The 9 Best Massage Guns On Amazon For Alleviating Muscle Tension - Forbes

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If you’re looking to save on massage guns, Amazon Prime Day is a great time to do so. Some of the options in this list are discounted as part of the retail giant’s biggest sale of the year.

From busy parents to nurses, athletes to teachers, and construction workers to those of us hunched over a computer for hours on end, we all could stand to gain from a massage every now and then. These jobs and daily routines strain muscles, overwork them and push them to their limits, which results in a lot of unwanted aches and pains. Visiting a physical therapist or making regular appointments to get a professional massage can be expensive, time-consuming and tedious. But there’s one solution that many have adopted in recent years: investing in a massage gun to make releasing sore muscles at home much easier.


Aches and pains don't stand a chance when you're using one of the best massage guns from Amazon.

Forbes

There are tons of options available online, but if you have an Amazon Prime membership you might be seeking the best massage guns on Amazon specifically. While the retailer has dozens of percussive massagers listed, finding the massage gun that meets your needs is, unfortunately, a lot like anything else you might be shopping for on the site (read: overwhelming). That’s why we took a deep dive into the reviews and conducted exhaustive research, narrowing down the field before providing you with the nine of the best. Check them out below.

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Best Massage Gun On Amazon Overall​

A State-Of-The-Art Muscle Massager From A Well-Known Brand​

Weight: 2.2 pounds | Battery Life: 2 hours | Attachment Heads: 4

Amazon Prime Day Sale: During this sale event, you can get a Theragun Prime for $50 off.

As a beloved pioneer in the percussive massager space, Theragun is perhaps the best-known brand around. Its professional-grade models are famously used by physical therapists, trainers, chiropractors and athletes, so you know you’re getting a high-quality massager when you choose to invest in one of their many models. The Theragun Prime is a simplified version of the Theragun Elite (more on that model later), making it the perfect choice for newcomers, athletes or anyone else seeking a top-notch massager for everyday use. While it doesn’t have an OLED screen that monitors force or speed, this tech-forward option is Bluetooth enabled and lets you control and customize your massage from an app on your phone.

The Prime offers the essentials needed for a targeted massage with five speeds and four attachments, plus, with 30 pounds of maximum force, it packs a powerful punch when it comes to percussive therapeutic benefits and state-of-the-art technology.

Pros:

• An affordable Theragun model
• Lightweight

Cons:

• No built-in screen
• Fewer attachments than some competitors

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Best High-End Massage Gun On Amazon​

A Powerful, Tech-Forward Option That’s Worth The Investment​

Weight: 2.2 pounds | Battery Life: 2 hours | Attachment Heads: 5

Amazon Prime Day Sale: During this sale event, you can get a Theragun Elite for $100 off.

Sitting a step above the Prime and a step below the Pro is the Theragun Elite. This premium model was designed as a powerful yet more affordable version of its predecessor, the Pro, a professional-grade tool made for serious athletes. However, there are key similarities (and differences) worth noting.

Like the Pro, the Theragun Elite boasts a proprietary QX65 brushless motor and 40 pounds of maximum force with QuietForce Technology, meaning it can deliver powerful percussion to your muscles when you really need it, but won’t drown out your favorite TV show. Other features include Bluetooth compatibility and an OLED screen with three built-in presets and a responsive force meter—a clever feature that helps the massager determine how deep and hard it should work. It comes with five attachments (which is one more than the Prime) and a versatile triangulated grip for ease of use and comfort.

Pros:

• OLED screen
• Responsive force meter
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Expensive
• Fewer attachments than others

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Best Budget Massage Gun On Amazon​

A $50 Massage Gun With Plenty Of Bells And Whistles​

Weight: 2.5 pounds | Battery Life: 6 hours | Attachment Heads: 10

Amazon Prime Day Sale: During this sale event, you can save $5 when you apply Amazon’s coupon.

If a $200-plus massage gun is out of your price range, the popular Cholas massage gun proves you can break up knots without breaking the bank. This affordable pick offers a surprising amount of variety with 30 speeds that the brand breaks down into four categories: speeds 1-8 awaken muscles, 8-15 releases tight muscles, 16-20 provides a deep massage and 20-30 is the professional range. The massager has ten different attachment heads to target every conceivable muscle group and pain point, and it has six hours of battery life when fully charged. The massager also has an LED screen for a higher-end feel and operates at only 25 decibels, making it super quiet.

