Black Friday drone deals 2022: the best sales from DJI, Autel, Skydio and more

Two DJI drones flying on a blue background
(Image credit: Future)

The Black Friday drone deals have now fully taken off, with some great price cuts available on all the leading brands from DJI to Autel and Skydio. If you're looking for a new aerial photography companion, check out our pick of all the latest drone deals below.

With the Black Friday deals now in full swing, most retailers have released their deals into the skies, with some of the best drones appearing in the discounts. Best Buy, for example, has some big discounts on Autel's impressive flying cameras in the US, while in the UK the DJI Mini 2 and DJI Mavic Air 2 Fly More Combo both offer excellent value thanks to their discounts at Amazon UK.

DJI itself is also running some more limited offers, but one that's definitely worth waiting for (in the US, at least) is a 15% price cut on the DJI Mini 2's Fly More Combo, which will be available on November 28 only. Whichever model you're looking for, we've rounded up all of the best Black Friday drone deals below in our regularly updated guide.

Black Friday drone deals in the US

Black Friday deals are now live from retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart, and some more specialist retailers like Adorama are following suit. We've listed all of those sales below, which include some impressive discounts on Autel drones.

The best Black Friday drone deals in the US

DJI Mavic Mini Combo: was $499 (opens in new tab)

DJI Mavic Mini Combo: was $499 now $299 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save $100 - This deal shatters the lowest-ever price record for DJI's mini drone in its 'Fly More' combo bundle. The Mavic Mini remains one of the best beginner drones around, shooting smooth 2.7K video and folding down into a neat little 249g package. This bundle includes two extra batteries and a travel case among many other handy extras.

DJI Mini 2 Pro Fly More Combo: was $599 now $509 at DJI (available November 28 only)
Here's a Black Friday drone deal that's worth waiting for –on November 28, DJI will be offering a 15% price cut on the DJI Mini 2's Fly More Combo bundle, which will take it to its lowest-ever price. The Mini 2 is still our top drone for beginners and this bundle is well worth getting, as it includes useful accessories like spare batteries that'd cost a lot more if bought separately. (opens in new tab)

DJI Mini 2 Pro Fly More Combo: was $599 now $509 at DJI (available November 28 only)
Here's a Black Friday drone deal that's worth waiting for –on November 28, DJI will be offering a 15% price cut on the DJI Mini 2's Fly More Combo bundle, which will take it to its lowest-ever price. The Mini 2 is still our top drone for beginners and this bundle is well worth getting, as it includes useful accessories like spare batteries that'd cost a lot more if bought separately.

DJI FPV: was $1,299 (opens in new tab)

DJI FPV: was $1,299 now $899 Amazon (opens in new tab)
DJI's original first-person view drone has dropped to its lowest-ever price in this Amazon deal, which matches DJI's Black Friday offer. The FPV serves up an amazingly immersive flying experience, while letting you shoot dramatic 4K/60p video that makes the viewer feel like they're in flight. This bundle includes everything you need to get started, including Goggles and a controller.

Skydio 2+ Starter Kit: was $1,099 (opens in new tab)

Skydio 2+ Starter Kit: was $1,099 now $899 at Skydio (opens in new tab)
Widely regarded as one of the best drones around for subject-tracking and obstacle avoidance, the Skydio 2+ is now available with a $200 discount on all its bundles. The cheapest (and best value) is this starter kit, but you can get the same price cut on pricier bundles that include extras like spare batteries and ND filters.

Autel Evo Nano+ Premium Bundle: was $1,099 (opens in new tab)

Autel Evo Nano+ Premium Bundle: was $1,099 now $709 at Best Buy (opens in new tab)
Save $390 - A new low price for Autel's mini drone takes it into serious bargain territory. A brilliant drone for beginners, it packs a large 1/1.28-inch sensor, 4K video skills and obstacle avoidance sensors into a compelling, sub-250g package. This Premium bundle also includes two spare batteries, a multi-charger and a carry case among other handy accessories.

Autel Evo Nano+ Standard Package: was $949 now (opens in new tab)

Autel Evo Nano+ Standard Package: was $949 now $659 at Adorama (opens in new tab)
Save $290 - One of the world's best beginner drones, the Evo Nano+ has never been cheaper than in this 30% off deal. Despite weighing under 250g, it squeezes in a larger sensor than the DJI Mini 2 and also includes obstacle avoidance sensors. Whether you want to shoot 4K/30p video or 48MP stills, it's a great choice – particularly at this price.

Autel Evo Lite+ Premium Package: was $1,849 (opens in new tab)

Autel Evo Lite+ Premium Package: was $1,849 now $1,199 at Best Buy (opens in new tab)
Save $650 - We awarded the Evo Lite+ a rare five-star award in our review, which makes this 35% off deal a rare opportunity to get one of the best drones around for an absolute bargain price tag. It's a superb all-rounder, thanks to its impressive 1-inch 20MP sensor to its 40-minute battery life and useful adjustable aperture. If you're not a DJI fan, this will likely be Black Friday's best drone deal.

Autel Evo Lite+ Standard Package: was $1,549 (opens in new tab)

Autel Evo Lite+ Standard Package: was $1,549 now $1,079 at Adorama (opens in new tab)
Save $470 - The Evo Lite+ is one of the world's best drones, with its performance garnering it a rare five-star award in our review. And this is the lowest-ever price for cheapest its Standard Package, which includes a remote controller and all the accessories you need. So if you need a drone with a 1-inch 20MP sensor, 40-minute battery life and DJI-matching performance, we'd suggest snapping up this superb deal.

