This is a review of the best drum practice you can find right now.
The best practice pads are with various playing surfaces and trying to replicate the natural feel of real drums as much as possible.
As you can not practice with the real loud drums every time or can’t afford them, the practice pad becomes a convenient choice for drummers.
I’ve done in-depth research about which drum practice pad is best for you.
My conclusion is that the RealFeel by Evans Practice Pad-two sides is the best pad overall.
Each drum practice pad is different and can fulfill other purposes.
Keep reading to get the best for you!
The Best Drum Practice Pads
1. RealFeel by Evans Practice Pad two sides(Best overall)
2. The Drumeo P4 Practice Pad – Four Different Playing Surfaces (Best versatile option)
3. Movement Drum Co. the 12-inch Double-Sided Premium Practice Drum Pad (Best with a rim)
4. Remo Silentstroke Practice Pad (Best for budget)
5. Vic Firth 12 Inches Double-sided Practice Pad(Best for the basic choice)
6. SLINT Drum Pad Stand Kit (Best set)
7. Kibaga Double-Sided Drum Pad 12 inches (Best for a gift)
8. Offworld Percussion Practice Pad (V3) (Biggest size)
9. Drum Workshop Go Anywhere 5-Piece Set Practice Pad (Best if you can afford it)
10. EX Digital Practice Drum Pad with Drumsticks and Stand (Best for electronic choice)
10 Best Drum Practice Pads Reviewed
Here is the list of the best drum practice pad reviewed:
#1 RealFeel by Evans Practice Pad two sides(Best overall)
- Size: 6 inches or 12 inch
- playing surfaces: two sides, each one is a different playing surface
- Material: the top side is made from Natural Gum Rubber, and the bottom is from Hard Recycled Rubber
- Noise: The top side is quiet, and the bottom is a bit louder
For the price, this is one of the best exchanges for its excellent quality, and it also comes with two playing surfaces, so you won’t need to buy two pads instead.
If you don’t care too much about traveling with the pad or the space it takes, I suggest the 12-inch. Pair it with any standard snare drum basket as a stand to get a better technique than using it on your lap.
The quiet top side(the gray with the logo) has an excellent rebound, which is great for developing finger control, controlling the rebound, and practicing strokes. In contrast, the black bottom side is louder and with less bounce which is an excellent side for chop building and practicing on a different surface with less rebound.
Pros✅
- Great quality for the price
- Two playing surfaces
- Feeling realistic
Cons❌
- You better keep a distance between the wood and water
- The 12 inch is a little bit heavy
- It has a bit of a rubbery smell
#2 The Drumeo P4 Practice Pad – Four Different Playing Surfaces (Best versatile option)
- Size: 12 inch
- playing surfaces: four different playing surfaces
- Material: The blue playing surface is made from gum rubber, the black playing surface is from harder neoprene rubber, and the gray playing area is made from a material that mimics a quiet floor-tom feel. The red surface is tough and mimics the response of cymbals.
- Noise: Gray part is very, very quiet, and the blue part is also quiet but a bit louder than the gray. The black and red parts are louder.
With this practice pad, you get four playing surfaces which give you a versatile choice to practice, and it builds by the way you can practice the feel of moving around the playing surfaces like in the actual drum set.
Although this drum practice pad is a bit more expensive than the competitors, you get a great value with one of the best practice pads out today plus, this pad is the most versatile option with its four playing surfaces.
The blue part feels like a snare drum. The black side is similar to high-toms, the gray feel similar to Floor-toms, and the red feel similar to a ride cymbal. This variety will help you to develop more sense of the responsiveness of the different drum set parts.
Pros✅
- Replicate the feel of moving around the drum set
- It lets you work on independence techniques
- Four versatile playing surfaces
Cons❌
- A little bit more expensive
- You can’t mimic the feel of moving around the same as in an actual drum set.
#3 Movement Drum Co. The 12-inch Double-Sided Premium Practice Drum Pad, 3-in-1 Conditioning (Best with a rim)
- Size: 12 inch
- playing surfaces: Two sides with three playing surfaces
- Material: Top side with silicone rubber surface, the bottom side is hard neoprene
- Noise: Topside produces medium volume while the conditioning and the bottom are quieter
The top side is trying to mimic the feel and rebound of a snare drum, the bottom is a harder surface with less rebound, and the conditioning Surface that you can insert is without much rebound or noise, which is good for chop-building.
The top side also has raised “rim” that can add a rimshot sound when you practice.
This practice pad comes with only one conditioning while another version has two conditioning.
Pros ✅
- It has the raised rim
- Good build quality
- Double-sided with three playing surfaces
Cons ❌
- One conditioning instead of 2
- Only 12-inch option
#4 Remo Silentstroke Practice Pad (Best for budget)
- Size: 8 inch
- playing surfaces: One tunable playing surface
- Material: The bottom is made from anti-slip rubber the top is a mesh head
- Noise: Quiet
This “silentstroke” version is a much quieter version of the standard one, which is a bit too loud.
This practice pad is a great budget option if you don’t want to spend much on it but still get a product from a great company.
