Our Personal Trainer Shares The Best Massage Gun for Muscle Recovery (2024)

With five built-in speeds, this best-in-class massage gun from industry-leader Theragun comes with four attachments and integrates via Bluetooth to pair with the Therabody app to remotely adjust speed and follow along with guided treatment routines. But you don't need the app to work the device; LED indicators on the side show the level of speed and let you work at your own pace. The overall design is simple to use but effective.

Lab results: The Theragun Prime secured our top spot thanks to its powerful amplitude (the distance of the head as it moves back and forth which indicates how deep the gun can get into problem areas), decent stall force (the amount of pressure it takes to stop the massage gun motor), ergonomic handle that made it easy to access tough-to-reach spots and a superior feel that provided greater muscle tension relief and recovery than competitors. It's pricey, though not as expensive as the Theragun Pro or Theragun Elite (more on those later) and still offers optimal control and power during your session. The attachments are some of the most well designed that we have seen, with the dampener attachment better for total body use and tender muscles and the cone attachment designed for a more intense moment. Overall, Theragun technology provides superior performance to any other massage guns that we tested.

Best for: Athletes, intermediate and advanced exercisers, physical therapists and fitness professionals.

Coming in at under $100, this popular massage gun from RENPHO offers five unique attachments and a carrying case. The lightweight but powerful device goes up to 3200 RPM and has an upgraded handle for ease of use. You'll also find a convenient 10-minute auto-shut off feature which helps preserve battery life.

Lab results: For the price point, our experts say you can't beat the value and performance of the R3. The five attachments alone offer great variety and the device is quite powerful, with a range of 1800 to 3200 RPMs and max force of 35 pounds to accommodate for whatever level of recovery you need. Serious athletes may want something with a higher amplitude, but for beginners and intermediate activity levels this massage gun is a solid choice. Our fitness pros also love that you can get 150 minutes of working time before needing to charge the device, though it does take three hours to re-charge until your next session.

Best for: Beginner, intermediate and advanced exercisers.

Small but powerful, this portable massage gun from favorite Hyperice is designed to stow in your gym bag for recovery on-the-go and even travel with you (it's TSA approved for carry-on). You'll get three hours of use time before needing to charge it. Many will appreciate the uncomplicated design and simple but effective attachments.

Lab results: Our experts love this pick for beginners since it comes at a decent price point and doesn't overwhelm the user with too many attachments or speed levels but is still a high quality device. The Hypervolt GO 2 is simple to use but unlike its predecessor, it does not pair with the Hyperice app. Although it doesn't come with a carrying case, the massage gun is lightweight and easy to stow in your purse, backpack or carry-on.

Best for: Travelers, beginners through advanced exercisers, athletes.

Those looking for even more portability will appreciate this innovative mini handheld massage gun from Theragun. The small but mighty device has three speeds and three attachments and can be easily thrown into a jacket pocket or bag. While it may not be as versatile as others on the list, it gets the job done in an extremely convenient size and style.

Lab results: Our experts appreciate the compact size and varied attachments of this improved offering from Theragun. For the size, it generates a good amount of power and also has a 150 minute battery life. Our fitness pros point out that this upgraded second generation version is smaller and lighter than the original Theragun mini and also offers Bluetooth connectivity to the Therabody app for guided treatment routines. It can be difficult to reach certain areas given that it doesn't have a traditional massage gun handle and it only has a stall force of 20 pounds, but the mini 2.0 does the job especially when on-the-go.

Best for: Travelers, beginners through advanced exercisers, athletes.

This well-rounded massage gun from Ekrin Athletics offers up to 56 pounds of stall force and four unique attachments plus a convenient carrying case. You'll notice the angled handle that is designed for grip at different angles for various purposes. The lower handle gives maximum reach, while the upper handle grip provides precision and power. You can even double grip the lower handle and upper tower at the same time for an even deeper feel.

Lab results: The unique angled handle put less strain on our wrists and made it easy to target areas that tend to be difficult to reach. The round foam attachment is gentle but effective, and the more unique fork attachment is great for work on the spine and neck. The wide range of built-in speeds is ideal for relieving sore muscles at any level. We don't recommend traveling with the device, however, since it utilizes lithium-ion batteries. But it is the only massage gun on the list that offers an impressive lifetime warranty.

Best for: Athletes, beginners through advanced exercisers, physical therapists and fitness professionals.

With a solid stall force and wide range of six speed levels, the Sportneer Elite D9 comes at a decent price point and offers great variety. The lightweight device works with a one-button control which makes it easy to navigate during your recovery session.

