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When you’re a type of individuals now understanding at house greater than ever earlier than, you most likely assume you have already got all of the exercise gear you want. You snagged dumbbells, a yoga mat, resistance bands and all the opposite main necessities — or so that you thought. One machine you may need ignored, nonetheless, is the therapeutic massage gun, a percussive remedy machine that enhances restoration after intense exercises.
Therapeutic massage weapons just like the Theragun have been gaining traction on social media for some time now, however they’re not simply overpriced toys that make mesmerizing slow-motion movies. When you get a great one, it may be a official therapeutic machine that has been proven to assist stop delayed onset muscle soreness by selling blood movement to your muscle groups.
If you wish to get your fingers on a therapeutic massage gun, there’s excellent news. Theragun (which has been renamed Therabody) is among the hottest therapeutic massage gun manufacturers on the market, beloved for its high-quality merchandise with modern designs, and it simply dropped a complete new line of percussion remedy units. The brand new lineup from Therabody contains 4 therapeutic massage weapons: Theragun mini (Cyber Monday particular: $174, usually $199; theragun.com), Theragun Prime (Cyber Monday particular: $224, usually $299; theragun.com) Theragun Elite (Cyber Monday particular: $299, usually $399; theragun.com) and Theragun Professional ($449, initially $599; theragun.com).
With this thrilling launch, we wished to get our fingers on just a few units to see how they stack up and in the event that they’re actually value your cash. We examined and in contrast the Theragun mini, Theragun Elite and Theragun Professional for his or her energy, efficiency and comfort. Not solely did we need to notice the variations between the units, resembling velocity and energy, however we additionally wished to have a look at different components resembling ease of use and noise. Every machine has its personal quirks and advantages, so that will help you discover one of the best one, we’ve put collectively this information.
We expect the Theragun mini is probably the most thrilling and revolutionary therapeutic massage machine Therabody has put out but. Its Cyber Monday particular $174 price ticket (usually $199) is the bottom of the lineup, making it an incredible introductory machine.
The Theragun mini solves numerous the accessibility issues that appear to come back with therapeutic massage weapons. The narrative is normally that they’re cumbersome and loud and value far more than what you’d ideally wish to spend. That’s been modified with the mini’s tiny measurement and low worth.
Whereas it doesn’t pack as huge a punch because the Elite or Professional, the Theragun mini has prime speeds of two,400 percussions per minute, matching the costlier fashions. Nonetheless, it doesn’t present as a lot depth or energy with its 12-millimeter amplitude, which interprets to how far the massager head strikes up and down, and 20 kilos of stalling pressure, which is how exhausting you’ll be able to push on it earlier than it stops. (The commercial-level Professional, for comparability, charts a 16-millimeter amplitude and 60 kilos of stalling pressure.) Regardless of this, the mini supplied us with sufficient percussive energy for a soothing therapeutic massage.
Like many, we’ve been understanding extra attributable to stay-at-home orders, so having a therapeutic massage gun useful was a real blessing for sore hamstrings. The mini was highly effective sufficient to blast the stiffness out of our legs after a tough exercise, plus it was quiet sufficient that we may watch Netflix whereas doing so.
One other perk of the mini’s tiny measurement is its mobility. You may attain nearly wherever and comfortably apply sufficient strain for a deep therapeutic massage. The one place the place it was troublesome to use ample strain was the center of the again. The triangular design of the opposite Theraguns helps attain your again with out twisting your arms. Because the mini is so mild (1.4 kilos), the odd arm angles wanted to hit these harder areas didn’t tire out our wrists or arms as a lot as different fashions.
What we discovered most spectacular was this little man’s battery life. On Therabody’s website, the mini is claimed to have as much as 150 minutes of sustained run time. Once we performed our personal take a look at, we turned all of the Theraguns as much as a 2,100-PPM setting and allow them to buzz and buzz. All of them carried out at or above the listed instances, however the mini saved chugging alongside for a ridiculous 5 and a half hours. It lastly died after 345 minutes.
