15 Best Electronic Drum Kits For Kids 2024

Electronic drum kits are a good option for kids, as you can leave them to practice with a pair of headphones on, and you’ll be less likely to get noise complaints. The extensive module features also appeal more to kids than the single sounds from acoustic drums do.

Here’s a comprehensive list of all the best electronic kit options for children. They range in price to suit all budgets.

Alesis Nitro Mesh – Best Overall

The Alesis Nitro Mesh (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is the ultimate drum kit to get for a child. It’s one of the best-selling electronic kits on the market due to its price tag, but I’ve seen how well it works for kids of all ages.

It’s a kit designed for adults as well, but the rack height causes it to sit a lot lower than other drum kits. This makes it comfortable for small kids.

The drum module comes packed with a loaded number of features. You get 40 preset drum kits, which is perhaps the most impressive thing about the kit. They’re obviously not the greatest drum sounds compared to ones from Roland and Yamaha, but they’re better than what you get from brands like KAT Percussion and Donner.

The kit has a full set of mesh drumheads, making it feel more realistic than kits with rubber pads. A child will have an easier time transitioning from this kit to an acoustic one than they would from a rubber pad kit.

The purchase is also an amazing package, considering that it comes with everything you need besides a drum throne. It even includes drumsticks.

Overall, the Alesis Nitro Mesh is my top suggestion for a kid’s electronic drum set. It just ticks all the boxes.

Number of Drum Kits: 40 preset kits

Number of Pads: 4 drum pads, 1 kick pad, 3 cymbal pads

Play-Along Tracks: 60 play-along tracks

Included Hardware: Rack, kick pedal, drum key

Roland VAD103 – Premium Option

The Roland VAD103 (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is a good option to consider if you have a high budget. However, I’d only recommend getting this kit for a child aged ten and up.

It’s a full high-quality drum kit designed for adults, but it’s compact enough for children and teenagers to use.

I’d also only recommend this kit for kids that are serious about drumming, as it’s a top-tier set of drums.

The difference between this kit and every other option on this list is that you set it up more like an acoustic kit. Instead of the drums and cymbals all connecting to a rack, they each have their own stands to mount to.

The stands don’t come with the kit, so buying them separately makes the package even more expensive. However, this is a kit that you can use for decades, whereas the other kits won’t last nearly as long.

This would be the easiest kit to transition to an acoustic kit from, as it’s set up in the same way.

The TD-07 drum module is powerful, and it gives you 25 preset drum kit sounds that have incredible tonal quality. You can also connect a device via Bluetooth and play songs through it.

Most parents wouldn’t consider this kit, but I highly recommend it if you have the budget and a child who is already quite good on the drums.

Number of Drum Kits: 25 preset kits

Number of Pads: 3 drum pads, 1 kick pad, 3 cymbal pads

Play-Along Tracks: None, but it has Bluetooth connectivity

Included Hardware: Tom mounts

Lightahead Roll-Up Electronic Drum Set – Best Budget Option

The Lightahead Roll-Up Electronic Drum Set is the closest thing you’ll find to having a toy electronic drum set. It’s a small portable set that you can roll out over a tabletop, and then a kid will have a great time playing it like a drum set.

It’s laid out like a kit, and it comes with two pedal controllers to use as bass drum and hi-hat pedals.

This is an excellent purchase to get for kids as a gift. It’s a great tester to see if they’ll like drumming or not before investing in a proper drum kit.

It’s also a good option for toddlers to have, as it will keep them entertained, and they can play it while sitting on the floor.

This kit has the benefit of having a headphone port, so a child can listen to what they’re playing without anyone else needing to hear. It’s an amazing feature for kids that can just bash away on it and be entertained.

I was quite surprised at how well this kit handled actual drum grooves and fills, though. An experienced adult could play it and be relatively entertained.

The biggest benefit is that this set costs a fraction of what a regular set costs.

