Who doesn’t love a good practice pad? While we would all love to have a full-size drum kit, that’s just not possible for everyone. So we need to find a way to simulate real drumming on a budget, and that’s where a good practice pad comes in.
A good practice pad will feel and sound like a real drum and can give you hours of fun. So what makes a good practice pad? What do you need to consider before you buy? We’ll take a look at all of these points and more below.
But first, let me tell you that the most important benefit of using the best drum practice pad is that it is quieter than other drums and does not need an amplifier for you to hear the sound.
As people live in apartments, it can be difficult to find a space to practice drums where the sound won’t bother anyone. This is why a drum practice pad is a great way to practice drums as it will not bother anyone else.
They produce lower sound output while you practice, so that does not annoy parents, sisters, or brothers, but mainly you do not bother your neighbors. Below I provide 5 drum practice pad brands, which we have selected after many hours of research and testing (over 15 hours).
During the research, we managed not to disturb anyone in the office. We also took the pads home to try these and did not disturb neighbors or family (though we are not the brightest drum players, more like noise players).
Note that we had the pads in a room with the door closed. So, this shows that the pads can work in a home. We also had the pads at the minimum sound output from our speakers.
Sabian Quiet Tone – 10-inch Drum Pad
The Sabian Quiet Tone is the best drum pad for beginners because it replicates the real experience better than others.
This practice drum pad has a real head and a rear rim. Also, it can be mounted on a stand or snare basket.
Why do you need the best drum practice pad?
Let’s face it, playing the drums is not the east instrument to play because it requires an intricate understanding of rhythm.
Learning drums is a time-consuming and difficult process. While you can certainly just practice with a set of drumsticks on any surface, it may not be the most practical or optimal.
This is where the drum practice pad comes in. It is basically a pad or a set of pads that allow you to practice quietly and assist percussionists. With the best drum practice pad, you can easily learn how to play the drums and other percussion instruments.
What to take into account when buying a drum pad?
Picking the best drum practice pad for beginners is not so easy because they are all made a bit different. They can vary depending on the shape, size, design, weight, hard or soft materials, and the amount of bounce.
Also, some can have receivers attached to analyze your rhythm on a computer. Others include more than one type of pad on one setup or kit, so you can emulate hitting the cymbals or bass.
The most common type of drum practice pad is the standard single-snare drum practice pad. There is also the bass drum practice pad. Nevertheless, the first thing you should look for is whether or not you want something realistic.
There are drum pads that have the same dimensions as a traditional snare so that you build that muscle memory. The other will even replicate the bounce of a drum head so you can get used to the feel of striking.
The next thing you should consider is surface material. There are some materials that are hard and not bouncy at all while others are soft and flexible. Some materials absorb sound better than others while other materials can easily be rolled up and transported.
In the end, the quality of the material for your drum practice pad matters because you will likely be striking it a lot.
Finally, you should consider things like price, whether or not it is double-sided, and the number of practice pads in the kit. You can have really expensive drum practice pads that can hook up to a computer and analyze your beats.
Others can imitate the full setup of an entire drum kit including stands and pedals. In the end, you need to decide for yourself whether or not these extra features are worth it.
Best Drum Practice Pad
- Sabian Quiet Tone – 10-inch Drum Pad
- Drumeo p4 Practice Pad
- Hizek Electronic Drum Pad Practice Kit
- Evans 2-Sided Practice Pad
- Slint Drum Complete Pad Stand Kit
1. Sabian Quiet Tone – 10-inch Drum Pad
In our opinion, the Sabian Quiet Tone is the best drum practice pad on the market if you want a real feel.
While the Sabian Quiet Tone is certainly not a popular product by any means, those who actually are in the business know that it is one of the best.
We asked industry professionals for their opinions on this one and most said the best way to practice is to emulate the real deal.
The main reason the Sabian Quiet Tone drum practice pads make the top of our list is that it has a real head and real rim, unlike most of the drum pads out there.
Out of all the drum pads we tested, this one has the best real feel. In other words, it actually feels like you are playing on a real drum set with this pad except it doesn’t make much noise. They say practice makes perfect. We say perfect practice makes perfect drummers.
We also really like the attention to detail of the Sabian Quiet Tone. It has adjustable tension, non-slip rubber feet, and a triple-flanged metal hoop all to give you a detailed realistic replica of the real deal.
Overall, this is the best snare drum practice pad for those who want to play on any flat surface or on top of a real dum stand, anywhere and anytime. It comes in 14 inches and 10-inch versions depending on your style.
- Closest real feel
- Real head and real rim
- Fits on a snare stand, drum, or any surface
- Adjustable tension
2. Drumeo p4 Practice Pad
If you want one of the most popular practice pads on the market, go with the Drumeo P4. It is the best practice drum pad designed by Pat Petrillo, who is a legendary drummer and educator.
