It features five intensities geared toward warmup, fascia relief, lactic acid breakdown, deep tissue, and professional impact. Noise: 45 dB | Stall Force: 30 lbs | Weight: 1.1 lbs | Customizability: 4 head attachments, 4 speeds | Battery Life: 4-5 hours While some are smooth, others, like this roller from TriggerPoint, have bumps and ridges to provide deeper and more intense pressure. The best budget massage gun is the Vybe V2 Percussion Massager. The user-friendly design is powerful enough to provide deep tissue massage, offering plenty of value for the price. Noise: Not listed | Stall Force: Not applicable | Weight: 0.6 lbs | Customizability: 6 attachments | Battery Life: 2 hours | Our Overall Rating: 4.8/5

For a smaller gun, it offers a very effective force to penetrate muscle tissue well. This massage gun is about 1.5 times stronger than most guns its size,” she said. Durability: We know you want a tool that will hold up over time, which is why all the products below are well-regarded for their durability and quality. An advantage of the gun? It can target specific areas of the body better than a foam roller, especially those that are hard to reach, like the pectoral muscles in your chest, your biceps, and psoas muscles (which run from your low spine to the tops of the femur bones in your legs), says Brian Abarca, personal trainer certified through Passaic County Community College and owner of Abarca Fitness in Union City, New Jersey. Because massage guns come in different sizes, consider your own comfort when it comes to how heavy and how large you want it to be, and which muscles you’ll want to use it on, Malek says.This L-shaped gun is heavier, but we found it easy to hold. The carrying bag is convenient, but we think the gun's weight makes it a less appealing choice for traveling. The stall force is fairly powerful and doesn't turn off with more pressure. It stayed consistently strong throughout our multi-week testing period. Overall, we think its strength and effectiveness, the wide variety of attachments, and its ultra-quiet noise level (below 45 decibels) make this gun a steal for its price.

The MuscleGun Carbon is a travel-sized massage gun that's comfortable and easy to wield. During testing, we found it quieter than other options we tried. But we also noted that it wasn't as powerful as massage guns with a higher stall force, and we ultimately reached for more powerful massage guns to relieve muscle tension. One thing to keep in mind is that this foam roller doesn’t collapse, so it’s a bit bulky for traveling. The device comes with different heads or attachments. You can use these to target different muscle groups for a highly precise treatment. Other notable features include a quiet motor and Bluetooth connectivity, which allows you to adjust the speed and save custom presets using the Therabody app. Some users complain that it is a lot of work to use on themselves compared with a roller or other options.Plus, more early savings: RENPHO's Power Massage Gun is 55% off, TOLOCO's Massage Gun is 44% off, and TheraGun's Pro Massage Gun is 15% off. The fan-favorite Pro massage gun is the top-of-the-line from Theragun. It didn’t perform as well as other options on our list, but we think it’s still a good investment if you’re seeking a truly deep-tissue massage. With a stall force of 60 pounds, six head attachments, and a rotating arm, the Theragun Pro offers maximum intensity and versatility for treating sore muscles. Noise: 42 dB | Stall Force: Not listed | Weight: 1.3 lbs | Customizability: 4 head attachments, 4 speeds | Battery Life: 5 hours | Our Overall Rating: 5/5 It’s available in a variety of sizes, so it’s easy to find one that matches your body size and needs.

How does it work? While more research is needed, it’s suggested that applying pressure to the fascia helps elongate the muscle tissue, making it less tight and painful ( 3, 4). At 0.9 pounds, RENPHO's Mini Massage Gun is the lightest option on our list, making it easily portable with or without the included carrying case. We like that it can be gripped perfectly with the palm of your hand, making it comfortable and easy to use. Noise: Not listed | Stall Force: Not listed | Weight: 1.5 lbs | Customizability: 2 head attachments, 3 speeds | Battery Life: 3 hoursBecause they have a smaller surface area than a foam roller, massage balls offer a greater amount of precision and pressure control. Noise: 45 dB | Stall Force: 30 lbs | Weight: 2.2 lbs | Customizability: 6 head attachments, 5 arm positions, 4 speeds | Battery Life: 2.5 hours Foam rollers range widely in firmness and texture, though it's not always easy to find the right one for your needs. Here are the 10 best foam rollers. READ MORE Foam rolling uses myofascial release to decrease muscle tension. Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds muscles, blood vessels and nerves. For various reasons, fascia can get tight, even inflamed, and when that happens, your ability to move can be hampered. Yet the gentle to moderate sustained pressure you apply with a foam roller can help tight areas of the body relax or release, Malek says.