Drones are one of the most modern inventions from the past several years, and there are more consumers buying drones than ever before. The market is expected to grow by about 15 percent over the next decade.
These high-quality devices come in all sorts of brands, shapes and sizes, and they range in price. With features that may include a long battery life, an ultra-HD camera and multiple flight modes, aerial photography has never been this astonishing.
One of the biggest disadvantages of drones is that the engines and rotors create many vibrations and can often be loud and annoying. Drones can even disturb other people in the area in which they’re flying, and are sometimes troublesome for pilots. This is why most people tend to prefer drones that are silent.
However, most users have a hard time finding the quietest drones on the market, because there are so many brands and models around these days.
But don’t worry; in this article, I’ll discuss the reasons you might want a quiet drone, as well as the details of different models. I’ll also list the best quiet drones you can find that will fit within your budget.
Quietest Drones Comparison Chart
| Drones | Flight Time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| DJI Phantom 3 Pro | 23 minutes | Check Price |
| Parrot Mambo Mini Drone | 5 minutes | Check Price |
| DJI Spark Portable Mini Drone | 16 minutes | Check Price |
| DJI Mavic Pro Platinum Drone | 27 minutes | Check Price |
| Altair Outlaw GPS Drone | 30 minutes | Check Price |
1. DJI Phantom 3 Pro – Best For Outdoors
This is, no doubt, one of the all-around best quiet drones on the market. This is because of the affordable price, stylish design, small size and ease of use. The unit features a 4K ultra-high-definition video recording capacity, as opposed to the standard version, which only has the 2.7K video capacity.
Even though there is a newer model, the more recent Phantom 4, this is still considered one of the most silent drones on the market, thanks to its vibration-damping feature that helps keep the drone intact when flying and aso helps prevent it from shaking.
Both GPS and GLONASS satellite constellations are supported, with precision timing and positioning for outdoor operations. There are also a pair of Vision Position Sensors that scan the ground at all times. These things help users have a stable flight indoors and in areas where there’s no GPS reception.
[su_note note_color=”#b4eff1″]Even if you’re a newbie when it comes to flying drones, this high-quality quadcopter has you covered, with a beginner-friendly mode. You can absolutely fly this drone anywhere you want to, as long as it’s at least 15 miles (or 24 kilometers) from the White House.[/su_note]
2. Parrot Mambo Mini Drone – Most Affordable
Another quiet drone that’s worth every penny is the Parrot Mambo Mini Drone. This drone is ideal for people on a low budget who don’t want to miss out on the fun! It’s a small quad drone that flies via command control on your iOS or Android smartphone.
The first thing you should keep in mind is that this is an entry-level mini-drone. So if you’d like to learn the ropes with a quiet drone, this is the place to start. The Mambo is portable, so each user can take it pretty much anywhere he/she wants. But that’s not the only benefit you get with it.
The Parrot Mambo has a very low price tag. The reason behind this is that it doesn’t come with a fancy camera. The camera is only worth 0.3MP, or a 480×640 video resolution, so it isn’t really meant for taking pictures or videos. However, this drone is very stable indoors and outdoors, and it can even fly on its own with its autopilot functionality.
You can control the mini-drone for up to 20 meters by using your smartphone, and for up to 65 meters via the Parrot Flypad controller. You can also use Bluetooth Low Energy to connect the mobile app to your drone. After you’ve successfully connected, you should choose the piloting mode you want and take off. There’s a virtual joypad that lets you control the movement of your drone, and if you want to accelerate your device in a certain direction, all you’ll need to do is tilt the phone.
[su_note]The Parrot Mambo also includes safety features that help the mini-drone operate better. Plus, it’s equipped with an automated shutdown system that kills power to the engine to prevent damage.[/su_note]
3. DJI Spark Portable Mini Drone – Best Value For the Money
This is a high-end advanced drone that offers several configuration options. It includes an intelligent flight mode that’s smart and intuitive. With just one tap, you can easily take a Quick Shot Video. The high-quality camera captures amazing images and stable video.
It’s by far the smallest drone from its makers, and if you want a fast and effective product, then this is the right one for you. I don’t think it’s the perfect fit for indoor usage, as when I ran a test, the noise level was just over 90 decibels in my room.
The DJI Spark shines much brighter when flying outdoors. The thing that caught my attention the most was the shape of the propellers. They minimize the air resistance around themselves while decreasing the amount of sound produced at the same time.
This drone also includes a powerful lens, with a 25-millimeter focal length, that produces little distortion and color aberration. Five elements are arranged in a systematic way and fit into a compressed frame. There’s also a CMOS sensor that lets you shoot stabilized video at 1080p and still images at 12MP. The greater pixel count signifies the Spark’s sensitivity to colors and its precise identification process.
4. DJI Mavic Pro Platinum Drone – Quietest Overall
This is a top-of-the-line professional model quadcopter that comes in several configurations. The company even promises that this high-end drone will be 60 percent quieter than other Mavic models. In independent field testing, it was found to be quieter than the more recent Mavic 2, making it one of the best options on the market if you’re looking for a silent drone.
According to a study done by The Verge, the loudest the Pro Platinum ever gets is 60 decibels, compared to the 80 decibels of the original Mavic Pro. Another thing I like is the fact that it can fly up to 7 kilometers in height, which is amazing. Even from that height, this beast has the ability to shoot 720p videos, thanks to the OcuSync technology.
This unit was certainly built to last; if you haven’t noticed, DJI has become one of the industry’s leaders, so it’s a wise choice for durability. The Pro Platinum is powered by the extremely powerful Mavic platinum battery, which provides the drone with enough power for a long flight.
