Customer Ratings & Reviews

Ever wish you had someone that could follow you around with a camera, maybe reach 10ft into the air and get a cool panorama, maybe just make a cinematic zoom? Well, that is what the HOVERAir X1 can do, and so much more, with a push of a button and launching from your palm. Simply pop in one of the two included batteries, hold the power button a few seconds to power on, fold out the wings, press the mode button for one of 5 presets plus a custom, press the power button again and hold out your hand. It launches itself, pans back, depending on the mode, starts recording, then returns and awaits your hand to land. The initial presets are mostly quick 10-15 second recordings, and there is follow. Follow mode will follow you while recording for as long as the battery will last, and that seems to be just short of 10 minutes. After you have gone through with trying some of the basic modes, you can unlock more modes through the app. This includes things like the ‘Dolly Track’ where the drone will hover in front of you and try to maintain a set distance from you the whole time. It is perfect for that style of recording where you are walking and talking to the camera directly. After using it a few times, you can unlock the side track dolly, where it will stay off to your side slightly at an angle, also perfect for specific recording styles. Now, both of these modes are pretty amazing, however, there are times that it doesn’t quite hang in there. Like rounding corners will sometimes leave the camera confused or even end up turning into a follow mode instead. It’s perfect for short clips or walking a fairly straight path for up to about 10 minutes per battery. But, most times, in a 90 degree or more turn, I’d have to recall it, get the new angle, then launch again, which isn’t bad. This camera relies fully on tracking you as a person. So, it needs a clear path and lots of light. If the lighting is too low, even for a simple zoom out and back, it will not do it if it can’t clearly see you. However, you can eventually use manual mode, which just turns it into your typical FPV drone and you control it to wherever you want it, regardless of the setting. Now, as cool as this drone is, there are still limitations. It has no avoidance mechanisms. If there is a branch in your path, it will hit that branch and do its best to try to recover from it. Same for any other object in the path. The good thing is, it has a pretty decent plastic cage around the blades, so it doesn't cause as much trauma as typical drones do. For each of the original presets, you can adjust various settings, like the distance, rise or lower, time it takes to rotate, resolution, vertical recording and HDR. By default it records in 2704x1520 at 30fps. You can adjust this to 1080p at 30 or 60fps and HDR. If set in vertical, it is locked to 1080p/30. You also have to enable audio and grant permissions on your phone if you want audio to be recorded. However, it is recorded from your phone, so it has to remain on and screen unlocked, then it will add the audio to the video when saved. As long as you are aware of this, it is the best option, as the drone is fairly noisy on its own. The storage is internal at 32GB, but 8.7GB of that is used by the system itself. It's still plenty of storage space to burn all the way through the batteries multiple times. But, it will eventually get to a point that you have to clean off anything that you have already downloaded. Overall, this drone is a perfect trip companion. It’s not small enough to fit into your average pocket, but certainly something you could keep in a bag, as it also comes with a little bag of its own, and pull it out whenever you are ready to get that wide shot. Once already set up, you don’t need the phone unless you want to record audio, change default settings or want to download the video/images right away. It will however, cause heads to turn as soon as everyone hears it.

