In this Holy Stone HS360 drone review, you will see the features and flight function of this drone, before you can buy it.
Since 2014, Holy Stone has been making cheap consumer drones that have been revolutionizing the way we take aerial footage.
Today, we can say that HS plays in almost the same league as DJI and Potensic. Buying a drone from a good brand name gives you confidence that you are getting a good item, because they have a reputation to protect.
Are there any downsides that you should be aware of before buying? Not really. There have been complaints that it is a bit challenging to connect an iPhone with the drone because the smartphone holder does not seem to hold iPhones very well. However, this seems to be an isolated case.
Holy Stone HS360 Features & Technical Details
Holy Stone drones are never short of features. Here, we shall look at some of the top features that the HS360 comes with:
Design and Build Quality
This is a foldable drone. When folded, it measures 5.6 by 3.5 by 2.2 inches. This is small enough to pack in your jacket pocket when you are going out to the beach. When unfolded, it measures 11.0 by 8.3 by 2.2 inches, which is about half the folded size.
The weight of the drone is 276g, which is slightly higher than the threshold over which you are not required to register with the FAA before flying it. You will need to register it with the FAA.
This drone is equipped with brushless motors that give it a great flight performance. They are maintenance-free and they make the drone steadier in flight, not to mention the low noise levels. Also, brushless motors help a drone to fly better in the wind.
The quadcopter comes with a high quality storage bag. Since everything fits, you can keep everything together. The storage bag is easier to pack in a backpack when you are traveling.
Camera
The main reason why people get HS drones is to take awesome video and photo footage. The HS360 comes with a 2.5K camera.
The camera sits on a 2-axis gimbal, so it removes most of the distortion that comes from vibrations when the drone is flying. This camera is also supported by EIS (electronic image stabilization) that further enhances footage stabilization.
The field of view is 118 degrees, so it is fairly wide. The vertical angle is adjustable by up to 80 degrees so you can find the best view possible.
This drone enables you to store your footage onboard because it comes with an SD card slot. It can support TF cards of capacities of up to 128GB.
Battery and Flight Time
This drone uses a 7.4V 2000 mAh battery. In fact, it comes with two of them so that you can enjoy longer flight time. Each battery is going to give you about 23 minutes of flight time.
The brushless motors of the drone also do not consume too much battery power, which helps in conserving the battery some. If you like, you can buy one or two more batteries to enjoy a longer flight time.
Remote controller
This is a very sleek and stylish remote controller, which comes with some nice features. One of the most outstanding features is the long display strip in the middle. It brings you the vital stats of the drone such as height, distance, speed and so on.
By design, this is a very simple looking remote controller. It is not cluttered with buttons and keys. However, every key that you need to fly the aircraft is strategically located in easy-to-reach positions.
The only thing that might vex you a bit is that the smartphone holder is located beneath the remote controller. Thus, if you have to lift your eyes to see the drone, you completely get them off the smartphone display.
Flight Functions
The Holy Stone HS360 drone can be a good beginner quad for adults because it has some automatic flight modes. Here are some of them:
Emergency stop
This helps when your drone finds an obstacle in its course. You just press the emergency stop button and the drone stops immediately.
Auto return to home
If the drone loses signal or battery power, it will turn and come back home immediately. This prevents loss of the drone.
GPS positioning
With this function, you will always know where the drone is. It also helps during hovering, keeping the drone stable so that you can take decent footage.
One key start
There is no time to second-guess anything. Just use the one key start and the drone will start and hover at a height waiting for the next move.
Altitude hold
With this function, the drone maintains a given height throughout the flight. You can concentrate on the horizontal flight and taking photos and videos.
Point of interest
This is also referred to as circle mode, where you can get the drone to fly around a monument taking good footage from all angles. You set the point of interest on the app.
Waypoint flight
On the app, you can access the map interface and draw a route that you would like the HS360 to follow when you launch it.
Auto follow function
The HS360 can lock onto you and follow you wherever you go. It is going to take footage as it follows you. This is a good function for road trips and outdoor adventures.
Short Summary of Feedback from Existing Owners
This drone is so impressive because it has beginner and advanced modes. In beginner mode, it stays within a certain distance and it does not fly too fast. I would recommend it to anyone. Abel M.
I have flown my HS360 very fast without any sort of issues. It flies very well and it handles nicely in the wind too. If you can find a large and open space to fly it, it will not crash into things. Ken D.
I just wanted to buy myself something for Christmas 2021 and this drone happened to be in the market. I have never enjoyed flying a drone so much as I do this. Ricky L.
With two batteries, you are set to enjoy a good flight time. Also, this drone has so many flight modes and some can also help you enjoy hands-free flights. Michael M.
There are so many good things to say about this drone. However, for me, the flight performance is incredible and the remote controller is so stylish. Elma W.
Holy Stone HS360 Pros
- It has level 5 wind-resistance
- Foldable design that is so simple to carry
- Two batteries give you longer flight time
- The drone is easy to fly even for kids as young as 10 years old
- It supports onboard storage as it has TF card slot
- The camera delivers good footage, but if the drone slants, the footage will slant
- It is a hardy drone but don’t fly it in places with obstacles
Holy Stone HS360 Cons
- Calibrating the drone is a bit hard for a first-time user
- Might not really get to the promised 23 minutes of flight time, more like 18
Who Should Buy The Holy Stone HS360?
It is marketed as a beginner adult drone. However, even children as young as ten years old can have fun flying the aircraft. Thus, this is good for anyone, even advanced pilots. However, if you are looking for a drone that you can use for amateur or professional aerial photography, this might not help you because the resolution is 2.5K and it has a two-axis gimbal. For high quality footage, you would need a serious, 3-axis gimbal and high-resolution camera.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The Holy Stone HS360 is a well-built quadcopter. It also has functions such as wind resistance and beginner modes.
When you get it, first, read the user manual carefully. You want to learn how to calibrate the quadcopter. You also want to learn how to fly it.
You need to download the app so that you can unlock all the flight functions that this drone is capable of performing.
When unfolded, it is too big to fly indoors, so you had better choose a large open space. Fly it in a space away from animals because it can spook them.
Always fly your drone within your sight, where you can see it. When you are not using the drone, pack it in its storage bag and remove the battery if you intend to store it for some time.
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