Are you looking for a junior drum set for your kid? Well, then you are at the right place!
Finding the right drum set for a child can be a challenge with all those kits on the market. What is important is that you know certain things that are crucial for your choice of the right kit.
To begin with, a nice starter kit should be durable: drum kits are abused a lot either by kids or adults. Secondly, the kit should sound good in order for the kid to enjoy playing. This doesn’t mean that you should spend a fortune on it, as there are many budget-friendly options. It is also understandable that since junior drum kits are meant to be used up to a certain age, it should not be a pricey investment.
Junior drum kits are important for a good start in drumming, as they come in the right size for kids to begin playing them correctly. To help you find the kit that fits your kid, I have gathered for you the 8 best drum sets for juniors to buy in 2022!
Quick Navigation
1. Ludwig Questlove Pocket Kit
The Ludwig Questlove Pocket Kit is a 3-piece drum kit that is aimed for beginners. The main reason it is the first choice on this list is the combination of high quality and low price: this is a drum kit that has everything that you need to begin playing and it doesn’t break the bank. The sound quality it delivers is pretty impressive once you tune the kit, speaking of which, the set comes with included web-based lessons for set-up and tuning.
The included cymbals are OK for starters, but they could use an upgrade once you start playing more seriously. The kit is quite lightweight and has a compact size that makes it easy to transport from one place to another. The drum heads are pretty durable, an important feature for junior drum sets.
- Value for money
- Easily transportable
- Great sound quality
- Easy to set up and tune with included guide
- Not the best quality of cymbals
Also check top 8 best drum machines.
2. Gammon 5-Piece Junior Starter Drum Set
The Gammon 5-Piece Junior Starter Drum Set is a junior drum kit that includes everything your kid needs to start playing: it comes with 5 pieces of hardware (bass drum, floor tom, snare drum, two mounted toms), drumsticks, throne and cymbals. The throne is adjustable so that it can fit kids of different ages. The Gammon 5-Piece Junior Starter Drum Set sounds surprisingly good for a junior drum set with the exception of the cymbals (including the hi-hat), that are a weak point of most drum kits on this list.
The hardware is quite sturdy and it can stand some abuse. The kit has a nice design and comes in four different colours for your kid to choose: this is great for kids as it makes them more involved in choosing their drum set and actually playing it.
What is really good about the Gammon 5-Piece Junior Starter Drum Set is its low price that makes it a nice choice if you are not sure that your kid will stick to playing the drums.
- Affordable, especially considering it’s a 5-piece kit
- Comes in four different colours
- Decent sound performance
- Adjustable throne
- Low quality cymbals
3. Mendini by Cecilio 16 inch 5-Piece Junior Drum Set
The Mendini by Cecilio 16 inch 5-Piece Junior Drum Set is an entry-level drum kit aimed to children that are up to 5 ft tall. The package includes everything you need to start playing: 5 pieces of hardware (16’’ bass drum, snare drum, two mounted toms, floor tom), cymbals, drumsticks and a throne. Despite its low price, it has very good sound potential once you tune it right. The only problem is the cymbals that could be better, but there is always the option to buy them separately if your kid doesn’t quit.
It looks like an adult drum set in a compact size and comes in six different colours that allow your kid to choose the one he/she wants: this can be an important motivation for your child to practice. It has robust build quality that ensures durability.
On the whole, the Mendini by Cecilio 16 inch 5-Piece Junior Drum Set is probably the cheapest 5-piece kit on this list, which makes it perfect for parents on a tight budget.
- Bang for the buck
- Great sound potential for the price
- Your kid can choose from 6 different colours
- Not the best cymbals
4. GP Percussion Deluxe GP50 Complete Junior Drum Set
The GP Percussion Deluxe GP50 Complete Junior Drum Set is a high-quality 3-piece junior drum kit aimed for beginners. Its size and the fact that it is a 3-piece kit makes it suitable for children from 3 up to 8 years old. It is an all-inclusive package that comes with three essential pieces of hardware, a 10″ cymbal and a high hat, a bass drum pedal, a junior throne, drumsticks and a drum key to tune the kit.
It sounds pretty good once tuned, except for the cymbals that sound pretty cheap. It comes with instructions that make it quite easy to set up. The hardware has decent build quality that can withstand abuse. The GP Percussion Deluxe GP50BL Complete Junior Drum Set comes in many different colours for your kid to choose (such as metallic royal blue, metallic pink, silver, wine red, metallic green, metallic red, metallic purple and black) satisfying almost everyone’s taste.
