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We’re testing the redesigned Opove M3 Pro, among other massage guns, and will update this guide with our complete findings. Massage Pistol Gun Machine
If the ability to give yourself a muscle-pummeling massage sounds appealing, a massage gun might be for you. These devices promise to amp up a home massage and soothe your body by melting away knots, increasing circulation, decreasing muscle pain and soreness, and reducing inflammation, among other claims. Definitive scientific evidence of their efficacy is scarce, and they can be noisy and expensive. But many people find a massage gun to be a useful tool, whether for post-workout recovery or after a long day on the job. “As long as you’re not causing any detriment or harm—whether that be to the body or to the pockets—if it makes you feel better, then go ahead and use it,” said Christopher Hicks, MD, who at the time of our interview was a clinical associate of orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation medicine at University of Chicago Medicine.
We assessed how satisfying a massage each device delivered, using its specs—and how we felt during and after—as a guide.
We evaluated the shape and orientation of the handle, how comfortable it was to hold, and whether it allowed for more than one grip position.
We looked for a variety of attachments, which helps you access a diversity of muscles more easily and comfortably.
We used each massage gun in daily settings to assess its noise level. (Most make a fair racket.)
We compared 17 massage guns side by side. Rather than choose a singular best pick, we decided on five models that are likely to deliver a satisfying experience for people with different individual priorities. Our recommendations include massage guns for those willing to pay top dollar for a well-designed model that provides practical guidance via an app; people interested in a solid massage gun with a reach-friendly handle that offers good value at a decent price; those looking for a quieter, less-intense option with a wide range of attachments; massage fans who want a powerful pummeler and are willing to sacrifice style; and those seeking a simple, light massage gun that costs about $100.
A massage gun is a handheld device that delivers percussive massage: quick, repeated strikes to the body patterned after a Swedish massage technique called tapotement (video). You’ll notice three terms typically mentioned within massage gun specs:
Most massage guns come with a variety of interchangeable attachments that allow you to target particular muscles or deliver a particular kind of massage. For instance, smaller, narrower attachments work well on areas like feet, hands, and calves; rounder, wider shapes work well on larger muscle groups such as quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Nearly all massage guns are relatively noisy and, depending on your level of sensitivity, fairly intense.
They work by quickly and repeatedly punching the body, triggering blood vessels to dilate. This action assists in hydrating muscle tissue with blood and can help release knots, explained Ericka Clinton, dean of the massage therapy program at the Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences and a New York State–licensed massage therapist. “I’ve really seen amazing results with the percussion tools,” she said. “The percussion gets you that rush of blood and separation of congestion in the muscle fibers very quickly.”
Massage guns promise to speed athletic recovery, increase circulation, decrease muscle pain and soreness, reduce inflammation, and increase mobility. Scientifically, however, the validity of those claimed benefits is a bit murky.
A massage gun cannot flush lactic acid. It can’t eradicate cellulite. It can increase circulation—but so can taking a walk.
Evidence shows that manual massage (using the hands only) helps decrease pain and improve function, at least in the short term. Other research has found that vibration therapy can have a positive effect on the nervous system and help prevent delayed-onset muscle soreness. But vibration therapy—a shaking or trembling sensation that can come from equipment like vibrating foam rollers—differs from the percussive massage that massage guns offer.
When it comes to the benefits of massage guns specifically, there isn’t a lot of hard data. Only a few small studies have been done, such as one exploring the effects of percussive massage on athletic performance (Theragun provided the equipment for that study) and another discovering that five minutes of pummeling calf muscles increased range of motion (the study used a Hyperice Hypervolt). “The benefits that come from [these tools] are going to be small at best,” said Christie Aschwanden, science journalist and author of Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery.
What we do know is that a massage gun cannot flush lactic acid from your muscles (that’s not how muscle soreness works). It can’t eradicate cellulite. It can increase circulation—but so can taking a walk (as Aschwanden pointed out). It can also help work out a tight spot in your shoulder at the end of a workday, contribute to an energizing pre-workout warm-up, or soothe your legs as part of a post-run recovery. Therapeutically, using one can feel great—and that might be one of the most important factors. “The very most basic level of recovery is just rest and rejuvenation, and anything that facilitates that is good,” said Aschwanden.
