People appreciate innovative gifts more than a regular. Although they won’t use it always, they will remember what they got and create stronger bonds with you. Especially if they had a dream of learning how to play piano and you made it possible by buying a roll up piano at first.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Roll Up Pianos
- OUR TOP PICK: ANDSF Portable 88-Key Piano
- RUNNER-UP: MUKIKIM Rock And Roll It
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: PicassoTiles PT49
Table of Contents
What is a Roll Up Piano?
Roll up piano is an electronic musical instrument with a piano-like key interface made out from a silicone that can be folded in a roll. Instead of regular keys, it has a touch sensor beneath the surface. Its surface is printed with keys layout and it generates the sound based on the position you pressed.
It works the best if you place it on a flat surface, and it can work even if you don’t roll it out completely. It comes with basic design and sound features and should be treated similar to basic portable keyboards made for young children.
How to Choose a Roll Up Piano
Most roll up pianos come with the similar options and sound and build qualities. But there are some hints so you can pick the best model:
Year of Production
These instruments are somewhat new so it may easily happen that the 2019 models solved the issues first models have.
Keyboard Size
They are made in three sizes - 49, 61, and 88 “keys”. The shortest ones usually come with the least features and sound options while 88 models have great connectivity options.
USB Connectivity
It appears that most roll up pianos come with USB-MIDI support. This is a very useful feature. It allows you to use virtual instruments with your roll up keyboard and increase overall sound performance a lot.
Other Features
Roll up pianos can provide a couple of interesting features such as sustain or microphone input, USB thumb drive MP3 player or Bluetooth support. These features can either improve or make this instrument very versatile.
Price Range
Depending on what you would like to get, you may save some cash if you pick a basic model. But, if you would like a bunch of features, be prepared to spend around $90 as such options are found in top models only.
Comparison Chart of the Best Roll Up Pianos
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Best Budget Option |
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Review of the Best Roll Up Pianos
So, how about we roll up (just had to do it) some of the best models out there?
Best Overall:
ANDSF Portable 88-Key Piano
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Users comment that this roll up keyboard is made better from the others on the market and has solved the usual double tone issue. It requires pressing the key instead of just touching it. However, sensitivity is adapted to a child's touch and adults may have to adapt to it additionally.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This roll up piano has everything you would ask from it and it provides even more so even a sustain pedal is included in this offer. And lets not forget that it comes with even 80 songs, microphone input and rechargeable battery that can provide 15 hours of playing.
Who Will Use This Most
While this was made for kids at first, USB-MIDI can seriously improve the versatility of this unit as you can plug it to your computer and use the various software instruments. And thanks to double speakers and bluetooth support you can actually use it as a remote speaker at any outdoor activity.
Bottom Line
This roll up piano sets the bar high and should be treated almost as a regular keyboard. So, in case extreme portability is important to you, this model is the last and the best you can find on the market.
Runner-up:
MUKIKIM Rock And Roll It
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers find that this model has more pleasant sounds than the other piano keyboards they have tried so far. They love the USB connection that makes them even forget about the power supply charger. However, some feel that the price is not right and that you could buy a proper keyboard for this money instead.
Why it Stands Out to Us
We are amazed and confused at the same time that this unit provides a USB-MIDI support. Teaching mode is also something you would expect from a regular keyboard at this price and a rechargeable battery is an excellent solution that helps you not to think about what you would do if your battery runs out.
Who Will Use This Most
While this is definitely oriented towards kids and they will love the numerous features it comes with, you can actually use this keyboard with your laptop and play some really advanced sounds from it. And while 61 keys can be a flaw, it can fit to your travel case easier.
Bottom Line
This model is one of the better roll up pianos on the market. You may appreciate how compact it is while you would still get all the features you would ask from a 88-key model.
Best for the Money:
PicassoTiles PT49
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers are amazed by its price. They find it as an ideal portable solution for their children and something they can carry around so often that the power supply isn’t being used at all. It has also been reported that it can play chords, too.
Why it Stands Out to Us
We appreciate that the keys are colored that way so that every note has the same color in every octave. Six demo songs and the option to even record your playing is something you wouldn’t expect at this price. And it even comes with a sustain function!
Who Will Use This Most
This model was made for both youngsters and ground-zero newbies as they both can learn about music and piano playing by associating sounds to the matching colors. Any frequent traveler can put it anywhere in a bag and have an instrument with them if needed.
