7 Great Massage Guns to Punch Away Muscle Pain

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There's one big winner in the massage gun revolution: You, the consumer. These little health gadgets are like a Physical Therapist at your bedside. If you're sore from a killer home workout, HIIT-ing (hehe) the gym hard, or going for three long sets, you can blast away lactic acid, no problem.

But which to buy? Admittedly, it's a two-horse race at the moment. It's the Theragun vs the Hypervolt. While, we've praised previous Theragun generations, the race has never been closer. Hyperice has a few great offerings, and there's a growing crop of outsiders claiming market space. Like we said, the real winner is you. None of these options are a bad buy. And as the market becomes more competitive, the best massage guns will only get better. So hit the rowing machine until every muscle in your body is vibrating. Build out an affordable home gym. Then punch your muscles back into working shape with a massage gun.

Theragun Pro

Like Kleenex for tissue and ChapStick for lip balm, Theragun has become the nomenclature for percussion massage gun. It was the first to really blow up, and it's still one of, if not the, best on the market. Cristiano Ronaldo, the most famous man in the world, is a Therabody ambassador. It's the real deal.

The downside to that is that a Theragun Pro is easily the most expensive massage gun on the market. If you're a serious athlete, or have aspirations to become one, we say go ahead and invest. The attachments, preset massages, easy to read OLED interface, and super quiet motor are second to none. No other massage gun will serve you better.

But if you just need a gun to work on your lower back after work... there are cheaper options.

Hypervolt 2 Pro

Theragun may have put massage guns into the hands of people who aren't athletes or PT pros, but Hyperice is its incredibly close competition.

The Hypervolt Plus, Hyperice's answer to the Theragun Pro, really challenges on the price point. At $200 less than the Theragun Pro, and with no significant dip in performance, this is the everyman's massage gun. You still get a suite of attachments, including a forked attachment to nail down specific muscle groups. (Theragun's fork attachment is sold separately.) You still get an app to connect to. You still get best in class battery life.

The only real downside is the grip. That Theragun ergonomic grip is really, really good. (It's why I voted Theragun when I tested the two head to head.) If it weren't for that, Hyperice would win on value alone.

R3 Massage Gun

Unsure about massage guns? Renpho's R3 runs at just $100 ($70 on sale!) a perfect price to entice the percussive massage freshmen.

It does everything expected from a massage gun to get you started on some delicate but intense muscle rubdown. There’s enough motor penetration, five massager heads (with five power levels) to reel in your muscle groups all over.

Hypervolt Go

Where Hyperice really wins is in the portable gun category. The Hypervolt Go is $100 cheaper than Therabody's competitive model (the Theragun Prime). And for $100... you get essentially the same massage gun.

The only real downside is that the Hypervolt Go only comes with two head attachments, though you can of course purchase more. Also, this one doesn't connect to an app via bluetooth. For som athletes, this really doesn't matter. If anything, it makes the process simpler. You get a reasonably portable three-speed massage gun. No bells and whistles.

Theragun Prime

But if you really are a Theragun loyalist, there's the Theragun Prime. Priced more competitively that the higher-end models, it still has that great ergonomic grip, but it cuts out the non-essentials for a simpler massage gun.

You still get the smart capabilities (missing from the Hyperice Go), variable speed range, and easy-to-read interface. What you don't get are the preset routines, supersoft or micro-point attachments, and OLED display that come with the higher-end Theraguns. None of which are real game changers, to be quite honest.

The Hydragun

Though not one of the big two, The Hydragun is a valiant contender in the world of massage guns. With seven heads included, a precussion speed that maxes out at 3200PPM (faster than Hypervolt or Theragun), and a 1.5 year warranty, the Hydragun is certainly trying to standout.

Does it, though? Yes! Especially if you really need some percussive massaging. Thanks to those seven included heads, you get a real wide range of options. And lower price point than either of the big two, it's a great value.

Theragun Mini

The Theragun Mini is the winner in the mini category. Hyperice doesn't have a real competitor, and none of the other wannabes can match it.

That said, convenience is still the real draw here. It's limited on attachments, but it's small enough to toss in any bag while being powerful enough to obliterate lactic acid.

How We Picked the Best Massage Guns

Well... we worked out until we were sore, then we used all these massage guns. Simple, but effective! We also ran side by side tests to compare the nitty gritty, and these are the atrributes we looked for.

Ease of use - The displays should be easy to read, and the app's should be easy to navigate. We're not all physical therapists, so the guided massages need to be easy to follow, with diagrams of where to massage for each muscle group.

Design touches - The Theragun's triangle handle is the best example, but the Hypervolt 2 Pro has a lovely dial to control speed. These are the small things that make a big difference when you're actually massaging.

Percussion Performance - How hard, how fast can the gun actually hit your muscles. It doesn't take a lot, but the higher end guns, specifically Hypervolt and Theragun, just feel that extra bit nicer. They hit muscles with more even and consistent force.

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