The Best Junior Drum Sets For Kids - A Guide For Grown-Ups
3-Piece Junior Drum Sets
GP Percussion GP50
Street Price:
Manufacturer:
This is a budget kit and the highest-rated 3-piece junior kit available at the time of publication for the second year in a row.
Items Included in this Drum Set:
- 16" x 11" Bass Drum
- 10" x 5" Snare
- 10" x 6" Tom
- 10" Crash Cymbal
- Hi-Hats
- Bass Drum Pedal
- Throne
- Drum Key
- Drumsticks
- All stands and hardware included
Specifications:
- 6 lug bass drum
- 5 lug tom
- Single braced hardware
Pros
It gets good reviews for durability with some parents reporting that it's still going strong well after a year since they bought it. Many people said in their customer reviews that it was fairly easy to set up when it arrived, however, some said the exact opposite. The number of people who found assembly relatively easy well outnumbered those who had trouble with it. While it can't be considered a 'professional' drum kit, it does the job well of introducing young children to the instrument and it will last long enough for them until they require moving up to a higher level kit.
Cons
The main complaints were about the quality of the cymbals - quite a common complaint with budget drums. There were a few complaints about the difficulty in setting up the kit, some suggested there should be better instructions included and some said parts should be labeled. It only has single braced hardware, but that's strong enough for young kids - just be careful about letting adults sit on the drum throne.
Overall
Several customers said that this kit is good for 8-year-olds or younger, but probably too small for older children.
Sound Percussion Labs Lil Kicker
This is another budget 3-piece drum set that has received many positive reviews from people who bought it for children 5 years old and under.
Items Included in this Drum Set:
- 16” x 12” bass drum
- 10” x 4” snare
- 8” x 5” tom
- Hi-hats
- Crash/ride cymbal
- Adjustable height cushioned drum throne
- Kick pedal
- Drum tuning key
- Drum sticks
- Set up instructions
- All stands and hardware included
Specifications:
- CPSIA certified for ages 3 and up
- Available in black, wine red and white finishes
- Multi-ply wood shells
- Tunable and replaceable drumheads
- Single braced hardware
Pros
This has been on our recommended list since January 2017 and it continues to get our stamp of approval due to the ongoing positive reviews it has accumulated. "A good starter kit for toddlers" was a common sentiment in customer reviews. Most people were happy with the sound of the bass drum and the snare. Although it only has single braced hardware most people reported that it was sturdy enough for children.
Cons
Many people who know a bit about drum sets said the cymbals were rather weak sounding, but that's a common complaint with junior kits. One reviewer counted this as positive because the cymbals weren't loud.
Overall
Most parents and grandparents reported that their little drummers were very pleased with their new drum kit when they got this.
4-Piece Junior Drum Set
Ludwig Questlove Pocket Kit
Ludwig has partnered with renowned drummer, Amir "Questlove" Thomson to create the Pocket Kit made for children ages 4-10 years old. Aside from the hardware, it also includes all access to a series of web-based lessons to help with key setup, adjustment and playing technique.
Items Included in this Drum Set:
- 16" x 12" Bass drum
- 10" x 6" Tom tom
- 13" x 10" Floor tom
- 12" x 16"Snare drum
- Foot pedal
- Hi-hat stand
- Cymbal arm
- Snare stand
- Drum throne
- Drum sticks
- Drum key
- Hi-hats
- Crash/Ride Cymbal
Specifications:
- Hardwood shell material
- Comes in a black, silver or red sparkle finish
Pros
A lot of reviewers praised the quality of its hardware, especially the construction of the shells. Its cymbals also have a fairly decent sound for a beginner kit. Many of them found it easy to assemble and tune within a few hours with the help of the video tutorials. One user pointed out that it had extra useful components that aren't usually found in inexpensive drum sets, such as memory locks for the cymbal arm, thread lubricant for the lugs and a rubber protector pad that's used to attach the kick pedal to the kick drum.
Cons
Several reviewers held this kit to a higher standard than they would with other small drum sets due to it being from such a well-respected brand known for their full-size professional drum kits. Some reviewers mentioned its factory heads were not as good sounding as they would have liked and replaced them with new drum heads. A few reports said this is a bit too big for under-fives. It disappointed some since it did not come with an instructional manual, although the videos on the manufacturer's website were informative.
Overall
This is a great beginner's drum kit with an exceptional value for its price. Just beware that it might be a little too big for kids under 5.
5-Piece Junior Drum Sets
Mendini MJDS-5
This brand specializes in making Junior Drum Sets, and while they don't have the same prestige as brands like Ludwig, they provide good value at a lower price point which is important if you're not sure whether your junior drummer will want to continue playing once the novelty factor wears off.
Items Included in this Drum Set:
- 16" x 11" Bass drum
- 10" x 5" Tom tom
- 8" x 6" Tom tom
- 12" x 10" Floor tom
- 10" x 6"Snare drum
- Foot pedal
- Hi hat stand
- Cymbal arm
- Snare stand
- Drum throne
- Drum sticks
- Drum key
- 8" Hi-hats
- 10" Crash Cymbal
Specifications:
- Laminated wood shells
- Comes in a range of colors including metallic silver, metallic black, metallic green, metallic blue, metallic wine red, and metallic bright red.
