The Best Clarinet Mouthpieces for 2025: Beginner to Advanced

By Julianna Evans & Zac West

f you’re on the hunt for the right clarinet mouthpiece in 2025, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re just picking up the instrument, upgrading for high school band, or preparing for professional auditions, this guide covers the most popular and respected clarinet mouthpieces across all levels of playing.

We evaluated these mouthpieces based on tone, ease of play, response, reed compatibility, projection, and overall value. To make your journey easier, we’ve also included a free downloadable PDF that breaks down the mouthpieces by level, includes our full list of pros and cons, and offers links to trusted retailers.

This list reflects our combined decades of experience as performers and educators. Some recommendations may overlap with our original 2023 video, but we’ve updated many details and added new models to better reflect today’s players.

For Beginning Clarinetists

These mouthpieces are best suited for beginners in their first year or two of playing.

1. Hite Premiere

• Price: $25–$33
• Buy: Music & Arts
• Pros:
  • Extremely affordable
  • Promotes correct embouchure and air support
  • Ideal for school band programs
• Cons:
  • Tone can be overly bright
  • Difficult to control pitch
  • Limited use beyond beginner stage

2. Fobes Debut

• Price: $30–$44
• Buy: Music & Arts
• Pros:
  • Smoother sound than the Hite
  • Easier access to clarion and altissimo ranges
  • Excellent step-up option before transitioning to intermediate models
• Cons:
  • Will eventually need to be upgraded for advancing players

3. Yamaha 4C

• Price: $40–$66
• Buy: Sweetwater
• Pros:
  • Durable and consistent
  • Easy to find in most stores
  • Comfortable for new players
• Cons:
  • Can sound airy on tongued notes
  • Slightly harder for younger players to control

For Advancing Students (Intermediate)

Ideal for students in middle school or early high school who need more tone depth and responsiveness.

4. Vandoren 5RV

• Price: $115–$120
• Buy: Lisa’s Clarinet Shop
• Pros:
  • Balanced tone
  • Good projection and articulation
  • Widely used by band directors and private teachers
• Cons:
  • Pricey for intermediate-level students
  • Less flexibility than some open models

5. Pyne PolyCrystal

• Price: $54.99
• Buy: Pyne Clarion
• Pros:
  • Unique sound and feel from the crystal material
  • Clear and warm tone
• Cons:
  • High variability between units
  • Should be selected with the guidance of a teacher

For Advanced High School & College Students

These mouthpieces offer more complex tone colors and greater dynamic range, suited for solo, ensemble, and audition work.

6. Vandoren B45

• Price: $115–$137
• Buy: Lisa’s Clarinet Shop
• Pros:
  • Versatile: works for jazz, chamber, and orchestral music
  • Broad, centered tone
  • Easy altissimo response
• Cons:
  • May require medium-soft reeds to balance openness
  • Players with light air support may struggle with projection

7. Vandoren M13 Lyre

• Price: $125–$140
• Buy: Lisa’s Clarinet Shop
• Pros:
  • Rich, focused tone
  • Excellent for solo and ensemble playing
  • Pairs well with heavier reeds
• Cons:
  • Can feel resistant to younger or less experienced players
  • Needs a well-developed embouchure

8. Vandoren M15

• Price: $115–$125
• Buy: Lisa’s Clarinet Shop
• Pros:
  • Balanced between resistance and tone
  • Good for players refining technique and control
  • Easy response in all registers
• Cons:
  • Slightly more resistant than open mouthpieces
  • Best with medium-hard reeds

9. Vandoren M30 Lyre

• Price: $115–$130
• Buy: Lisa’s Clarinet Shop
• Pros:
  • Dark, rich sound ideal for orchestral playing
  • Excellent control in upper registers
• Cons:
  • Slightly mellow for solo projection
  • Not recommended for beginners

10. Vandoren B40 Lyre

• Price: $125
• Buy: Lisa’s Clarinet Shop
• Pros:
  • Full, rounded tone
  • Good balance between openness and control
  • Strong altissimo response
• Cons:
  • Requires control and breath support
  • May not suit all reed cuts

11. Vandoren BD5

• Price: $137
• Buy: Lisa’s Clarinet Shop
• Pros:
  • Deep, dark sound with immediate response
  • Excellent for orchestral and solo work
  • Professional standard
• Cons:
  • Demands refined technique
  • Requires experimenting with reeds to find the best combo

Additional Resources

🎶 Julianna Evans’s Clarinet Note Studio

🎓 Zac West’s Website

🛍 Lisa’s Clarinet Shop

Download the Full PDF

Want this guide in a printable, shareable format? Download our FREE PDF version here to keep all the details at your fingertips.