The Hover X1 isn’t like my other drones. It is much easier to use which makes it a suitable drone for nearly anyone. I’ve flown several differently styled drones and even my smaller conventional drones that don’t require FAA registration feel more complicated and not as efficient to use as the X1. I power the X1 on with the push of a button and allow it to take off from my palm with another push of the same button. When I’m done filming, I extend my palm underneath the X1 and it gently lands on my hand. No extra steps, just push a button and watch it fly, extend my hand and watch it land. It is that easy and simple to use. The X1 provides several flight mode options. These include: preset mode, manual control, or smart control mode. The two latter modes have in-app unlock requirements. For example, manual control required completion of five flights. Smart Control required completion of ten flights, five in follow and five in dolly track mode. The other modes are nice if I want more granular control, but I plan to use the X1 almost exclusively as a selfie drone, so the preset modes work best for me. The presets are extremely easy and straightforward, which allows me to quickly launch with a couple button presses. There is a small button on the top of the X1 that cycles through the presets which are indicated by labeled LEDs on the chassis. Manual control allows me to use virtual controls to fly through the app and smart control allows me to control the aircraft with hand gestures. I tried manual mode a couple times, but to me it defeats the entire purpose of the X1, which is ease of use. Manual mode provides manual control of the aircraft and camera through the app. In this manner the X1 behaves more like a traditional drone rather than fully automated. Virtual controls appear in the app to control flight and camera. It’s more cumbersome and complicated than using presets but it does offer greater control flexibility and the X1 behaves more lie a regular drone. Smart control relies on hand gestures and is a little more intuitive but still not as easy as preset. There are optional accessories available, like a beacon and joystick controls, but I doubt I’ll ever need them. I specifically wanted the X1 to have a fast and easy to use filming drone. I like that it isn’t engineered to be unnecessarily complicated. To me, presets are the heart of the X1. If anyone does buy the X1 with plans to use it as both a selfie drone and a standard drone, manual control helps facilitate the latter. For a typical flight, I’ll select a preset and the X1 will fly in that manner. If I want a static shot, like a group selfie or other limited movement subject, I’ll use hover. In hover mode, the aircraft stays static in one spot and only spins to follow the target if the target moves out of the frame. It’s good for mostly stationary subjects. Follow mode is good for when I’m active, like biking, running, hiking, etc. In follow mode, the X1 will hover and reliably follow me while filming. The X1 has great collision avoidance during follow mode and tactfully avoids flying into trees, branches, buildings or people while following. There is also a special indoor follow mode for navigating tight indoor spaces. The X1 also remains stable in a slightly breezy flying environment. I wouldn’t try it in gusty winds but I’ve flown it in a mild but noticeable breeze with no impact on the flight or media quality. There are other modes as well, such as birds eye, dolly track, and more but I use hover and follow for the vast majority of my selfies unless trying to be extra creative. Recorded videos look good with no excessive shaking or distracting camera movement. The quality isn’t 4K, nor is it in the same tier as higher end drones, but I personally find the quality to be more than sufficient for casual selfies and recordings. Both the 1080p/HDR and 2K30fps outputs are fine, but I prefer the 2K for improved clarity. The 12mp snapshots are a little more finicky. To me the quality is comparable to a webcam. They look great in good lighting, not so much in less ideal lighting. The benefit of snapshots is they are a great way for everyone to be included in a shot without relying on timers or a stranger to take the photo. The gimbal and stabilization help keep video jitter free and videos have a more professional quality to them thanks to the impactful shooting angles and dynamic zooming. The camera handles lighting well with no graininess in videos, even in less-than-ideal indoor lighting. Very dim lighting and darkness are a different story. The X1 can fly and film decently in a moderately low light. However, any environment without adequate lighting will cause the X1 to refuse to take off and indicate it needs to be moved to an area with more light. Like most drones, noise can be a factor with the X1. The propellers generate a loud whirring sound when flying, which I measured at roughly 80dB. It’s not obnoxiously loud, but it may possibly frighten small children or sensitive animals. The X1 aircraft doesn’t record sound, but there is a mode to record sound through the smartphone. The app then syncs the sound with the recorded video. The sound recording feature is disabled by default but is easily enabled in-app. I actually prefer this method because I’m sure anything recorded directly on the drone would be overpowered by the rotor noise. The HOVERAir X1 has become my go-to drone for filming events and gatherings. It’s easy to use and I like the small compact size and low flight altitude in preset mode. It makes the X1 feel less intrusive than a larger traditional drone. Battery life is a little over 10 minutes of flight time per battery, which is sufficient for a selfie-drone. Extra batteries can be used and this kit includes two batteries. The X1 does have some limitations. It cannot fly over water or reflective surfaces. It cannot fly in darkness. It shouldn’t fly higher than 10 meters and it should remain within range of the phone or controller. It is also subject to the same flight restrictions as regular drones for no-fly zones like national parks and cities like Washington DC. None of these are dealbreakers for me because I have regular drones if I want to do all those things other than flying in prohibited flying areas. Yes, it’s best used a selfie drone but also has limited capability as a regular drone. If looking for a regular drone to fly 100 feet in the air or over water and hazardous terrain, this isn’t the drone for you. However, it is a solid piece of hardware that absolutely excels at its intended purpose. It is a lot of fun to use, everyone who sees it loves it, and I already use it much more often than my other drones.