Nearly anyone can use a massage gun. One might appeal to you if you feel the effects of hunching over a phone or computer regularly or any other work-related aches and pains; if you face chronic tight spots, sore muscles, or other soft-tissue complaints; or if you simply love the sensation of a massage, a massage chair, or other massage-oriented gadgets.
Massage guns have grown especially popular among athletes (and weekend warriors) of all levels. Hyperice (maker of the Hypervolt) and Therabody (maker of the Theragun), arguably two of the most visible names, place their massage guns in the hands of pro sports teams, elite athletes, and other high-level performers. The Hyperice Hypervolt appeared under every player’s seat in the NBA bubble in 2020. Distance runner Mo Farah, pro basketball player Breanna Stewart, and dancer/actor Julianne Hough were all once among Therabody’s ambassadors.
In professional settings, massage guns can enhance what a massage therapist, physical therapist, or athletic trainer can offer—with less wear and tear on the practitioner’s hands, wrists, and elbows. “It gets you a lot in a very short span of time,” said Ericka Clinton of the Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences.
If you’d like to try a massage gun but are unsure if it’s a good option for you, talk to your doctor or a medical professional. Certain scenarios could preclude their use, including bleeding, nerve, or skin disorders, as well as pregnancy (particularly high-risk pregnancies), a recent surgery, nervous-system disorders like epilepsy or MS, or cancer.
If you’d like to try a massage gun but are unsure if it’s a good option for you, talk to your doctor or a medical professional.
There have been two published case studies of people who have developed severe medical conditions after using massage guns. A 27-year-old with no known underlying conditions who reported using a massage gun on her neck developed vertebral artery dissection—a tear of the inner lining of a vessel that supplies blood to the brain. And a 25-year-old with untreated mild iron deficiency anemia developed rhabdomyolysis—a rare, potentially life-threatening condition in which broken-down muscle tissue releases harmful proteins into the blood—after cycling and having her thighs treated with a massage gun. While the authors of both case studies note that causality is difficult to pin down, they advocate for additional research on massage gun safety.
The Theragun Prime offers powerful percussion in a compact package with a triangular, multi-grip handle.
Best for: Those willing to pay top dollar for a powerful, well-designed massage gun with an upscale feel. Anyone who appreciates some guidance should like it, too: The device is Bluetooth enabled, allowing you to pair it with your phone and follow guided programs via the companion app.
Why we like it: The compact Theragun Prime from Therabody has a triangular handle, allowing for multiple grip options meant to ease ergonomic strain. We found it nice to occasionally switch our grip, and doing so provided added leverage when we wanted to apply more pressure. The Theragun Prime has five speeds (from 1,750 ppm to 2,400 ppm) and a 16 mm amplitude—the highest of all our picks.
LED lights on the display show both the speed and the battery level. The control button is conveniently located on the handle and accessible with a thumb. We like the ability to cycle up and down through all five speeds, a feature that none of our other picks have. The Theragun Prime comes with four attachments—standard ball plus cone, dampener, and thumb—made of smooth, closed-cell foam, which resists moisture absorption and can be wiped clean easily. They fit securely and provide a bit of give, unlike plastic. (If you want a more advanced version of the Prime, the more expensive Theragun Elite has one more attachment and an OLED display.)
Because the Theragun Prime is Bluetooth enabled, you can pair it with a phone and control its speed through the Therabody app, which allows you to make granular adjustments between the preprogrammed speeds on the device. (The Theragun Prime is the only one of our picks to have this feature.) We had no problems connecting. The app itself offers a bunch of guided programs for body parts, beginners, warm-ups, recoveries, and more. We tried several and concluded that they’re helpful if you’d like some instructional direction or want to tailor your usage to a specific activity or muscle group. As you get oriented with the device, though, you might find yourself losing interest in the app.
The Theragun Prime promises two hours of battery life, and in our tests it went the distance. Therabody covers it with a one-year limited warranty.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The Theragun Prime sounds like a small power tool when it turns on and remains relatively noisy; we had a hard time simultaneously watching TV and tending to our hamstrings. It also does not come with a carrying case but does have a dust bag.
Number of attachments: four (cone, dampener, standard ball, thumb)
The powerful Ekrin B37 has a reach-friendly angled handle. It also comes with a lifetime warranty—the best coverage we’ve encountered.
Best for: Those who want a massage gun with an ergonomic bent, an exceptionally long battery life (eight hours), and a notably strong warranty (lifetime).