You can tune the playing surface to change the rebound level. This will help you to practice with more variety of rebounds.
Pros✅
- Not noisy like the other standard version
- Tunable playing surface
- Budget price
Cons ❌
- Only one size for this silentstroke version
- Only one playing surface
- It’s not 100% silent
#5 Vic Firth 12 Inches Double-sided Practice Pad(Best for the basic choice)
- Size: 12 inch
- playing surfaces: two playing surfaces on two sides
- Material: Rubber
- Noise: The gray part volume is low-medium while the black part is louder
This practice pad comes with two sides made from premium rubber which provides different intensities. The gray side offers a quiet, soft experience, so you can practice quietly while letting your roommates sleep.
The black side is the harder, louder surface, and with less rebound, you can use it to mimic a marching band drumhead feel and sound or to hear mistakes in your rudiments practice clearly.
Although this practice pad can be a little bit too noisy, It is easy to drum on and makes practicing fun.
Pros✅
- Good quality
- Double-sided
- Pretty durable
Cons ❌
- It could be a little be quieter
- A little bit too much rebound
- A Little bit expensive
#6 SLINT Drum Pad Stand Kit (Best set)
- Size: 12 inch
- playing surfaces: two playing surfaces on two sides
- Material: Natural rubber
- Noise: The primary orange side makes low-medium noise, and the other black side is quieter.
This practice drum pad is the best drum practice pad for beginners bundle, and it includes an adjustable snare stand, three pairs of drum sticks, and even holding bags for better portability. If you buy those products anyway, it makes the deal a significant consideration.
The practice pad is double-sided, and the orange topside makes some noise, so if you need to practice more quietly, you can flip it to the quieter black side.
But keep in mind that the black side doesn’t cover the wood plate all down to the edges as the orange side, so you can sometimes hit those edges and get a louder wood noise.
The adjustable snare stand can be short for some people, and you probably wouldn’t be able to play while standing.
Pros✅
- Extra stand
- Extra drumsticks
- Decent deal for the price
- Lifetime warranty
Cons ❌
- The adjustable stand can’t be taller
- The black part does not cover all the wood
- Only 12 Inch
#7 Kibaga Double-Sided Drum Pad 12 inches (Best for a gift)
- Size: 12 inch
- playing surfaces: two playing surfaces on two sides
- Material: Gray side from silicone, Rubber foam
- Noise: low – medium sound levels
This pad is double-sided for a good budget price. As well as all of the pads mentioned, this one would go great with a stand.
The gray side offers a great amount of rebound, great for developing finger control, controlling the rebound, and practicing strokes.
The black side offers fewer rebound, which is good because not all the drumheads have the same amount of rebounds.
The black side doesn’t cover all the wood plate, similar to the Slint drum pad.
Pros✅
- Good rebound
- Two sides
- Great price
Cons ❌
- The black part does not cover all the wood
- Only 12 Inch
#8 Offworld Percussion Practice Pad (V3) (Biggest size)
- Size: 13.75 inches
- playing surfaces: Topside is the main surface, but the bottom is also playable
- Material: Polymer surface on the main surface and a non-slip surface on the bottom
- Noise: low – medium sound levels
This pad is the biggest on this list, almost 14 inches, which fits nicely on top of a 14 inches drumhead or stand. The size, weight, and the non-slip bottom also make him sturdy and durable.
The main side also has a special durable rim that is designed to protect the sticks from damage. And it’s great for practicing marching music. But the rim can also make a louder noise than the surface itself, so you need to keep that in mind.
The pad material also turns dirty and less shiny within time, so you can fix it by waxing it.
Pros✅
- Sturdy and durable
- Patented rim
- Both side usable
Cons ❌
- Isn’t portable relatively
- It needs some extra maintenance
#9 Drum Workshop Go Anywhere 5-Piece Set Practice Pad (Best if you can afford it)
- Size: two 8 inch pads, two 10 inch pads, one bass drum pad
- playing surfaces: five playing surfaces, each separated
- Material: Natural feel material
- Noise: Quiet
With this product, you don’t only get one pad, but a set of two 8-inch pads reflecting tom and cymbal, two 10-inch pads mimicking snare and floor tom, and a bass drum pad, and all this set is mounted to a stand mimicking typical drum kit.
This allows you to practice coordination and is more similar to a genuine drum kit.
Another benefit of this practice set is attaching a pedal, practicing with your feet, and even using a double pedal. Keep in mind that this set doesn’t come with the pedals.
Pros✅
- Allow drumming movement
- Already on a stand
- Practice with the legs
Cons ❌
- Price is more expensive, relatively
- Some customers complain about pad positioning
- It does not include a pedal
#10 EX Digital Practice Drum Pad with Drumsticks and Stand (Best for electronic choice)
- Size: 10 inch
- playing surfaces: one
- Material: natural rubber gum
- Noise: Quiet to loud (volume controller)
This practice pad includes a stand, drumsticks, and holding bags. And it’s a good choice for beginners.
This electronic pad makes a beep able to make an electronic beep sound every time you hit it and adjust the volume level. If you need to practice without noise, you can use headphones.
