Parrot Bebop Drone

durability, finish

75% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Highly portable ; Durable design ; Simple controls ; Excellent autonomous features ; Affordable price

Imprecise tablet controls ; Limited battery life ; Limited range

We had our doubts about the Bebop at first, but after flying it around for a couple weeks, we’ve learned not to judge a book by its cover. Don’t let the Styrofoam hull and Velcro-strapped battery pack fool you — this drone can fly with the best of ‘em.

WIRED: Gorgeous race car design. Nose-cam captures high-def footage. Feels very sturdy compared with previous Parrots. Control app provides an abundance of flight-tweak options. Blade guards clip on and off with ease. Comes with two batteries

Requires a smartphone or tablet. Nose-cam footage has white-balance issues. Flight controls imprecise unless you add pricey joystick controller—and it’s not sold separately. Short flight times. No follow-me or flight-plan options

Cheap ; Compact ; Durable ; Easy to learn

Limited battery life ; Suspect build quality ; Unreliable connectivity

Stable 1080p video. Safe to fly indoors. Capable of performing aerial rolls and flips. Can be flown via dedicated remote or smart device. Raw and JPG image capture.

Very limited flight time. Expensive. Skycontroller is huge. Not the most stable drone in the air. Indoor video footage is noisy.

Conclusions Because of its price, the Parrot Bebop occupies a precarious place in the market. When purchased alone, without the Skycontroller remote, the $500 price point seems to be a bit on the high side for what is: essentially, a very capable toy...

Camera quality ; Easy to get up and running quickly ; Easy to store, takes up very little room compared to larger, pricier models

Easily susceptible to wind when flying outdoors. Not for beginners. ; Battery life slightly less than advertised ; Flight plans require an in-app purchase ; The Parrot Bebop Drone comes is available in red, blue and yellow for $349.99 ; .

Overall, we felt the drone was good enough for hobbyists, particularly those who have flown drones before and don't want to spend upwards of $1,000 on a high-powered but pricey model. The level of technology Parrot managed to cram into Bebop is...

Phone/tablet control system familiar to non-fliers ; Easy to get started ; Strong image, video quality ; Parts cheap, widely available

Touch-screen controls lack sensitivity ; Short battery life ; Long recharging time

A fun-to-fly drone that takes high-quality video and stills, but with an awkward touch-screen controller.

In addition to a sunshade, a protective hull for indoor flying, extra rotors and other peripherals and tools, the combination includes three batteries that are interchangeable between the Bebop or controller. Each battery is good for about 11 minutes...