The Drumeo P4 is designed to help users progress through the various levels of learning how to play the drums.
There are four different surfaces on the Drumeo and each one is color-coded. Also, each surface has a different feel and level. The first level is blue and replicates the snare drum.
It has the standard gum rubber feel and this is the one you will be using the most often. On the next level, you have a black surface that simulates a tight hi-tom.
This surface is a bit more responsive than the blue snare surface. Then there is the white surface on the same level which has the feel of a floor tom. It is probably the least responsive and the quietest surface to play on. Finally, you have the orange top level, which is like a ride cymbal. This level is very harder and is a lot more bouncy than the snare blue surface.
Hopefully, with the Drumeo P4 practice pad, you can hone your drumming skills from scratch and make some nice sounds. We like how it has 4 different practice surfaces on one.
Although it is a bit on the pricy side, you are definitely getting a premium drum pad with 4 surfaces. Additionally, it is used by many professionals for home practice and has a solid-quality build. Our hats off to this pad if you can afford it.
- Expensive but worth it
- 4 different drumming surfaces
- Helps you transition to the kit
- Can be used anywhere
3. Paxcess 7 Pads Electronic Drum Set
While the Paxcess Electronic Drum Pad is technically not a real drum practice pad, for all intents and purposes it can be used as one.
This set is the best-practice pad drum set if you want a digital drum set with foot pedals.
There are 7 different pads on this set with two-foot pedals and drumsticks. With the foot pedals, you can have the best bass drum practice pad without getting a giant device.
Additionally, you can hook this kit up to a computer and start mixing and editing your sounds live.
The entire kit works via AA batteries or plugging it in.
Note that they need to be hooked up to speakers to be heard, but you can always run them through a headphone. Besides, if you are just practicing, you can just use them without an external sound.
Our favorite part about this drum kit is that it comes with demo drum beats, rhythm music, tempo adjustments, and a record mode.
These extra features, in particular the record mode, are particularly useful in practicing your drum skills. You can record and listen to your own beats and rewind them to listen and learn from where you went wrong.
All in all, we love the versatility of this drum set. As a cherry on top, you can fold everything up and store it in a nice and handy travel bag. This also helps you store it and not take up space when not in use. With a set of batteries, headphones, and drumsticks, you can potentially practice with this on any surface.
- Electronic drum pad
- Can record and alter sounds
- Comes with demo music and rhythm
- Easily folds up
4. Evans 2-Sided Practice Pad
The Evans 2-Sided Practice Pad is another industry classic and is used by many pro players to help them hone their skills.
This is a very simple and affordable drum pad set option to help you practice your drumming skills. The Evans practice pad is double-sided, with one side being a natural gum feel for a more realistic rebound, with some nice sound output.
The other side is a harder surface used to build endurance. Both sides can easily fit into a standard snare basket, so you can practice on top of your real drums without making big sounds.
We like these drum pads for their simplicity and feel. They are made incredibly durable and with high-quality materials.
The bounce and feel are just right and perfect for learning. However, like most drum practice pads, this pad isn’t completely silent. Also, you can’t really travel with these pads because it is a bit heavy and doesn’t really fold up. If these are deal-breakers, you should probably look elsewhere.
- Great value
- Double-sided
- Realistic rebound
- High-quality build
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5. Slint Drum Complete Pad Stand Kit
If you want a complete digital drum pad, the Slint complete practice pads with its stand kit are the way to go. We really like the fact that these best drum beats are quite a unique concept on the market.
Most drum practice pads just provide a material for you to bang on, but the Slint Practice Pads take it to the next level.
What separates these pads from the rest of the pack is the fact that it is affordable, easy to take with you (very light), and come with sticks too.
In essence, the kit comes with one 12″ drum pad stand and one four-inch drum pad stand. It also includes a set of drumsticks. Simply put, it is the best drum set for the traveler.
I have to say that the Slint Drum Pad Stand Kit is perfect for anyone that is just starting out with the drums. It is really cheap for what you get. So nothing can really go wrong with this one, and you’ll surely enjoy the sound from this set.
- Complete drum pad in one unit
- Great for learning
- Sticks included
- Easily transported
Final words
There are many things to consider when buying a drum pad. The best drum practice pad should be sturdy, should be able to hold up over time, provide different playing surfaces, have a good sound, have a good feel, have a good design, have a good price, and you need to buy from a brand that has good customer service.
You can find all of these things in the 5 different drum practice pad reviews described above.
Our criteria for selecting any of the pads were: They have to have a simple design, be very sturdy, have good sound, good feel, good stylish design, a good price (obviously), and are associated with good customer service.
We really liked the Sabian Quiet Tone. If you like a multi-pad version, then we advise you to go for the Paxcess. Otherwise, you can select any of the three remaining pads based on the price and look. Enjoy drumming away.
