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Few things can change the sound of your drum kit as much—and for so little money—as a fresh set of heads. Yet this is where most ordering mistakes happen: buying resonant heads instead of batter heads, guessing the size by eye from the old head, or ordering tom heads for a darbuka without ever measuring the shell’s opening. This guide walks you through each decision: which head goes where, coated or clear, one ply or two, how to measure correctly, and what to look for if your instrument isn’t a drum kit at all, but a darbuka.
If you’re still at the previous step—meaning you don’t have a kit yet—we’ve written a separate guide on choosing between acoustic and electronic drums; this one is for after you have drums and want better sound. You’ll find the full range in the drum heads category, sorted by type and size.
Batter or Resonant: Every Drum Has Two Heads, Each with a Different Role
Almost every drum has a top head you strike (the batter head) and a bottom head that just vibrates and gives body to the sound (the resonant head). The two are not interchangeable. The batter head is thick and built to take hits; the resonant head is thin and designed to vibrate freely.
The classic confusion happens with the snare drum. Heads marked "snare side" are for the bottom, where the snare wires sit: the Evans Clear 300, for example, has a ply of just 3 mil, while a batter head like the Remo Controlled Sound is 10 mil plus a 5 mil black control dot. Order a "snare side" for the top and you’ve bought a film that isn’t made to be struck. So first check what you’re replacing: the head you play on, or the one underneath.
For the snare’s batter side, here’s a controlled-sounding choice with solid mids and lows—exactly what untreated rooms are forgiving of:
And for the bottom, a dedicated resonant head whose 3 mil ply lets the snare wires respond:
There are also more affordable options for the same roles, like the Remo Encore Ambassador Hazy Snare Side, also with a thin 3 mil ply—you’ll find them in the same category. The rule stays the same: resonant on the bottom, batter on top.
Coated or Clear: Matte or Transparent
Coated means that matte, slightly rough layer—like an eggshell; clear is the transparent film. The difference isn’t just cosmetic. Coated heads sound warmer and more controlled, with a rounder attack; clear heads sound brighter, with a more pronounced attack and more shimmer. On the snare, coated is the classic choice, and for a very practical reason: if you ever want to play with brushes, that matte texture is what makes the brushes audible. On a clear head, brushes slide almost silently.
For toms, both camps are right: clear for a more modern, direct sound; coated for a warmer, vintage vibe. There’s no wrong answer here—just taste; the next section matters more than the finish.
One Ply or Two
A single-ply head vibrates more freely: an open, resonant sound, sensitive to dynamics. A two-ply head is thicker and more durable, and the sound depends on the series: Remo Emperor, with two 7 mil plies, keeps an open sound with long sustain, while the Pinstripe series, also two 7 mil plies, shortens the sustain and pushes the low end forward. The practical rule: one ply for sensitivity and an airy sound, two plies for durability and a thicker, more controlled tone. If you hit hard and change heads rarely, you’re usually better off with two-ply heads.
One detail many discover late: it’s best to change all the heads at once, not one at a time—otherwise the tom with the new head will sound like it came from a different kit. That’s why there are packs in the standard sizes, like this coated set with a warm, open, clear sound for three toms:
And if you want the two-ply version for your floor tom, where durability matters most:
You’ll find more complete packs in the drumhead sets category.
Measure the Drum, Not the Old Head
This is where we lose most customers: the size comes from the diameter of the drum shell, measured across the opening, with the old head off and the hoops removed. The old head is misleading—its edge is wider than the drum’s actual diameter. A tailor’s tape or a tape measure and 30 seconds will save you a return parcel.
| Drum | Common Sizes | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|
| Tom | 10", 12", 14", 16" | tom heads |
| Snare drum | 14" for most | snare drum heads |
| Bass drum | 20", 22" | bass drum heads |
| Darbuka (goblet drum) | 8", 6" | 8'' heads and 6'' heads |
To make things easier, we’ve sorted tom heads by exact size: 10-inch tom heads, 12-inch tom heads and 14-inch tom heads, with separate categories for all the other sizes from 6 to 18 inches. Size is the only fit criterion: heads are standardized in inches, so the drum brand doesn’t matter. By the way, if the head is for a child’s kit, kids’ drums come in smaller sizes than adult ones; we’ve covered them in our kids’ drum guide.
