You’ve probably noticed a percussion massager or massage gun ad pop up on one of your social media feeds and wondered if it was one of the best massage guns out there—and will it work? If you’ve ever been to physical therapy or had a masseuse or sports trainer work on your muscles, you may have received this form of massage therapy in a clinical setting. Now you can enjoy the muscle recovery benefits of massage guns from the comfort of home, any time you want since more companies are making them accessible for everyday pain relief.
A massage gun looks a bit like a cordless drill with a foam ball attached to the end of it. These handheld massagers are used to help reduce muscle soreness and muscle tension through quick pulses of pressure that promote blood flow. The motorized percussion penetrates into deep muscle tissue so muscles relax after 30 seconds or so of use—often without you having to apply much pressure to the skin. Since many of these best massage guns are hand-held with several attachments, you can give yourself a massage on hard-to-reach areas without having to visit a massage parlor or asking a partner to give you a massage.
What are the best massage guns right now?
The Theragun Prime 4th Generation Massage Gun is the best massage gun on the market right now with the Hyperice Hypervolt Plus as a close second. Customers like its ergonomic design so they can target hard-to-reach areas like the low back. The current model is one of the best massage guns because it’s quieter than previous versions and is the best massage gun for the average exerciser who wants muscle pain relief.
The Hyperice Hypervolt Plus has a good battery life, is good for athletes—particularly runners—and their Pressure Sensor Technology pairs with their app and Bluetooth so you know how much pressure you’re applying to a specific area.
The best massage guns you can buy today
The fourth-generation Theragun Prime tops our list of the best massage guns, as this version is said to be 70 percent quieter than previous versions thanks to its QX65 Motor Quietforce Technology. This Theragun has five built-in speed ranges starting from 1,750 to 2,400 percussions per minute and comes with four attachments, including a cone-shaped one to help pinpoint muscles of the hands and feet.
Theragun’s app pairs with Apple Health, Samsung Health, and Google Fit and can make suggestions to the user, noting that you might want to use the massage gun on your glutes or back if you were sitting for an extended period of time. It’s not a budget massage gun but reviewers say it gets the job done well and works out muscle tension. Some reviewers said the attachments cracked after use but they said the customer service at Theragun was helpful with getting items replaced or refunded.
The Hyperice Hypervolt Plus is the company’s high-end percussion massager, delivering 30 percent more power than the starter model. It’s ideal for the exerciser who wants to use percussion therapy as part of their recovery program a few days a week and it’s a favorite recovery tool amongst runners. Hyperice’s built-in Pressure Sensor Technology tells you how much pressure you’re applying and pairs with the company’s app via Bluetooth for automatic speed control as well as customized or pre-built programs.
The Hyperice Hypervolt has three speeds that go up to 3,200 percussions per minute. This model’s ball attachment is ideal for helping runners with pain points in the glutes, calves, and hamstrings. Reviewers give it high remarks for its quiet Patented QuietGlide™ technology and long battery life — nearly three hours. Other customers like that this massage gun has a strong motor but some complaints are that this percussive device is clunky and awkward to hold when compared to the Theragun.
Reviewers say this percussion massager is good for athletes, people who need fast recovery and pain relief, as well as deep-tissue relief. We like that it’s lightweight and the 90-degree angled head makes it easy to access those hard-to-reach areas. It’s a high-quality, high-pressure massage gun that doesn’t cost as much as some of the other percussion massagers in this guide. One reviewer said, “Worth the money. I use mine regularly for knots, tight spots or just to get the blood flowing in an area of my body.”
Although the battery life is twice as long as its original version that debuted in 2016, it only lasts up to 45 minutes, one of the shortest durations on this list. That being said, it has a swappable battery pack and you can buy extra rechargeable batteries to take with you when you’re on the go. The noise level is one of the quietest massage guns on the market right now, almost as quiet as whispering with a friend.
The Theragun Pro G4 is recommended for the more serious athlete, someone who might normally receive professional massage therapy regularly as part of their fitness program and who wants to use a professional-grade recovery gun at home. Theragun says this is a smart percussive therapy device that’s in a league of its own. According to its site, the Pro reaches 60 percent deeper into muscles than other massage guns.
Four arm positions make it easy to access every square inch that aches and five built-in speeds allow you to apply lower pressure to sensitive areas or more intense pressure to particularly tight muscles. “The Theragun Pro is the perfect massage gun for sports people and professional therapists alike,” said one reviewer on BestBuy.com. The Pro has an ergonomic design and an intuitive interface that’s easy to use. This device is one of the best massage guns because it’s built with Active Torque Control that combes power with speed for effective treatment therapy. Some reviewers said this model was still loud and complained about the cost.
Customers love getting the Theragun in a compact, lightweight massage gun they can toss in an overnight bag or gym bag and take on the road. This device is easy to grip and comes with one standard ball attachment. At about 5 x 4 x 1.5 inches, it’s one of the smallest massage guns available and ridiculously lightweight so you’ll barely notice you’re carrying it. A neoprene protective case is included so you can toss the massage gun in there and be on your way.
The triangular shape makes this massage gun easy to hold and use on any area of the body. The Mini uses about 20 pounds of force, compared to 30 pounds of force for the Prime and 60 pounds of force for the Pro. Some reviewers complained about this device’s lower no-stall threshold and say it doesn’t deliver as deep of a massage as other devices. It has a 12mm amplitude compared to the Prime, which is 16mm. But, if you’re looking for a massage gun to take with you when you travel, its small size and weight can’t be beat.
