Best massage gun for 2021 – CNET [CNET]

Now’s a good time to make sure you have the best tools for muscle recovery in your arsenal, whether you’re returning to a fitness center after the easing of pandemic restrictions or investing in home exercise equipment, online classes or fitness subscriptions. To achieve true workout recovery and achieve your fitness goals, you’ll need a blend of nutrition and physical manipulation, but you can also take advantage of high-tech recovery tools meant to minimize muscle soreness (including the hard-to-resist CBD-infused activewear). If you’re looking for a workout tool with science on its side to soothe aching muscles, consider a massage gun.

A massager gun uses the force of percussive therapy — also known as vibration therapy — to manipulate your body’s soft tissue. They’re essentially backed by the same extensive scientific research that supports massage therapy as the optimal tool for treating a sore muscle after a workout. Everyone from recreational gym-goers to professional athletes and people with chronic pain — they all love percussion therapy from these powerful massagers for many reasons.

Percussive therapy is said to help muscles recover faster while reducing muscle pain, muscle fatigue and lactic acid buildup. They can also help prevent delayed onset muscle soreness. A percussion gun allows you to focus on a certain muscle group or muscle knots for immediate pain relief. They can also improve your range of motion and flexibility, encourage blood flow, help with muscle stiffness and more. Percussive therapy may even help with stress and sleep. Also, not that you should invest in a muscle massage gun for this reason alone, but the slow-motion videos of massage guns punching muscles look insanely Insta-worthy. Just be careful with using a massager gun if you have any injuries beyond a muscle ache from a tough workout. 

We’ve tested over 30 massage guns at this point and the following six are CNET’s picks for the best massage gun options in 2021 for muscle recovery and pain relief. We’ll continue to update this list.

Also tested

We tested the following percussive massage guns over the last two years. Though they didn’t make the cut for the above categories, many of these are still great products. Check them out and see if one might be the right choice for you.

Theragun Elite

If you’re looking at a $400 massage gun already, you may as well get the most powerful massage gun out there and go for the Theragun Pro. 

Theragun Mini

Though mighty (and mighty convenient), the Theragun Mini is louder than anything I’d want to use on a plane. My experience is that the Hypervolt Go has the most settings with the most travel-friendly features. 

Hyperice Hypervolt Plus With Bluetooth

A solid massage gun, the Hypervolt Plus rivals the Theragun in functionality and effectiveness, but the Ekrin Athletics B37 swiped its spot as “most quiet.”

Hyperice Hypervolt

Hyperice’s original massage gun is still a good percussion massage gun option, but I’d personally spend the extra $50 to get the Hypervolt Plus if this was the brand I was after. 

Ekrin Athletics Bantam 

This is a solid mini massage gun, but it doesn’t pack as many features as the Hypervolt Go. It is $40 cheaper, though, so it could be the right choice for you.

Ekrin Athletics B37S

Another great product from Ekrin Athletics, the B37S is nearly as quiet as its sibling the B37. My experience with the B37S is that it’s similar to the Hypervolt in terms of power, design and noise.

TimTam All New Power Massager

This massage gun is probably too powerful for the average person. It literally sounds like a power drill. But it’s a great option for brawny people with a high pain tolerance. 

TimTam Power Massager Pro

Similarly, TimTam’s other massage gun is super powerful, but it does have some gentler settings — it has five settings versus the All New Power Massager’s two settings.

ExoGun DreamPro 

With all the massage guns out there these days, the ExoGun DreamPro isn’t one of our top picks, even though you can get it at a steep discount right now. It offers lukewarm power, and the design is somewhat clunky, making it uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time. 

NordicTrack Percussion Recovery Gun

This massage gun didn’t impress: It’s not very powerful, yet this percussion massage gun is still louder than many models on this list. The sensation feels more like vibration than percussion. (Note it’s currently out of stock.)

TriggerPoint Impact Massage Gun

Coming from the company that makes the bright orange foam rollers found at every gym, I had high expectations for the TriggerPoint massage gun. They weren’t quite met, as the massage gun comes with just one attachment and is not as powerful as I expected. 

Compex Fixx 1.0 Massager 

The Compex massage gun feels like a cross between TimTam and Theragun. It has an adjustable head and three speeds, so while it’s nothing spectacular, it gets the job done. 

