JJRC H31 wannabe waterproof quad

JJRC H31 quadcopter review

A waterproof quadcopter means that the aircraft can be immersed underwater. Usually, waterproof drones are extremely expensive because they have different designs and require special components. JJRC Toys claims that their $33 H31 quad can be submerged in water and still be able to fly. Honestly, I doubt this thing and I want to test myself on this JJRC H31 quadcopter.

Over the last two years, JJRC Toys has become a well-known manufacturer. They released during this period about 15 – 20 models among which I reviewed 5 models here on FirstQuadcopter.com. Overall I’m pleased with the JJRC products, they have a very good price/feature ratio. This H31 is the first waterproof model of JJRC manufacturer, at least, this is how they advertise it.

The promo video of the JJRC H31 shows how the pilot lands a few times on the surface of a lake and after during flips the quadcopter splashes water in every direction. I’m curious what happens if this process is repeated two times a few weeks in a row. Anyway, be aware that salt water is more harmful to electronics than freshwater.

That crazy guy from the JJRC H31 test video even cuts out pieces from the propellers, and that thing is still able to fly, so it looks like we are dealing with a very rugged quad.JJRC H31 revew - Hands on

JJRC H31 features and specs

  • Waterproof airframe (at least that’s what they promote);
  • Headless flight mode;
  • One key return to home (RTH);
  • Multiple flight speed rates (50, 75 and 100%);
  • 360-degree flips;
  • About 8-10 minutes of flight time;
  • Up to 80 meters control range in open field.

JJRC H31 quadcopter in-depth review

Firstly, I have to thank Alice from GeekBuying who offered me this drone in order to write an honest review. In the past, I had a few other review collaborations with this web shop but after my contact left GB, they stopped communicating with me till now.

The package arrived quickly and smoothly at my door thanks to the “SF Express” shipping company (DHL should learn from them…).JJRC H31 review - Package content

JJRC H31 quadcopter review – First impressions

Being curious about this quad, I immediately opened the package. Besides the drone and its remote controller, I found in the box the following:

  • Bonus sunglass;
  • 3.7V 400mAh Battery;
  • USB charging adapter;
  • 1 set of spare propellers;
  • Landing gears (2 pieces);
  • 1 set of propeller guards;
  • Screwdriver;
  • H31 user manual (English and Chinese).

Yes, I didn’t mistype that the manufacturer included in the box a nice pair of sunglasses. This will make the flight more comfortable for the pilot in strong daylight.

Although the H31 is an RTF (Ready to Fly) quadcopter, prior to your first flight you need to attach the landing gears and mount the propeller protectors. In the case of this JJRC quad, the prop guards also serve to protect the main gears from unwanted dust.JJRC H31 review - Assembled aicraft

As first impression, I was pleasantly surprised by both the design and build quality of this quad. In my opinion, this JJRC quad currently has one of the better price/value ratios on the market (I’m referring here to the market segment with a price under $50). Hopefully, the manufacturer will strengthen the popularity of this model by providing spare parts.

Being extremely cheap it comes without a camera, but at least it has a camera mount and connector so you can upgrade it if you choose to use it for pictures and videos. There are several compatible cameras, from 0.3 MP up to 5 MP.

If you get confused by the information regarding the battery which are found on the seller’s website (in one place there is specified a 400 mAh and in another place a 1100 mAh one), I can confirm that the flight battery is a 400 mAh. The battery is removable so you can always have a couple of charged ones for a more fun time.

Besides the red frontal LED, under each arm there is an additional LED light that will help you in orientation, especially during night flights—red ones in the front and green ones in the rear.JJRC H31 review - Flight battery and USB charger

Dealing with a waterproof quadcopter, I would have expected to find some rubber seals. Instead of them, I found few holes that allow the water to flow out. Frankly, I didn’t find any sign of a special design that protects the electronic parts and motors from water.

JJRC H31 review – Transmitter

Although the remote controller has a nice design, the control range seems to be relatively short. The seller advertises this model with about 70-80 meters flight range. I’m curious if it can be extended by adding a true 2.4G Wi-Fi antenna. With this kind of range hack, I managed to obtain another quad about 25% increase.

The 3D flip mode can be activated through the left shoulder button.

Through the right shoulder button, it can be switched between “50%” , “75%” and “100%” speed rates. The speed rate setting is confirmed with 1,2 or 3 beeps.

