Our Choice
HyperIce
Overview
HyperIce sells power massagers that work at a range of speeds to help warm up muscles and help recover muscles from exercise and soreness. HyperIce instruments are powerful, advertised as being quiet in design, and are made to provide relief on the go or in the home. These HyperIce massages are made to concentrate on targeted pulses of pressure into muscles and tissues of the body. Percussion therapy helps relieve muscle pain, stiffness, and increase range of motion in general activities, exercising, or highly competitive athletics. Percussive therapy helps the superficial muscles and deep muscle fibers as swell. There are three different percussive therapy guns available on Hyperice's website: the Hypervolt, the Hypervolt Plus, and the Hypervolt go. They all cost less than $400. They are made for the neck, upper back, lower back, chest, deltoids, upper arms, forarms, hands, glutes, hamstrings, calves, hip flexors, quads, adductors, feet, and shins. They resolve in immediate treatment and relief for injuries and pain including tight shoulders, bicep tendonitis, carpal tunnel, shin splints, lower back pain, tennis elbow, and they only need to be used usually from 15 to 20 minutes after a workout and it helps a lot of people recover and release the buildup of lactic lactic in their muscles.
Price
$299 - $399
Highlight
HyperIce sells power massagers that work at a range of speeds to help warm up muscles and help recover muscles from exercise and soreness. HyperIce instruments are powerful, advertised as being quiet in design, and are made to provide relief on the go or in the home. These HyperIce massages are made to concentrate on targeted pulses of pressure into muscles and tissues of the body. Percussion therapy helps relieve muscle pain, stiffness, and increase range of motion in general activities, exercising, or highly competitive athletics. Percussive therapy helps the superficial muscles and deep muscle fibers as swell. There are three different percussive therapy guns available on Hyperice's website: the Hypervolt, the Hypervolt Plus, and the Hypervolt go. They all cost less than $400. They are made for the neck, upper back, lower back, chest, deltoids, upper arms, forarms, hands, glutes, hamstrings, calves, hip flexors, quads, adductors, feet, and shins. They resolve in immediate treatment and relief for injuries and pain including tight shoulders, bicep tendonitis, carpal tunnel, shin splints, lower back pain, tennis elbow, and they only need to be used usually from 15 to 20 minutes after a workout and it helps a lot of people recover and release the buildup of lactic lactic in their muscles.
The Hypervolt Plus is a best seller at HyperIce. It has Bluetooth? connection to the HyperIce app, a high torque 90w motor, patented with QuietGlide technology, has three different speeds of 30 Hertz, 40 Hertz, and 53 Hertz, and it works up to 3200 percussions per minute. The Hypervolt Plus has 5 interchangeable head attachments that are rechargeable, it? patented pressure sensor has three different levels, it weighs only 3lbs, and it's TSA approved for carry-ons.
HyperIce is a versatile percussion therapy instrument used by several famous athletes and fitness gurus from very different fitness backgrounds. For example, Zak George is a famous crossfit athlete and it? perfect for before and after his multifaceted workouts. Kelly Slater, one of the most famous surfers in the world uses his Hypervolt gun at Surf competitions and once a day to relax his muscles. Naomi Osaka, who just won the women's US Open says that HyperIce prioritizes her health because the percussion therapy helps her muscles loosen up after an intense daily workout- Her body undergoes serious physical activity every day and it helps her perform. Holly Lawrence, a triathlete, Neen Williams a famous skateboarder, and Colleen Quigley, a famous Runner are also big supporters of HyperIce? percussion therapy guns because of the relief it brings to their bodies. Across the board, no matter the sport, athletes from every walk of life can benefit from percussion therapy.
