Best Drum Practice Pad

One thing that drummers of all skill levels should, and typically do, have in common is the need to practice; often at times and in places that are not amenable to loud noises. For this reason, many drummers look for the best drum practice pad so they can stay sharp without driving their roommates, parents, spouses, or anyone else bananas.

Drum practice pads are wonderful tools that can help a drummer keep their skills sharp in almost any environment. It isn’t always possible to access a large drum kit as often as a solid musician needs to practice. If you are a drummer in an apartment or shared household it is also not very practical. Using a drum practice pad will help you get in your practice time while keeping things relatively quiet.

The Best Drum Practice Pad

The drums are some of the most fun and, possibly the most unique, instruments a musician can play. It takes skill, finesse, rhythm, and artistic vision to turn what would otherwise be noise into a hypnotic beat that people can’t help but to enjoy.

But these abilities don’t happen overnight. They aren’t bestowed upon us by some all powerful rock god (regardless of what any lead guitarist may tell you).

No, these skills are earned through hours and hours of sweat, effort, dedication, tears, and commitment.

Drums are huge instruments and not the easiest to carry around. If you aren’t with your drum kit, you’re likely to miss out on your practice. This problem is solved with a small practice drum pad. You can always keep them in your car trunk or easily fit them in a book bag.

Let me introduce some killer drum pads for you.

Our Favorite Drum Practice Pads

Check the list below for finding out the best practice drum pads.

• Remo RT-0008-00 8″ Gray Tunable Practice Pad Best Overall
• Offworld Percussion Invader V3 Practice Pad Best Budget
• Slint’s Practice Pad & Snare Stand Bundle Best For Beginners
• Vic Firth 12″ Double-sided Practice Pad Best For Pros

Best Drum Practice Pad Review

1. Evans Realfeel 2-Sided Practice Pad

Designed to imitate the sound and working of a real drum, Evans has done a pretty great job with this 12’’ practice pad. The dual surfaced pad offers textural changes to the sound, giving you a more well rounded drumming experience.

Textured Surfaces

The Realfeel pads come in a variety of sizes and prices. They feature a surfaced with textured material to give them a more authentic drum sound.  

Made from the gum rubber, the top side is a bit solid and offers a distinct rebound than the conditioning pad on the bottom side. You’ll need some extra stamina to work this out.

It’s not NOISY!

With textured surfaces, the practice pads offer wide sounds with a quick response time. When covered with a light piece of fabric, the sounds are stil full enough to satisfy your practice needs but without making a ton of extra noise.

Full-proof Design

Using quality rubber and crafting them the right way, Evans has made something that will last for a long time. The design is solid and full-proof with great size. You may want to buy a separate stand for the pads for easy practicing. With the stand on or off, the unit is super easy to carry around and store in.

In short, the unit is great for studio work or beginners just jamming.

2. Remo RT-0008-00 8″ Gray Tunable Practice Pad – Best Overall

Being in the industry for over 60 years, Remo has manufactured some of the best drum equipment of all time, including practice pads. Experienced in the industry, this tunable pad is the result of the company’s creative venture. Offering killer specs, the unit can easily be termed as the best overall practice pad.

Spice up the Experience

Whether you mount it on a separate stand or just jam out on the table, it’s all your choice. But no matter what you choose, the RT Pad gives the best drum experience possible. A protective rubber is used for its bottom that sticks it to any tabletop without acting all flimsy.

Perfect for All

What determines the quality of a product is its user-friendliness. Therefore, practice pads come in different sizes to offer options to select from. Remo offers its signature quality and looks in a size of 6, 8, and 10 inches. Furthermore, it has a rim attached to it for a better hold and grip.

Rhythmic Sounds

The snare drum sounds pretty bouncy and open, thanks to its legendary Ambassador Coating. You can play around with the tones and dynamics, and improve your skills as a drummer and as a listener.

After all, the better your ears, the better you will be able to translate the music in your head to your kit. As the name suggests, it is tunable which means that you can experience a variety of drum sounds.

3. Double-Sided Silent Drum Practice Pad

Perfect for all age groups, experienced and beginners, this instrument is a treat for every drum lover. From its size to sound, playability to the ambiance it creates, everything is perfect about this 12-inch drum practice pad. With this around, no one will ever make excuses to miss practice.

Silent Action

Though it comes with dual sides, the noise is something you’ll forget about while playing it. Wrapped in a silicon layer, the noise is undetectable. Further, it has some killer response actions and rebounding power up its sleeve that distinguishes it from other such units.  

Durable and Sturdy Built

No instrument manufacturer has gone a long way after using substandard materials in crafting their products. But instead, the shift is towards the brands that use quality materials within a budgeted range. 

Created from a 1-inch wood, supported by silicon and an EV Cotton, the practice pads are ready for some intense drumming sessions. 

Super Light

Weighing only 2.5-pounds, this unit only takes up a small amount of space. Put it in a cupboard or closet, under the bed, or keep it on a table. It has an ideal size that allows you to take it anywhere with ease.

