Holy Stone F181W 1080P Wifi FPV Drone with Wide-Angle HD Camera Live Video RC Quadcopter with Altitude Hold, Gravity Sensor Function, RTF and Easy to Fly for Beginner & Kids, 2 Batteries Included

So, my son really wanted a DJI Phantom, but since we've never owned a single drone, I thought we should start a little lower on the cost scale. I've never heard of Holy Stone, but there are many reviews of 'beginner' drones that mention the 181. SO, for the price, I thought I would try it. We can always get a DJI later. THe 181 has a nice solid fell to it. I've had some of those really inexpensive helicopters and they feel so fragile. The 181 does not feel like that, it is solid and has at least a little weight to it. Everything you need is in the box including two batteries. The first day we powered it up and flew it in a baseball field, away from obstacles. It is affected by wind, even a little. It claims 15 mph, but that must be an extreme case. We had a slight breeze and the drone drifted right along with it. It was a constant battle to keep it from blowing away. In fact even at full throttle, we couldn't even keep the drone in a stationary position. We never had an opportunity to even try to land it. That night I flew it in the living room (no wind here) and it still drifted, but this was due to needing to calibrate the gyros. Out side, it always drifted away from the wind regardless of the orientation of the drone. Calibration was not going to solve that. I should also point out there are trim adjustments for the controls to help compensate for drone drift. The next time we had less breeze and controlling the drone was much easier. This time we shot some video. It was pretty cool and the wide angle lens was really nice for getting a picture of the surrounding area. This time we could try landing and it was ok. It seems to sense when it has landed and shut the motors off. If it lands on grass (so it's not level) it doesn't seem to sense it has landed and won't shut the motors off right away. There is a dead-man switch you can do with the controls, but even that didn't shut the motors off right away. In all though, I like the drone. The price is very right for a beginner drone. The size is good for outside, just be sure the wind is very light. It has a camera and it is very easy to fly, even for someone that has never flown one before. I am impressed enough with Holy Stone that I have my eye on a smaller Holy Stone drone, the HS170G. It is a smaller drone that I want to flew exclusively indoors for practice. They also make higher end drones. Maybe I can talk my son into one of those instead of the DJI. We'll see.

I'll admit, I was skeptical at first. I've mostly only ever flown racing drones or little junk toy helicopters, and they're the most beginner-unfriendly beasts I've ever worked with. I picked up the Holy Stone F181W looking for something a lot more user friendly for my 11-year-old daughter after she nearly destroyed my racing drone on her first attempt just to learn how to hover with it. I didn't think it would be easy to fly, I didn't think it would have useful FPV, and I thought it would be a tiny toy that'd get broken really easily. Boy was I wrong! Automatic Altitude Hold on the drone immediately impressed me, especially to have a feature like that on a drone so inexpensive, freeing you up to just have to worry about flying in 2 dimensions. But on top of that, Headless Mode takes away the burden of having to constantly adjust in your head which direction is forward as the drone rotates, which is a major issue regardless the class of drone you fly! My 11-year-old daughter was nearly traumatized after flying my drone the first time, but within seconds she was comfortable flying figure-8 maneuvers with the F181W. This is the PERFECT drone for beginners! But this drone isn't just fun for beginners, either. The default setting is 30% speed, but setting it to 100% makes this drone boogie! On a single charge a battery will last about 10 minutes, which is just right for a drone of this weight class - the batteries are only 3.75V 750mAH batteries, and they can be charged via USB from your laptop or phone charging pack (great for taking on camping trips!). Two batteries come with the drone, but I bought the 4-in-1 charger with 4 additional batteries, and prefer it - the 4-in-1 charger is much better to use as it's got some smarts (whereas you have to constantly monitor the batteries when charging direct USB). Video streaming is the reason why you'd want to buy an FPV drone (otherwise you could just buy a non-FPV drone) - and once you work past some of the initial configuration challenges you end up with a really good quality video. The camera itself is a 2MP camera, and has pretty decent quality - I admit I expected much less for the money I spent and the other features already packed into the drone, so I'm very happy with what I got. The only downside is that when running with video streaming active, the batteries only have about a 5-6 minute flight time and the WiFi configuration is absolutely frustrating to configure (and keep configured) on my inexpensive Samsung phone (though I have no problems on my iPad). The trick is that you've got to do three things: (1) Download the correct app (It's called "DEERC"), (2) When you connect to the WiFi network provided by the drone, modify the IP address provided by the drone to a static IP ending in .100 (for example, my drone gave me a DHCP address of 172.16.10.8, so I had to set a STATIC address of 172.16.10.100), and (3) Modify the primary DNS for the drone's connection to 8.8.8.8 (the default is to use the IP address of the drone, which causes your phone/tablet to inundate the wifi link with DNS requests that never get fulfilled). However, that said, I emailed Holy Stone support for help on a Saturday evening and got a reply with solutions to my issues WITHIN an HOUR! Holy crap! The support line has been AMAZING, I really appreciate that - I cannot get even one tenth of that kind of support from any other drone/toy I've ever bought. This makes me so much more likely to recommend it to others and even buy other products from them. Nothing but positive things to say about this product and the company!