All of HyperIce's percussive therapy guns can replace a professional masseuse. The Hypervolt, Hypervolt plus, and the Hypervolt go are so thorough in their percussive therapy technology, that the muscles experience a professional massage. The intense pressure on the outer and deep muscle layers, help many users feel the relief that massages provide. The price of a percussive therapy gun from HyperIce compared to the price of a professional massage is also a convincing reason for many users to switch over to just using Hypervolt, Hypervolt plus, or Hypervolt go.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
HyperIce percussive massage therapy guns are not as generally expensive as their competitors. Although the Hypervolt GO is priced at $199 like its competitors on-the-go options, their most expensive gun is only $399 compared to the other Pro options from TimTam and Theragun which are priced at $499 and $599.
The Hypervolt comes with five interchangeable massage heads.The options are bullet, fork, ball, flat, and cushion head. The bullet is used to pinpoint problem areas and release trigger points, the fork has rounded ends to work around specific muscle groups that are sore or in pain. The ball head massager is an interchangeable head for covering a greater surface area- it's the best attachment to start with for narrowing down pain points and figuring out what is sensitive. Then, the flat head is for covering smaller surface areas and dense muscle groups. Finally, the cushion head is for sensitive areas that users don't want to apply as much pressure to. These options allow users to access all muscle groups for a multitude of healing opportunities. Grea
The Hypervolt and Hypervolt plus are very lightweight. At only 3 lbs, these percussive massagers are wonderful for any user because they don? get heavy for a user when self massaging. The Hyperice Hypervolt GO is even lighter, weighing only 1.5lbs. The Hypervolt GO is 30% smaller than the Hypervolt so it's definitely used for providing relief wherever the user goes. It's really great to bring to the gym, for runners after long distance running, for before and after competitions, and great for warming up muscles in cold weather. All of the HyperIce percussive massagers are great to bring places because they're lightweight.
All Hypervolt massagers are backed with a 1 year warranty. HyperIce will repair or replace a customer? product, or any product components for free (within one year from the purchase date) if the product a customer received stops working due to a defect in material or workmanship.
Cons:
HyperIce percussive massage devices aren't designed well. Both Hypervolts look like hair dryers and the Hypervolt GO looks like a screw driver. They aren't very appealing in design, especially compared to the Theragun options.
The Hypervolt GO could be smaller. Although it's lightweight, it is still fairly big. It's not very "on the go" friendly for the user.
The case and portable charging station for the Hypervolt, Hypervolt plus, and Hypervolt GO are sold seperately. This adds an extra $100 to a customers order.
Although it is less expensive than it's competitors, the Hypervolt percussive guns are still pricey for what they boast they can do. There are other devices on the market that have more attachments, features, and similar power output for half the price.
Theragun
Overview
There are four main percussive Theragun devices. There is the mini, the prime, the elite, and the pro. The mini percussive massager is ultra-portable, the prime is the classic Theragun percussive device, the elite is a premium option, and the pro is professional-grade. Theragun has the world's leading percussive therapy massage devices. They're known around the world for their deep muscle treatment, enhancing muscle recovery, relieving stress and tension, and soothing discomfort. These Theragun devices are smart percussive therapy massagers that provide productive healing and pressure to all different body types.
Price
$199 - $599
Highlight
There are four main percussive Theragun devices. There is the mini, the prime, the elite, and the pro. The mini percussive massager is ultra-portable, the prime is the classic Theragun percussive device, the elite is a premium option, and the pro is professional-grade. Theragun has the world's leading percussive therapy massage devices. They're known around the world for their deep muscle treatment, enhancing muscle recovery, relieving stress and tension, and soothing discomfort. These Theragun devices are smart percussive therapy massagers that provide productive healing and pressure to all different body types.
The Theragun percussive devices have amazing features that tailor to each individual user. Specifically- the pro, elite, and prime have movable arms that allow for pressure to be applied on different parts of the body at different angles. The arm that applies the pressure works with 60lbs of force. The pro, prime, and elite also have bluetooth capability that connects with a user's smartphone. The Therabody bluetooth app connected to these percussive devices integrate with Apple Health and Google Fit. This app learns from an individual's behaviors and sends routines that can be sent to the percussive devices via Bluetooth?. For example, if a person has sore legs from running, there are percussive routines, pressures and speeds that specifically target and are created for leg pain vs. tender shoulder pain.
