Holy stone manufacture affordable toy and hobby type drones popular with beginners. In this Holy Stone drone review I’ll go through the pros and cons of their range which cost between $35 to $400.
Holy Stone Drones Under $100
Below are the Holy Stone Drones under $100 in order of increasing price. These are all light weight toy drones that don’t need to be registered.
| Camera | Flight time / Battery | Transmission range | Weight | Special features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Check Price | 5-7min (40min charge time - battery not removable) | 164ft / 50m | 0.9oz / 25g | -3D Flips -Headless modes -3 Speed modes |
|
 Check Price | 21min 7 mins x (3 batteries 40-60mins charging time) | 164ft / 50m | 1.55oz / 44g | -3D Flips -Headless Mode -Toss to launch |
|
 Check Price | 39min (13min x 3 batteries 100mins recharge) | 130ft / 40m | 14.8oz / 420g | -3D Flip -Toss to launch -Voice control -Circle fly -Trajectory flight |
|
 Check Price | 80° Adjustable | 10min (70 mins recharge) | 328ft / 100m | 0.34oz / 151g | -Headless mode -Gesture selfie -Voice control |
 Check Price | 90° Adjustable | 30 mins (15min x 2 batteries) | 328ft / 100m | 5.3oz / 145g | -Voice control -Gesture selfies - 2 Speed modes |
 Check Price | 120° Adjustable | 20 min (2 batteries x 10 mins) 120min charging time | 328ft / 100m | 5.3oz / 145g | -3d flips -Voice control -Gesture control -Headless mode -Tap fly (draw a route) |
* Note: 1080p resolution if the footage is stored on a TF card (the footage is lower resolution if stored on a mobile device – 1280x720p). TF Cards are ususaly not included with the drone.
Holy Stone HS190 Foldable Nano Drone
The HS190 comes with a controller that has a compartment to store the drone. It’s a zippy little drone that’s good for learning the basics of UAV control.
At it’s current price, they’re an easy gift to buy for a few kids so they can be flown together in drone races and through indoor obstacle courses.
The down side to this drone is that it doesn’t have a camera or interchangeable battery which can be a bit of a pain with only 7 minutes max flight time and 40 minutes to recharge.
Holy Stone HS210
The next cheapest is the HS210. The improvements on this model are the 3 removable batteries which give a combines max flight time of 21 minutes and the fixed propeller guards.
This micro drone is a woop style so it has built in prop guards make this drone more robust for those inevitable collisions with walls and furniture when flown indoors. However, this model also doesn’t have a camera.
What to look out for when buying a cheap toy drone:
- Interchangeable batteries: When the battery is built into the drone, the whole thing has to be plugged into the charger rather than just switching out the battery. Toy drones generally have a flight time of 7-12 minutes per battery, having interchangeable batteries means more flight time between charging.
- Cameras : Most toy drones don’t have cameras. In Holy Stone’s under $100 range, the HS430, HS280, HS260 and HS110D all have 1080p cameras. 1080p is the resolution of the image, describing the number of pixels in the image. 1080p means 1080×1920 pixels which is a common standard computer screen resolution. This is a step up from 720p (high definition), 1080p is also known as Full High Definition. For more info on this check out ‘drone photography for beginners’ LINK
- Controllers: Some cheaper drones don’t come with a controller. This can be because they are hand operated like the UFO Drone (link) or require installation of the app on a mobile phone or tablet.
What is the cheapest Holy Stone drone with a camera?
The HS430 is the cheapest Holy Stone drone with a camera. The camera is 1080p, full high definition. The lowest resolution we tend to see on drones is 720p. For more on what that means, check this article on drone photography for beginners.
This model also comes with 3 interchangeable batteries so has a decent combined flight time of 39minutes.
