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My favorite attribute of therapeutic therapeutic massage weapons is how intuitive they’re. You almost certainly don’t should study an instruction information to understand how one can use one: You flip it on and blast a superb shoulder, calf, or totally different sore muscle, similar to you’d knead your self with a foam roller or a once more massager, and afterwards, these areas will hopefully actually really feel looser or additional relaxed.
Nonetheless you could be considering how these devices work and what they’re actually doing to your physique along with making you are feeling good. A therapeutic therapeutic massage gun delivers a percussive therapeutic therapeutic massage: Its motorized head pulses backwards and forwards as a result of it drums into you, inflicting your blood vessels to dilate. “All of these devices — akin to foam rollers and therapeutic therapeutic massage weapons — are all attempting to do some mannequin of the an identical issue, which is to amplify what the physique already does properly, they usually additionally’re attempting to increase blood flow into to the realm that is sore,” says Ben Rosario, govt director of Hoka Northern Arizona Elite, the mannequin’s expert working workforce.
The best-known therapeutic therapeutic massage weapons are made by Therabody and Hyperice, nonetheless there are numerous opponents inside the home now at quite a lot of value elements and with completely totally different choices, a couple of of which may work increased for you counting on what you’re looking out for. Over the earlier six years, I’ve examined close to a dozen completely totally different therapeutic therapeutic massage weapons, using them to help with post-workout soreness and customary restoration from the working, climbing, and weight teaching I do. Plus, I talked to athletes, coaches, and totally different Strategist staffers about their favorite devices to compile this guidelines.
Change on December 2, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all merchandise.
A therapeutic therapeutic massage gun will likely have a sequence of assorted speeds, each of which has a particular value of percussions per minute (PPM), or the amount of events the therapeutic therapeutic massage gun head strikes backwards and forwards in a minute. These settings differ from model to model, nonetheless lower speeds will likely actually really feel a lot much less intense than higher ones.
We might confer with these devices as therapeutic therapeutic massage weapons on account of a majority of them seem just like the blasters you’d see in Star Wars. Whereas most of them have a grip that matches in your palm, others have numerous handles that may aid you stage the top at completely totally different angles.
How prolonged a therapeutic therapeutic massage gun lasts on a full price can resolve how prolonged or repeatedly you utilize it for a session. I’ve well-known each system’s listed battery life — and it’ll fluctuate counting on which velocity setting you’re using.
The motors on these devices can get pretty loud, and which can impact the best way you watch a TV current or use it spherical one different specific individual in a quiet area. I’ve well-known how quiet each system is on three ranges, based totally on sound-pressure ranges I measured with a sound-meter app, recording each therapeutic therapeutic massage gun’s fluctuate from its lowest to highest velocity settings. Fifty to 60 decibels, throughout the noise diploma of {an electrical} toothbrush, is quiet; 60 to 70 dB, which you’ll affiliate with the noise of a dishwasher, is noisy; and 70 dB and up, which is the extent of a vacuum cleaner, is loud.
Some devices will in all probability be appropriate with interchangeable head attachments, which can create a particular sensation by using different-shaped pressure elements or make it less complicated to pinpoint a selected spot that wishes engaged on. I’ve well-known what variety of attachments embody each system (although some interchangeable heads will in all probability be appropriate with devices from the an identical mannequin, identical to the Hypervolt and Theragun strains).
How heavy a therapeutic therapeutic massage gun is can resolve how easy it is to hold and use all through a session. Heavier fashions might actually really feel unwieldy to some, whereas lighter ones will in all probability be often less complicated to carry. I’ve listed each system’s weight.

