Thomann TK21-WT Walnut Kalimba

This kalimba has a very high build quality, and I found mine looked better in person than in the picture, with a really nice and warm sound. The steel and wood both feel high quality, and it feels easy to play. As a first kalimba, 21 tines can make playing songs a little bit harder, but I would argue it is worth the tradeoff.

Being a flatboard, the upper notes ring out better than they would on hollow kalimbas, and the smaller profile makes it easier to hold, store, and transport. The provided storage bag is suitable for the cost, though it leaves no place to store the tuning hammer, unless you are willing to put it in the bag with the kalimba.

The kalimba comes with a pack of blue stickers and a pack of black stickers, which can be used to mark each tine to make playing easier, which is a nice addition for those intending to purchase this as a first kalimba.

I would not say the quality is top-level, but for £33 (~€39 at time of writing), the quality is perfectly acceptable, and even impressive. Especially given Thomann's superb return policies, I would say that this kalimba is the best option for anyone looking to get a 21 tine kalimba who isn't looking to spend a lot of money.

I love the Thomann TK21-WT Walnut Kalimba. My first kalimba was an off-brand instrument I bought on Amazon, but I returned it because it had several dead tines. The Thomann TK21-WT was the second kalimba I bought, back in 2022, and I've loved it ever since; no dead tines, clear resonance, and just the right weight.
Based on that experience, I've found that buying instruments from generic sellers will rarely satisfy you, unless the shop specializes in making instruments rather than just reselling them.
Last year I came back looking for an affordable two-row (38-key chromatic) kalimba, so I wouldn't have to retune my kalimba every time I wanted to play in a different key. Unfortunately, Thomann didn't have one at the time.
The one I ended up buying from Hluru has a dead E3 tine and is quite heavy for a two-row kalimba, which makes it harder to move around the keys.
So I decided to buy a second Thomann TK21-WT Walnut and tune it to a different key, rather than being stuck with one super heavy kalimba for every song, or having to retune it constantly, which just isn't practical at all.
So yes, I'm writing this review for the Thomann TK21-WT Walnut because it's professionally built, and four years of positive experience with it is what convinced me to buy a second one.