The best follow-me drone for tracking sports like skateboarding, biking

What’s the best follow-me drone for sports that can track your movement as you bike, skateboard, ski, snowboard? Whatever your hobby is, follow-me drones are one of the best ways to photograph or video record action sports.

Drones that cost under $1,000 are capable of setting flight paths and tracking subjects all without any human interaction in-flight, making it so you can capture video while in the midst of action sports like skating or biking.

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There are surprisingly a solid amount of options for follow-me drones that can track you as you move at high speeds, such as on a skateboard or bike. The two biggest factors you’ll have to consider are:

1. Your budget
2. Camera quality

We’ll break my two favorite drones down deeper later on, but of the follow-me drones out there today, here are the handful that I’d at least recommend in some capacity:

• Skydio 2+
• DJI Mavic 3
• DJI Mavic 3 Classic
• DJI Mini 3 Pro
• DJI Air 2S
• DJI Phantom 4
• Autel Evo 2 Pro

All of the above use vision sensors, recognition tech and complex algorithms to track you — no additional GPS tracker needed (and that’s a good thing). Before we dive into the best follow-me drones, I’ll explain why follow-me drones based on vision sensors are better than follow-me drones based strictly on GPS trackers.

A brief history of follow-me drones

Before advanced sensor recognition technology was widely available in drones, the best follow-me drones used GPS devices like the Yuneec Wizard that synced with the drone. Thus, had you asked me this question in 2017, I would have recommend you buy something like the AirDog ADII, which had users wear a waterproof “AirLeash” tracking device that looked like a large watch.

Other drones had customizable flight path features, where the drone would fly a pre-programmed flight path. The AirDog II actually did both, able to fly in a manner that was a hybrid of the preprogrammed flight path, while still following you and keeping you framed in the shot.

But then the DJI Phantom 4 hit the scene in March 2016, and with it came a revolution. The drone had a sensor that could detect obstacles — and it was smart enough to stall its flight to avoid crashing into them. The DJI ActiveTrack function also debuted with the Phantom 4, making it easy to capture a cinematic shot while flying. That’s because — when enabled — ActiveTrack follows a chosen subject throughout the shot, whether they are walking along a trail, driving a car, or even swimming in the ocean. 

That said, the initial DJI Phantom 4 just had one sensor in the front. Useful, but not useful enough. Ever since then, dronemakers have been working to add more sensors to make their drones even smarter. And today, you have loads of options.

These days, the best follow-me drones have omni-directional obstacle avoidance sensors. That should make them smart enough that they can navigate through forests, under bridges and in other dense areas, sensing the obstacles near them and finding ways to navigate around them.

Note that some of the drones listed above have obstacle avoidance sensors on some sides, but not all. Thus, they can’t be considered to have omni-directional obstacle avoidance. If you’re seeking a consumer-friendly drone but you also need to ensure your drone won’t crash, pick from one of these two options below.

These two drones are one step short of being crash-proof (I’d say they are, but the lawyers won’t let them call it that. Plus, inevitably someone will find a way to crash it).

The best follow-me drone for most people: Skydio 2+

The best follow-me drone for people looking to track subjects quickly moving in complex environments, like forests or through tunnels, is the Skydio 2+, which is why it’s the best among the drones that follow you.

Equipped with six, 200-degree color cameras, Skydio 2 can see everything in every direction so it theoretically never crashes as it follows you. It costs $1,099. That said, if you think you’ll probably want to upgrade to get the controller and Beacon (two must-have accessories), your costs quickly add up.

Unlike the aforementioned follow-me drones that were popular in the past, but that relied on following a device attached to you, the Skydio uses its cameras to lock onto you, while also watching everything around it so it doesn’t hit those things. Plus, it can calculate how to navigate around those things so it can continue on its path, following you as you ski down a mountain or bike through a tunnel.

You can see the Skydio 2, which is the slightly older sibling of the newer Skydio 2+ in action, here:

Some other specs:

• Drone weight (including battery): 775 grams
• Flight time: 27 minutes
• Max Wind Speed Resistance: 25 mph
• 3D World Model Update Rate: > 1 million points per second
• Camera Sensor Type: Sony 1/2.3” 12.3MP CMOS
• Lens: f/2.8, 20 mm (at 35 mm equivalent)
• Communication Range to Phone: 200m
• Communication Range to Beacon: 3 km
• Communication Range to Controller: 3.5 km

Based in California, Skydio is also one of the relatively few American drone companies out there. Skydio generally does not sell its products through any third-party vendors, and its drones can only be purchased directly through the Skydio website.

Though, Skydio made one exception for one of its more-expensive consumer drones; the $2,400 Skydio 2+ Pro Kit is available for purchase through Amazon.

Upgrade pick: DJI Mavic 3

If you have a fat budget, then go all the way in on the DJI Mavic 3. Besides its multiple vision sensors (six fish-eye vision sensors and two wide-angle sensors) with an extended sensing range to precisely sense obstacles in all directions, this drone has some pretty sweet tech specs that make it far better than the Skydio 2.

If you want not just a follow-me drone but a high-quality camera, this is your pick. The DJI Mavic 3 has an integrated dual- camera system that combines the best of its predecessors, the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom into one with both a custom Hasselblad L2D-20c aerial camera and a 28x Hybrid Zoom Tele Camera.

The professional-level, 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad camera uses a 24mm prime lens and offers higher dynamic range and resolution, allowing for reduced noise in low-light environments. The Zoom component has a 162mm long-focus lens.

The camera is awesome, but here’s another standout feature for action sports: the battery life. You don’t want to lose out on the action because you had to fly your drone home to replace the battery. The DJI Mavic 3 battery life is an incredible 46 minutes and can achieve a max flight distance per battery charge of 30 km.

• Get it from Adorama
• Get it from Amazon
• Get it from B&H Photo

Runner up: DJI Mavic 3 Classic

I generally still recommend the Skydio 2 drone over the Mavic 3 Classic (plus, it’s usually cheaper!).

But for an alternative to the Skydio 2 that’s also cheaper than the Mavic 3 drone, look to the Mavic 3 Classic. This is a stripped-down version of the Mavic 3 drone. For a lower price point (it usually goes for $1,600 including the DJI Mavic 3 Classic with RC-N1 remote controller), you won’t get a telephoto lens, as well as a few other slightly-reduced tech specs.

If your goal though is a reliable follow-me drone, then the DJI Mavic 3 Classic delivers. It’s got an incredible 4/3 CMOS 20-megapixel camera with 46 minutes of flight time and a O3+ transmission system. For omnidirectional obstacle sensing, APAS 5.0 technology gives the Mavic 3 the ability to smoothly avoid objects in flight.

• Purchase the DJI Mavic 3 Classic from Amazon.
• Purchase the Mavic 3 Classic now from B&H Photo.

What drone do you prefer for action sports? Tell us in the comments, and happy flying!