The 5 Best Drum Practice Pads

Not all drum practice pads are created equally–read our reviews of the best drum practice pads to find out which option is best for your needs!

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As a drummer, practicing is absolutely essential. It’s the only way to maintain and improve your skills, which is an absolute must in a competitive industry. This is true whether you are as beginner, intermediate, or professional.

Drum practice pads make it easier for you to hone your skills. Whether you need to practice rudiments on-the-go or simply need a quieter option for practicing at home, we’ve done the research for you so you can choose a practice pad with confidence.

The Best drum practice pads – Our top Picks

Our top three picks are the Evans Realfeel practice pad, the Remo tunable practice pad, and the Movement Co. practice pad.

Read on to learn more about all of our top picks, including pros and cons of each, so you can choose the option that suits you best.

Evans Realfeel Practice Pad

The Evans Realfeel practice pad is a great affordable option that comes in three different sizes: 6-inch, 7-inch, or 12-inch.

Any of these sizes could be easily transported, and the 12-inch size will also fit in a snare stand.

The double-sided pad features two different striking surfaces, depending on what you need at a given time. One side has a gum rubber texture finished with a fabric for added durability. This side offers realistic rebound, so your hands will feel more at home when you move back to a real drum.

The second side is a firmer recycled rubber, which offers a louder sound but less rebound, making it ideal for strengthening and improving endurance.

Pros:

• Two surfaces makes this practice pad extremely versatile.
• The 12-inch size is ideal for portability, as it can easily fit into a bag.
• The 12-inch option weighs only about 3.5 lbs., making it heavy enough to be sturdy but not too heavy to carry around.
• Affordable option for those on a budget.

Cons:

• Some users have reported the rubber not being glued extremely well to the particleboard base, and others have noted a chemical smell from the glue.

Movement Drum Co. Practice Pad

This double-sided 12-inch pad boasts four surfaces for striking, including a full rim, making it an ideal pad for marching percussionists.

The Movement Drum Co. pad includes a silicone rubber surface meant to mimic that of a snare drum, a harder neoprene surface that gives less rebound, a conditioning surface insert that provides a quieter sound, and a louder laminated surface insert that provides better articulation and clarity of sound.

The thicker conditioning surface provides one more similar to a real drum, which helps your hands feel more at home when you move back to the real thing.

The clear laminate surface provides a clear, crisp sound that helps you to really hear how you’re playing.

Pros:

• A variety of surfaces makes this practice pad extremely versatile.
• The 12-inch size is ideal for portability, as it can easily fit into a bag.
• Plastic rims give added simulation for rim shots.

Cons:

• The pad weighs about 4.5 pounds, which can add weight to your bag.
• This option is a little pricier than other pads.
• It can be a bit loud, especially if using the laminate surface insert.

Remo Tunable Practice Pad

Remo makes a practice pad that can be tuned, and it comes in three different sizes: 6-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch.

This classic practice pad features a coated drumhead for a realistic striking surface, but this does make it a louder option than other practice pads.

The underside is a nonslip surface so it can easily be set on a table top or other surface. The practice pad can also be mounted, if preferred.

One unique feature of Remo’s practice pad is its tension rods that can be adjusted to your preferred tension.

The smaller size of these pads can be helpful for improving strike accuracy, and this pad could be a good choice for concert percussionists.

Pros:

• Adjustable tension.
• Different size options available.
• Weighing a little over a pound, this is a lightweight option for portability.
• Inexpensive practice pad for those on a budget.

Cons:

• Only features one striking surface.
• Louder than some other practice pads, due to the coated drumhead surface.

Vic Firth Heavy Hitter Slim Pad

The Vic Firth Heavy Hitter Slim Pad is a hard-surface practice pad ideal for marching drummers.

This pad has a thin, hard rubber surface meant to mimic a high-tension marching snare, offering quick rebound and tight articulation.

It’s lightweight and has a wooden base with a nonslip surface on the underside, so it can be used on a table top, placed in a snare stand, or simply set on your lap.

Pros:

• Great size and weight for portability.
• Ideal for marching drummers.
• Mid-range pricing.