This practice pad also has a built-in metronome beat counting feature and speed detection mode. Features that are helpful for a beginner to practice more effectively on timing and such.
Pros✅
- Digital features
- Include stand and drumsticks
- Good for beginners
Cons❌
- The speakers can only make an electronic beep sound
- Only one playing surfaces
Guide To Buying a Drum Practice Pad
When you reach to buy a practice pad, there are some factors worth considering.
What Makes it Good?
There are a variety of different drum practice pads. What is good for you isn’t necessarily good for others.
This section will expand on what makes a practice pad better and what is right for you.
How Much Versatility
Some drum practice pads are just one side with one playing surface.
But to get the most out of your money, There are drum practice pads with more playing surfaces.
Some playing surfaces are harder, some softer, and they sound different.
How Does It Feel
The feel of practicing on the drum practice pads may change with the section you practice on, so usually, one side or specific playing surface would fill differently.
Some playing surfaces can feel more like real drums, and some can feel more unrealistic, although they could still be fun to practice on.
Some practice pads have bouncy parts, so you can practice for a specific trait like building arm strength and endurance.
The important thing with the practicing feeling is that it will empower you to practice. If you have a drum practice pad you don’t like to practice on; you probably won’t do it or do it less.
How Much Noise It Makes
The noise of the drum practice pads is different for every pad, so you can check videos of it to hear if you like the noise it produces for example.
Some practice pads would be louder, but some can be quiet, so the better one depends on the situation. So if you like to hear what you practice loudly or need a more silent solution can change your choice.
How Much Its Portability
The bigger the practice pad, the less likely you will take him outside your place.
Some pads are more petite and compact, and it’s a very convenient way to give you fewer excuses to not take them with you for the journey outside.
Although a more oversized practice drum pad can be a nice thing to own, the cause here is more important.
There is a big difference in the weight of the small practice pad and the big one.
Although the big ones are usually more fun to play and solid while the smaller ones move around more often when practicing on them, it comes with just carrying them around.
Which Ones To Avoid
Some drums practice pads are controversial and a personal taste, but there is one kind that everybody doesn’t like, and they cost pretty much the same as the other competition.
They are made from rubber and usually called “Gladstone style practice pads” they’re generally supposed to be on the real drum to “mute” the sound or be on their own.
They feel bad and awkward and far from the real drums feel.
Who Is The Drum Practice Pad Is For
If you are a beginner in drumming, you probably want to go for a more suitable drumming practice pad for you. For example, a one that can help you increase muscle development or go with a simple pad that also does the job.
As a Beginner, you probably don’t want the most expensive drum practice pad with the most features.
While as a more skilled drummer, you want the practice pad with a more expensive build and more features.
How many similarities To The Real Thing
Your goal is to be better and improve your techniques on the actual drums, and some practice pads provide too much rebound and feel far from the real thing.
So if you have a specific technique you are aiming for, you should consider this part seriously.
What is The Build quality?
If you’re going to take the practice seriously, you want to think also about the product quality so it won’t wear out fast, making you spend unnecessary money.
Sometimes buying the more expensive products is the smartest and most economical move for the long term.
Why Do You Need One
Like all instruments, practicing on the instrument is the major key to success.
With the drum practice pad, you can quickly learn patterns, rudiments, and more essential things and work on your grips and muscle development.
Practicing on a regular basis will increase your skills and the ability to play better with more intuition and smoothly.
Practicing exclusively on the real drums is not realistic and comes with many problems, but you still need to do it from time to time.
Control Over The Noise
One reason to buy a practicing pad is to be able to practice without the real noisy drums.
Practicing a long time on real drums without earplugs is a big no-no to your ears, and practicing with the earplugs can be inconvenient.
If you don’t hate your family or neighbors, you don’t want to play all day with the loud noise of usual real drums or electronic drums.
Nobody wants to hear you practicing for a few hours every day.
Since some practice pads can be very quiet, you can also play on them every hour of the day, including nighttime when it’s illegal to make noise to the neighbors.
It Is Portability
If you take drumming seriously, you should practice daily or regularly.
The drum practice pad is a great compact solution for a vacation or a place without reachable drums to practice.
You can’t afford a real set of drums.
A real set of drums can be a costly expenditure that not everybody can make.
Although practicing only on the drum practice pad it’s not recommended because you want to feel the real rebound from an actual set of drums, It’s better to have something to practice with rather than nothing.
Should You Make Your Own
In my opinion, you should buy real and good practice drum pads rather than making them yourself. This is because making it yourself will also cost money and take from your time.
Buying a budget practice pad is not that expensive and can be cheaper than buying all the items for your DIY one.
I once read an article about a guy who tried to build an oven from scratch and ended up paying multiply twenty of a regular branded one, and it broke after a few days.
Of Course, making an oven is a much harder thing to make, but you got the main point.
To Sum Up
As a drummer, it’s essential to own a practice pad to keep your skills sharp or develop them.
In my opinion, the best overall choice is the RealFeel by Evans Practice Pad two slides. Excellent quality for the price, two playing surfaces, and a fantastic feel.
