Best Digital Piano Reviews 2021

1. Yamaha NP12 Digital Piano

The Yamaha NP12 is the budget entry of our top 10 and is ideal if you want something bigger and more piano like than a keyboard but aren’t fussed about weighted keys or recreating the feeling of playing a piano.

This digital piano is classed as a mini piano with 66 keys. It is easy to transport, it it only 4.5kg, and so set up you just plug in and are ready to play. (You can also use batteries to play if you have no mains electric.)

Piano Keys – the keys on this digital piano are non weighted, so they would feel like pressing the keys of a keyboard. An ideal transition from keyboard to piano playing.

Pros

• Lightweight and portable as it only has 61 keys
• USB to host – can be used for recording
• Recording feature built in for practice sessions
• Built in metronome, headphone socket
• 10 different piano sounds to select from

Cons

• Keys are not weighted – therefore doesn’t feel like playing a real piano
• No screen built in (not always necessary but a nice feature to have
• Loudest volume is still quite low, if you were playing in a band or group, it may not be loud enough without additional speakers.

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2. Alesis Recital 88 Key Beginner Digital Piano

The Alesis Recital 88 key is an exclusive to Amazon, so you won’t have seen it in any music shops. For a digital piano that is not made by the ‘go to’ makes Yamaha or Casio, it offers a lot of value for a very low price.

This digital piano has 88 keys, so it is a full sized piano. We really like the fact that the keys are semi weighted and also have adjustable touch response to suit the players preferred playing style.

This digital piano by Alesis is perfect for beginners, who are buying on a budget, but who want to mimic the feel and playing style of a real piano right from the start.

This digital piano also comes with a 3 month Skoove membership, to help you with learning how to play the piano quickly.

Pros

• Full sized – 88 keys
• 20W speakers
• Input for sustain pedal of required (pedal not included)
• Educational modes – standard, split, layer and lesson modes.
• 5 crafted voices, acoustic piano, electric piano, organ, synth and bass.
• 3 month free subscription to ‘Skoove’ an educational course to help you learn to play the piano.
• The different sounds (voices) of the piano can be layered and played together with the use of the ‘split’ mode.

Cons

• Not the best sounding digital piano on the market, but this is because it is a budget digital piano
• No stand included
• No other accessories included
• Not as robust as Yamaha or Casio models, it is not built to be moved around too often.

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3. Casio CDP-130BKC5 Digital Piano

The Casio CDP is a fantastic all rounder and the best quality for the least amount of money in a digital piano.

Digital piano keys are the key this that define the quality and playing experience. The goal is to make the playing feel like a real piano, the Casio succeeds because the keys are spring-less and have a hammer system built in, so the pressing of the keys feel very natural, like you are playing a grand piano.

This Casio is perfect for piano students and will support anyone from beginner level up to the level of being a music student, who is serious about piano playing. It has 88 keys and has 10 different sound tones.

As with more basic digital pianos, the usual functions such as metronome, and the ability to layer two sounds at once.

Two really nice things about this digital piano is that the sustain pedal is included in the price and the weight of the keys can be altered – so you can set the keys to be light to touch for beginners and children, or have the weight set at a higher level for adults.

Pros

• 88 keys – adjustable weighted keys with hammers built in
• Loud speakers
• Sustain pedal, music rest and power adaptor included
• Layer function
• Weights less that 11kg
• 10 instrument tones

Cons

• Not very robust, okay for sitting on a desk or stand permanently but not ideal for transporting or for storing away between uses
• Speakers have a tendency to make a quiet static electric buzzing noise when the digital piano is turned on, this is sometimes noticeable in between of playing if there is no other noise in the room

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4. Yamaha P-45 Digital Piano

The Yamaha P45 is a really nice digital piano, it has the beautiful sound of a real grand piano and sounds true to life, without the ‘digitalised effect’ on the sound that many pianos have.

The keys are graded hammer keys, which makes it feel more like a real piano to play, they are touch sensitive too, so the harder you press, the louder the sound is.

A foot switch is included, to control the sustain and damper effects. This Yamaha piano can be used a stand alone digital piano like all of the previous ones in this list, or, it can be used with the ‘L-85 stand’ which looks fantastic and makes the piano playing experience feel much more professional and real.

One final thing about this digital piano is that it can be split into duo and dual modes, you so can split the keys into two identical halves for duets or practice sessions.

Pros

• 88 hammer keys, with adjustable touch sensitivity – this can also be turned off completely for someone who struggles to press the keys
• Duo and dual modes, for duets and lessons
• Can be connected to a computer via the USB port
• Stand available – this makes it look like a high end digital piano and also keeps it safe between uses
• 10 sampled ‘voices’

Cons

• Awkward to switch voices in the middle of a song, not the quickest or simplest switch over
• ‘Strings’ sound is not particularly realistic
• No pedal included

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5. Alesis Recital Pro Digital Piano

The Alesis Recital Pro is a good all rounder, it provides a full sized piano with 12 voices to choose from. The stand and accessories are not included, but they can easily be bought and added onto the digital piano.

