Drones are a lot of fun for the whole family, and increasingly, they’re finding many professional applications as well. But did you know you can also battle with drones? That’s right. Some drones are tough enough and sturdy enough to dogfight in the air, typically using infrared sensors to record a direct hit.
There are even drone battling games, and some are designed to look like your favorite spaceship from movies like Star Wars. So, if you’re new to drones, or just curious about the best battle drones, this article presents five good picks to help you get started. After a little practice, you’ll be up and flying in no time.
Top Picks
Take a strafing run over each of the best battle drones we reviewed.
  | Best Overall: Holy Stone HS177 Battle Drones. Sold in packs of two, Holy Stone makes the best battle drones to buy. |
  | Runner-Up: Propel Star Wars Quadcopter. Make your Star Wars space battle dreams come true with the X-Wing Quadcopter from Propel. |
  | Deluxe Pick: Potensic P7 Mini Drones. The Potensic P7 mini drones are great for battling, and a whole lot more. |
  | 2-Pack Pick: SkyKing Mini RC Battle Drones. The SkyKing Mini RC Battle Drones are the best battle drone 2 pack on the market. |
  | Game Pick: Blue Sky Wireless HoverTech FX Drone Target Game. For hours of fun at any age, we like the drone target game from Blue Sky Wireless. |
A Closer Look: Best Battle Drones
Direct hit! Here’s a closer look at the battle drones we reviewed.
1. Holy Stone HS177 Battle Drones
The best battle drones overall.
Brand: Holy Stone | Feature: Altitude Hold Function | Feature: 360° Rolls | Feature: Headless Mode | Price: 💰
Why buy one battle drone when you could buy two? Because after all, how much fun could it be to battle with just one drone? It’s for this reason we put the Holy Stone HS177 at the top of our list of best battle drones. But that’s not everything we liked.
Other points setting the H2177 RTF quadcopters apart include the 4 channel, 6-axis gyro, emergency stop, 360° rolls, and headless mode. Those who’ve tried the drones say they fly fast, that they are easy to operate. They also charge quickly.
Fun for the whole family, these drones are also an especially great way to play aerial tag, according to reports.
Reviewers Like
- Clear instructions
- Doing flips within minutes
- Easy enough for a 6 and eight-year-old to use
Reviewers Dislike
- Isolated controller issues
- Rare charging problems encountered
2. Propel Star Wars Quadcopter
Our runner-up pick.
Brand: Propel Toys | Feature: Altitude Stabilization | Feature: Reverse Propulsion | Feature: Training Mode | Price: 💰
Admit it, after watching Star Wars for the very first (or 10,000th time) we all dreamed of spaceship
battling in a galaxy far far away. With the Propel Star Wars quadcopter, those dreams can come close to a reality. Designed like an X-Wing, this collectable battle drone is for more than just looks, however, with features like reverse propulsion, training mode, and altitude stabilization.
Best of all, up to 12 drones can battle simultaneously for ultimate control of the galaxy! With Propel battle drones, every little detail has been thought of, feedback reports. They’re easy to fly, with a useful app that’s simple to download for both Android and iOs. In short, this battle drone is a great choice for both indoor and outdoor flying, with sound effects and a detailed paint job that comes close to the real thing.
Reviewers Like
- Auto start/stop
- Awesome flight time
- Easy to use controller
Reviewers Dislike
- Blades get a little loose
- Not great in windy conditions
- No camera (some sub a GoPro)
3. Potensic P7 Mini Drones
The best deluxe battle drones.
Brand: Potensic | Feature: Real-Time WIFI FPV | Feature: Custom Path Flight | Feature: 360° Rolls | Price: 💰
For the most deluxe fighting mode mini drones, we like the P7’s from Potensic. These drones battle, with auto take off and landing, gravity sensor control, and custom flight paths. And best of all, the action is captured through a 720p camera with real-time 2.4G WIFI FPV transmission. But that’s just some of the fun that can be had with these quadcopters.
These drones are full of features and functions to explore. Nevertheless, they’re a great beginner drone, feedback reports, with controls that are easy to use for kids as young as nine. They’re also well-built and sturdy enough to withstand some bumps and collisions in the midst of battle, with protected blades and some nice color choices to choose from.
Reviewers Like
- Reasonably priced
- Gun fire noise when battling
- Two rechargeable batteries included
Reviewers Dislike
- App could be better
- Gotta buy two to battle
- One propeller spins slower than others, some report
4. SkyKing Mini RC Battle Drones
The best 2-pack battle drones.
Brand: SkyKing | Feature: One Key Return | Feature: 3 Speed Modes | Feature: 3D Flip | Price: 💰
Another great fighting drone 2 pack are the Mini RC battle drones from SkyKing. These racing RTF quadcopters are a lot of fun, based on feedback, with 3D flip, 3 speed modes, and one key return. And if the drone gets hit by an opponent four times, it lands itself slowly, with responsive controls and a decent flight range.
Fans of these drones say they work great, are very responsive, and are pretty easy to learn how to use. Sold with extra props, tools, a charging cable, and a transmitter, SkiKing minis handle crashes without a problem, and they’re fun for all skill levels, we learned.
Overall, they’re exactly as described, but the battery life could be better.
Reviewers Like
- Fun to play with friends
- Sold with lots of extra parts
- Survived some tree collisions
Reviewers Dislike
- Too fragile, some say
- Too complicated for a 9-year-old.
- Good outdoors? That’s debatable.
5. Blue Sky Wireless HoverTech FX Drone Target Game
The best battle drones game.
Brand: Blue Sky Wireless | Feature: Infrared Wireless Communication | Feature: Single Button Launch | Feature: 20-Minute Charge Time | Price: 💰
For an actual battle drone game with everything you need to get started, we recommend the HoverTech FX Drone Target Game from Blue Sky Wireless. This time, drones don’t battle each other, but instead, players use a dart gun to hit the drone as it attempts to keep itself airborne, typically about a foot from the ceiling.
Once hit, the drone shuts down automatically, falling toward the ground, only to reboot before it hits, elevating itself back into the air for another round of fun. With single button launch and infrared wireless, this drone game is good for the whole family, based on feedback, including ages five and up.
And overall it’s all just a lot more fun and more durable made than you might expect, especially for the reasonable price.
Reviewers Like
- Fun dart gun
- Survived a ceiling fan
- Pretty much flies itself
Reviewers Dislike
- One dart tip fell off
- Some blade durability issues reported
- Good indoors and out? Mostly indoors, some say
Our Process
For this guide on the best battle drones, our team spent 4 hours researching the most popular options from over 25 brands and manufacturers big and small. We then read a ton of user reviews (both positive and negative) to discover what shoppers thought about each drone. After comparing this data, we narrowed our list down to the top 5 battle drones on the market. You can count on this research to guide you to a mindful purchasing decision.
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Further Reading
