Gongs are transformational tools that can produce powerful sound waves to release stress and correct energy imbalances, similar to crystal singing bowls or tuning forks. You can use a gong for sound healing and meditation, but they also look stunning as decorative pieces.
We’ve researched and discovered the six top-rated gongs for sound healing, as well as 1 to avoid.
Contents:
Reviews of the 6 Best Gongs for Sound Healing, Plus 1 to Avoid
1. Zildjian 12” Table-top Gong and Stand Set Review
Zildjian (which translates to “cymbal maker”) has been producing high-performance cymbals for over 400 years. Played by the top musical acts in a variety of genres, their brand is the gold standard for cymbals and mallets. Their cymbals are carefully crafted from raw metal with a secret alloy that makes them extremely durable and warp-resistant. They are built to last and designed to inspire.
While described as a 12-inch gong, it should be noted that the included stand makes it 16 inches square. It’s the perfect size for a desk or table, lightweight at just under six pounds, and is fairly inexpensive and well-priced for the quality. The complete package includes a stand and mallet which attaches to the frame, and while it’s not the traditional deep gong sound you might be looking for, it does have a pleasing tone.
Historically, gongs have been used for rituals or to announce an important arrival. This gong would be perfect for your office space, using the tones to welcome a guest or as a ritualistic start and end to a smooth day. It would also make a great adornment for the entryway of a home or the welcome area of a yoga or meditation center. And if you’re looking for a thoughtful gift for a friend, the Zildjian table-top gong is the perfect choice.
To watch the Zildjian 12” Table-top Gong and Stand Set Review on YouTube, click here.
Pros:
- Easily fits on a desk or table
- Comes with stand and mallet
- Loud for its small size
- Great value for the price
Cons:
- Zildjian logo is large and covers much of the cymbal
- Mallet is lower-quality
2. Feng Shui Brass Gong Desktop Zen Art for Fortune with Red String Bracelet Review
The Feng Shui Brass Gong is available for a bargain price, making this one the best gong for sound healing on a budget. It’s around 9 x 8 inches when it’s hanging from the stand, and it weighs less than a pound. The included wooden stand has an attractive look and the complete setup is free of intrusive logos or branding. There’s also a place to hang the mallet to the side.
If you’re buying for true sound healing, this won’t be the best choice. It is, however, a solid choice for an inexpensive gift, a desk ornament for a college student interested in mindfulness, or a beautiful decoration to liven up a room and add a sense of calm to the flow. And if you’re looking to ward away evil spirits and bring good fortune, this particular package comes with a fortune bracelet and a lucky I-ching coin in the base.
Ancient cultures used gongs as early as the 6th century for a gateway to heightened states of awareness. The Feng Shui Brass Gong’s appearance transports you to ancient times of healing and restoration with its lustrous brass surface and simple grace. This gong is great as an addition to an altar or collection of instruments, and it serves as a simple reminder to be mindful.
To watch the Feng Shui Brass Gong Desktop Zen Art for Fortune with Red String Bracelet Review on YouTube, click here.
Pros:
- Inexpensive and affordable
- Attractive as decor
- Makes a nice gift
- Lightweight and easy to transport
- Comes with stand and mallet
Cons:
- Not the best tone
- Too lightweight to withstand a heavy strike
3. 20″ to 26″ Gongs on the Fruity Buddha Gong Stand: 26” Chau Gong Review
The 26-inch Chau Gong is the largest of the gongs we’re reviewing, and it’s the type you probably imagine when you hear the word gong. It has a bull’s-eye in the center and a range of sound going from a deep, sustaining tone (due to the rim) to a higher-pitched crash. Around the bull’s-eye, the middle is gorgeously hammered to create complex, harmonic sounds.
This particular gong is large and heavy, weighing in at 31 pounds, so it’s a type of gong you won’t necessarily want to move around a lot. But the Chau Gong, with its otherworldly sound, is a perfect gong for all types of mindfulness practices. The gong would be wonderful for a yoga or meditation space, or in your home, in a room designed for relaxation.
Traditionally, this type of Chinese gong was used to announce the coming of important leaders and officers so that people could clear the way. More important leaders would get more strokes of sound. Gongs were also associated with leaving the earth. They were struck repeatedly when a male died; the rich tones sending him to the afterlife. The powerful sound was meant to indicate powerful people and powerful transformations. Today it’s used as a catalyst for a different kind of journey. That of healing and of a spiritual or emotional rebirth.
