5 Best Glow In The Dark Drum Sticks 2024, These Will Light Up Your Session
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If you’re looking for something to add a bit of visual spice to your drumming, a pair of glow-in-the-dark drumsticks is a great idea to consider. These sticks have various colors, and most of them light up when you strike a surface.
There are a few different designs to consider, though. Here’s a short list of some of the best options for light-up drumsticks to help you choose.
Contents
Vhffoso Rechargeable Drum Sticks – Best Overall
The Vhffoso Rechargeable Drum Sticks are a good option to consider, as they have a few features that are very appealing.
These are light-up drumsticks that change colors every time you hit the drums, so they’re very dynamic in their visuals. There are a total of 15 colors that the sticks shift between, including all the primary ones.
The big selling point for me is that these sticks come with rechargeable batteries. You also get a short charging cable included. When the sticks stop glowing as brightly, you can just plug them in to recharge them.
That takes away any frustration of the sticks losing their glow-in-the-dark feature. I’d also suggest charging them before every gig that you take them on to be as safe as possible.
In terms of design, these sticks are shaped like 5A drumsticks. They’re 16” in length, and they have a medium weight and grip.
They’re made from a plastic material that is seriously durable. They can’t snap, so you can bend them as much as you want without worrying about that. You shouldn’t aim to bend them, but it means that these sticks are foolproof for kids.
Overall, they’re a compelling option and one that will last several years due to the rechargeable battery feature. They’re just not an easy pick for drummers that don’t want to play with plastic sticks.
Colors: 15 different colors
Length: 16”
Model: 5A
Powerstix Rockstix 2 Pro Drum Sticks – Premium Option
The Powerstix Rockstix 2 Pro Drum Sticks are arguably the most popular glow-in-the-dark options available. These sticks can easily be found all over the world, and they’re the one pair of light-up sticks that most music stores offer.
One of the biggest reasons for their popularity is that they were featured in the second Drumline movie.
These are also the sticks that offer the most in terms of color and color change choices. You can get sticks with a single color that turns on every time you hit the drums, or you can get sticks that change to different colors as you play.
The choice of single colors is great for drummers who want sticks for a certain scenario. You’ll be able to match your sticks to the color of the environment around you.
These sticks are also made from a plastic material. More specifically, a strong polycarbonate. It makes them durable, but they suffer the same effect of not feeling comfortable to drummers who only want to play with wooden sticks.
The sticks are battery-powered. You can’t recharge these batteries as you can with ones from the previous sticks. So, you’ll need to replace them once they run out. You can easily buy them from the PowerStix store.
Colors: 13 colors
Length: 16”
Model: 5A
YiPaiSi Light Up Drum Sticks – Best Budget Option
The YiPaiSi Light Up Drum Sticks have a unique design in that they glow in the dark instead of having lights trigger. This works by leaving the sticks in a well-lit area for a while, and then they’ll glow when being used in a dark space.
They’re a bit less exciting than the sticks that have different colors popping, but they’re worth mentioning on this list purely for how affordable they are.
They’re seriously inexpensive, and they’ll still be a good option for drummers looking for sticks that offer a bit of dynamic expressiveness while they play.
I wouldn’t suggest using these sticks for gigging purposes, as the glow-in-the-dark feature isn’t very reliable. These sticks are fantastic for kids, though. The small feature of them glowing is enough to entice younger kids to be interested in using them, and that encourages them to practice.
These sticks also have the benefit of being regular sticks. They’re made from nylon, which is the plastic used to make tips for regular sticks. This material makes the sticks feel different from the other plastic light-up sticks, but some drummers may find these a bit more comfortable to use.
You have a choice of green and blue with these, with both colors looking great when the lights are turned off.
Colors: Green and blue
Length: 16”
Model: 5A
MusFunny Night Light Drum Sticks
The MusFunny Night Light Drum Sticks have the same glow-in-the-dark design as the previous sticks, but they offer a few more features that will make them a bit more attractive to most drummers.
Firstly, you get four color options here to pick from. The colors include blue, yellow, green, and red. You also get these sticks in black and natural wood, but those two options don’t glow in the dark.
Another cool feature is that a few of the color options come with anti-slip covers at the handles. This is great for drummers that sweat when playing and need something extra to keep the sticks in their hands.
It stops the entire stick from glowing, but you still get enough glow from the upper part of the stick for the light-up effect to be present.
These sticks are also made from nylon, making them very durable and a bit better to play with than the sticks made from transparent plastic. The downside is the same as the previous sticks, where the glowing feature is nowhere near as strong as LED lights being triggered.
They are much higher in quality than the budget glowing options, though. So, I’d suggest getting these if you’re happy to pay a bit more.
Colors: Red, yellow, blue, green, wood, black
Length: 16”
Model: 5A
YiPaiSi Bright LED Light Up Drum Sticks
The YiPaiSi Bright LED Light Up Drum Sticks have the same design as the first two pairs I recommended, but these are a lot more affordable.
Red, green, and blue are your color options, and they’re all single-use colors. So, these sticks don’t change their colors as you strike them. You need to choose a pair that has one color assigned.
One thing to mention about them is that they’re slightly shorter than the other sticks on this list, with a length of 15.7”. The shorter length doesn’t affect the playability by much, but it’s worth mentioning as you may be very comfortable with the standard 16-inch length.
