Best Wind Chimes (2026): 6 Picks

A wind chime is chosen by ear and by the spot it will hang in, and it is as often a present as a purchase for your own porch. The six picks below are sorted that way: one for most porches and yards, one that plays a hymn, a short one for a balcony, a 50-inch one for a big yard, one tuned to a wedding piece, and one made of bamboo.

How we chose these: each length, tuning, tube count, weight and warranty on this page is the figure its maker publishes.

Start here: which chime for which place or person

• Most porches, decks and yards: Corinthian Bells 36-Inch Wind Chime (pick 1), a size its maker says will sit above a typical porch rail.
• A sympathy gift, or someone who loves the hymn: Woodstock Amazing Grace Chime, Large (pick 2).
• A balcony, a small porch or a first chime: UpBlend Wailua Wind Chimes (pick 3), the shortest pick at 29 inches.
• A big yard with open space around the chime: Corinthian Bells 50-Inch Wind Chime (pick 4), 50 inches long and 11 pounds.
• A wedding or anniversary gift: Woodstock Pachelbel Canon Chime (pick 5).
• Someone who would rather hear bamboo than metal: Woodstock Cocoa Ring Bamboo Chime (pick 6).

Going by what each maker lists as its price, the Corinthian Bells 50-Inch is the premium pick, the 36-Inch is mid-range, and the other four are budget picks.

Six wind chimes, from a balcony to a big yard

Lengths, tunings and weights are the makers' figures, and the comparison table comes after the sixth pick.

1. Corinthian Bells 36-Inch Wind Chime: our pick for most porches and yards

Six aluminum tubes, each an inch across, hang under a rounded dome. The chime is 36 inches long overall, a length its maker measures from the top ring down to the lower edge of the wind sail, and it weighs 4 pounds. The tubes are hand-tuned to the scale of E (the notes E, F sharp, G sharp, B, C sharp and E), and the longest of them is 18 1/2 inches.

Why it made the list: This is one of the most versatile sizes its maker builds, by the maker's own account: big enough to be a focal point in a landscape, small enough to sit above a typical porch rail. The tubes are a thick-walled aluminum alloy, the chime is made in the USA, and its limited warranty runs five years, the longest term any maker here states.

Before you order: It comes in ten powder-coated finishes, and our link is the Copper Vein. Hang it from something that can hold its weight properly, well clear of walls and poles. By list price it is the mid-range pick.

2. Woodstock Amazing Grace Chime, Large: our pick for a sympathy gift

Six silver aluminum tubes hang from cherry-finish ash wood; the chime is 40 inches long overall and 7 inches across. It plays the tones heard in the hymn Amazing Grace. The wind sets the order the notes come in, but in its maker's words the combination of notes is unmistakable.

Why it made the list: For a sympathy gift, a tune the family already knows does the talking, and its maker counts this hymn among the most widely known and best loved in America. The windcatcher is removable, and the boxed weight is 3.1 pounds.

Before you order: This is the Large chime of its maker's Amazing Grace collection, where the bigger chimes give the deeper tones. It is made in China and carries a one-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. By list price it is a budget pick.

3. UpBlend Wailua Wind Chimes: our pick for a small porch or a first chime

Six powder-coated aluminum tubes with a bamboo striker and a bamboo wind catcher, strung on weather-resistant cord and hung from a solid S-hook. It is 29 inches in total length. Music teachers tune it, to a pentatonic scale in G major.

Why it made the list: At 29 inches it is the shortest pick here. Its maker aims it at porches, patios and gardens, describes its tones as balanced and warm, and says it is never too loud or intrusive. A second, smaller wind catcher comes with it, so you can choose how readily it rings. Its maker also suggests it for sympathy, memorial and housewarming gifts.

Before you order: Its maker's page gives no weight, no warranty term and no country of manufacture. It comes in blue, black, bronze, copper-red, silver and cottage white, and our link is the copper-red. By list price it is a budget pick.

4. Corinthian Bells 50-Inch Wind Chime: our pick for a big yard

The larger chime from the maker of pick 1: six aluminum tubes an inch and a half across, 50 inches long overall, hand-tuned to the scale of A (the notes A, B, C sharp, E, F sharp and A). The longest tube is 27 3/4 inches, and the chime weighs 11 pounds.