I’ve been using this drone for about a week now, and I’ve got to say, I love this little thing. At first, I was a bit nervous about trying another drone since I’ve lost one before, but this one is different. It’s not about high speed or flying way out of sight. Instead, it’s built for capturing high-quality photos and videos up close, and it absolutely nails that. I took it on a camping trip with my 7-year-old boys, and they had a blast with it. The drone usually stays within 10 feet of you, or up to 16 feet in bird’s eye mode. Our favorite was the “Orbit” path. It flies out about 5 feet and circles around you. We got some great shots in the forest while standing back-to-back, which made for a really fun circle-style video. The best part is how simple it is to use. It connects to your phone without any problems, and the app lets you learn and unlock even more flight paths that you can assign to the custom button. We tried all the modes and had a lot of fun. I even used it to film myself hitting some golf balls in the backyard. This drone is the perfect little companion for making Instagram reels, vlogs, B-roll, or just capturing memories with the family. It is also great for taking selfies when no one else is around. With 32GB of built-in storage, it can hold plenty of video before you need to move files. Exporting to your phone is quick, and you can choose between 1080p or 2K at 30fps. The video comes out crisp, clear, and smooth. The controls are straightforward. There is one button to power it on, and the others are for preset flight paths. There is also a button to save a custom path to from the app. Once the drone finishes, it always returns to you, and you can simply hold out your hand for it to land itself gently. It has two cameras, one on the front that tracks and follows you and one on the bottom for bird’s eye shots, which adds nice variety. I do like the cage built around the propellers. We did have a minor drop situation where an excited kid wanted to catch the drone from a hand that was already extended ready for the catch and wound up hitting it mid-air, knocking it to the ground. No drones were harmed in the making of that video. Better yet, no kids were harmed as the cage protected both the kid and the drone when being knocked off course and onto the ground. The app is a nice bonus. You can create a profile, share your videos, and see what others have made for inspiration. It also has tutorials, HoverCare information, restricted flight area maps, and your own Hover album where your media is stored. The drone folds up nicely when you’re finished using it and can easily be stored in any bag or drawer for next time. I found this drone to be a lot less noisy than other drones I have heard flying around before. The combo pack is a great value because it comes with two batteries, each lasting about 8 to 10 minutes, plus a charging dock and a USB-C cable. Overall, I would recommend the HOVERAir X1 to anyone who wants a simple, beginner-friendly drone that creates amazing short videos without a big learning curve.

Surprisingly capable “flying camera”. It’s less of a drone and more of a fulfillment of a wish for someone who wants someone to follow them around recording them but doesn’t have the means… Positives: Very solid sensor, I was pleasantly surprised by the video quality. (I’m not a video expert, but it can easily pass my eye test as a solid phone camera video as long as its not blown up too big) It’s nearly effortless to fly once you get the idea that it will do its own thing, you just need to tell it which path to take, or which type of pattern to follow. (and use your hand as the “drone pad”) It has nearly 30GB of built in storage, which at 2.7K 30fps or 1080p 60fps, is going to fit a good amount of video. It tracks surprisingly well, I told it to follow my almost 4 year old, and she kept running under/near it, and it would swing quickly to find her if she was out of its view for a quick moment, while keeping relatively the same distance if it was in follow mode. Negatives: It’s quite loud for its size, but I guess that's expected with the size of the rotors, they have to crank up some RPM to keep the thing airborne. The app seems a bit clunky. (but easy enough to navigate/change settings or modes) I would easily recommend it to someone who is into park skateboarding/pickup sports for some awesome follow shots, or maybe for some great vacation photos/videos!

