Are you planning to buy a starter drum set for your child? Are you looking for the best beginner drumset among the more compact options?

Playing the drums can be a great creative outlet for many kids and having the right instrument can spell the difference between a passing interest and a lifelong passion for drumming.

We put together this guide to help parents find the best drum kit for kids. Featuring decently priced and high quality junior drum kits to help get your son or daughter started.

If your child is older than 10, or if they're tall for their age, please refer to our guide for full-sized beginner drum sets though some of the drums listed here can also be used by adults as a jazz kit or compact kit.

The Best Junior Drum Sets for Kids - 2023.4

	Gearank*		SRC*	Check Price
4-Piece Junior Drum Sets
	Ludwig Questlove Pocket Kit	94	500+	Sweetwater Amazon
5-Piece Junior Drum Sets
	Ashthorpe DRUM-S-JA-5327	90	800+	Amazon
	Mendini MJDS-5	90	4050+	Amazon
	Pearl Roadshow Jr. RSJ465/C	94	125+	Sweetwater Amazon

*Notes: Gearank = Rating score out of 100. SRC = Sources, number of gear owner and user opinions analyzed to produce a product's Gearank Rating. Further details: How Gearank Works.

Things to Know Before You Buy a Drum Set for Kids

• What is a junior drum set?

  While there is no 'official' definition, we characterize junior drum sets as being smaller versions of adult drum sets to accommodate for small children. For this guide, we only considered drum kits with 18 inch or smaller diameter bass drums (usually the largest drum piece in the set), including some 'Jazz' kits (which traditionally come in smaller sizes) that are also played by adults, whereas full-sized kits usually have kick drums that are 20 inches or larger.

• What age groups are junior drum sets for?

  There's no exact answer here because it depends partly on their height but these are best suited for children aged from 3 to 10. For children who are taller than average, or older than this range, then we recommend getting a full-sized kit - see our guide to The Best Beginner Drum Sets.

• Does it have everything kids need?

  Some junior drum sets and beginner drum kits on the market don't come with hi-hat cymbals. If you want your kid's drum set to help them to learn to play properly then you need to get a basic drum set. It should have hi-hats, at least 1 crash cymbal, at least 1 tom, a snare, a bass/kick drum and a throne/stool to sit on. All of the drum sets we've recommended below are full kits including the cymbals, a stool and cymbal stands.

• Should you get ear protection for kid drummers?

  Yes. Drums and cymbals are loud and prolonged exposure can lead to hearing damage.You can find a list of the highest-rated earplugs in our guide to The Best Earplugs For Musicians. Another quiet way of learning the drums is the use of a practice drum pad.

• What does the number of pieces mean?

  Only the drums are counted as the pieces - cymbals and other items are not included in the count. So when a drum set has a snare, kick drum and 3 toms, this adds up to 5 pieces. This is what you'd expect from a typical 5 piece drum kit.

• How many pieces are best?

  A 5-piece beginner drum kit is best because if the child really gets into drumming this will give them a better grounding in drumming techniques. However, if space is limited, a 3-piece kit will take up a bit less space both when set up and when packed up for transport to play with others. A 4-piece kit would be a good compromise between space requirements and being a 'complete' drum set.

• Drum Sticks

  Usually, these are included when you buy a junior drum set but not always and it's frustrating to have your kit delivered without sticks. We recommend buying a couple of sets of different stick sizes and weights: Vic Firth Kidsticks (light) at Amazon - Vic Firth 5A (medium) at Amazon - Vic Firth 5B (heavy) at Amazon. It's important to know that sticks wear out and break so you really should have a spare set on hand for when the inevitable happens.

• Drum Sizes

  In this guide, we state the diameter first, then the depth. So a 10" x 5" snare is 10" in diameter and 5" deep. Some manufacturers and retailers state the measurements the other way around. If a junior drum kit is still too big for your child, you can go for a toddler drum set, just note that fast growing kids may quickly outgrow them.

• What age groups are junior drum sets for?

  There's no exact answer here because it depends partly on their height but these are best suited for children aged from 3 to 10. For children who are taller than average, or if you're looking for a drum set for teenager, then we recommend getting a full-sized kit - see our guide to The Best Beginner Drum Sets.

Some Helpful Drum Set Terminology

• Drum Kit vs Drum Set - These terms are essentially interchangeable and mean the same thing at music retailers. Another term used is percussion drums set
• Hardware - This refers to the stands, pedals and other metal parts of a drum set that aren't the actual drums or cymbals. Don't expect premium hardware in a Childs drum set
• Ply - A ply is a single layer of wood. Drum shells are typically made from multiple layers of wood so a 9 Ply shell means it has 9 layers. Hardwood shells are priced at a premium.
• Drum Shell Pack - This refers to a package that only includes the drum shells. It may or may not include mounting hardware.
• Drum Throne vs Drum Stool - Both these terms mean the same thing, it's the seat you sit on to play drums.
• Kick Drum vs Bass Drum - In terms of drum sets these terms are also interchangeable and mean the same thing. Technically a kick drum is designed to be used with a kick pedal but there are bass drums not designed for that purpose such as ones you might see played in an orchestra or marching band.
• Drum Key - This is used to loosen and tighten the lugs on your drums to tension and tune them to the pitch you want.
• Electronic Drum Set - Also called e kit, these are quieter alternatives to an acoustic drum set. They use drum pads as triggers and produce sound through an amplifier or headphones, which is ideal for student drummers. Our guide to the best electronic drum set for beginners looks at the top rated e-drum kits in more detail.

The Best Junior Drum Sets - Detailed Descriptions