While we can only hope that our kids’ new endeavors are simple, we often aren’t that lucky. Parents of budding musicians, in particular, find it difficult to sort through all of the different instruments out there when their child wants to learn something new.
This is especially true of kids drum sets. There are tons of ways to customize your young musician’s first drum set, but most new drum kits for youths are more expensive than parents’ care to budget for.
You might not want to break the bank on a new hobby for your kids for any number of reasons: the equipment is expensive, kids tend to be rougher with their things than adults do, and your child may become bored of the new interest quickly.
Thankfully, there’s good news for rock-star wannabes and their parents: drum sets that are perfect for kids, as well as budget-friendly for parents,are out there. Read on for a thorough guide of finding the right drum kit for your future Ringo Starr.
Why Should You Buy a Kids Drum Set?
For a lot of parents, the easiest answer is because your child has been asking for one what feels like a million times a day. However, many parents may be hesitant to bring that instrument into the home. Why should you fund such a noisy racket?
While introducing a drum set to your child may be a tough decision, the benefits of learning to play an instrument may help convince you.
You can probably agree that listening to the right music can be very therapeutic. Music can be a powerful influencer on a person’s moods, thoughts, and stress levels. Being a musician takes that influence one step further: music therapy can have powerful physiological impacts, including lowering blood pressure and heart rate, managing anxiety, and stress, and improving cardiac and respiratory function.
Learning to play the drum can help improve your child’s concentration and attention span, allow a healthy avenue to blow off steam and give an opportunity to expel unfocused energy. This can all lead to better performance in school.
And finally, as parents, we never want to take the risk of stomping out the spark that could explode into a lifelong hobby or skill for our children. While some interests may not be realistically manageable, it’s always best to encourage the ones that are.
The Different Types of Drum Kits for Kids
Most of us aren’t drumming professionals, so searching all of the different youth drum kit options on the Internet can be intimidating. However, the best drum kit for your child can be identified with just a couple of characteristics.
Firstly, kits typically come in three- or five-part sets. The core parts of a five-piece drum kit usually include:
- The bass drum, which is the biggest drum in the set and usually in the bottom center of the arrangement
- The rack toms, a pair of smaller drums situated above the bass drum
- The floor tom, a larger counterpart to the rack toms
- The snare drum, which is the soprano of the group known for its signature staccato sound
Three-part sets usually only include the bass drum, a pair of toms, and maybe one cymbal. These are often the most budget-friendly and, understandably, include fewer bells and whistles in the price.
Benefits of Using a Traditional Drum Set Over an Electronic One
These days, there’s an electronic version of just about everything, and that includes drums. Traditional drum sets are acoustic, and they’re what you picture when thinking of a drummer rocking out in a band. They have the crashing cymbals and metal drums that produce the typical drum sound.
However, there are instances in which people prefer a more modern option. Electronic drum sets look very different from traditional ones and have their own advantages and drawbacks.
For one, the electronic option is much more complex to set up, and don’t have the same “drumming feel” to them that most children are specifically seeking when they ask you for a drum set.
Additionally, all the wiring and technology involved with an electronic set leads to a higher breakability, which is something parents always want to avoid when purchasing something specific for their kids. Anything from rough play, to food and drink spills, to a multitude of unknown causes, can cause an electronic drum set to break. Traditional options are much more durable.
However, these modern adaptations are great in situations where loud noise generally can’t be tolerated, such as apartment complexes. Electronic sets have volume control and power buttons, so you can have more influence over when—and how loud—your child can practice.
They also provide perfect solutions for children who are sensory sensitive and may be interested in learning to play the instrument but are overwhelmed by loud and chaotic noise.
Things to Look for in a Good Youth Drum Set
The biggest thing to remember is that some drum sets come with more accessories than others. The last thing you want to do is order a kids drum set and realize you need to order a bunch of separate things.
If you look carefully at the manufacturer’s specs, you should be able to find out what all is built into the price of the set.
A reputable set should include, of course, all the necessary stands and hardware to erect the drums. Depending on your drum kit of choice, an arrangement of cymbals may also be included, as well as accessories such as a stool (or, as professionals call it, the throne, or so we’re told) and drumsticks, or extras like a cowbell or tambourine.
You’ll also always want to make sure that you’re ordering a quality set that’ll withstand the force and enthusiasm of a child. When ordering drum kits online, you can always look at customer reviews and questions where other purchasers talk details about the kit’s quality and lifetime.
Some other less vital details of finding the right kit include customizable features like color choices and monograms on the bass drum, shipping cost and availability, and the ability to add more additions onto the set should your child’s drumming hobby blossom.
