Top 5 compared
The best electronic drum kits
Practise the drums at home without the neighbours, or the rest of the house, hearing every beat.
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The top 5 at a glance
An electronic drum kit swaps drum shells for pads that trigger recorded sounds in a small module, so you can play through headphones late at night. Full kits put a snare, toms and cymbals on a rack, with a kick and a hi-hat pedal; compact ones fold away, and a tabletop pad shrinks it to a mat. Mesh pads are quiet, but a beater pedal still thumps, so the floor below hears more than the room does.
Mesh heads bounce back much like a tuned drum and are quieter to hit; rubber and silicone pads are firmer. Every kit here runs from a mains adaptor in the box, and the full kits all take play-along songs, built in or from a phone.
What matters
- A kick pad or tower that takes a real beater pedal.
- A throne and headphones in the box, or budget for both.
- Bluetooth, to play along to songs from a phone without a cable.
- A rack that raises and lowers to suit the player.
#1Donner DED-200 Electronic Drum Kit (mesh heads, throne and headphones)
Over £300
Everything to play in one box: mesh heads on the 8in dual-zone snare and three 8in toms, a 6in kick pad that takes a real beater pedal or a double pedal later, three 10in cymbals with choke on the ride, and the throne and headphones the Alesis kits leave out.
What owners say: Owners say it plays well, sounds great, goes together without trouble and is good value, and find it suits beginners and practice at home. It’s quiet in use, one hearing only a light tapping with headphones on, though the bundled extras get mixed reports.
A closer look: Set the rack on a rug or drum mat: the pads are quiet, but the kick and hi-hat pedals still thump through to the room below. A phone plugs into the module’s aux input for playing along, and the built-in recorder plays a take back so you can hear where the timing drifts.
- Choke on the ride cymbal
- Kick takes a double pedal
- Aux input for play-along
- Built-in recorder
- 50 play-along songs
Best for: Drumming practice on mesh pads
- Pads
- 5 drums, 3 cymbals
- Heads
- Mesh, 8in dual-zone snare
- Kick
- 6in kick pad, pedal in box
- Kits and sounds
- 31 kits, 450 sounds
- Bluetooth
- No
- Also in the box
- Throne, headphones, sticks
- Power
- 9V mains adaptor
#2Alesis Nitro Pro Electronic Drum Kit
Over £300
Room to grow: a 10in dual-zone mesh snare and three 8in dual-zone mesh toms, an 8in mesh kick tower that takes a double pedal, a steel rack, and a module with 36 BFD kits, 500+ sounds, Zildjian cymbal samples and Bluetooth: the most kits and sounds on the list.
What owners say: Owners call it a great kit to start on: easy to build, quiet enough to practise in a room and adjustable to fit, with one singling out the dual-zone snare. They think it fairly priced, though some report the bass drum not triggering cleanly.
Heads up: No throne or headphones come in the box, so add both to the order if you don’t already have them.
A closer look: Connected to a computer by USB, the module opens BFD Player, which Alesis includes, for a far bigger sound library, and records into a DAW. Over Bluetooth, songs from a phone play through the same headphones as the drums. The rack adjusts for height, to suit a teenager or a tall adult.
- Kick takes a double pedal
- Steel rack adjusts for height
- Computer software adds more sounds
- Zildjian cymbal samples
- 90 days of drum lessons
Best for: A kit to grow into
- Pads
- 5 drums, 3 cymbals
- Heads
- Mesh, 10in dual-zone snare
- Kick
- 8in mesh tower, pedal in box
- Kits and sounds
- 36 kits, 500+ sounds
- Bluetooth
- Yes
- Also in the box
- Sticks, drum key
- Power
- Mains adaptor
#3Alesis Nitro Max Electronic Drum Kit
Over £300
The cheaper Alesis: a 10in dual-zone mesh snare, three 8in mesh toms and a kick tower with pedal on a compact four-post rack that folds away, and a module with Bluetooth, 32 BFD kits and Zildjian cymbal sounds. Much the Nitro Pro’s layout, in a kit that weighs 14.5kg.
What owners say: Owners call it a fantastic first kit for beginners and young drummers, easy to put together and compact, with a good sound and less noise than they expected. Some find the frame flimsy, and a few report parts failing.
A closer look: A USB stick in the module records a practice session or loads your own samples, and the four-post rack folds up between sessions. The included Drumeo lessons run for 90 days, so they’re worth starting in the first week; a mat under the hi-hat pedal stops it creeping across the floor.
