 4.3mi (7km) and Full HD 1080p video streaming; No bumps and scrapes When you know what's in front of you, you won't bump into it. The same is true of the Mavic. Using FlightAutonomy it can see obstacles as far away as 49ft (15m) in front, so that it can fly at up to 22mph (36kph) while avoiding the things it sees.
- Absolute Precision; FlightAutonomy technology means the Mavic can hover precisely in more environments, and automatically land almost exactly where you took off. Stay flying longer; Why fly for 10 or 15 minutes when you can fly for up to 27? With the Mavic you can.
- Use every single pixel; The Mavic is the only drone of its size to carry an integrated high-precision 3-axis mechanical camera stabilization system, giving you crystal clear photos and smooth videos, without losing a single pixel. True 4K video. No compromises; When you have a 4K sensor, you expect 4K results without compromises. Every shot you take with the Mavic Pro can be up to 4K, captured at 30 frames per second.
- Photos with altitude; Everyone loves a good photo. Whether you just want to take a snap or are building up your portfolio, the Mavic's 12-megapixel camera with Adobe DNG RAW support is ready to shoot. Get in the frame; Get selfies like you've never seen before with Gesture Mode. With the Mavic in the air pointing at you, a gesture is all it takes to take a photo.
- Includes: Mavic Pro Quadcopter - Remote Controller - 3 Intelligent Flight Batteries - 5 x 8330 Folding Propellers - Gimbal Clamp - Charger - AC Power Cable - 16GB microSD Card - Micro-USB Cable - RC Cable with Lightning Connector - RC Cable with Micro-USB Connector - 2 RC Cable Slider - Charging Hub - Mavic Shoulder Bag - 32 GB Card - Landing Gear Stabilizers - Memory Card Reader - Cleaning Cloth
Parrot Bebop 2
Flight time: 25 minutes
Parrot Bebop 2 FPV - Up to 25 Minutes of Flight time,...
- Compact and lightweight quadcopter drone (1.1 lbs);Capture high-quality pictures perfectly
- Ultra-precise piloting and extended flight range of up to 1.2 mile with Parrot Skycontroller 2
- Immersive flight experience with Parrot Cockpitglasses (FPV goggles)
- Compact and lightweight quadcopter drone (1.1 lbs);Capture high-quality pictures perfectly
- Ultra-precise piloting and extended flight range of up to 1.2 mile with Parrot Skycontroller 2
- Immersive flight experience with Parrot Cockpitglasses (FPV goggles)
- Shoot full HD 1080P videos and 14Mpx photos with the built-in wide-angle camera. Footage can be captured in RAW, JPEG and DNG format.
- High capacity 2700mAh battery with up to 25 min battery life
- Unmatched 3-axis digital stabilization system ensures smooth and stable videos regardless of the drone's movements
- Compatible Smartphone screen size for the Cockpitglasses: 4.7 - 5.2" / 12 - 13 cm
The Parrot Bebop 2 is a smartphone-controlled quadcopter that has a 14-megapixel camera that can record in 1080p.
The Parrot Bebop has a fish-eye lens that shoots jitter-free footage. It also has removable user-serviceable rotor blades (which is great for when you are not using the drone).
At first glance, the drone doesn’t look so different from its predecessor. But on closer inspection, the design is much more robust and the new model has a larger 2700mAh capacity battery. This neatly slots onto the back of the drone but note that it does have to be removed for charging.
The design of the Bebop 2’s is different from most other quadcopters in that it’s not a single solid unit, but two elements connected by a series of rubber balls. On top of the balls sits the main body of the drone with the camera inside. The design means that there is very little judder, making it a great machine for aerial photography.
When taking off and landing, the drone is smart enough to know when it is not safe enough to do so. If you try to take off and one of the rotors hits an obstacle, the motors immediately turn off until you move the drone to a clear space.
The motors are powerful enough to cope with relatively strong winds. On the negative side, there is a small amount of drift in positioning when flying. This is not a huge issue unless you intend to fly it in a small, confined area.
To conclude, the Bebop 2 is responsive, fast, and has a flight time of 25 minutes. It makes a great starter drone for beginners.
Phantom 3 vs Phantom 3 Pro
Flight times: 25 and 23 minutes
DJI Phantom 3 Standard Quadcopter Drone with 2.7K HD Video Camera
- Refer the user manual and videos on this page for troubleshooting.Enjoy the view: A live video feed gives you a 720p HD real-time view of what your camera sees right on your mobile device
- View a live image streamed from the drone up to a half mile away on the DJI Go app using your mobile phone or tablet
- Refer the user manual and videos on this page for troubleshooting.Enjoy the view: A live video feed gives you a 720p HD real-time view of what your camera sees right on your mobile device
- View a live image streamed from the drone up to a half mile away on the DJI Go app using your mobile phone or tablet
- GPS assisted flight features let you concentrate on getting great images while the drone helps you fly safely. You can achieve advanced camera perspectives with the Point of Interest, Follow Me and Waypoints modes (pending app feature availability)
- Fly up to 25 minutes with the included intelligent battery. A range of accessories is included:1 battery and charger, full set of propellers, radio controller
- Update the remote control first before use.
The biggest difference between the Phantom 3 and the Phantom 3 Pro is the price with the Pro about $550 more (at the time of writing).
If you’re new to drones and just want a quadcopter that can capture video and take pictures, the standard Phantom 3 is a great choice. But if you want better specs and more stability, the Pro is the way to go. The Pro shoots in 4K whereas the standard can only manage 2.7K.
Both models have a three-axis motorized gimbal. This makes the drones very stable and keeps videos smooth and judder-free.
Both models take micro-SD cards but the major difference comes with the remotes. The Pro version has a rechargeable battery and is built much better than the more plasticky and lighter standard remote. We’re not saying that the standard remote is bad, it’s just “standard” but perfectly adequate for getting your drone off the ground and flying it around.
Another major difference between the two quadcopters is that the Pro has a visual sensor. This helps to keep the drone stable if you should lose GPS. It’s also much better if you intend to fly inside and want to avoid hitting a wall!
Regarding battery life, you’ll get about 23 minutes from the Professional and 25 from the Standard.
Regarding build quality, the Pro just feels better. While the quadcopters weigh the same, you can feel the difference so it comes down to how much cash you have available.
So which one to choose? – If you are flush and you want all the bells & whistles with 4K recording, the Professional is a great drone. But if you’re not a professional photographer or videographer, you may not need the specs that the Professional gives you. If you just want to fly around and take footage of your dog on the beach, the Standard could be perfect for you.
If you enjoyed this article, you may also read about drones with a 1 hour flight time from our tech section.