To watch the 20″ to 26″ Gongs on the Fruity Buddha Gong Stand: 26” Chau Gong Review on YouTube, click here.
Pros:
- Deeply rich sound
- High quality and great durability
- Attractive and traditionally authentic look
- Comes with stand and mallet
Cons:
- Expensive
- Sturdy, but takes up a good bit of space
Woodstock Chimes is a family-owned business that began as Woodstock Percussion in 1979 by Grammy-award winning musician Garry Kvistad. They’ve been making unique musical gifts that people have been enjoying for over 40 years. The Hanging Chau Gong is handcrafted using traditional methods, and has the appearance to prove it. Made of carefully hand-hammered bronze with a black bull’s-eye and black finish ash wood, this gong has a deep tone and long-lasting resonance.
It’s beautifully authentic and hangs from a string loop at 30 inches in length. The gong diameter is 13 inches, making it a perfect medium-sized gong choice. While it looks incredibly sturdy, the weight is only 4 pounds, so it’s a lightweight option as well.
High-quality and extremely durable, it’s designed for both indoor and outdoor use, so you could hang it anywhere. This style is perfect for your home, your back porch, a classroom, or a meditation or yoga space. It comes with a mallet, and while the mallet itself isn’t weather-resistant, they do sell replacement mallets.
The wonderful thing about gongs is that you don’t need experience to play them. Beginners and experts alike can enjoy this percussive instrument. But when played with purpose, the tones have a powerful influence on your mental and spiritual state. This particular gong has a rich tone that gives a sense of grounding and harmony, healing with every strike.
To watch the Woodstock Chimes HCGONGM The Original Guaranteed Musically Tuned Chime Medium Hanging Gong Quintet Chau Review on YouTube, click here.
Pros:
- Superb quality and durability
- Can be used indoor or outdoor
- Deep, rich sound
- Hand-hammered and authentic
Cons:
- Only hangs; no stand available
5. 20″ to 26″ Gongs on the Fruity Buddha Gong Stand: 20” Heng Gong Review
Fruity Buddha is named for Chinese farmer Hianzhang Hao, who grows pears in the shapes of tiny Buddhas by placing a mold around them. There is an ancient myth that states whoever eats a pear in this shape will become immortal. Then perhaps by playing this Heng Gong on the Fruity Buddha stand, you too will feel immortal. You’ll have to find out for yourself.
Available in a 20-inch size and weighing about 24 pounds, the Heng Gong is one of the largest of those reviewed here. The rim on this one is deeper than most Chinese Gongs, and the bronze is a little bit thicker, creating a broad variety of complex sound. These gongs come with a stand and mallet, and they are perfect for someone ready to embrace the true healing qualities that an authentic gong has to offer. It’s an investment, but a worthwhile one. That’s why we’re naming this the best gong for sound healing overall.
In the 1980s, German educator and musician Johannes Heimrath did studies that showed gongs could relieve headaches and neck pain by stimulating nerve endings and releasing tension. It works on the emotional and spiritual side as well. This is the perfect gong to test his theory. Great for meditation practice, sound healing sessions, and improving life force energy, this gong will manifest harmony in warm layers of sound.
To watch the 20″ to 26″ Gongs on the Fruity Buddha Gong Stand: 20” Heng Gong Review on YouTube, click here.
Pros:
- Amazing sound
- High quality and great durability
- Attractive look
- Comes with stand and mallet
Cons:
- Expensive
- Sturdy, but takes up a good bit of space
6. 22″ Wind Gong on Spirit Guide Gong Stand Review
The 22-inch Wind Gong (which is actually about 33 inches tall when on its stand) is stylish gong with an Asian aesthetic that feels somehow traditional and modern at the same time. It’s lovely to look at, the shimmering hammered bronze hanging from a wooden frame with slightly curved sides (appropriately named the Spirit Guide stand). The included mallet hangs on the right ready to strike.
It’s good to note that these gongs are made for inside use only. While the cymbal itself can withstand weathering (because it’s bronze), the wood and ropes will deteriorate in the outdoors. Weighing in at about 15 pounds, it’s sturdy, but wouldn’t be back-breaking to move around, if needed.