- Four-post rack folds away
- USB stick records practice
- Loads your own samples
- 90 days of drum lessons
- Weighs 14.5kg
Best for: Play-along and software kits
- Pads
- 5 drums, 3 cymbals
- Heads
- Mesh, 10in dual-zone snare
- Kick
- Kick tower, pedal in box
- Kits and sounds
- 32 kits, 440+ sounds
- Bluetooth
- Yes
- Also in the box
- Sticks, drum key
- Power
- 9V mains adaptor
#4Donner DED-80 Electronic Drum Kit (4 mesh pads, throne and headphones)
£200–£300
Four 6.5in double-layer mesh pads and three 10in cymbals on a compact folding rack, with throne, headphones and sticks included. Switch pedals for the kick and hi-hat keep the footprint and the noise down in a flat, and a drum coach with 30 backing tracks gives practice some shape.
What owners say: Owners rate it as a starter set that goes together easily and sounds good, and one plays it through headphones for quiet practice. Others report it falling apart, several had the hi-hat pedal stop within a day of use, and some have trouble with the pads.
A closer look: Donner sizes the rack for younger players and flats, so a grown adult may find the pads sit low and close together; raise the rack to its full height before deciding. The switch pedals need no beater, which means almost no thump through the floor, and the folded kit goes behind a door.
- Hardly any thump through floors
- Folds away behind a door
- Drum coach, 30 backing tracks
- Double-layer mesh pads
Best for: Flats and younger players
- Pads
- 4 drums, 3 cymbals
- Heads
- Mesh, 6.5in pads
- Kick
- Switch pedal, no pad
- Kits and sounds
- 15 kits, 180 sounds
- Bluetooth
- No
- Also in the box
- Throne, headphones, sticks
- Power
- 9V mains adaptor
#5Donner DED-20 Roll-Up Electronic Drum Pad
£30–£50
Seven silicone pads on one mat that rolls up into a bag, two foot pedals, sticks, and built-in stereo speakers with nine volume levels, so it plays out loud or through headphones. A tabletop pad rather than a kit, it’s made for trying out drums or for travel.
What owners say: Owners find it a well-made practice pad for home that suits children and keeps them entertained, with a nice, quiet sound, and they’re happy with what it cost. For some, though, the pedals don’t register properly.
A closer look: Lay it on a table at elbow height with the pedals on the floor directly below, where the heel can rest on them. Its MIDI and USB MIDI outputs trigger drum software or rhythm games on a computer, and a USB power bank lets it go wherever the sticks do.
- Rolls up into a bag
- Built-in stereo speakers
- Nine volume levels
- Triggers drum software on computers
- 180-second recorder
Best for: Trying drums and travel
- Pads
- 7 pads (3 cymbals)
- Heads
- Silicone
- Kick
- 2 foot pedals
- Kits and sounds
- 7 sounds, 12 songs
- Bluetooth
- No
- Also in the box
- Sticks, 2 pedals
- Power
- Mains adaptor or USB
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Donner DED-200 | #2Alesis Nitro Pro | #3Alesis Nitro Max | #4Donner DED-80 | #5Donner DED-20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best budget | Best roll-up | ||
| Picked Rating | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.5 |
| Price | Over £300 | Over £300 | Over £300 | £200–£300 | £30–£50 |
| Pads | 5 drums, 3 cymbals | 5 drums, 3 cymbals | 5 drums, 3 cymbals | 4 drums, 3 cymbals | 7 pads (3 cymbals) |
| Heads | Mesh, 8in dual-zone snare | Mesh, 10in dual-zone snare | Mesh, 10in dual-zone snare | Mesh, 6.5in pads | Silicone |
| Kick | 6in kick pad, pedal in box | 8in mesh tower, pedal in box | Kick tower, pedal in box | Switch pedal, no pad | 2 foot pedals |
| Kits and sounds | 31 kits, 450 sounds | 36 kits, 500+ sounds | 32 kits, 440+ sounds | 15 kits, 180 sounds | 7 sounds, 12 songs |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Also in the box | Throne, headphones, sticks | Sticks, drum key | Sticks, drum key | Throne, headphones, sticks | Sticks, 2 pedals |
| Power | 9V mains adaptor | Mains adaptor | 9V mains adaptor | 9V mains adaptor | Mains adaptor or USB |
| Best for | Drumming practice on mesh pads | A kit to grow into | Play-along and software kits | Flats and younger players | Trying drums and travel |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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