It’s the dream of every drone owner to see their drone battery last longer. The drone won’t fulfill your needs if the battery life doesn’t impress you as a photographer or pro. But how long does a drone battery last in the air?
Battery life is one of the most common aspects that determine the drone’s quality. Like phone batteries, giving drone batteries proper care makes them perform well for a long time. But some factors will still limit your drone’s battery output.
So, this article lets you know the average time your drone’s battery can last. You’ll also learn to get longer flight times from your drone battery.
Table of Contents
The Time a Drone Battery should Last
How long your drone’s battery will last in the air depends on the model. The top-class drones have batteries last for at least 20-30 minutes. If you have a mid-class drone, its battery can last for 15-20 minutes.
A toy drone’s battery has little life. It lasts for around 5 to 10 minutes. But as technology keeps growing, expect to get batteries for drones like Autel Dragonfish with a 2-hour flying time.
Here are more details about the drones with the best battery capacity:
| MODEL | BATTERY CAPACITY WITH FLIGHT TIME |
| DJI Mavic 3 | 5000 mAh (46 Minutes) |
| Autel Dragonfish Pro | 8200 mAh (158 Minutes) |
| Autel Dragonfish Standard | 8200 mAh (126 Minutes) |
| Autel Dragonfish Lite | 8200 mAh (83 Minutes) |
| DJI Air 2S | 3750 mAh (31 Minutes) |
| Potensic Dreamer 4K | 3000 mAh (31 Minutes) |
| Autel Evo 2 Pro | 7100 mAh (40 Minutes) |
| DJI Mini 2 | 5200 mAh (31 Minutes) |
Factors affecting a Drone’s Flight Time
Though small, a drone is a complicated piece of art. Now, let’s dig in to see why you can’t fly a drone for a long time, even with a proper battery charge. Remember, these factors are easy to understand.
1. The Drone’s Weight
A lighter-weight drone will always fly longer than a heavier one. It happens if the two drones have the same features and battery capacity.
But where does the drone’s extra weight come from? It entails many cameras, prop guards, spare propellers, and motors.
These features will get the best out of your drone. But your battery will use more power.
For example, drones with more motors increase the drone surface area. So, the machine will need more power to keep the drone in the air. That’s why companies put bigger capacity batteries on bigger drones.
Also, it shows why companies make drones using light weights. Besides, light drones are the best in many fields. Still, companies today make drones that balance power, performance, and size. It’s a great trend, but you’ll pay more to get such a drone.
2. Battery Capacity and Type
Like any other electronic, your drone’s battery life determines how long it flies. Drones have batteries with varying capacities.
The greater the battery’s carrying capacity, the longer it will fly. You’ll best see this aspect if you operate two drones with similar features and weights but different battery capacities.
A battery’s life power reduces over time. Ensure you maintain the battery well. It will serve you well for many hours as you fly your drone.
As technology keeps evolving, companies keep making different batteries. Battery capacities range from 200 mAh to at least 20,000 mAh. Choose the best battery type with the highest charge storage capacity.
You’ll find that the best ones are expensive. But if you want to save, it’s best to pay more. Your drone will fly around without giving you low battery warnings every moment.
3. Drone’s Flight Mode
Doesn’t it seem beautiful when your drone flies fast in the air? But know that such speeds make your battery drain. If you do that every time, expect the battery to die soon, even with a high carrying capacity.
Your drone will fly for longer hours, and its battery will live for many years if you run it in beginner or normal mode. Here, the drone flies at slower speeds. So, the battery will have less burden and thus last for a long time.
4. Weather
Your drone works like a plane in the air. It won’t fly well in poor weather conditions. The batteries won’t last for many minutes.
These conditions include the temperature and wind direction. When you fly your drone in areas with temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, expect the battery to drain fast.
Also, flying the drone in harsh temperatures reduces the battery’s carrying capacity. If you always place it under such conditions, the battery will die.
Operating your drone against the wind is also dangerous. Your machine will use more power and ask for a recharge. If it becomes a routine, it will damage the battery.