Number of Drum Kits: 6 preset kits

Number of Pads: 9

Play-Along Tracks: 6 demo songs

Included Hardware: Hi-hat and bass drum controllers

Yamaha DD-75 Portable Digital Drums

The Yamaha DD-75 Portable Digital Drums (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) have the same design as the previous roll-out set, but the quality is a million times better.

This kit also has a sturdy build, and it can’t be rolled up to carry around. It’s still very small and portable, though.

Out of all the tabletop drum kits I’ve seen, this DD-75 is undoubtedly the best one. It’s an incredible option to get for kids when you don’t have enough space to set up a full drum set. You can easily practice patterns, groove, and fills on this thing.

It’s called the DD-75 because it has a whopping 75 preset drum kits to play around with. If those won’t keep kids entertained for hours, I don’t know what will.

All those drum kit sounds have surprisingly great quality, so this is a tool that even experienced drummers can have a bit of fun with.

The included controllers allow you to control the bass drum and hi-hat pedal sounds just as well as you can with full electronic drum kits.

With that being said, I wouldn’t recommend getting this for a child who is serious about playing the drums. It sounds like a regular kit, but it doesn’t beat playing the real thing.

Number of Drum Kits: 75 preset kits

Number of Pads: 8

Play-Along Tracks: None

Included Hardware: Hi-hat and kick pedal controllers

Alesis Turbo Mesh

The Alesis Turbo Mesh (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is a step-down model from the Nitro Mesh, so it’s a good option to consider if you want to pay a bit less for a kit.

It performs very similarly, except for the fact that it has a kick pedal trigger instead of a standard kick pedal and bass pad.

I would say that this kit is more made for kids than the Nitro Mesh is, so it’s a perfect addition to this list. It sits low when you set it up, so children as young as four or five will feel comfortable playing it, and their feet will easily reach the pedals.

One of the biggest reasons this kit is great for kids is that the drum module has a very simple layout. You get a few colorful buttons that are easy to figure out, and there aren’t any overwhelming features to sift through.

You get ten kits, with all of them also being on the Nitro Mesh module. They sound fairly decent, but they’re more than good enough for young children to love.

This kit also comes with a pair of drumsticks to use. You just need to buy a separate throne.

If your child is a bit more experienced with drumming, I’d suggest not getting this kit and getting a better one with a proper kick drum pedal.

Number of Drum Kits: 10 preset kits

Number of Pads: 4 drum pads, 3 cymbal pads

Play-Along Tracks: 30 tracks

Included Hardware: Foot controller for kick pedal, rack, drum key

Donner DED-80

The Donner DED-80 is one of the most popular electronic drum kits that’s mostly just available on Amazon. Donner is a lesser-known electronic brand, but the DED-80 is one of the few e-kits I know of that is specifically designed for kids.

It’s seriously inexpensive, so it’s another great option to check out and decide if it looks enticing.

The first thing I noticed about this kit was how nicely spaced out the drums are. Smaller kits often have the pads positioned close together, but that doesn’t give you the same spatial feel that acoustic kits give you. So, it’s great to have a cheap and small kit that does that, yet everything is still easily reachable for a child.

The kit has 15 preset drum kits. They don’t sound amazing, and the responsiveness of the pads is a bit lacking, but the sounds are good enough for kids to comfortably play a few beats and fills.

This is the most affordable kit I know of that has mesh pads. You can adjust their tightness, giving you better playability than kits with rubber pads.

Number of Drum Kits: 15 preset kits

Number of Pads: 4 drum pads, 3 cymbal pads

Play-Along Tracks: 30 tracks

Included Hardware: Foot controller for kick pedal, rack, drum key, drum throne, headphones

Roland TD-02K

The Roland TD-02K (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is one of Roland’s newer budget-friendly electronic drum kits. This kit just has rubber pads, but the sound quality and playability coming from them is far superior to any electronic kit with mesh pads that costs the same.