This was my first and right now remains my only experience with a drone. I was concerned about the learning curve prior to purchase, but I shouldn't have been. This, for the most part, has been extremely easy and fun to use. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for an introductory drone that takes video/photos and shows you (via an app on your phone) exactly what the drone is seeing at any given moment. The image quality is somewhat lacking - don't expect crisp photography/cinematography, but it does what it's supposed to quite well, and that's all I ask. It should be mentioned that although I found it easy to learn to control, there WILL be factors beyond your control that can throw you off course and cause a crash, the most obvious of which is wind. Even a slight breeze can knock this thing off course and whisk it further and further from your control and to who-knows-where; it gets the adrenaline pumping at least. So be sure to only fly it in very wind-calm conditions, or somewhere way out in the open where you won't need to worry about it ending up in a tree, on a roof, or in a pond. You will crash this thing. Fortunately, it handles crashes amazingly well. I have really smashed this thing into the ground, sides of buildings, etc., but it still holds up really well and works as good as it did out of the package. That might be something else to mention. It was great and easy to assemble out of the box (but be careful, there are tiny screws that are easy to lose in a carpet!), however, one of the legs was broken where it screws onto the drone. I know I could have contacted Holy Stone and got a replacement, as everyone says their service is impeccable, but I found this to be a very minor issue, and the leg still stays in place for the most part with a screw at the other end, so I didn't bother. (If someone from Holy Stone is reading this, though, feel free to send me a free replacement leg!) The only thing I find that frequently kind of kills the fun is the extremely short battery life. This is not Holy Stone's fault, it's just the technology right now. You are not going to find a drone in this price range with a long battery life. Still, it is frustrating to be doing something really enjoyable, finally "getting the hang" of some move or going over the area you want a pic/vid of, and the lights are flashing and it's already sinking from it's hold position. They could have made the battery-swap process a lot easier too. It's not hard, per se, but you always have to tuck in the cable that connects the battery to the unit just right before putting the "lid" for it back on. I usually can get 5 minutes out of a battery, but it depends on things like whether or not you're fighting with a mild breeze. I know this is purely subjective personal preference, but I also really think this thing just plain looks... cool. It looks like concept art for a futuristic vehicle, similar to the kind of things I'd draw as a kid being a space and sci-fi nerd (and I still am to be clear). Anyway, if you've the dough to spare and want a great introduction to the world of drones, I don't think you'd go wrong getting this one.

