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Last updated: 15 Aug 2022

Reviewing The Best Drum Cases on Amazon

Best Overall
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Gearlux 5-Piece Drum Case
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Runner-Up
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Gator Protechtor Series Padded Drum Bags
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Honorable Mention
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Protec Multi-Tom Drum Bag
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Also Consider
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Pro Tec HR6514 Padded Snare Bag
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By Derek Sautter
Published 3:22 pm

Whether you’re a professional drummer or a beginner, a good set of drum cases is a must-have. If you're a professional, chances are, you've probably been gigging a lot - or perhaps you're about to - and you're looking for a foolproof way to get your drums to the venue! Every musician/band has their own way of going about setting up the stage - while some of you may prefer carrying just your cymbals and snare to the venue and renting the rest of the kit locally - others prefer transporting their complete kit along with them! The latter brings about a lot of hassle but it's surely what gets most of us all pumped up and keeps us comfortable on stage. In this guide, we've put together a list of 10 long-lasting, quality drum cases of 2022. Some of them, they're complete sets with 5-7 bags in each. Others are dedicated gig bags for particular drums. Either way, whether you're looking to ship your complete drum kit or maybe just your cymbals, we've got your back!

We'll be throwing a few tips at the end of this guide to help you sift through our list better and choose what suits you best. Let's get started!

Detailing the Leading Gig Bags for Drums in 2022

1

Gearlux 5-Piece Drum Case

– Best Overall
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THE SCOOP

Comes loaded with 10mm of foam protection, the Gearlux’s 5-piece drum bag set is our favorite and soon will be yours!

It’s made for a 12″ tom, 13″ tom, 16″ floor tom, 14″ snare, and 22″ bass drum. All the bags have handles that help with easy transportation and save you those to and fro trips from the truck to the stage!  

Pros
  • Each bag is labeled for easy identification
  • Thick durable canvas material on the outside and silky nylon interior with snugly padding
  • Very affordable and sturdy with excellent price to value ratio
Cons
  • You’ll have to make sure the bags will be a fine fit for your drums – the sizes mentioned above are accurate
2

Gator Protechtor Series Padded Drum Bags

– Runner-Up
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THE SCOOP

These drum cases are just as good as the previous ones! The best part? You can buy these in variations – buy a single bag, two, order all 5 pieces at once, or more – your call!

Each bag sports a beautiful and durable nylon exterior, 10mm padding and lined interior, comfortable carrying straps, and a collapsible compact design! The bags are made for shell sizes; 22″ x 18″ kick drum, 12″ x 10″ tom, 13″ x 11″ tom, 16″ x 16″ floor tom, 14″ x 5.5″ snare drum.

Pros
  • Good looks, fine functionality, reasonable bang for the buck, and durability – all in one
  • Each bag has a compact collapsible design
  • You can buy the drum case sets in different variations – different sizes
Cons
  • The padding is 10mm but it’s minimal – could say it’s a bit cheap in comparison to the Gearlux’s set
3

Protec Multi-Tom Drum Bag

– Honorable Mention
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THE SCOOP

This bag’s dimensions are 42″ x 21″ x 21″ – ideal for housing 3 or more of your toms! Comes with secure straps with hook and loop fasteners to simply attach the padded dividers to the interior wall between each drum!

You can clinch the top straps for a snuggly fit. The bag comes with pull handles for easy carrying as well as oversized wheels and feet. To sum it up, it’s an excellent choice if you’re only looking for a solution to carry your toms!

Pros
  • Comes with a large exterior pocket to house the drum’s legs
  • It’s meant for toms but if you’re lucky and do the maths well, it might just be enough to house 3-5 of your drums – including the cymbals
Cons
  • The wheels on the bag are tiny
4

Pro Tec HR6514 Padded Snare Bag

– Also Consider
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THE SCOOP

We’re particularly targeting the 8.25″ x 17.5″ snare bag but you can get the same bag in a different size, as well as for the rest of the drums in your kit.

It’s made to house most snare drum makes and models. The exterior is tough, made from durable 600D nylon, and features double zippers. This drum bag also comes with a stylish sizing patch with room to write the drum’s name/type for easy identification.

Pros
  • Comes with an adjustable shoulder strap with reinforced stitching and thick webbing
  • The bag’s interior has a dense 10mm sponge padding with a soft non-abrasive interior lining
  • Available for other drums as well
Cons
  • There is no handle to carry it other than the shoulder strap – which could cause a hassle for bass drum
5

Gator Drum Hardware Carry Case

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THE SCOOP

For the first four, we’ve zeroed in on drum carry bags. But we bet you’ll be needing an extra bag to carry the legs, drumsticks, and rest of your essentials so a bag like this one had to be a part of our selection!

