If you are searching for the best gift for your son or daughter, look no further than the Holy Stone HS220 drone. A drone makes an unforgettable gift for anyone. Thus, grabbing this one for your teenage son will make a good impression.
The price is good, but that is not all that there is to the drone. First, you will love the features that it comes with, which we will review in detail in the latter sections of this article. This is a small drone, it fits in the palm of your hand. However, it has some impressive delights such as FPV mode, videos and photos as well as the ability to do 3D flips.
Holy Stone HS220 Features & Technical Details
Holy Stone has been making mini drones for sometime now, and with time, they have proven themselves the best in this sector. All of their small drones are incredibly good, something that makes them appealing to both the grownups and children.
Holy Stone HS220 design & build quality
The HS220 has a unique design in that the rotors are encased in a black cage. This is a well thought out feature because as a beginner drone, there are likely to be several accidents in its lifetime.
The color of the drone body is white while the propellers and the guards are black in color. It is very appealing to the eyes. Underneath every propeller, there is a rubber foot for landing. Thus, the drone is protected even when it lands in an emergency.
While this is a small drone measuring 7.7 by 7.7 by 1.6 inches when unfolded, Holy Stone has not stopped there because it has made it foldable. Thus, it becomes even smaller and niftier such that it can fit in the smallest spaces. When the rotors are folded, it measures 5.7 by 5.7 by 1.6 inches. It forms a nice X-shape when it is folded.
This drone weighs a mere 81g when it is loaded with the battery. You will hardly feel its weight in your pocket. another big advantage is that you don’t need to register this drone with the FAA (because it’s under 250 grams).
Battery & flight time
The HS220 is sold with two batteries for double flight time. Each battery has a capacity of 750mAh and you will enjoy a flight time of between 7 and 9 minutes. You can be able to get a flight time of 15 minutes. The charging for the battery is 150 minutes. For you to enjoy the maximum flight time, just fly this drone when there is no wind.
We might also mention that the transmitter uses the same battery as the drone. Now, the transmitter is also the charger of the battery. When one battery is out, take the second one and extend your flight time. What they do not tell us is whether when you buy the drone it will come with a battery for the transmitter or you have to use one of the two provided ones.
Camera
It is a smallish drone, but it still has a nice camera that captures videos at 720P resolution. The camera is fixed at an angle of 60 degrees. It also brings you a nice FPV experience within the transmission distance of 60 meters. If you buy a compatible set of VR goggles, you will have even a better video transmission experience with the drone.
To enjoy a good FPV experience, you need to use a smartphone. The transmitter is high quality and it has a retractable smartphone holder. You can push it back in when you are not using it in.
Beginner flight features
This drone has so many flight features. Here, we will look at them briefly, since they are the standard features that you find in the other drones of this size and within the same price range.
Four speed modes
Most drones come with three speed modes but the Holy Stone HS220 comes with four speed modes. However, you should know that the drone can only do three speed modes when you are flying it with your smartphone. Two speed modes are for indoor flight while the other two are for outdoor flight experience.
One Key Start
One key takeoff and landing is pretty standard for many drones in the market. There is a button indicated as One Key Start. Once you press this button and push the left joystick, the drone starts and launches nor lands.
Headless mode
You will realize that this drone can look the same all round. Thus, it can be hard for a kid to distinguish where the nose faces and where the rear of the drone is. With headless mode, just punch the button and the drone realigns itself to face in the same direction as the remote controller.
Gravity control
This mode is found in the app. Once engaged, you can be able to control this drone from side to side with your smartphone. Just wave the smartphone in the direction that you want the drone to fly.
Auto hover mode
In this mode, the drone hovers at a given height and it captures video and images from that height. You can then take your hands off the drone and do all the crazy poses that you want.
Custom Flight Route
This mode allows you to draw a route on the app for the drone to follow. After that, when you launch the drone, it will follow that route.
3D Flips
You will love the 3D flips, a good fun feature to have in any drone. However, note that this drone can only engage this mode when you are flying it in full wing mode.
Short Summary of Feedback from Existing Owners
I did not know this drone was this small! However, it has pleasantly surprised me with the feats it can achieve. Jessie M.
I would recommend that you fly this drone indoor or outdoors when it is very calm. Even the slightest wind can blow the HS220 away. Dun N.
Nice drone for beginners. My 11 year old was able to figure his way out with this drone fast and soon, he was having a good time in the backyard. RebelPilot
While the price for this drone is good, I think the camera could be better. All the videos that I have shot are of poor quality. Ali S.
Do not buy this drone on account of it having a camera because it does not take good video footage. However, buy it for the things that you can do with it like the four speed modes and the 3D flips. Josiah K.
The HS220 is a good investment for the money. Just remember that this is a beginner or children’s drone. Leann C.
Pros of Holy Stone HS220
- Easy to insert and remove modular batteries
- Low price
- Folds into a small size
- Low weight, hardly felt when carried in the pocket
- Has many flight features for such a low cost
- The propellers are protected within a cage
- Good experience when flying it through the app
- Durably built to last a long time
- Easy to fly even for kids
- Can do stunts such as 3D flips
Cons of Holy Stone HS220
- Very poor flight even in the slightest wind
- Video quality is affected even by small shakes
Who Should Buy The Holy Stone HS220?
Anybody who knows how much care and concern Holy Stone invest in their drones can buy the HS220. It is small, agile and has so many flight features to keep things interesting. The only thing that will hinder you from enjoying the Holy Stone HS220 is the short battery time, even with the two batteries. Just buy the drone for the flight experience and for taking family videos and photos. If you are looking for a perfect gift to give an older kid, buy them this drone. They will love doing 3D flips with it.
Conclusion and Recommendation
There are few things to note before you can fly the Holy Stone HS220 drone. One of them is that it performs badly in wind, even at the lowest velocity. Thus, choose a calm day to fly it and if you can, do it in an open field. That way, there will be no buildings and other obstacles hindering the signal between smartphone or transmitter and the drone. Read the user manual, and when you are flying the drone indoors, use the indoor speed modes. In conclusion, we can say this is a good drone for the money
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