Why we like it: With a slightly angled handle and a decent dose of power, the Ekrin Athletics B37 delivers on both comfort and force. Its grippy handle—angled at about 15 degrees—made reaching for our upper back or calves a little easier. It features five speeds (from 1,400 ppm to 3,200 ppm) and a 12 mm amplitude. Its 56-pound stall force is the highest of our picks.
Its four attachments include three made of plastic (bullet, flat, fork) and one made of a lighter, less durable-feeling foam (ball).
The B37 turns off automatically after 10 minutes of use, a measure that a customer service rep told us protects the motor from burnout in case the B37 is accidentally left running unattended. (You can start it back up immediately.) Considering the kinetic nature of massage guns, that scenario seems unlikely. But to check the integrity of the motor, we ran the device unattended for 15 minutes straight at various speeds and noticed just a slight bit of warmth.
The B37 promises eight hours of battery life, the longest of our picks. We didn’t need to charge it once during our three-plus weeks of testing. Its lifetime warranty—the strongest by far of our picks—covers defects in materials or workmanship, including the battery, attachments, and motor. The massage gun comes with a sturdy enough carrying case.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The power button, which also adjusts the speed, sits on top of the Ekrin B37; as a result, it isn’t quite as convenient as a button located within a thumb’s reach. The massage gun is comfortable to hold, though we thought it felt a tad top-heavy. It is quiet at its slowest speed, but we had trouble hearing a TV show while using it on its highest setting.
Number of attachments: four (ball, bullet, flat, fork)
The Mebak 3, one of the quietest massage guns we tried, comes with seven attachments (the most of our picks) and has a touchscreen display. It delivers less of a punch, though.
Best for: People who want a quieter massage gun and are willing to trade some intensity for that quality, as well as those who want a wide range of attachments.
Why we like it: We enjoyed using the quiet Mebak 3, which has a touchscreen display. Despite its five speeds (640 ppm to 3,200 ppm) and 12 mm amplitude, the Mebak 3 felt less powerful than comparably labeled models, but that wasn’t necessarily a drawback. It’s a solid choice for someone seeking a lower-key massage gun for semi-regular use. (The Hypervolt 2, in comparison, has a lower maximum speed and the same amplitude as the Mebak 3 but delivers a stronger massage overall.)
The Mebak 3 has a main on/off switch at the base of its handle, which is rubberized and has widely spaced vertical ribs. You adjust the speed via the touchscreen display, which requires a lighter touch than physical buttons. It responded nicely for us. You cannot cycle both up and down through the five speeds (in contrast to the Theragun Prime’s interface, which allows for that); instead, each touch of the screen’s fingerprint icon advances the speed up. A pressure sensor uses green, yellow, and red lights to indicate increasing amounts of pressure being applied during use, but they’re tough to see when you’re using the device on yourself. (The Mebak 3’s specs do not list a stall force.) A number representing a percentage on the screen shows the battery level. As a safety precaution, the Mebak 3 shuts off automatically after 10 minutes of use; you can restart it immediately. To determine if continuous use would stress the motor at all, we ran the massage gun unattended for 15 minutes straight at various speeds, and we experienced no overheating.
The Mebak 3 comes with seven attachments: five made of smooth, matte-textured plastic (bullet, bump, flat, fork, shovel), one made of light foam (round), and one made of a soft rubbery material (cushion). This is the most we came across. The selection includes two shapes that we don’t always see: shovel (a blade-like silhouette that can work the length of a muscle) and cushion (which provides a softer, more muted massage). The Mebak 3 is quiet, too, as we were able to hear a TV show while we massaged, even at the tool’s highest speed.
The Mebak 3 promises two to three hours of battery life, and in our tests it lived up to that billing. It has a one-year warranty.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: During our first few uses, we noticed lubricant leaking out of the attachment point (we experienced this with only one other device, the cheapest model in our test pool). We wiped the substance away, it dissipated completely soon after, and it wasn’t a problem again. The massage gun also comes with a slightly flimsy carrying case.
Number of attachments: seven (bullet, bump, cushion, flat, fork, round, shovel)
Battery life: two to three hours
The Opove M3 Pro Max packs a wallop, but it’s on the bulkier side and lacking in polish.
Opove has released a redesigned version of its M3 Pro massage gun, which we’re now testing. We will update this guide with a full review of the new model.
