Machine gun or no machine gun strapped to its bottom, a drone is still a pretty impressive contraption that can be not only fun, but also useful! With a specialized pair of FPV goggles, you'll be able to control your beloved flying companion in an entirely new way. Consult our top 5 list of the best drones currently on the market and see for yourself!
Since
FPV goggles are a high-tech kind of gadget that have more components to them than possibly the drone itself, looking into all of them prior to making your final purchase may seem like a daunting task that would require you to turn instantly into a tech geek! If you already are one, then you don't have to worry about this that much, really. If you’re not, however, simply taking a glance at some of the specifications sheets can give you a massive headache (and that's if you're lucky!).
Worry not, however, as our plucky TopProducts team once again comes to the rescue with our insightful guide of how
not to purchase a piece of faulty ware and end up in a fetal position bawling your eyes out! To set this high-tech journey off, let's see what the main factors are that contribute to a well-rounded piece of FPV equipment. First of all, the resolution of a pair of FPV goggles is arguably the most important thing to look out for when buying these gadgets. The higher the resolution, the clearer your view of the world beneath your drone will appear to be! (Once it's airborne of course.)
This, in turn, means better footage of your area of choice, and improved maneuvering abilities on your part, as seeing what you're up against in mid-air can mean the difference between a fun and leisurely scoutin' mission and colliding with a flock of unsuspecting birds! The second thing worth taking into consideration is the type of battery your goggles are running on. Typically, batteries for these types of utensils come in two versions- they're either built-in and rechargeable, or must be replaced. (Most of these take-out battery types, so to speak, can still be recharged, which is a good thing really, since they're not exactly cheap.) While we're at it, our team has also been trying to find
the best 3.7V batteries as well as
3V battery packs, so check that out if you need those for some other appliances of yours. Anyway, when it comes to the batteries for FPV goggles, a variety of Lipo versions seem to be the choice of most manufacturers. Of course, you can find other models as well if you
want, but these are typically the most common.
As FPV goggles are devices that require you to actually wear them on your head to use them, certain less subtle characteristics assert themselves as important. Their weight, for example, seems to be a no-brainer. The thing is, heavier versions of these goggles may have more advanced features to them, as the hardware necessary to run all those fancy novelties, such as 3D support, will add to the overall number. Lighter versions can still be quite brilliant, though, as they may be packin' some hefty high-tech punches.
All in all, the most important thing before purchasing one of these models is to pay attention to what you're going to need out there in the field. For example, if you're into
drone racing, a high-resolution pair of goggles with a powerful signal transmitting feature is a must. If your drone-flying sessions are more casual in nature, however, a simpler (and less expensive) version of these is going to do its job just fine! For those of you who'd like to get themselves a full high-tech overhaul, check out
our smartphone review and get yourself fully-equipped! (If your budget allows it, of course.)
Price
As is the case with all drone-related gadgets and secondary equipment, the pricing for a brand new pair of FPV goggles is a tough matter that many people would rather not talk about. Futuristic Drone Goggles, though, with a bit of careful consideration you can save yourself a ton of money and still end up with a great piece of drone-related gadgetry!
This mostly has to do with assessing what exactly it is that you need from these goggles. If you're into pro-level kind of drone-related stuff, like drone racing or photography, there's really no getting around to it. You'll probably end up spending a lot of money anyway. However, you can save yourself a load of effort by choosing the optimal device from the first try, so that you don't need to send it back a bunch of times. For those in need of a casual goggle solution, the “less means more” sort of approach usually does the trick pretty well! So all in all, take your time to figure out exactly what you want from your drone, choose the right brand (by consulting our reviews, possibly), and voila!- you've got yourself your very own drone configuration to spy on people, ehrm, watch the scenery, heh!
Features
Since drones are built for a variety of purposes nowadays, there are going to be quite a few features to pay attention to when getting yourself a new one. Unsurprisingly, the same applies to the secondary equipment of these drones, which can often get as complicated as your flying companion itself! And FPV goggles seem to be
the worst if we're talking about complicatedness!
These are the features to pay attention to when buying yourself
a brand new pair of FPV goggles:
- HDMI Connectivity
- Aspect Ratio
- Adjustable IPD Display
- Type of Battery
- Whether it Supports USB Charging
- 3D Support
- Head Tracker Data Port
- Sun Shield
- Warranty
Additional features such as ergonomic sponge pads for your head or a sun shield can greatly improve your experience while you're out there in the open!
Construction and Design
Bulky and with an appearance of a sci-fi movie prop, FPV goggles are mean machines which allow you to visit and experience the patches of our world you thought you would never be able to reach! That being said, their design reflects their overall high-tech vibe, so to speak. They're typically rounded with a couple of buttons to their side, and they make you look like Robocop while you're wearing them. It almost feels like you need a complete costume for it to work properly somehow. When it comes to the design of these little contraptions, the thing you'll want to pay attention to is their ergonomic qualities, that is, how well they fit on your head. Optimally, a pair of FPV goggles should feel like you're not wearing them at all! Since this isn’t really something you can test before you actually receive them, we recommend you read some of the experiences of the people who already own a pair that piques your interest.
Performance and Ease of Use
FPV goggles are quite a paradox if you think about them, because they’re a complex piece of gadgetry which is actually fairly easy to use. Once you've calibrated all the values during your personal initial setup stage, you're pretty much good to go! The tough part actually comes in when you start flying the drone itself, so struggling with the goggles isn't going to be something to worry about. As far as maintenance is concerned, about the only thing you'll need to do is make sure that you don't run out of battery power mid-flight, which can result in some pretty inconvenient landings, to say the least. Other than that, just keep it clean and away from kids, and Bob's your uncle!
Your drone-flying sessions are only going to be as successful as how much control you have over your drone. That being said, about the best way to control your drone would probably be to pilot it yourself! Since this isn't an option yet, how about you strap on a pair of high-tech FPV goggles so that you can see what your drone sees at all times! Read our top 5 reviews and learn more!