The Syma X5C was one of our first drones. A toy-class machine that is very resilient, fairly stable and easy to operate. We knew we needed something inexpensive to learn how to fly in the beginning, and this machine was our choice. The quirks of this simple drone taught us about basic flight mistakes, how to control a machine and much more.

The X5C offers two speeds. Normal speed is very stable, full tilt goes fairly slow and keeps the craft upright enough not to crash itself. Fast speed mode allows the craft to tilt enough that you must manage the throttle to keep it from hitting the dirt. That's how drones fly, these settings are excellent for learning how not to crash. The best part for us, the X5C is very light weight and made of flexible plastics. We crashed ours many, many times. We always flew over grass, and even from 100ft up, the drone would almost float back to the earth and bounce off the grass.

Related: 8 reasons to choose the Syma X5C

Keep in mind that this is a light weight drone, get it up too high and the wind can take it away. Trust me! We no longer have our Syma X5C.

The Syma X5C runs about $30 for the drone, a little more with extra batteries and parts.

Built using many DJI parts, and sold on the DJI site in partnership with DJI, it is a common misunderstanding that this is a DJI drone. The Ryze Tello is a fun little machine that serves many purposes. On the surface, it's a functional and capable high-end, toy-class drone. You can fly by mobile device, remote control or, in the case of the Educational versions of this machine, you can code your own functionality.

The Ryze Tello is an attractive first drone for many pilots and parents of potential pilots. There are even a few different partnerships, like the Iron Man edition Tello.

Check out the Ryze Tello alone for about $99, upgrade to the Ryze Tello with remote for around $129 and explore the other options from there.

One of our favorite drones for flying around the house is the tiny Hubsan H111. This is an entry level toy drone that usually sells for around $20. It flies quite well, all things considered, and is a superb machine to practice on during the winter months or before you dive into a larger machine. The built in battery only provides about 5 minute of flight time, there is no camera and no fancy flight features, it's a raw flight experience - which is what we love about it.

It's not lost on us that it comes in Drone Rush colors as well, thank you Hubsan!

Check out the Hubsan H111 for about $18 today.

Getting into the toy range here, the Hubsan H107 is a series of drones, one of the main models is the Hubsan H107L. These are fairly entry level drones, great for those learning to fly or that are not in need of a robust machine to take to the skies. Also great for those with very little time on their hands, this little drone has no camera, cannot carry the GoPro and has battery enough for about 5-10 minutes of flight, depending on how you push it.

We all have to start somewhere, and the Hubsan H107L for about $30 sounds like a smart price to do so.

Eachine is one of the top manufacturers of toy-class drones, and the E019 Paraglider is a fun entry in the stunt drone segment. Simple controls and a few different flight modes offer a skateboarding stance and a parachute, of sorts, for the included action figure. Simple button clicks for flipping round out the functionality. A fun little toy.

The Eachine E019 Paraglider runs for about $30.

At launch, the Hubsan H502S Desire was one of the very best toy-class drones that Hubsan produced. It rocks basic GPS and flight features like a follow-me mode. The little drone still has brushed motors, which is a clear distinction in the Hubsan line between their low and high-end models, the higher end models have brushless motors. Don't hold this against the H502S, it may not be as fast or battery efficient as the brushed models, but it still flies very stable, holds a hover quite well and the FPV through the 720p camera gives you that fun flight experience.

You can get into the Hubsan H502S Desire for around $100 today, that's approaching half of its initial price at launch.

The UDI U818 series has a few drones to speak of, one of the best is the U818A HD+. The HD+ model comes with a 720P camera and some basic GPS functionality. This is a toy-class drone, the type you have likely seen in the electronics department of your local supermarket. There is little to say about this machine, it flies fairly well, for a toy-class machine, it is affordable and is great to learn on. There is no FPV, the camera just records and takes photos for viewing afterward.

Check out the UDI U818A HD+ for around $80.

The Syma X12 nano drone is a tiny machine that easily fits in the palm of the hand. This drone, as with most in this size-class, is a very simple flier, offering almost no flight features or stability, just a couple simple navigational joysticks and some prop guards. You can fly machines like the Syma X12 outdoors, on a calm day, but they are best for indoor flight. With just around 5 minutes of flight from the built-in battery, the X12 is on par with most nano drones, all of which are fun little aircraft that are great for first time pilots to safely get some stick time.

Check out the Syma X12 for around $20.

The JJRC H37 Elfie is a toy-class drone all the way through, yet, it manages to be a solid selfie drone. Control this machine using your mobile device, snap photos on the tiny 0.3MP camera and fold the drone down to slide in your pocket when you're done. A simple experience with an underwhelming camera, but at just $24, it's a fun machine for young pilots.

The Hubsan H501S was one of the first GPS enabled drones from Hubsan to offer a 1080p camera and brushless motors. This sounds like a common thing, silly to celebrate by today's standards, but this was a game changer for Hubsan and the toy drone market. Looking at 2017 and earlier, most toy-class drones, which included most all of Hubsan's drones, used inefficient brushed motors and all flew in what you might call ATTI mode. While the early drones had no navigation or a tools for object avoidance or flight assist, GPS in the H501S gave it the ability to hover and even set a GPS controlled route through the mobile app on your smart device.

With RTH functionality and more, the Hubsan H501S remains one of the best drones that live in between toy-class and what we might call the premium experience of full GPS flight control. Check out the Hubsan H501S for around $168 and watch for deals as low as $150.

Walkera makes some fun racing drones. One of the best is the tiny Walkera Rodeo 110. Make no mistake, this machine is not the fastest or most agile or powerful around, it's just a solid offering for a small starter racing drone. You'll want a larger machine, and likely to build your own custom machine from the ground up, if you want to go pro, but a few of these booting around the backyard is great fun.

All the basics are covered in this little racing drone, so check out the Walkera Rodeo 110 for $170 today.