6 Best Percussion Massagers in 2022

Don’t let achy post-workout muscles affect your life outside the gym. That sore feeling you get after intense exercise is called delayed-onset muscle syndrome (DOMS). DOMS is likely to occur in the presence of muscle inflammation or the accumulation of lactic acid in your muscles. 

It’s tempting to resort to idleness when DOMS weighs you down, but it’s important to address it immediately to maintain good workout momentum. Post-workout massages serve as a suitable therapeutic approach to DOMS. According to several studies, athletes experienced significant muscle soreness relief when they opted for massage therapy after intense training.

But weekly spa massages may not be possible for everyone, which is why at-home percussion massagers are the perfect alternative. Percussion massagers (also known as impact massagers) are a form of percussive therapy. These tools provide easier access to sore deep tissue areas needing pain relief.

It’s easy to make the wrong purchase when you don’t know what to look for in an impact massager. Whether you’re aiming for affordability or the top-performing option, this roundup features a diverse product selection of the best percussion massagers on the market.

Best percussion massagers overview:

• Best overall: Therabody Theragun Elite 
• Best budget: RENPHO R4 Pro Massage Gun
• Best for noise control: Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro
• Best for travel: Therabody Theragun Mini
• Best for beginners: Sportneer Elite D9 Percussive Massage Gun
• Best for athletes: Therabody Theragun Pro (Fifth Generation)

How we chose the best percussion massagers

To compile this list, we researched manufacturer specifications, including attachments, speed settings, and more, to create a short list of the top percussion massagers. Then, we combed through detailed product descriptions, ratings, and reviews to find the best percussion massagers for each category.

Our picks for the best percussion massagers

Our top pick goes to the Therabody Theragun Elite. The daily-use massage gun includes five closed-cell foam attachments designed for easy cleaning. Its 16 mm amplitude, which targets deep muscle tissue, intends to relieve stress and aid performance, sleep, and mobility. It comes with a protective carrying case, perfect for travel, and features an organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) screen that displays real-time massage speeds. 

Theragun Elite is ergonomic-friendly by design, allowing for easy handling without wrist, hand, or arm strain. If you’re new to percussive therapy, you’ll be happy to know that you get a free live digital course with your Theragun Elite purchase. Therabody also offers free shipping and a money-back guarantee, giving you a 60-day at-home trial to decide whether or not you want to keep it. 

While Therabody advertises that this massage gun has QX65 Motor with QuietForce Technology, the noise levels may tell a different story when you power on the machine. When considering budget, it’s not the most affordable massage gun on the list, but its powerful benefits are worth the higher price tag.

Attachments: 5 | Battery life: 2 hrs. | Speed settings: 5

RENPHO’s R4 Pro Massage Gun is the most affordable option on this list. It has a lightweight and quiet design complete with six massage heads that each target different pain points. It offers four adjustable speeds to treat your neck, spine, arms, thighs, and other regions of your body. 

RENPHO ultimately created this massage gun for muscle tension relief. The device can support muscle repair after intense training. RENPHO also provides interest-free payment plans for this machine, allowing you to get your hands on it quicker if you want to order it now and pay later. 

Although it’s easy to hold and has built-in noise control, the adjustable massage settings may not be as intense as you’d like. According to multiple user reviews, the massage gun lacks the power to provide maximum tension relief, despite the fact the product denotes its fourth speed ideal for deep tissue massage. You’ll also want to note that you might get a sense of wobbliness during use because of its lightweight design.

Attachments: 6 | Battery life: 2 hrs. | Speed settings: 4

If you want a whisper-quiet massage gun that makes minimal noise, the Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro is the way to go — and we thank the brand’s patented QuietGlide technology for that. This massager is powerful enough to deeply penetrate your muscles and relieve any stiffness. It also features three percussive speeds, so you can adjust it to your comfort level. With its ergonomic handle, the lightweight device shouldn’t put much strain on your hands and wrists. 

You can connect this massage gun to Hyperice’s app through Bluetooth, which allows you to monitor the use and access recovery routines. Unfortunately, however, it doesn’t come with a travel case.

