5 Best Digital Pianos Under 300 – Holiday Edition

We are here to share our special reviews of the five best digital pianos under 300. Thinking about a holiday gift under $300 or wanting to inspire a youngster to learn piano? This review is for you and to help you make an informed buying decision without breaking the bank.

Finding a keyboard under $300 is not difficult in the digital era. However, having a keyboard with the right features will help any beginner to build a solid foundation for advanced learning.

Our Top Pick

The Yamaha PSR-E373 has all the basic features we recommend for a beginner keyboard. At its budget-friendly price, you get a full-featured and extremely capable arranger keyboard as well.

Other outstanding features that the E373 has:

• 38 high-quality Digital Signal Processors (DSP) that can dramatically change the characteristics of every sound
• The large backlit LCD screen with an easy-to-use interface

Required Basic Features

Before we get to the list of best digital pianos under 300 US Dollars, there are a few absolute minimum features you will want to have for a beginner keyboard:

• The piano keyboard should have at least 61 keys and the keys should be full-size just like an acoustic piano instead of mini-keys.
• The keys should be touch-sensitive. This means if you press hard on the keys, the piano produces a louder sound, and if you gently play the keys, the piano produces a softer tone.
• The piano tone is a must-have because a beginner will need to get used to the real piano tone for an easy transition to the acoustic piano in the future. Additionally, the beginner will use the piano tone the most.
• The keyboard should have built-in speakers as well as a headphone jack for quiet practice.
• It will be ideal for a piano keyboard with a USB MIDI port (USB Type B) for connecting to music learning apps on your computer or mobile devices.

The keyboards listed in this review all fulfill these basic requirements.

• Best Overall – Yamaha PSR-E373
• Best Sound – Casio CT-S1
• Best Value – Casio CT-S300
• Alesis Recital-88
• Yamaha PSR-EW310

Best Piano Keyboards Under $300

Now we laid out the minimal requirements, let’s take a look at the five best digital pianos under $300. The below table lists the five keyboard specifications side-by-side.

Best Overall – Yamaha PSR-E373

The Yamaha PSR-E373 is our top pick in our best digital pianos under 300 list because of its high-quality sound and loads of functions to be not only used as a beginner’s piano keyboard but also as a full-featured arranger.

Furthermore, you can apply many different Digital Signal Processing (DSP), reverb, and chorus effects to the voices.

In regards to the arranger keyboard functions, it allows you to play along with rhythm accompaniment so you can sound like an entire band on the E373. There are 205 rhythm styles including pop, rock, jazz, Latin, etc.

While this keyboard has a USB MIDI port for you to connect to your devices, it also comes with a built-in audio interface that allows you to transmit audio data between your keyboard and your computer or mobile devices. You do not find this feature in other digital pianos under 300 US dollars.

Pros & Cons of Yamaha PSR-E373

Yamaha PSR-E373 Bundle Offer

When you buy the Yamaha PSR-E373, it does not come with a power adapter. Of course, you can use six AA batteries to operate. However, the battery operation only lasts a few hours and it is best for on the road when you do not have the option to plug into an electric outlet. For home use, you will need to buy a power adapter.

Another option is to buy Yamaha PSR-E373 with an OEM Accessory Pack that includes an X-Style stand, a bench, and a Power Supply.

Best Sound – Casio CT-S1

The Casio CT-S1 is a portable keyboard that comes in vibrant colors of red, white, and black. Not only do you get a built-in carrying handle, but Casio also included 2 mounting points for carrying it like a guitar or playing it like a keytar.

The 28-panel tones are grouped into categories. They are Piano, Electric Piano 1, Electric Piano 2, Organ, Keyboard, Synth, and Others. Additionally, there are four variations in each category, namely a Standard voice, an Advanced voice, a Modern voice, and a Vintage voice. 

 In addition to the usual USB MIDI functionality, the Casio CT-S1 has the option of plugging a wireless Bluetooth adapter into the USB port. This enables the wireless connection to your mobile devices or streams songs via Bluetooth to the keyboard speakers.

Pros & Cons of Casio CT-S1

Best Value – Casio CT-S300

The Casio CT-S300 is actually under $200. However, it has a good design with solid materials. The thoughtful carry handle allows you to carry it anywhere. Additionally, the touch-sensitive boxed keys are not just simple plastic keys but have texture and matte finish on them for an enhanced play experience. The layout is very logical and convenient, especially with the LCD screen which makes it easier to see at a glance which tones, rhythms, and parameters you have set.