Speeds: 5 | Grip: Capsule-shaped | Battery life: 3 hours | Noise: Quiet | Gear: 5 interchangeable heads | Weight: 2.6 lbs.
The Theragun is the therapeutic therapeutic massage gun that almost all people know, nonetheless the Hypervolt 2 Skilled is my excessive select on account of it feels merely as extremely efficient, nonetheless is quite a bit quieter. It’s my most-used therapeutic therapeutic massage gun and my excessive recommendation for someone who’s making an attempt to place cash right into a device they’ll use repeatedly.
I’ve been testing the Hypervolt 2 Skilled for the earlier six months, using it 4 to five events each week on all of my muscle groups, principally after workout routines or as soon as I’m resting. The cope with has a fragile, rubbery grip that’s easy to hold, and you could swap between completely totally different speeds by means of a large dial on excessive of the gun.
Using a noisier system, identical to the Theragun Elite (beneath), can usually sound like I’m attacking my muscle tissue with an affect machine, nonetheless the Hypervolt Skilled 2’s motor creates a simple hum as a result of it operates, significantly on its lowest setting, which I really feel is already pretty extremely efficient (I usually don’t go above the second or third velocity). Compared with the Theragun, the power of the Hypervolt’s motor feels additional concentrated into the therapeutic therapeutic massage head, and I don’t ought to stabilize the system with my grip, so using it feels simple. The Theragun, alternatively, significantly at higher velocity settings, can actually really feel unstable and shaky in my hand, and requires a bit additional effort to info it. I like how I can use the Hypervolt whereas I’m watching TV and by no means ought to stress to hearken to dialogue. To be clear, you presumably can nonetheless inform that it’s on (I most probably wouldn’t want to use it in an open-floor office setting), nonetheless it’s nonetheless quiet enough to utilize with out drawing consideration from these spherical you. Plus, it is going to get the stamp of approval from expert surfer Kelly Slater and drag queen Katya Zamolodchikova.

Speeds: 5 | Grip: Spherical | Battery life: 8 hours | Noise: Quiet | Gear: 7 interchangeable heads | Weight: 1.7 lbs.
For a additional fairly priced therapeutic therapeutic massage gun, ponder the Turonic GM5, which has all of the choices of the Hypervolt Skilled 2 nonetheless at a additional fairly priced value.
In the event you occur to’re evaluating the GM5 to a model identical to the Hypervolt or a Theragun, you could ponder sturdiness as a trade-off. The GM5’s physique is plastic and its cope with doesn’t have a rubber/grippy coating on excessive of it, not like the alternative devices on this guidelines. Nonetheless must you gained’t be using a therapeutic therapeutic massage gun on every day foundation (and likewise you’re often not too powerful collectively along with your gear), then the GM5 is an effective various. Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo says the GM5’s battery lasts such a really very long time that she hardly has to price it. In relation to noise, she describes it as having a “low vibration sound” that’s not loud enough to be excellent. Nonetheless Corsillo says the most effective half regarding the GM5 is that it lets her and her husband give each other massages which might be “actually environment friendly, with out turning into bored or finishing up our arms,” she writes.

Speeds: 5 | Grip: Three-handle triangle grip | Battery life: 2 hours | Noise: Loud | Gear: 5 interchangeable heads | Weight: 2.2 lbs.
In the event you occur to’ve researched therapeutic therapeutic massage weapons on-line or know people who’ve one, you’ve likely seen or heard that Therabody’s merchandise are repeatedly top-recommended. What makes the mannequin’s Theragun line distinct is its triangle-shaped grip, which helps you to stage the top at completely totally different angles, considerably than being restricted by a single cope with like a typical therapeutic therapeutic massage gun.
I’ve been testing the Theragun Elite for the earlier two years, using it equally to how I’ve used the Hypervolt 2 Skilled: by hitting my leg muscle tissue after runs and workout routines that depart me additional sore. Its triangle cope with lets me grip the system close to its head, so I can attain behind me and therapeutic therapeutic massage my once more, which is hard to do with the type of a every day therapeutic therapeutic massage gun. For that motive, I’ve found the Theragun Elite to be great versatile, and must you’re wanting significantly for a therapeutic therapeutic massage gun that it’s best to use in your once more (with out the help of one different specific individual), I’d advocate this one, or the Theragun Mini (beneath).
The Elite’s largest draw back is how noisy it is. It makes a loud, high-pitched whir and rattles on higher-speed settings, which makes it laborious to take a look at reveals or movement photos or keep conversations. However it’s nonetheless a strong machine that removes my tightest knots, and if noise gained’t matter that quite a bit to you, then the Theragun Elite’s versatility will in all probability be effectively definitely worth the funding.