The Alesis has a higher note polyphony of 128, (higher than other digital pianos of a similar price.)

It also comes with a 3 month Skoove subscription included for free, this is perfect for beginners to learn the basics.

The keys on the digital piano are hammer action, so they feel like pressing the keys of a real piano. The keys cam al some adjusted too, to suit your playing style.

This beginners digital piano comes with lessons built in too, it offers a lot of value for an excellent price, coupled with a great sound.

Pros

• 88 hammer keys with adjustable settings
• 128 maximum not polyphony
• LCD screen to quickly navigate options
• 12 built in realistic voices
• 3 month Skoover membership
• Can be used with batteries, but also with adaptor
• Can be used with a sustain pedal

Cons

• No bag or stand included
• Pedal not included

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6. Yamaha P115 Digital Piano 

The Yamaha P115 is good enough to play on stage as well as at home or in a recording studio. This digital piano is fully portable and robust enough to withstand travelling if you’re in a band.

A full sized 88 key piano with responsive touch keys – the keys are adjustable to make them more stiff to press or lighter to press depending on your preferred style.

This Yamaha piano produces a beautiful sound that is taken from the sound of a concert grand piano, also made my Yamaha. The weighted, hammer keys and authentic sound make this digital piano feel like you are playing a real acoustic on.

The polyphony is higher at 192, (the standard is 64 for digital pianos.) This guarantees that you can comfortably play any piece of music with ease, without running out of notes.

If you are learning to play the piano, the split feature and the record feature will come in useful. The iOS compatibility is a unique features, which integrates mobile technology into the set up and control of the key functions of the digital piano.

A sustain pedal in included, but there is also the option to use this digital piano with all three pedals that you would find on an acoustic piano. (The three pedals come built into the stand which can be bought separately.)

This digital piano does not have triple sensors, it has double. This would only be noticeable for a more advanced player, and might mean that this piano is not responsive enough for them. However, for a beginner to intermediate level piano player, you may not even be able to feel this.

This digital piano can be bought as a free standing piano, or as part of a bundle for less than £150 more, the bundle is an excellent deal, as you get not only the digital piano but also the professional stand, the piano stool and  a pair of headphones which are great for playing the piano in the middle of the night! Here is everything is included in the bundle below:

Pros

• Excellent sound quality – 14 voices in total
• Polyphony 192
• Graded hammer adjustable keys
• Headphone and Aux compatible
• Compatible with Yamaha stand
• Sound boost feature which enhances the pianos presence – ideal when playing in a group, band or orchestra

Cons

• More expensive that other digital pianos
• No case or protection included in the price
• Stand, headphones and other accessories are not included
• Only compatible with Apple iOS
• No LED screen, no bluetooth

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7. Korg LP-180 Digital Piano

The Korg LP 180 sounds really beautiful and is a great all round digital piano. Suitable for anyone from beginner to higher level players, the keys are weighted and are designed to be heavier to press at the lower end of the keyboard and lighter to press at the higher end.

If you struggle with pressing the keys, this digital piano has three levels of touch control so you can set the resistance of the keys to suit your style.

Ten voices are built in, with the addition of a reverb effect and chorus effect which gives the sound a spacious feel, almost like you are filling a hall with the sound of a grand piano.

One thing I really like about this digital piano is the the stand is included and the whole thing comes in white or black. Three pedal are also included and help to add to the overall feel of playing a real acoustic piano.

The stand has to be built and so does the stool that is included, but is it very simple to build. The overall set up is quite heavy – heavier than most digital pianos which is a good thing as it makes the digital piano more robust and suitable for sitting in a busy household.

Pros

• 88 naturally weighted hamer keys, with three adjustable settings
• Reverb and chorus effects
• Ten different voices
• Three pedal unit inlcued
• Stand and piano stool included
• 10 demo songs
• Slimline frame
• Excellent price for digital piano

Cons

• You have to build the stand and stool yourself
• No headphones included
• No screen or fancy controls
• No bluetooth or wireless technology

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8. Yamaha YDP-143 Digital Piano

The Yamaha YDP is an excellent digital piano. The sound quality is fantastic and taken from a real concert grand piano made by Yamaha.

The 88 keys are graded hammer weighted keys, so they get progressively lighter to touch the higher you go. The level of weight resistance in the keys can also be set to suit the players needs.

I really like the connectivity of this digital piano, it can be used alongside iOS devices or via bluetooth. The iPad or tablet can be used as a controller for the digital piano settings and makes it easy to record music and to play it back.

There is no LCD display on this digital piano, which would be a downside for some people, but I actually really like there fact there is no inbuilt screen – it gives a more realistic feeling that you are playing a real acoustic piano when you do not have a distracting blue digital screen in the corner of your eye.

The use of headphones with this digital piano is much more pleasant experience that with some other digital pianos. The piano has an internal stereophonic optimiser which adjusts the spacing of the sound that your hear through the headphones. The reult being that the sound you hear through headphones, sounds like it is coming from the body of the piano and not through the earphones. This gives a much more enjoyable and comfortable way of playing privately.

