The Parrot Bebop drone is one of a handful of quadcopters that maintain a decent price point while still offering pilots a full-sized 14-megapixel camera. While the Bebop’s eyes feature a massive 180° field of view, this hasn’t explicitly made it an expert’s drone. Beginners should feel comfortable flying it as well. Before writing this Bebop drone review, we wanted to take a closer look at just how this drone works. As well as examining manufacturer’s specifications, we also read the experiences of many different users in the hopes of getting a complete picture of how this drone operates.
Parrot Bebop Drone Main Specs
| Camera Resolution | Weight | Ideal for (Indoor/Outdoor/Both) | Flight Time | Control Type | Amazon Rating | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14-megapixel 1080p | 390g | Indoor and Outdoor | 10 mins. | Proprietary Free Flight Pro System | 3 stars | 3.5 stars |
Users really like how customizable the Parrot Bebop is. You can disassemble most of the drone with a single tool and it’s easy to update it to meet changing FAA requirements. This is also ideal for anyone who lives in a jurisdiction influenced by state and local laws that might require certain modifications to drones owned by private citizens.
Flying the Parrot Bebop Drone
Lightweight construction translates into a drone that flies equally well indoors and outdoors. Indoor users, however, will certainly need a bit more room to fly the Bebop than pilots of other smaller drones.
A special 3-axis image stabilization circuit helps pilots take good photographs even when it’s rather windy out. While the battery life tends to max out around 10 minutes, you can quickly charge the Lithium-ion batteries up again without having to wait as long as you might have with some other similar models.
Parrot Bebop Drone Remote Control & Accessories
Instead of a remote control, the Bebop interfaces with various pieces of computer technology you probably already have. Free Flight Pro software is currently available for users of iOS, Android, and Microsoft Windows 8.1 devices. The software features an accelerometer and a virtual joystick in piloting mode, but you can also use it to set altitude and speed settings without directly taking control of your drone.
If you’ve never flown before, then you can join the Virtual Pilot Academy and learn the ropes of flying an unmanned aircraft. Advanced users who already know how to fly can skip this mode and enjoy features like the one-touch flip button.
Each Parrot Bebop Drone comes with the following:
- Bebop quadcopter
- Four propellers
- Propeller tool
- Charger
- Lithium-ion battery pack
- Charge cable
- Camera (preinstalled)
While this might look like a fairly spartan selection, you won’t actually need much else since you can control the drone from your mobile device thus eliminating the need for any more components in the kit.
Parrot Bebop Drone – Our Verdict
What We Like
Here’s what we found appealing when writing this Bebop drone review. You can keep track of all of your flights. And share navigational data as well as photographs with the Parrot Cloud package that users of Bebop drones can join. YouTube and Facebook users can connect their cloud accounts and trade interesting pieces of their flights with these services as well.
Cloud storage systems translate into keeping valuable photographs of a flight forever, and it also helps when it comes time to save GPS flight map information. Users of the proprietary software can also select the included return home option to immediately force the drone to return to its original position.
What We Don’t Like
It claims to work with a wide variety of mobile devices. In writing the Bebop drone review, we have found that many users report various compatibility issues and other erratic glitches during a flight. Fortunately, this usually doesn’t cause serious problems, but it can be extremely irritating.
The low weight also makes it a target for wind. This is in spite of the advanced stabilization system that should, in theory, prevent this kind of thing from being an issue.
What Users Say
In researching users’ opinion for our Bebop drone review, we have found the following. The biggest issue users run into when trying the Bebop for the first time is the lack of documentation. One user had problems flying it inside as a result. In spite of this, another user wrote that the automatic GPS system makes it extremely easy to fly as long as they make sure to calibrate the drone beforehand.
A third user was impressed with the price as well as the fact that it worked flawlessly with Apple’s iPad Air. Some users have had a difficult time interfacing their drones with Apple devices, so this is rather refreshing.
Conclusion
Our Bebop drone review recommends it as a solid choice for beginners. Meanwhile, the drone should still offer plenty for those who are looking for a more serious camera drone. A somewhat anemic battery and unusual controls might hurt the drone’s image for some users. Other pilots might appreciate its incredible optical sensor and cloud storage options. Since we’re talking about a drone for beginners, here are our top ten drones for beginners you must read.
If you’ve ever flown a Bebop or want to ask our experts anything about it, then we invite you to share your experiences and comments with us.
