- Keen to skill up your chops but can’t stop getting noise complaints?
- A drum practice pad could be the answer to your prayers!
- We list the top 5 quietest drum practice pads on the market today (for all budgets)
- Also, check out our post on the best electronic drum pads!
One of the hardest parts of being a drummer is the huge racket we make whenever we sit down to play. I’ve lost count of the times a session has been interrupted by noise complaints.
So today, we’ll serve up the quietest drum practice pads in today’s market so you can work on those chops in peace.
What Are The Best & Quietest Drum Practice Pads?
The quietest drum pad is the RTOM Moongel Workout Pad. Its soft gel pad gives off almost no sound, and its low rebound design also trains your muscles harder than a regular pad.
The Remo Silentstroke Practice Pad is the best choice if you need a low-budget solution.
And, if you don’t mind splashing the cash, the Vic Firth Double-sided Practice Pad is a great, versatile performer.
Each of these drum practice pads were carefully selected based on its feature set, value for money, and volume level. Below are the five pads we’re reviewing today:
- RTOM MoonGel Workout Pad (Our Pick)
- Remo Silentstroke Practice Pad (Best Budget)
- Vic Firth Double-sided Practice Pad (Best All-Rounder)
- Sabian Quiet Tone Mesh Pad
- Zildjian Reflexx Conditioning Pad
1. RTOM MoonGel Workout Pad (Our Pick)
Practicing on the MoonGel Workout Pad is guaranteed to accelerate muscle development. Because of its super soft gel material, the Workout Pad allows no free rebounds. To play fast rudiments on the Workout Pad means increased speed and endurance on the drum set.
- "Library" quiet
- Affordable
- No rebounds
The ultra-quiet RTOM MoonGel Workout Pad is for the drummer who needs noise at an absolute minimum. This super soft gel pad gives you no free rebound, so you’re also forced to optimize your technique.
Key Features:
- High-end model
- Quietest pad on the list
- Low rebound
- Accelerates muscle development
Review
RTOM calls this pad “library” quiet, which is on the money. It’s the best pick for someone who needs the lowest volume possible.
Hard rubber drum pads let you get away with a slightly lazy technique as they give you loads of rebound. The RTOM MoonGel Workout Pad makes you work to get any rebound at all, so you’ll train up your power and endurance quickly.
The RTOM MoonGel Workout Pad has a non-slip rubber base and an 8mm thread mount. 8mm is the most common cymbal stand thread, so most players won’t need to buy a practice pad stand.
This drum pad is on the premium side. The 7″ version is a bit more expensive than a standard quiet pad, while the 14″ is about double the price.
2. Remo Silentstroke Practice Pad (Best Budget)
The Remo Silentstroke Practice Pad is an ideal low-volume practice solution for drummers seeking to keep their chops up. The Silentstroke Practice Pad is fitted with a Silentstroke drumhead, which gives you an 80% reduction in volume while retaining a realistic response and playing feel.
- Raised edge for rimshots
- Non-slip rubber bottom
- Matte black finish
The Remo Silentstroke Practice Pad is the silent version of the classic Remo Practice Pad.
The low-volume version has a Silentstroke drum head, which cuts down volume output by a whopping 80% while retaining a similar playing feel.
Key Features:
- Low-cost model
- Tunable head
- Rubber base and stand mount
- Raised edge for rimshots
Review
The Remo Silentstroke Practice Pad is very affordable and contains some excellent features. The 8″ head is tunable so that you can customize its feel and response for your snare drum practice.
Another advantage is the tough raised plastic rim, which allows you to work on your rimshots and cross sticks.
The 8″ size is portable, but it also gives you enough real estate to work with if you don’t like a cramped drum pad setup.
The Silentstroke Practice Pad features a 6mm thread mount for playing with a stand and also offers a grippy rubber base so you can just whack it down and play on a table.
3. Vic Firth Double-sided Practice Pad (Best All-Rounder)
On one side, this Double Sided Practice Pad features Vic Firth's soft rubber surface, which gives you a great workout while keeping the noise down. Drummers can also appreciate the reverse side, which features hard rubber that's audible and more responsive.
- Two different head materials
- Low rebound and low noise
- Heavy wooden base
The Vic Firth Double-sided Practice Pad is the one for the drummer who wants it all. One side has a soft rubber pad for quiet practice, and the other has a hard rubber pad that gives off a regular pad volume.
Key Features:
- High-end model
- Double-side practice pad with two different head materials
- Soft low volume head
- Hard regular volume head
Review
The two heads provide not only different volume levels but also different densities and feels. The soft side has a low rebound, and the hard side responds with a realistic stick bounce.
This head is available in a 6″ and a 12″ version. Both models are more expensive than a standard quiet pad.