I really like this drone. It's easy to fly, it's fun to fly, and it's fairly inexpensive. It's hard for me to say more about how it flies, since I've only flown those tiny little drones before, so I have little frame of reference. I was able to effectively fly this drone right away, and with a little practice I got pretty good at it...meaning I don't bump into stuff very often, and it goes where I want it to almost all the time. I can say this: There are two types of drones on the market, the expensive and the inexpensive. This is the latter. Please keep that in mind when you read the reviews, and people complain about flying time, inconvenient battery changes, no PTZ on the camera, and of course drift. Folks wouldn't buy a Honda Civic and complain how it won't outrun a Porsche, yet they want the same features in a drone as one that costs more than 10 times as much. Really? The FPV camera works, but it isn't fast...in both ways. It seems a little dim indoors, for one, and there's lag, since it's WiFi, so putting on VR goggles and racing between pylons is probably not going to work out well. On the other hand, it is a very good picture, and it's a cool feeling being able to see from the drone's perspective. A lot of folks complain about drift, even when there's no wind. That's true, I've found it virtually impossible to get the trim perfect, so it does tend to drift about, even indoors with no fans on. Again, this is an inexpensive drone. The technology to get it to do what it does is pretty friggin amazing, and still brand new, so we might be just a little bit spoiled as to our expectations. As far as using it outdoors, lets be real here, um, physics! It's a light drone, and the technology and power required to fight off the effects of wind is a lot more than should be expected in a drone in this price range. So keep it low to the ground or fly where you can retrieve it when the wind blows it away. I suggest you fly at night. The lights make it much easier to keep track of direction and location of the drone. I did have an issue with the drone, and customer support wasted no time sending out a replacement. I'd call that top notch customer service! Enough so that I raised my rating from 3 stars to 5. By the way, yes they do offer you a free battery for leaving an honest review. I haven't asked for one because I don't feel the need, as I already have four. The batteries are cheap, so it's not like folks are going to tell elaborate lies just to get a free one. Seeing as about half of the reviews on Amazon are fake anyway, I don't hold that against them. Just look for detailed reviews and use your common sense, and you'll get an accurate picture of what you're buying. Highly Recommend!

I really enjoyed this product while it lasted. When I first got it, I was kind of disappointed by how short the battery life was. I found it very easy to control and I got the hang of it very fast. The drone works very well unless it is windy. Just the slightest breeze can make it fly away. The propeller guards lasted a very long time. Without them, I probably would have destroyed the drone by now. The battery is very easy to charge even though it takes thirty minutes to an hour to fully charge. It is very helpful that they give you an extra battery. The camera is very good considering how inexpensive the drone was. It was pretty easy to pair the drone up with the phone and take videos with the app. I never figured out how to control the drone from my phone and so I just stuck with the remote. After a few months of flying, the drone started to break. First one propeller died and would not work even after I put new batteries in it. Slowly the propeller guards broke off and would not come back on. One day I was flying it near a road. For some reason the drone kept going sideways even after I tried to get it back. The drone lost contact and went into the road. It got kind of squished and now doesn’t work. Overall, this a good drone to have for a beginner. It let me take some pretty cool pictures and get the hang of drones. Just don’t expect this drone to be very good quality and last a long time.

This drone is exceptionally stable in flight. It is the most stable drone I have that doesn't have GPS or optical hold. Of course, it is at the mercy of wind or air currents, but it holds its altitude exceptionally well. The low rpm props make it very quiet. It is less than 250 grams, so it is not governed by any U.S. FAA rules. I have only two complaints about this drone are that it automatically lands or descends to about 30 feet when it loses control signal or has low battery, respectively. They are software problems which are easily fixed. The customer support for Holy Stone drones is the best I've ever encountered. If you visit the HolyStone.com site, you will get a pop-up support window, and my experience is that there is always someone there who is willing and able to help you. There is also a phone number, but I haven't tried that yet. I had a out-of-range fly-away with my first F181 and Holy Stone sent me a new one in less than a week. I could not have asked for more. I have heard that future Holy Stone drones will have GPS. That will make them even more competitive. I flew my F181W for six batteries today at a local soccer field. That's about an hour of actual flight time. It's a lot of fun to fly and it's a great little practice drone as long as you remember that it is NOT an expensive professional drone with GPS. You have to fly it ALL THE TIME because it will drift with any wind currents as soon you neglect it. You cannot just let go of the controls and expect it to hover in place like you can with the DJI drones, for instance. However, the Altitude Hold works exceptionally well. Also, you have to make sure to stay in range at about 100 meters because you cannot rely on the RTH (Return To Home). As for the camera, the video is jerky and the photos are acceptable, but that's not why you should buy this drone. It's a fun and relatively inexpensive way to practice your stick (control) skills.