Best for: Those who want a highly powerful massager and are willing to sacrifice a sleek design for a lower price.
Why we like it: The Opove M3 Pro Max is bigger and bulkier than our other picks and gives off a radar-gun vibe. But if you want a strong massage and aren’t as concerned about design polish, it might fit the bill. The M3 Pro Max has four speeds ranging from 2,000 ppm to 3,300 ppm (the highest top speed of our picks). Its 15 mm amplitude is the second highest of our picks (and only one millimeter less than that of the Theragun Prime), and its 55-pound stall force was one of the highest among the models in our test pool. Overall, the no-nonsense M3 Pro Max felt powerful and gave us a deep, satisfying massage.
The M3 Pro Max has an on/off switch at the base of its handle. The manual setting allows you to move freely through its speeds, though you can’t cycle up and down through them; you can progress to the maximum speed and then back to off. The device also has an “auto” setting, which repeatedly cycles up and down through seven different speeds in quick succession. This setting added some variety and was at its best while we were holding the massage gun on a specific tight spot.
Accompanying the M3 Pro Max are five attachments: three made of plastic (bullet, flat, fork), one made of light foam (ball), and one made of a soft, rubbery material (cushion). The attachments fit tightly. The device’s noise level was in the middle of what we experienced across our test group, and it made simultaneous TV watching a challenge but not an impossible task.
The Opove M3 Pro Max promises a four-hour battery life; we did more than three weeks’ worth of testing on one charge. It has a one-year warranty and comes with a carrying case.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: We noticed that the button for the manual setting occasionally bypassed the maximum speed and reverted to a stop, effectively skipping the level we wanted. We’ll continue to monitor this issue in our ongoing testing. Like the Ekrin, Mebak, and HoMedics models, this Opove massage gun has an automatic shutoff (after 15 minutes); you can restart it right away. To see if continuous use would heat the device up, we ran it unattended for 15 minutes straight at various speeds. It felt a bit warm by the end and smelled faintly of a hard-working motor, but it didn’t have any problems.
Number of attachments: five (ball, bullet, cushion, flat, fork)
This HoMedics model delivers a less-intense deep-tissue massage but is light and comfortable in the hand.
Best for: Those who’d like to try a massage gun without spending hundreds of dollars—as well as anyone who would prefer a simpler, less-intense option.
Why we like it: Light and comfortable to hold, the HoMedics Therapist Select Percussion Massager offers three speeds, the fewest of our picks, topping out at 3,000 ppm. Its 7 mm amplitude is the lowest of our picks, too. In our tests, its overall effect was slightly more vibratory in comparison with that of our other picks, and overall it delivered a less-powerful massage than other devices we tried. But the experience was pleasant, and this massage gun does the job for significantly less than the Theragun Prime.
A thumb-oriented power button controls the speed adjustment, and three LED lights indicate the speed. (The device has no battery-life indicator.) The button is a bit stiff and makes an audible click when pressed. The handle—one of the slimmest among the models in our test group—is rounded at the bottom, a design that we found comfortable to grip. This massage gun’s specs do not list a stall force, but the device does have a pressure sensor (represented by a display of five LED lights). We noticed that when we applied increasing pressure, the motor surged a bit.
The package includes four attachments: three made of plastic (flat, fork, trigger-point) and one made of lighter foam (round). The attachments fit securely. This massage gun is solidly built and relatively quiet—we could hear a TV show while massaging. Like the Ekrin, Mebak, and Opove models, this HoMedics massage gun has an automatic shutoff (after 15 minutes of use) and can be turned back on right away. We ran the device unattended until the auto shutoff kicked in, and we felt no indications of overheating.
The HoMedics Therapist Select Percussion Massager promises a battery life of two and a half hours; one charge lasted through our three-week testing period. It has a two-year warranty and comes with a carrying case.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: This model is less powerful and less versatile than our other picks, with just three speeds and four attachments—though not everyone will miss those extra options.
Number of attachments: four (flat, fork, round, trigger-point)
Battery life: two and a half hours
I’m a certified personal trainer (NASM) and previously covered fitness at Wirecutter. I’ve used foam rollers regularly for years and tested many for our guide to foam rollers. I’m a fan of other self-myofascial release (SMR) tools like lacrosse balls, and I wrote an article in 2019 about how some people found that a car buffer gave nearly as satisfying a massage as the then-$600 Theragun. As an avid runner, I recently treated hamstring tendonitis and a particularly gnarly knot on my left upper trapezius. I’ve also had my share of physical therapy over the years.
