To find the best singing bowls for Yoga, Zen practice or Transcendental Meditation, we’ve searched through the options available online among Tibetan style singing bowls and found seven authentic, high quality choices for all your meditative practices. The Silent Mind singing bowl set, which comes with a hand-sewn silk cushion and perfectly weighted mallet, is our top pick among the best singing bowl sets you can find online.
Singing bowls have a long history as a way of helping Yogis attain a meditative state. Easy to play and offering calming, entrancing tones. These singing bowls make a great holiday gift as well, for anyone who practices yoga, reiki, or just wants a cool-sounding way to relax and reduce stress.
Top 6 Best Singing Bowls Compared
#1 Silent Mind Tibetan Singing Bowl Set
Award: Top Pick
WHY WE LIKE IT: Hand crafted in Nepal, these singing bowls are conveniently sized to fit in the palm of a hand and they deliver layered, beautiful meditative sounds as harmonious as those of much larger bowls. They’re great for anyone who practices meditation or Yoga at home or in a group and they make a great aesthetic decor item as well.
- Antique design with Sanskrit characters
- Hand-made in Nepal
- Comes with non-dampening decorative silk cushion
- At 4” they’re on the small side
- More expensive than some singing bowls on our list
- As with other singing bowls, requires practice for best results
This high quality singing bowl and mallet set is distinguished by its etched traditional design, its solid, perfectly hand-sized dual surface mallet and its hand-sewn non dampening silk cushion. A beautiful design piece as well as an active element of mindfulness and Yoga practice, this Nepalese-made singing bowl set makes a great gift.
Related: If you’re looking to take up a new and unorthodox instrument then look no further than the best xylophone.
Despite its 4” size, the Silent Mind singing bowl set is said to produce deep, resonant, harmonious vibrations that help get you into a meditative state. Its dulcet tones can benefit Yoga groups, home or workplace mindfulness classes, and Yoga practitioners of all ages. This singing meditation bowl set also comes with a helpful ebook for instruction that explains the bowls’ traditional use in meditative practice.
#2 Ohm Store Singing Bowl Set
Award: Honorable Mention/Best Value
WHY WE LIKE IT: An authentic hammered singing bowl from the Himalayas, each one of these is inspected and guaranteed for sound quality. The second-smallest singing bowl on our list, this set is great for travelers and those looking to bring something to a yoga or mindfulness class.
- Inspected for sound quality– plays consistent, resonant tone
- Made of hand-hammered brass
- Lifetime guarantee
- Single surface striker, some singing bowls like our top pick, the Silent Mind, come with two-surfaces
- Due to small size, not as loud or deep in tone as some other singing bowls
- The uncoated striker can get dirty, making it less ideal as a decor piece than our top pick
This Ohm Store Tibetan singing bowl set has an authentic Himalayan origin and comes with a hand-sewn cushion, just like the Silent Mind set, our top pick, yet it costs about fifty percent less. It’s also even smaller, making it a palm-of-the-hand item.
It features a hand-carved plain wooden striker, just the right size (just under 1” in diameter) to use a precision “pencil” grip. The wood striker doesn’t have a polished or suede surface option, however, like our top pick, the Silent Mind. This set is exquisite for “mindfulness on the go,” small enough to fit in the palm of your hand yet producing a reliable and consistent, beautiful sound to help get you into that state of “pure consciousness.”
#3 Ohuhu Meditation Sound Bowl Set
Award: Best Beginners
WHY WE LIKE IT: An ornate and deluxe singing bowl set to help elevate your vibe, it features embossed designs that will elevate the aesthetic vibe of your space as well. It’s great for Yogi practitioners who want to create a peaceful, calming atmosphere at home, and is beginner-friendly thanks to the included user manual and easy to use suede mallet.
- Durable dual surface wood/ suede mallet
- Embossed “Eyes of the Buddha design and Sanskrit motif
- Comes with decorative cushion and storage bag
- Carrying case only fits the bowl, not the mallet
- As with other such small bowls, the depth and volume is limited
This Ohuhu singing bowl set, like the Silent Minds, our top pick, benefits from a dual surface suede and wood mallet, and its 4” size and included storage bag makes it convenient for taking with you to classes and for workplace mindfulness practice. It’s also an excellent “starter” singing bowl, since it comes with a user manual with simple instructions for how to make the bowl “sing.” It’s a great way on your journey to becoming as calm as a Tibetan buddhist.
Praised for its peaceful, relaxing sound, the Ohuhu singing bowl, like the set from Ohm Store Tibetan singing bowl (our #2 pick) is constructed using traditional methods in Nepal. It features an embossed design with “Buddha eyes” on the outside and a phrase in Sanskrit inside.
#4 Yak Therapy Singing Bowl Set
Award: Best Sound Quality
WHY WE LIKE IT: A well-equipped set that includes a bowl made in traditional Nepalese fashion out of six different metals, a wood and leather mallet, a silk drawstring bag and even a hand-made Lokta paper gift box. It’s great for those looking to start on a yoga practice or enhance their mindfulness training with refined and nuanced meditative sound.
