JJRC Drones Review – 5 Best JJRC Drones For Sale (Updated 2020)
Updated:
The Jianjian Technology Company’s radio control branch, conveniently abbreviated JJRC, is a Chinese drone manufacturer founded in 2014 that specializes in high-quality drones for beginner and intermediate pilots. Despite the popularity of their products we haven’t covered them very much on this site, which is why today we’re going to tell you all about the five best JJRC drones for sale.
Table of Contents
These excellent drones with cameras should by and large be accessible even for a first-time drone pilot or a child aged 14 or over. But they’ve become popular with serious drone pilots as well, particularly the H8D and the X1. JJRC drones provide something for everyone, so read on to find the one that’s best for you!
JJRC Drones Review
The following are, at least in our opinion, the five best JJRC drones for sale. However, we want to make it clear that the order of the following drones is not a best-to-worst ranking like it is with some of our other articles. JJRC makes a lot of different drones that appeal to very different customer bases, so you should find the one that works best for you instead of just assuming that the top one is the best for everyone.
And as always, remember JJRC’s motto: “Technology For Fun.”
JJRC H37 Elfie
Read reviews and show for the Original H37 Elfie
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The JJRC H37 Elfie is a cheap selfie drone that anyone can afford and even the most inexperienced pilots should have no trouble flying. This foldable selfie drone has a portable design that’s stylish and practical and is controlled with a smartphone app to cut out the cost of buying a transmitter.
To make it easy to fly, it comes with many features that are standard with beginner drones like the competing Altair Aerial models. These include Altitude Hold Mode, which means you don’t have to worry about keeping the drone in the air; Headless Mode, which means that the “front” of the drone is always facing away from you for the purposes of control; and a one-touch return-to-home button that will keep this JJRC drone from getting lost in the wind.
Specifications:
• Controlled with a smartphone
• 6-axis gyro for stability
• Foldable and portable
• Altitude hold mode, headless mode, and one-touch return-to-home features
• Can perform 3D flips with the touch of a button
• 10 minute flight time
• 50 meter operating range
• 480p video camera
• Price: $45.88 USD
Pros:
• Very cheap
• Easy for beginners to use
• Perfect for anyone who just wants a simple flying camera
Cons:
• Very short range
• Non-HD camera
• Weak specs will not impress serious quadcopter pilots
JJRC H11WH
Read reviews and show for the H11WH
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The H11WH is JJRC’s brand new beginner drone, with solid FPV capabilities and a very stable flight pattern that makes it easy to fly. If you’re looking to get into quadcopters, we recommend this drone over the Elfie because it is a better gateway into serious flying and has better flight capabilities across the board. However, this one doesn’t fold up and can’t fit in your pocket, so it might not be the preferred choice for casual enthusiasts.
This is a solid beginner drone at an extremely affordable price and one of the best JJRC FPV drones!
Specifications:
• Controlled with a 2.4GHz radio transmitter or a smartphone
• 6-axis gyro for stability
• Altitude hold mode, headless mode, and one-touch return-to-home features
• Can perform a 360 degree roll with the touch of a button
• 7 minute flight time
• 120 meter operating range
• 720p video camera
• Price: $96.49 USD
Pros:
• Cheap
• Can take 720 HD video
• Highly durable and stable, making it perfect for beginners
Cons:
• Still not going to hold the interest of intermediate or experienced pilots
• Very short flight time
JJRC H8D
Read reviews and show for the H8D
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The H8D is by far the most popular of the JJRC drones, and it’s not hard to see why. This is a solid all-around quadcopter that brings something for everyone and is ready to fly with no assembly required. It can be flown indoors or outdoors and has one of the best flight ranges in its price range. Plus, it looks AMAZING, with a unique design covered in bright LED lights that are practical and stylish.
Not sure which JJRC drone to buy? You can’t go wrong with the JJRC H8D.
Specifications:
• Controlled with a 2.4GHz radio transmitter or a smartphone
• 6-axis gyro for stability
• Altitude hold mode, headless mode, one-touch takeoff and landing, and one-touch return-to-home features
• Can perform a 360 degree roll with the touch of a button
• 8 minute flight time
• 300 meter operating range
• 1080p video camera
• Price: $133.99 USD
Pros:
• Incredible flight range
• Great camera for video and still images
• Small enough to be relatively portable even if it doesn’t fold
• Easy to fly, but still has good specs
Cons:
• The battery life could be better
JJRC X1
Read reviews and show for the JJRC X1
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The X1 is JJRC’s most advanced drone, an incredibly fast (though not racing-quality) brushless copter with a great design and a solid flight time. The coolest feature here is definitely the Low Voltage Cutoff (LVC) system, which reduces the power of the rotors when the battery’s low. This means that your drone can fly for longer – and even though it slows down, you should have plenty of time to fly it safely home again.
Like many JJRC drones, the X1 is also highly durable.