The Theragun pro has 300 minutes of battery life before the batteries need charging again. The Theragun prime and elite both have 120 minutes of battery life and charge by plug. All three devices last from two to three hours which is more than enough time for a percussive muscle targetting massage.
The elite, prime, and pro, percussive devices all have customizable speed settings and the mini has 3 speed settings. The customizable spped ability is a major highlight of Theragun percussive devices because competitors only have three speed settings like the mini. Being able to customize the speed gives users more control over their therapuetic experience with their Theragun.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Theragun has easy to clean attachment massage heads. The Theragun pro has four, the Theragun elite has five, and the Theragun prime has four. Theragun pro has the super soft attachment, the dampener attachment, the standard ball attachment, the attachment and the cone attachment. They're used for purposes. The super soft attachment is actually used for sensitive areas including bones, the dampener attachment has an impact level of three out of ten and its use for tender areas and it preferred for all over use. The standard ball attachment and the web attachment are both a five out of ten impact level and are great for large muscle groups and for really decreasing lactic acid levels. The thumb attachment is a seven out of ten impact level and is used for trigger points in the lower back, and the cone attachment is a ten out of ten impact level, which is mostly used to pinpoint muscle treatment. The Theragun elite and prime have a few less attachments then the PRO but the impact is similar, and a customer can always shop for more attachments.
All the Theragun options, including the Theragun mini, can be financed monthly. Depending on which Theragun a customer purchases, the financing changes. The option to finance makes the product more accessible.
There is a two year warranty on Theragun percussive massagers and always free shipping.
Theragun percussive massagers have won several awards and been recognized in several magainzes. Theragun won the 2020 GQ Fitness Awards, Men's Fitness Best Buy Award, New York Design Award, 2020 Most Innovative Company Award, and several others.
Cons:
Considered the most expensive percussive therapy guns compared to competitors and also seen as loud in unboxing videos on youtube and in customer reviews. It is much louder than it is advertised. On the Theragun website, there is a 'See it in Action' option and all the options don't include an accurate sound depiction of the product.
The mini isn't very small. It's portable, but it's not as small as the TimTam pocket power massager. This can make it hard for users to see it as portable and it's hard to hold. Also, the mini is reviewed well but is said to sometimes not have an effect of deep muscle tensions and specific muscle problems. There are several reviews outside of the Theragun site that have said the Theragun mini stops charging or working very easily, and after a few months the QuietForce technology stops and it gets louder. It's very possible all of these customers had defective products, but that shouldn't be happening either. Lastly, the Theragun mini only requires a small amount of stall force to shut off. This device is not for a deeper massage and it unfortunately only comes with one attachment head.
The Theragun prime is only sold in one color, while the mini, elite and PRO all come in two colors - black and white. Currently, the PRO comes in the special edition Product(RED), but there is usually only a black color option.
There are customer reviews that say the Theragun doesn't help with hard to reach places if an individual is massaging themself. There are also reviews discussing how loud the Theragun actually is, and many complaints about the Theragun percussive massage attachmends cracking after only 2 months of use.
Tim Tam
Overview
TimTam percussive massagers are known for their powerful message capabilities, being great replacements for expensive chiropractic weekly visits, and TimTam is a trusted company by thousands of customers since 2016. This company was founded by the UFC World Champion Georges St-Pierre, his coach Firas Zahabi, and the physical therapist/author Kelly Starrett. The TimTam was made to improve athletes' performance and the recovery process.
Price
$199 - $499
Highlight
TimTam percussive massagers are known for their powerful message capabilities, being great replacements for expensive chiropractic weekly visits, and TimTam is a trusted company by thousands of customers since 2016. This company was founded by the UFC World Champion Georges St-Pierre, his coach Firas Zahabi, and the physical therapist/author Kelly Starrett. The TimTam was made to improve athletes' performance and the recovery process.
