By Contributing Author Dango
Wondering what the best glowing drumsticks are? Check out our list of show-worthy light-up drumsticks.
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Recently I started getting asked about drum sticks that light up and I realized I had never used any glowing drumsticks before.
So this got me wondering how guys (and girls) whom I’ve seen playing with them on TV or in music videos make them work.
Do they glow-in-the-dark? Are they battery powered? Are they plastic or glass? Why don’t they break right away?
So I started digging and doing some research to see just what was available today for the best drumsticks that light up or glow.
5 Best Light-Up DrumSticks
If you’ve been wondering about these fun sticks that bring their own visual appeal, these are some of the top light-up sticks I’ve rounded up for you.
Vhffoso 15 Color Changing LED Light up Drum Sticks
- 1.The package included: Drum stick *2pcs (1 pair) Carrying bag*1 Charging cable *1
- 2.MULTICOLOR CHANGE: 15 color effects.
- 3.RECHARGEBLE BATTERY: built-in USB cable charging lithium battery
This set of light-up drumsticks includes one pair of sticks, a carrying bag and a charging cable.
So these plug in and charge up before use. This set features a lithium battery that can last up to 8 hours.
Not only that, but these sticks are able to change to 15 different colors, which is pretty cool for sure.
These claim to be durable, as most of the options on our list do.
From my research as well as my limited experience, they definitely aren’t strong enough to last for a full show. But visually, these ones look really good and can add some flair to a couple of songs in your set.
Trophy FX12GR Firestix Screamin Green
- Durable Lexan
- Light Up on Impact
- Includes Batteries
These light-up drumsticks have batteries in them, which you’ll obviously have to change periodically, depending on how often you use them.
This particular pair is different because they light up on impact and don’t stay on all the time.
They are also made of a hard plastic that is semi-durable.
I would recommend just using these for effect and not to play a whole show.
Each pair is only one color so you pick what you like, because these don’t change colors. They’re available in green, red, blue, orange, and purple.
Rockstix 2 Pro Colour changing LED light up sticks
- 13 Amazing Color Effects, when played, create amazing visual effects as they move through the air! With our fade effect.
- Motion Activated Light Up Drumsticks, "Lights up every beat"! Frosted Tips for Great Effects!
- As seen on DrumLine2 the Movie. Made from strong Poly-Carbonate! (as used in riot shields)
These are probably the most popular light up sticks available today.
These sticks are motion activated and change colors as you move. They have 13 colors that interchange and have frosted tips.
The brand boasts that these sticks were used in the movie Drum Line 2, which gives them a bit more credibility.
They are also made of a hard plastic that is used for riot shields and thus can withstand a bit more of a beating.
For the price, these are really one of your best options, though they still won’t likely last through an entire show of rocking out.
These come close to a size 5B which is close to the size of an actual stick. Some of the others are a more generic size.
They also have replaceable batteries.
Light Stix Radial 360 LED Drumsticks
No products found.
These sticks boast they are the best light up drumsticks because the lights cover all 360 degrees of the stick, with no dead spots.
These are motion activated and will light up to a bright red when playing. They also have frosted tips which stand out.
These are also made of a hard plastic used on riot shields and are really quite strong compared to some of the other options.
These sticks have changeable batteries as well, and are also available in green.
Light Stix LED Drumsticks Blue
No products found.
These light-up sticks are very similar to the last pair and are made of a hard clear plastic. They light up when swung around.
They are one color and just show blue.
They use replaceable batteries and come in at a similar price point to the others.
What to Consider when Buying Glowing DrumSticks
If you’re picking out a pair of light-up drumsticks, you’ll want to consider a couple of factors.
Color Choice
Your biggest question to consider is do you need the sticks to be a certain color, or to change colors?
Some of the models are only one color, whereas other models can change colors.
If you want sticks that change colors, then I would definitely get the Rockstix. If you just want one color then select one of the other options, depending on the specific color you want.
Power Source
Do you want a pair of sticks with a rechargeable battery, or do you want to simply change out the batteries when needed?
If you’re out on the road touring, you may want rechargeable batteries so you don’t have to worry about bringing replacement batteries with you or finding them while you’re out.
How Are You Using Them
It’s important to realize that it’s not really feasible to play an entire show with light-up drumsticks.
You can maybe play a song, or an intro. You can twirl them or play them lightly. But none of them are really built well enough to be playing hard, crashing on cymbals a lot, or hitting consistent rim shots.
Sonically, none of them will sound as great as your traditional sticks. They’re truly designed for the look, so be selective about when you use them.
Material and durability
All of these sticks are made of different kinds of plastic, so you probably won’t damage any drums or cymbals, but the material is worth considering if you have a collectors vintage drum and don’t want to risk it.
The material will also affect the longevity of the sticks.
Motion Activated
All of these sticks I reviewed are motion activated or light up when you hit them. None of them stay on all of the time.
It’s hard to find sticks that stay in a glowing mode during their entire use, and realistically those would be hard to see unless you were in pitch dark.
If you do enough looking around, you can probably find some glowing drumsticks that do stay on at all times, but that is far less practical visually on a stage with lights.
Our Top PickS:
The Rockstix 2 Pro would be my top choice simply based on sales, reviews, and popularity.
These sticks are all about the same quality and all in the same price range, but I think this company will be around the longest.
All of these sticks are made fairly cheaply in China and some of these companies come and go. And some will rebrand the exact same sticks and sell them with a new title and logo.
So just decide if you like one color or changing colors for your glowing drumsticks, and make your best pick based on that.
Good luck and have fun with them. Don’t take them too seriously and don’t expect them to play or feel like your Promark 5B’s. They are plastic and are designed for visual excitement.
When used in the right setting, they will be a crowd favorite.
- 13 Amazing Color Effects, when played, create amazing visual effects as they move through the air! With our fade effect.
- Motion Activated Light Up Drumsticks, "Lights up every beat"! Frosted Tips for Great Effects!
- As seen on DrumLine2 the Movie. Made from strong Poly-Carbonate! (as used in riot shields)
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