This is my 2nd aircraft from Holy Stone and both perform well. I purchased another one because I wanted the FPV feature which is not available on the Predator mini I have. The main reason I decided to go back with another Holy Stone product is because of their great customer support I experienced with a minor issue I had with the Predator; they quickly sent a replacement and allowed me to keep original for parts. I have a friend who bought the HS110 FPV and I have had a chance to fly it several times. The F181W is highly comparable to the HS110 as far as size, flight behavior / maneuverability, price, and features are concerned. The biggest differences I noticed exist in how the two are put together and their appearance. I believe this is where the F181W is the better of the two. The body kit looks more sleek and aerodynamic. I noticed issues with the HS110 propeller attachment screw not coming out right when trying to change to propellers and that seems to have been slightly improved on the F181W. My friend and I had to practically dig the screw out of the plastic on the top of the propeller in order to get it to back out correctly. When I noticed a difference on the way the F181W propellers were attached, I decided to see how easily they were removed now with the design change. The first attempt at backing the attachment screw out yielded the same result as HS110 with a free spinning screw that appears as if the threads are stripped. However, I decided to give the propeller a slight tug, as if I were detaching it anyway, and this apparently puts enough pressure on the attachment screw threads to allow it to back out. As with most RC aircraft made overseas, the instructions are there but could be more in depth and better translated at times. The live video feed response time through wifi on the app has been good but I have not experienced great quality in images or video. I was able to navigate around my house without even bumping anything on the first attempt using only the first person view on the app. Pictures taken were fuzzy and video had a wavy type effect that I suspect is from motion or wind downdraft current, or both. I may just be biased / spoiled because I also have a DJI Phantom 3 that takes amazing quality photos and video ( its also in a way different price league ). Overall this is a good product that comes with excellent customer support and a spare battery with its own charging cable which is a plus. If you are shopping for this type of drone and considering a Holy Stone product then I would spend the extra few dollars and purchase the F181W over the HS110. If you are interested in something cheaper and smaller with faster flight and more agility then the Predator is a very fun drone to fly as well.

I started out years ago flying RC airplanes and took a break while I was in the military. My father in law got a drone and after playing around with it I started my search to find a good drone that would be beginner safe and allow me to experiment more as my skills grew. I can say that without a doubt whether readers believe it or not that this drone IS pretty darn easy to fly. One thing that I would highly recommend is that you make sure it is calibrated right before you take the plunge and take off. I know its exciting to have a new and shiny drone but if its not properly calibrated you'll have problems right away. The day I did its maiden flight there was virtually zero wind and I hit the engine engage button boy did those little motors ZING, at that point I realized that I better play it safe so my first two flights were at the 25% just to make sure that I had the hang of it. Once the engines fired up I lifted off and there it sat......... hovering in one place. The remote is a little bit hard for me to get used to because the throttle is centered vs bing all the way down like the RC plane remotes but you'll catch on pretty quick. After I watched it hover a minute or so I started moving around and I can tell you that the controls are slow so you have a little wiggle room to take it easy and feel the machine out. You don't need full forward or backwards etc to get it moving, just give it a little forward and it will start moving. My second flight I was flying up above my house taking videos and the flights were great but this is where I had to give it 4 stars vs 5. Realistic flight times are accurate at about 7-8 minutes but if you give it a 10 minute rest and have the four pack of batteries charged and waiting you should be able to have some fun with it. The video controlled through my iPhone had numerous breaks where you would be watching a turn and all the sudden the video would cut out then start recording again after a few seconds so on replay it looked like an edited movie which was not what was intended. I have had the same issue whether Im flying above the house or I'm flying 20 feet away from me so as far as the wifi I'm still a little torn. Ill have to experiment more to see if I can find a way to get a solid 3 minute video that streams seamlessly. As of now I haven't had a crash so I couldn't confirm or deny how structurally sound it is in a crash and ideally I won't have to experience that in the future with it. I did however read quite a bit of the thousands of reviews and saw a few threads showing motor failure so to be safe this is what my order consisted of only because I hate waiting so I would rather be prepared. Drone that came with everything including 2 batteries Crash kit with propellers, guards and landing gear 4 battery and charger pack 4 replacement motors Also in closing I will let anyone know that if you plan on using your phone and you have an iPhone normal iPhones will fit in the phone holder but if you have a plus version of the iPhone where it is larger and its in a protective case (I use the Lifeproof case) the phone will not fit. Overall is it a good learning drone, yes, absolutely. Could the video be better, yes......... I understand its a 720 video but if i could get a seamless video stream recorded I would definitely give it 5 stars. I hope this helps anyone looking into this drone and if you remember to calibrate right on LEVEL ground I would think you should have zero issues learning to fly.