The DJI Mini 2 is the drone that made the sub-250g class mainstream, and it has been superseded enough times now that its interest is entirely practical: it is cheap, it still flies, and the weight rule that made it appealing has not changed.
That rule is the point. Under 250 grams is the threshold that decides what the FAA asks of a recreational pilot, and a Mini 2 clears it exactly as a current model does. Our drones under 250g guide covers what that actually means in practice.
What you give up against a newer Mini is camera quality, obstacle sensing and transmission range. None of those matter much while you are learning to fly, which is why a second-hand Mini 2 remains a sensible first purchase — and why the honest upgrade trigger is the camera, not the model year. If you have decided to buy new instead, the DJI Mini 4K is the best budget option for beginners, and the Mini 5 Pro is where the line is now — a drone we described, not entirely soberly, as the next best thing since sliced bread.
For the generations in between, see the Mini 3 and Mini 4 hubs. Every Mini 2 story lands in the feed below.
Last updated August 23, 2026 — the feed below updates with every new story.