Speeds: 4 | Grip: Angled | Battery life: 2 hours | Noise: Noisy | Gear: None | Weight: 2.4 lbs.
You could know Set off Degree from its totally different recovery-product selections (the mannequin makes our biggest whole foam-roller select), and this simple therapeutic therapeutic massage gun has a smaller, rounded head (as compared with the others I’ve examined) that I like using for specializing in considerably tight areas with precision. Completely different devices on this guidelines have interchangeable heads with pointed options, nonetheless I haven’t found them as environment friendly at precise specializing in as compared with the Set off Degree. I attain for this gun after I’ve a really tight area that wishes a laser-focused drill. It has a cope with that’s barely angled forward, which makes it a bit less complicated to push into my legs or my arms.
The apparent draw back is that the Impression solely has that one therapeutic therapeutic massage head, so must you’re looking out for numerous sensations, you have to ponder a device with interchangeable attachments. It makes a barely rattly sound when it’s on — very similar to the Theragun Elite — nonetheless it’s not too disruptive. Moreover, this method is repeatedly on sale, so this can be a budget-friendly select, counting on how quite a bit you snag it for.

Speeds: 3 | Grip: Triangle (hand-held) | Battery life: 2 hours | Noise: Noisy | Gear: 3 Interchangeable heads | Weight: 1 lb.
The Theragun Mini is a product I always advocate on account of it delivers an environment friendly therapeutic therapeutic massage for its small, packable measurement (about 5 by 5 by two inches), although newer fashions are even smaller than the one I private — about 20 p.c smaller, in accordance with the mannequin. I’ve been testing the Mini for the earlier two years, and I want it for touring or using at my desk as soon as I’m working from home. Its cope with remembers the heft of a DSLR digital digicam: It’s chunky, nonetheless ergonomic, so my fingers can wrap spherical it. The ground has a fragile, barely rubbery coating. Because of the grip is close to the top, I can get nearer to the muscle and apply additional pressure to my physique, and on this strategy it offers me additional administration than totally different therapeutic therapeutic massage devices with gun-style handles. In relation to noise, the Mini makes a refined, pulsing sound (spherical 61 decibels) on its lowest setting, nonetheless the 2 higher speeds are quite a bit louder, between 70 and 73 decibels. It’s accessible in a stretchy, delicate zip-up case that stows great merely in my carry-on baggage.

Speeds: 3 | Grip: Angled | Battery life: 3 hours | Noise: Quiet | Gear: 2 | Weight: 1.5 lbs.
When of us ask me what moveable therapeutic therapeutic massage gun will get my excessive select, I’m usually torn between recommending the Theragun Mini or the Hypervolt Go 2. Every are equally environment friendly at relieving tightness, nonetheless just some choices might make the Go 2 a higher select for you (along with its decrease price). I’ve been testing the Go 2 for the earlier six months, and I like using it on my forearms and my neck and shoulders. Its motor is whisper-quiet, and it’s merely as packable as a result of the Mini, nonetheless I’ve found its battery lasts only a bit longer than the Mini’s. The biggest distinction is the grip. The Go 2 has an angled, gun-style grip, identical to the Set off Degree Impression, which makes it environment friendly for pushing in and making use of additional pressure to your muscle tissue and tight spots. The Go 2 will also be $60 cheaper (as of this writing) as compared with the Mini, and the least pricey alternative on this guidelines. Ultimately, must you like the feeling of holding an ordinary therapeutic therapeutic massage gun, nonetheless want a smaller, additional packable mannequin (that has a a lot much less extremely efficient motor), then the Go 2 is your most interesting wager.
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