Review: PolarPro Accessories for the DJI Mavic Pro

2018 will be the year that plenty of recreational drone pilots start to take the hobby a bit more seriously. Whether that involves flying regularly, getting a more expensive drone or moving into commercial operations, part of that process is giving your gear a revamp.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been taking a closer look at some drone accessories from PolarPro to help you do exactly that. The following are specifically designed to work with the DJI Mavic Pro.

The DJI Mavic Soft Case

There are plenty of cases out there designed to be compatible with a DJI Mavic Pro. As one of the most portable and popular drones on the market, getting the Mavic safely from A to B isn’t an issue – pilots are spoiled for choice. However, not all cases are created equal.

PolarPro’s offering is slightly different in that it’s shaped like a more conventional DSLR case. But inside is enough room for a folded Mavic Pro, two batteries and your controller.

It retails at $29,99, which is a reasonable price to pay for peace of mind.

Pros – The PolarPro Soft Case leaves room for your controller and batteries, so you can carry everything you need in one space. It can also comfortably fit a DSLR and lenses, should you want to swap out your Mavic for the day. We love the versatility and internal velcro straps. And the lifetime warranty.

Cons – This case is designed to be placed inside a backpack, so there’s no strap to throw it over your shoulder. Although there is a handle if you wish to attach your own. It’s also not the sturdiest case we’ve come across. Think of it as a protective layer rather than a rugged outer shell. Although arguably these cons apply to the majority of soft cases.

If you want something more rugged, try PolarPro’s hard shell case, which is available for the same price. Or there’s this beast.

The DJI Mavic Phone Mount

Next up in PolarPro’s arsenal of accessories is the phone mount. The majority of Mavic pilots will be used to piloting via a smartphone that sits underneath the remote controller. It can feel a little counter-intuitive to have the screen underneath your fingers. The solution is to purchase a mount which instead sits above the controller. Just like with cases, there are plenty of places you can buy cheap mounts.

The PolarPro Mavic phone mount does everything you would want and expect. It’s easy to fix onto your controller, sturdy enough to stay in one piece during transit and flexible enough to adjust to whatever smartphone you’re flying with.

The one con in our eyes is the price: it’s pretty steep at $29.99. If your budget is an issue, we’d recommend shopping around and seeing what else you can find for less.

DJI Mavic Landing Gear

Next on the list is PolarPro’s landing gear. This is ideal for when you’re taking off and landing in rough or wet terrain, and will lower the risk of your props hitting something low to the ground, such as rocks or plants.

PolarPro’s landing gear is made up of four leg extensions, one for each of the Mavic’s feet. They are easy to put on and take-off, and didn’t have a significant impact on performance during our test flights. These are well worth buying – you never know when the conditions on the ground are going to impact your ability to take-off and land. Having an easy-to-fit landing gear is always a better option than having to catch-land your Mavic in mid-air.

The one con, again, is the price. At $19.99, PolarPro’s leg extensions are on the expensive side. But it’s probably worth it for the additional 1.5 inches of ground clearance, peace of mind and lifetime warranty.

DJI Mavic Gimbal Lock and Lens Cover

Mavic pilots will know that the Mavic Pro is a sturdy little drone that feels solid in your hands. Unfortunately, the same can’t really be said of the gimbal lock and lens cover that come as standard from DJI. PolarPro has a different take. The team has engineered a simpler, all-in-one cover that can replace or work alongside the standard cover.

At $19.99, it’s an ideal replacement for a lost cover or gimbal lock. It certainly feels a lot more solid than the standard pieces from DJI. It’s easy to fit and remove and does the work of both the cover and the lock with ease.

Katana Pro – DJI Mavic Tray/T-Grip Combo

Flying isn’t always a good idea. Maybe you’re indoors, in a confined space, low on battery or the conditions are far from perfect. In such circumstances, it can be a shame to not get any footage at all. And with the Mavic’s stabilized camera, it can be tempting just to get it out, carry it around and hit ‘record’.

That’s the thinking behind PolarPro’s Katana, a handheld platform that keeps your Mavic safe while you capture cinematic shots from the ground.

It’s easy enough to set up, although not ideal for a spontaneous shoot. First up, you’ll have to remove the props and switch the Mavic to WiFi mode. Then you can fold up the drone and fit it into the Katana. Once that’s done, you’re ready to walk around and capture shots from the ground.

The Katana Pro kit comes with the phone mount, so you can easily see what’s being recorded. It’s priced at $79.99 and comes with a lifetime warranty. Not bad at all for photographers looking for more versatility from their Mavic.

Coming Soon…

We’ve also received some of PolarPro’s ND filters. We’ll be putting them through their paces and writing up how that goes in the near future.