Lab results: The six different attachments provide a ton of options for varied levels of recovery and pain relief on sore muscles throughout the body. It's on the lower amplitude side but does the job. Our experts do note that the massage gun cuts off after about 20 minutes, but we were impressed with the long battery life. Two of the heads come with a unique chrome finish in which massage oil can be applied and then easily cleaned, which can be especially helpful on painful sore muscles.

Best for: Beginner and intermediate exercisers.

A top performer in our tests, the Theragun Pro comes at an exorbitantly high cost but you're paying for one of the best and most powerful muscle recovery experiences in the category. You'll find six well-designed attachments and a unique four arm position to help create the best angles to reach nearly any area on the body.

Lab results: Although it comes at a hefty price point, no other massage gun compares to the level of depth and recovery that the Theragun Pro offers. You can connect via Bluetooth to the Therabody app for guided treatments and presets, but the OLED screen displays the force as well. Designed for serious athletes, the attachments all serve a purpose, and the impressive stall force of up to 60 pounds is unrivaled in the industry. The new micro-point attachment is not for the faint of heart and delivers intense stimulation. We also loved that the Theragun Pro comes with two batteries, both with 150 minutes life for 300 minutes total if on-the-go.

Best for: Serious athletes, advanced exercisers, physical therapists and fitness professionals.

We evaluated dozens of massage guns and myofascial release tools, zoning in on effectiveness and ease of use. Our top performers all offer at last three levels of speed and a minimum amplitude of 10 millimeters, at least two or three interchangeable heads and decent battery life. You'll notice that many of these handles are designed for an ergonomic grip, which was important in our evaluation to make sure the devices reached places like the back and lower body with relative ease. While we did take into consideration noise level, it's important to note that no massage guns are completely silent and most make a fair amount of noise.

In addition to our fitness professionals on staff testing these pieces of equipment, we also had several testers nationwide of varying levels of fitness test many of these massage guns for real life feedback. Our top picks keep in mind the various users and audiences who are in the market for a massage gun, including those who are traveling and looking for muscle tension relief on-the-go to more advanced serious athletes who are recovering from intense sessions. We took careful consideration of quality, as this equipment tends to require a hefty investment. We also looked for high-quality but affordable choices under $100 like the RENPHO R3 that performed well in our tests.

If you're new to using a massage gun, we recommend starting with the lowest intensity and working your way up as you become more familiar with the device. Try to avoid putting the device directly on joints, bones or nerves as massage guns are meant solely for muscles.

Point the head attachment directly at the muscle you are targeting and let the massage gun glide along it slowly. You'll find that these devices are pretty intuitive to use. Take your time and if there is an area that feels particularly sore you can let the gun hover around that area a little longer. Areas that have larger muscles, such as the legs, may allow for you to press the gun a bit into the muscle and work at a higher speed, but you may just want to glide over more sensitive areas like the wrists.

The different attachments that every massage gun comes with have various best uses and purposes. Take a look at the manual that comes with your device to understand what each attachment is meant for. Typically, attachments with a larger flat surface area are ideal for the quads, hamstrings, back and chest. More defined attachments are ideal for the glutes, hips, shoulders and traps. You'll likely end up using just one or two attachments the most, but having the other specialized attachments available can be a game changer when you need a deeper recovery session.

If you plan to use them, a good massage gun can be definitely worth the money. In general, the benefits of massage guns include improving muscle recovery, enhancing mobility, decreasing pain and soreness, increasing circulation and more. They can also help optimize warm-up time before your workout session.

That being said, you don't have to pay a premium price for a high quality option. The Hypervolt Go, for instance, comes in at a decent price but still provides an effective recovery session. However, you won't get the power or attachment variety that you would with something like the Theragun Prime or Erkin B37, but it's still a solid choice, especially for those new to percussive therapy.

Serious athletes, physical therapists and fitness professionals will likely want to opt for a higher end model that is designed for regular intensive use. In this case, the more expensive choices are definitely worth the investment. Most of these massage guns offer a one year warranty, with the Theragun Pro offering a two year warranty and the Ekrin B37 offering an impressive lifetime warranty.

Stefani Sassos has been working in the fitness industry for the past decade, specializing in indoor cycling and strength training. As a NASM-certified personal trainer, she uses her expertise and exercise science knowledge to create informed fitness content for Good Housekeeping. From vigorously testing exercise equipment and workout apps to curating workout plans for GH readers, Stefani is passionate about leading an active lifestyle and inspiring others to do the same.

In addition to overseeing all fitness related content and testing for Good Housekeeping, Stefani regularly covers and tests myofascial release tools and writes about ways to optimize recovery. She has actively used massage guns for more than five years and feels that they have greatly improved her recovery post-workout as well as benefitted her range of motion. Currently, Stefani is an avid CrossFitter and uses massage guns to help her stay injury-free after heavy lifting workouts.