Black Friday 2018 drone deals: DJI Mavic Air, Parrot Anafi, Ryze Tello and more

Parrot Mambo FPV Kit for $130 ($50 off)

One of my favorite kits for beginners who want simple indoor and outdoor flying. You can record video and photos with the add-on 720p-resolution camera, but it’s also a great way to learn how to fly by first-person view using the included FPV headset. Just slide in an iPhone or Android phone with Parrot’s flying app and use the bundled Bluetooth controller to pilot the drone. 

See at Best Buy

Air Hogs Supernova Orb for $30 ($10 off)

Sarah Tew/CNET

More of a flying toy than what’s typically considered a drone, the Supernova is surrounded with IR sensors, letting you use your hands to control it. It definitely takes some practice, but once you’ve got the hand gestures down, it’s a blast to play with alone or a partner. 

See at Walmart

PowerUp Dart app-controlled paper airplane 30 percent off

Joshua Goldman/CNET

Rather fly an RC plane than a quadcopter? The PowerUp Dart lets you do just that with very little investment. It’s a powered paper airplane that does flips and rolls that you control with an app on your phone. An onscreen slider controls the throttle, while tilting your phone left or right handles steering. It takes some practice, but it’s a blast once you get the hang of it. Prices start at $50, but you can get 30 percent off right now for Black Friday, bringing the basic kit down to $35. 

See at PowerUp

Ryze Tello bundle for $99

Joshua Goldman/CNET

Built in collaboration with drone market leader DJI and Intel, the Tello is way smarter than your average phone-controlled camera drone. The app has several preprogrammed flight patterns designed to get cool-looking selfie shots or you can just fly it with onscreen controls. A Bluetooth controller is available for it, too, if you’d rather have physical controls. 

The Tello is available at Best Buy, Amazon and elsewhere for $79 ($20 off its normal price) or you can pick it up from DJI’s site with three batteries and a charging hub for $99. 

See at DJI

Sky Viper Fury Stunt Drone for $25 ($25 off), Journey GPS Video Drone for $97

Sarah Tew/CNET

It’s amazing that you can get a camera drone with GPS for less than $100 let alone a good one. While the Journey won’t be putting DJI out of business, it’s a good entry-level quadcopter that can hold its position and hover using GPS and has return to home, a Follow Me mode and waypoint navigation. The Fury ($25 at Walmart) is just a simple drone that’s quick and can do a variety of flips with buttons on the controller. 

See at Amazon

Parrot Anafi for $550 ($150 off)

Joshua Goldman/CNET

You get a lot for your money with the Anafi. The 4K-resolution camera drone folds up to the size of a compact umbrella and weighs next to nothing. That’s at least part of the reason it gets up to 25 minutes of flight time. While it lacks obstacle avoidance like the Mavic Air, it has a whole bag of shooting tricks for photos and video. 

See at Parrot

Skydio R1 with free second battery and Skydio backpack

Joshua Goldman/CNET

I’m throwing this in for the big spenders who care more about getting a great shot than flying a drone. The R1 is a remarkable camera drone because it flies itself while it tracks you or another subject. That includes piloting itself around obstacles on all sides. (Watch this video to see it in action.) It is, however, $2,000, but through Cyber Monday (Nov. 26), Skydio will throw in a second battery and a backpack.

See at Skydio