This is considered to be one of the best drones around. It utilizes a 3-axis stabilization system that helps keep the camera stable while the drone is hovering. The remote is very compact, which makes it a lot easier to operate, and you don’t have to worry about hauling around extra weight while operating the device.
[su_note note_color=”#ffbb66″]This drone also includes various built-in safety features, like forwarding obstacle avoidance and an automated return to home.[/su_note]
5. Altair Outlaw GPS Drone – Best For Beginners
Here’s another superb drone that’s compact with a lot of features. It’s extremely quiet at a relatively cheap price, and it can be flown by anyone, regardless of your previous piloting experience. When it comes to beginners, it’s a good option and offers good value for the money.
The manufacturing company is based in the U.S. state of Nebraska, with a focus on service, quality and integrity. With this device, you’ll get a remote control via GPS, with a range of up to 1,000 meters (3,000 feet). It also has a rechargeable battery, and you don’t need a smartphone or WiFi in order to get it flying.
The brushless motors and careful construction have been configured to reduce as much friction as possible within the motors, making the drone almost completely silent during flight. The quadcopter also has a high-end camera that captures full HD (1080-pixel) images and videos. It even features Virtual Reality, commonly known as VR and First Person View.
When the battery is fully charged, you’ll get a maximum of 20 minutes of flight time and a very good range. Thanks to its GPS functionality, you’ll have the ability to return the drone home with the press of a single button.
Things to Consider When Purchasing a Silent Drone
If your main goal is to purchase the quietest drone on the market, here are some key features to keep in mind:
Application
Before buying a drone, you should know what you’ll be using the drone for. If you’re a traveler, then you might want to use it to take amazing photos and even document your adventures. A beginner might just need a drone to fly around while having fun with friends and family.
The best idea is to choose a drone that’s compact, with all the specs and features you need, instead of going with one that just has an attractive design.
Motor/Propellers
You should pay close attention to these features when looking for a silent drone. Drones with a powerful motor usually have their benefits, but also generate a lot of noise.
When you’re choosing propellers, make sure you pick a machine with V-shaped ones. These tend to handle the air pressure a lot better, and keep the drone fairly silent. Some of the quietest drones on the market; for example, the Mavic Pro Platinum, are compatible with multiple models of propellers, too.
Images and Video Quality
If you want to capture images and videos, then one of the most important factors to consider when buying a drone is the camera quality. The best choice would be to get a quiet quadcopter with a 4K resolution, if you want your images/videos to be crystal-clear.
If you’re a beginner who just wants to take some pictures of the landscape, then such technology won’t be necessary.
Safety Issues
I think safety is the most important thing when it comes to buying a drone. Never invest your money in a drone without checking for the proper measures to avoid accidents.
You should always check the fail-safe system, just in case something goes wrong with the motor, because you can never be sure. Expensive drones come with an auto shut-off feature that kills the power after landing, if the motor heats up.
Overall Build and Design
Nothing makes us happier than a machine that lasts, so it’s important to consider the overall build of the device, which includes aspects like the unit’s materials, design and craftsmanship.
Professionals, hobbyists and beginners all want drones that can stand up to gusts of wind, uneven terrain and various midair obstacles, and makers such as DJI and Parrot ensure that their quadcopters can withstand midair obstacles better than their competitors.
Flight Duration and Height
You must take into account the total flight time you’ll be able to get out of the device. Usually, the time your drone stays in the air will have a lot to do with the strength of the motor. The stronger the motor, the better the chance that it’ll stay up in the air for longer.
The standard flight duration is between 15 to 40 minutes, or even longer.
Quietest Drones FAQ
Q. Can drones be silent?
It’s not possible for a drone to be completely silent, although some of the models mentioned above are pretty close. You should keep in mind that sounds are a product of vibration, and vibration is a necessary action taken by the rotating motors and spinning propellers that hold the quadcopter in flight.
The military is believed to have stealth drones that have the ability to achieve true silence, or at least a state so close to true silence that the difference is negligible. But you won’t be able to find something like that on the market.
Q. How quiet are drones?
The sound of a drone in flight is typically about 75 to 80 decibels. A quiet drone is one that only gives off about 65 to 70 decibels of sound from a distance of 3 to 5 feet (about 1 to 1.5 meters) away from you.
Q. What are quiet drones used for?
Silent drones are used in many different scenarios in which a drone has to work without making too much noise. For instance, they can work for surveillance functions, as a means of monitoring something without giving one’s location away.
A silent drone may also be a great thing to have when you’re documenting a movie. The downside, with many drone videos, is the fact that the sound of the motor and propellers can drown out everything else in a spot. With an extremely silent drone, you can keep the videos you documented from sounding far too noisy.
Final Verdict: What’s the Best Quiet Drone?
The list above consists of some of the most advanced silent drones on the market. They’re all compact, with some amazing features, but the sad part is that we can only choose one as the best.
If you ask me, I’d say that all five drones are worth every penny. They have different specs, control mechanisms and uses. Some of these drones can serve beginners and professionals alike!
If I was searching for the quietest drone on the market and I could only pick one out of the five, I’d go with the DJI Mavic Pro Platinum. It’s one of the most popular drones out of all of them, and it’s also considered to be 60 percent quieter than the other Mavic models out there.
This is just one of the most effective portable drones around, with an extremely high-quality camera, independent flight modes, obstacle avoidance, great flight time and superb battery life. With that being said, it’s also worth every penny in your wallet.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out my other articles on this site. If you have any questions, you can let us know by leaving a comment down below, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Here’s another article you might like: The Best Quiet and Silent Keyboards – Read Before Buying!
image: Pixabay