This is one of the best drones I’ve ever had before, perfect for beginners and the whole family. This HoverAir x1 is easy to use and easy to setup, just charge the battery, download the Hover app, set up an account to add your self flying drone and then place it in your hand and start using this awesome drone. One of the things that I love about this self flying drone, besides the compact size, is the multiple ways to flight this drone, which is a great experience with the help of the app instructions, the self flying modes includes, Hover mode, zoom out mode, follow mode, orbit mode, Byrd eye mode, manual control, snapshot mode, dolly track mode, indoor follow mode, 369 spin mode, side track mode and Smart Control. The Full HD ( 1080p) video resolution makes your videos and pictures looks great and crystal clear, also it has built in storage of 32gb that you can see the videos on the app then download it to your phone, it doesn’t not have the option of adding additional memory card but I believe is enough for the fun and to share your videos with friends right from the app. This Hover air x1 drone gives you 11 minutes max flight at a max speed of 15mph, a max altitude of 5000 and wind speed resistance of 15mph, it is not water resistance so I wouldn’t recommended to flight this drone near water. Its nice that this combo includes 2 batteries because you only get 11 minutes flight max with each battery. I’ve use this HooverAir drone for my bicycle and hiking trips on follow mode and it’s fun !!. Always make sure that the drone is in your view because it doesn’t have integrated GPS.

The HoverAir X1 isn’t like any other drone I’ve used before. It’s really a flying selfie camera – featuring impressive tracking technology and high-quality video recording. It’s also, lightweight, compact, and easy to use. You don’t grab a controller or use an app to fly the X1. Instead, you tell the X1 what type of shot you want, launch it from the palm of your hand, give it a moment to “lock on,” and then go about your activity. The X1 will get the shot you asked for, then wait patiently for you to extend your hand before landing gently in your palm. Really, it’s that simple. The app has a fun tutorial that leads you through the basic modes, like hover (the X1 stays put, rotating as you move to follow you), orbit (the X1 backs up a few feet then makes a big circle around you, and birds-eye (the X1 zips up into the air, gets an aerial shot, then returns to you). Those modes are great, for sure, but the X1 really amazed me with its track and follow modes. Basic follow mode is just what it sounds like: You launch the X1, then start walking, running, cycling, skating, skiing, whatever. The X1 follows you, keeping you in the shot, adjusting its speed and altitude as you speed up or slow down. Dolly Track is even more impressive: You launch the X1, which backs up and waits for you to move. As you do, it flies “backwards” capturing you from the front. Side Track is similar but from the side. It's hard to capture in words just how impressive these modes are, but I’ll try. My family and I got on our bikes and pedaled around the neighborhood, down streets and paved trails. The X1 followed along like magic. I put the X1 in Dolly Track mode and went for a short run. I ended with an awesome video that looked like a camera operator had been rolling along in front of me. The app allows you to adjust settings for each of these modes. This includes things like whether to rotate in birds-eye view, the distance and angle (high, low, flat) in follow mode, etc. There is a manual control mode that lets you get shots like a traditional drone (I used it to inspect the roof), and a Smart Control mode that lets you use hand/arm gestures to toggle through the other modes mid-flight. So, you can start with a zoom out, then signal for an orbit to the left, then fly up for birds-eye. You’ll need to edit out the gestures if you don’t want them in your final video, but it saves time and battery to not need to land between each shot. There are a few little things to look out for – for example, the X1 is programmed to follow one person. You can’t use it to track your pet, and it has struggled a bit when I tried to capture multiple people in an activity on certain modes. Plus, it can’t be used over water or in low-light settings. Battery life is only around 10 minutes, but this combo pack includes a spare battery and two-slot charger, so that extends your sessions somewhat. The default data transfer method is for your phone to connect to the X1’s personal wifi network, but I’ve also been able to plug the X1 it into my computer via the USB-C cable to transfer videos like it's an external hard drive. Overall, this is a great product, and I’m happy to recommend it and give it 5 stars. I’m having lots of fun with the X1, just documenting activities for sharing with friends and family. It would be even more useful for a serious content creator who wants to capture their activities hands-free without someone else running the camera.