So, this is a great kit to consider if you want to prioritize sound over feel. It’s inspired by the TD-1 kit that Roland has offered for several years, but it can be spaced out a bit more when you set it up. The TD-1 kit becomes a bit small when you get to a certain age, but this kit is great for kids and adults.

The module offers 16 preset kits, and they cover a wide range of different drum and electronic sounds. I’d say they’re decent enough to record demo tracks with, so this is an excellent kit to get for yourself if you’re a drummer, and then your kid will also feel comfortable playing it.

The pedal controller is the one downside, and I think this kit would sell a lot better if it had a proper kick drum pad that needed a standard pedal. It’s still an incredible option, though.

Number of Drum Kits: 16 preset kits

Number of Pads: 4 drum pads, 3 cymbal pads

Play-Along Tracks: No tracks, but it has a Bluetooth function

Included Hardware: Rack, foot controllers for pedals

Behringer XD8USB

The Behringer XD8USB (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is a decent beginner kit, but it caters more to young kids than adults, and that makes it a perfect suggestion for this list.

The standout feature of this kit is that it has a standard kick drum pad and pedal, giving you a real feel of what it’s like to use a bass drum. The drum pads are also large with diameters of 8”, which makes them feel better to play than most of the smaller drum kits in the same price range.

The downside is that the pads are made of rubber, so they’re a lot bouncier than mesh or silicone pads.

Another drawback is that the snare drum pad can feel a bit awkward to position, so it can become frustrating.

However, those are drawbacks that I’ve experienced as an adult. Kids won’t even think of things like that, so this kit is still a good option to consider.

The drum module offers ten preset drum kits, and you can make five of your own. It’s quite an easy process, as the layout of the module includes visually stimulating buttons that are assigned to each drum and cymbal. It should be simple to explain to a child how to use everything.

Number of Drum Kits: 10 preset kits

Number of Pads: 4 drum pads, 3 cymbal pads

Play-Along Tracks: 10 tracks

Included Hardware: Rack, kick pedal

Yamaha DTX402K

The Yamaha DTX402K (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) has been Yamaha’s beginner electronic drum kit for several years, and it’s a huge hit for people with kids that play drums.

The drum module is very simplistic, clearly labeling all the features under the buttons. You get ten preset kits, and each one has been assigned its own button.

The true gold behind this kit is the DTX402 Touch App. You can connect the module to your smartphone and download the app to have more control over the drum kit. You can use it to edit the sounds of the drums, and it offers games that help with practicing.

Those games are amazing for kids to play through, as it turns practicing and getting better into a fun activity. This is one of the big ways that Yamaha caters better to kids than any other brand.

I’d recommend this kit more if it had a proper kick drum pad and silicone drumheads, but they had to keep the cost down in those areas.

It’s a seriously good electronic drum kit. You’ll get plenty of playability even if you don’t make use of the integrated app.

Number of Drum Kits: 10 preset kits

Number of Pads: 4 drum pads, 3 cymbal pads

Play-Along Tracks: 10 tracks

Included Hardware: Rack, foot controllers for pedals

Roland TD-1K

The Roland TD-1K (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is the kit that I briefly mentioned earlier when talking about the TD-02K. This has been Roland’s most affordable electronic kit for several years.

It’s always been an amazing option for kids, mainly due to how small it is when set up. The compact design makes it very easy to fit into a child’s bedroom, even when there isn’t much space. That’s what most parents end up doing when they get this for their kids.

It’s also very easy to fold this kit up and move it to the side whenever you need to make space. You don’t even need to unplug the cables.

While this is an inexpensive kids’ set, you need to remember that it’s still a Roland product, and Roland drum kits always have the best quality compared to everything else. This is also why it’s slightly pricier than many of the other options I’ve suggested.

The module offers 15 preset drum kit sounds, along with some neat coaching features that will train your sense of timing.

It’s been a solid option for years, and it will continue to be a solid option, even though Roland has released a few new kits in the category recently.

