Whether you're a beginner piloting a Mavic Air 2 or a seasoned drone racer, you need a landing pad. The best drone landing pads give your craft a stable surface for take-offs and landings. Your flying machine will have an easier time making gimbal calibrations before launches when using a landing pad, and returning home any time of day or night will be effortless. Where should you put your money? These are our top picks this year.
Best overall
KINBON universal landing pad
Staff Pick
KINBON's universal landing pad earns the honor of being at the top of our list for its lightweight build and affordable price. This is a two-sided nylon pad that gives you 30-inches of space to take off and land. It's just the right size for RC drones, helicopters, the DJI Mavic Pro Phantom, and similarly sized aircraft. There are eight reflective straps included for night flying, plus a carry bag, and the whole kit folds down small for toting around and storage.
Best budget pick
STARTRC drone landing pad
Quality doesn't have to be expensive, and STARTRC proves that with their 20-inch landing pad. The double-sided pad fits most RC drones, mini and nano quads, and many of today's best drones of similar size. The circular surface is waterproof, lightweight, and stays in the ground with four included plastic spikes, keeping grass, dirt, and gravel off your aircraft. The STARTRC universal landing pad folds in half, fits in a carry bag, and won't fade in the sun.
Foldable design
VCUTECH Drone Landing Pad Pro Plus
You'll get a clean, flat surface for taking off and landing with the VCUTECH Drone Landing Pad Pro. An oversized 25-inches, the VCUTECH is one of the best landing pads for medium-sized aircraft and beginners learning how to hit the mark. This landing pad is PU PVC, heavy enough to stay in place, and it folds down small for portability.
No stakes necessary
Hoodman HDLP3
We rated this Hoodman one of the best drone accessories of the year. The generously-sized HDLP3 doesn't need stakes to hold itself in place like many other landing pads. This bad boy has 3.2-pounds of zinc-coated cable around the edges that hold it in position no matter how windy it might be. This circular landing pad is made of rust-proof components and is easy to clean. A wet towel is all you need to remove dirt and debris. And to get it from place to place, fold the Hoodman into itself and store it in the included 13-inch carrying sack.
$70 at Amazon $70 at B&H $70 at Adorama
For small to mid-sized drones
PGYTECH Landing Pad Pro
The mid-sized PGYTECH Landing Pad Pro is nearly 20x20-inches, so it fits most medium and small drones like the Mavic Air 2 and Mavic Mini. High-quality PU materials make up this double-sided, two-color landing pad, making it waterproof, sunproof, and resistant to fading. This durable landing space folds into sixths, so it shrinks down small enough to fit in an included carry sack.
Best visibility
Fstop Labs 36-inch drone landing pad
High precisions printing and weather-resistant nylon make this high contrast landing pad from Fstop Labs the one to get for exact landings. This pad is light, durable, and two-sided. Use the clean black side for daytime flights and the easy-to-see orange side with reflective strips for night flights or on more challenging terrain. You'll get the pad, a carry bag, four stakes, and reflective strip prints with this kit.
$15 at Amazon $24 at Adorama $26 at Fstop Labs
Add lights
ACROTOR drone landing pad with LEDs
If you fly at night, throw the ACROTOR landing pad in your cart now. Equipped with removable LED light strips, the ACROTOR makes it easy for flights to return after dark. The pad is a generous 27.6-inches and accommodates small to mid-sized drones. The ACROTOR folds down to just 11-inches and comes with a carrying case, control switch, reflective strips, and storage bag.
Space to spare
Hoodman HDLP5
The giant Hoodman HDLP5 is a whopping five feet in diameter. It's encircled with eight pounds of zinc-coated cable to keep it firmly planted on the ground. This huge drone landing pad is suitable for launching multiple aircraft or working with big drones like the Inspire. The whole thing collapses down into a 20-inch carry bag with a shoulder strap and is made with weather and rust-proof materials.
$120 at Amazon $120 at Hoodman
For mini aircraft
FlatHat 16-inch Drone Landing Pad
Keep things small and light with the 16-inch drone landing pad from FlatHat. Crafted of polyester and spandex, this small pad is made just for mini and nano-sized drones. The fabric is heavy-duty, the printing is bright and never flakes, and it all fits inside a tiny carry sack.
Coming in for a landing
If you're looking for the perfect balance between quality and price, one of the best drone landing pads is from KINBON. It has a 30-inch landing surface, reflective straps for night flying, and folds down small for travel.
We recommend the STARTRC landing pad to those who want to save a few bucks but still get a great piece of gear. It's 20-inches in diameter, waterproof, and comes with stakes to hold it firmly to the ground. For the highest visibility in any weather, we love the ACROTOR landing pad. It has removable LED lights and reflective strips, making it easy to land after the sun sets.