This kit doesn’t cost a lot of money, which makes it a good investment for parents with small kids that want to take up drumming,
- Playable for toddlers
- Easy to set up
- Pretty affordable
- Cheap-sounding cymbals
5. Ludwig Junior Outfit Drum Set
Here is another entry from the same company, Ludwig, but this time it’s a 5-piece drum set: the Ludwig Junior Outfit Drum Set is an all-inclusive kit that comes with a 16″ bass drum, 8″ and 10″ mounted toms, floor tom, snare drum, cymbals, sticks, seat and a kick pedal. It is aimed at children 8 to 10 years old, but it can generally be adjusted to fit children of different heights and ages. Its sound is pretty good for a junior drum set once you tune it right.
The hardware design is pretty sleek and it has a sturdy build quality that will make it last, even if your kid doesn’t treat it very well. The set comes in three different colours (black, blue and wine red) for your kid to choose. The Ludwig Junior Outfit Drum Set has premium quality, but it is quite expensive compared to the other drum kits on this list.
- Decent sound performance
- Built to last
- Great quality hardware
- Adjustable for different ages
- Expensive
6. ddrum D1 Junior drum set
The ddrum D1 Junior drum set is a high-quality 5-piece drum set aimed for kids that are just beginning to play the drums. One of its big advantages is its playability: even 3-year-old children can enjoy playing on this drum set. It comes fully equipped with everything you need to start playing: the essential 5 pieces (bass drum, two rack toms, floor tom and snare drum), cymbals, cymbal stands, hi-hat, drumsticks, throne and a drum key.
The ddrum D1 Junior drum set is one of the best sounding kits on this list, especially considering the snare and toms performance. The shells are made of basswood and the quality of the hardware is robust, as this kit is built to last. It has modern-looking design and it comes in three different colours (candy red, police blue and midnight black). It is an easy kit both to assemble and to tune.
- Great sound quality for a junior drum set
- Robust build quality and durability
- Easy to tune
- Nice design
- Pricey
7. Sound Percussion Labs Lil Kicker
The next option is a nice drum set that is scaled for toddlers and younger children. The Sound Percussion Labs Lil Kicker is an affordable 3-piece drum set that comes with everything you need to start playing. The package includes a 16″ x 12″ kick drum, 10″ x 4″ snare drum, 8″ x 5″ tom, cymbal stands, two cymbals, throne, kick pedal, tuning key and a pair of drumsticks. Its compact size makes it really playable for young children, something important as they can actually enjoy it.
It has decent sound quality once you tune it right, except for the cymbals that sound quite poor. However, as this is aimed to really young kids, the cymbals’ sound is not really a big deal. It has a sleek design and comes in 4 different colours for you kid to choose from (black, wine red, white and fire engine red).
- Affordable
- Playable for toddlers
- Comes in 4 different colours
- Poor sounding cymbals
8. Pearl Roadshow Jr.
Here comes a brand known to all drummers of all ages: Pearl has been manufacturing high-quality drum sets for a long time, and this is their take on junior drum kits. The Pearl Roadshow Jr. is a 5-piece drum kit for children up to 10 years old, and it is the drum kit of the highest quality on this list. The package includes a 16”x10” bass drum, a 12”x4” snare drum, a 13”x8” floor tom, 10”x5.5 and 8”x5” toms, bass drum pedal, stands, a 13” crash and a 10” hi-hat metal cymbal set as well as sticks, throne and drumstick bag.
The hardware is really sturdy and all the stands are adjustable. In terms of sound quality, it is the best sounding drum kit on this list. The kit can be easily played even by 12-year-olds, a feature that makes it a good investment if your kid is interested in drumming.
- Amazing sound quality
- Robust build quality
- Durability
- Overpriced
Junior drum kits are important for children, not only because they allow them to play correctly, but also because they offer a lot of enjoyment as they are actually playable for kids. Once they can reach the pedals and hit the cymbals, they can easily be encouraged to learn the foundations on a junior drum set and then transition to a full-sized one. Another big advantage of junior drum kits is that they are generally quite affordable, so that you won’t lose a lot of money if your child loses interest later on.
I hope that this guide helps you to pick a junior drum kit for your kid. Even if your kids do not become drummers one day, they will definitely enjoy hitting the drums and cymbals for a long time!