Sportneer K1 Percussive Massager

This massage gun was a top pick until Sportneer came out with a new version. I still think this is a high-value massage gun and it’s worth trying if you want something in the $100 range.

Recoverfun Mini Massage Gun

At only $79, this massage gun is a great entry-level option for anyone scared to pay for a full-sized massage gun or higher-end portable massage gun.

MuscleGun Carbon 

This massage gun doesn’t offer anything that other massage guns at the $200-$250 price point don’t offer. For that price, I’d choose the Ekrin Athletics B37 or the original Achedaway. What I do love about the MuscleGun products, though, is that your purchase gives you access to the app, which has video- and audio-guided massage gun protocols.

MuscleGun X

A less expensive product from MuscleGun, this device is on par with others in its price range. It’s comparable to the Sportneer Elite K9 massage gun. The aluminum attachments are a nice touch. 

Vybe Pro 

With nine speeds and eight attachments, the Vybe Pro is a great option for people who want a lot of versatility. 

Vybe V2

This one matches the TimTam massage guns in terms of power, noise and design, so I wouldn’t recommend it to the average person. However, if you want something very intense, go for it.

HoMedics Thera-P Heated Massage Gun

The heating element on this massage gun is a nice touch and it’s very soothing. However, the cord and minimal power output will outweigh that effect for many.

Vivreal Handheld Massager

This budget option feels clunky, but it does allow you to hit hard-to-reach spots, such as your mid-back. 

Renpho Handheld Back Massager 

Another budget-friendly pick, the Renpho Back Massager definitely makes full back massages easy and doable on your own (whereas many other devices require a second person). It’s not that powerful, but it is relaxing. 

Wahl Deep Tissue Percussion Therapeutic Massager

My original “best budget pick” from two years ago has since been replaced, as masses of massage guns have appeared on the market. This is still an inexpensive and solid deep tissue massager option, as long as you’re okay with a cord (I know, blasphemy). 

What to look for in a percussive massage gun

Speed and power: These two elements are definitely the most important. Everyone’s pain tolerance and massage preferences differ, but anyone can benefit from a massager with at least two settings: one being less intense so you can still use the gun on very sore muscles where you are experiencing muscle tension or pain.

Type of motion: As discussed in the NordicTrack description, percussion and vibration are very different. When shopping for a massage gun, consider which mechanism is more important to you. 

Portability: If you’re going to be traveling with your massage gun, you’ll want one that can easily fit into a bag or suitcase, or one that has its own carrying case. Though most are indeed handheld massagers, some units are rather bulky, such as the TimTam models.

Attachments and accessories: Where on your body will you use the massage gun? If you’ll only use it on your large muscles, such as your back and legs, you probably don’t need many attachments or accessories. But if you intend to use it on specific areas and trigger points, such as the arch of your foot or your neck, you’d benefit from smaller attachments intended for those specific areas.

Battery life: Pretty self-explanatory — the longer the battery life, the better, as with all electronics.

Cost: You’ll want to look for a therapeutic massager device within your budget. The most expensive massage guns usually offer more adjustable speed, power and motion settings, but less expensive models can certainly get the job done. 

Other great ways to recover from tough workouts

If you’re not exactly into the idea of punching your muscles — which can be painful if you’re really sore and tender — you should know that massage guns aren’t your only option for post-workout recovery.

Cryotherapy: Ever wonder what it’s like to submerge your body in subzero temperatures? With the growing popularity of whole-body cryotherapy, you can try it out pretty much anywhere.

Far-infrared therapy: Tom Brady uses fancy infrared-infused pajamas and bed sheets to keep himself in tip-top shape. It’s supposed to induce the same benefits as heat therapy, but without actually making you sweaty. Find out if it works. 

Compression therapy: What’s been around for ages as a medical therapy has made its way into the fitness world as a recovery mechanism. You might feel silly wearing big inflatable boots, but there’s some pretty convincing science behind compression therapy for muscle recovery. 

Using a foam roller: You can always stick to the basics. Science says using a foam roller is great for tight muscle issues and joint mobilization, which may help relieve some soreness — or at least make it easier to move around when you’re already really sore. Hyperice, the company that makes the quiet Hypervolt massage gun, also makes a vibrating foam roller, so you can get the effects of percussive therapy and foam rolling at the same time. 

Recovered and ready to hit the gym again? Beat boredom on your next treadmill run and find out if Orangetheory Fitness is worth the hype. 

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