Best Hubsan Drones – The 9 Best Models Available Today
—-UPDATED FOR 2021—-
Hubsan is a well-respected name in the drone world. They’ve got tons of high-quality, beginner-friendly options, which makes choosing one a tall order. But not to worry—once you finish this article, you’ll be an expert in all the best Hubsan models. You’ll know exactly which one is right for you, so you can be one step closer to owning the perfect drone.
In this review, we will discuss, review, and recommend the best drones produced by Hubsan. But we’re going to do away with any pretense and tell you right now that the best all-around drone is the Hubsan H501s. This model features impressive flight time AND an excellent camera. Read on to find out more about it.
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Hubsan Drone Naming Convention
Before we jump into the article, here’s a quick note about Hubsan’s drone naming convention. You will see Hubsan X4, Q4, or the number six attached to its product names. Anything with an X4 is a quadcopter, which has four propellers. If the model has a Q4 in its name, it’s a nanomachine, and anything with a six is a hexacopter, which has six propellers.
Best Hubsan Drones for Beginners
Hubsan is known for having a number of novice-friendly drones. Here are some of the best quadcopter drones for beginners:
- Hubsan H111 – tiny, cheap, fun
- Hubsan H107C – tiny, cheap, captures stills and video
- Hubsan H107D – tiny, durable, cheap
Hubsan Drones with Camera
Many aspiring photographers and videographers use drones with cameras to take their work to the next level. But you don’t have to be either of these to enjoy the new perspective a camera drone gives you. You can race drones with an FPV (First Person Perspective) camera, or you can simply fly around and see the world from a birds-eye view.
Most of the Hubsan drones in this review include cameras. If capturing photos and videos are the main reasons you’re buying one, avoid buying the H111, which does not have a camera.
The best Hubsan drone with a camera is the H109s. This drone has an HD version that is mounted on a 3-axis gimbal (if you don’t know what a gimbal is), and so produces stabilized video footage. Also of note are the H501s and H501s X4 Pro, with their 1080p camera.
Hubsan Drone Reviews
Let’s take a look at our top picks:
Hubsan H111
Who is it for?
Anybody!
Who isn’t it for?
People who don’t like to have fun (!)
Pros:
Smooth, stable, and agile
Cons:
None
Product Specifications:
Flight time: 5-6 minutes
Charging time: 30 minutes
Control distance: Less than 100 meters
Cute is the perfect way to describe this drone, or as Hubsan calls it, “the world’s smallest quadcopter.” This micro drone does flips and tricks and is surprisingly durable. Its low price means it’s one of the cheapest ways to give your kids (or yourself) the gift of flight.
The Hubsan H111 comes in five fun colors. It’s got built-in LEDs and has a rapid yaw rate, which helps make it ultra responsive. You’ll enjoy using this drone both indoors and out, even in light wind, and you’ll impress your friends with its stunts.
Hubsan H107d
Who is it for?
Beginners
Who isn’t it for?
Experienced flyers
Pros:
Low price
Can be used with FPV glasses
Lightweight
Cons:
Lackluster wind performance
Crashes easily
Product Specifications:
Dimensions: 3.3 X 3.2 inches
Flight time: 7 minutes
Charging time: 40 minutes
Control distance: 50-100 meters
Want to discover FPV flying without spending a fortune? With the Hubsan H107d, you can. Not only does this model have FPV capabilities, its small size means it is quite maneuverable. The camera, at 640 x 480, is decent enough to give you an introduction to aerial photography, but it’s not well suited for more demanding photography and video needs.
Beginners will enjoy the H107d. It withstands crashes well, and it only weighs about 35 grams. You can fly this drone enthusiastically, though it doesn’t perform well in the wind.
Hubsan H122D
Who is it for?
Beginner FPV pilots
Who isn’t it for?
Experienced users
Pros:
You can change the lens orientation on the camera
The frame is durable
Cons:
The drone is a bit heavy
Product Specifications:
Dimensions: 3.7 X 3.7
Flight time: 6 minutes
Charging time: 150 minutes
Control distance: 100 meters
We love this Hubsan model, which is an FPV racing quad featuring a 720p camera. It’s got multiple speed modes and is another excellent option for those interested in FPV. You can change the orientation of the lens, which allows you more freedom in capturing photos. We also like the durable frame, which should withstand some tumbles.
Hubsan H109s X4
—-2020 UPDATE – this drone is becoming difficult to get hold of. Despite a shorter range, a great alternative would be the Hubsan H501s X4 Pro listed further down—-
Who is it for?
Experienced pilots looking to take their flying to the next level
Who isn’t it for?
Novices
Pros:
Long-distance control range
3-axis gimbal for stabilized video footage
Cons:
No follow-me feature
Product Specifications:
Size 11.8 X 11.8 inches
Flight time: 21 minutes
Charging time: 150 minutes
Control distance: 1000 meters
This Hubsan model comes in two versions, the standard and the high edition. There’s not much difference between the two, both of which are straightforward to operate. The H109S X4 is an FPV explorer drone with good flight time and a rather remarkable control range. It gives you full HD 1920 x 1080p video footage, which is stabilized by a 3-axis gimbal.
We recommend this drone for anybody who has mastered the use of a more beginner-friendly model and wants to take the next step. The one downside to it is that it doesn’t have a follow me feature (see video below for overview of this flight mode), which some outdoor enthusiasts may find necessary.
Hubsan H501s
Who is it for?
