Problem is, there are just so many of these massage guns on the market it’s hard for people to choose one. Byrdie contributor Theresa Holland is a commerce writer specializing in wellness products, fitness gear, and lifestyle. She interviewed a physical therapist for this story, compiling their insights into the different types, uses, and safety considerations for massage guns. She looked at dozens of models, ultimately choosing those that stood out in terms of features, portability, effectiveness, and overall value. The battery life is unsurpassable at six hours and there’s a USB charging cable and carry case included. The motors that power massage guns can be surprisingly loud, so it can be a rather unpleasant experience to use them on neck and shoulder muscles.
Its four massage heads fit into the carry case, as does the included charger. It was one of the quietest gadgets on test, so you can use it in the changing room without disturbing others. They rated its triangular handle, which allowed them to massage a wide range of muscles, with good control. They also loved its app, which guides you through warm-up and post-workout massages and issues warnings if you apply too much pressure. What’s more, it offers three speed settings so you can vary the intensity, depending on how sore you’re feeling. As it is on the bigger side, we’d say it’s best suited to targeting large muscles.
It also comes with two rechargeable batteries, so you’ll never be left waiting for your massage gun to charge up. Jen Zeltwanger is an exercise physiologist and runner with 26 years of experience in the health and fitness industry. She specializes in researching and writing about products that support home and outdoor fitness. It’s a good option if you prefer something quieter than the Theragun Mini.
Again this is good, because we’ve encountered devices that promise over speed gears over the same percussion range. In fact, it only becomes annoying when you have to cycle through that many to find the right one. There are two types of LEDs here; the five around the power button for speed gears and the four at the bottom of the handle that indicate battery charge level.
While we thought the carrying bag that fits all the attachments was helpful, the gun’s weight makes it a less appealing choice for traveling. Overall, we found that the strength and effectiveness of the massage on our muscles, the wide variety of attachments, and the noise level (below 45 decibels) make this gun a steal for its price. If you’ve been inside a gym, visited a physio or even just scrolled through your Instagram feed, you’ve probably seen a percussive massage gun. These popular tools look like power drills and are designed to aid recovery through percussive massage therapy, a form of deep soft tissue manipulation. This massage gun can reach high speeds, but our tester didn’t find it particularly powerful, making it a better choice for casual use or post-walk massages than as a recovery aid from intense exercise. The round ball head also dragged uncomfortably on their skin and they didn’t like that the only instructions are printed on the box.
In addition to the standard round, flat, and tapered heads, you’ll get a spade, a semi-circle, a fan, a mushroom, a gyro, a claw, and a U-shaped attachment. This percussive gun is also incredibly quiet, with a working noise level renpho foot massager of about 40 decibels. The battery is exceptionally long-lasting, too, running for up to 15 hours on a single charge. A thumb-oriented power button controls the speed adjustment, and three LED lights indicate the speed.