This bag’s dimensions are around 13″ x 50″ – you may also get this in a molded base, hardware cart, and rolling variations. It comes with two handles – for the shoulder as well as a reinforced hand handle. Lastly, the bag comes with dual zippers. The bag is a fine choice to carefully transport all your essentials.

Pros
  • Comes with a tiny accessory pocket to house smaller items in a separate compartment
  • Sports a durable 600D nylon construction
Cons
  • The padding is 1mm – enough but 10 times less than those of aforementioned bags
6

Protec HR230 Cymbal Drum Case

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THE SCOOP

Checked complete sets, took care of toms, snare, and accessories – and the Protec HR230 will take care of all your cymbals! You may buy it either with a shoulder strap or a backpack – if the bags you already have are shoulder straps or hand handles, we suggest going with a backpack! The bag is 22″ wide, sports a rugged nylon exterior with a reinforced bottom section and non-abrasive interior lining. 

Pros
  • Comes with soft padding to keep your cymbals spot-free
  • Has a large extra pocket on the front side
  • Comes in two variations; with a shoulder strap or a backpack
Cons
  • The shoulder strap has to be lengthened to take the cymbals in and out
7

Gearlux 14-Inch Snare Drum Case

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THE SCOOP

Excellent for storage, transportation, and protection – the Gearlux’s 14″ snare drum bag is exactly what you need – especially if the Pro Tec one mentioned earlier was a bit too wide for you.

It comes with 10mm foam padding and has a handle on the side for easy portability. The interior dimensions are 15.5″ x 6″ – so if you’ve got a snare that’s about 14-15 inches in depth, you can rest assured that this one will serve as a nice, snug fit.

Pros
  • Made up of reinforced, lightweight nylon
  • The handle is strong – won’t loosen up anytime soon
  • It’s affordable so you can get it and it’ll come in handy at one time or another
Cons
  • The padding is only alright for slight bumps against other gear – could have easily been denser
8

Meinl Bongo Gig Drum Case

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THE SCOOP

If you’re a percussionist and have a hand and ear for some bongo, this one’s for you!

Made up of heavy-duty fabric – nylon 600D with a good degree of thickness and PVC backing, it’s a reliable choice. The inside is soft with 3mm padding and a lighter 210D synthetic fabric. Comes with velcro-joined, easy reinforced carrying handles. Can be used as a bag for bongo as well as instruments like your shakers, tambourines, cabasas, and more!

Pros
  • Equipped with a double pull zipper
  • Can be used as a mixed percussion bag for multiple instruments
  • Has a sturdy, easy-to-carry handle that’ll last as long as the bag does
Cons
  • Depending upon the size of your instrument, you may want to add more padding or place the bag at a safe spot
9

EDMBG Deluxe Conga Bag

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This 25-inches tall and 15.5-inches wide bag is ideal to fit your conga drum – or any other percussive instruments that fall within the dimensions of this drum bag.

The bottom diameter is 10 inches so you’ll have to make sure if your conga drum or desired instrument is the right fit for this! 

Pros
  • Comes with a pocket for extras
  • Has a carry strap as well as a shoulder strap
Cons
  • It’s a basic nylon bag with little-to-no padding
10

Meinl Percussion Cajon Box Drum Case

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THE SCOOP

Last but not least, we didn’t want any cajonists to feel left out so we’ve got this standard-sized, beautiful bag for your cajon!

600D synthetic fabric exterior coupled with 210D synthetic interior is just the right combo – sturdy and economical! Moreover, like the bongo gig back we reviewed above, this one’s also got reinforced handles and shares almost the same features!

Pros
  • Has large metal double pull zippers
  • Ideal for cajons with dimensions; 11 3/4″ x 19 3/4″ x 11 3/4″ (width x height x depth)
  • Well-padded, water-resistant, and durable
Cons
  • It only has one strap – it’s a reinforced hand handle and not a shoulder one

Buying Guide: Cheap Drum Bags

Types of Drum Cases

Like most instruments, the drum cases also usually come in three types:

Drum bags

Drum bags are your simple nylon bags in most cases. They're usually well-padded, come with a strap or two, and have double zippers.

This type of drum bag is further divided into a hard plastic bag where the bottom/side of the bag has a plastic base. This helps add further protection to the bag, in addition to the 1-10mm foam padding they're mostly already equipped with.

Hard cases

Hard cases are your typical road cases - they're sturdy, usually made up of hardened fiberboard or polyethylene plastic outer shell. 