I love the concept of the HoverAir X1 as personal recording device or as the marketing states “a pocket-sized flying camera”. Whereas, a traditional drone is meant for all kinds of aerial footage of landscapes with some options for personal recording, the X1…hovers. There are accessories that are compatible with the X1 that can turn it into a traditional drone. Its no DJI Mini, but its not meant to be either. And I think that adds to its appeal. The biggest feature shock the HoverAir X1 has that baffles me at this price point is ‘Follow-Me’ mode; you instantly switch into your favorite TV Reporter personality! Audio is recorded through your phone or if you have headphones connected to the phone it will record through that too. It is possible to launch the drone and use the pre-programmed quickshots sans the app, but by using the app you can change the default settings for each of them and as stated record audio. You have the ability to change Resolution, distance the cameras stays from the subject, and how long the recording lasts. The noise cancelling works really well, the sound of the blades which is quite high pitch as drones are, is cut out from the audio feed. I could see this being a child's first “drone” or something nifty for going on a hike. Even for some small business purposes. Camera quality is decent. You definitely want to be outside and have good lighting. There was a lot of noise on the from the foliage, and testing indoors in what I would think was good lighting, the camera definitely struggled on quality. On startup it specifically states not to fly in low-light, when raining, and tight spaces. If using indoors, make sure it is static or has large open space. While the tracking does seem to be good, it cannot understand stairs or poles. I started at the top of my stairs and it watched me go down and instead of panning around it didn’t maneuver around the hand rail or post. When setting up directly in front of the stairs, still at the top, it didn’t follow me down, it merely just descended in place, but then it got to close to the handrail and lost tracking and landed on the ground below. Follow distance was set on Medium, so possibly having it closer would have done so. However, it seems to like gradual changes in direction all around. Battery Life is going to be your biggest enemy though, as each only lasts 11 minutes of continuous use. The user guide warns these are Lithium-Polymer batteries and not Lithium-ion, which means you cannot just through it on the charger right after use as the battery needs to cool down first. And the same goes after charging, they have to cool down before use…such are Li-Po batteries. It is also advised to charged with no higher than a Power Delivery (PD) 18w rated charger (not included). I would pay attention to this as Li-Po batteries are not like Li-Ion that can be left charging even after reaching 100% for a little while. Still not great for Li-Ion, but even worse for Li-Po. So if you don’t have a PD rated charger, you will want to pay extra close attention to when these finish charging. Thankfully, most chargers you have from the past few years have a minimum rating of 5v/3amp producing 15w or 9v/2amp producing 18w. The HoverAir X1 definitely has a niche in the market to fill and after flying regular drones for many years, it was strange how simple it was to get going out of the box. Reminding myself this is a “pocket-size flying camera” helped to keep things into perspective. The biggest drawback I walked way with while keeping that in mind is the decibel level of the blades. If it was at least half the decibels it would be a huge hit if you are thinking of taking this in a public area that is congested, but as is you are definitely going to get a lot of stares as people take notice. Durability seems to be pretty good. It soooo light weight so it should stand the test and since you are actually flying it (at least not with out the accessories to do so) it doesn’t move all that fast unless you are.

I have gotten a serious kick out of getting to use this little drone. I described it to my wife as really more of a “camera with hovering and smart filming features” than a typical remote-control drone, as we have come to think about them. This drone presents all kinds of features that I think would be a hit for those who are interested in trying out a drone with a camera, but don’t quite want to be responsible for full remote control of the drone. The app does allow manual landing of the drone though, so this is available as an important safety feature! This drone comes with several features that are very thoughtful and appreciated as a customer. For one, the fact that this comes with two batteries with multiple methods for charging is excellent! The dual battery charger cradle can easily be powered by a good USB power bank and provide plenty of charge to these small drone batteries. Furthermore, you can charge the battery while it is plugged into the drone with an onboard USB-C plugin, complete with onboard charging indicators so you can know when you are ready for your next flight! With about 11 minutes of flight time, it is nice to have two batteries so you can swap them in and out between charges and flights! It has 32GB of on-board storage, about 24 seems usable. This is honestly plenty in my opinion for a drone with 11 minutes or so of flight time and easy downloads of high-quality videos to your phone via the Hoverair app. There is no compatibility on this model for a removable SD card. Altogether, I am very pleased with this drone. It is vastly better featured than its price would indicate and I think you should absolutely look into it if you are considering a more autonomous drone option! Thanks for reading and good luck with your purchase!