Pros
Most owners are quite pleased saying words to the effect that this is a good starter kit for the price. Positive reports came from those who bought it for kids ranging in age from 2.5 to 10 years old. There were quite a few customer reviews written 6 or more months after purchase saying that the kit was reasonably durable and still going strong.
Cons
Some parents who bought this as an upgrade for children who already had a smaller 3-piece set, and had shown they were really into drumming, were disappointed that this kit turned out to be 'entry-level' when they were expecting higher quality - if you're looking for an upgrade for a youngster with drumming experience then we recommend going for one of the Ludwig drum sets instead. There were a few complaints about shipping issues with people receiving kits with missing or damaged parts - although it's only a minority of customer reports it is something to consider if you want to have time to get replacements when you're buying this for a special time like a birthday.
Overall
This is a good option as a first drum set, however, if you're looking to upgrade from a 3-piece set then try to see if your budget can stretch to the Ludwig kit below.
Ludwig LJR106 Junior
Ludwig is the biggest brand included in this guide and their full-sized professional kits are endorsed by numerous successful and well-known drummers.
Although the lower-priced 3-piece kits above got slightly higher ratings, this more expensive drum set comes with higher quality hardware. The reason this kit received slightly lower ratings than the previously mentioned kits is that Ludwig appears to have been held to a much higher standard than those lesser-known brands.
Items Included in this Drum Set:
- 16" x 10" Bass Drum
- 12" x 4" Snare
- 8" x 5" Mounted Tom
- 10" x 5" Mounted Tom
- 13" x 10" Floor Tom
- 10" Crash Cymbal
- 8" Hi-Hats
- Throne/Stool
- Kick Pedal
- All necessary hardware is included
- NB: Drum Sticks are not officially listed as part of the package and although some people say they did get sticks with their order, it would be wise to buy your own set - you can order these from Amazon.com.
Specifications:
- The Hi-Hat stand is double braced.
- The other hardware is single-braced.
- The shells are multi-ply but the number of plys is not specified.
Pros
The response to the overall quality was positive in many customer reviews and there were even positive comments about the cymbals - sometimes with a disclaimer that they're not professional cymbals but good for the price. The sound of the drums was also cited quite positively for a junior kit. In addition to good reviews from non-musician parents, there were also many experienced drummers and musicians that gave this kit positive reviews.
Cons
One of the most common complaints was that assembly instructions were not included with delivery, although this was not the case for everyone - you can download detailed assembly instructions from Ludwig. Some experienced drummers didn't like the drum heads or cymbals and said they would or have replaced them - these people seemed to be measuring this junior kit against the standards they're used to from full-sized Ludwig kits.
Overall
If the child you're buying a drum set for already has experience and has displayed an interest in continuing to improve their skills, then it's probably worth the additional investment in buying this kit. This is the one I would recommend as your first option if you have no budget limitations because of its durability, big-brand backing, and overall build quality.
Here's a video of a 3-year-old playing a Ludwig LJR106 Junior 5-Piece Acoustic Drum Set:
Best Junior Drum Set Selection Methodology
This guide was first published on Jan. 24, 2017 and the last major update was published on Aug. 28, 2019.
For this 2019 update, we looked at all the junior 3-piece and above drum sets listed for sale at the major online music equipment retailers in the USA and created a short-list of 11 kits for detailed analysis. We gathered information from both customer and expert reviews which we have summarized in the descriptions above. We also fed that data into the Gearank Algorithm to produce the Gearank customer satisfaction scores out of 100 that you see above - over 2,100 individual rating sources were examined during this process. We then selected the highest rated models to recommend in each category of 3, 4 and 5 piece kits. For more information about our methods see How Gearank Works.
Need Help Selecting a Child's Drum Set?
If you have any questions about junior drum sets just ask them in the comments section below and a member of the Gearank team or our musician audience will answer them for you.
Comments
What is the best drum for a 6
Submitted by Norris (not verified) on
What is the best drum for a 6 year old?
All of the options listed
Submitted by Jason Horton on
All of the options listed above are suitable, however I wouldn't get the more expensive ones unless you know they are committed to playing long term.
My son is 9 years old but the
Submitted by Wendy (not verified) on
My son is 9 years old but the size of an 11 year old. This would be his 1st drum set. What would be your recommendation? He is 5ft weighing 125pd...
Your son is already getting
Submitted by Jason Horton on
Your son is already getting too tall for one of these small drum kits, so he would be much better served with a full adult sized kit which he won't outgrow.
Take a look at our guide to Beginner Drum Sets.
Unless you're absolutely certain he's going to stick with playing drums, I'd go for one of the less expensive options in that guide.
My son has turned everywhere
Submitted by Adewale (not verified) on
My son has turned everywhere to drum in the house since he was 20 months. Can I get a drum for him for his birthday? The passion was too much. He will be 2yrs old in few days.
Hi, my son is almost 7 but is
Submitted by Graham (not verified) on
Hi, my son is almost 7 but is already about 4' 3" and growing about 2.5 - 3.0 inches per year. He is having lessons on a full size kit and copes OK but it is a little wide for him. If he keeps going as he is presently, I expect to buy his first kit at the end of the year, would you agree I'm best choosing a full kit for him that he will soon grow into? Many thanks!
It sounds like he might on
Submitted by Jason Horton on
It sounds like he might be on the cusp of moving up to a full size kit - I would suggest asking his drum teacher whether or not a bigger kit would be best to save having to buy another larger kit too soon afterwards.
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