The 12″ is notably more expensive, being more than twice the cost of the Remo Silentstroke. That’s understandable, though, as you’re getting twice the drum pad with the Vic Firth.
The Vic Firth Double-sided Practice Pad features a heavy wooden core. This is excellent for keeping the pad in place, although it does detract from its portability.
This model doesn’t have a thread mount. You can instead put this rubber pad into a snare stand or play on top of a drum or a table.
4. Sabian Quiet Tone Mesh Pad
This mesh head gives you the same playing feel as a traditional head — without any of the noise! Slap it on top of your snare head, inside a snare basket, or even onto your lap and get down to business.
- Tuning rods enable a customized feel
- 14-inch diameter feels like your snare
- Padded feet prevent damage to your batter head
The super quiet Sabian Quiet Tone Mesh Pad looks just like a snare drum’s top skin and hoop. However, its mesh head is quite similar to the heads found on many models of electronic drum kits.
Key Features:
- High-end model
- Standard drum hoop
- Mesh head similar to electronic drums
- Very quiet
Review
This Sabian Quiet Tone Mesh Pad is for the drummers who love to dig in with a mean rimshot. It features a standard metal snare drum hoop so you can practice authentic rimshots and cross sticks.
The pad has a Quiet Tone mesh head which “reduces volume by up to 99%”. If you’ve ever played an electronic drum kit with a mesh head, you’ll be familiar with this kind of head’s feel and ultra-low volume output.
Personally, I’ve never been a fan of mesh heads, as rubber heads always felt closer to the real thing. But they are certainly very low volume, and if you enjoy the mesh feel, which has less of a firm rebound, this will be right up your alley.
This pad has rubber feet which allow you to place it on any flat surface, but it doesn’t feature a thread mount.
The pairs of metal bracing beneath the pad have been known to vibrate and give off a slight buzz. If you want to cut this extra noise out, you can put some cloth or rubber between the metal bars.
5. Zildjian Reflexx Conditioning Pad
This 10-inch practice pad has two versatile sides — each tuned for top-tier performance. The Flexx surface offers a realistic and responsive feel akin to a real snare drum. Flip the pad over and use the high-resistance Workk surface for quieter practice and low-velocity exercises.
- Promotes control, strength, and endurance
- Flexx surface for high-velocity techniques
- Workk surface is ideal for low-velocity technique
Key Features:
- Most expensive pad on the list
- Double-sided practice pad
- Realistic response on one side
- Low volume, low bounce on the second side
Review
This pad has everything but the kitchen sink! One side of the pad provides a realistic response designed to feel like a snare drum, while the other is low volume and makes you work to get any bounce from it.
This pad combines the versatility of the Vic Firth Double-sided Practice Pad and the quiet strength training of the RTOM MoonGel Workout Pad.
This versatility comes at a price, though, as it’s the most expensive pad on the list. The 6” Reflexx is double the price of a budget quiet pad, while the 10” is more than three times the price.
The Reflexx will be a great option if the above features are important to you. But if you don’t need the full feature set offered here, you may as well get a more affordable drum pad.
Note that this pad is designed for flat surfaces and doesn’t feature a thread mount.
FAQs
What Is The Point Of A Drum Practice Pad?
A drumming practice pad allows you to practice drums when you cannot play a drum kit. Drum dampening only does so much, but pads can be very low in volume.
The practice pad simulates the feel of a snare drum so you can practice rudiments and other techniques quietly and without taking up much room.
What If My Pad Is STILL Not Quiet Enough?
Consider the material you’re placing the drumming practice pad on. A pad on top of a snare drum or table will vibrate and create extra noise.
However, putting a pad on top of a pillow can cut this extra noise out. If that’s still not enough, you can bring down the volume further by placing a towel on the pad.
Can You Learn To Drum On A Practice Pad?
If you don’t have access to a full kit, then you definitely pick up a good level of skill through snare drum practice on pads. After all, Nirvana powerhouse Dave Grohl learned to play on pillows in his bedroom.
It’s also a good idea to work towards getting a full kit, as much of the finer details in high-level drumming require a deep understanding of the response of real drums and cymbals.
What Size Drum Practice Pad Should I Get?
If you have limited space or want a pad for travel practice, a small drumming practice pad (6″ to 8″) is the way to go. If you have plenty of space, a larger pad (10″ to 14″) is better.
A larger pad has the advantage of having more real estate to work with and also gives a closer experience to playing a real drum. After all, when you play the snare drum, you wouldn’t normally limit yourself to exclusively playing the six inches in the center of the head.
When playing a full kit, learn how to deal with (or embrace) snare drum rings by checking out our article here.
Before you go, check out our guide to the 5 Best Electronic Drum Kits (That Money Can Buy)!