The one glaring downside is that it doesn’t come with a case for storing or carrying the gun and its accessories. But if you’re looking to save some serious money while picking up a quality instrument, it’s a sacrifice worth making.

Pros:

• 30 speeds
• Long battery life
• Quiet

Cons:

• No carrying case
• Shoppers say some attachments are too painful to use

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Best Massage Gun On Amazon For First Timers​

An Affordable Pick With All The Essentials (And Then Some)​

Weight: 2.1 pounds | Battery Life: 6 hours | Attachment Heads: 10

Amazon Prime Day Sale: During this sale event, you can get a Toloco Massage Gun for 33% off, bringing the price down to $80.

Toloco’s massage gun is a great fit for first-timers that aren’t ready to invest in a high-tech device. Affordable and lightweight, it easy to maneuver comes packed with plenty of features. And even with a slew of Theraguns available at Amazon, this under-$100 option is the number one best-seller on the site. It has 20 speed levels to help you find the exact number of percussions per minute that your muscles need and 10 total attachments to make the experience even more specialized. The ergonomic handle makes it easy to hold for as long as you need, and shoppers say the design makes it easier to reach those middle points in your back that some massagers can’t easily find.

The finishing touch is a sleek-looking digital control screen that’s simple to read and customize. Plus, the gun and attachments can be stashed in the accompanying carrying case, keeping everything in one place.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Plenty of attachments
• Broader power and speed range

Cons:

• Shoppers say the promised battery life doesn’t live up to the hype

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Best Affordable Pro-Level Massage Gun On Amazon​

A Professional-Grade Muscle Massager At A Great Price Point​

Weight: 2 pounds | Battery Life: 3 hours | Attachment Heads: 8

Amazon Prime Day Sale: During this sale event, you can get a Vybe Percussion Massage Gun Pro Model for 12% off.

With its nine speed settings, eight attachment heads and a portable-yet-powerful design, the Vybe Percussion Massage Gun gets top marks for a strong touch. This model is quiet and lightweight but it still provides professional levels of pressure for a true deep-tissue massage with up to 33 pounds of soothing force. At its highest speed, the massager reaches 3,400 percussions per minute to help relieve sore muscles and loosen knots. It doesn’t have an LED or OLED screen, but the controls are easy to use despite its simplicity.

It also comes with a sleek and sturdy travel case that’s built to keep the massager and all its accessories protected on the go, and at only 2 pounds, it can truly travel with you just about anywhere.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Affordable
• Adequate speed and pressure that matches more expensive options

Cons:

• Lack of high-tech options like a screen or Bluetooth connectivity

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Best Massage Gun On Amazon For Everyday Use​

A Quality Massage Gun That Relieves Everyday Tension​

Weight: 1.5 pounds | Battery Life: 2.5 hours | Attachment Heads: 2

Amazon Prime Day Sale: During this sale event, you can get a Hyperice Hypervolt Go for 20% off—just $159.

Hypervolt percussive massage guns from Hyperice have become a category favorite among Amazon shoppers (and athletes like Patrick Mahomes and Naomi Osaka). The brand’s various models receive consistently high ratings from professionals and online reviewers. As its newest and most affordable massager, the Hypervolt Go is a great choice for all your mid-range massage gun needs, from everyday tension to post-workout pain. In fact, this model was built for portability, so you can easily take it with you to the gym or on vacation. It might have fewer bells and whistles than some of the other models on our list—there are only two attachment heads, no OLED screen and it’s not smart device compatible—but it gets the job done, according to thousands of satisfied customers. Plus, it’s middling power makes it safe and comfortable to use for daily recovery.

Its lightweight design features Quiet Glide technology with a single button that toggles between three speeds. The grip feels solid, with a natural angle that works equally well when used on yourself or others, as noted by shoppers, and it operates at lower decibels.

Pros:

• Simple design that’s easy to use
• Super lightweight and easy to transport

Cons:

• Not smart device ready
• Only two attachments

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Best Massage Gun On Amazon Developed By Physical Therapists​

A Muscle Massager With A Cult Following​

Weight: 1.5 pounds | Battery Life: 2 hours | Attachment Heads: 5

Amazon Prime Day Sale: During this sale event, you can get a Bob and Brad C2 Massage Gun for 47% off—just $90.