This gong is a bit of a monetary investment, but you don’t get this quality of sound with inexpensive gongs. It’s an exquisite piece that would look stunning in a home setting, as well as an office, a yoga studio, or a meditation center. It’s called a Wind Gong because when struck hard, it sounds like a gust of wind. You can actually achieve varying tones depending on what time of mallet you use, where you hit it, and how hard it is struck. It’s a great traditional sounding gong for an uplifting celebration. The wind gust or crash sound it produces evokes the feeling of a playful festival, laughing children, and dragon dances.
To watch the 22″ Wind Gong on Spirit Guide Gong Stand Review on YouTube, click here.
Pros:
- Beautiful, traditional gong sound
- High quality
- Stylish look, great as decor
- Comes with stand and mallet
Cons:
- Assembly of the stand might be a challenge
Avoid – Design Toscano Sheng Kwong Asian Decor Gong Statue 24 Inch Bronze Finish Review
While seeking out a less expensive option might be tempting when shopping for a perfect gong, the Design Toscano Sheng Kwong gong is definitely not the way to go. In fact, it’s one of the worst gongs for sound healing on the market. The first clue is that this isn’t an actual gong. Looking closer at the title, you’ll see that it’s merely a gong statue, which is a bit deceiving. Note that while it includes a beater, it is metal, instead of being wrapped in leather or felt. Cheaply made and unevenly built, it’s hardly worth $20, much less the $100+ price for which it is being sold.
The fine print states that it’s not a precision musical instrument, but we’d venture to state it’s not a musical instrument at all. A gong is hardly a gong if it doesn’t evoke some type of pleasing sound. Gongs are meant to soothe and settle, restore and rejuvenate. They are meant to transport us to another time and dimension with their quietly thundering vibrations.
If you want a gong you’ll love, choose one of the six from our review list above. We’ve done the research and stand behind the choices above. In fact, there are gongs in the same price range or less that are much better options. Even if your buying your first gong or you’re not particularly picky, you’re better off steering clear of this pretend gong. Don’t be tempted by the false promises of “long lasting shimmer.
To watch the Design Toscano Sheng Kwong Asian Decor Gong Statue 24 Inch Bronze Finish Review on YouTube, click here.
2023 Buyers Guide to the Best Gongs for Sound Healing:
When looking to purchase a gong, remember that you have a wide range of options. The great news is that they can be used by any skill level for many different purposes whether it’s sound healing, meditation, celebration, decoration, or just plain fun. There are many gongs that will do all of those things.
3 Main Points to Consider:
- How you want to use it – When buying a gong, make sure to consider what you’ll be using it for. If you’re looking for that deep, traditional sound, you’ll likely need to invest a little more money for a larger, quality instrument. If you are looking for attractive decor or desktop adornments, there are less expensive options.
- How much money you want to spend – Gongs range in price from incredibly inexpensive to quite pricey. Remember that generally speaking, the more you spend, the better quality and deeper sound you will get. And quite likely the happier you will be with your purchase.
- Where you want to keep it – Gongs come in a variety of sizes, so think about whether you’d like to keep it on a desk or table-top (usually displayed with a square-shaped stand), on the ground (in a similar type of stand), or hanging from the ceiling. Also, note whether you’ll want it inside or outside.
What is the gong used for?
Meditation gongs are one of the oldest sound healing instruments. It’s been used in Asia and many Eastern cultures for a variety of purposes including rituals, ceremonies, prayer, and meditation. It’s still used today for those same purposes and more and more Westerners are learning about the benefits of these types of sound healing tools. It relieves anxiety, encourages relaxation, and restores imbalances.
What is gong healing?
Gongs are often used in healing sessions or sound baths. Everything produces sound and vibration, even if you can’t hear it. And sound vibrations affect us physically, mentally, and spiritually. Gongs are used to facilitate this healing process in a restorative way, promoting happiness and fueling our life force. The deep, resonating, low frequency has an immediate effect on our sense of wellbeing. That feeling is anchored into our bodies so as we continue to hear the tones, those emotional and physical benefits increase. The powerful sound wave of the gong works in harmonic layers to bring us to the present moment and encourage a meditative state of healing.
Best Gong for Sound Healing (2023 Buyers Guide):
Final Thoughts on Buying the Best Gong for Sound Healing:
Gongs have incredible energetic properties, which anyone can benefit from. If you want to see what these amazing instruments have to offer, it’s time to bring a gong into your healing space for yourself.
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