The original TimTam is the first massage gun to start the percussive massage gun trend. They have had a following for a while. Their massagers come with a vibrating tip, an automatic heated tip, a short 85 round therapy tip, and that is for their pro power massager. This massager and the power massagers on TimTams site are for personal use, professional use, heat application, cold application, broad muscles, and deep-tissue intensity. The pocket massager is great for small muscle aches and tight knots to help recover faster. The all-new power massager by TimTam is really great for treating the same areas as the massager, except it only comes with the 85 round therapy tip head, and not the other head attachments.
TimTams have an adjustable arm that can move into seven different positions, which none of it's competitors offer.
TimTam percussive massagers are made with anti microbal plastics which is actually very important for a massage gun because it touches the skin, needs to be cleaned, and if someone is working up a sweat while getting massaged there is no worry about bacteria build up in the plastic. TiamTams competitors don't offer this.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
TimTam is used by professional athletes around the world and is the only massages with four customizable programs for the neck and back for customized pain relief. It's a product that is highly geared toward men who need powerful massages for their muscles. It definitely is powerful and is endorsed by several athletes.
The TimTam is advertised as getting a one-hour full body massage in three minutes of use. This is a great way to market their product if they boast the best power against their competitors.
TimTam offers a 30 day trial for their percussive therapy guns or a money-back guarantee. This is not advertised by competitors.
TimTam is the only percussive device on the market that has a heated tip and heat sensors for therapeutic relief. This is an amazing feature for a massage gun to have. It also has four different international charging options.
Cons:
TimTam percussive massager looks like power tools. Not their pocket option but the all-new and pro option looks like power tools and they're designed very aggressively. They look kind of uninviting to put on sore muscles and places that have a lot of tension. Personally, I am least attracted to the TimTam percussive massager- it looks very masculine and looks like it's built for big athletic men. They look aggressively powerful- not in a comforting or healing way.
Although the TimTam is fairly inexpensive for a percussive massage gun, the price jump from the all-new TimTam to the pro TimTam option is unfortunate. For a customer who wants all the features the TimTam pro offers, it's much harder to attain this option because it's $250 more than the all-new option.
TimTam percussive massage devices are very loud. They are advertised as running from 10-35 DB which is entirely inaccurate. 10db is equivalent to the sound of a person breathing and 35db is equivalent to the sound of a whisper or light snoring. The TimTam percussive massage devices are so loud, customers have to yell over them. In a trusted youtube review by a physical therapist, when he turns the TimTam all-new on, it sounds like a drill.
it's narrowly catered to a specific target audience because of it's design and color. It's the least user-friendly option for women.
VYBE
Overview
VYBE offers three different models of massage gun, making it an accessible and necessary tool for athletes of any level. While the models vary in power, they all are promised to increase circulation and improve your flexibility and range of motion. By stimulating these processes within the body, VYBE will improve your range of motion, reduce inflammation, and prevent injury in the future ·all while increasing your recovery time after a strenuous workout. VYBE? massage gun will help you get back to training and competing faster ·and better than you were before.
Price
$149.99 - $179.99
Highlight
VYBE offers three different models of massage gun, making it an accessible and necessary tool for athletes of any level. While the models vary in power, they all are promised to increase circulation and improve your flexibility and range of motion. By stimulating these processes within the body, VYBE will improve your range of motion, reduce inflammation, and prevent injury in the future ·all while increasing your recovery time after a strenuous workout. VYBE? massage gun will help you get back to training and competing faster ·and better than you were before.
Not only does VYBE prevent future injuries with percussive therapy, it can be used to treat chronic pain. If you suffer from tendonitis, carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, or shin splints, VYBE can offer you relief. The VYBE Pro, particularly, offers eight different massage gun attachments, suited to any part of the body. Regular use of VYBE targeting areas where you suffer chronic pain can reduce your suffering significantly, letting you get back into the game without worry.
All of VYBE? massage gun models are extremely portable. Each model includes a compact case, and the VYBE is destined to be a go-to part of your gym kit. Just drop it into your bag when you head to the gym, and after your work-out, you have the benefit of a professional massage to help you relax and recover, without the price and hassle. All of their models are cordless, too. VYBE offers massage gun models with battery life ranging from 2 to 4 hours, too, so you?l never have to worry that you?e forgotten to charge it. VYBE works hard and doesn? quit, just like you.
