The best massage guns in 2025
Overview
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Table of Contents
Have you ever skipped doing a proper warm down and stretch after a workout because you just didn't have the time? Hey, we all have. It's the bane of a gym-based life.
That's just the reality of trying to stay fit in amongst the hustle and bustle of everyday life. When you're pushed for time, a warm down — never mind a proper massage — is the first thing to go. What you need are the tools to help you stay on top of both your body and your schedule. That means a massage gun, a must-have tool for pro athletes and average gym members alike.
If you have chronic shoulder, neck, or back pain, the ability to give yourself a deep-tissue massage at home can be life-changing. You'll find there's a range of models to hit the spot of your muscle recovery needs. Not sure if you're ready for the big (massage) guns? Let us get you started with some useful information.
How do massage guns work?
Athletes use deep-tissue massage for quick pain relief and faster recovery times. This is when a professional masseuse delivers forceful, rapid thumps to a specific area of the body to stimulate a specific set of muscles. The percussive therapy offered by massage guns allows individuals perform this same type of penetrative tissue attention on themselves without extra help. These devices are said to provide hours worth of massage benefits in just a couple of minutes.
What are the benefits of a massage gun?
Massage guns deliver short-duration pulses to enhance the blood flow, soften knots, and accelerate the repair of muscle fibres, all of which can lead to better-prepared warmups and quicker recovery times. Your mood might see a spike, too. The pressure point relief that massage provides has been linked to decreased levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), an increased production of endorphins (the feel-good chemical), and even a lower heart rate.
We should point out that percussive therapy isn't a fix-all solution. A massage gun can replace pricey massage appointments, but there's literally no substitute for the nutrients you get from a balanced diet, sleep, and getting proper hydration are still crucial to the muscle growth and recovery process.
Percussion massagers vs. vibration massagers — what's the difference?
Percussion massagers mimic the kneading hands of a masseuse, providing pressure that hammers below the top layers and work damaged muscle fibres. Perfect for heavy-duty workouts. Casual exercisers and chronic pain sufferers may prefer surface-level rumblings from a vibration massager, which gives speedy pulses but less "punch".
What features do massage guns have?
Massage guns tend to offer some key features that appear in multiple models:
Battery life — Many people depend on their massage gun for a rushed cool down in the middle of a busy schedule, and charging after every use is a huge inconvenience. The best massage guns will get up to three hours of battery life while the weaker ones max out at around 40 minutes.
Massage heads – The first thing you'll notice when buying a massage gun is that they usually come with a selection of heads, each designed to work specific muscle groups in a different way and get different results.
Noise — No one wants to sit at the gym (or at home with a sleeping baby) using a device that sounds like a pneumatic drill. It's impossible for massage guns to be completely silent, but check the reviews for sound levels.
Speeds — Look for a gun with different speeds, or revs per minute (RPM. But don't forget that higher speed doesn't always mean vigour. The amplitude (how deep the massage head will push into your body) relies on the amount of force behind each pulse, and heavier force on a slow RPM setting will feel more intense than a faster RPM setting with weaker force.
Keep these points in mind when shopping around for a massage gun.
What is the best massage gun?
There is a lot to know about massage guns, and it's important to do your research before making a purchase. To make your job a little easier, we have tracked down six of the best guns to cover all muscular bases. We've tried to find something for everyone and every budget. You just need to scroll through the options and pick a favourite. Your muscles will thank you — well, they certainly won't complain as much.
These are the best massage guns in 2025.
Theragun Pro Plus
Best For Athletes
The Good & The Bad
- Science-backed therapy
- Offers multiple therapies
- Powerful action
- Quiet technology
- Smart app connected
- Feedback and routine suggestions
- Serious athletes only
- Pro athlete prices
- Big and bulky
- Cold therapy sold separately
Why We Like It
If you're looking for the best in muscle gun tech, Theragun stands above all others — the name to beat when it comes to quality and performance.
Indeed, the Theragun Pro Plus is the best of best, putting the brand's trademark power into the palm of your hand. It combines science-backed percussive therapy, near infrared LED light therapy, vibration therapy, heat therapy, cold therapy, and breathwork. It comes with five head attachments, along with suggested routines and feedback via the Therabody app.
The power is balanced by QuietForce technology, which allows for a near-silent, unobtrusive performance. You also get up to 150 minutes of power from a single charge. And as with other Theragun models, the ergonomic multi-grip gives incredible leverage to work into muscles.