Why it made the list: A bigger chime sounds deeper and wants more open room around it, and this is the longest pick here. Its maker says the notes it plays sit close to the range most people sing in. Like the 36-inch, it is made in the USA and carries the five-year limited warranty.

Before you order: At 11 pounds it needs a support that can hold that weight properly. Our link is the Copper Vein finish, one of ten. It is the premium pick here, going by list price.

5. Woodstock Pachelbel Canon Chime: our pick for a wedding or anniversary gift

Six silver aluminum tubes and four black solid aluminum rods hang from black-finish ash wood; the chime is 32 inches long overall and 5 inches across. It is tuned to Pachelbel's Canon in D.

Why it made the list: The Canon in D is a popular pick for wedding processionals, which makes this the chime to give a couple. The four small rods harmonize with the six tubes, and the windcatcher is removable.

Before you order: It is made in China, its boxed weight is 1.9 pounds, and it carries a one-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. By list price it is a budget pick.

6. Woodstock Cocoa Ring Bamboo Chime: our pick for a bamboo chime

Five bamboo tubes hang under a brown rattan top. The chime is 35 inches long overall, though each one is handcrafted by artisans in Bali, so sizes can vary. It is made of coconut and bamboo, and musicians hand-tune each chime.

Why it made the list: Bamboo, its maker says, gives its chimes a mellow, musical sound, which suits someone who would rather not hear ringing metal. Its boxed weight is 1.4 pounds.

Before you order: Its maker's one-year warranty leaves out bamboo chimes, and bamboo chimes that are properly cared for typically last 3 to 4 years outdoors. Hang it somewhere protected, out of direct sun and out of strong wind. It is made in Indonesia. By list price it is a budget pick.

How we chose these

We started with makers whose own sites publish a chime's overall length, its tube count and how it is tuned, then looked for six chimes that do six different jobs: a mid-size chime, a large one, a short one, two tuned to well-known music, and one in bamboo. We read every pick against its maker's page, and what we link is that maker's product: the model number, the barcode or the maker's own link ties the two together. We left out chimes that have no maker page to check a spec against, and second chimes for a job a pick already does.

The Corinthian Bells 36-Inch comes first: it is sized, by its maker, for the most places, and it carries the longest warranty stated here. The Amazing Grace chime follows as the gift pick and the Wailua as the shortest; the 50-inch, the Canon and the bamboo chime each answer a narrower need. We did not hang or ring these chimes ourselves, so every word about sound on this page is a maker's.

Our editorial policy says how we find, check and number the picks in every buying guide.

How the six wind chimes compare

Buying a wind chime as a gift

Begin with the spot where it will hang, then weigh the person's taste in sound, colour and size. A bigger chime sounds deeper and wants more open room; a smaller one sounds lighter and brighter and is simpler to find a place for. For a balcony or a short porch overhang, that points to the 29-inch Wailua; for an open yard, the 50-inch Corinthian Bells.

Then match the chime to the occasion. For a sympathy gift, the Amazing Grace chime plays a widely known hymn, and the Wailua's maker suggests that chime for sympathy, memorial and housewarming gifts too. For a wedding or an anniversary, the Pachelbel Canon chime is tuned to a piece that is popular for wedding processionals.

Think about who will hang it and how long it should last. The 50-inch chime weighs 11 pounds and needs a support to match, while the three Woodstock picks have boxed weights of 3.1 pounds or less. The two Corinthian Bells carry a five-year limited warranty, and their maker takes its own chimes in for repair even long after the warranty has ended. A bamboo chime is the short-lived choice: properly cared for, typically 3 to 4 years outdoors.

A chime also sits well beside other presents for the yard. The gifts for gardeners guide sorts twenty ideas by the kind of gardener, and gifts for bird lovers covers feeders and a bluebird house for the same porch.

Where to hang a wind chime

Choose a breezy spot that no building, tree or other obstacle blocks, and hang the chime where it can swing without striking a wall, a railing or a branch. Too close to a wall or a pole, a chime can take more damage in windy weather. Whatever it hangs from has to hold its weight properly.

The makers add two finer points. For the Corinthian Bells picks, hang the chime straight from the ring at its top, because a rope, a chain or a long hook cuts down its movement. For the Woodstock picks, the ideal place is a covered or protected one outdoors, such as under a porch overhang.