4. Slint’s Practice Pad & Snare Stand Bundle Best For Beginners

Drums are the best way to express yourself especially if you’re feeling energized and motivated. Slint USA deserves all the credits for enclosing such dynamic expression in one such drumming pad. 

Effortless Operation

Pick it up, mount on any stand, or just place it on any steady surface and you’re good to go. This best for beginners portable drum pad does absolute wonders with its sound. 

With a minimalistic design, Slint offers a convenient and compatible drumming practice for beginners and novices alike. For an extra touch, it comes with its pair of drumsticks.

Quiet yet Powerful

Drumming pads, although not to the same level as drums, can be loud. But some pieces are so noisy. You can’t distinguish what’s the real pad sound and what’s not. Its surface comes with a light covering that prevents it from creating unnecessary sounds. Moreover, it also keeps the volume down, making you and the pad community-friendly.

Snare Stand

One side uses a non-toxic, textured rubber whereas the other one is made up of soft rubber. It offers fewer pick-ups than the other side, offering a varied sound to your experience. 

You get a professional snare stand which along with the snare diameter is adjustable and holds the piece in place.

5. Donner 12-Inches Drum Practice Pad with Drum Sticks

The determining factor in any drum pad is the pad itself. After all, it is what gives us the sound. Coming straight from Donner’s creative center, this unit is a win-win deal for all the drumming fans out there.

Playable Surface

The pad is manufactured from an elastic and dense rubber. Your drum sticks will surely strike well and hard on the surface. You’ll get a better rebound sound from Donner’s 12-inch practice pad. 

The lower surface is covered with an environmentally safe anti-slip rubber. In this price and budget, the drum pad is a great investment to get the hang of drumming.

Stays in Place

An EVA polymer rubber is used on the lower side of the pad. It holds the pad tightly onto the playing surface whether it is a smooth table or a bed or even your lap. 

The shock-absorbent materials buffer out the drum sounds and pressure, making sure you don’t hurt your wrists and fingers in a poorly timed strike.

Maple is Strong

Accessories are always welcomed, no matter how small they are. This double-sided silent drum pad brings with it a pair of drumsticks made from standard maple wood. 

A comfortable carrying case comes along as well. The back-pack style bag adds to the mobility of the unit and makes transport a hassle-free task.

6. Vic Firth 12″ Double-sided Practice Pad Best For Professionals

No matter what stage of drum practice you are, the fact that it all depends on the quality of the drum pad is undeniable. This Vic Firth pad is the best for professionals and will bring out the best of your learning experience all while building and polishing your skills.

Two-in-One Drum Pads

Double-sided pads are common in almost all drum pads, but this kind of durability and strength is hard to find. The 12-inch pad covers a range of sound dynamics all thanks to its two different surfaces. 

One is a hard rubber whereas the soft one is on the other side. The hard one gives a decent bounce to the pad with a great sound.

No less than a workout

While shifting from one sound area to the other, experimenting and playing with sounds will improve your stamina. Your hand and eye movements will surely practice coordination from day one.

Great Size

Usually, a 12-inch pad is, in one way or another, the standard size loved by professionals. Sporting a non-skid rubber base within this pad is also a great addition. It’s very easy to carry in your backpack, in your car, or even just your hands.

7. Offworld Percussion Invader V3 Practice Pad Best For Budget

If your demand is a practice pad that has some killer percussion power up its sleeves, then this might be the one thing you are looking for. Striking this drum pads give off a powerful and satisfactory sound, taking you back to the memories of the school marching band.

Rimmed Drum Pads

Meant for practicing drums, its pads are surrounded by Offworld’s patented rims. Strong and durable, this practice pad excellently imitates real snare drums perfectly. 

Rimshots provide a robust high volume and tone without damaging the stick itself. The experience is as real as an actual drum.

Flawless Surface

Invader V3 is made up of a special polymer substance that not only gives a great feel to the drum but is also perfect for marching bands or such sounds. DarkMatter’s bottom surface is made from a grip material. This keeps the pad in place, without wobbling or flickering.

Professional Standard Drum

As this drum and its standard pads perfectly replicate the sound and feels of a drum, it is the first choice of every professional drummer. The 14-inch snare drum is light in weight and is the best for the budget practice drum pad.

8. 12-inch Double-Sided Premium Practice Drum Pad

If you have know-how on the basics of drums, you will easily identify the perks and quality this practice pad has to offer. There are a total of four different surfaces that make this unit a great pick. 

These are a top, bottom, a laminated, and a conditioning surface. Movement Drum Company understands the need for a drummer and brings the desired features into their units.

Versatile Action

This premium pad boasts 4-in-1 action. Whether using it as a drum or marching snare, as a percussion tool or as a concert snare, the four different textured surfaces and their rims make it all possible.

Premium Surfaces

Made from silicon rubber, the top surface has a standard sound volume perfect for its use as a snare drum. On the other hand, the bottom has neoprene as its surface that offers an above-average sound level with a powerful snare hidden in it.