Number of Drum Kits: 15 preset kits

Number of Pads: 4 drum pads, 3 cymbal pads

Play-Along Tracks: No tracks

Included Hardware: Rack, foot controllers for pedals

KAT Percussion KT-150

The KAT Percussion KT-150 (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is the last kit that I’m suggesting that comes from a smaller brand. KAT Percussion is a great brand for people to check out if they have a low budget, and this KT-150 kit is an all-mesh set that performs relatively well.

The mesh pads are the best feature, as their quality really surprised me. They’re responsive to various levels of touch, and they essentially make this kit feel very similar to playing a beginner Roland or Yamaha set.

The rest of the kit isn’t as good, though, but it’s still an epic option for kids who are just starting out and won’t notice varying levels of quality just yet.

I found this kit to sit quite low, but I appreciate how much lateral space it offers. You can set the rack up so that the drums all have a good amount of space between each other, and that gives you a more realistic playing experience that resembles playing acoustic drums.

This kit also has a standard kick drum pad, and a kick drum pedal comes with the purchase. The pad doesn’t feel as good as the drum pads above it, but it’s still better than using a kick pedal controller.

Number of Drum Kits: 15 preset kits

Number of Pads: 4 drum pads, 3 cymbal pads, 1 kick pad

Play-Along Tracks: No tracks

Included Hardware: Rack, kick pedal

Alesis Surge Special Edition Mesh

The Alesis Surge Special Edition Mesh (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is the best kit from Alesis that costs less than $1000. If you want to get a high-quality kit for your kid but you still want to be a few hundred under that $1000 mark, this is one of your best options.

One of the best features is that it has a 10-inch snare drum. It’s the only kit that I’ve mentioned so far, apart from the Roland VAD103, that has a large snare. Kits with larger snares always feel better to play, as you spend most of your time playing the snare with your left hand.

The kit has 24 preset kits to play around with, and most of them sound awesome from a kid’s perspective. The module layout has the same physical design as the cheaper modules from Alesis, but the internal features are a bit more powerful.

Another benefit of this kit is that it comes with a high-quality kick drum pedal. I love the quality of this Alesis pedal, and it’s something that you could even use when switching over to an acoustic kit.

This is one kit that I think any child would be very happy with, no matter how old they are.

Number of Drum Kits: 24 preset kits

Number of Pads: 4 drum pads, 3 cymbal pads, 1 kick pad

Play-Along Tracks: 60 tracks

Included Hardware: Rack, kick pedal

Roland TD-1DMK

The Roland TD-1DMK (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) has the same module and features as the previous TD-1K kit that we looked at, but it has an entirely different set of drum and cymbal pads to make it feel much better to play.

It has a full set of mesh-head pads, and Roland’s mesh pads feel much better than what you get from other brands. So, these make a world of difference.

It also has a kick drum pad that you need a proper kick pedal to play. However, the kick pad is a small rubber pad that is attached to one of the rack’s legs. This limits your setup options a bit, and it can take a while to find a comfortable balance with that in the right place.

Once you get that set up, this kit feels like magic. You get the top-tier sound quality that we spoke of with the TD-1K, along with the amazing playability of all the mesh pads.

This is another kit that a child can grow up with and continue to play when they’re a teenager and adult. You just can’t play the bells of the cymbals, which is a limiting factor compared to similar-priced Yamaha kits. 

Number of Drum Kits: 15 preset kits

Number of Pads: 4 drum pads, 3 cymbal pads, 1 kick pad

Play-Along Tracks: 15 tracks

Included Hardware: Rack

Roland TD-07KV

The Roland TD-07KV (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is the next step up in quality compared to the TD-1DMK kit. If you want your child to have all the playability that an acoustic kit would offer, this is the base set that I’d recommend.

Unlike the previous kit, you can play the bells of this one. The drum module also offers much more in terms of features and expandability.

The kit is still relatively small, and that’s why it’s as good of an option for kids as it is for adults.