- More sophisticated construction than brass bowls, leading to better sound quality
- Comes with a silk bag and a handmade gift box
- Tuned and crafted to promote balancing of specific chakras
- Somewhat more expensive than our #3 pick, the Ohuhu singing bowl
- More minimal in aesthetic, lacking embossed or etched designs
- Instructions are in eBook form only
This Yak Therapy singing bowl stands out because unlike most others it’s made of gold and silver-plated alloy rather than having a brass finish. This is said to offer more precise and richer sound, as well as making the bowl more durable, since it won’t tarnish as easily from being held. It lacks a complex embossed design but depending on your aesthetic preferences, the Yak Therapy bowl’s clean and simple appearance may be an aesthetic benefit.
This bowl works great as a deluxe starter kit, and makes an excellent gift as well for anyone into Yoga, mindfulness, or Chakra healing. Pure sonic waves from this, one of the best Tibetan singing bowls, can balance crown chakras, which are connected with the person’s mental peace. It includes a silk bag for storage or transport and it comes with a neat hand-made paper gift box, too. Yak Therapy promises satisfaction and offers a money-back guarantee.
#5 Innovahome Singing Bowls
Award: Best Budget
WHY WE LIKE IT: A bargain choice, the 3.2 inch Innovahome singing bowl is less than half the price of our top pick, the Silent Mind, yet still produces consistent tones and comes with a real silk cushion and a peach wood mallet. It’s great for those looking for a singing bowl to take to a yoga class or for a travel singing bowl set, since it’s the smallest on our list.
- Hand made in the traditional fashion, like the pricier Yak Therapy bowl
- Comes with a silk bag and a handmade gift box
- Its small size makes it good for taking to classes and on retreats
- Doesn’t include instruction or an eBook
- Peach wood mallet lacks a suede element like the one found on our top pick, the Silent Mind
- Brass bowl and unvarnished mallet may make it less durable than the Yak Therapy bowl
This basic singing bowl set from Innovahome may not come with a box, carrying bag or instruction manuals but it does include all you need to get started incorporating singing bowl sounds into your meditation or Yoga practice. The silk cushion that comes with it has a pleasing, sky-blue pattern and a handy doughnut shape that makes it easy to center the bowl.
Because it’s only 3.2 inches, the smallest on our list, this singing bowl doesn’t make as deep a tone as the 4.5-inch Yak Therapy bowl, but it is easy to hold in the palm of your hand and it makes a great travel accessory for any aspiring wandering mystics.
#6 Dharma House Singing Bowl
Award: Loudest
WHY WE LIKE IT: A 5” singing bowl, the largest on our list, it comes with a striking embossed design featuring a traditional Tibetan mantra, mixing aesthetic visual appeal with a deep rich sound. It’s great for those looking to fill a space in their home with entrancing meditative vibes and also have a centering, mindfulness-enhancing decor piece.
- Handcrafted with authentic Tibetan mantra detail
- Comes with dual surface suede and finished wood mallet
- 5” wide, making it the largest bowl on our list and giving it a deeper, more resonant sound
- Most expensive bowl on our list
- The engraved design can feel a little “busy” depending on your preferences
- Not as convenient to carry around or take to classes, mountain retreats
This singing bowl set from Dharma House (famous store Tibetan that supports Himalayan artists) comes with a 5-inch wide bowl, the largest on our list, which means it should be able to generate a deeper and more sustained tone, great for filling a room with peaceful, meditative vibes. It also bears a striking engraved design featuring a traditional mantra written in Sanskrit. The mallet, as with our top pick, the Silent Mind, is of the dual-surface variety for ease of handling and longevity. It also comes with a handsome gift box and a silk ring pillow that promises to be non-dampening.
As with most singing bowls with the exception of the Yak Therapy (our #4 pick) bowl which is gold and silver-plated alloy, it’s made of brass. It is handcrafted and promises a layered, rich and easily sustained tone. Depending on your personal aesthetic preferences (and Sanskrit reading comprehension) the engraved mantra design may be a big plus as well.
Buying Guide
The Most Important Features To Consider
- Mallet Type
Among the sets on our list of the best singing bowls you can buy online, the mallets used to the create the singing tones vary in their construction. The more bargain singing bowls typically feature a plain wooden mallet, whereas more upmarket singing bowls usually come with dual surface leather or suede and treated wood mallets. Plain wood–typically peach, elm or pine, is great for sound but not as durable or easy to hold. - Bowl Size
As with wineglasses, the tone of the singing bowl is determined by its size and depth. A larger, wider bowl, all else being equal, will produce a deeper, more resonant sound. A smaller bowl has the advantage of being easier to carry with you. You can also experiment with adding water to the bowl in order to play different frequencies. - Design
A matter of personal taste as well as relating to what kind of meditative tradition you’re practicing, the designs on singing bowls vary from clean, plain and minimal, as with the Yak Therapy bowl, to ornately decorated with traditional Sanskrit motifs, as in the Ohuhu singing bowl, our #3 pick. - Bowl Material
Most singing bowls you can buy online are made of hammered brass. The particular sound quality of these depends on the bowls’ shape and the varying thickness of metal from the base to the rim. Thinner metal at the base will typically produce a richer, more layered sound. Some of the best singing bowls, however, use sophisticated combinations of different metals. Traditionally, alloys of tin, copper, gold, silver and iron were used to achieve particular sound effects. Some singing bowls, like our #4 pick, the Yak Therapy bowl, are plated in silver or gold. This has the added benefit of making the bowls more durable since they won’t tarnish from handling.
