Best Djembes of 2025
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Djembes are a type of African drum that have become increasingly popular around the world. These handcrafted drums are traditionally made from a single piece of hardwood and produce a rich, deep sound that is perfect for a variety of musical styles. Djembes are available in a range of sizes and styles, with different materials, designs, and finishes that can be tailored to suit any player's preferences. Whether you're a professional musician or just starting out, investing in a high-quality djembe can help you to achieve the perfect sound and enhance your playing experience.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
#TOP 1
9.8
#TOP 2
9.7
#TOP 3
9.5
Top 10 Djembes
Percussion Plus Slap Djembe with 12" Head
The Percussion Plus Djembe is designed for ease of use and portability. Its synthetic shell provides a durable structure, making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The synthetic, pretuned drum heads feature a screen-printed surface that enhances your playing experience and ensures consistent sound quality. The heat sealed cotton cloth exterior not only adds a stylish touch but also protects the drum from wear and tear. Additionally, the deluxe rubber no-scuff base ensures stability during play, preventing any damage to surfaces. A clip-on carrying strap makes transportation simple, allowing you to take your music wherever you go.
A-Star 6 Inch Colourful Djembe Drum
The A-Star Djembe Drum is a beautifully hand-carved instrument featuring an authentic, colourful design. Its natural goatskin head produces a vibrant sound, allowing you to enjoy deep bass tones and crisp slaps for a diverse range of rhythms. The traditional rope-tuning system offers you the flexibility to easily adjust the drumhead’s tension and pitch, ensuring your music is always just right. This versatile drum is perfect for exploring West African music and can be integrated into various genres, providing you with endless opportunities for personal expression.
AMI 13-Inch Ghanaian Djembe Drum with Carvings
The AMI Ghanaian Djembe Drum is a stunning full-size instrument, ideal for musicians of all levels. Crafted from lightweight Tweneboa wood, it is easy to handle, making it perfect for both beginners and professionals. The high-quality unbleached goat skins provide a dynamic sound, allowing you to produce deep bass tones and sharp high notes. Additionally, each drum is ethically sourced and polished with sesame oil, ensuring a beautiful finish that supports local artisans in Ghana.
Handmade 25cm African Djembe Drum with Stick
The 25cm African Djembe Drum is a delightful instrument for young children. With its hand-painted design inspired by Australian Aboriginal art, each drum is unique and visually appealing. Although it has a small size, it produces a surprisingly good sound, making it perfect for little hands to handle and carry around. Its higher pitch adds a lovely timbral variance to your collection, allowing for creative musical exploration. Plus, it comes with a wooden drum stick for immediate play and enjoyment.
AMI 14-Inch Ghanaian Djembe Drum with Carvings
The AMI Djembe Drum is perfect for those with larger hands, providing ample space for comfortable play. Crafted from high-quality rope and sustainably sourced Tweneboa wood, it produces rich bass tones and bright high notes, enhancing your musical experience. The lightweight design makes it easy to manage, allowing you to focus on your rhythm. Additionally, the unbleached goat skins ensure a dynamic sound suitable for everyone, from beginners to professionals, making it a versatile choice for any musician.
Percussion Plus Carnival Slap Djembe with Carrying Strap
The Percussion Plus Slap Djembe is a fantastic choice for music enthusiasts. Its lightweight synthetic shell makes it easy to transport, allowing you to take your music wherever you go. The synthetic drum heads feature a screen-printed surface, providing a durable playing experience. With a heat sealed cotton cloth exterior, you can be assured of its quality and longevity. Additionally, the deluxe rubber no-scuff base protects surfaces while you play, ensuring a worry-free experience. This drum is perfect for any occasion.
World Rhythm 9” Mahogany Djembe Drum
The World Rhythm Djembe Drum features a mahogany shell that delivers rich, distinctive bass and high tones, enhancing your playing experience. With a goat skin head and rope tuning, you will find the playing surface both sensitive and durable, allowing for expressive performances. The distinctive black carved shell not only looks striking but also adds to the drum's overall character. Standing at 20 inches high with a 9-inch head, this drum is perfect for both beginners and professionals, making it a versatile choice for any musician.
AMI 9-Inch Authentic Ghanaian Djembe Drum
The AMI Djembe Drum is an excellent choice for primary school children, allowing them to explore music in a fun and engaging way. Crafted from high-quality rope and sustainably sourced Tweneboa wood, this drum produces rich bass tones and sharp high notes, making it suitable for beginners and professionals alike. The unbleached goat skins provide a dynamic sound, enhancing your playing experience. Additionally, every drum is ethically sourced, supporting local artisans in Ghana, ensuring your purchase contributes to their livelihoods.
World Rhythm MDJ012 Mahogany Djembe Drum
The World Rhythm Djembe Drum features a mahogany shell that produces a rich, distinctive bass and high tones, enhancing your musical experience. With a goat skin head and rope tuning, this drum offers a sensitive yet durable playing surface, allowing you to express yourself freely. Its unique black carved shell not only looks striking but also adds to its character. Standing at 16 inches high with an eight-inch head, this drum is perfect for both beginners and professionals seeking quality and style.
AMI 11-Inch Authentic Ghanaian Djembe Drum with Hand Carvings
The AMI Ghanaian Djembe Drum is perfect for adults with smaller hands and secondary school students, making it an excellent starter drum. Crafted from high-quality, sustainably sourced Tweneboa wood, it offers a lightweight and manageable design. The unbleached goat skins ensure a superior sound, producing deep bass tones and sharp high notes, ideal for everyone from beginners to professionals. Each drum is ethically sourced and polished with sesame oil, supporting local artisans in Ghana while ensuring a well-tuned instrument ready for use.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How much does the djembe drum cost?
Please. Current African djembe market prices are $299 - $1,000 We do carry less expensive djembe as well.
2. What is a djembe used for?
Musicians use the djembe as the instrument of dance at marriages, baptisms, funerals, circumcisions and excisions. They also play songs during the ploughing, sowing and harvest, during courtship rituals and even to settle disputes among the men of the village.
3. Where do djembes come from?
The djembe drum is most likely about 400-800 years old, and was created during the Malian Empire by the Mandé people. It spanned the modern-day countries of Senegal, southern Mauritania, Mali, northern Burkina Faso, western Niger, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, the Ivory Coast and northern Ghana.
4. How are djembes made?
It is made of a hollow wood body, with skin fastened over the top. The skin is traditionally rawhide, such as goat or cow skin. Modern djembes often use synthetic skins. The skin is tightly stretched over the shell using metal rings and rope.
During our djembe research, we found 306 djembe products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 5,285 customer reviews through our big data system to write the djembes list. We found that most customers choose djembes with an average price of £40.15.
The djembes are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of djembes, including Percussion Plus, A-Star, African Musical Instruments, Drums for Schools, World Rhythm.
Hayden was born in Liverpool, and he never left his hometown until university. In his freshman year at the University of Manchester, Hayden was the group leader of a popular music group. Hayden is responsible for the popularity of his music, and this is because of his natural ability to play with keys and strings. He graduated with BFA in 2016 and returned in 2018 as a lecturing staff in the School of Music.