I switched to a lighter more compact drone after using a big FPV drone for a couple of years. It required an external battery, a two handed controller, a headset, and an FAA license. This drone requires none of that extra stuff. I was unboxed and flying within minutes. The drone folds in half and is so light and compact! It launches and lands from the palm of your hand, so easy my five year old son can do it. It comes with an extra battery that charges fast so you can keep the fun going. The filming modes are easy to change with a button on the top and it tells you what they are. Download the app for even more fun including manual control and more advanced filming modes, some that even require unlocking by completing a couple of test flights. You can also download your videos from the app and take manual control, freely moving the drone up down left and right if you don’t want to use a built in mode. Videos are high quality and don’t have a fisheye effect. There’s no sound recording of course since the propellers wouldn’t make it impossible to hear anything. The wifi distance is also good; I was able to fly the drone over my two story house and maintain live feed video on my phone. Overall I can’t recommend it enough!

Love this Drone. Great for beginners. This was perfect for our trip in California and Oregon coast.

As a first-time drone operator, I was a little nervous about what to expect (hearing the words drone pilot don't inspire confidence about the ease of flying one of these things, after all) but this HoverAir is great for beginners because it practically flies itself. The HoverAir is great at what it's designed to do. I can see myself using it at the next family reunion for some great overhead photos and videos - it easily goes over 100-ish feet. Equally I can see myself using it to track my form, as I've recently taken up running. I could also see this being great for content creators whether you want it to orbit around you to show off the latest fashion or have it follow you as you do a house tour (just be weary of the battery life for the latter). All around this is a very solid drone and I'm happy that my first drone experience was with this because it couldn't have been easier to operate. +++ Pros +++ • Clever design is both incredibly compact and light weight making this an easy pocket companion. • Simple and fast to get the drone in the air. I can't emphasize this point enough - many of my friends that have drones don't use them as often as they thought they would because it's a chore to prep them for usage and get them going. • There's 5 modes (6 with the custom button) and the app does a great job of explaining and demonstrating how the different modes work. There are additional modes in the app as well! • Thorough customizations within modes including shooting mode, duration, distance, altitude and video quality among other settings. • Records video without audio or features an innovative feature where it can use your iPhone's microphone to record audio, which it will then process, remove drone noise and overlay on recorded video. • Easy to see how much storage you have left within the app (32GB is standard, non-expandable). • Uses USB-C so you don't have to go digging for legacy (e.g. USB-A, microUSB) or proprietary cables. • Smart gestures let you change modes in flight or signal for the drone to land in your hand. • Incredibly easy to download footage from the drone using your iPhone over WiFi. --- Cons --- • I wish the video quality could go up to 4k. It seems like that is pretty much the standard nowadays for high-end video. • The videos lack a degree of sharpness/clarity and detail in objects. It reminds me of a higher resolution webcam. • No GPS. Would be cool to allow you to track where the drone landed in the event it goes down and you're not aware. This is common after crashes since it will just land where the crash occurred. • There's no obstacle avoidance, it will likely crash many times as it's primarily focused on you and using spacial awareness in flight, but the durability and thoughtful design and intentional construction really shine through in these moments. • Wish it came with a hard case to protect it when transporting it in your pocket. • Battery life could be better (about 10 minutes or so per battery, but they do give you two so that was nice). • It's a little loud.