You get 25 preset drum kit sounds that all sound fantastic. You also get an array of sound editing tools. I can’t see kids being too interested in those, but they’ll be there when the kids grow up and start understanding the module a bit more.

This kit has the KD-10 kick drum pad, which Roland use for all their pro kits apart from the flagship ones. It’s one of the best kick drum pads on the market, and it feels far better to play than most of the others on this list.

The downside of getting this kit is the price. So, I’d only recommend it for kids that have already been playing for years and need something better than what they currently have.

Number of Drum Kits: 25 preset kits

Number of Pads: 4 drum pads, 3 cymbal pads, 1 kick pad

Play-Along Tracks: No tracks, but you can play songs through Bluetooth

Included Hardware: Rack

Yamaha DTX6K-X

The Yamaha DTX6K-X (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is Yamaha’s equivalent option to Roland’s TD-07KV. The differences are that it has worse drum pads but a better drum module.

A child may prefer this kit over the previous one, as more module features will be more attractive than the quality of the pads that they hit.

I’m amazed at how Yamaha can offer such a powerful drum module with a kit at this price. It has 40 preset kits, space for 200 custom ones, and an exciting number of sound editing tools.

The ambiance controller is something that I know kids will be most interested in. Cranking that up will make the drums sound wacky and fun.

This is yet another kit that I’d only recommend for kids that are already experienced drummers. It’s expensive in comparison to beginner kits, and you need to buy a kick drum pedal to go with it. If your kid already has a pedal from their last kit, they can just use that one.

Number of Drum Kits: 40 preset kits

Number of Pads: 4 drum pads, 3 cymbal pads, 1 kick pad

Play-Along Tracks: Play tracks through Yamaha’s app

Included Hardware: Rack

What To Look For In an Electronic Drum Kit for Kids

Tabletop Electronic Sets

When looking for affordable electronic sets that will work well for kids, you’re going to find tabletop sets and regular sets.

Tabletop sets are ones that you can place on a table. They typically have their own set of speakers, and they have a layout of a drum kit placed on a flat surface design. Most of them come with pedal controllers to connect as well.

These kits are amazing for kids, as they give a bit of a taste of what playing the drums is like, but they’re very affordable. They also don’t take up a lot of space.

It may be a good idea to start your child off with one of these, as it will give you an idea of whether they’ll be interested in drumming or not.

If they love it, it may be time to get them a proper kit. Those are the ones that have racks, cymbal and drum pads, and a separate drum module.

Size

When looking at regular kits, the most important factor to consider is size. Acoustic drum kits are large, and most little kids have a hard time feeling comfortable when playing them.

Thankfully, most electronic drum sets are a lot smaller than their acoustic counterparts, and that’s one of the biggest reasons why they’re good options for kids.

You get ones that are smaller than others, though, so you should check how large the footprint is when buying a kit. You should also check how high the rack is. Most kits that cost under $1000 are small enough for kids to feel comfortable playing.

Included Accessories

Another benefit of getting an electronic kit for a kid is that they usually come with most of what you need to start playing. When you buy acoustic kits, there are always several components that you need to buy separately.

The main things to look for when choosing an electronic kit are kick pedals and drum thrones. Some e-kits come with those, but most don’t.

Also, no full-sized electronic kits have built-in speakers. When your kid plays the drums, they’re going to need to use headphones, or you’ll have to run the kit through an amplifier. Headphones are ideal, as you won’t have to hear your kid practicing all the time. But you’ll need an amp if you want to hear what they’re playing.

Sounds

Sounds and sound quality aren’t as important to children as they are to adults. Most kids won’t even know whether the sound quality is good or not. Kids care more about variety, so that’s what you need to look for when choosing a kit.

Electronic kits with a larger number of preset drum kit sounds will be far more appealing to children. They’ll also love the kits that allow you to create your own drum sets with the sounds on the module.

They’ll start caring about sound quality as they get older, so you should look for higher-quality kits if you have an older child who will grow into the kit. It’s also more important if they’re already experienced.

