Best Percussion Massage Guns | 2024 Buyers Guide
They allow you to target specific muscles while increasing blood flow which can reduce lactic acid buildup.
With varying features and price points, we've made it easy to find the right massage gun for your needs and within your budget. Take a peek at our top pick and detailed reviews before ordering your very own massage gun.
Standout Picks
What You Should Know
Effectiveness
Does it get the job done?
That was the primary question we sought to answer when testing out many of the top massage guns on the market.
The whole point of percussion massage devices is to aid in the recovery of muscles after a long run or major workout. The more therapy options a product can offer, and the more effective those options are, the higher rating it received.
We highly recommend taking a look at the various features and settings of a given product before committing to it. Doing so will help you determine whether that model will help you where you need it most.
We found that most got the job done but some certainly outperformed others.
Battery Life
This is one thing that tends to vary from device to device. Some models run for 30-40 minutes, others for an hour or two.
For the casual athlete looking for a short post-workout percussion massage, battery life may not need to be factored in when choosing a model. Just an understanding that charging your massage gun may need to be done more often.
But if you're a trainer, physical therapist, or coach, and you anticipate multiple uses throughout the day. Battery life is certainly a factor to consider.
Accessories
These are products you could accessorize, although the accessories that are included do matter. Aside from the carrying case, which some surprisingly do not include, the therapy attachments are pretty important.
What you get in the box may vary from brand to brand, although some attachments remain pretty standard. You might get 4 attachments with one massage gun or 6 with another. What you should really pay more attention to, rather than how many you get, is what types of attachments are included. Consider the type of therapy you're trying to get, then compare the included therapy attachments that come with each device.
You might even find that extra tools and attachments are available on the brand's website. But it's always more cost-effective to get it all in a package.
Our 6 Favorite Percussion Massage Guns
1. Theragun Prime
Our Favorite Percussion Massage Gun Overall
Durable OLED display as easier to see in bright places
Bluetooth compatible
Runtime up to 150 minutes on one charge
The silent motor makes the whole experience better
While a lot of the massage guns out there claim to give you the same degree of massage that you might get from a masseuse, but the Theragun Prime actually gets it done. A great tool to have post-workout, when your muscles are tight or fatigued, this particular percussion gun has one of the more powerful motors on the market today.
Read moreLet's start out with the coolest feature, the Bluetooth smartphone compatibility. You can control the massage program from your smartphone. Theragun tends to lead the way in the massage gun range, hence the evolving generations in technology being used.
The OLED screen is a lot more durable than the old LCD displays. Harder to crack, you'll have a little less to worry about if you accidentally bang the massager into something. Also, the display on the OLED screen is much easier to read under bright sunlight.
The really big winner here is the motor. The silent commercial-grade motor has much less of the annoying buzzing and humming sounds, turning the focus where it counts, on the motor's power and hard to kill life span. This is where you really need to look when comparing these percussion guns. The features are super cool and can be really convenient, but the motor and gears are the parts that provide that deep tissue massage you're trying to achieve.
You definitely get a great motor with the Theragun Prime, hence the reason it's at the top of our list. As far as attachments go, you'll see that a lot of the same type, or similar attachments are included with many of the other percussion guns in the same range.
There is one more area that's pretty important, and that is the battery life. The last thing you want to have happen is for the battery to die right in the middle of a massage. That doesn't seem to be a problem here. The battery life is pretty good and holds a charge for about 150 minutes on high settings. There is a spare battery, so if you do run out of juice, simply pop in the replacement and you're good to go.
Here's what you get in the box:
- Theragun Prime
- 4 attachments
- Charging cord
- Carrying case
2. Hypervolt Plus
The runner up
If you're no stranger to athletics or rehab tools, you've probably come across Hyperice once or twice. The Hypervolt Plus seems like it was possibly designed or intended for professional use. Another percussion gun that is able to pair to your smartphone via Bluetooth, as this seems to be the trend, the Hypervolt has several "professional-grade" features.
Read moreStraight up front, this one will cost you a bit more, leading us to believe they intended this one to be used by therapists and sports medicine professionals.
We found this one perfect for use after workouts leaning more to the hardcore side. They're not kidding when they claim this machine has a "professional grade", running at around 3,200 percussions per minute. The battery is pretty good on the Hypervolt too. You can run continuously for up to 3 hours on one full charge.
If you're familiar with massage tools, you've probably heard a little about stall force. This is the amount of pressure you can put onto the head of the massage gun before it completely stops working. This is important to know when you're going for deep tissue work.
If the goal is to dig into the targeted muscle, then you'll need to be able to keep the gun going as you apply more and more pressure. Believe it or not, the Hypervolt can take a hefty 55 pounds before affecting the operation of the motor. What this really means is, you would have to push pretty hard to get the machine to stall. That's a good thing.