This Hoverair is a lot of fun to have. However, why am I giving it 4 stars. First, the batteries die quickly. I got about 15 min. out of each battery. I was hoping they would improve that from other drones. Especially for a drone that follows you. I would have liked it to last 30+ min. per battery. Another thing for me was that it saves videos directly into the drone itself. I could not figure out how to get those videos without having to power on the unit and then you have to download each video separately. I did not see an option to have it directly download to my phone without downloading to the drone itself. So, after each flight, I would have to go into the app while the drone was on and download the video from there onto my phone. I also tried to use a cord plugged into my PC and into the drone to see if maybe it would pick it up as a external device but it did not. A couple little issues for me was that you had to unlock flight modes. It would say you need to complete x out of 5 tasks for instance but not really say what those tasks are. Regardless, I would have liked all the modes unlocked at the start and just have a suggestion maybe that suggest doing whatever it suggests and then have a check next to suggested tasks you completed. Another issue is with one of the flight choices, you can manually control the drone. I like this but it has the forward and backwards buttons reversed at least how I felt. Forwards would send the drone away from me, but I was going off that the forward of the drone is the camera and thought it was talking about from the drone. Lastly for me was that you would have to stop the flight and land the drone to switch to a different flight pattern for it. So, if you are walking and have it on follow mode and want to switch to a side follow, you would have to stop, land the drone, then switch it and then re start. It would have been nice to be able to do this without have to land it. The drone also seemed to not pick up things to maneuver around. So, if you are walking and a tree gets in the way it would run into the tree. (like if you have it on side follow). That said, I felt this is great if you want to walk and vlog and still have your hands free. Or if you are wanting to capture working out, you can get a shot from different angles without having to try to position a phone. Similar if you want to get a group picture, you can get one from a higher angle, straight on, lower etc. The drone works great outdoors and indoors. It is great for all. Easy to use and set up. My first few flights were outside, and it was windy. I thought this was going to cause issues, but it did not. The drone would move slightly with the wind but would adjust back. I did not have any drift issues with this drone either. Once it was hovering, it would stay in that spot. Take off is super easy, just put it into your palm, start it and as soon as it lifts, pull your hand back out of the way. Landing was just as easy, just place hand out and it lands in your palm. I love that it is small and compact and comes with a bag. Granted I would have liked to see a sturdier case for it. Overall, I recommend, especially if you are looking for hands free. You do have an option to manually control if you want to fly it around manually. Benefits for me were hands free, can get different angles, get a much higher angle if doing a group photo, seeing how the picture looks prior to taking the picture. With a phone you must set it up and then run to get in the picture. No need for tripods. Biggest downside for me though was once you select a flight pattern, you could not change it to another flight pattern without having to land it first.

I love hoverair-X1. Very handy and did a great work in terms of its functionality. I love watching my videos taken from this gadget.

I’m enjoying my new toy, ready to start my content creation journey

One review on here said it best: the HoverAir X1 is a "self-flying camera, aka tracking drone, autonomous drone, or follow-me drone. I bring up all the different names because I honestly did not know these types of drones existed. It's pretty straightforward in most of its features and setup. I was worried that there would be a big learning curve because I’m new to drones in general, and this is my first drone. Of course, this isn’t a remote-controlled drone, so don’t expect that. It does not come with any sort of control, and you must use the HoverAir mobile (Android or iOS) to activate the drone, set up the flight parameters of each flight mode, to configure the custom flight mode, and upgrade the firmware. It would have been cool to have some sort of manual controller out of the box. While available via the app, it's really slow and cumbersome. The range was about 125 or so. There is now an optional beacon and joystick, but they are expensive. I can’t comment on its functionality, but it does make it a more flexible option and a good choice for beginning vloggers or semi-professional ones. It launches from the palm of your hand, and it lands there as well. You will short-press the power button to turn it off, and off it goes per the preselected flight mode. There are seven “intelligent” flight modes, including Hover, Zoom Out, Orbit, Follow, Bird's Eye, Snapshot, Dolly Track, and Manual Mode (custom). You can control the height of Bird’s eye with three preset heights, same for the zoom out. The drone records video in 2.7K at 30 frames per second, or you can switch to 1080p at 30 or 60 frames per second. I recorded at 2.7k. I was initially impressed with the video quality, especially for what I assume is not a big sensor on a small camera. The video is pretty clear. There is some artifacting, but smooth when changing angles. I couldn’t find any abnormal effects like fisheye. The video quality in the dark is not the best, so you want to maintain recording in brighter light. Downloading the photos and videos from the drone is done through the app and is cumbersome. I was only able to download one video at a time. The drone's microphone, combined with AI or an algorithm, does a great job of filtering out the high-pitched drone noise. I couldn’t believe how clear the audio was. My kids were recording themselves brushing their teeth. It was smart enough to drown out the drone noise but not the electric toothbrush. The biggest disappointments are two. One, there is no obstacle avoidance. The drone only has two sensors from what I can see. On the bottom and top. I assume that’s why it cannot detect obstacles in front of or behind it. The drone will simply follow its path, leading to crashes in packed environments. We had several crashes inside the house. You’re better off in an open field or somewhere with clear paths. It does seem highly durable. Be aware that if it crashes, the video stops recording at the point of impact. It's supposed to reach 17.9 mph. I found that it can lag behind at times. It might be the lack of sensors on the front. It struggles in low-light conditions and will sometimes refuse to take off if it's too dark. Secondly, and most significant drawback, is the extremely short battery life. On average, it lasts only between 5 and 10 minutes. It all depends on how much you fiddle with the app and the speed at which it follows you. Luckily, I received the combo package that included two batteries. However, you may need more than half a dozen batteries if you’re using this for big recording projects. The included charger can charge two batteries at once, and you can also charge a single battery while it's still in the drone using a USB-C cable. Though the documentation does not recommend charging the battery from the drone, as it can be overcharged. The batteries are lithium-polymer (Li-Po). You should let lithium-polymer (LiPo) batteries cool down to near room temperature before charging them, especially after discharge. According to quick research, charging a hot battery can cause excessive wear, reduce its lifespan, and pose a fire hazard. I guess I would err on the side of caution. In summary, the HoverAir X1 is a non-complicated, self-flying camera that's great for capturing unique angles, hands-free photos, and videos. It's probably geared toward vloggers, but it is a great option for capturing family moments. I even used to record a gender reveal in a backyard. The kids can’t get enough of it. Its main limitations are short battery life per battery and the lack of obstacle avoidance, but additional batteries and a durable design help mitigate that. The video quality is good for its purpose. You would likely need to spend a lot more for a better camera. This is cool little device.

