Mini massage guns are especially useful for people who have weaker hands, or who have chronic arthritis pain, and can't hold heavier devices comfortably for an extended period. We like that the Theragun Mini has a sleek, ergonomic grip that helps reduce the strain on your hands. Therabody claims that this second-generation Mini is 20% smaller and 30% lighter than its predecessor, making it even more portable and perfect for travel.

Noise: Not listed | Stall Force: Not applicable | Weight: 0.6 lbs | Customizability: 6 attachments | Battery Life: 2 hours | Our Overall Rating: 4.8/5 Noise: 40-60 dB | Stall Force: 80 lbs | Weight: 2.5 lbs | Customizability: 4 head attachments, 5 speeds | Battery Life: Up to 3 hours The best massage guns use attachment heads to apply pressure to target areas by using vibration or percussive therapy. Percussion massage is when speedy, short pulses from your massage gun hit into the soft tissue on your body. Not only does this help increase the blood flow in the areas you're targeting, but it encourages growth and repairs damaged muscles too. Whereas vibration therapy uses vibrations to make your muscles contract and relax. As well as these benefits, it also increases bone density, reduces joint pain and boosts metabolism. Are massage guns worth it? Whether you have sore, tight muscles after exercise that need a little TLC, or you’re in need of some deep-tissue relief similar to a body massage, then finding the best massage guns can help. They’re a natural way to relieve tight muscles, increase blood flow and help regular gym-goers with DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). There are two different ways that massage guns do this: using either percussion therapy or vibration therapy. Among the six interchangeable heads HoMedics includes with its Pro Physio massage gun are a ‘heat head’, which you can set to heat up to 47˚C in less than two minutes, and a ‘cold head’, which you can keep in the freezer. For many, these will make all the difference to training and everyday comfort. The device is also mercifully quiet, and glides smoothly over your skin or clothes, whichever head you use (barrel, ball and arrow are all included, as well as cellulite, hot and cold).The Renpho R3 is the other massage gun we’ve reviewed in-depth. It can’t equal the Theragun Elite for brute power (hence its four-star score), but as the second-cheapest massage gun on our list it offers amazing value for money. Stall Force: Massage guns with a good stall force will give you a deep, satisfying massage. To evaluate the stall force of each massage gun while using it, we note whether we can press hard enough for the desired deep-tissue massage without stalling the motor. We also note if the stall force remains consistent or weakens as the battery is drained. The massage gun’s round attachment (approximately the size of a golf ball) is good for hitting larger muscles, while the smaller one works well for targeting knots. It weighs less than a pound, but on any intensity level, it feels like it’s doing big work to alleviate tension, soreness, and speed up recovery. It comes with two different massage heads: the flat palm-like one and the bullet trigger point. (We prefer the flat one unless working on a very specific pain point.) The motor is super quiet, with a noise level of 39dB, and the battery holds up well to regular use.

Best for experienced massage gun users who are used to deep percussive therapy and are looking to invest in a truly versatile device. Best for those looking for a compact massage gun that's easier to hold and carry—and more budget-friendly—than larger devices. We like that the head attachments glide smoothly over sore muscles. We also like that you can easily adjust the speed of the massage gun, which makes the device versatile for soothing mild-to-deep muscle aches. This Theragun option has five preset speeds, but you can also fully customize the speed range in the app to any speed between 1,750–2,400 percussions per minute. We also love the versatility of the five attachment heads that let you target all muscles—big and small. Much like going for a massage, a muscle gun helps to reduce inflammation by flushing out your muscle tissues of the fluids built up by exercise and daily bodily stress. They use percussive therapy – repeated strikes to help relax muscle tension and alleviate soreness, which, if you suffer from regular DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), can be a real lifesaver. And whether they work as claimed? Our experts have put this to the test! How to use a massage gunBest for athletes and casual exercisers who like deep tissue massage to relieve soreness from high-intensity workouts. We found this device to be quite large and, at 2.3 pounds, on the heavy side, so it may not be very portable or ideal for long self-massage sessions. Noise: Not listed | Stall Force: 30 lbs | Weight: 2.2 lbs | Customizability: 4 head attachments, 5 speeds | Battery Life: 2 hours | Our Overall Rating: 5/5