Too loud or too quiet: adjusting a chime

With the Corinthian Bells picks, a chime that rings more than you like can go to a more sheltered spot or take a smaller wind sail, and one that rings too little wants a breezier spot or a larger sail. Their maker sells a larger sail, and silencers for when you want quiet for a while.

The Wailua arrives with a second, smaller wind catcher for the same purpose, and the windcatchers on the Amazing Grace and Pachelbel Canon chimes are removable.

Winter, storms and upkeep

Rainstorms will not damage the Corinthian Bells, but their maker recommends taking a chime down and storing it out of the weather when a severe wind storm or an ice storm is on the way, and says that while its chimes can withstand some winter conditions, many owners bring theirs indoors for the colder months. The advice for the Woodstock picks goes further: their maker recommends bringing them inside in extreme weather, in heavy winds and in harsh winter conditions, and in colder climates keeping the chime in a garage, a shed or another dry, protected space through the winter.

Upkeep is light. Soap and water will clean the Corinthian Bells, as often as they need it. The aluminum tubes of the Woodstock chimes will not rust, though time outdoors may leave natural oxidation or pitting on them, and that does not change the sound; their wood parts want a light coat of exterior oil or wood wax as needed. On the bamboo chime, small hairline cracks may develop as temperature and humidity change, and its maker says that is normal and does not change how the chime sounds.

Related guides

• Gifts for gardeners: twenty picks, grouped by the sort of gardener on your list.
• Gardening gifts for women, with pruners chosen by hand size.
• Gifts for bird lovers: feeders, a bluebird house and its pole.
• Heated bird baths, for the same yard once the nights turn cold.
• Garden aprons, for a gift that gets worn out in the beds.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best wind chime?

For most porches and yards, the Corinthian Bells 36-Inch Wind Chime: six aluminum tubes hand-tuned to the scale of E, 36 inches long overall, made in the USA, with a five-year limited warranty. For a sympathy gift, see the Woodstock Amazing Grace Chime (pick 2); for a small porch, the UpBlend Wailua (pick 3).

What size wind chime should I get?

Fit it to the space and to the sound you want. A bigger chime sounds deeper and wants open room around it; a smaller one sounds lighter and brighter and fits more places. The picks here run from 29 to 50 inches overall, and the 36-inch pick is sized by its maker to sit above a typical porch rail.

Are wind chimes tuned to real notes?

Five of the six here name what they are tuned to. The two Corinthian Bells are hand-tuned to the scales of E and A, the Wailua to a G major pentatonic scale, and the two Woodstock aluminum chimes to the tones of Amazing Grace and of Pachelbel's Canon in D. The bamboo chime is hand-tuned by musicians, with no scale given.

How do I make a wind chime quieter?

For the Corinthian Bells picks, move the chime to a more sheltered spot or fit a smaller wind sail. The Wailua arrives with a second, smaller wind catcher, and the windcatchers on the Amazing Grace and Pachelbel Canon chimes are removable.

Can wind chimes stay outside in winter?

It depends on the chime. Rainstorms will not damage the Corinthian Bells, but their maker recommends taking a chime down during severe wind or ice storms. The maker of the Woodstock picks recommends bringing them inside in extreme weather, in heavy winds and in harsh winter conditions, and in colder climates keeping them in a dry, protected space through the winter.

How long do bamboo wind chimes last?

The maker of the bamboo pick here says bamboo chimes that are properly cared for typically last 3 to 4 years outdoors. Hang one somewhere protected, out of direct sun and out of strong wind. Small hairline cracks may develop as temperature and humidity change; they are normal and do not change how the chime sounds.

Sources

• "Wind River: Corinthian Bells 36-Inch Wind Chime"
• "Wind River: Corinthian Bells 50-Inch Wind Chime"
• "Wind River: Frequently Asked Questions"
• "Wind River: How To Maintain"
• "Wind River: Warranty Registration"
• "Woodstock Chimes: Large Weather-Resistant Aluminum Amazing Grace Tone Wind Chime"
• "Woodstock Chimes: Pachelbel Canon Chime"
• "Woodstock Chimes: Cocoa Ring Bamboo Chime"
• "Woodstock Chimes: Warranty & Repair Information"
• "Woodstock Chimes: Product Care Guide"
• "Woodstock Chimes: Why Size Matters"
• "UpBlend Outdoors: Wailua Wind Chimes"