Cons:

• Doesn’t feature a rim.
• Louder than some other practice pads.

DRUMEO P4 Practice Pad

The Drumeo P4 Practice Pad boasts 4 different striking surfaces meant to mimic different parts of a drum set.

The four surfaces are spread over three different elevations, which can promote “moving around” the pad as you would with a regular kit, allowing you to develop speed and control as you practice.

Because they’re on three different levels, you’ll notice different rebound from the different surfaces.

The blue lower striking surface is a standard gum-rubber that simulates a snare, while the black surface is a neoprene-rubber designed to give the feel of a high tom.

The cream surface is the quietest of the four, meant to simulate a floor tom (also great for late-night practice when you need less sound), and the red surface is the hardest surface, designed to emulate a ride cymbal.

It’s lightweight and has a wooden base with a nonslip surface on the underside, so it can be used on a table top, placed in a snare stand, or simply set on your lap.

Pros:

• Includes four different striking surfaces.
• 12-inch size is ideal for portability.
• Weighs about 3.5 lbs, making it heavier than some options but still light enough to transport.
• Can fit in a snare stand.

Cons:

• Pricier than other options.
• Some users have complained that the construction is a little sloppy (especially for the price), with glue visible on the pad.

Why do you need a drum practice pad?

Having the ability to practice almost anywhere means that you can fit more practice into your day. Every little bit of practice adds up, so even small bursts of time focused on honing your craft can make a big difference over time.

Whether you’re trying to keep up your chops or learn new rudiments, having easy access to a practice pad means you can sharpen those skills frequently.

Drum practice pads can also be a great way to warm up backstage before a show, improving flexibility and stick control before your set.

4 important features to Look for in a drum practice pad

Whether you’re just starting out or have been drumming for years, there are some key features to consider when choosing the best drum practice pad for your needs.

You have to actually use the drum practice pad in order to get any benefits from it, so choosing one that you’ll be motivated to use is important.

How the Practice Pad Feels to You

It’s important that your drum practice pad feels good to you, otherwise you’ll never use it.

For instance, if the practice pad has too much rebound, it won’t have the right feel to it, and can result in poor technique when you switch back to playing on your real drums.

Practice Pad Ease of Transport

If a practice pad is too heavy or bulky to transport from place to place, you’ll leave it at home and it won’t get used.

You want to choose a practice pad that’s portable enough to easily go from place to place, whether you’re traveling on tour buses and airplanes or simply carrying it around school in your backpack.

Size of the Practice Pad

While size correlates somewhat with portability, the dimensions of the practice pad can also be a determining factor.

For instance, you may want a larger practice pad that will fit in your snare stand, allowing quiet practice time at home.

On the other hand, you may want a smaller practice pad that can be tucked into a backpack.

Where you intend to use the pad the most will be a deciding factor in the size you need.

Noise produced by the Practice Pad

The surface of the drum practice pad dictates what kind of noise it produces. Obviously, a firmer surface will create more noise than a softer, gummy surface. Many drum practice pads include both types of surfaces, allowing you the freedom to choose.

If you will be practicing in an area where the noise matters, you’ll want to choose a pad that includes a softer surface and produces a quieter sound.

Are Practice Pad Drum Sets Useful?

Practice pad drum sets can be a great way to practice your skills on a kit without actually using a full kit setup.

This enables you to practice with the simulated experience of the full kit, including a wider range of motion and multiple surfaces to strike, but with less noise and without the hassle of transporting an entire drum set.

Drum Workshop makes a 5-piece practice pad set called Go Anywhere. The sets of pads can be arranged to resemble your normal acoustic kit setup, with the exception of cymbals.

These practice pad drum sets can be especially useful for touring musicians or those who simply need to limit their noise while practicing.

Our Top Drum Practice Pad Pick

For best in show, we’ve chosen the Evans Realfeel double-sided pad.

Its durability, ease of transport, and simplicity of two different striking surfaces make it the ideal practice pad for most drummers.

It’s a tried-and-true classic pad that comes at a moderate price point, making it affordable for even those who are just getting started.

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