Drum Pads

You’ll find three main types of drum pads when looking through electronic kits. These are rubber, mesh, and silicone. This is another aspect that kids won’t mind too much, but it’s important if you want your child to have a good playing experience.

You’ll find rubber pads on all the most affordable kits. These pads have the most rebound, and they’re not too resemblant to what it feels like to play acoustic drums. Switching from playing rubber pads to playing acoustic drums will be a bit of a shock.

Mesh pads are the most popular kind you’ll find, and they’re designed to feel closer to what acoustic drumheads feel like. You won’t find these on the cheap kits from Roland or Yamaha, but you’ll get them on Alesis kits.

Silicone pads will only be found on Yamaha kits. They have a similar playing experience to mesh, feeling a bit more realistic than rubber.

Cymbal Pads

All the drum kits that I mentioned in the above list have a hi-hat pad, crash pad, and ride cymbal pad. The difference is that some of them are fully covered in rubber, while others are only half covered.

The biggest thing to look at is whether the bell area is covered. If it is, there’s a higher chance that you can play cymbal bell sounds on the kit. If the cymbal isn’t covered in that area, you won’t have that feature.

If you want your child to have the best playing experience, being able to play cymbal bells is an important feature to have.

Bass Drum

All electronic kits will either have a full bass drum pad or a trigger pedal. Trigger pedals can be moved around freely, and they don’t offer the same realistic feel as standard pedals.

The benefit of trigger pedals is that they come with more affordable drum kits. If you want to get a good inexpensive set, it will most likely come with a trigger pedal.

Kits with standard kick drum pads will always be a better option, though. A normal acoustic drum kit needs a kick pedal to play the bass drum, and it’s good for kids to get used to how that feels, even when they’re playing their electronic kit.

Price

Electronic kits that work well for kids cost anywhere from $50 to $2500. The benefit of getting a kit for a child is that you don’t need to worry as much about quality. Most kids will be as happy with a $300 drum kit as they would with a $2000 one.

With that being said, it’s better to get a higher-quality kit if you want them to use it for several years, and a higher-quality set will cost anywhere between $500 and $2500.

Best Electronic Drum Kit Brands

Roland

Roland is the leading electronic drum set brand. They make the best e-kits, but even their most affordable ones are far more expensive than many other brands’ options.

I’d only suggest getting a Roland kit for a child if they show serious potential and you know that they’ll continue drumming for years.

Alesis

Alesis is the leading budget brand in the electronic drum kit world. They make extraordinary kits with low price tags, and they’re always in my top recommendation list for drummers who don’t want to spend much.

The more affordable Alesis kits are quite small, so they’re perfect for kids.

Yamaha

Yamaha comes in second place compared to Roland, but their kits are also incredible. A lot of their kits are priced the same, but I’d say that you get better drum modules with the more affordable kits.

Yamaha, as a company, has always prioritized music education for kids, and their budget electronic drum kits reflect that.

Behringer

Behringer only make one electronic drum kit, but it’s a great low-priced option to consider. The drum pads are larger than most other kits in the same price range, so it’s excellent for kids to get a feel for larger pads.

KAT Percussion

KAT Percussion is a brand that makes a few low-priced e-kits. They don’t have the best sound quality, but they’re perfect for kids who won’t notice that aspect.

The features are fun to play around with and will keep kids interested.

Donner

Donner is one of the most popular brands on Amazon to sell electronic kits. The main reason is that the brand’s kits are far more affordable than other options, and that’s ideal for kids who are just trying drumming out.

It’s a great brand for parents of beginners who want to get something for them but don’t want to spend much.

Top Electronic Drum Kits For Kids, Final Thoughts

Remember that sound quality is the last thing that kids worry about, so it’s okay to get a cheaper drum kit at first. What matters is that kids get inspired to play and practice, and a decent electronic drum kit will do the trick.

If your child starts to show promise, then it may be time to upgrade, but it’s always better to test the waters. Most of the kits mentioned are fantastic for that.