Bob and Brad started back in 2011 as a very popular YouTube channel featuring physical therapists Bob Schrupp and Brad Heineck. They have since expanded their brand with a line of fitness products that now includes percussion massagers, with the C2 as the top model.

With five speeds and five carefully crafted massage heads alongside rave reviews and adoring fans, this deep-tissue percussion massager is among the lightest and most compact on this list. It comes with a built-in intelligence chip that signals automatic shutdown after 10 minutes as a safety feature (both of these PTs say that more than 10 minutes of continuous use can damage the muscle tissue), and can reach up to 3,200 rotations per minute. The decibel level is higher here than other models (at 55), but the quick-charge battery means you’ll wait half the standard time for this battery to charge enough to use.

Pros:

• Developed and used by physical therapists
• Quick-charge battery

Cons:

• Louder than competitors
• Automatically turns off after 10 minutes

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Best Portable Massage Gun On Amazon​

A Full-Sized Massage Experience In A Mini Package​

Weight: 0.95 pounds | Battery Life: 3.5 hours | Attachment Heads: 5

Amazon Prime Day Sale: During this sale event, you can get a Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun for 31% off and a savings of $40.

Another Bob and Brad pick, the Q2 Mini massage gun offers a full massage experience in a pocket-sized package (it’s the lightest massager on our list). It’s small, but this massager still works its way up to 3,000 ppm via five speed settings. It includes five interchangeable attachments, giving it an edge over other small-sized competitors that only have one or two, and it’s built for superior portability thanks to its miniature, lightweight design and 3.5-hour battery life. The icing on the cake is the included compact case, which neatly fits the Q2, as well as its handful of attachments, making it less likely you’ll lose a piece while you’re using it on vacation or at the gym.

The majority of buyers are thrilled with this handy little device, earning it an average 4.8-star rating in over 2,000 reviews. It also comes with an affordable price tag—especially if you can snag a site coupon—making it well worth the investment.

Pros:

• Super small, lightweight and affordable
• Carrying case and USB charging adapter included
• Developed by physical therapists

Cons:

• Some customers say the smaller size can be difficult to hold and maneuver

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Best Massage Gun On Amazon For Athletes​

A Massage Gun That Offers Deep Tissue Relief​

Weight: 2.3 pounds | Battery Life: up to 7 hours | Attachment Heads: 6

Amazon Prime Day Sale: During this sale event, you can get a Sportneer Elite D9 Percussion Massage Gun for 30% off—just $130.

The Elite D9 Massage Gun is powered by a 220-watt brushless motor that makes it a strong choice for deep-tissue massages that target the tight and overworked muscles of athletes and those who exercise often. Through different speed settings and six vibration options, it can work its way up to 3,200 ppm to deliver a strong, reliable massage.

Among all the percussive massage guns in this roundup, this one boasts the best battery life with up to seven hours of use, depending on the speed and power settings you choose. However, there’s also a 10-minute timer that shuts the unit off temporarily as a safety feature and it operates at about 40 decibels, which is slightly louder than other options here.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Fast and strong massage
• Longest battery life on our list

Cons:

• Auto-off feature after 10 minutes of use
• Slightly louder than others

For more great deals, check out Forbes’ Amazon Prime Day coupons.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Massage Guns​

How Often Should You Use A Massage Gun?​

You can use a massage gun daily, but limit use to two minutes per muscle group and take a break in between each area of your body if you feel like you need to go over a specific area more than once. Stop using the massage gun if you feel any pain.

Percussion massagers can be used before or after a workout, as mentioned, to both loosen up the muscles for training and relieve any tension or tightness. Massagers can be used on rest days too. And if you don’t exercise all that often, you can still use it whenever you’re tight, sore or in need of a little therapy.

When you’re first starting out with a massage gun and learning which speeds and levels of power are best for you, take it slow and easy and work your way up to stronger settings.

Where Should You Not Use A Massage Gun?​

A massage gun should never be used on the neck or head. Using these instruments on sensitive parts of the body can put you at risk of developing a carotid dissection—a tear in your carotid artery that can interfere with blood flow to your brain. You should also avoid using a massage gun on:

• Muscle sprains or strains
• Tendonitis
• Bursitis
• Fasciitis
• Broken bones

Talk to your doctor before using a massage gun, especially if you have a chronic condition.