It’s small however mighty, and we actually love the Theragun mini. With three velocity settings (1,750 PPM, 2,100 PPM and a pair of,400 PPM), it has sufficient energy to dig fairly deep into muscle groups, and its low price, ease of use and lack of bells and whistles make it some of the accessible therapeutic massage units in the marketplace.
We didn’t take a look at the Theragun Prime fingers on, however its specs place it as probably the most primary of the three triangular-shaped Theraguns. With a 16-millimeter amplitude and 30 kilos of stall pressure, it’s extra highly effective than the mini and supplies sufficient percussive energy for the on a regular basis exercise. However in case you have nagging issues that want some extra intensive work, you’ll need to go for the Elite or the Professional.
The Prime has all the essential options of the costlier units, however at a extra cheap Cyber Monday particular worth of $224 (usually $299). At 2.2 kilos, it weighs the identical because the Elite, so primarily based on our expertise with that mannequin (see beneath), the Prime must be fairly straightforward to maneuver round to hit all elements of your physique with out straining your arm, hand or wrist.
The battery has a listed run time of 120 minutes, however primarily based on our assessments with the opposite fashions, we wouldn’t be shocked if it lasts even longer. The Prime comes with 4 attachments: the dampener, commonplace ball, thumb and cone.
This machine can also be the primary within the lineup to be geared up with Bluetooth capabilities. You may pair the Prime, Elite or Professional to Therabody’s companion app, which guides you thru sure exercises and even means that you can management the velocity proper out of your telephone. It has 5 built-in speeds — 1,750 PPM, 1,900 PPM, 2,100 PPM, 2,200 PPM and a pair of,400 PPM — that you would be able to toggle by in the event you don’t need to use your telephone.
When you simply need the necessities of a therapeutic massage gun with out many additional options, the Theragun Prime is a superb possibility with its ergonomic shaping and hefty motor. When you’re on the lookout for extra comfort or much more energy, try the Elite and Professional.
The Theragun Elite is the following iteration of Therabody’s hottest therapeutic massage gun, the Theragun G3 (which is now discontinued). The fourth era brings a great deal of enhancements, like extra velocity settings, a extra highly effective motor and for much longer battery life.
Therabody claims the Elite is 75% quieter than the earlier era, and whereas we couldn’t take a look at that firsthand, we are able to affirm that it’s surprisingly quiet. We needed to flip up the tv a few notches whereas utilizing it, however the Elite wasn’t obnoxiously loud even throughout a neck therapeutic massage (although we nonetheless wouldn’t suggest any late-night therapeutic massage classes in case you have roommates in shut quarters making an attempt to sleep).
So how is the Elite, which prices virtually $100 extra on the particular Cyber Monday worth of $299 (usually $399), higher than the Prime? The primary enhancements are the next stall pressure, which implies you will get deeper into these sore muscle groups; a pressure meter that shows on a brand new OLED display screen, which helps you gauge simply how exhausting you’re pushing; an extra attachment (the wedge); wi-fi charging capabilities; and the power to regionally retailer preset routines on the machine. None of those is a sport changer by itself, however mixed, they make the Elite a way more well-rounded product, with each higher efficiency and comfort than the Prime.
Once we examined the Elite, we actually loved its triangular form. Because it’s heavier than the mini, at 2.2 kilos, the ergonomic maintain was wanted to make it simpler to focus on harder-to-reach areas just like the again. We used the Elite in tandem with the app, which made the therapeutic massage expertise really feel like an precise regimented exercise as an alternative of simply blasting these sore quads willy-nilly. On the app, you’ll be able to choose routines for particular physique elements like forearms or the decrease again that will help you goal your aches and pains. It’s also possible to select a therapeutic massage routine that helps with aid from particular actions like working, tennis and even touring on a aircraft (although we received’t be doing that anytime quickly).
As soon as you choose the routine, the app tells you which of them attachment to make use of, the place to carry the machine and find out how to transfer it round for one of the best outcomes. It even has a timer that counts down and allows you to know when to modify areas (from the left aspect of your again to the proper, for instance).