Manufacturers determine the flight time using the perfect and still wind currents. Fly the drone once you confirm that the wind is calm.
7 Tips to Improve a Drone’s Battery Life
Nothing is as annoying as your battery dying while you are shooting your favorite moment in the video. But worry less. You can increase the life of your battery, whether it’s new or old. The following tricks will make your battery more reliable.
1. Remove Extra Weight
When you aren’t using the drone’s extra items, removing them is the best choice. The items are like prop guards, sensors, or cameras. Yes, these features get the best out of your drone but increase its weight.
Remember, more weight means more battery power usage. But be careful as you fly a drone without the prop guards. These tools protect the propellers from any damage in the air.
2. Remove the Cameras when You aren’t using them
Cameras use much of the battery power whether you record or not. So, removing them saves the battery power and makes it last longer.
Use the item when you want to take a shot or video. After that, your drone will surprise you with its power-keeping ability.
3. Could you keep it in Slow Mode?
Speed is most people’s best moment, but not for drone batteries. The faster you fly your drone, the less your batteries will survive.
Flying fast needs more power. Thus, the action affects the battery’s carrying capacity.
Also, some modes, like cinematic and sports, use more drone power. You’ll use twice as much power as when you use the batteries in their normal state.
But if you want to use those fantastic modes, carry several high-power capacity batteries. Though the battery will drain fast, you’ll save it from constant recharging.
4. Upgrade Your Batteries
Go bigger if you want to get longer flying times for your drone. Use a battery with more voltage capacity that fits your drone.
A bigger battery than the original one will add more weight than your drone can carry. Upgrading to Li-ion from the normal Li-Po can be a significant gain. A Li-ion battery gives you more capacity at a lesser weight.
5. Have Extra Batteries
This trick makes your drone fly for many hours while you recharge the other batteries. It’s a way of assigning your drone fewer duties. You can best use the method if you have more work to do with your drone in a day.
Such a method will work best if you have several high-capacity batteries. Take two batteries that can last at least 20 minutes each. It’s better than having four batteries that last for around 10 minutes. You’ll save more money on batteries and get more excellent battery performance.
6. Fly it in proper weather conditions
Flying your drone in harsh conditions burdens its performance and that of the battery. It will need more power to meet your expectations under those conditions. Such conditions are rain, hot sun, and heavy wind currents.
Poor weather can damage the battery and drone. Cold conditions reduce some models’ capacity, like Li-Po. So, they’ll drain and damage faster.
Check with the weather forecasters to find the best times to use your drone. Your drone will work well, be safe, and the battery will last many hours in the air.
7. Have Proper Battery Care
Every machine or accessory needs great care to have peak performance. Charge your drone’s battery as per your company’s instructions. It’s the best way to make your battery life last longer.
Like a phone, charge your drone battery at normal room temperature. After a ride, let your motors cool down before you start charging the drone. Sunlight, hot, or cold places damage your battery.
Never leave your drone’s motor running when you aren’t using it. Instead, ensure you switch it off to keep the battery power in a great state.
If you want to store the drone for at least two months, ensure you charge the battery from 40%-60%. Never store the machine if the battery has a 0-voltage discharge. It can start to have charging errors and drain faster.
After you charge the batteries, let them cool for at least 20 minutes before you switch on your drone. This trick applies to all battery types and makes the power last for many minutes.
Conclusion
Drone batteries can last from at least 5 minutes to at least 2 hours. The minutes your drone’s battery will stay in the air are due to various factors. They include the drones’ weight, battery capacity, weather conditions, and flight mode.
If the above aspects are in check as you fly your drone, expect the battery to perform well. Maintaining your battery also makes it fly your drone for many minutes.
Keeping your battery away from extreme temperatures is one of the greatest tips to make the battery last for more time. Ensure you also have a proper charging routine to give them a good power retaining capacity.
So, what’s your record for the longest flight time with your drone? Let us know your feedback.