To get a better sense of how massage guns affect the body, I spoke with Christopher Hicks, MD, a sports medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine; Ericka Clinton, dean of the massage therapy program at the Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences and a New York State–licensed massage therapist; Jason Hooper, DPT, a licensed physical therapist and board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist at UC San Diego Health; and Christie Aschwanden, science journalist and author of Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery. For some background on one major brand, I chatted with Jim Huether, CEO of Hyperice.
There is no shortage of massage guns in the world. To get the lay of the land, we read reviews and roundups from the likes of BestReviews, Gear Patrol, Massage Gun Advice, Outside, and Runner’s World. We took note of models that we saw repeatedly and that garnered generally positive owner reviews, ultimately choosing 17 massage guns to test. (We also interviewed colleagues who use a massage gun regularly.) Then we worked our way through the testing group over the course of about three weeks—after workouts, before runs, in pursuit of knot relief—focusing on the following criteria:
Overall massage experience: We noted the three main specs often associated with massage guns—amplitude, percussions per minute (ppm), and stall force—and assessed how they combined to produce a satisfying massage. We occasionally encountered models that promised a high-intensity massage but delivered a relatively low-key punch. (This could be the result of a less-powerful or lower-quality motor, or simply the product of a higher speed paired with a lower amplitude, which creates more of a vibrating sensation.) We preferred a variety of discernable speeds. We also ran each device for 15 minutes straight at various speeds to check for overheating.
Controls: We looked for intuitively placed control buttons that we could access easily during a session (ideally with one hand). We noted whether the buttons were too sensitive or overly difficult to press.
Weight and feel: We weighed each massage gun ourselves. Most of the models in our test group weighed about 2 pounds; how the weight was distributed on the device often made more of an impression than the number on the scale. We noted how each one felt in our hand, including how the length, diameter, shape, and material of the handle contributed to ergonomic comfort.
Attachments: We looked for a variety of attachments, which helps you access a diversity of muscles more easily and comfortably. Smaller, narrower attachments work well on areas like feet, hands, and calves. Rounder, wider shapes work well on larger muscle groups such as quads, glutes, and hamstrings. We also noted the attachments’ material (plastic, closed-cell foam, lighter foam) and stability (a few attachments popped out mid-massage).
Noise: We switched between listening to a podcast (without headphones) and watching a TV show while using the devices and noted if we had a hard time hearing. Many massage guns list a decibel level as a spec, but it’s tricky to know what that means without experiencing the noise for yourself. (We also used an audio-spectrum analyzer app, but mostly we went by ear.) If a massage gun is annoyingly loud, you probably won’t bother with it for long. “Rehabbing should be convenient if it is going to be reproducible and consistent,” said Jason Hooper, DPT, of UC San Diego Health.
Battery: Depending on how often you use a massage gun, its battery can last for weeks on one charge. We paid attention to the overall promised battery life, noting whether a massage gun seemed to lose its charge earlier than promised. We also looked for a relatively obvious battery-level indicator on the device itself.
Portability: You might want to tote a massage gun to the gym, from room to room in your home, or on a trip. A carrying case can help with that, as well as with storage when you aren’t using the tool.
Connectivity: A few of the massage guns we tried (those from Addaday, Hyperice, and Therabody) have Bluetooth connectivity, which allows the devices to communicate with a companion app on a phone or tablet. Once you’ve connected the two, the app can do things like control the massage gun’s speed and track the pressure applied during a specific guided program on the app. Although we tested to see how easy and effective the respective apps were to use, we viewed this feature as an extra, not a necessity.
Warranty: We’ve stumbled across more than a few “worked fine until it didn’t” sentiments within customer reviews of massage guns—batteries stop charging, motors peter out, attachments refuse to hold. Most of the models we tried have a one-year warranty (though one of our picks is covered for a lifetime).