Bottom Line
This is an insanely cheap product that your kids will love at first sight. We can’t find anything similar on the market and we would recommend it as a gift to anyone, even to full-time musicians.
Best Roll Up Piano With 88 Keys:
BABY JOY 88
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers found this unit to be a nice gift and an inexpensive temporary solution for real piano practicing. However, they also report that sometimes there are spots on the keyboard that are not responding properly. This is normal due to the nature of silicone-made keybed.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It comes with numerous sounds and rhythms, rechargeable battery, bluetooth support, sustain pedal and USB-MIDI at a very reasonable price. And on top of that it’s waterproof and made of non-slip material. Keys are made in full size and the black keys are set slightly higher, representing real piano layout.
Who Will Use This Most
It was designed for beginners so they can get the basics done everywhere. Headphones cut out the speaker sound so it can be used for playing in privacy anywhere and thanks to the bluetooth support you can jam over your favorite songs as well.
Bottom Line
It’s one of the most affordable 88 keys roll up piano and it trades the lower price for a slightly shorter battery life. You can be sure that this model doesn’t come short in any feature that other manufacturers are offering at the moment.
Editor's Pick:
Lujex Foldable 61 Keys
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Users are aware that this is more a toy made for children than a keyboard and don’t have high expectations. It also seems that their children love to play with it at any age. However, there is some strange buzz reported when played on a battery power, though.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It comes with a bunch of sounds, a decent speaker and rechargeable battery. It also supports USB-MIDI protocol. And thanks to the USB thumb drive port that was mostly made for playing mp3 files, this port can be also used as a power bank in case of emergency.
Who Will Use This Most
While anyone can use it, this was firstly made for young kids so that they can learn how to place their hands before playing on a real piano keys. And, yes, it can be used as a handy interactive picnic tool as it can act as an audio player.
Bottom Line
We think this roll up keyboard might hit the sweet spot for anyone. It’s not very expensive so it doesn’t mess with the portable keyboard price category and it has just enough features to be considered among other roll up keyboards.
Pros and Cons of Roll Up Pianos
Like all other models, roll up pianos have their strengths and weaknesses. Stay with us to find which one.
Pros
Below are the main pros:
Portability
The idea of having a keyboard that can roll up is quite futuristic to be honest. It takes the least possible space and it’s an ideal for any home or travel thanks to battery operation mode.
Price
These keyboards are one of the most affordable keyboard models on the market. You can get one anytime without affecting your budget at all.
Fun Factor
Kids will love the idea they can roll it up and take it everywhere. They will brag about it and we can guarantee you that they will have a fun time playing and will like to share it with friends.
Cons
Here are the main cons:
Keybed Feel
It’s made out of a silicone that’s not very thick, so the keybed feel doesn’t have anything similar with the usual keyboard. It’s closer to what you would get if you tried to play on your smartphone or tablet.
Sound
If we take a look of its usual price, you’ll know that sound just can’t be outstanding. It comes with the old sound engine so most of a time it will sound like a kids keyboard.
Lujex Standard 88 Keys
Conclusion
Whether you’re buying a roll up keyboard for yourself or your children, don’t forget to put your expectations right. This won’t be a replacement for a real keyboard. It’s a nice toy that can help you to learn the music basics while leaving your wallet barely touched.
People Also Ask
People had some well-placed concerns about these models and we have found the answers. You will find out more about some limitations roll up pianos may have and you will get our honest impression about roll up pianos and we will even cover some basic keyboard knowledge.
Can You Play Chords on a Roll up Piano?
Some roll up pianos support only 3 notes at the time. This means that only some basic one handed chords can be played and this can be a serious drawback for any standard piano playing. Luckily, new models support more notes and some even reported up to 32 notes at the same time.
Are Roll up Pianos Any Good?
Honestly, you should think of roll up pianos more like a gadget or a toy than a real keyboard. Yes, it’s a very interesting format and we can’t think of a more portable one, but the sound is mediocre at best while the keybed doesn’t have anything to do with a regular keyboard.
How Many Keys Does a Piano Have Full Size?
Modern piano has 88 keys. These keys have a different weight response so that lower keys on the left are more heavier while those on the right feel much lighter because the strings that produce low and high notes are quite different.