Something else to mention is that the lighting feature isn’t as reliable with these sticks as it is with the others. They’re battery-powered, but the batteries don’t seem to last as long.
These aren’t as good an option, but they’re still a fantastic option for drummers that don’t need to use the sticks as often. If you’re just looking for some inexpensive sticks to use for a few songs in an upcoming gig, these ones are perfectly usable.
Colors: Red, green, and blue
Length: 15.7”
Model: 5A
What To Look For In Glow In The Dark Drum Sticks
Reasons to Use Them
Glow-in-the-dark drumsticks are often seen as gimmicky tools, but they have some incredible uses. Drummers themselves may not think it’s too impressive when seeing other drummers use them, but you need to put yourself in the shoes of a random person in the crowd.
If the lights go off, and the drummer’s sticks start lighting up, it’s going to look amazing. It’s the perfect addition to a live gig to boost the overall showmanship aspect.
You don’t need to get light-up drumsticks to use at all times, but it’s a good idea to have a pair for situations like that.
It’s quite common to see these sticks being used in drumlines as well, as that’s where showmanship is always a big factor. So, glow-in-the-dark sticks are good for both drum kit players and marching drummers.
Colors
The biggest thing to look for when choosing these sticks is colors. Sticks generally have two main color options. One will be a single color. The other will be a range of colors that trigger anew every time you strike the sticks on something.
Choosing single-colored sticks is a great idea for drummers who perform in a specific color environment. If the theme of your band’s performance is centered around a red color, it’s a good idea to get red light-up sticks, for example.
If you don’t have any specific theme, it could be quite fun to get multi-colored drumsticks.
Materials
The type of materials that the drumsticks are made from will depend on how they function. Drumsticks with built-in LED lights are typically made from hard transparent that is designed to take a beating.
The weight balance often feels a bit weird with these, but the trade-off is that the colors are a lot stronger and more exciting.
Some sticks simply have a glow-in-the-dark design. They’re coated with material that soaks up sunlight and then makes them glow when the lights are low.
These sticks are normally made from nylon. They feel a lot more comfortable to play with, but their lighting functions aren’t as reliable as battery-powered sticks.
Size
Light-up drumsticks are mostly designed to fit as many drummers’ preferences as possible, so most of them share the dimensions of standard 5A drumsticks. The length of a 5A stick is usually 16”, while the width is 0.565”.
You’ll find those sizes with most options, with a few having slight variations. The good thing about that is that you’ll most likely feel comfortable using them.
The downside is that it makes things tricky for drummers who are used to using much heavier or lighter sticks. You just need to get used to them, though.
Design
Regarding battery-powered drumsticks, some have batteries that can be recharged. I highly suggest getting those, as you’ll never need to worry about replacing the batteries. They’ll be a bit pricier, but you’ll actually end up saving money in the long run.
It can be tough to find batteries for sticks that can’t be recharged, as they may need very specific battery sizes that aren’t readily available.
Another design aspect to consider is how the tips look. Some have solid colors, while others are just as transparent as the rest of the bodies of the sticks. This is a seriously small detail, but knowing what you prefer will help you choose one pair of sticks over another.
Weight
Weight is the final feature to consider when looking at the design and size of a pair of drumsticks. It’s important to remember that glow-in-the-dark don’t feel as light as standard wooden sticks. Each pair is a bit heavier due to the internal parts. Sticks that just have glowing coating are also heavier, as they’re made from nylon.
With that being said, some sticks are a bit heavier than others. You can find how heavy they are by looking at the product information when buying them. I’d suggest getting sticks that are similar to the sticks you currently use. That will make switching between them as seamless as possible.
Price
These kinds of sticks cost anywhere between $3 and $40. The price ultimately depends on how intricate the design is. It’s just worth saying that the higher-priced light-up sticks always work a lot better.
However, I wouldn’t buy expensive sticks if you don’t plan on using them often. If you’re just getting sticks to use for one song in your band’s set, inexpensive ones will be just fine.
Best Glow In The Dark Drum Stick Brands
You may be expecting to see big names like Vic Firth, Vater, and Promark here. The reality is that the big stick brands don’t put any effort into making light-up drumsticks. There is a very small market of drummers that actually want to have sticks like this, so you’ll only find smaller brands making them.
Here are two brands with reliable options on their product roster.
YiPaiSi
YiPaiSi is a budget instrument brand. There isn’t too much to say about them, as information is hard to find, but there are dozens of inexpensive instruments from them that you can find on Amazon. That includes a few different pairs of glow-in-the-dark drumsticks.
Powerstix
Powerstix is the best brand to find light-up drumsticks. They make sticks for both drummers and exercise classes, and all their products are very well-designed.
You’ll pay a bit more for their drumsticks than you will for ones from other brands, but the slightly higher price tags are more than justified by the quality you get.
Top Glow In The Dark Drum Sticks, Final Thoughts
Choosing a pair of glow-in-the-dark sticks is a lot easier than picking standard pairs of sticks, as there are far fewer options available. You’ll find that some of them feel cheap and toy-like, while others feel fairly solid.
While you wouldn't bring these to drumming lessons, if you perform this could really add to your show.
Make sure to make that distinction before ordering a pair, as the toy-like ones can easily break after a few weeks. Also, pick a color or set of colors that really appeal to you.
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