The Top Three Budget Friendly Drum Sets for Kids
Now, let’s get right into finding the perfect drum kit for both your budget and your budding rock-star. We took to Amazon to bring all of the top three options’ details right here for you to compare.
Top Pick: Mendini Three-piece Kids Drum Set
Here’s the great thing about this three-part Mendini youth set by Cecilio: for less than $80, you can buy your little musician a bass drum, a rack tom, a snare, a cymbal, a throne, and a pair of drumsticks. This set is optimized for kiddos who want to start as young as three years old, so we know that it can withstand the brute force of a child!
Cecilio’s kid’s drum set comes in five colors (black, blue, red, green, and purple) for kids of any taste. Plus, the set is affordable enough to easily upgrade to the next model up as your child advances both in age and drumming skill.
This drum set provides a great quality sound that will definitely make the purchase worth it.
While user reviews state that you could purchase add-ons and higher quality replacements for the drums and cymbals, it’s generally better to simply sell the set used and reinvest in the next model up when your little one outgrows this initial model.
Overall, the Mendini three-piece set is the number one affordable option for a parent who aren’t sure if drumming will turn into a long-term hobby for their child.
Runner Up: Ansthorpe Five-piece Complete Junior Drum Set
You’ll need to throw some extra money down for this five-piece kids drum set from Ansthorpe, but when you do, your young drummer gets some serious upgrades.
This set includes not only the bass drum, the rack tom, and the snare, it also features an additional rack tom and the floor tom for more learning opportunities. As an added plus, Ansthorpe’s set includes all of the typical accessories like a throne and drumsticks, and a crash cymbal upgrade from the Mendini set. That may not sound super exciting to you, but it definitely would be to your aspiring musician.
The larger bass and more adjustable frame of this set make it friendly for all ages up to 12 years old, so it’s a great one-time investment up to the teenage years if your child chooses to remain an avid drummer through his youth.
One thing to keep in mind is that this option only comes in silvery-gray, so if you have a picky kid, you may have problems there.
We love this drum set for all that it offers in its price, but it just couldn’t square up to the Mendini set in affordability. While Ansthorpe’s set is worth over double the one by Cecilio’s, it does have a lot more to excite a budding drummer.
Third Place: Gammon Five-Piece Junior Starter Drum Kit
As far as kids drum sets go, Gammon’s five-piece junior starter drum kit runs neck-and-neck with Ansthorpe’s. It is just a hair more expensive, however, which is why it earned the third-place ranking on our drum kit affordability list.
This set offers all the same amenities as Ansthorpe’s does, including each drum, a throne, and drumsticks. Gammon is an older and more reputable brand than many others, though, so we expect its drum sound to be pretty top-notch.
The set by Gammon also has a little bit more customization options, too, with the drums available in high-gloss black or cobalt blue. The rims can be customized as black or chrome, too, which isn’t a popular feature in other brands.
Gammon’s customer service department has a great reputation, too, so if you have problems putting together your new instrument, need to order a new part, or have questions about the warranty, the company does a great job of working with you to amend the issue.
Kids as young as five years old can start with this set, and it’s generally still comfortable as they grow up to five feet tall, at which point you may want to consider investing in an adult set if your little drummer still drums when he’s not so little.
Honorable Mention: M-Master Ten-pad Electronic Childresn’s Drum Set
Earlier we mentioned some reasons why you may want to explore purchasing your child an electronic drum set rather than a traditional one. If you live in an apartment, have a young musician or other child in the home with sensory processing troubles, or just want to keep the peace under your roof as much as you can, we recommend the ten-pad electronic drum set from M-Master, a conveniently portable set that comes equipped with a headphone jack, foot pedals, and battery.
The sounds generated by this machine are very realistic, but its uses don’t stop at mimicking a drum. With USB and MIDI connections, the electric drums have endless recording and video game possibilities.
The biggest appeal with this alternative to an acoustic drum set is the power to control volume. The headphone jack and speaker control allow for less agitating drum practice in the necessary environments.
Parents on a Budget Have Drum Set Options
Just because every dollar goes a long way in your household doesn’t mean you can’t make your little musician’s day by bringing home a brand new drum set of their own. Our top recommendation for money-conscious shoppers is the Mendini set, followed by the Ansthorpe and Gammon sets which come with a higher price but more amenities.
If you have a rock-star-at-heart wild child who was born to play the drums, these budget-friendly sets may be perfect for you. Don’t forget to consider how long you think your kiddo may be interested in the instrument for when making your decision!
As for parents and other children in the house, don’t worry. These noise-canceling headphones from COWIN are affordable enough to get one for everyone else in the family.
