5 Best Cymbal Toppers

Tama Quick-Set Cymbal Mate 4 Pack Review

The Tama Quick Set Cymbal Toppers are incredibly practical and easy to use. These cymbal wingnuts are designed to keep your cymbal securely in place and offer one-touch convenience for taking them on and off in a matter of seconds.

The Tama quick release cymbal topper is a great invention and is used by pro drummers worldwide because of its ease-of-use and reliability when performing live on stage.

Pressing the two buttons at either side releases the locking mechanism to allow you to remove a cymbal when tearing down your drum set after performing. Believe me – these save a lot of time!

The Tama Quick Set Cymbal Mates perfectly complement any type of cymbal stand, and they make it easy to get the desired level of tightness you want from a crash cymbal or ride cymbal. Not only that, but they stay firmly put no matter how hard you play!

Just a note – this pack of four quick release cymbal tops don’t include felts. You’ll need to buy those separately, as they’re absolutely essential to have on your stands to stop your cymbals from cracking. 

Features:

• Set of 4 cymbal toppers
• One-touch convenience
• Easy to set desired cymbal tightness

DW Quick Release Wing Nuts 2 Pack Review

Up next we have the DW Quick Release Wing Nuts, and this is another set of spring-loaded quick release cymbal tops. This convenient two-pack features an integrated top cymbal felt to protect your cymbals against damage while playing. 

These DW cymbal wing nuts are designed to fit on DW cymbal stands, but they will fit on most other stands from popular drum brands. 

With these cymbal toppers, there will be no more lost or dropped wing nuts. You’ll also save a lot of time when setting up and packing away your drums thanks to the pinch quick-release functionality.

Unlike other cymbal wing nuts on the market, these DW cymbal toppers boast solid metal construction for unrivaled durability and ruggedness. These cymbal tops are designed to withstand the rigors of touring!

The big thing to note here is that these are quite expensive. All DW hardware is very pricey, but it’s the type of hardware that you only need to buy once and then you’ll use it for the next two decades. 

While these toppers are pricier than others, their durability puts them at the very top of this list as one of the best options to consider. 

Features:

• Set of 2 cymbal toppers
• Integrated cymbal felts for protection
• Durable metal construction

Aquarian Cymbal Spring Topper - Heavy Review

The Aquarian Cymbal Spring Topper is a unique invention that is designed to prolong the life of your cymbals. This cymbal stand topper is recommended for larger cymbals such as crash cymbals, ride cymbals, and china cymbals.

The single unit is conveniently designed, and replaces the existing cymbal stand washer, felts, and wing nut entirely. 

The patented internal spring offers enhanced flexibility and cymbal sway, thus allowing a cymbal to move about more freely and reduces the toll of heavy hits on the cymbal. 

Lots of heavy-hitting drummers swear by the Aquarian cymbal toppers on their cymbal stands. They help to absorb the impact of constant heavy hits and will help to preserve the lifespan of your cymbals.

You don’t really need something like this if you’re a light player, but it’s incredibly valuable for heavy players. So, I highly recommend checking it out. It’s certainly the most unique cymbal topper on this list. 

Features:

• Single flexible cymbal topper
• Clamps over 8mm thread
• Helps to preserve lifespan of cymbals

Pearl Wingloc Quick Release Wingnut Review

The Pearl Wingloc Quick Release Wingnut is another practical cymbal topper that will save a lot of time spent screwing on and off traditional cymbal wing nuts. They fit onto any existing 8mm cymbal stand thread. 

These cymbal toppers lock securely in place, and there is zero risk of them being unscrewed in the middle of a show. The unit is an all-in-one integrated washer, felt, and wingnut that replaces the existing nylon sleeve. 

The Pearl Wingloc Wingnuts are very popular amongst professional gigging drummers for their dependability and ease-of-use. 

Although the Pearl Wingloc might be pretty expensive for a single cymbal topper, these things are built to last!

It’s also nice how this comes as a single product, whereas the DW toppers come in pairs. It makes this package slightly more affordable. You could purchase one and then slowly get more over time instead of splurging for two DW toppers in a single go. 

Features:

• Integrated washer, felt, and wingnut
• Very popular cymbal topper
• Fits standard 8mm threads

Ahead PinchClip Cymbal Toppers 3 Pack Review

Lastly, on our list of cymbal toppers, we have the Ahead PinchClip Cymbal Clips made from lightweight, durable stainless steel. These quick release cymbal nuts are flexible and clamp down tight to stay firmly in place.

These no-frills cymbal toppers offer an excellent amount of control over your cymbal sway, and you can pinch them on the thread to choose your preferred cymbal tension. 

These quick release cymbal tops are a great alternative to traditional cymbal wing nuts and save a lot of time when setting up and tearing down drums. 

The Ahead PinchClips work best with smaller cymbals such as splash cymbals and crash cymbals, and they are a little too lightweight for really aggressive playing. 

If you’re a heavy drummer, you’d do much better with any of the other topper options that we’ve looked at up to this point. 

These quick release cymbal toppers do perform just fine for the price, and they even work well on hi-hat cymbals.

Features:

• Set of 3 cymbal toppers
• Pinch/bite clamp mechanism
• Allows for good control of cymbal sway