The CT-S300 is a fun keyboard for you to be a DJ (Disc Jockey) since it offers a pitch band wheel and 50 dance music patterns. Moreover, there are 12 human voices for you to spice up your DJ patterns.

The under $200 Casio CT-S300, in my opinion, is the best value keyboard. It is

• quality-built,
• touch-sensitive keys,
• easy to carry,
• exceedingly lightweight,
• pitch band wheel,
• and well-designed user interface.

Therefore, it is a no-brainer to have this included in our best digital pianos under the 300 list.

Pros & Cons of Casio CT-S300

Alesis Recital-88

The Alesis Recital is the only 88-key digital piano included in this review list. It features 88 semi-weighted full-size keys, 128 maximum polyphony, and powerful speakers. With these qualities, the Recital, therefore, wins its spot on our list of five best digital pianos under 300 US dollars. If you are on a budget and wish to progress your piano journey quickly, the Alesis Recital will be a wonderful choice for you.

The Recital offers reasonable piano sound even though it does not have hundreds of voices to choose from. The five voices, piano, electric piano, organ, synth, and bass, are decent and provide perfectly valid musical experiences for beginners or seasoned players.

People may also look to use this as a controller in a home studio or in a live setting. They do not really care whether it has weighted keys, they just want to make sure that the keys are the right size that they are used to. The USB MIDI output allows musicians to hook up with MIDI programs.

Pros & Cons of Alesis Recital-88

Alesis Recital Pro

It is worth noting that Alesis Recital Pro is a giant step up from the Alesis Recital. Where are the key upgrades that will be beneficial for beginners or experienced players:

• The Alesis Recital pro digital piano is with 88 fully weighted hammer action keys. Hence the keys replicate the touch response of a traditional piano.
• A backlight LCD screen takes the guesswork out of selecting sounds, accessing advanced functions, and adjusting parameters
• While many keyboards offer layer function, the Recital Pro goes one step further to allow you to balance the volume mix of all the different layers.
• Easy access buttons for tone and function selections.

Finding a keyboard or a digital piano is a personal choice and for many, it is also a balance between function and cost. With the aforementioned additional features, does it worth spending a little more to get the Alesis Recital Pro? Even though the decision is yours, I hope the information helps you make the right choice.

Here is a detailed review of Alesis Recital Pro.

Yamaha PSR-EW310

The Yamaha PSR-EW310 is almost having the same spec as the Yamaha PSR-E373. Of course, the obvious difference is that the PSR-EW310 has 76 keys versus the 61 keys of the PSR-E373. The 15 more keys do make the EW310 bigger and heavier, and naturally more expensive.

If you intend to play serious classical piano pieces you will need the extra keys found on the EW310, however not all piano pieces require 76 keys. Old acoustic pianos did not have 88 keys until the 1880s.

If you play predominantly modern pop and rock music and you intend to also use these keyboards as a MIDI controller the sixty-one keys are more than sufficient. The E373 has the ability to shift the voices up and down one octave to get a range wider than the default notes when you needed it.

If you need a compact keyboard for bringing around, the EW310 is larger and bulkier than the E373.

Pros & Cons of Yamaha PSR-EW310

Conclusion

Let’s keep in mind that these are the best digital pianos under 300 US dollars. None of them has weighted hammer action keys, but all have touch sensitivity. Hence, they are truly keyboards, not digital pianos. However, these budget-friendly instruments are good for beginners to test out their interest or enthusiasm in music. 

With all the digital functions, they do not only serve the purpose of learning to play piano but also cool instruments to have fun with, especially with the accompaniment function, you basically can play a small band.

Although they are not meant to be serious professional instruments, you can still learn a lot of music with them and bring them along to friend and family gatherings to show off your or your children’s musical talents.

As always, please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions related to these keyboards. Good luck in finding the best option! Enjoy!

Related Reviews:

• Yamaha Digital Piano Options

• Casio Keyboard Pianos for Beginners

• Casio vs Yamaha Keyboards: Which One is Best for You?

• 10 Best Digital Pianos