If you haven’t decided yet what to buy think about the purpose of a practice drum pad.
In order to find the best drum practice pad for yourself here is what you should consider.
- What size of a drum pad I want/need?
- Does it need to be very quiet?
- Do I want a drum pad that I can carry everywhere?
- What is my budget?
- Do I need a drum pad or a drum pad kit?
I don’t want to be too subjective on this cause many pads from this list differentiate and I try keeping the various choices in my articles. Maybe you need 4 surfaces, or you want to keep the budget low or want a full kit.
Having all these options in mind I picked 7 best drum practice pads I was able to find so, check it out.
Things to know before buy
Sound Versatility – the drum practice pad should be as versatile as it can be. Access the drum kit sounds appropriate for a specific genre thanks to a friendly control interface.
Portability – if portability and space-saving are important to you then we recommend a smaller pad. With them you will still be able to practice with drum and stick techniques wherever you might be. Drum practice pads should be lightweight and portable, due that it may come at the cost of sturdiness.
Near-Quiet Performance – most pads have a near-quiet performance and will not make loud sounds like a regular drum set. They shouldn’t cause any disturbance while practicing so you can basically play any time of the day.
Rebound, Volume, and Assemblage – avoid gluing the playing surface back to the wood or a pad that sounds so hard that you can’t play it at home.
Vic Firth Pad 6
Gold standard
ThatScore
- Great value for money ratio
- Extraordinary rebound
Evans Realfeel 2
Best value for money
ThatScore
- 2 pratice surfaces
- Great price and value for it
Sabian Quiet Tone Mesh
The most quiet pad
ThatScore
- Very quiet pad
- Mimic real drum perfectly
Remo Tunable
Read drum head
ThatScore
- Only pad with a real drum head
- Highly customizable
DW Go Anywhere
Practice drum kit
ThatScore
- The whole drum kit made of practice pads
- Great apartment solution
4 Surfaces
ThatScore
Highly versatile
ThatScore
Gold standard
ThatScore
Value for money
ThatScore
The most quiet
ThatScore
Real drum head
ThatScore
Practice drum kit
ThatScore
Drumeo P4
This practice drum pad offers the most practice options, it is versatile and creative.
It is designed by Pat Petrillo. The main idea is to mimic different surfaces that real drum kit has.
Some drum practice pads have too much rebound so, Drumeo wants to avoid that with this model. This is one of the best practice drum pads on the market currently and it is one of a kind.
What I like
4 different surfaces make this pad very unique. Foam on the bottom is the great feature that will lower down the volume of the pad.
It will make practising very interesting.
What I don’t like
Uniqueness comes with the price so the main question is “Is it worth it”?It’s up to you. P4 is the only drum practice pad with 4 surfaces so if you decide you need that feature this would be the only option.
Verdict
This is a premium model. All materials used on this drum practice pad are high-quality.
Like every premium product, it is not for everyone. But, if you want the best rubber pad on the market this would be the one.
It is perfect for drummers who want the best drum pad on the market currently.
Movement Drum Co
Movement Drum Co offers us a high-quality product that includes three practice surfaces- a pad, a rubber that you can use to be quieter, and a plastic piece that can imitate a snare drum.
Keeping all accessories in mind, you would think that this pad is heavy. But, this is a light pad that is very portable, so it is easy to jump into practice everywhere you go.
If you are not satisfied by the three layers of Movement Drum Co Practice Pad, there is a softer bottom side, which makes it perfect for beginner drummers and people who just want to be quiet while practising.
What I like
The most important thing that distinguishes this model from others is the number of options at your disposal.
Apart from three customizable parts, it has a nice back surface. Another bonus is the plastic rims that you can further use to enhance the experience.
What I don’t like
The main dealbreaker for this practice drum pad is the price. Price may, drive away amateurs from the use of this drum pad.
Also, while it is surprisingly light, it is a little heavier than other pads that I have reviewed.
Verdict
Movement Drum Co has succeeded in making a practice drum pad that tries to imitate the real deal with the amount of customization that they offer.
Advanced and professional drummers should consider this practice pad, and if you are an average drummer that needs an upgrade, this is a very good choice.
Vic Firth Pad 6
One of my favorite regular rubber pads is Vic Firth’s drum pad. Regular rubber pads are really similar so I will review the Vic Firth pad.
The rubber of the pad is high quality.It can be mounted on a cymbal stand. It is quiet and softy. Similar to Vic Firth drum pad is Evans “Real feel”, Vater pad, Rock Jam drum pad… These pads and many more are very similar.
They are made of wood and rubber or two types of rubber. The one used on the bottom as a support and the other used for actual practice. This type of drum pad is most commonly used among the drummers
What I like
I am using it for many years and it is very durable. It is very soft so, the rebound is great.
What I don’t like
All rubber pads are bad at simulating the real feel from the acoustic drums. The stick tends to bounce too much. Yet, they are very good for practicing finger control.
Verdict
When it comes to regular rubber pads it is usually one time only purchase. They are all very durable, made out of quality rubber that will last for a long time.