Pros

• 88 graded hammer keys
• Stand included
• Excellent sound quality, sounds like a real acoustic piano, headphone quality is also excellent
• Connect and interact with technology – iPads and tablets
• The black keys have a matte black finish which makes them less affected by moisture when playing for extended periods of time
• 192 Polyphony
• 10 different voices
• 2 track recording, you can store up to two recorded tracks – helpful when learning and studying
• Preloaded with songs, music book ’50 Greats for the Piano’ included
• Available in walnut black, rosewood or white

Cons

• The other voices (other than standard piano) are not as good as the grand piano sound
• There is no digital display built in (for some people, including myself I would see this is as a good thing but some people may prefer a more advanced control without having to use an iPad or tablet
• Stand has to be built by you
• Piano stool and headphones not included
• Need a Yamaha i-UX1 interface cable or Apple camera connection kit and suitable cables to use apps

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9. Yamaha Arius YDP-S52 Digital Piano

The Yamaha Arius YDP is a beautiful digital piano, it sounds incredible and feels fantastic to play.

There aren’t many differences between the Yamaha YDP 143 and the S52. The main differences are that the S52 has synthetic ivory key tops, which make the playing experience feel even more like playing a real acoustic piano.

The stand on the Arius YDP is included in the price and features a nice soft close lid feature – only something small but it adds to the luxury and special feeling of owning this piano.

Much like the YDP 143, this Arius features two track recording, 10 voices and 192 note polyphony.

The keys are of course graded hammer keys and the set of 88 keys can be split to allow two people to play from an identical set of keys. This is especially useful when having piano lessons.

The body of this digital piano is more substantial than other models and this gives the Arius a stature that better resembles an acoustic piano.

Built in pedals allow you to play with sustain, sostenuto or soft effects. 10 built in tracks help beginners to learn and more experienced players to be inspired.

Playing with headphones in more pleasurable with this Yamaha Arius because of the stereophonic optimiser. The result of this feature is a spacious sound that will inspire you to play for hours without getting fed up of listening through headphones.

Pros

• Excellent sounding digital piano – taken from a Yamaha concert piano
• 88 graded hammer keys with adjustable levels
• iOS compatible
• 192 note polyphony, means you can play duets easily
• Stand included, soft close lid
• Robust and beautiful piano stand
• Excellent headphone sound
• Ability to link to computers etc for recording
• Synthetic ivory topped piano keys for a realistic piano feel

Cons

• Stand has to be built
• Not easy to transport – heavy
• No digital screen (this may upset some people, I prefer no screen through)
• Need a Yamaha i-UX1 interface cable or Apple camera connection kit and suitable cables to use apps

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10. GDP-100 Digital Grand Piano in Gloss Black

This is the only digital grand piano in this post and it does stand out as memorable.

It is obviously far more compact than a proper grand piano, it isn’t very deep at all, but when playing, you have the illusion of it being a full grand piano – especially with the lid up, it really looks the part.

This digital grand piano is not made by the iconic Yamaha or Casio, but by ‘Gear 4 Music‘ – don’t be put off by the name, gear for music is the largest online music retailer of instruments and have been hugely popular and successful for many years now.

For a digital grand piano, the price is very reasonable, the frame work is very easy to assemble – with two people.

Unlike some of the cheaper digital pianos, this one actually sounds like a real grand piano, Gear4Music have done a really good job of capturing the best sound possible for a digital piano.

This package contains a piano stool too, and the digital piano itself has advanced functionality with 55 play along songs inbuilt.

This digital grand piano is perfect for a serious beginner or someone of a moderate level of piano playing experience. A professional player may want to stick to a brand that they can go to the shop to test out first, as they will have a better ability to hear tiny differences between the sound quality of digital pianos.

Pros

• Everything is included, including stool too
• 88 weighted keys with adjustable touch response – to mimic a real grand piano
• 16 high definition instrument voices, this makes it ideal for a school or college too, or somewhere where there may be different groups of people using it for different reasons.
• 64 note polyphony – Some digital pianos can quickly run out of notes during fast or dense, legato passages – sustained notes are cut off as the instrument drops notes to make room for new ones.
• LCD screen
• Three pedals; soft, sostenuto and sustain
• Bluetooth enabled, as well as all the usually connections such as USB, headphone jack and MiIDI in/out jack
• Looks great with a polished black finish
• Built in songs to play along to, great when learning
• Split functions, so you can play a different instrument with the left hand vs the right

Cons

• The one thing we really don’t like about this digital grand piano is the big ‘gear4music’ logo splashed across the music stand. It gives the whole instrument a cheap look and if we were to buy this, we would have to try and do something to cover up that logo.
• The play along songs, whilst great for beginners and for learning new styles, only get in the way when you are trying to play more advanced music. I would rather have little to no buttons and controls everything through the LCD screen. (For fear of accidentally catching one of the many buttons mid performance!

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