Choosing the right FPV drone headset can be a tricky decision whether you’re an experienced pilot seeking an upgrade or a newcomer to the hobby.
In this guide, I’ll cover 6 drone headsets that are the best in their category whether you’re into racing, freestyle or a total beginner needing a cheap but reliable set of FPV goggles.
If you want to know what I look for in a good drone headset checkout the Buying Guide for FPV Goggles.
Digital & Analog Drone Headset Comparison
The table sorts six of the best drone headsets from most expensive to least expensive (links provided to check the current availability and best price).
Keep reading for more info on why these are my top picks for this year.
| Digital / Analog | Resolution | LED / OLED / LCD | Price (High to Low) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Digital | 1080p | OLED | Check Current Best Price |
 | Digital | 1080p | OLED | Check Current Price |
 | Analog* | 960p | OLED | Check Current Price |
 | Digital | 1080p | OLED | Check Current Price |
 | Analog | 720p | LCD | Check Current Price |
 | Analog | 480p | LCD | Check Current Price |
Best Non-DJI Drone Headset
The Walksnail Avatar is one of the most expensive drone headsets but for good reason. Walksnail is an industry leader in FPV drone headset manufacturing and they are now starting to release some awesome digital options.
The Walksnail Avatar are the closest drone headset to digital DJI systems in image quality but are more compact and slim line. The weight is only about 300 grams before you add the antennas and strap.
Compared to DJI, as Walksnail is a leader in the world of FPV, they set the high bar for latency standards which is super important for FPV racing.
Image Quality
The Walksnail Avatar drone headset has the option of both 1080p resolution and 720p. The compromise with higher resolution is that it increases latency. The latency is around 22 milliseconds with 720p which increases with greater range. So, stick with 720p if racing.
These goggles are designed for an incredible immersive experience when you switch to the full 160 degree field of view in 1080p, you’ll feel like you’re in the drone.
Range
Unlike flying simple analogue systems where the image quality becomes grainy as the range increases, this digital image quality will hold up really well and the latency actually degrades before image quality. The Walksnail Avatars have a generous range of 4km.
When comparing Walksnail and DJI, Walksnail it better at responding to FPV community request. They have very good engagement, unlike DJI. But DJI image quality is still the industry leader (but not for racing).
Fatshark are another industry leader for FPV drone headsets. Historically they’ve developed analogue headsets until the technology reached as good as they believed an analog system can get with the FatShark HDO2.
Then DJI proved it was possible to produce a digital FPV headset at a reasonable price… So this gave them the kick they needed to ‘one-up’ DJI with the digital Dominator HD Goggles.
In the past, analogue has been the system of choice by FPV pilots and drone racers because there is such low latency, any delay in viewing the drone footage can lead to smashing your drone or losing a race.
Until now, digital systems had premium image quality but the latency made it unsuitable for FPV. The FatShark Dominator HD goggles are an improvement on DJI’s version with fantastic range and super low latency.
The resolution is 720p for the lowest latency of 21 milliseconds, if you switch to the 1080p option there is 40ms latency.
Walksnail Avatar vs Fatshark Dominator Drone Headset
The Fatshark Dominator HD are very close in quality and price to the Walksnail Avatar drone headset. Both brands have better latency standards than DJI.
My personal preference is Walksnail because they fit my face shape well, they aren’t too curved which can tend to let light in around the nose area. Fatshark does have different faceplate options though and you can buy additional foam to help pad out the frame.
If you’re a glasses wearer, diopters for the Fatshark Dominator need to be bought separately unlike the Walksnail Avatar which has built in diopter adjustment from +2 to -6.
Best Analogue Drone Headset for FPV Racing
Skyzone Sky04X
The Sky04X are a bit cheaper than Walksnail and Fatshark and are less well known so these are a good compromise rather than paying for a big brand name.
The Skyzone Sky04x drone headset are an analog system so there is no concern about latency for FPV drone racing unlike digital systems.
Another random feature of this headset that I wanted to mention is that they come in white – This is great for flying FPV in hot climates because drone headsets heat up enough on their own. When you add in the effects of sunlight on black electronics, you’re in for a hot and uncomfortable experience.
Image Quality & FOV
This drone headset has a really nice depth of colour for an analogue system. It has an OLED screen which has great colour rendition. The resolution is 960p which slightly lower than the big name brands.
A great benefit of this drone headset is that they can be upgraded from analog to digital with the Fatshark digital system if you later decide you want this option.
The FOV is 46 degrees which is also good for drone racing, wider FOVs are immersive but also really distracting when flying fast.
Adjustment for Glasses Wearers
One of the big benefits for people who wear glasses is that the optic adjustment ranges from -6 to +6 which is one of the biggest built-in ranges I’ve seen. This can help rather than having to buy diopters separately to fit the headset or trying to wear glasses under a drone headset which is pretty much impossible with this low profile design.
