Drone racing has really taken off in recent years. With televised events and big cash prizes from the professional Drone Racing League, the hobby-come-sport is sure to continue to grow in popularity. If you want to get involved in drone racing, finding the best racing drone is the first and most important step.
However, what you look for in an FPV (first person view) racing drone isn’t the same as what you look for in a different type of drone. For example, many beginners immediately look for a DJI racing drone as the biggest drone manufacturer, but DJI hasn’t made a racing drone yet.
How to choose the best racing drone for you:
So what do you need to consider when buying a drone for FPV racing? Sure, things like camera quality and image transmission speed are still important, but drone racers also prioritize speed and agility.
Of course, you need a fast drone to zoom past and outfly the competitors. Different races have different speed thresholds, with some drones capable of topping 80mph, so this is vital. You also need a drone that has a smart flight system that allows for agile maneuvers, particularly for navigating tricky courses.
Another thing to consider is the drone’s durability. Crashes are more likely to happen when flying at high speeds and doing tight maneuvers, so you should look for a drone that is strong and crash resistant. Battery life, usability, weight and size are other factors you should be mindful of.
To save you having to go through all that yourself, we’ve done the hard work for you. We’ve reviewed loads of different drones and have picked out the best racing drone for each budget and experience level. Simply read on to learn all about the best racing drones on the market.
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EMAX Tiny Hawke 2 FPV New Model Racing Drone – Best Beginner Racing Drone
- Price: $151 — Available on Amazon here
If you’re looking for the best FPV racing drone that’s cheap and ideal for new racers, the EMAX Tiny Hawke 2 is certainly worth checking out.
This is the latest version of the Tiny Hawke 2 and features some great improvements that make it an effective beginner race drone. For example, the drone boasts a redesigned FPV transmission system with the Runcam Nano 2 camera that’s known for its wide dynamic range and sharp optics.
- See also: our ranking of the best mini drones
- Or, our ranking of the best drones for kids
There are various options for video transmission, including 25mw for capturing indoor footage as well as 100mw and 200mw options. The latter two offer increased range and object penetration, allowing you to capture clear video when racing outside. The camera has an adjustable mount so you can customize your preferred flight angle.
There’s plenty of speed with this racing drone, thanks to the 16000kv motors. These have a 7% increase in power on previous Tiny Hawke models, allowing you to achieve faster propeller speeds and outpace the competition.
This RTF (ready to fly) drone’s frame is designed for durability and aerodynamics, so it’s crash resistant and able to perform racing maneuvers. It also has a throttle response LED system built into the frame which increases in brightness depending on each motor’s throttle input.
Finally, the EMAX Tiny Hawke 2 has a 4.5 star rating from over 300 reviews on Amazon, so it’s clearly popular among racing enthusiasts.
Hubsan H122D X4 Storm FPV Racing Drone – Best Racing Drone Under $200
Price: $131 — Available on Amazon here
This isn’t as fast as some of the more expensive racing drones, reaching speeds of up to 5.6m/s, but it’s a great choice for beginners and young racers looking to practice.
The Hubsan H122D X4 is a mini racing drone that has a compact 3.7 inch x 3.7 inch design and is lightweight, so it’s easily portable. It still offers plenty of durability, however, thanks to the well made carbon fiber frame.
One thing we really like about this drone is the Expert Mode option that allows you to fly the drone faster and with higher sensitivity. This is perfect for more advanced races as it helps better navigate tight angles at speed.
This storm racing drone has a 720P camera that helps you capture distinct and clear images. It has an adjustable lens angle as well as real time FPV video capabilities.
With the HS001 display and 5.8 G real time transmission, you can see the world through your drone as you race it. It comes with both HS001 and HS002 goggles for you to view the drone’s journeys through.
You can also perform some cool tricks and maneuvers with this drone, including flips and rolls, with just one key! It also has a max descent speed of 2m/s.
The Hubsan H122D X4 offers up to six minutes of flight time and has a range of 100 meters.
Walkera F210 3D Edition Racing Drone – Fastest Racing Drone Under $400
- Price: $359 — Available on Amazon here
The Walkera F210 3D Edition is one of the most popular FPV ready-to-fly drones among racing enthusiasts.
For starters, this drone is extremely durable thanks to the modular carbon fiber frame design. This protects it if you ever crash during a race or when practicing. You can also bring it to a quick stop to help reduce the risk of collisions.
This RTF drone also has an intelligent F3 flight control system that helps it stay stable and allows you to perform a range of maneuvers like flips, rolls and race course moves. The drone is really agile and can deal with the demands of complex, technical courses.
It can reach speeds of up to 50 mph, so it’s an extremely fast drone. Thanks to the F3 flight system and the professional speed controller, you can freely set the speed as you wish.
Another benefit of the Walkera F210 is its high quality 700TVL HD camera. The camera has a 5.8 G real-time image transmission for live FPV streaming, and it even has night vision so that you can record when it’s dark.
This drone is easy to take apart and reassemble, so you can use it as it is or customize it. This makes it great for both beginners and more experienced racers.
