6 Best Drum Cases That Guarantee Maximum Protection
Posted in Gear | Last Updated on October 2, 2019
Of all touring musicians, drummers have the most challenging job moving their instruments around. This is because there are a lot of different parts to move; usually between 5 and 12 depending on the kits. Drums generally don't look fragile, but they are. That's why most transporters may not handle them with so much care. This is where drum cases come in.
Drum cases come in different types and sizes, but like all other pieces of equipment, some are better than others. Here are our top 6 picks among the rest:
1. SKB 1SKB-DBS4 Drum Gig Bag Set
This set of drum bags is made of ballistic nylon and fastened with heavy-duty zippers. The ballistic nylon ensures that your drums are protected from direct impact, even if the bags came in contact with sharp surfaces. These bags' interior is also well lined to prevent your drums from getting damaged when you accidentally knock them against each other or against other surfaces during transportation.
Also, you don't have to worry about the zipper popping off, or being worn out. The zipper system is solid enough to handle even heavier equipment. The straps are also well-made. They're held tight by the double stitching method that ensures that any strap does not suddenly snap under tension.
Another really good thing about the cases in this set is that it takes a considerably long time to get the exterior to look worn. It stays fresh in most situations.
2. Gator Cases Protechtor Series Classic Tom Case (GP-PC1209)
This set of Gator Protechtor cases are solid containers of different sizes that guarantee all-round protection for your drum pieces. These cases are made by a process called rotational modeling. This process ensures that the cases are strong and durable and that there's no weak point on the body. So, both the corners and sides are equally strong. The makers are so convinced of its strength that they provide a lifetime warranty against cracking.
Keep in mind that this set only has cases for toms; from the smallest to the largest of them and consists of four pieces. If you're carrying more than that, you may need to source for additional cases for your bass drum and others. Also, this particular set of cases is not foam-lined. Hence, your drums will be protected from scratches and damage, but may still be affected by a fall from tall heights.
3. Turtle Gear 5 Piece Drum Bag Set
Turtle gear gives you protection for five of your drum pieces. Usually, these would be three toms, one snare, and a kick drum. This is probably the combination that Turtle Gear had in mind when selecting the dimensions of each bag.
The bags have some padding that protects your drums from some impact. The padding may not be thick enough to protect against nasty falls, but you can be sure that the regular impact from carrying your drums around will not damage the drum pieces.
These bags can also protect your drums from water splashes or rainfall. One common issue when you have drum cases is that you still need additional containers to store your drumsticks, cables, and other smaller components. These turtle bags have smaller zipped spaces for such things. Each bag has a smaller compartment to store the smaller pieces.
While you may need to spend a little more on this set than others, you still get the option of buying them in pieces if you don't need the whole set at once.
4. HARDCASE HROCKFUS3 Drum Case Set for 'Rock/Fusion' Kits, 5 Pieces
This drum case set is a warhorse. It was engineered using overlapping compression design. This gives your drums round-the-clock protection. If you're on the road, and you're heading into unfamiliar terrain, you should get these cases. They provide you protection in the most unfavorable circumstances.
The exterior is strong enough to protect your drums from damage from impact; even if the case falls from a tall height or there's some severe impact due to a collision. The protection continues on the interior too, with the adjustable frame width. Even drums of the same stated size are found to have some width difference.
Since the case is adjustable, you can make sure your drums fit tightly into the case. This means that if the drums case falls or is hit hard, the drums do not knock against the inside walls of the case. This makes up for the reduced foam padding.
5. Gator Cases Protechtor Series 5 piece Padded Drum Bag Set for Standard Kits
These gator drum bags are not hard cases, but they do a good job of protecting your drums. Of course, for any protective case or bag, we generally consider the interior and exterior protection. There's some foam padding inside that protects your drums from dents from impact. Of course there are standard dimensions that are stated as the drum sizes that these bags can carry; 22-inch kick drum, 14" snare, 12, 13 and 16-inch Toms. If your drums are about an inch more or less than the dimensions stated, you can still use these cases without having any issues. A 23-inch kick drum will fit into the case.
The straps make them easy to carry around. They're well sewn in and long enough to be slung over your shoulder. You may have to fold the straps over if you just want to carry it with your arms though, as there's no short strap option.
6. Ahead Armor Cases 4-piece Drum Bag Set
Ahead Armor have found a really sweet spot between soft and strong. The bags in this set are not the hard case type, but they provide dependable protection. The padding is also one of a kind; Ahead calls it "DX-Core padding and sherpa fleece lining". It's a super soft padding system that takes most of the shock from an impact before it reaches your drums.
The zipper is also worthy of note. It opens both horizontally and vertically in a way that you'll bring out your drum easily without having to wriggle it out of the bags. That's not all. The bags are both water resistant and waterproof. Which means they can survive large splashes of water and an accidental fall in water.
Ahead may have left some little allowance just in case your drum size is a tiny bit larger than the specified size. This is good, as it allows widens the range of drum types that you can use. On the other hand, if your drums are the correct size, you may find the bags a little loose.
Hard Cases Vs Bags
Just by looking and feeling, you'll see that the hard case offers more protection than a bag. However, it also comes with added weight and definitely takes more space.
Bags provide good protection, and will be good enough if the drums are handled responsibly. There are just a few people that you can trust to handle your drums with such care. As a result, you should go for hard cases if you're not handling your drums in person. If you are, you can use bags and limit hard cases for just the snare and accessories.
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