The Best Junior Drum Sets For Kids - A Guide For Grown-Ups
4-Piece Junior Drum Sets
Ludwig Questlove Pocket Kit
Ludwig has partnered with renowned Tonight Show and Roots drummer, Amir "Questlove" Thomson to create the Pocket Kit made for children ages 4-10 years old.
Aside from the hardware, it also includes access to a series of web-based lessons to help with drum 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 5" 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, also the construction of the shells. The quality of this drum set was even high enough for some adults to use and enjoy as a compact rehearsal kit. 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-sized professional drum kits. Some reviewers mentioned its factory included heads and cymbals were not as good sounding as they would have liked and replaced them right away.
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.
Pearl Roadshow RS584C/C
Pearl is a Japanese brand known the world over for quality drums and percussion instruments. The Road Show RS584C showcases why they continue to be in demand, with its good balance of specs and value, without compromising quality.
This particular 4-piece set comes with everything you need to start drumming; from kick, tom, floor and snare drums to the stands and arms that hold them, and it comes with a drum throne and drum sticks.
Items Included in this Drum Set:
- 18'' x 12'" Bass drum
- 10" x 7'' Tom tom
- 14'' x 10'' Floor tom
- 13'' x 5'' Snare drum
- 14" Hi-hats
- 16" Crash/Ride Cymbal
- Hi-hat stand
- Cymbal arm
- Snare stand
- Foot pedal
- Drum throne
- Drum sticks and stick bag
Specifications:
- 5 Available finishes (Aqua Blue, Charcoal Metallic, Bronze Metallic, Jet Black, Red Wine)
- 9-ply poplar wood shells
- Tunable and replaceable drumheads
Pros
Overall opinion of the Pearl Roadshow RS584C is quite positive, with many of the reviews coming from beginners or first time owners of a drum set. There is plenty of good feedback regarding the quality of its shells and included hardware and some that say they are a step up from other budget sets. Others are happy with its compact size. Interestingly, not all reviews are from beginners, because there are some who use this as their jazz set, and are impressed with its overall performance.
Cons
There were some who were not happy with the sound and build quality of the included cymbals which is a common gripe with budget drum sets. They should be good enough to start but we recommend replacing them once you or your little one is further along in their drumming journey.
Overall
If you're a beginner looking for a quality first set, or you're a professional drummer who wants a compact jazz kit to play with, then don't miss out on the Pearl Roadshow RS584C. Note that this kit might be a little bit too big for children under 5.
5-Piece Junior Drum Sets
Ashthorpe DRUM-S-JA-5327
The Ashthorpe Drums-S-JA-5327 is a junior sized drum set meant for drummers from 3 to 12 years old.
It comes complete with everything needed to play, along with accessories that include a drum throne and drum sticks.
Finally, this kid-friendly drum kit does not look like a toy with its nice finish options and all-chrome hardware and accents.
Items Included in this Drum Set:
- 16" x 11" Bass drum
- 11" x 7" & 10" x 7" Toms
- 13" x 10" Floor tom
- 12" x 5" Snare drum
- 10" Hi-hats
- 12" Crash/Ride Cymbal
- Hi-hat stand
- Cymbal Arm
- Snare stand
- Foot pedal
- Drum throne
- Drum sticks
Specifications:
- 6 Available finishes (Green, Black, Blue, Purple, Red, Silver)
- Poplar wood shells
- Tunable and replaceable drumheads
Pros
Many of the reviewers are parents who bought the Ashthorpe for their kids, and most of them agree that this is a great beginner drum set for the price. Its compact size gets a lot of thumbs up, with reports of it being comfortable for kids of different ages, even as young as 4 years old. It also helps that it doesn't look cheap, rather it is often praised for its pleasing appearance.
Cons
There are some reports of the instruction manual missing, while some parents found the manual to be difficult to follow. Some resorted to YouTube videos to help them assemble the kit. Also, the size of this kit is not as adult friendly as some junior kits are.
Overall
If you're looking for a budget friendly 5-piece drum set for your young ones to learn the ropes on, this one is highly recommended.
Mendini MJDS-5
This brand specializes in making Junior Drum Sets.
While they don't have the same prestige as brands like Ludwig and Pearl, 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 with their purchase 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. One common positive reported is how easy it was to assemble this drum set.
Cons
Some complained about the snare drum having the snare wires on the inside as opposed to on the outside of the drum without any way to adjust the tension though some listed this as a feature that is more child safe than conventional designs. Also, 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 for a kid's 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 Pearl kit below.