The battery on the Elite, just like the others we examined, exceeded expectations. It’s listed as having a run time of as much as 120 minutes, however ours lasted for a formidable 197 minutes. That’s greater than sufficient time for a number of restoration classes earlier than a cost.
Sadly, after we concluded our testing of the Elite, we tried to replace it — but it surely turned off and received’t flip again on once more. Nonetheless, with a 30-day money-back assure and a one-year guarantee, it wouldn’t be a problem to swap it out for one more one.
The Theragun Elite lives as much as its title as a premium percussive machine in design, efficiency and worth. At $299 for Cyber Monday, it takes fairly a bit of money, however the Elite can revamp your muscle restoration in easy-to-use and efficient methods.
When you want one of the best of one of the best, or wish to add a therapeutic massage gun to your arsenal as a private coach, there’s little question the Theragun Professional must be your weapon of selection. The Professional provides an adjustable arm and swappable batteries and packs a a lot larger punch than all the opposite Theraguns within the lineup. Plus, it comes with a two-year guarantee, in contrast with the one-year guarantee that comes commonplace with the opposite units within the launch.
The Theragun Professional has an amplitude of 16 millimeters with 60 kilos of stall pressure. Meaning you’ll be able to apply huge quantities of strain to get deep into your tissues for the last word therapeutic massage restoration. We tried pushing it into our muscle groups to get it to stall and it took a few tries. You may mainly push as exhausting as you need with the Professional with out worrying about it stopping.
The largest benefit compared with the remainder of the lineup is certainly the Professional’s adjustable arm. It has 4 positions that help you actually hit all of the elements of your physique whereas sustaining a cushty grip. We’d swap the positions with the clicking of a button to raised goal that aching again, or simply make it extra comfy to carry whereas we hit different areas like calves or forearms. We will solely think about how helpful it will be for an expert bodily therapist.
One other nice function of the Professional is its swappable batteries. They pop out and in simply for a fast change if one dies, and every lasts 150 minutes, giving a mixed run time of as much as 300 minutes. Once we ran our battery take a look at it landed proper on the mark, with one battery lasting 145 minutes.
The Professional was the loudest of all of the Theraguns we examined however was in no way headache-inducing. The very best velocity utilized to the neck is usually a little rattling, besides the Professional sounds surprisingly clean for a way highly effective it’s. We expect its building helps with this, because the Professional has a matte, grippy masking in distinction to the shiny, exhausting plastic of the Elite. The exhausting plastic may rattle round, making the machine louder, however the Professional didn’t have that difficulty.
The Theragun Professional has all of the options you’d ever need from a high-end therapeutic massage gun. Its worth is lofty with a Cyber Monday particular worth of $449, usually $599, but it surely’s an funding value making for any hardcore athlete or well being or health skilled who’s available in the market for a massager.
Therabody’s new line of fourth-generation Theraguns is a pleasant subsequent step within the discipline of percussion remedy. Our favourite is the Theragun mini, which is probably the most accessible therapeutic massage gun Therabody has ever made. It supplies a strong therapeutic massage expertise in a tiny machine that received’t break the financial institution at $174 for Cyber Monday (initially $199).
The Theragun Prime and Elite are just a few steps up from the mini, with the Prime providing you with simply the necessities and the Elite providing extra efficiency and comfort. At $299 and $399, they’re dear, however with the companion app, they supply an simply applied restoration routine that may allow you to really feel higher after any exercise.
The Theragun Professional is really a top-of-the-line therapeutic massage gun, excellent for any athlete who wants one of the best restoration or for a working bodily therapist. The 2-year guarantee provides slightly extra peace of thoughts for the $599 funding. It has key options that set it aside from the opposite Theraguns, together with a ridiculous 60 kilos of stall pressure and the adjustable arm.
So whether or not you’re new to therapeutic massage weapons otherwise you’re on the lookout for a top-notch improve, Therabody’s new Theragun line can percussion away your issues, regardless of your wants or your price range.
Word: The costs above replicate the retailer’s listed costs on the time of publication.