The toy drones closer to the $100 mark such as the HS280, HS260 and HS110 have additional features like :
- Voice and gesture control to take selfies without needing the controller
- Adjustable camera that rotates from shooting in front of the drone to underneath the drone
- Tap fly: plan a flight path for the drone to automate with out controller input
- SD card slots for storing photos and video
- Longer flight time
Holy Stone Drones Under $300
Holy Stone drones in the $100 to $300 price bracket all have built in cameras, interchangeable batteries and better range than toy drones. These fall into the ‘hobby type’ drone category.
They have some advanced traits like 4k photography but lack the additional features of professional drones that are needed to take clear, high quality footage.
Holy Stone Drones Comparison Table ($100 - $300)
(In order of lowest to highest price)
| Camera | Video | Max Flight Time | Range | Weight | Intelligent Flight Modes & Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HS440 Check Price | 1080p 112FOV 90° adj | 1080p & 720p * | 20m | 263ft / 80m with video 330ft / 100m Flight (2.4GHz) | 4.09oz / 116g | -Circle fly -Tap fly -Follow me -Waypoint - Headless Mode |
HS110G Check Price | 1080p | 1080p & 720p * | 26mins (2 batteries 13mins each) | 492ft / 149m with video 984ft / 300m Flight (2.4GHz) | 6.06oz / 176g | -Circle Fly -Tap Fly -Follow me -Waypoint mode -Headless -3 Speeds |
HS175D Check Price | 4k (4096x3072p) 110FOV 90°adj (5GHz) | 2688x1512p (TF Card) 1920x1080p (Mobile) | 46mins (2x 23min) | 984ft / 300m Video 1640ft / 500m Flight Transmission (2.4 GHz) | 7.58oz / 215g | -Tap fly -Waypoint -POI |
HS710 Check Price | 4k (3840x2160p TF card) 1080p (Mobile) 120FOV 90d° adj (5GHz) | 3840x2160p (TF Card) 1280x720p (Mobile) | 25min (1 bat) | 984ft / 300m Video 1968ft / 600m Flight (2.4 GHz) | 8.47oz / 240g | -Follow me -Waypoints -POI -2 Speed -Headless Mode |
HS720 Check Price | 4k 90° adj | 3840 x 2160p | 26min , 52min - 2 bat (5-7hrs recharge) | 2624ft / 800m Video 3277ft / 1000m Flight | 16oz / 460g | -Follow me -Waypoints -POI -Voice, gesture control (selfie) -Headless mode |
On the cheaper end of the hobby drone range is the HS440 and HS110G. These both have 1080p cameras. The HS440 has the slight improvement from the ‘under $100’ drones with the addition of Follow Me but most of the features are close to the cheaper HS110D.
HS110G
The HS110G has a longer flight time and improved range compared to the toy drones under $100 and also has the addition flight mode, follow me. The range triples compared to cheaper versions with a maximum distance from the controller of 300m, however the maximum distance with live stream video is still only 149m.
The HS110G also pairs to 3D virtual reality goggles but these need to be purchased seperatly.
Holy Stone HS175D
The HS175D is the cheapest Holy Stone Drone with a 4k camera. This drone is also a big step up in terms of flight time.
The cheaper drones have batteries with a maximum flight time of 15 minutes per battery, the HS175 has batteries that will operate the drone for up the 23 minutes each. This gives a total flight time of 46 minutes by using the 2 batteries included.
Holy Stone HS720
I’ve done a comparison of the HS720 with the Ruko F11 which is similar in price and functionality. The Ruko F11 has a few benefits like better battery performance but the Holy Stone HS720 takes higher quality video.
Holy Stone Drones Under $400
Holy Stone’s top tier drones are the HS720G and HS720E which are both priced under $400. These models both have 2 axial gimbals combined with electronic image stabilization. Three axial gimbals are better but at the time of writing Holy stone doesn’t offer any drones with this technology. For a few alternatives check out this article on the DJI Mini series. The DJI Mini SE is under $400 and the Mini 2 is a really popular model. It’s slightly more expensive but worth taking a look if clear, high quality video and photos are important to you.