Details
Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro
Best For Quiet Performance
The Good & The Bad
- Extra powerful
- Quiet technology
- Very impressive battery
- Light handling
- Expensive option
Why We Like It
In this corner, we have the Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro, the only true contender to Theragun as reigning champ of premium muscle guns.
Hyperice has essentially souped up the original Hypervolt model by adding five power speeds and reducing the overall weight. Meanwhile, it keeps the noise to a minimum with Quiet Glide technology, which provides a more consistent, well-rounded massage experience — certainly better than blunt, louder approach that you sometimes get from cheaper muscle guns.
The Hypervolt 2 Pro is also equipped with pressure sensor technology that give real-time feedback on how much pressure you're putting on — and how hard to push to achieve the best results. This feature pairs brilliantly with the Hyperice app, which syncs with the gun to guide you though custom recovery plans.
Details
Bob and Brad Massage Gun
Best For Storage
The Good & The Bad
- Trusty, well-reviewed brand
- Portable, lightweight build
- Easy USB charging
- Nice attachment selection
- Higher spec available
Why We Like It
The Bob and Brad Massage Gun measures just under 20cm in length and prides itself on being pleasingly lightweight — which at just 0.68kg it absolutely is — but you'll feel the quality of its build and design in your hand.
It's made for quick and easy portability. Just put it in your bag, or in the (included) carry case, and put it to work on your muscles anywhere, anytime.
It's powered by a high-torque, brushless motor that keeps the stokes up but the noise down. And while it's small and handy, it's versatile too. There are five heads, plus three speed settings. Recharging is just as convenient. It plugs into a USB Type-C lead and has a very reasonable battery life.
Details
Pulseroll Pro
Best For Running
The Good & The Bad
- Powerful action
- Pro athlete favourite
- Lots of options
- Bonus carry case
- Limited attachments
Why We Like It
As the name suggests, the Pulseroll Pro is designed for all pro athletes. In fact, it’s athlete-endorsed — British boxing champ Anthony Joshua loves the brand. And though it's suitable for all kinds of sport and fitness, boxing included, we like to recommending the Pulseroll Pro specifically for leg muscles.
The Pulseroll Pro relieves next-day soreness as well as tackling lactic acid and helping rehab injuries. All in all, that's a winning combination for runners.
It has multiple speed settings and six head attachments — which is one more than you usually get — and a bonus carry case. It's not the most portable massage on this roundup, however. It's not as portable as it smaller sibling, the Pulseroll Mini, which has many of the same benefits at a smaller size and price.
Details
Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2
Best For Portability
The Good & The Bad
- Lightweight handling
- One button control
- Uses Hypervolt Plus add-ons
- Fast RPM for its size
- Just two attachments
Why We Like It
Athletes who travel, or people who won't miss the gym on holiday, should have a massager that keeps them feeling good on the road. If that's you, say hello to the Hyperice Hypevolt Go 2, your new travel buddy.
Hyperice has shrunk the regular Hypervolt and put its best features into a body that's 30% smaller. And at just 0.68kg, you'll barely notice it in your suitcase.
For its compact size, the Hypervolt Go 2 offers decent customisation options. Its highest RPM matches that of its big brother, with three speed settings and two included attachments (flat and bullet) to target different parts of the body.
Details
Lefity Muscle Massage Gun
Best For Tight Budgets
The Good & The Bad
- 30 speed settings
- Variety of heads
- Excellent battery life
- Cheaper build
Why We Like It
OK, so you might not want to spend a fortune. Because let’s be honest, some of the massage guns on this list are seriously pricey. But those tend to be massage guns for the most committed and serious athletes only.
If you’re a casual gym-goer, or you just want to see how you get on with using a massage gun for the first time, try the Lefity Muscle Massage Gun. It’s very affordable, coming in at under £25, but it’s also one of the highest-rated massage guns on Amazon. The reviewers just love it.
The Lefity Muscle Massage also outdoes more expensive models with the sheer number of features. It has a whopping 30 speeds and six massage heads, plus a top speed of 3,300 RPM. Indeed, it performs well above its price point.
Details
Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers and tests essential home tech like vacuums and TVs, plus eco-friendly hacks. Her ever-evolving experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.
Joseph Green is the Global Shopping Editor for Mashable. He covers VPNs, headphones, fitness gear, dating sites, streaming, and shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day.
Joseph is also Executive Editor of Mashable's sister site, AskMen.
Matt Ford is a freelance contributor to Mashable.