Massage guns are fairly intuitive to use. Begin by choosing an attachment that will complement the muscle group you’re treating. All of our picks come with a basic owner manual that at least recommends which attachments to use on which areas of the body. (This video gives a beginner-geared overview.) Next, turn the massage gun on before it makes contact with your body, and choose a speed (the general recommendation is to start at the lowest setting and work up). Float the attachment over the area you’re targeting and adjust the pressure as you go. To warm up for a workout or activity, concentrate on a specific area for about 30 seconds. For post-activity recovery, relaxation, or targeted attention on a tight spot, spend one to two minutes per area, holding the massage gun gently but steadily on knots or tender areas as tolerated.
Experts agree: Don’t overdo it. “Keep it lighter and shorter and see how your body responds both immediately after and the next day,” said Jason Hooper, DPT. The process should not be painful. Avoid using a massage gun on bony areas, directly over joints or tendons, or on an open wound or acute injury. If you find massage in general to be uncomfortable, or if you bruise easily, a massage gun might not be for you; a foam roller is another option, though using one can also come with a degree of discomfort. How often you use a massage gun—a few times a day, once a day, once in a blue moon—depends on your specific goals, needs, and tolerance. (Overdoing it can result in bruising.) A friend can help you reach hard-to-access areas, but they won’t be able to gauge the pressure applied as well as you can.
In general, don’t force it, said Christopher Hicks, MD, sports medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine. For example, if you want to ease shoulder tightness but have limited shoulder range of motion, contorting yourself for a massage gun might not be a good idea.
Along with Therabody (maker of one of our picks, the Theragun Prime), Hyperice is arguably one of the most recognizable names in massage guns. Hyperice introduced its Hypervolt massage gun in 2018. The company, which launched in 2011, is focused on recovery: Its ancillary brands include Normatec (compression) and Venom (heat therapy). Tennis star Naomi Osaka is an ambassador, and Hyperice is the “official recovery technology partner” of the NBA.
The Hypervolt 2, the newest version (the original Hypervolt is discontinued), costs about the same as the Theragun Prime. It’s a good massage gun, but it lacks a few features that the Theragun Prime has. After testing both, we recommend that you spend your money on the Theragun Prime.
Compared with the Theragun Prime, the Hypervolt 2 has a lower amplitude (12 mm versus 16 mm) and fewer speeds (three versus five), though it does have a slightly higher maximum speed (2,700 ppm versus 2,400 ppm). The Hypervolt 2 has a traditional shape—unlike the triangular shape of the Theragun Prime, which allows for a few different ways to hold the device—and is slimmer and more petite. It has a comfortable oval handle with a nice grippy surface and the second-narrowest diameter among our picks. (People with smaller hands might appreciate the size.) But overall, due to the shape and orientation of its handle, it doesn’t offer quite the flexibility that the Theragun Prime does.
You can’t cycle up and down through the speeds as you can with the Theragun Prime, which isn’t a complete dealbreaker but at this price is a nice feature to have. A light at the bottom of the Hypervolt 2’s handle broadcasts the battery life in green, yellow, or red, which is a nice touch (the Theragun Prime relies on LED lights). The Hypervolt 2 comes with five attachments (one more than the Theragun Prime): four made of plastic (ball, bullet, flat, fork) and one made of a soft rubbery material (cushion). Though they are comfortable and versatile, we found the closed-cell foam attachments of the Theragun Prime to be slightly more so. A small pouch is included to store them in. The Hypervolt 2 is Bluetooth enabled and connects to the straightforward Hyperice app, which, like the Theragun app, allows you to follow along with guided programs tailored to a specific sport, activity, or body part. Also like the Theragun Prime, the Hypervolt 2 proved to be rather loud in our tests.
If you want a gentler massage and the option of using a handle with a longer-than-average reach: The Lyric Therapeutic Massager might appeal to you. Less a massage gun and more a handheld massager, it purports to use vibration frequencies packaged into various combinations of rhythms geared toward relaxation, energy, and calm. The Lyric has a sleek look (it is available in two colors) and weighs 1 pound (about half the weight of most of the massage guns we tested, and noticeably lighter). It comes with a handle extender, which in our tests proved helpful for reaching hard-to-access areas like the upper back and (from certain positions) the lower extremities. Its four interchangeable attachments are soft, and its massage style focuses more on the aforementioned rhythms and less on intensity. The Lyric requires a Wi-Fi connection, which allows it to update its built-in features and supplemental content (videos, for instance). It has a dock-style charging station.