Pearl Roadshow Jr. RSJ465/C
As the name implies, this drum set is a slightly smaller version of their popular Roadshow series, meant to save space and make younger, smaller drummers more comfortable while playing.
While its size is small, it does carry with it the same quality shell material found on regular sized Pearl drums.
The Roadshow Jr. is not a toy meant to look like drums, it's a real, serious drum set scaled down for kids.
Items Included in this Drum Set:
- 16'' x 10" Bass drum
- 8" x 5" & 10" x 5.5" Toms
- 13'' x 8'' Floor tom
- 12'' x 4'' Snare drum
- 10" Hi-hats
- 13" Crash/Ride Cymbal
- Hi-hat stand
- Cymbal stand
- Snare stand
- Foot pedal
- Drum throne
- Drum sticks
Specifications:
- 2 Available finishes (Grind Stone Sparkle, Jet Black)
- 6-ply poplar shells
- Tunable and replaceable drumheads
Pros
Reviewers laud this drum set as having a tiny size but a big sound, receiving high praises such as it being a "pro" quality kit only smaller (the perfect size for even a 4 to 6 year old). There are also adults using this drum set, stating that it's a great compact kit to have for those with limited space and that the drum throne can carry a large adult if you're careful.
Cons
Some didn't like the fact that it didn't come with assembly instructions right out of the box but there is a video on Pearl's YouTube channel that helps with this.
Overall
If you're looking to get your young children their own quality 5-piece junior drum set then this is one of the better options on the market today.
Best Junior Drum Set Selection Methodology
The first edition was published in 2017 and the current edition was published on September 8, 2021.
For this 2021 edition, we looked at all the junior 3 to 5-piece drum sets listed for sale at the major online music equipment retailers in the USA and created a short-list of 12 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 Rating scores out of 100 that you see above - over 7,100 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.
About the Author and Contributors
Here are the key people and sources involved in this guide's production - click on linked names for information about their music industry backgrounds.
Lead Author & Researcher
Alden Acosta
I'm a drummer and former lead guitarist of the band Callalily, a platinum selling multi-awarded band from the Philippines. When not researching gear I'm learning to play bass.
As an experienced producer and musician, Alden loves to help fellow musicians find the right gear for the job. Aside from music, Alden's interests include: CS:GO and MLBB.
Contributors
Alexander Briones: Supplemental writing.
Jason Horton: Supplemental writing, Editing and Illustrating.
Media
Main/Top Image: Compiled using photographs of the Ludwig Questlove Pocket Kit and Pearl Roadshow Jr. RSJ465/C.
The individual product images were sourced from websites, promotional materials or supporting documentation provided by their respective manufacturers.
Comments
We have removed the GP
Submitted by Jason Horton on
We have removed the GP Percussion GP50 from the recommended list above due to a lack of availability.
Publication of our September
Submitted by Jason Horton on
Publication of our September 2021 Edition resulted in the Sound Percussion Labs Lil Kicker D1316 being removed from the recommended list above.
Hello, I have an average
Submitted by Jesse G (not verified) on
Hello, I have an average sized 7 year old who is recently started taking lessons, using the schools Mapex Tornado set. Would any or all of the above kits work with the Tornado as a home practice kit? Thank you
Although you could get any of
Submitted by Jason Horton on
Although you could get any of the 5-piece kits above, the Mapex Tornado is actually a full size adult kit, and the nearest one to that in terms of size and layout that we recommend is the Tama Imperialstar IE52C.
We have removed the GP
Submitted by Jason Horton on
We have removed the GP Percussion GP50 from the recommended list above due to it no longer being available.
As a result of our October
Submitted by Jason Horton on
As a result of our October 2020 update, the following drum set came of the recommended list above: Ludwig LJR106.
what is the best drum for a
Submitted by Gabe Hart (not verified) on
what is the best drum for a 12 year old
At that age, unless they are
Submitted by Jason Horton on
At that age, unless they are unusually small for a 12yo, we recommend moving up to an adult sized kit.
Here is the list of adult beginner drum sets we recommend.
Hi, I have a junior's drum
Submitted by Avery (not verified) on
Hi, I have a junior's drum kit now that I got from a family member, but the hi hat stand isn't working. I just discovered that the reason for this is that the hi hat cymbals are too heavy for the junior stand, and they were weighing it down. I'm going to get new hi hat cymbals soon, but I'm not sure what to get. Should I get extra thin or thin? Does the width make a difference in the weight?
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.
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.
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.
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.