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Boutayna Chokrane
Gear
Don’t cancel therapy just yet, but these portable, at-home massagers might be the hack you need after stressful days.
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Best Massage Gun (That Isn’t a Theragun)
Hyperice Hypervolt 2
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A Mini Massage Gun
Gravity Move Heated Mini Massager
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A Heated Back Massage
Hyperice Venom 2 Back
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If Massagers Never Have Enough Attachments
LifePro Sonic Handheld Percussion Massage Gun
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The best massagers should be as accessible as your morning coffee—not a luxury you save for special occasions. Between workouts, work stress, and the existential crisis that is life, who isn't carrying tension somewhere? I've spent countless hours trying every type of massager out there. Testing these contraptions might sound like the dream gig, but it's not all bliss. Some felt like a personal massage therapist. Others like they were designed to tenderize meat. A few made me question every life choice that led to this moment.
The good news? I've rounded up the best massagers for every body and budget. Ones that actually deliver on their promises to soothe, stimulate, and shiatsu. Let's get into our top picks—before I need a massager to recover from testing all these massagers. Read ourBest Theraguns and Therabody ToolsandEverything You Need for Your Yoga Practiceguides for more wellness recommendations.
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Do Massage Guns Work?
Massage guns can relieve soreness, but they also increase blood flow for faster muscle recovery. Jacklyn Plonski, an outpatient orthopedic and pediatric physical therapist, likens percussive therapy devices to using a foam roller or getting a professional physical therapy treatment. Here's what she has to say:
"As we exercise and challenge our muscles, we cause breakdown within the muscle fibers, which in turn stimulates muscle growth and regrowth, hypertrophy (increased muscle size), and strength. Mechanical stimulation of a muscle causes increased blood flow and the release of histamines to the stimulated area. What this does is allow the increased blood flow to decrease the inflammatory response, decrease muscle soreness, and break up knots in athletes' musculature."
Plonksi says there are no apparent negative effects, but she recommends people always talk to a physician before trying a device.
Honorable Mentions
Turonic GM5 Massage Gun for $160: The Turonic is less than 2 pounds (much lighter than the LifePro Sonic above) and has one of the lowest intensity levels. That's good for people who generally feel that “low” isn't quite low enough on massage guns. It's still quite powerful, too, with around eight hours of battery life.
Synca Corron Rollup Massager for $190: The Synca has rolling nodes that knead into muscles with or without heat—think of those full-body massage chairs at the mall or nail salon. Giordano liked it for her back and shoulders, but it's not as easy to lie down on as some of the photos depict. It can actually kind of hurt that way, so it's better to lean against it. It's also not cordless, so you'll need to be near an outlet.
Boutayna Chokrane is a product writer and reviewer at WIRED. Before joining the Gear team, she was a music editorial fellow at Pitchfork. She also worked as a freelance journalist, covering fashion, art, and culture for Vogue, Rolling Stone, the Cut, and others. She graduated from Northwestern University with a... Read more
Product Writer & Reviewer
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