Best Drone Landing Pads iMore 2021
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.
- No stakes necessary: Hoodman HDLP3
- Our budget pick: KINBON Universal Landing Pad
- For small to mid-sized drones: PGYTECH Landing Pad Pro
- Best visibility: Fstop Labs 36" Done Landing Pad
- Space to spare: Hoodman HDLP5
- For mini aircraft: FlatHat 16" Drone Landing Pad

No stakes necessary: Hoodman HDLP3
Staff PickWe 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 drone 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.

Our budget pick: KINBON Universal Landing Pad
This two-sided landing pad for drones from KINBON gives you 30-inches of space to take-off and land. Made of nylon, the KINBON is waterproof and lightweight. It comes with three stakes to secure it to the ground, plus a carry bag. This is the perfect size for RC drones, helicopters, the DJI Mavic Pro Phantom, and it's large enough for various other crafts. There are eight reflective straps included for night flying, and the whole kit folds down small for carrying and storage.

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" Done 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.

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.

For mini aircraft: FlatHat 16" 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
The HDLP3 from Hoodman is our favorite drone landing pad. It covers a lot of territory, protects your camera lens during landings and launches, and it stays in place with a weighted cable, doing away with the need to carry stakes.
If you have a small or medium-sized drone and budget, the PGYTECH Landing Pad Pro gets high marks from us. It's waterproof and fadeproof, plus it folds down small and comes with a carry sack.
For the highest visibility in any weather, we love Fstop Labs. This is a 36-inch waterproof foldable landing pad with reflective printing and strip pads included to help your drone launch and land safely anywhere.
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