Attachments: 5 | Battery life: 3 hrs. | Speed settings: 3

While you can take many handheld massage guns with you on the go, the Therabody Theragun Mini is perfect as a travel massager. It’s small enough to fit in your jacket pocket or purse when you’re away from home or the office. With three scientifically-calibrated speed settings, it can provide you with decent tension relief wherever you are in the world.

The ultra-portable device doesn’t make much noise, thanks to its QX35 Motor with QuietForce Technology. But because it’s so small and compact, you might find it difficult to reach certain problem areas. However, you can try this mini massager and return it in 60 days if it doesn’t fit your needs, and the brand also offers free shipping on all orders.

Attachments: 1 (but compatible with all 4th-generation attachments) | Battery life: 2.5 hrs. | Speed settings: 3

This user-friendly massager from Sportneer is great for beginners. The handheld massage gun combines six alternative heads with six vibration modes for deep, penetrating relief. Its versatile speeds can help reduce muscle pain and increase blood circulation. 

As one of the longer-lasting massage guns, Sportneer Elite 9 is crash-proof and built to endure wear and tear. The large battery capacity causes it to hold a reasonable charge, too. You should note that this massage gun is only backed by a 12-month limited warranty. However, you can get a full refund up to 30 days after purchase.

Attachments: 6 | Battery life: 2-7 hrs. | Speed settings: 6

The Theragun Pro fifth-generation massage gun comes with six quality attachments for a tailored massage experience. Its 16 mm amplitude means it has the power to provide deeper-tissue massages for lasting relief. Built-in QuietForce Technology makes this device extra silent when you power it on. Theragun Pro’s OLED screen also provides four visually guided routine options: sleep, warm-up, recovery, and Theragun Break for your downtime periods in-between workouts. Finally, it’s ergonomic-friendly for easy maneuvering. 

The price is the only thing we don’t love about this massage gun, as it’s more expensive than the average.

Attachments: 6 | Battery life: 2.5 hrs. | Speed settings: 6

Making the tough choice 

Percussion massagers offer a range of potential benefits, including improved flexibility, spasm reduction, enhanced athletic performance, and increased range of motion. These massagers can also boost your blood flow to accelerate recovery. From post-workout soreness to the pain that arises after being hunched over a computer all day, percussion massagers can ease muscle tension, release stiffness, and loosen knots.

Our top pick goes to the Therabody Theragun Elite for its versatile massage settings and portability, but all of the options on our list provide worthy benefits like travel-friendly designs or quiet noise levels — it all depends on your needs. 

How to pick the right percussion massager for you

We suggest considering the following factors when choosing a percussion massager. 

Handling comfort

• Weight. Lightweight devices are easier to handle and maneuver than heavier, bulkier ones. 
• Noise levels. Quiet massagers are ideal for users that want to use their percussion massagers while at the office or on the go.
• Portability. While you can take all handheld massagers along with you, device weight further plays a role with portability ease. 

Additional perks and features: 

• Attachments. A massage gun with more attachments provides further versatility in crafting your massage experience and targeting specific areas of the body. 
• Battery length. The average battery life for a massage gun is two hours. There are some on the market with extended battery life.
• Speed settings. These allow you to adjust the intensity of your massage. A massager with versatile speed settings allows you to best tailor your experience to your needs. The speed metric for massage guns is rotations per minute (RPM), which indicates the number of times it hits per minute. Higher speeds equate to higher intensity levels (or amplitude).
• Amplitude. Amplitude represents how deeply the massage gun penetrates your problem areas, measured in millimeters. The metric “percussions per minute” plays a role in this as well, although it also relates to the gun’s speed of penetration. Guns with higher amplitude and PPM (like the Theragun Elite at 16mm and speeds up to 2400 PPM) tend to release the most pressure. 

FAQs

What’s the best-rated percussion massager? 

We rated the Therabody Theragun Elite as the best overall percussion massager for several reasons, including its 5-in-1 health benefits for recovery, stress, performance, sleep, and mobility.

Are percussion massagers worth it?

Percussion massagers are worth the investment, offering relief from achy muscles and increased blood flow.

Which is better: a percussion or vibrating massager?

Each has its own unique benefits. Percussion massagers reach deeper into your muscle tissue, while vibration massagers simply reach the surface of your skin. Thus, percussion massagers tend to provide more intense benefits. Choosing the right massager for you boils down to your physical therapy needs.