The HoverAir X1 is a great little selfie drone that I didn't realize would be so fun to use. It comes with the drone, a carrying bag, charger, and two batteries. The drone is fully automated, so no controller is needed. First you download the app to get the drone all set up. It only takes a few minutes and takes you through a quick little tutorial as part of the process. The drone really couldn't be much simpler to use. You just select the mode you want from 5 different preprogrammed flight modes, including Hover, Follow, Zoom Out, Orbit, and Bird's Eye. There is also a manual mode, but to be honest, I never even used this because the preprogrammed modes work so well. Once you select your mode, you set the drone in your palm and press the button. After about 3 seconds, the propellers whir to life and it takes off on it's flight path. When finished, you just hold your palm about a foot under the drone and it will automatically begin landing. When ready, you can check out your footage in the app. The footage is 2.7K resolution, and it looks great. If needed, you can also tweak the flight modes in the app, adjusting durations, distances, etc. It really gives you a lot of control without being overly complicated. Overall I am very happy with this drone. I have been able to get some really great footage that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to get before. And it's all really simple to use, so I don't waste a lot of time learning how to fly a drone. I just set it off to get the shot and it's done.

This is what I've been waiting for! A drone I can use for videoing myself without having someone man the camera or doing the flying! The HoverAir is an ultra-lightweight drone that doesn't require FAA registration, and catagorically I can say that if you're a content creator, it's biggest use you will find is for your B-roll video footage. It has the ability to hover to video, but it will also physically follow you from front or back, zoom in/out enhancing the cinematic effects of your recording, orbit you to capture you from all angles, or a straight-down overhead birds-eye-view. I do video creation for work as well as pleasure, and one of my passions is trail hiking. I was able to get video of several hikes that I intend to splice into a longer video for distribution. Why splice though? I'll tell you, and it's one of the only downsides of this device - 11 minutes of flight time... That's it. Personally I'd love to see a little more flight time, even if I had to register the drone with the FAA, but exactly how it is right now, it's a pretty amazing little device!

The HOVERAir X1 self-flying camera drone is an easy to use camera drone perfect for beginners or people trying to get simple shots with no hassle. With fairly simple functionality you're not going to get epic, high-flying camera shots like you would with a more expensive and complex drone, but with several built in modes you will be able to get some of the most frequently used camera drone shots all with the push of a button. All with the advantage of a light and easy to carry and use drone that is easy to use either by using the modes on the drone itself, or by using the app to get more functionality and customization all to get your perfect shot. The included accessories allow you to get up and shooting without having to buy more. With 2 batteries and an included soft case you can pack this up anywhere, including your pocket, and get some beautiful shots with no worries. With easy take-off and landing it's easy for anyone, regardless of drone experience, to launch and record the shots that you want. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for an easy to use drone for taking videos or photo.