I did a lot of testing of bunch of devices many many moons ago. I wouldn't never get a Theragun for instance, and most of the generics are just as good if not even better functionally. The one defining feature of the HyperIce is that is is quiet. I decibel tested a bunch and it is by far the lowest. For me that feature is worth it as the devices are loud loud loud.

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Thomas, which is better, your massage gun or not overtraining?

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I’ve a jawku and it’s very quiet as well

I have the hypervolt bluetooth thats $249 on amazon. I've had it 2 months and me and GF love it. Just a tad bit heavy sometimes your arm get a little tired but everything else is 5 stars from me. Sometimes I use the app to lead me through a massage. I wanted to just get a cheap one at first to see if it was something I would use but GF worked in a Chiro office and insisted we get a quality unit so I did.

i have my full squad of athletes on the cheaper chinese version. It does the work great.... use it properly and regularly and it s a very good tool for recovery/maintenance.

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Jonathan Caron / Professional Coach / ironman champions / age group world champions
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I have on called Toloco that I bought on Amazon for $90, works great. It looks virtually identical to that one from Taotronics that you linked. I’ve compared it to the hyper ice, identical feel.

Don't waste your money. There is absolutely no evidence to support the efficacy of these gadgets. Proper mobility/strength exercises, low intensity recovery sessions, adequate sleep and good nutrition should be your priority.

My son and I both have the Vybe Pro and are pleased. https://vybepercussion.com/...vybe-pro-massage-gun

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David
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I hear good things about the o’yeet gun. Pretty compact and still delivers good performance. They have a 30% off sale going on now too, may be enough to push me to try it out.

https://www.oyeet.com/collections/nex-series

Edit to add link.

Efficacy for what? I hear this comment repeatedly and if you’re saying there’s no efficacy for speeding up recovery then you may be correct. Where you’re incorrect is massage guns absolutely do help loosen knots and pain that comes from repetitive activity so people can get a deeper stretch, improve mobility, or even just feel a little better. I bought a Theragun a year ago and have been able to move away from dry needling and massage for my low back/hip. And trust me, it’s not due to lack of mobility/strength training that causes the issue as I’m still a (non practicing) CSCS and have also spent countless hours doing PT.

To the OP, as noted, I bought a Theragun and love it. That said, I read a while back that purchasing a cheaper device should be perfectly fine as long as it’s just for personal use - meaning, the Theragun and Hypervolt are supposedly made to operate in a clinical setting and be used several times daily without breakdown or burning out. Supposedly the cheaper models won’t withstand the same level of use, but do just fine for personal use. Probably similar to a commercial gym treadmill versus a home gym treadmill. I’m actually planning to get a cheaper model as well so I can have a backup for when I forget to charge my Theragun.

I wonder if people who are using the Chinese copies and feel that they're sufficient.....have ever tried a Theragun? There's a difference for sure - the Theragun has more "amplitude"....or a deeper stroke if you want to think of it like that. It's even night and day difference over the Hyperice. To each their own, but the Theragun is a much more robust tool.

Having tried most of them, theragun, hyper ice, taotronics etc, the one that stands out is the Jawku mini.
It has 3 excellent speed options, a great set of massage heads, over 40 lb stall force, and the shape and size make it very comfortable to handle, and great for travel. Absolutely the quietist gun out there.
It so easy to use, I do short sets twice a day, 3-5 minutes regularly makes a big difference.