They're the sturdiest option when it comes to drum cases out there. This guide particularly comprises nylon drum bags since our aim was to put together a list of cost-effective, cheap drum cases. However, if you've got the budget for it, hard road cases are generally considered the better option - they provide better protection and deflect any rim-warping, lacquer cracking concussions.

It's also important to note that hard cases are heavy - so if you're looking for a lightweight carrying bag, you may just want to go for a simple nylon bag for your drum.

What Makes a Great Drum Case?

There are hundreds of drum cases out there - this guide alone lists 10 items. So, how do you identify the best from the rest? How do you choose the right set of cases for your drum kit? 

We've broken things down into a few steps to help you make the right decision.

Protection/Padding

Normally, all your gig bags come with 1mm - 10mm padding, and sometimes it's even more. The more the padding is, the safer your drums will be! 

Padding is mostly on the interior side. For extra protection, the fabric of your bag should be heavy-duty and thick from the outside and that helps add an extra layer of protection for your drums!

Storage

Being mindful of storage space is essential - you need to note down your instrument's dimensions and map them onto the interior of the bag you're going to purchase. 

Also, make sure there'll be ample space for closing the bag once you've fitted your drum inside. Ideally, your bag should be 1-2 inches bigger than your drum!

Carrying mechanism

Since drum bags are not that large, they usually come with only one type of strap; handheld strap, shoulder strap, or back straps.

If you're lucky, you may get your hands on a bag that sports more than one kind of straps. Moreover, some bags may come with wheels as well and that particularly helps with portability.

Also, make sure to look for adjustable and reinforced straps when buying the bag.

Weight

Your instrument's bag should not be too heavy - unless you're going for a hard case (which is obviously a bit heavier). If you're going for a backpack or a drum gig bag with a shoulder strap, it's important for you to zero in on a lightweight bag so it doesn't fatigue your shoulder or back muscles.

If you're buying a set of bags for your complete kit, you'll need to be extra mindful of this since you'll be carrying all your drums in this set of bags and if they're too heavy, it'll end up becoming more tiring than convenient. 

Compartments

So many drummers will end up forgetting a bag for their essentials and drumming hardware. More often than not, all your drum bags will have one or two extra pockets and that'll get the job done most of the time.

However, if extra compartments don't help float your boat - remember to buy an extra bag that'll help you carry any remaining hardware.

Bags vs. Hard Cases: What's the Better Option?

If you're looking for protection only then hard cases are definitely the better option. However, if your aim is to buy an economical drum case and you prefer just something to carry your drum in then zeroing in on a lightweight option should be preferred. 

To sum it up, hard cases are better for protection but gig bags are lightweight, economical, provide ample protection against scratches, and they're much easier to carry!

How to Keep Your Drums From Scratches Even Inside the Bags?

So sometimes, above all that fancy foam padding and lined interior, your drum shells and rims still become prone to damages and scratches. 

How? Well, zipper marks, somebody puts extra weight on your gig bag, your drums when collectively put together inside the same bag end up scratching one another, and whatnot. 

Problems like this can simply be avoided by adding extra padding to your bags. Try adding a piece of cloth between multiple drums and keep them from scratching against each other.

Place your bags at their designated spots when traveling and refrain from stacking them or putting luggage bags over/around them.

Lastly, you can never be too careful - if you fear damaging your drums, you can simply buy yourself a hard case and get rid of the problem once and for all!

Drum Case FAQ

Q: What is a drum case?

A: A drum case is an enclosure for a drummer's cymbals, toms, snare, stands, and rest of the accessories. It‘s a small, lightweight object that keeps drums contained and apart. Sometimes, drum cases are made of wood or acrylic. At other times, you'll find them made up of hardened fiber.

Q: What size drum casing should I get?

A: Drum cases come in a variety of sizes and are meant to fit drums of a given size. You need to get a drum casing that's 1-2 inches larger than the drum you're trying to fit in it. 

Q: How can I clean my drum shell?

A: To remove dirt and grime off your drums, clean them by hand with a soft, damp cloth. You can also get polishes and cleaners made particularly for this purpose to keep things simpler and easier.

author-image
By Derek Sautter
Derek is a professional musician who specializes in percussion and works with the independent WGI group Cap City Percussion. With a Bachelors of Music from Capital University, specializing in Music Industry studies, he consistently finds himself playing and teaching percussion to anyone who has the will to learn. Derek is also a former member of DCI groups Legends (2014-15) and Colts (2016-18); he is also the percussion technician and instructor of the drum line at Olentangy High School. You may find him playing a gig throughout the greater Columbus, Ohio area.
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