I’ve done a review on the HS720E as it’s a really popular model for hobbyists and those that want to try out flying a decent drone without breaking the bank. Overall, it’s got some great features like intelligent flight modes, a good flight range and 4k photos and video but this model does require registration with the FAA due to it’s weight.
Registering a drone isn’t a huge deal but worth noting as you don’t want to get caught out and get fined! Drone registration costs $5 for 3 years and the pilot must be over 13years of age. Registration is straight forward and can be done by mail or online.
| Camera | Video | Max Flight Time | Range | Weight | Intelligent Flight Modes & Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HS720G Check Price | 4K 120 FOV | -4k at 30fps -1080p at 60fps | 52min (26min / battery) | -3277ft /1000m Flight -1640ft /500m with FPV | 115oz / 377g | - Follow me - Tap fly - POI |
HS720E Check Price | 4K 130 FOV 90° Adj | -4k at 30fps -1080p at 60fps | 46mins (23min / battery) | -3277ft /1000m Flight -1640ft /500m with FPV | 17.46oz / 495g | - Follow me - Tap fly - POI |
Is Holy Stone a good drone company?
Holy Stone are a ‘good’ company in the sense that they offer affordable, mass produced drone technology and their products are covered by a warranty if they fail. If the drone is defective, it can be returned and replaced within 30 days from purchase but there are longer warranty periods for some parts of the drone.
Holy Stone are very good at making drone technology affordable such as 4K drone cameras, intelligent flight modes and long range drones. The reason I wanted to put this article together was to make the differences between these drones easier to understand for beginners buying there first drone
In my opinion, yes, they are a good drone company and offer some great drone tech at an affordable price. However, you get what you pay for. In any mass produced electrical products there will be a percentage that have defects. When purchasing drone technology at this price there is a gamble that you may need to exchange the item if it has a manufacturing fault.
Below is Holy Stone’s warranty period for each of the drone’s parts (this doesn’t cover any damage caused by the user and the warranty is void if the drone has been disassembled or modified.)
| Drone Part | Warranty Period |
|---|---|
| Remote Control | 360 days |
| Battery | 180 days |
| Motor | 360 days |
| Charger | 360 days |
| Drone Arms | 360 days |
| Camera (if detachable) | 360 days |
| Propellers | 2 free replacements |
*To check the current warranty conditions see Holy Stone’s warranty page.
Which Holy Stone drones have 4k ?
The drones below all have 4K resolution in order from cheapest to most expensive.
- HS175D
- HS710
- HS720
- HS720G
- HS720E
NOTE: The cheaper models require a TF card to store 4k footage.
Which Holy Stone drones have to be registered with the FAA?
All drones over 250g need to be registered with the FAA, this includes :
- HS720
- HS720G
- HS720E
Note: If a drone under 250g is flown for any purpose other than ‘for fun’ it also needs to be registered. This also includes unpaid, volunteer work.
Holy Stone Drone Review Wrap Up
Holy Stone make owning drones affordable for everyone. However, its important to be realistic with our expectations. When buying mass produced electronics there are going to be some duds and Holy Stone backs that with their extensive return warranty.
Overall, Holy stone produces some really fun toy and hobby drones that are great for learning the flying basics. For existing drone enthusiasts looking to step it up a notch I’d recommend taking a look at mini drones, which can still be really affordable but have higher quality features like a 3 axial gimbal for better FPV experience.
Another affordable drone brand you may want to check out are Exo Drones. They are one of the top 150 fastest growing companies in the US and they’re on a mission to produce high quality drones at an affordable price.
Related posts:
The Ultimate Holy Stone HS720E Review: Pros, Cons & Comparisons
Holy Stone HS120D Review | A high spec drone at an affordable price, too good to be true?
The 3 Best FPV Drones of 2022
The 3 Best Drones Under $300
DEERC Drone Review: Drill-Down on the Top 8 Models
Best Drones for Kids at Each Age [2022]