Valve trombones have the same tonal range as their slide trombone equivalents, though a somewhat different attack, as they are shaped more like very large trumpets. They are built in either short or long form. Some musicians consider them difficult to play in tune, although a small minority prefer them to the more common slide trombone.

The valve trombone has been built in every size from alto to contrabass, though it is the tenor valve trombone which has seen the most widespread use. The valve trombone enjoyed its greatest popularity in the 19th century when the technology of rotary valve and piston valve instruments was developing rapidly. By the end of the 19th century, mass production of reliable, higher quality slide trombones led to a return of its popularity.

Despite the continuing popularity of the slide trombone, valve trombones have remained popular in, for example, Austria, Italy, Bohemia, Moravia, Slovakia, Spain, Portugal, South America and India, almost to the exclusion of the slide trombone. Sharp-eyed fans of Western films may spot one in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

A bass or contrabass version of the valve trombone is the cimbasso and is used mainly in operatic works by Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini.