Best Tom Drum Heads: Pick the Right Construction and Match the Pack to Your Toms

Product	Construction	Finish	Deciding feature	Size reference
EVANS G2 Clear	2-ply, 7mil + 7mil films (14mil total per Evans)	Clear	Standard clear two-ply tom batter; Level 360 collar	TT12G2 single 12-inch
EVANS EC2S Clear	2-ply, 7mil + 7mil films (14mil)	Clear	SST edge-control ring on underside for built-in damping; Level 360	TT12EC2S single 12-inch
Remo Emperor Coated	2 plies of 7mil coated film	Coated	Textured coated playing surface; official family covers snare and tom use	PP-2440-BE four-pack 10/12/14/16
Aquarian Classic Clear	Single-ply 10mil clear Nu-Brite film	Clear	Single-ply branch; Aquarian approves batter or resonant tom use	CC12 single 12-inch

EVANS G2 Clear

The EVANS G2 Clear is the ordinary clear two-ply tom batter in this lineup. Evans builds it from two 7mil clear films and lists the total thickness as 14mil, with a standard treatment and a Level 360 collar design. That makes it the general-purpose choice: a clear, two-ply top head for whatever damping or tuning approach you already prefer. The reference is TT12G2, a single 12-inch head, so select your actual drum diameter when you shop.

EVANS EC2S Clear

The EVANS EC2S Clear starts from the same two 7mil clear films, then adds an SST Sound Shaping Technology edge-control ring on the underside. Evans describes the effect as reduced high frequencies, a focused attack, and shorter sustain; that’s their description, not a measurement from our side. Choose it when you want edge control built into the head. The built-in ring doesn’t mean you’ll never want a removable dampener on top; it just gives you a head that starts with that control in place. The reference is TT12EC2S, a single 12-inch head.

Remo Emperor Coated

The Remo Emperor Coated is the coated two-ply option here. Remo builds it from two plies of 7mil coated film, which gives you a textured playing surface on a two-ply head. That coating is not the same thing as a built-in damping ring; it’s the finish you feel on the top film. Remo’s official family page lists the Emperor Coated for both snare and tom use. The verified reference is PP-2440-BE, a four-head pack with 10, 12, 14, and 16-inch coated heads.

Aquarian Classic Clear

The Aquarian Classic Clear is the single-ply branch in this comparison, built from one 10mil clear Nu-Brite film. Aquarian approves the Classic Clear for either batter or resonant tom use, so one purchased head can cover either side of a double-headed tom, but still only one side at a time. The hoop is Safe-T-Lok and the collar is Aquarian’s Sound Curve design. The 12-inch reference is CC12; don’t confuse this with the CCSN snare-side head, Power Dot, Response 2, or Gloss White variants.

Match the head to your actual tom and side

Before you buy, separate two decisions: which construction you want, and which physical heads your kit actually needs. On an ordinary double-headed tom there are two film surfaces. The top head you hit is the batter, and the bottom head that vibrates in response is the resonant, or reso, head. If you’re replacing only the batters on a three-tom kit, you need three top heads. If you’re replacing both sides, you need six heads total: three batters and three resonants. A three-head batter pack does not cover both sides.

Heads are sold in nominal diameters in inches. The number printed on the existing head or in your kit’s manual is the most reliable starting point. For a drum with a missing or unreadable head, check the shell itself. Measure the bare shell’s outside diameter across the center in a few directions, after removing the counterhoop and head; don’t measure the outside metal hoop, and don’t mix this up with drum depth. Remo’s official measuring guide walks through the process if you’re uncertain.

Ply, mil, and features that don’t overlap

Two terms show up constantly in head specs. A ply is one layer of film, so a two-ply head is two films. Mil is a unit of thickness equal to one thousandth of an inch, not a millimeter; a 7mil film is 0.007 inch, and two of them are about 0.014 inch before any coating is considered. Coating and edge control are also separate features. A coated head has a textured surface, but that doesn’t automatically add a built-in damping ring. The EC2S Clear uses clear film with an underside SST edge-control ring and no coating. Don’t assume coated always means warmer or clear always means brighter; those are sound judgments that depend on tuning, the drum itself, and the room.

Check the pack against your drum sizes

A pack’s label can hide which toms it actually fits. Here’s a common three-tom layout: a 10-inch and a 12-inch rack tom plus a 16-inch floor tom, checked against three typical three-head pack shapes and one verified four-head pack:

Pack contents shown (example)	Covers your 10-inch?	Covers your 12-inch?	Covers your 16-inch?	Missing?	Extra?
10 / 12 / 14	Yes	Yes	No	16-inch	14-inch
10 / 12 / 16	Yes	Yes	Yes	None	None
12 / 13 / 16	No	Yes	Yes	10-inch	13-inch
Remo Emperor Coated PP-2440-BE 10/12/14/16	Yes	Yes	Yes	None	14-inch

The first three rows are illustrations of commonly listed three-head pack shapes, not a promise that every brand’s similarly named pack contains those sizes. The fourth row is the verified Remo PP-2440-BE contents. An extra 14-inch head only helps if you actually have a 14-inch drum that fits that head’s intended role; check your shell sizes before treating it as a spare.

A blank version of that check looks like this:

Drum (e.g., rack tom 1)	Nominal diameter	Replace batter, bottom, or both?	Which head/pack do you need?

Before you buy fresh heads

Before you order a full replacement, check whether the head in front of you is actually finished. If it still tunes and the problem is too much ring, a removable dampener might solve the issue for less money. If the problem is pitch consistency, a drum tuner can help you see what’s uneven before you blame the head. There’s no fixed calendar for replacement; a head should be replaced when it won’t tune, is visibly damaged, or you want a different sound.

Some bundles add a 14-inch snare head alongside the three tom heads. That extra head is not automatically a spare floor tom head. Ordinary snare batter models sometimes overlap with tom use; Remo approves the Emperor family for both snare and tom, but a thin snare-side head is a different membrane entirely. Check the exact head’s intended use before assuming which drum you can fit it to; our snare drum heads guide covers the distinction when the extra head is for a snare.

Compare cost by the heads you actually need

Look past the pack sticker and add up what your kit actually needs. A cheap three-head pack that leaves your 16-inch uncovered, or includes a size you don’t use, may not be a deal once you price the missing single head separately. A compact kit with a 10-inch and 14-inch tom also has different needs than the three-tom example above; check your actual shell sizes first. If you’re not sure what your compact kit came with, our compact drum kits guide can help with that context.

Work out your drum diameters and which side you’re replacing, then go through the pack contents line by line. That fit check matters more than the pack’s name.

Method note

We checked the official manufacturer product pages for the four heads on October 22, 2026, and followed the current Remo shell-measuring guide. This is research-led buying guidance, not a hands-on playing, sound, durability, climate, or tuning test. Prices and stock change, so confirm the exact diameter and package contents before you order.