The Sonic Handheld Percussion Massager is well-reviewed on several sites for being a good percussion massager for the price. This massage gun comes with eight massage heads and you can change up the intensity with five levels. Sonic also offers free access to its online video library.
Some customers said they had issues with charging the unit and batteries dying but said when they reported the issue to LifePro’s customer service they received replacement parts or units quickly. One reviewer said, “The 5 different settings and 5 different interchangeable heads make it extremely customizable for different parts of the body and needs. [My husband and I] have found it makes a difference with post recovery. It is easy to use and assemble.”
The Legiral is one of the top-reviewed massage guns on Amazon where it has more than 25,000 reviews. The Legiral has 20 speeds and five interchangeable heads so you can target every inch of your body that ails you. Many of the reviewers who gave this product five stars on Amazon were weightlifters and said they loved its impact on their sore muscles.
The Legiral is said to have an entry-level force but after you go above speed level 12, you’ll really feel the massage gun working on your muscles. But, it’s not the optimal percussion massager for serious athletes who need a higher-intensity massage. Some of the cons are that the noise increases over time and that the device isn’t very easy to hold for a long period of time, due to its weight. Customers appreciate the lifetime warranty in case anything goes wrong with the product.
This Mighty Bliss percussion massager has one of the most powerful percussion motors on our guide at 3,700 RPM. While calling it a ‘massage gun’ might be a stretch, this hand-held massager has a long, slim design that makes it easy to use and reach back muscles in particular. It’s a heavier percussion massager than others on our list and it has a built-in battery that runs for about two hours after charging it for an hour.
Many customers on Amazon say it’s good for a beginner handheld massager, helps relieve muscle cramps quickly, and they thought the charge held for a long time. Some of the complaints are that it “didn’t really feel like a heavy-hitting massager” and the highest pressure wasn’t intense enough for some customers. One reviewer experienced the rubber attachments breaking off when too much pressure was applied. Others complained that the device felt heavy after using it for a minute or so.
Heat and massage work together to help soothe sore muscles so it only seems natural that a massage gun designed to alleviate muscle pain relief would have a heating component. The Fusion FX heads heat up in about 20 to 30 seconds which helps to increase blood flow. This handheld massage gun has five heads and five speeds so you can experience a variety of massage pressure on different points on the body.
The Fusion FX also has a lifetime warranty from LifePro Fitness so if you’re not happy, you can return it or get a replacement part. Some customers wished the heads would stay heated for longer, noticing they only got about 5 to 7 minutes of heat while using the device. A few negative reviews were about the heads not heating up properly or at all but in most cases it seemed that customer service was helpful and offered a replacement part. With an amplitude of 10mm it’s a lower intensity massage gun on this list.
The Sportneer Deep Tissue massage made this list for its reasonable price, number of attachments, comes with a carrying case, quiet level, and being an overall good product for the price. This device is also as lightweight as some “portable” versions, so it’s easy to take outside the home. The Sportneer Deep Tissue Muscle Percussion Massager is a hit among athletes for reducing muscle pain. It comes with six massage heads, five speed levels and has a 11mm stroke amplitude.
Reviewers like the price of this massage gun, the variety of attachments, and noise level. Since this massage gun lasts up to six hours on one charge, it nabbed our top spot for the best battery life for the value. One reviewer said, ‘I’m an avid runner and this does wonders for my fascia and eliminating any deep knots I have.” Even though it goes up to 3,200 PPMs, the amplitude is just 11mm, so the pressure might not be intense and deep enough for some customers. Other reviewers found it challenging to target the entire neck and back area.
What to look for when buying a massage gun
Some factors you want to think about when buying the best massage guns include what you’re using it for—a sports massage that gets deep down into tight muscles, or for relieving average aches and pains from being a desk jockey all day.
You’ll also want to consider how heavy the device is. Although most devices weigh less than 5 pounds, the difference between a lighter massage gun and a heavier one can mean your arm gets tired faster, especially if you’re holding the device in a hard-to-reach location, like your neck, shoulders and back.
The best massage guns should have a battery life that lasts longer than an hour, usually up to two hours. You won’t be using vibration therapy for an hour on your body at a time, but not needing to charge the device every time will make life easier. When you’re thinking about buying a massage gun, see if backup batteries are included or are available. If you’re traveling, it might be worth it to have two charged batteries so you don’t have to deal with one leg that’s been worked on and the other leg hasn’t been massaged.
Massage gun customers should also look at the device’s amplitude. This is the distance the head will travel and how deep the gun hits the muscle. A massage gun with a higher amplitude can feel more intense even at a lower speed than a vibration-type massage gun. The massage guns that have higher amplitude should be able to target a specific area deep into the muscle to help reduce muscle pain and improve blood circulation.
The frequency or speed of a massage gun is usually measured in percussions per minute (PPM) or strokes per minute and tends to be available in the 1,200 to 3,200-PPM range. A higher frequency will deliver a more intense massage. If you want a massage gun that only delivers a surface-level massage instead of a deep, sports-style massage, you would use a lower-power setting on the device.
When some consumers are looking at the best massage guns, having a variety of attachments or heads will be important to them. Most devices average about five attachment head options, usually a cushioned head, rounded, fork, and flat options, as well as some cone-shaped (bullet) attachments that target a specific area.
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