The 9 Best Drum Sets For Kids

For most kids starting out, the Alesis Turbo Max covers everything at once: a throne, over-ear headphones, sticks and a folding rack that rises to adult height. Mesh heads make a soft tap instead of a bang, and you can tighten them like real drumheads. A Bluetooth link plays songs from a phone through the control box, and 100 online lessons come with it. The pads are on the small side for grown-up hands.

Sized for drummers from about 6 to 14, the Donner DED-70 puts its pads, cymbals and throne low enough for a first grader to reach. Mesh heads keep practice quiet, and the rack folds flat enough to stand behind a door. It runs from the wall plug or from a phone power bank, which helps on a porch. There is no speaker inside, so a child hears it only through the headphones in the box or an amp.

The Ashthorpe 5-Piece gives a child of roughly 7 to 12 the full acoustic setup: a bass drum, three toms, a snare, hi-hat and a crash cymbal. The shells are poplar wood, the cymbals are brass rather than thin steel, and a throne, pedals and sticks come in the box. Expect a long assembly and some tuning. It is loud, so rubber practice pads or a towel over the heads help at home.

Teens, adults and kids who have stuck with lessons for a while can grow into the Alesis Nitro Max. Every drum has a mesh head, the snare plays a different sound at the rim than in the center, and the control box holds hundreds of recorded acoustic drum sounds. Bluetooth and a USB port link it to phones and recording software, and three months of online video lessons come with it. A throne and headphones are not in the box.

Preschoolers and kindergartners can sit right down at the Best Choice Products SKY9203, a small real kit with a bass drum, two toms, one cymbal, a padded stool and a pedal. The maker says it suits children from age 3. The shells are wood with a glossy finish in several bright colors, and one drum key handles both setup and tuning. Most children outgrow it by about second grade, and the single cymbal sounds thin.

Parents who want to learn next to their kids, and other grown-up beginners, get more room on the Donner DED-80: bigger cymbal pads, a taller rack and mesh heads on all four drums. The control box has a coach mode that checks timing, play-along tracks and a large set of drum sounds. Donner also offers free online lessons on request. It has no built-in speaker, so you always need headphones or an amp to hear it.

When the budget is tight, the Music Alley DBJK02 is still a real drum kit rather than a toy: a bass drum with pedal, a snare, one tom, a cymbal, sticks and a throne that adjusts for children of about 3 to 6. The shells are acacia wood and the heads can be tuned with a drum key. It is an acoustic drum, so it is loud in a small room, and the cymbal is basic.

For a car trip, a small apartment or a child who may lose interest, the Paxcess G3066LG rolls out like a placemat, with seven silicone pads and two foot pedals. A built-in battery lasts about 10 hours, and it has speakers plus a headphone jack. A cable links it to a computer for music software and games. The pads play at one volume however hard you hit them, so it teaches rhythm but not the touch of a real drum.

Toddlers who bang on every pot get a safer outlet in the VTech KidiBeats, a toy that VTech rates for ages 2 to 5. Three pads and a cymbal each light up and make their own sound, and play modes teach letters and numbers or have a child follow along with built-in songs. Two chunky sticks come with it. It is a toy, not an instrument, so a child ready for real rhythm practice will move past it fast.