All Our Buying Guides
The best and worst thing about playing the drums is the amount of gear available for purchase. The selection of sounds is incredible but where do you start?
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All Our Buying Guides
Audio interfaces for drums | How many inputs?
Which audio interface to buy for recording drums: how many mic inputs you need, the two- and eight-input standards, ADAT expansion and the e-kit case.
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Drum VSTs | The best sounds for your e-kit
The best drum VSTs for an electronic kit: Superior Drummer 3, EZdrummer 3, Addictive Drums 2, GetGood Drums and Steven Slate Drums compared, plus the free ones.
Getting Started
Buying a drum kit for a child | A parent's guide
A parent's guide to a child's first drum kit: the right size by age, electronic or acoustic, the kits worth buying, noise, lessons and ear protection.
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Drum mics | The first four to buy
The four drum mics to buy first: a kick mic, a snare mic and a pair of overheads, with the standard picks at three budgets and the mic packs worth buying.
All Our Buying Guides
Drum thrones | The seat matters more than the snare
How to choose a drum throne: the height rule that fixes back pain, round versus saddle seats, the thrones worth buying at every budget, and when to replace one.
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Headphones for electronic drums | What works
The best headphones for electronic drums: closed-back studio pairs, the drum-specific models with isolation built in, and why Bluetooth is out.
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Hearing protection for drummers | Plugs to in-ears
Hearing protection drummers will actually wear: musicians' earplugs, custom moulds, isolation headphones and in-ears, compared by how much they cut.
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Practice pads | The best ones and how to use them
The best drum practice pads, from the Evans RealFeel to the Drumeo P4: how the surface changes what you learn, how to mount one, and what to practise on it.
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Best drum tuners (2026) | Tune-Bot, DrumDial & a free option
The best drum tuners compared — Tune-Bot, DrumDial, Tama Tension Watch and tuning apps — plus when our free online drum tuner does the job for nothing.
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Beginner drum kits | How to buy your first kit
Everything you need to buy your first drum kit with confidence — what's in the box, what the sizes mean, and the kits we'd actually spend money on.
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Cymbal buying guide | Your first proper set
Packs vs individual cymbals, brass vs B8 vs B20, the sizes that matter and the cymbal sets we'd actually buy at every budget.
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Drum head buying guide | Coated vs clear & more
Single vs double ply, coated vs clear, Remo vs Evans vs Aquarian — how to choose drum heads, and the setups that actually work.
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Electronic drum kits | The complete buying guide
Mesh vs rubber, why the module matters more than the pads, and the electronic drum kits we'd actually buy at every budget in 2026.
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Snare drum buying guide | Wood vs metal & more
How to choose a snare drum — sizes, shell materials, hoops and wires explained, plus the snares we'd buy at every budget from £150 upwards.
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Buying used drums online | Best places and tips
Where to buy used drum kits, cymbals and hardware online, what to check before you pay, and how to spot the gear that only looks fine in photos.
Drumsticks
Drumstick size guide | Finding the perfect stick for your playing
Drumsticks are extremely personal to every drummer. We all have a feel we want to have from the sticks and a sound we want to get from them. Although
Drumsticks
Drumstick wood types | Hickory vs maple vs oak
The best wood for drumsticks is hickory for most players, oak if you break sticks and maple for speed. How each wood changes weight, durability and shock.
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Mesh head guide for drummers | What's best for your budget?
Mesh heads have become the go-to drum head type for electronic drum kits and are also a great option when you want that real kit feel at a lower volume.
Buying guides
Floor snare drums | The floor tom and snare crossover you didn't know you needed
One of the latest trends in drumming is floor snare drums. Often called a "Snom drum" or a "Baritone Snare drum". It is both a floor tom or a snare at the
All Our Buying Guides
Direct Drive Bass Drum Pedals | Ultimate guide
Direct drive bass drum pedals have become increasingly more popular amongst drummers in the past 10 years. Originally adopted by metal drummers they are
Buying guides
Electronic Drum Kit Splash Cymbal Pads | Which are the best?
Electronic drum kit splash cymbal pads are slowly starting to enter the market. As electronic drums have grown in popularity drummers are becoming
Cymbal Buying Guides
Low Volume Cymbals | What are the best ones for you?
The best low volume cymbals for home practice, quiet gigs and teaching: Zildjian L80, Sabian Quiet Tone, Meinl Practice HCS, Agean R and budget sets.
Buying guides
Electronic Drum Kit China Cymbal Pads | Which is the best?
Electronic drum kits are becoming more sophisticated and closer to acoustic drum kits every year. This is great news for drummers wanting to get in some