Is the HOVERair Promax really worth the price? Our detailed review of this self flying drone that seems to be taking over social media.
I’ve been running since 2002, from which I have maybe 1 running photo I can drudge up if I’m lucky. But as we all know that started to shift with Instagram in 2010 as we started with our post run selfies and it has exploded since then with high quality photos and now videos.
But videos while running are hard! You need someone with you and you need them to be able to run or make it out to the incredibly beauitful spot you’ve discovered.
Enter drones.
But not every drone is going to work for live action and especially not if you need to carry it all over. HOVERAir saw this need and jumped in to action.
HOVERAir X1 PROMAX Overview
If I can get around trying to figuring out which letters to capitalize in the name or why the name is so long, I’ve got a pretty short and sweet review: It works. It’s easy. It’s high quality.
As friends started posting drone videos, all I could think was it must take so much to learn how to use it and what a pain to carry it. HOVERAir said hold that thought.
They created a small folding drone that is incredibly light and easily fits in to the back pocket of my hydration pack.
My first test of the drone was in the house because who doesn’t like to live on the edge.
Very quickly I realized it is truly simple to use and easy to adjust what I wanted from different angles. In fact, there are plenty of guided videos if you have any confusion and it does require you to learn some standard modes before getting in to more advanced features.
A few things we immediately liked about the HOVERAir:
- Very lightweight for carrying (folded like the size of a paperback book)
- Wide variety of filming options
- Can have system wide settings so it always records in vertical for example
- Ability to control the quality and output from the video
- Good quality video for usage on social or YouTube
- Designed for action whether that’s running, cycling, skiing, whatever
- This model is NOT for water, but they have a new AQUA version that is
Now is it the quietest little toy ever, no. Which for me has meant not using it in some places that I’d really like because I don’t want to startle wildlife or the few others out for a quiet early morning.
Which to be honest is a HUGE consideration for any drone. Just because I love trail running doesn’t mean it’s ok to use this drone on a lot of them. It’s banned in many places or just disruptive to others, so take that into account before going everywhere with it.
One key point is that this little done is NOT going to go super high, which is perfect for something tiny you can carry and want to capture YOU moving, not just the surrounding area.
Height can ease some restrictions, but still double check before using.
After that, have some fun. I love that it can follow me, lead me, hover, do a fun 360 spin to show that I’m running in an insanely cool place which I feel like is so hard to capture in other videos. If you’ve been doing a lot of hold your phone selfie run videos, suddenly you’ll be seeing your form and may feel like you need to run faster for that picture perfect stride.
The things we do for content.
HOVERAIR X1 PROMAX Specifications
- Price: $699 for the ProMax 1
- Folded: 149×105×34 mm
- Unfolded: 173×149×39 mm
- Weight: 6.7 ounces
- Max speed: 26mph
- Warranty: 12 months
- 64GB storage (everything is stored locally during flight then downloaded to your phone)
- Up to 16 minutes flying time
Quick Take
- Lightweight
- Very small learning curve
- High quality video
- Loud
- Dolly mode won’t reach top speeds
- Price
Should you go for the Pro or the ProMax? With a $200 difference it’s an important question and comes down to 1 primary factor: higher video quality on the ProMax.
Do you need that higher quality? Mmmm debatable honestly. Personal choice, but most folks posting to social are going to do great with the Pro.
HOVERAir App
The drone has a button on it that allows you to change the mode, but the majority of your controls or settings will lie within the HOVERAir App.
During every flight videos are recorded on to the drone and then you can come in choose which to download and which to delete. But prior to that you have a TON of settings to control the quality, orientation of the camera and even the richness of the colors.
One of my favorite things is that I can either change settings for different drone modes or across all modes. Say you want it to be horizontal for your hover video, but vertical for dolly…set it. Then just get on with using the drone and don’t worry about needing to reset it.
If you are using the drone with a friend there is also a manual fly mode within the app.
This allows you to preview what is being filmed and make adjustments to the flight path. This feels like an advanced feature to me, so you guessed it, I haven’t spent a lot of time playing with it. But absolutely valuable for those creating a lot of detailed content.
Using the HOVERAIR
I know folks who will use theirs anywhere and every where. My personal take is that I don’t want to both anyone, so I’m pretty specific about where I pull it out.
But when I’m ready to go, it takes seconds to use.
- Turn it on
- Connect to app (did run into an issue out in the mountains with no cell service and couldn’t connect)
- Select your drone mode on the drone or in app
- Hold your arm out straight with the drone in it, press the button and lift off
- Now do your thing
- When you are ready to stop you raise your arms in an x then hold out your hand for landing
- Review and download your videos
Truly, easy. Beyond my expectations easy, which is why I’m now using it so often and see why others are using it!
Honestly I have no hesitations about recommend the HOVERAIR ProMax and I was not paid in anyway for this review. I’m skeptic at hear with new gadgets, but this won me over.
Any other questions? What else would you like to know?
What to read next?
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