Black Friday drone deals in the UK

The best Black Friday drone deals in the UK

DJI Mini 2: was £419 (opens in new tab)

DJI Mini 2: was £419 now £369 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save £38 - The Mini 2 tops our guide to the best beginner drones and is a superb buy in this deal. It captures buttery-smooth 4K/30p video and has a range of automated flying modes that makes it ideal for fledgling pilots. It's only once briefly dropped below this price in the last year, so we'd recommend picking it up before it jumps back to DJI's official price.

DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo: was £579 (opens in new tab)

DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo: was £579 now £499 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
The DJI Mini 2 is still our favorite beginner drone and its useful Fly More bundle has just dropped to its lowest-ever price. The drone itself can shoot smooth 4K/30p video and its range of automated flying modes make it ideal for new pilots. And this bundle includes three batteries, a charging hub, carry case and many more useful accessories that would cost significantly more if bought separately.

DJI Mavic Air 2 Fly More Combo: was £949 (opens in new tab)

DJI Mavic Air 2 Fly More Combo: was £949 now £649 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
This classic mid-range drone has just dropped to its lowest-ever price in this Fly More bundle, which makes it superb value for beginner and hobbyist aerial photographers. Our five-star review praised the image quality produced by its 12MP 1/2-inch Quad Bayer sensor, while this bundle includes three batteries, a controller, charging hub and carry case, among other accessories. It's a cracking deal. 

DJI Air 2S: was £899 (opens in new tab)

DJI Air 2S: was £899 now £849 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
The Air 2S is one of our favorite drones and gets a rare price drop in this deal. Aside from a three-week period in August, it hasn't been cheaper than this all year, making it a great time to pick up a flying camera that our five-star review described as "one of the best all-round drones you can buy".

DJI FPV: was £1,249 (opens in new tab)

DJI FPV: was £1,249 now £789 Amazon (opens in new tab)
DJI's first-person view drone is down to its lowest-ever price in this 37% off deal, which matches DJI's own Black Friday offer. Thanks to its bundled Goggles, this drone recreates the experience of flying through the air, and let you shoot the whole experience in 4K/60p video. Our review called it "fun in capital letters".

What should I consider when buying a drone?

If you're new to flying cameras, it can be tricky to decide which one to target in the Black Friday drone deals. For drones with built-in cameras, rather than cinewhoop stunt drones for FPVs , the best starting point is deciding where you're planning to publish the video and photos.

For example, if your aerial shots are mainly for social media or B-roll, you might be better off spending less on a compact drone with a smaller sensor. Those who are looking to shoot for bigger TV screens, or in more challenging lighting conditions, will benefit from a camera drone with a larger 1-inch (or larger) sensor, like the DJI Air 2S.

In general, the size of a drone, along with its wind resistance and price tag goes up with the size of that camera sensor. Those who are looking to dabble with drones, or need a gift to give to a budding pilot, will be fine with a toy model like the very affordable Ryze Tello, which is made by DJI, which is considered the leader in the drone market. It has a small sensor and limited 100m range but is a very affordable way to learn the ropes before committing some serious cash to more professional models.

If you need 4K video quality, you'll need to spend at least $400 / £400 / AU$750. The original DJI Mavic Mini is a good affordable drone to look out for this Black Friday and is below that figure, but it's only capable of shooting 2.7K video. For 4K resolution, you'll need to look at the next drone up, which includes the DJI Mini 2, FIMI X8 Mini, or DJI Mavic Air 2. These drones also come with very handy automated flight modes that are ideal for beginners.

Above those drones are the prosumer models like the DJI Air 2S, Autel Evo II Pro, Skydio 2 (US-only), and of course the newly announced DJI Mavic 3. Once you reach this level, the size starts to become a consideration – and it's worth considering whether the extra shooting power and features are worth that extra bulk. 

In our book, the relatively compact DJI Air 2S, and its DJI Mavic Air 2 predecessor, sit in the sweet spot of size to performance – but you may want to go down to the tiny DJI Mini 2 SE, or up to the 1kg weight of an Autel Evo II Pro, depending on how important video and photo quality is to you.

Is buying a drone bundle worth it?

While buying a drone is a very fun experience, you have to consider all your options before clicking that buy button, like should you buy a drone as a bundle or not in the Black Friday Drone deals?

A lot of drones are sold on their own, with a controller, but they can also be sold as a kit or bundle that includes worthy additional items like spare propellers, extra batteries, ND filters, and a bag to store your new drone and all the extras. Spare propellers, well, sad to say but you’ll probably need these early on as if you're new to drones, more than likely you'll have a few dumps along the way.

Batteries are expensive, and it can be a long walk to charge them from where you use them, so these should be seriously considered a factor in the price of a bundle. A well-designed bag can protect all of these (even if you just stuff it inside your preferred bag). Don’t forget, too, that you can’t just get ND filters to fit most drones –the gimbals tend to have one-off lens mounts, all worth bearing in mind.

Our advice would be to really study what is included in the bundle and make your own judgment if the items included are worth the bundle price tag, we would advise staying clear of bundles that only include items like a landing pad, drone lights, amour skins, etc, and only really focus on those that include an extra battery or two, propellers, car charger, or high capacity memory card, so it is a plug-and-play experience for you once it arrives at your door.

Mark Wilson
Senior news editor

Mark is TechRadar's Senior news editor. Having worked in tech journalism for a ludicrous 17 years, Mark is now attempting to break the world record for the number of camera bags hoarded by one person. He was previously Cameras Editor at Trusted Reviews, Acting editor on Stuff.tv, as well as Features editor and Reviews editor on Stuff magazine. As a freelancer, he's contributed to titles including The Sunday Times, FourFourTwo and Arena. And in a former life, he also won The Daily Telegraph's Young Sportswriter of the Year. But that was before he discovered the strange joys of getting up at 4am for a photo shoot in London's Square Mile. 

With contributions from