"incorrect is massage guns absolutely do help loosen knots and pain that comes from repetitive activity so people can get a deeper stretch, improve mobility, or even just feel a little better"
a) You physically cannot get rid of "knots" with a massage gun (or foam roller for that matter), it is impossible to loosen fascia or tissue with either (Weiwelhowe et al 2019). In fact muscle "knots" have never been reliably found even under imaging- more likely tight muscles which could be due to a multitude of factors including reduced hydration and poor nutrition
b) How does it get a deeper stretch or improve mobility? Evidence suggests the only way to improve "stretch" in muscles is by holding a "stretch" for longer than 7 minutes plus at a time (there are articles on this- I just don't have it on me)
c) Feel better- yes, but that is the placebo effect from using one. If that is why you use it, then that's fine. But that is the inly reason to use one, as it makes you "feel" better.

a) Agree. Knots are not well-evidenced. But perfect hydration and nutrition don't prevent pain from repetitive action. Sometimes massage guns can be quite transformative for some tight muscles. Sometimes they do nothing. Just because researchers haven't figured out why does not mean there is no effect.

b) Vibration has long shown effective at increasing ROM temporarily. Stretching for 7 minutes is not necessary for increasing ROM chronically. Bouts of stretches held for 10% of that duration can be effective for chronic ROM increases.

Training at a higher intensity routinely results in higher adaptive response. See post-activation potentiation (PAP) for power performance, and caffeine for endurance performance. There is no reason to believe the same would not be true for vibration-induced ROM changes paired with stretching for chronic ROM changes. I have not investigated further.

c) Just because a "feeling" is the measure, does not mean it is a placebo. See hydrocodone.

There are better arguments against using massage guns: Opportunity cost, potential for damage/soreness, monetary cost. Probably in that order for most people who own them.

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Dr. Alex Harrison | Founder & CEO | Sport Physiology & Performance PhD
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I think it is personal.
For me the Theragun is too loud, runs out of battery quickly and does not feel any better than the Hypervolt
Only thing I would say Theragun is better at is you don't feel the vibrations in your hand holding it as much as the Hypervolt (I think it may be triangular shape)

I'm a practicing therapist and I just make sure I explain to people that massage guns are an adjunctive treatment technique. They are a tool in the toolbox that have a place in treatment, but shouldn't be your only option. If you're having chronic issues with certain muscles, you need to look at either what is going with biomechanics or you need to take a step back and look at what you're doing in your training. I don't have any issue with massage guns other than some of the marketing claims I read around them, but that's kind of par for the course with gizmos and gadgets that come out in the fitness world.

An example is that I could see a massage gun being great for hitting the upper traps if they're sore after getting back into the aero position after riding your road bike in the offseason. What would be concerning though is if that soreness and stiffness of the upper traps doesn't get better after weeks of riding in aero. At that point, the massage gun is a bandaid to get you from session to session when what is really needed is a good bike fit as something has changed and is leading to poor head and neck position.

Being a CSCS I'm sure you probably agree with all that, it's just that I find that a lot of my patients want a quick fix for their pain and discomfort instead of really wanting to dig for the underlying issues. I honestly think it's because it's a lot easier to buy a product and try to use it here and there than it is to do the proper exercises to correct muscle imbalances or lack of mobility.

I 100% agree with all of this. I certainly don’t think they’re a quick fix for anything, nor do I think they replace proper stability and mobility. What it’s been able to do for me personally, is remove the $ and time of repeated dry needling and soft tissue work done by my PT - the other work to gain proper range of motion, etc is still there - as it likely should be for anyone. For me, it’ll likely be there for life as I have to work around slight scoliosis in the C spine that filters down the chain. My PT actually had a hypervolt plus in the office and asked if I wanted to take it home for a 2 weeks, and gave me the specific work to do (and time for each spot) that could mimic what I was getting in the office. It seemed to be a good replacement, so I bought the Theragun and am glad I did.

I haven’t read the specific marketing claims, but what I did notice when I downloaded the Therabody app is that the 30s brief massages to each spot they recommend in their built in programs are likely way to little to do anything of major benefit. But if you do a proper 5-10 minute beating of the glute medius every day then things stay every bit as loose as they do if you do needling in the same spot a few times a week.

According to some though, that’s apparently all placebo - which is comical. If that’s the case, then needling, scraping, ART work, and other techniques must also be placebo because they’ve been replaced just fine. Maybe I’m diligent about it and others that receive no benefit are not? I don’t know.

Would my wife’s wand massager accomplish the same thing?