The left trim switch (under the throttle stick) allows to enable the headless mode (left push) and also activates the return to home function (right push).JJRC H31 review - Transmitter

In case the quad starts to fly abnormally, I recommend first trying to re-calibrate the gyro by pushing both sticks to the lowest right position.

JJRC H31 review – Test flight

To ensure that everything is OK with the drone, I tested it indoor. It was very stable and easy to hover. The size of the H31 quadcopter makes it perfect for both indoor and outdoor flights.

Outdoor the drone also behaves very well. I pushed once the RTH switch, but it proved to not be a good idea, the aircraft landed 8 meters far from me in a tree :)

With a fully charged battery, the quad offered about 7 minutes of fun till LVC started to warn me that it is time to land and recharge.

To prevent flyaways, the motors of the JJRC H31 are stopped in about 2-3 seconds in case you fly out of the control range.JJRC H31 review - Test flight

Next weekend I’m planning to fill with water my son’s old pool in order to test the waterproofness of this quad.

JJRC H31 waterproof test video

REVIEW OVERVIEW
Price–performance ratio
Design and build quality
Flight autonomy
Remote controller
Features
Senior editor and co-founder of FirstQuadcopter.com. Everything started about 4 years ago when I purchased my first drone. I still own that Syma X5C . Since then I have had the luck to review and test more than 100 drones.
jjrc-h31-wannabe-waterproof-quadThe definition of waterproof drone is probably a little exaggerated but certainly this cheap thing still flies after a quick shower :) If you are asking me whether I recommend this JJRC H31 as first quadcopter for beginners I will definitely say YES! It is extremely affordable, very durable and easy to control. Regarding its price you can find it on GeekBuying website including free shipping and with bonus sunglasses for $29.99. Although you can opt between white and green colors, I recommend the white version because it makes the aircraft more visible when <br> Pros<br> +Extremely affordable;<br> +Bonus sunglasses;<br> +On/Off power switch;<br> +Swappable battery;<br> +Can survive for short-time of water immerse.<br> <br> Cons<br> -No camera;<br> -Short control range.<br> -No camera;<br> -Short control range.<br>

16 COMMENTS

    • The RTH without GPS is just guessing. Practically it is a reverse of your previous flight movements or something like that. I would never have trust on toy drone RTF

  1. Easily the best drone bang-for-buck out there.

    I paid for the JJRC H31 $22 from BG.

    It is NOT waterproof, but it will survive water. I submerged it in my pool (on accident — was trying to land/float/take off) when my kids targeted it. Since then, I have gotten it wet multiple times, with impunity.

    Took it out, shook out the water, threw it back in the air! — Works perfect.

    Easily the most fun to fly at night. — I prefer to fly in complete darkness. Late at night on weekends I take it out front and fly it around for 7-10 mins each battery. The huge forward LED makes it easy to determine it’s direction in flight. It’s quiet and fast, especially at the 100% rate mode (3).

    Pushing the H31 quad-copter to full speed on the highest settings and throwing it into a yaw will result in a fast 360 spin which looks like a floating saucer at night… just lovely!

    I will easily burn out the motors on this model as it’s my “go to” night flyer and I put 30+ minutes a day on it. I am looking for the next sale just to get extra replacement parts. Just wish coreless motors were more durable!

  2. I just received my drone. Remote control does not work. 2 issues: no power something where you put the batteries in getting no power I switched it out with another control got it to work but then on/off switch does not work it stays on so i have to remove the battery to shut it down.
    Battery charger something with the connection must be messed up dies not want to charge.
    Plugged it in Again it only turns on when it feels like it so frustrating another connection problem.
    I emailed them still no contact.

    • the battery tabs — the solid (not the spring ones) may not be touching.

      Use a small screwdriver to bend them out.

      I had the same problem, annoying, but easily fixed

  3. Those props look very similar to the H8C model. Are they identical by chance? Just thinking in terms of spare parts with my H8C. :)

    • No — you need to practice more– it is not close to unusable

      I like to put it on 100% and do “UFOs”

      Regular flying: you need to just work on your input — I have flown in heavy wind with 3, just to keep it from flying away — it will pitch over 45% and fight the wind. It is far from fun in very windy conditions, but it will not get lost either.

  4. Thanks. Great review!
    Would you recommend this jjrc h31 quadcopter for my 12 year old son? He had only rc cars till now..

  5. thanks for the review :)

    could you provide battery infos (3.7V 400mAh Lipo Battery) length ,weight etc so i could search for better one

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