Sams L, et al. (2023). The effect of percussive therapy on musculoskeletal performance and experiences of pain: A systematic literature review. When you're browsing the best massage guns, ideally your purchasing priorities should centre on noise control, battery life and quality. Portability: Our list contains a mix of full-size and compact massage guns. The larger models tend to be more powerful, better for bigger jobs and deeper muscle soreness. However, the mini models are perfect if you want a massage gun you can take with you on the go, and they still offer enough oomph to remedy most muscle pains. How we test

Travel case: You want a device that at least gives you the option to carry your massage gun around easily. Office Home & Kitchen All Office Office Chairs Standing Desks Desk Organizers Seat Cushions Under Desk EllipticalsMost of the top-tier massage guns nowadays will come with up to eight massage heads so you can really customise your usage to different muscle groups. If you want the best massage gun and portability isn’t a factor, then don’t settle for anything less than this. You’ll need quite a few different massage heads if you really want to get the most out of your massage gun.

She also called out its easy-to-grip ergonomic design, which she says makes it more comfortable for people with hand and wrist issues, such as arthritis. Weight. A massage gun is meant to be used with one hand, which makes the weight extremely important. “If the gun is too heavy, your hand or arm may become fatigued before you are finished with your massage session,” Gallucci said. Topical products: Use topical products, such as massage oil, CBD balm, and analgesic ointment, to reduce friction and make applying pressure easier during a self-massage. It has a disappointing stall force of only about 12-15 lbs (our estimation). It stalls very easily, unfortunately, and it’s feels very underpowered compared to all guns on this list (maybe except of the Dyna Mini, but Dyna is like 30-40% smaller) Ease of use. Consider not only if you can hold and apply pressure by yourself, but also how easy it is to swiftly cycle through the different speeds as you target different parts of your body.

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We asked our resident health and fitness specialist to take some of the best massage guns for a spin, trialling each one for three weeks around their (frankly, exhausting-sounding) schedule of weightlifting, running, yoga and more. This massage gun has five quality head attachments - ball, bullet, fork, air cushion and flat - which should cover all your recovery needs. Choose between five speeds - the brushless motor can switch between 1800 to 3200rpm/minute while remaining surprisingly quiet. Our fitness expert used each massage gun to prime their muscles for a wide variety of different activities over the course of three weeks, also tasking each one with supporting the recovery of their aching muscles after exercise. Most of us love a good ol' massage now and then, but sadly hitting the spa to have a personal rub down every week is but a daydream.