Rimmed Surface

All these surfaces are easy to remove and insert. This particular surface is silent and has a very low bounce to it. Along with this, a laminated surface marks its presence for loud and ultra-clear sound and notes. With this being said it is important to note that all inserted surfaces are fully rimmed.

9. The Drumeo P4 Practice Pad

With a wide range of differently priced drums, Drumeo is step by step taking over the drumming world. Effortless action and a durable body make it one of the most creative and powerful practice pads around.

Improve your Speed

Drumming requires precision and agility. Without it, you are just making a bunch of racket. The P4 practice pad ensures that while you are having a full-time practice, you do it the right way. 

After all, these years of hard work will eventually pay off in your unmatched abilities. Therefore, with its various playing surfaces, you can polish your ears along with your speed and nimble action.

Various Playing Areas

In this small and compact unit, you get a traditional snare-like practice pad along with three other surfaces to practice with. By quickly shifting from one plate to another, you can practice a variety of techniques. You may even change the settings to a high tom, floor tom, and a ride cymbal mode.

Colorful Surface

The blue surface indicates a snare drum, the black one goes for a hard rebound and the cream surface has a quiet action to it, perfect for a late-night jamming session. At last, would be our red surface that has a unique sound to it.

10. Ammoon 10 Inch Drum Practice Pad

The last item on our list is this 10-inch practice pad that comes in an ideal size and a versatile design. Made to feel like the real drum, this is one of the few practice pads that offer great accessories.

Quality Accessories

Nowadays, it’s hard to find standard accessories coming with a product. Though you can always buy them separately, nothing matches the standard and charm of a good bundle pack. 

To give you the real experience and perfect vibe of Ammoon’s 10-inch drum pad, a pair of drumsticks and a beautiful and durable carrying bag comes along as well.

Light on Shoulders

Whether you carry it in the case and around your shoulders or keep it in your hands, the unit is light as a feather without compromising on the material quality. Weighing a little over a pound, it is really convenient to use this for your drum practices.

Design and Built

As its name suggests, it comes in 10-inches size with the bottom surface covered with anti-slip design. The pad is tuned to get your notes in the right rhythm and is also rimmed. By doing this, the drumsticks don’t experience the hit and therefore, play for a long time, further, making the unit visually attractive and aesthetically pleasing.

Buying Guide

Before you plan on buying, make sure you keep these following points in mind to get the best out of your practice pad.

• Budget/Price

How much a drum pad costs is way more important than you think. If you are a beginner, then the price is the first thing to look for. Instead of buying an expensive unit, you can buy the same specs and features in a budgeted drum pad as well. Usually, they range from as high as $100 to as low as about $30. Choose wisely.

• Size

Size is another factor that most people overlook. It’s not the largest pad that’s good in performance, but the one that you can comfortably carry and control. You can find a drum pad in the standard drum size as well as back-pack sized pads. 

It all depends on the type of practice session you want to have. Though I won’t suggest going for the extra small ones as they can be a bit tricky, the medium-sized ones work great for beginners.

• Surface type

Drumming pads come in a variety of surfaces to offer various sounds and tones. As you intend to improve your drumming skills, it is important to experiment as much as you can with the sound and tones. It all depends on the material used for the surface. 

For example, using a hard-surfaced rubber will give a large sound and bounce while the soft rubber surface gives you a chance to experiment with the low tones.

As the drumming industry is expanding, the manufacturers have come up with clever and creative ideas. One such example is the creation of double-sided pads. 

Other than that, you may choose drumming pads that come with 3 to 4 inserted surfaces in the drum pad. In this way, you can experience multiple tones and dynamics all in one unit. 

So, it depends on your need and the level of practice you are doing.

• Portability

The reason why drummers opt for practice pads is because a full sized kit takes up a lot of space.  If space is your issue, then there are many size options to choose from.  Look up the product to see their portability features.  Make sure you keep the diameter and the snare stand height in mind, as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why and when do you need a drum practice pad?

If you are someone who is learning or wants to learn to drum, then the first stage instrument is the drum pad. You have to master it with sheer determination and skill to move on to the real drumming kit. 

As they imitate the action of the drum, any drumming professional can take up drum pads at any stage of their learning.

Our Favorite Drum Practice Pads

Check the list below for finding out the best practice drum pads.

• Remo RT-0008-00 8″ Gray Tunable Practice Pad Best Overall
• Offworld Percussion Invader V3 Practice Pad Best Budget
• Slint’s Practice Pad & Snare Stand Bundle Best For Beginners
• Vic Firth 12″ Double-sided Practice Pad Best For Pros

Conclusion

That was all about the best drum practice pad. No matter how quick you want your hands on your drum pads, you must study and research about the various styles of drum pads available.

I am signing off with this hope that this list has helped you out in finding your dream pad. Don’t give up and you’ll make it through.

Til then, Happy Practicing!