Bass Drum Heads
The bass drum has rules of its own: here, almost nobody wants long sustain—they want a short, well-defined "thump". The budget option, with two clear plies, for a 20-inch kick:
The same series also comes in 22-inch—you’ll find it in the category. And a step up, the Powerstroke 3: a 10 mil ply with a 10 mil control ring to keep the sound in check, plus an extra protective Impact Patch:
Darbuka and Doumbek Heads: The Section Our Customers Wrote
Now for the surprise in our sales data: our best-selling heads aren’t snare or tom heads. They’re the 8- and 6-inch ones, and overwhelmingly they don’t go on drum kits—they go on darbukas, the goblet drum known in Romanian folk music as the tarabană. More than 150 of the 8-inch model alone went out in the past year. The Romanian searches that bring people to us tell the same story: "folie tarabana 8 suruburi", "membrana tarabana", "fata tarabana 8 suruburi". So this section is for you, re-heading a darbuka rather than a drum kit.
The measurement is the same as for drums: take off the broken head and measure the shell opening it sits on, in inches. The number of tuning screws doesn’t tell you the size, however often it shows up in searches; two darbukas with 8 screws each can have different openings. In the orders that pass through our hands, almost everything is solved with 8-inch heads—and with 6-inch for the smaller drums.
The head most people buy is the Remo Pinstripe 8-inch: two clear 7 mil plies, boosted low end, moderate-to-strong attack and short sustain—exactly the punchy character you want from a darbuka, in a build that stands up to hard hitting. One honest warning: with demand like this, stock comes and goes in waves—the card below shows you the up-to-date status.
For the smaller drums, its 6-inch sibling, with the same two-ply 7 mil construction:
And if you want to repair the instrument for as little as possible, there’s also the Encore version in 8-inch, again with two 7 mil plies, at a fraction of the price:
Doumbeks have dedicated heads too. For Meinl Artisan series doumbeks there’s the 8¾-inch synthetic head, made specifically for them, with a clean tone and an easy response; it comes in several finishes, from black to clear:
Everything else—from Remo doumbek heads to heads for congas and djembes—is in the percussion heads category. If you’re not sure what size your instrument is, send us a photo with a tape measure laid across the drum’s opening and we’ll tell you what fits.
When to Change Drumheads
Drumheads are consumables, like guitar strings—they just live longer and die more quietly. The signs that matter: dents that won’t come out, the coated layer worn down to the film in the striking area and, the surest sign of all, tuning that won’t hold—you tune the drum today and tomorrow it sounds flabby again. Resonant heads, since they’re never struck, last for years; batter heads wear out with how much you play, not with the calendar. A kit that sounds "dead" often needs new heads, not new drums—check the consumables before you spend big.
Next Steps
All the sizes, series and packs are in the drum heads category, with up-to-date pricing and stock on every product. And if you have a case that doesn’t match anything in this guide (an old drum in an odd size, an inherited darbuka, a whole kit to re-head), write to us with your measurements: you’ll get a concrete match back, not just a list of links.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size head do I need for my tom?
Measure the diameter of the drum shell opening in inches, with the old head and hoops removed. The old head isn’t a good reference: its edge is wider than the drum’s actual diameter, so measuring it risks getting the wrong size. Standard tom sizes are 10, 12, 14 or 16 inches, and our head categories are sorted by exactly these sizes.
Can I use a "snare side" head as a batter head?
No. Heads marked "snare side" are resonant heads for the bottom of the snare, where the snare wires sit, and they’re very thin—3 mil, compared with about 10 mil for a batter head. They’re not built to be struck: mounted on top, a head like this fails very quickly. It’s the most common ordering mistake we see.
Coated or clear for beginners?
Both are good choices; the sound is different. Coated (the matte, textured layer) sounds warmer and more controlled, and is essential if you want to play with brushes, since brushes need that texture to be heard. Clear heads sound brighter, with a more pronounced attack. On the snare, coated is the classic choice; on toms, it’s a matter of taste.
How often should drumheads be changed?
Drumheads are consumables, not lifetime accessories, and the interval depends on how much you play, not the calendar. Signs to watch for: visible dents, the coated layer worn through in the striking area, and tuning that won’t hold from one rehearsal to the next. Resonant heads last much longer than batter heads, since they’re not struck.
I have a darbuka with 8 tuning screws. Which head do I need?
The number of tuning screws doesn’t give you the size, so don’t choose by it. Take off the old head and measure the diameter of the opening it sits on, in inches. On the darbukas we’re asked about, the sizes are almost always 8 inches—and 6 inches for the smaller instruments.
Will these heads fit any drum brand?
In general, yes: drumhead sizes are standardized in inches, so a 14-inch head fits a 14-inch drum regardless of drum or head brand. Exceptions are rare and usually involve very old or unusual drums with non-standard sizes. If your drum is from another era, measure the diameter before ordering.