Vic Firth pad is not expensive, it is made out of great materials and it is not too loud
Evans Realfeel 2
Here we have one model that is perfect for both beginners and intermediate musicians. Evans presents us with a classic model that is affordable to anyone.
This particular practice pad comes in three sizes and two variants. The 6-inch, 7-inch, and 12-inch models vary in price significantly and may be one-sided or two-sided.
Smaller-sized models are ideal for children who aspire to be drummers. Parents can determine if their child will take interest in drumming without buying the expensive drum kits.
A two-sided practice pad has a hard surface on one side, and a rubber surface on the other. The rubber side will provide you with enough rebound, while the other is your standard neoprene practice pad.
What I like
This particular practice pad does not have anything innovative, but it checks all boxes. It enables you to practice anytime and anywhere, it is relatively silent and it is affordable.
Evans does isn’t very fancy, but it helps you save the money for cymbals or other drum parts that are easily more expensive.
What I don’t like
The only thing that I don’t like is the build quality of the pad. Some people have reported that their product glue has started to fall off after some time. But, for this price, build quality is decent.
Verdict
Evans offers us a standard model that does everything that any good practice pad should do. It’s portable, it has enough rebound, and it’s affordable.
If you are a guy who likes his acoustics the most and just looks for an affordable practice tool, you should consider this price range.
Sabian Quiet Tone Mesh Pad
There are very few mesh pads out there, my favourite is Sabian QTM10 Mesh pad.
When it comes to reproducing a real feel on the drums, the mesh pads are the best you can get.
You can tighten them to get more rebound or lose them to get more of a reel feel.
The main flaw is that you will have to change a mesh head when it cracks which is inevitable.
The whole drum set made out of this kind of pads is Pearl “Rhythm traveler”.
My choice is definitely a mesh pad, it is quiet and it mimics acoustic drums realistically.
What I like
If I ever decide to buy a new drum pad for practice I will definitely buy one of these.
Nothing simulates the real feel quite as good as the mesh pad. Possibility of adjusting the head proves that. It is perfect for silent practice.
What I don’t like
It is the only practice drum pad with changeable drum head. The fact that this drum head will crack from time to time is bad.
Verdict
If you want to practice silently and with a real feel this is a model for you. QTM10 is my choice when it comes to a practice drum pad.
Remo Tunable
This particular practice pad from Remo can seem just like a budget pick for you. But, this pad is a quality product with a surprising amount of customization.
The first thing you will notice when you see this pad are the screws that you can use to customize the tension to your liking. Having that option certainly is a big plus.
Remo’s practice also has a rubber bottom to ensure that the pad isn’t slipping and is easily mountable on a stand.
It comes in 6-Inch, 8-Inch, and 10-Inch variations. Smaller ones are dedicated to the younger drummers, while the 10-Inch variation is for adults.
What I like
I didn’t expect I would find tension screws at this price range. Tension levels are game-changer, but it is a nice feature to change a daily practice routine.
Due to its smaller size, you can carry it anywhere. You can practice in front of the TV, on the bus, even during study breaks.
What I don’t like
While it is a nice feature, most people probably won’t experiment with the screws. With this price, Remo is targeting beginners, and they probably don’t want to customize too much.
The biggest variation may seem small compared to standard practice pads.
Verdict
Remo Practice Pad won’t rock your world with features, but it offers, in my opinion, one of the best product at this price range.
If anything, it is a budget product that you can carry with you the whole time and enjoy drumming anytime you want.
DW- Go Anywhere
I have used one of these for a couple of years and I am still sorry that I sold it. The reason was I needed cash.
If you live in an apartment,you will be able to play Go Anywhere drum kit without hearing your neighbors complaint. It is important to mention that drum throne and a pedal don’t come with a set.
Design of the hardware is very simple so you can pack it up in a few minutes and you are good to go.
What I like
You can wrap it up very fast and put it away.
It doesn’t take a lot of space so you can carry it around when you travel.
The rebound is great and it is not too loud either. Hardware is firm and quality.
What I don’t like
The fact that it doesn’t have some imitation of cymbals is a minus. I am playing a double pedal so, it would be great to have a larger bass drum surface.
Verdict
You will be able to put away this drum kit easily in a few minutes. This works for me due to a fact that I don’t have a room for a drum kit in my apartment.
It is very durable and silent, this makes it perfect for practising on the road.
Conclusion
For almost 13 years I am using a Vic Firth’s PAD6. It is very good and durable and I am satisfied with it. This works fine for me because I do not need anything fancy for practice. I rather spend my money on cymbals and lessons.
Recently I discovered Sabian Quiet Tone and it is quite a revelation.
Also there is an option of making a drum pad yourself.
Denis Loncaric
My name is Denis. I am a drummer, percussionist, music enthusiast, and blogger. Drums have been my passion for 15 years now. My idea is to write about the things I like and I am interested in. I want to share my drum passion with fellow musicians who walk, talk, and breathe drums.