Best DJI Drone Headset : Value for Money
DJI are not typicaly recognised as FPV centric but as giants in the overall drone industry, they have managed to pave the way in digital transmission and beautiful high-quality FPV footage.
The first release was the DJI FPV headset, this was followed by the Goggles 2 and Integra is their most recent release.
My recommendation, if you choose to go with a DJI drone headset, is to go for the DJI Integra. This is because they have cleverly cut done the cost without compromising too much on quality compared to the more expensive Goggles 2. DJI have also made a few design improvements based on feedback from the earlier versions.
DJI Integra Headset compared to DJI FPV and DJI Goggles 2
The DJI Integra headset has 1920 x1080 resolution like the FPV and Goggles 2 but has a smaller FOV (if you’re not familiar with the difference a narrower FOV make, read the breakdown here in FPV Goggles).
The Integra goggles don’t have the touchscreen settings on the side that were a fancy feature on the Goggles 2. However, this is a bonus for FPV pilots in cold climates, everytime you have to adjust the settings, you have to remove your gloves otherwise the touchscreen doesn’t respond.
An interesting design change is the battery pack placement on the back of the headband. I thought this would be really annoying and make the band slide down but it sits in place pretty well. An overhead strap is also included in the box but I didn’t feel like it needed this.
Also in the box is a set of diopters ranging from +2 to -8 for the vision-challenged. The Goggles 2 have a built-in diopter dial but I think the change to slide-in lenses is a good option because it’s just set and forget, unlike a dial that can be bumped and needs re-adjusting.
The Best Cheap Drone Headset
Eachine EV800D
Eachine EV800D are the most popular budget FPV goggles. Priced at around 100USD, this headset has all the basic features needed in a pretty robust design suited to beginners.
I like that this headset comes with two antennae which is something you need to watch out for with cheaper drone headsets. They automatically switch to the strongest signal, most cheap FPV goggles have a single antennae.
Despite having dual antennae, you’ll still get that grainy effect in the footage as the drone reaches it’s maximum range and when there is interference because this headset is an analog system.
The EV800D drone headset have a single display rather than binocular. One of the clever features of this headset is the screen detaches from the face mask and can be mounted on a tripod. This can be a really good feature when learning to fly and you still want to switch from looking between the controller, drone and screen.
The EV80D drone headset will last around 45 minutes on the built in battery but they also have an external lipo battery port. This plugs in a 3s battery for extra power.
Overall, the main drawcard of these FPV goggles is the price. They’re big and boxy compared to more expensive models but have good padding around the face so they’re still pretty conformable.
The Best Drone Headset for Beginners on a Budget
BetaFPV have an extensive range of budget FPV gear. They have a few cheap drone headsets but the one I’d recommend for beginners is the VR01. Their other models really compromise on fit and quality so you’ll probably end up wishing you’d spent a little bit more rather than compromising on something that’s just annoying to use.
The BetaFPV VR01 has two external antennas. This is an improvement on the VR02 which only has 1 built-in antenna. The dual antennae system provides a smoother, more continuous connection.
Although this system is only analog (you won’t find digital headsets at this price for a long time to come) the on screen colours are bright and fairly clear for only 480p resolution.
Another improvement compared to BetaFPVs other drone headset is the SD card slot. This might seem trivial to the inexperienced but this is an important feature because when you crash your drone, having this playback footage will help you track it down! The VR02 headset doesn’t have an SD card slot.
The design is simple box style with minimal buttons and adjustments so if you just want an affordable headset to get started, the BetaFPV VR01 is the way to go.
The Wrap Up On The Best Drone Headsets
Finding the best drone headset for you depends on a few factors such as if your a total beginner, if you want to get into FPV drone racing or are looking for an incredible immersive experience.
For a headset that is suited to super fast FPV racing, has low latency and won’t break the bank, check out the Skyzone Sky04X.
If you want an immersive cinematic experience, the 160 degree FOV on the Walksnail Avatar is pretty cool. A cheaper option is the DJI Integra drone headset – this will have slightly more latency than the Walksnail Avatar but the image quality is awesome.
A couple of cheap options for beginners are the Eachine EV800D and the Beta FPV VR01. The VR01 is the cheapest option but also has the lowest image quality. It has a 480p LCD screen compared to the 720p LCD screen on the EV800D.
At the top of the market are the Fatshark Dominator HD and the Walksnail Avatar. These are the best high-quality digital drone headsets with the lowest latency. These are very close in quality and price so it really comes down to which is the best fit for you. The Walksnail Avatar has built-in diopter adjusters, up to 160 FOV and are my personal favourite.