Specifications:
• Controlled with a 2.4GHz radio transmitter or a smartphone
• 6-axis gyro for stability
• Low Voltage Cutoff (LVC) and automatic blade safety features
• Full manual control allows you to perform flips, tricks, and stunts
• 15 minute flight time
• 300 meter operating range
• Price: $319.18 USD
Pros:
• Fast and fun to fly
• Great flight time (for the price)
• Automatic safety features
• Awesome design
Cons:
• This is JJRC’s most expensive drone by a significant margin
• The lack of beginner features like Altitude Hold will make this a difficult drone for first-time fliers
• No camera
JJRC H20C Mini Hexacopter
Read reviews and show for the H20C Mini Hexacopter
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We’ve covered everything from the beginner JJRC drones to the company’s advanced X1 model – what could possibly be left? Well, for those who are looking for something truly unique, the H20C Mini Hexacopter is an out-of-the-box design that can be flown indoors or outdoors. This micro quadcopter stands at only 30 centimeters tall but still has a 2.0 megapixel HD camera for high quality photography, as well as a lot of the high-tech features of the other beginner JJRC drones.
Combine that with high impact resistance shielding, six propellers for extra speed and stability, and LED lights for indoor and nighttime flying, and you’ve got one of the best and certainly the most eclectic JJRC drone for sale.
Specifications:
• Controlled with a 2.4GHz radio transmitter
• 6-axis gyro for stability
• Altitude hold mode, headless mode, one-touch takeoff and landing, and one-touch return-to-home features
• Can perform a 360 degree roll with the touch of a button
• 5 minute flight time
• 60 meter operating range
• 2.0 Megapixel photo camera
• Price: $39.99 USD
Pros:
• The most affordable option
• A great micro quadcopter
Cons:
• Short flight time
• Short range
• Not good for videography
JJRC Drones FAQ
Which JJRC drone is best?
Different JJRC drones work best for different needs. Experienced pilots will get the most use out of the JJRC X1, while those who just want an inexpensive flying camera will prefer the H37 Elfie selfie drone.
If we had to pick one JJRC drone to call the singular “best”, the JJRC H8D is probably the one that will have the most appeal to the most customers. It’s affordable and fairly easy to fly, but also has a good camera and solid specs overall. However, there’s no need to go with the most popular option – read our reviews above and pick out the one that sounds like it would work best for you!
How do I use the JJRC app?
First, download the JJRC app from the Google Play store or iOS App Store. Once the app has been installed, put batteries into your JJRC drone and turn it on. Then go to your phone’s WiFi settings, look for networks, and select the one named “JJRC-******” where each “*” is a random number or letter.
Once you’re connected to the drone via Wi-Fi, open the app and tap the red “Connect” button. From here, you should be able to see everything the drone sees. You can take a picture by clicking the camera button (top left) or start filming video by pressing the video camera button to the immediate right.
For a more detailed answer to the question “How do I use the JJRC app,” consult the user manual that comes with your drone.
How to operate JJRC drones:
Each JJRC drone controls a little differently, so be sure to read your user manual thoroughly before taking flight. However, just to give a general understanding of how these quadcopters work, JJRC drones are usually controlled with a twin-stick radio transmitter that looks and behaves similar to a videogame controller. The left stick usually tells the drone to fly in a particular direction – up, down, forward, or backward – while the right stick turns the drone so that it’s facing a particular direction. The other buttons on the controller may be used for calibration, to activate different flight modes, to perform stunts and/or to take pictures.
Again, many of these drones will have slightly different control schemes. The JJRC H20C, for example, only uses the left stick to move up and down and controls directional movement with a series of arrow keys.
How to calibrate JJRC drones:
As with the question of how to operate JJRC drones, the rules may vary and you should always consult the user manual for in-depth instructions. The following should be taken as general advice and not as a set of instructions.
In most cases, you calibrate JJRC drones by powering on the vehicle and the transmitter and then setting the former flat on a level surface. You then enter calibration mode (this is done in a number of different ways depending on which JJRC drone you’re working with), and rotate the analog sticks as instructed. Usually, the LED lights on the drone will flash during calibration and hold steady once calibration has been completed.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve enjoyed this discussion of the top 5 JJRC drones and have a better understanding of what kind of products this company provides. If you’ve got a favorite JJRC drone that we didn’t cover here, be sure to let us know in the comments!
Further Reading
Beginner drones with Cameras by Dronethusiast
Kennedy Martinez
kennedy@dronethusiast.comKennedy Martinez is a resident writer who joined Dronethusiast at the beginning of 2019. She has years of experience reviewing drones and other tech products. When it comes to flying drones, Kennedy loves the ability to create artistic videos from a unique point of view. Kennedy enjoys researching new drones and other exciting products that are available to consumers which is why she is committed to creating the best buyer's guides for our readers.