You can fly the Walker F210 3D for about eight to nine minutes at a time, and it weighs 370g, so it’s lightweight and portable.
Arris X220 V2 RC Quadcopter FPV Racing Drone – Best FPV Racing Drone with Easy Flight Modes
- Price: $349 — Available on Amazon here
This is a preassembled drone that’s ready to fly straight out of the box. Every Arris X220 V2 has been well calibrated and pre-flied, so you can rest assured it’s been tuned and tested.
The frame is lightweight and agile yet durable, with a 4mm carbon fiber plate arm for added strength. One of the most notable aspects of this racing drone is the unique “X” symmetrical design with a chamfered edge design on the arm, giving it a particularly sleek look.
Where this RTF racing drone is really impressive is how nice it is to fly. It features the Arrix 2205 brushless motor and 5045 propellers that are specifically designed for racing and deliver high performance. It also has an M5 steel shaft for improved structural strength and a centrifugal fan design to keep the drone cool during high speed flight.
There are three different flight modes – GPS, Altitude and Manual. The drone has a range of other useful flying features, including accurate position hold, return to home and intelligent orientation control, all of which help to deliver a smooth and enjoyable flying experience.
The Arris X220 V2 also has a 1200 TVL FPV mini camera with 5.8 G video transmission. It captures excellent footage in both bright and low light conditions and the camera angle is easily adjustable.
This drone has a high quality 4S Li-Po battery that delivers up to twelve minutes of flying time.
Arris Dazzle 5 Inch FPV Racing Drone – Best Racing Drone Under $400
Price: $439.98 — Available on Amazon here
Another Arris entry, the Dazzle 5 Inch is an excellent drone that’s designed specifically for racing and freestyle flying.
This drone has a low center of gravity, which makes it very agile and able to perform all sorts of maneuvers. The “X” symmetrical design typical of Arris drones also helps make it ideal for freestyling.
With a 4mm double lower plate, 5mm arm design and a high strength carbon fiber drone, this is certainly a reliable and stable RTF racing drone that you can depend on. The T-Motor T5143S propellers have optimized prop tip designs to maximize smoothness and durability – perfect for freestyle racing.
It also boasts the Arris X2206 2450KV high efficiency brushless motor, which allows it to travel at high speeds during races. There is a highly programmable LED on the arm and you can adjust the color.
This RTF racing drone has a HD camera for capturing images and videos, while the Foxeer lollipop antenna gives you excellent FPV range when flying, allowing you to explore further. The drone is also compatible with the GoPro models five to seven which can easily be installed on the top plate.
Finally, the F405 Betaflight flight controller is installed in the center of the frame and the wiring is tidy and concise, making the drone easy to maintain.
iFlight Nazgul5 HD FPV Racing Drone – Brilliantly Durable Racing Drone
- Price: $465 — Available on Amazon here
Produced by popular brand iFlight, the Nazgul5, named after the Lord of the Rings characters, is easily one of the best racing drones on the market.
This drone is a great mix of high speed, agileness, and camera quality. For starters, it has a 1200 TVL Caddex Ratel mounted camera that allows you to capture crystal clear imagery and seamless video. The camera performs well even in low light and the drone comes with a joystick that can be used to change the camera settings.
The Nazgul5 has a 5 inch frame made of 3K carbon fiber, so it’s extremely durable and reliable, even if it crashes. There are also motor guards on the arms to give the engine extra protection in the event of an impact. If you do accidentally break an arm, you can easily replace them by removing just one screw.
The Xing-E 2207 1700KV motors provide plenty of power, allowing the drone to fly at rapid speeds. The drone has a great range and can easily scale buildings.
Finally, the Nazgul5 comes with the SucceX-E F4 Flight Controller, which is high quality and easy to use. All of this makes it a great racing drone for both beginners and more advanced flyers.
With a 4.5 star rating on Amazon, you can be sure this is a popular option among drone racers.
UVIfy Draco HD – Overall Best FPV Racing Drone
- Price: $599.99
Like Arris, UVify is one of the leading racing drones manufacturers and the Draco is an award-winning model that’s among the best on the market. In fact, UVify claim that this is the fastest production racing drone on the planet.
The UVify Draco also offers fantastic durability and versatility. It has a modular design with swappable components, so you can easily customize the drone. The modular build also makes repairing the drone much easier.
Another impressive aspect of this racing drone is the tuned powertrain. This has a thin disc-type structure with a low center of gravity that provides better control feel, and it uses N54 curved super magnets to guarantee high torque output.
The powertrain also offers rapid response, fast acceleration and high efficiency, while the titanium-alloy shaft reduces overall weight by 50% compared to standard designs.
This drone has a strong carbon chassis that’s designed for maximum impact resistance, meaning it can withstand multiple crashes. Another noteworthy feature is the specialized cooling that allows the drone to perform well even in demanding environments.
Finally, this version of the Uvify Draco comes with a HD camera so you can take quality pictures and record stunning footage. There’s also the option to buy an analog version for $100 less.