We’re testing the second-generation Theragun Mini, Therabody’s smallest massage gun, which has a 12 mm amplitude and operates at three speeds (1750, 2100, 2400 PPMs). We’re also testing the sub-$100 Sharper Image Power Percussion Deep Tissue Massager, which is heavier than our picks but highly reviewed by customers. We’ll update this review with our findings.
We liked aspects of using the Addaday BioZoom Edge. It offers two ways to adjust its speeds (two buttons on the inside of the handle near where your thumb rests and a touchscreen on top) and allows you to cycle up and down through the speeds. But we didn’t like the attachments: Though cheerful (one is a round, yellow smiley face), they felt cheap and a little silly, and we had a few issues with specific ones popping out during use.
The Aduro Percussion Massage Gun is the cheapest of the massage guns we tried, and in our tests it showed. The body felt plasticky. The four, hard-plastic attachments felt cheap—the flat version had a small though sharp irregularity—and its overall iffy quality knocked it out of contention.
The Compex Fixx 2.0 Massager has a multi-grip handle reminiscent of the Theragun Prime’s. Weighing about 3 pounds (the heaviest of the bunch), it felt unbalanced to us. Instead of buttons, it has an adjustment dial, which we had a hard time controlling. It has a decent warranty (two years), and the neck can move into three different positions. But overall it felt plasticky, and our struggles with the adjustment dial threw us off.
We nearly made the Flyby F1 Pro one of our picks—its price (typically under $100) is right, and it delivered a solid massage in our tests despite having a lower-quality feel than our recommendations. But though its attachments stayed secure during use, our unit rattled, a result of the attachment connection point shifting ever so slightly from side to side within the device.
The Renpho R4 Massage Gun was one of the cheapest models we tried, and it felt that way. This massage gun has a curved neck that can adjust into five different positions, but we found it hard to move—we had to either use two hands or brace the device against the body and adjust from there. A couple of times, its large foam ball attachment began to pop out at the machine’s highest speed.
We didn’t mind using the Sportneer Elite D9 Percussive Massage Gun—its handle was comfortable to grip, and it delivered a satisfying massage. But its attachments felt cheap to us.
The Theragun Elite is a souped-up, more expensive version of the Theragun Prime (one of our picks). Compared with the Prime, it has five attachments instead of four, a higher stall force (40 pounds versus 30 pounds), and an OLED display (instead of LED lights). Those upgrades might be valuable to some people, but we found the overall experience of the Elite and the Prime to be similar, and we concluded that most people would be satisfied with the Prime.
The TimTam All-New Power Massager (currently unavailable) was so loud and so intense, it felt like something out of a horror movie. The massage gun comes with just one attachment (a hard ball), and it has the lowest continuous battery life (40 minutes) among our test group. It no doubt has its fans, but one of our notes sums it up: “This thing is nuts.”
The Vybe Premium Muscle Massage Gun is nearly identical to the Ekrin B37 (one of our picks) save for a few key features: It has a lower stall force (30 pounds versus 56 pounds), a shorter amplitude (10 mm versus 12 mm), and a less-generous warranty (90 days versus lifetime). Still, it was comfortable to use.
This article was edited by Ellen Lee and Kalee Thompson.
Christopher Hicks, MD, sports medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine, phone interview, January 18, 2022
Ericka Clinton, dean of the massage therapy program at the Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences and New York State–licensed massage therapist, phone interview, February 10, 2021
Jason Hooper, DPT, licensed physical therapist and board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist at UC San Diego Health, email interview, February 23, 2021
Christie Aschwanden, science journalist and author of Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery, phone interview, March 15, 2021
Jim Huether, CEO of Hyperice, phone interview, March 18, 2021
Ingrid Skjong is a supervising editor on the appliance team, focusing on the likes of ranges, refrigerators, dryers, and dishwashers. She previously covered fitness for Wirecutter and has been an editor and writer at various lifestyle magazines. She is an avid runner and lives in New York City.
by Ingrid Skjong and Amy Roberts
For most self-massage applications, the AmazonBasics High-Density Round Foam Roller gets the job done. We have picks for different preferences too.
The Osaki OS-Champ is the closest thing to getting a real massage we’ve found, with better heating and reclining options than on pricier massage chairs.
Here are 75(ish) of our top fitness picks to help you get your year started right.
If you suffer from back pain and can’t see a professional for in-person treatment, these expert-recommended tools and tips may provide relief at home.
Professional Massage Gun Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).