Where Can I Buy A Drone? The Top 3 Websites
You did your research and now you’re wondering, "Where can I buy a drone?"
Good thing, most manufacturers and distributors sell their drones online. And if you are looking for a specific brand but they have no online selling, you can conveniently go to online stores or platforms where sellers may possibly have the brand you’re looking for. Most online stores will ship drones to almost all major countries and states. Luckily, most online drone retailers have headquarters in USA or China or both. A little research will give you an idea of retailers near you so you can save on shipping cost or compare prices for more savings. Below are the main websites where you can buy your drone from.
1. DJI
The best place to buy a drone from is the manufacturer. DJI is a China-headquartered technology company founded in 2006. It manufactures of recreational and commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for aerial videography and photography. It is the most popular brand in the commercial drone industry to date. DJI has a wide array of products including amateur and professional flight controllers for multirotor stabilization in aerial photography, ronin stabilization platform for everyday professional aerial filmmaking, DJI modules for power management and other add-ons, Flame Wheel series for entertainment aerial photography, Phantom Series quadcopters for aerial photography and videography applications, and the Spreading Wings series hexacopters for heavy cameras in surveillance, search and rescue, and aerial photography. DJI’s online store offers free shipping for orders over US $150 and accepts all major credit cards and online payment platforms like PayPal. Their online store also has an order tracking feature.
2. Amazon.com
Amazon is US’ biggest Internet-based retailer with separate retail websites for around 14 other countries around the world. Amazon accepts all major cards and other secure modes of payment like PayPal. You can also track your order and avail of free shipping options. What’s great about Amazon is the massive quantity of stock available for bidding and purchase. Second hand options are also available for the budget conscious. Amazon also displays product reviews from buyers so you can easily access the reviews and include it in your assessment of the drone that you want to purchase. There are also simple and useful filters in the website so you can filter your search results depending on your need. So aside from purchasing from the manufacturer, Amazon.com is a great choice for getting quality products while guaranteeing security of purchase.
3. HobbyKing
Hobby King is probably the biggest store for UAVs with warehouses in Eastern and Western United States. It is the Walmart of Radio Control. Their prices are relatively low because they source directly from factories and some are manufactured in-house. Their guarantee is there are no vendors or middle-man so customers get more savings. They have a huge catalog of items for sale in their online store. Among their products are RTF/PNF/ARF, flight controllers, ESCs, frame kits, motors and propellers. However they cannot offer further reduction due to their business’ low-profit nature. Just like any store, some products have good quality and great value for money while some are just downright bad. So it is important that you do your research well before jumping into making any online purchase.
When you do your research about drones, you will most likely come across online or physical addresses you can purchase your drone from. The biggest question isn’t really where but how to buy a drone. Purchasing online is easy but you need to research the retailer’s or seller’s reputation and the drone’s brand and features to make sure that you’re buying from a legitimate source and that you’re getting what you pay for. Being a drone owner requires a sense of responsibility. Before making a purchase, you must educate yourself on your country’s airspace regulations, and the general rules for flying safely. In the United States, rules have it that drones must be registered with the Department of Transportation (DOT). There are also specific size and weight requirements for UAV registration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). If you are not ready to go through registering your drone, you might want to consider smaller and lighter UAVs that don’t meet FAA’s minimum requirements before you ask yourself, "Where can I buy a drone?"
For quadcopter reviews, read this post. If you're specifically looking for reviews of the best drones with cameras, check out our post here.