VYBE Pro, a massage gun by professionals, for professionals, offers eight attachments heads to target specific muscle groups. There are attachments for small muscle groups and large muscles groups, some specifically designed to gently but powerfully target your IT band, a knot blaster for sore palms and soles, and even a pronged attachment that fits comfortable around difficult-to-reach areas that are prone to stress, like your neck, spine, and achilles tendon. The attachments make it possible to target your percussive therapy experience to the areas that need it most. And with the ability to apply up to 30 lbs of pressure, VYBE doesn? make you compromise between power and versatility.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Any athlete, from professional to neighborhood jogger, knows the havoc a lingering injury can wreak on your workout plan. If you have chronic pain from tendinitis or similar injuries, oftentimes expensive physical therapy or massage therapy treatments are the only thing on offer. And at hundreds of dollars per session, being pain-free may seem out of reach. Using a VYBE massage gun can decrease your pain, relax your muscles, and get you back in your running shoes for a fraction of the cost.
With the distinction of being one of the first massage gun products on the market, VYBE has a lot of experience providing athletes with the care they need to recover and relax after a challenging work out. VYBE is so confident in the benefits of percussive therapy that they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee to every customer. When you order a VYBE massage gun, you have thirty days from receipt to let VYBE know if you?e not 100% happy with your purchase. They will replace or refund your purchase, and do whatever it takes to make it right.
VYBE massage guns are known to speed up muscle fiber recovery with its powerful percussive action. This process improves blood circulation, which can not only improve your athletic performance and decrease your recovery time, but it also has the exciting fringe benefit of potentially improving your sleep.
If the idea of using a noisy massage gun in the gym locker room gives you pause, VYBE doesn? want you to worry. All of VYBE? percussive therapy devices provide ultra-quiet performance. While in use, your VYBE won? make a sound above 60 decibels, which is about the volume of the average person speaking ·and only slightly louder than the gentle sound of rain.
Cons:
While VYBE massage guns are relatively quiet for a powerful piece of equipment, the most intense setting on VYBE's V2 model isn't quiet at all. It reaches up to 80 decibels, which by VYBE's own graph makes it about as loud as an alarm. This inconvenience might make this particular product unappealing to anybody who intends to use it in a gym or other shared space.
While VYBE massage guns are portable, cordless, and come with their own travel cases, they're not exactly light weight. The products range from 3.5 pounds to 4.5 pounds, so if you're planning on taking your VYBE on a plane, or just don? want to add extra heft to your gym bag, this might not be the best product for you.
If you're looking to treat chronic pain and interested in a VYBE massage gun as an alternative to traditional massage or physical therapy, and use an HSA, VYBE is probably not the product for you. It isn'r HSA approved, while physical or massage therapy can be HSA eligible.
In using a VYBE massage gun initially, it seems to be common to see some excess lubrication leaking out where the metal rod meets the body of the gun. This problem is at least common enough for VYBE to include it in their FAQ. They say that the excess lubrication should subside with more use, but it sounds like a sticky, inconvenient problem from something that has a major selling point of being convenient and portable.
Lifepro
Overview
With so many massage guns on the market and many with comparable price points, Lifepro stands out by offering the most intense percussive therapy available. Lifepro points out that most other massage guns max out at 10 mm of amplitude. In contrast, Lifepro's massage gun reaches an impressive 16 mm of amplitude. Does this mean Lifepro's impact penetrates the muscle more deeply, leading to better results and faster recovery than weaker products.
Price
$79.99 - $249.99
Highlight
With so many massage guns on the market and many with comparable price points, Lifepro stands out by offering the most intense percussive therapy available. Lifepro points out that most other massage guns max out at 10 mm of amplitude. In contrast, Lifepro's massage gun reaches an impressive 16 mm of amplitude. Does this mean Lifepro's impact penetrates the muscle more deeply, leading to better results and faster recovery than weaker products.