People who want to get their feet wet in aerial imagery on a budget
People who want the stable hovering of a GPS drone
Who isn’t it for?
Intermediate users who already have a GPS drone
Pros:
Flies well in heavy winds
Long flight time
Brushless motors add extra oomph to the power of this drone
Offers good positional stability (hovers in place by itself) thanks to GPS
Cons:
No camera stabilization means that it will be tough to avoid shaky footage
Long battery charge time
Product Specifications:
Dimensions: 8.6 X 8.6 inches
Flight time: 18-20 minutes
Charging time: 210 minutes
Control distance: 300 meters
The Hubsan H501s packs a ton of impressive features with a reasonable price tag. The most attractive thing about it is the 1080P camera that will allow you to capture stunning shots from above, and also relay live video. But it also boasts GPS, altitude hold mode, headless mode, and failsafe mode (same as return to home mode). Plus it has follow me mode, which enables you to focus on what you are doing (like riding a bike) while the drone follows and films you.
Users are enthusiastic about the brushless motors*, a popular drone feature. They last longer than their brushed counterparts, generate more torque and offer more speed. The Hubsan H501s is a great option if you want a starter drone with good video and photo capabilities.
*if you don’t know how brushless motors work
Hubsan H501s X4 Pro
Who is it for?
Flyers who want the peace of mind of fail-safe features.
People who want to try a GPS drone with real-time video transmission before buying a more expensive model (like a DJI Phantom for example)
Who isn’t it for?
Intermediate users who want to upgrade their entry-level drone
Pros:
Same as H501s standard – but with a longer range
Cons:
Same as H501s standard
Product Specifications:
Dimensions: 8.6 X 8.6 inches
Flight time: 18-20 minutes
Charging time: 210 minutes
Control distance: 400 meters
Next up, we’ve got the H501s X4 Pro. This drone is the professional version of the H501S, which has a slightly longer range and a different controller.
It also maintains all the same features we love from the non-professional model: follow me, return-to-home, and headless mode. It’s great for getting into drone photography, but don’t expect to perform any tricks or stunts with it.
Hubsan H502s
Who is it for?
Photographers on a budget
Who isn’t it for?
Those who want a longer flight time
Pros:
Packs a lot of features for a relatively low price tag, especially GPS
Cons:
Low frame rate is not the best for professional photographers
Product Specifications:
Dimensions: 7.3 X 7.3 inches
Flight time: 12 minutes
Charging time: 150 minutes
Control distance: 200 meters
The Hubsan H502S is quite similar to the H501S but slightly more affordable. Featuring a 720P camera, GPS, and return-to-home (RTH), this drone has all you need to enjoy your flight time. It also has an altitude hold function, which works quite well.
The drone is very stable in flight, thanks to the GPS functionality, which is a great addition given this drone’s price. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that a more expensive drone does, but it still provides excellent value for money.
Hubsan H502E
Who is it for?
People who want a worry free-flying experience
Who isn’t it for?
It’s great for pretty much anyone.
Pros:
Features like altitude hold and return to home feature substantially reduce the risk of losing the drone
Cons:
Not much at this price
Product Specifications:
Dimensions: 7.3 x 7.3 inches
Flight time: 12 minutes
Charging time: 150 minutes
Control distance: 200 meters
This sturdy drone is intuitive to fly, which makes it ideal for beginners and experienced users alike. Aspiring photographers can have lots of fun with this model, which features a 720P HD camera. In favorable weather conditions, users report that image quality is quite good.
Additionally, it has several features drone users love: GPS, automatic RTH and altitude hold. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the “follow me” function, where the drone follows you—useful for bikers who want to capture the surroundings while they ride.
Hubsan H107C
Who is it for?
Those looking for a cheap, tiny, and fun drone which captures photo and video
Who isn’t it for?
People who want good video and a long flight time
Pros:
It includes various flight modes
It’s durable for a drone in this price range
Cons:
Low average flight time
Long charge time
Doesn’t fly well in the wind
Product Specifications:
Dimensions: 3.2 X 3.2 inches
Flight time: 7 minutes
Charging time: 30 minutes
Range: 100 meters
The last drone on our list is the Hubsan H107C, which is small in size—it fits in the palm of your hand!—but packs a big punch. Hubsan updated this model, which now comes with a camera, and the result is pretty cool. The H107C has a solid design considering its low price, and it’s available in some fun colors.
Despite its small size, you’ll be surprised to discover how much power this drone has. It’s easy to fly, and the camera makes it an excellent option for learning about aerial photography. Don’t expect super-high resolution, but the photo quality is about what you’d expect for a drone in this price range. The Hubsan is a good entryway into camera drones.
Conclusion
We hope you found this roundup useful. Hubsan makes beginner-friendly, quality products, so if you’re getting started there are plenty of options from this brand that will serve your needs.
We already mentioned the best drone at the start of this article, which is the H501s. Now that you’ve had a chance to read about the top models, we wanted to revisit the reasons that led to our decision. Keep in mind that your needs may be different; our goal was to select a drone that would meet the needs of the highest amount of people.
The H501s has a very long flight time as compared to other drones in its class, which beginners will appreciate. It’s also got an excellent range and lots of features that make piloting it simple, such as altitude mode and headless mode. More novice users will appreciate them as they learn to pilot this drone.
This model has functional photo capabilities considering its price range. It won’t serve more advanced photography needs, but none of the drones on this list stand head and shoulders above any other. Overall, we think most beginner and budget-conscious users will get a ton of use out of this drone and therefore it’s our top pick.