When it comes to the included attachments, this is where the Hypervolt gets more fans. Here's what you get in the box:
- Flathead
- Massage Ball
- Accordion
- Thumb Attachment
- Dual Head Attachment for neck pain
This is a great machine, however, there is one item missing that was a bit of a surprise to us. It doesn't include a case. This is something that most other machines include, and it kind of doesn't make sense that there isn't one. If you can get over that, then this is a solid option to consider.
3. Taotronics Massage Gun
Like the others in our guide, the Taotronics Massage Gun uses vibration technology to loosen tight fascia and muscles. With its multiple uses, the gun will improve overall health while helping to recover from an injury. With 6 massage modes and 10 speeds, this technology is still small enough to fit in your carry-on, so you can take it with you anywhere.
Read moreIt's just a matter of fact that the similarities in all of the massage guns in our guide are very close, in comparison. This is because the goal each one is trying to achieve is essentially the same. However, you do find small yet sometimes significant differences or advantages to each one over the other. So here's what you get with this one.
- A 24-watt high torque motor that produces up to 3200 strokes per minute. With the ability to adjust between 10 different speeds, there is quite a bit of versatility to support different recovery plans.
- Operating life of up to 10 hours on a charge. There is one feature, however, that people either love or dislike. After 15 straight minutes of continuous use, the machine will shut itself off. This is intended to prevent overheating.
- The 24v brushless motor is super quiet. This is one of the quietest models on the shelf right now. What this means for busy people is, you can run this massage gun in your office without coworkers wondering what the heck is going on in there. And let's be honest, the continuous humming sound can get a bit tedious.
This machine does come with a case, which is something that we surprisingly found out isn't always included with some of the bigger brands.
Here's what you get in the box
- TaoTronics Massage Gun
- Power Adapter
- User Guide
- 6 Therapy attachments
- Travel case
4. TheraGun G3 PRO
You’ll be able to feel the benefits and see improvements in your pain levels and mobility, as the TheraGun G3 PRO is designed to ease the stress on your body, assisting with a range of issues including muscle tension and inflammation.
Read moreThe TheraGun G3 PRO differs from the original TheraGun and the TheraGun 2.0 in that it includes a back-facing spreader bar attachment, which ensures you will be able to reach every muscle from every angle without discomfort. The value of this portable massage tool is enormous for those with soft-tissue injuries or those who just want to enhance their workout performance and recovery from hard training or competitive running.
This upgraded unit now delivers an exceptional range and amount of therapeutic force, using its exclusive Patent Pending Helical Technology that has been extensively tested, and claims to immediately deliver up to 30% greater force to injured tissue, compared to therapy offered by less powerful machines out there.
Here's what you get in the box:
- G3Pro machine
- 2x Lithium-ion batteries
- Battery charger
- 6x therapy attachments
- Travel case
5. TimTam Power Massager
Running at 5000 strokes per minute. With carefully crafted massage nodes, the TimTam Power Massage Gun penetrates deep into muscles to give you the ultimate muscle relaxation and recovery.
Read moreThis one features the brand's “EMG” technology for the advanced delivery of therapies. "EMG" stands for Electro MyoGraphy. Instead of hand manipulation or tapping, mechanical waves are applied directly to the skin which encourages the inflow of blood cells and lymphatic fluids. This helps your body's natural process to detoxify and allows your body to heal itself more efficiently.
This rechargeable percussion massage gun also features a 2.0mm penetration force and an easy-to-read LCD screen. This particular TimTam massager was designed to be used in professional sports settings, either by pro therapists or the athletes themselves. If you get on the company's website, you will see that they also sell in bulk packages.
You can expect a continuous run time of around 40 minutes on a single charge. This massage gun does operate at a higher stroke rate, so there is a small sacrifice when it comes to battery life, but not too bad. There is some noise, like most of the other similar devices, but that isn't too bad either.
Here's what you get in the box:
- Power Massage Gun
- Rechargeable battery
- Standard round shore 85 rubber attachment
- Carrying case
6. Cryotex Massage Gun
Decent value option
This percussion gun from Cryotex works pretty well, breaking up lactic acid and helping to recover from micro-tears in muscles and joints, therefore reducing pain, soothing soreness, and increasing the flow of oxygen to these areas. There is a lot more involved with massaging sore muscles than some might think.
Read moreThe Cryotex gun is definitely the budget option on the page, but we would caution against counting it out entirely. You're not going to get the heavy-duty pro therapy use from this, but if you're looking for a low-cost alternative for intermittent use, this might be a good one to check out.
You'll get a few hours of battery life from the included 2600mAh lithium battery on a full charge, 20 speed settings, and a claimed percussion rate of about 3,500 per minute.
Here's what you get in the box:
- Cryotex massage gun
- Charging cord
- 6 therapy attachments
- Hard-sided carrying case