Like most massage guns, LifePro offers adjustable intensities, and even a variety of attachable heads to target different muscle groups on some models. But LifePro goes one further. Some of their models also offer up to three different angled positions so that you can apply percussive therapy to even the most hard-to-reach places on your body.
Although most producers of massage guns offer more than one model, very few offer the wide range and variety LifePro does. They have top-of-the-line models with multiple head attachments and high-intensity settings to fully penetrate your deep tissue and relax your muscles. But they also offer a “mini” size at a much more reasonable price, making LifePro the ideal choice for anybody who wants percussive therapy on the go. LifePro also offers a heated massage gun, which seems to be unique to the market, adding another way to unwind and recover after a challenging workout — or even warm-up before your next one.
Percussive therapy is a great way to relax your muscles, increase blood flow, and help your body to recover more quickly after a strenuous workout. A massage gun can also treat chronic pain, at a fraction of the price you’d pay for traditional physical or massage therapy. But LifePro massage guns can also be used to help you warm up prior to your work out by loosening your muscles and increasing circulation. Using your LifePro before your workout can decrease your risk of injury, and increase flexibility leading to better performance, making it an invaluable part of your workout kit.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
LifePro's FusionX Heated Massage gun offers a benefit few other percussive therapy devices do: a heated option. Adding heat to percussive therapy will bring you unparalleled relief, treating soreness immediately and helping to prevent further injury in the future. With a ceramic heated head attachment, LifePro FusionX soothes sore muscles and opens blood vessels, giving your body? healing processes an extra boost and quickly and effectively alleviate your pain.
Some LifePro massage guns offer as many as ten interchangeable heads, making models such as the Sonic Plus Percussion Massage Gun one of the more versatile options on the market. Other models have between four and ten heads, and all come with compact traveling cases so you can have a fully customizable percussive therapy experience anywhere you go. The heads range from heated ceramic attachments, to flat metal heads for large muscles, to a two-pronged head for your spine or tendons, to smaller round heads to attack tension at trigger points. So whatever your specific body needs, LifePro has a solution.
Although it varies by power setting, LifePro massage guns have a battery life of up to seven hours. No busy, active person wants to have to stop and think about whether they're charged yet another device before getting ready to go to the gym, or before an already stressful competition. With LifePro, you're guaranteed several hours of use, meaning there are fewer barriers between you and total relaxation.
If using a massage gun seems daunting to you, LifePro is the ideal brand for the uninitiated. In addition to a guarantee of lifetime support for their products, LifePro knows that not everybody can afford a personal trainer. Instead, LifePro offers a database of training videos to make sure you know how to get the most out of your device. They also offer the ability to schedule 15-minute consultations on their website if you have any questions you can? find the answer to on their YouTube channel.
Cons:
On the weaker settings, LifePro massage guns are a relatively quiet 55-60 decibels, which LifePro compares to the hum of a refrigerator. (Which is, to be fair, a confusing metric ·refrigerators range from virtually silent to obtrusively loud.) But on the stronger percussive therapy settings, LifePro massage guns get as loud as 70 decibels, which by their own scale makes a sound comparable to somewhere between a vacuum cleaner and a power lawn mower·which is a definite disadvantage, if you?e looking to use your massage gun in the gym, or another public place.
On one hand, offering a variety of models is a definite pro of going with LifePro over another massage gun producer. On the other, while they do offer a variety of models with a variety of features, they don't seem to offer a model that has everything, those who have trouble making decisions might struggle when comparing some very different benefits to very different models of massage gun.
LifePro doesn't have the best return policy. New, unopened items must be returned within 30 days to receive a new refund. But if you've opened your massage gun, which you presumably would, a 15% restocking fee applies. LifePro also doesn't cover return shipping costs.
It? increasingly easy to assume that any given online retailer will ship almost anywhere in the world. LifePro, however, only ships to the United States. So if you're from anywhere else, you'll have to go with another brand by default.