Best Snare Drum Heads: 5 Top Picks for All Levels

By Contributing Author Dango

Our list of the best snare drum heads available today has you covered, whether you’re recording, playing live shows, or just starting out!

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Finding your snare drum sound is one of the most individual parts of being a drummer. From picking the drum, to the heads, to the tuning, it’s all part of your own sound.

Drum heads have been around since drums were invented and the original heads were all made by animal calfskin stretched over the drums.

In 1950, Evans was the first modern drumhead company to launch, Remo came a few years later in 57, and Aquarian came along in 1980.

All 3 of these companies make great products, and different tastes and opinions favor each one.

5 Best Snare Drum Heads

Snare drums come in different diameter sizes, measured in inches, such as 13″, 12″, 10″, and some custom sizes. For the purposes of our review, we’ll look at 14′ snares, since those are the most common.

There are so many factors to consider when picking a drum head, such as the drum material and depth, the music, the volume being played, and the style of the player.

The good news is that drum heads aren’t super expensive, which makes it really easy to try out lots of different options, even on just one drum, to get a different sound and feel. 

Remo Coated Ambassador

Remo’s flagship snare head that has been around the longest for them is the Ambassador.

It’s a single ply, 10 mil mylar film, coated texture, medium weight head. It works for a range of musical styles, from jazz all the way to rock.

The coating sounds great with brushes and the snare is wide open and ringing.

This head works especially well when tuned medium to high. You may need gel or tape if the overtones are an issue, but most drums can sound good with a 1 ply head tuned up.

The biggest downside to the Ambassador is durability, because heavy hitters will dent this head quickly. From my own experience I have dented clear and coated ambassadors in 1 single take recording.

You can’t go wrong with this head, but it won’t last forever. 

Evans UV1 Coated & Evans G1 Coated

Evans heads are made of a different film than Remo and create a slightly different tone. These two Evans heads, the UV1 and the G1, are similar specs to the Ambassador so I’ve listed both.

Both of these heads are medium weight and offer a wide open, versatile sound. For the longest time, Evans’ standard 1-ply snare head was the G1, but they recently added the UV1 and UV2 lines. It’s really just preference between the G1 and UV1 as neither are “better” than the other.

The UV1 features a new patented UV coating that is more durable than the old Evans coating. Evans coating doesn’t generally wear off like Remo, but it’s also less textured.

Of these two Evans, I personally prefer the UV1. You won’t hear a huge difference when A/B testing them in my opinion, but the UV1 is definitely more durable than the G1 or the Remo Ambassador. 

Remo Emperor X Coated

 The Remo Emperor X is a 2-ply head that comes in clear or coated finishes and is a super popular option for snares or toms.

When Remo launched the Emperor X, I was really impressed with this head for rock music or heavy hitters. It features 2-plys of 10 mil, and a 5 mil reverse dot.

This head is super durable and controls most overtones which makes it great for heavy metal shelled drums.

The biggest complaint is that it’s too dry for some players or styles of music. But it’s a great option if you want durability and tone combined.

This is my favorite snare head that Remo makes.

Evans Genera HD

The HD head from Evans is one of its secret weapons because it falls right between the power center reverse dot (1-ply with dot), and the Heavyweight (2-ply with dot).

Remo and Aquarian offer those two configurations, but only Evans has this type of head (to my knowledge). It features 2 plies, but one is 5 mil and one is 7.5 mil, and also a floating 2 mil control ring.

So it has the durability of a thinner, two-ply head, yet it’s more sensitive than the super durable Heavyweight model, or Emperor X. And the control ring really focuses the attack of this drum.

I have used this head a lot on tour for a perfectly EQ’d sound right after putting it on. This head tunes low to medium very well, which is a big plus for today’s modern music.

My only complaint is that it’s too dry for some scenarios, as all 2-ply are for me personally. I don’t use it for brushes or quiet playing. It’s my favorite head for rock.

The HD head is also offered in a “dry” version that features vents all the way around. This is a super popular option but it’s too dry for my preference on any drum.

The HD is my go to head on tour when playing rock music. 

Aquarian Texture Coated with a Dot

In general, I personally have the least experience with Aquarian. Outside of their Superkick heads, I don’t remember ever having a great experience with any of their heads.

With that said, they still make a good product, and if you dig into their lines, I’m sure you will find some you love.

However, this head is one of their more popular because it features a 10 mil 1-Ply coated head with a dot. It is their rival to the Remo CS Dot and the Evans Power Center Reverse Dot.

All of my years of gigs and touring have been on Evans and Remo heads, so I checked with a few Aquarian artist buddies in town and they said this is the one to go with. 

As a company, Aquarian is a bit smaller than Evans and Remo, which makes it harder to find replacements when traveling due to their distribution. But you should be able to at least find 14” snare heads from every brand wherever drumheads are sold.

Definitely check this one out if you get a chance.

Evans Power Center Reverse Dot

This is the most versatile Evans snare head, in my opinion.

The Power Center Reverse Dot features a single ply of 10 mil and a dot underneath that’s 5 mil. The most unique thing is the dot, which has notches in it that let it breathe and move with more flexibility than a Remo or Aquarian dot.

This head tunes high or low and it still works with brushes. The dot gives it a more focused attack and also adds that durability so it won’t divot immediately.

This head is still quite open and may require some gel or muffling in some scenarios.

The other advantage this head has over Remo is the glue on the dot. Most Nashville pro drummers who use and endorse all three of these brands will tell you that Remo has far more cases of dots falling off the head into the drum than Evans does.

I highly recommend this head and use it for most snares in the studio for any style of music. I also use it for most snares on any touring I do in the country, folk, pop, and worship genres.

Different Types of Drum Heads

There are so many options for snare heads these days that it can be overwhelming.

It used to just be a matter of choosing between single- and double-ply, but now there are even more choices available, from coated or clear, dot or no dot.

If you’re a light player then stick with the single-ply heads and get the most tone out of a drum. You can always control the ring with gel or tape.

If you are a heavy hitter then look at two-ply options or at least an option with a dot. 

If you love Evans, then try the Reverse Dot or the HD. If you love Remo, then try the CS Dot or the Emperor X.

If you are totally undecided or have no preference, the single ply options from each are the least expensive, so pick one and give it a try. 

Things to Consider When Buying Snare Drum Heads

Most of these heads only cost between $18-25, so the most important thing to keep in mind is that you’re not married to one snare head for the life of the drum.

One of the best ways to learn is to experiment with different options and see what you like.

Also, try playing the drum under a mic and see what it sounds like.

I started tuning my drums much differently once I starting using in-ear monitors because I realized just cranking the top and bottom head made every snare sound like a piccolo.

But once you start dropping the tuning, it’s harder to get and keep in tune, and overtones become a real thing. You have to walk the line and juggle where the drum sounds good with whatever head is on it.

But give yourself the freedom to try more than one thing until you find the sound you personally prefer.

Our Top Pick – Evans Power Center Reverse Dot

My top pick for an all-around best snare head is the Evans Power Center Reverse Dot.

I think this head sounds great on almost any drum I’ve ever tried it on and it’s extremely versatile.

I also think if you’re just buying one snare head for now, then the durability of the dot will give the head more life compared to just buying a G1 or an Ambassador.

The Evans vs. Remo battle will go on for the rest of time in the drum world, but only you can decide which option you personally like better for sound and feel, so feel free to try more than one!

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