Best Massage Guns of 2020 Compared

I recently compared 13 massage guns I use and explain what features truly matter and how they stack up against the popular (& expensive) Theragun and Hypervolt.

Some of these products were sent to us, and we may receive compensation on the links. That said, the opinions are 100% our own.

Massage guns are all the rage for recovery, and for good reason. I’m no spring chicken – I’m 38 years old & a dad of 3. Last year I competed on the TV show American Ninja Warrior. Using a massage gun has literally been a game changer for my warm up, performance, and recovery! Yes – I truly do have 13 massage guns! Some I purchased and some were sent to me once I became “the massage gun guy” to my friends. So why not give you my opinion so you can make the best purchase on your new best friend?

I have links & some coupon codes to all of the massage guns and their rank at the bottom. And for you visual learners, here is the video explanation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjZOHYbIAec

Here are the categories I rated on:
– Power (Speed, amplitude, stall force)
– Noise Levels
– Usability: (battery life, portability, attachments and case, ergonomics)
– Value

Medcursor Massage Gun, High Intensity Brushless Motor, Handheld Percussion Deep Tissue Massager with 6 Massage Heads for Sore Muscle and Stiffness, FSA and HSA Eligible (Gray)
Medcursor Handheld Percussion Massage Gun - Deep Tissue Massager for Pain Relief, Sore Muscle and Stiffness, Powerful Motor High-Intensity - Includes 4 Massage Heads(No AC Adapter)
Medcursor Massage Gun, High Intensity Brushless Motor, Handheld Percussion Deep Tissue Massager with 6 Massage Heads for Sore Muscle and Stiffness, FSA and HSA Eligible (Gray)
Medcursor Handheld Percussion Massage Gun - Deep Tissue Massager for Pain Relief, Sore Muscle and Stiffness, Powerful Motor High-Intensity - Includes 4 Massage Heads(No AC Adapter)
$59.99
Price not available
Medcursor Massage Gun, High Intensity Brushless Motor, Handheld Percussion Deep Tissue Massager with 6 Massage Heads for Sore Muscle and Stiffness, FSA and HSA Eligible (Gray)
Medcursor Massage Gun, High Intensity Brushless Motor, Handheld Percussion Deep Tissue Massager with 6 Massage Heads for Sore Muscle and Stiffness, FSA and HSA Eligible (Gray)
$59.99
Medcursor Handheld Percussion Massage Gun - Deep Tissue Massager for Pain Relief, Sore Muscle and Stiffness, Powerful Motor High-Intensity - Includes 4 Massage Heads(No AC Adapter)
Medcursor Handheld Percussion Massage Gun - Deep Tissue Massager for Pain Relief, Sore Muscle and Stiffness, Powerful Motor High-Intensity - Includes 4 Massage Heads(No AC Adapter)
Price not available

Power 

To do the job of percussive massage, it needs to have the right speed, amplitude, and stall force. 

Speed is how many beats per minute and amplitude is the distance the head travels. Stall force is how much pressure it takes for the motor to stop. If the stall force isn’t high enough, you won’t be able to properly massage the muscle because the motor will bog down and stop. The stall force was extremely hard to find actual data on, but that’s where having hands on experience with these products pays off. 

Most massage guns have 12mm amplitude so that doesn’t play much of a factor. Speeds are similiar – all of the massage guns have multiple levels of speed ranging from 3 up to 20! I always find myself having a few favorite speeds really after using them. The BPMs are also all in the similar ranges.

Stall Force here is the biggest deciding factor and the massage guns that had lower or too low of stall force instantly fell to the bottom of our list. From our experience, the Softspot and Tokfit have the highest stall forces – especially noticeable on lower speeds. This is key when massaging places like hips and IT bands that take a lot of force for the deeper tissue. Honorable mention goes out to NoCry and BeFit.

Noise Levels 

Once you know a massage gun has enough power, I promise the thing you’ll mostly care about next is the noise. If it sounds like a jig saw, you will literally be embarrassed to use it. I eliminated any jig saw type guns entirely and didn’t even include them here. 

My friend has one that is crazy loud. He said he hardly uses in his own apartment because it drives his roommates crazy. I literally laugh out loud when I hear him turn it on.

I measured all of these myself – testing from one foot away to have consistency. Most of them start around 40dB range and some climb up to 60dB on high. To put that in perspective, 40dB is how you would talk at a library, 50dB is a conversation level in your home, and 60dB is a conversation level at a restaurant. My friend’s massage gun is 72dB! In a gym setting, with some music playing in the background, you can’t really hear any of these massage guns I’ve listed from a few feet away. 

Usability

Usability can make you either hate, like, or love your massage gun! We looked at things like battery life, attachments, portability and ergonomics.

Battery life on all of the massage guns we tested were long enough to last easily multiple days. I always set mine out for friends to use at our ninja training nights at the gym, and rarely do I use more than 25% of the battery life those nights. I would almost argue this is a non-issue to worry about, but if you want one with the longest battery, go with the Softspot or Tokfit.

All of these massage guns also come with cases and a handful of attachments which is nice. The Hypervolt‘s case you have to buy in addition for an extra $50.

If you want a smaller massage gun to carry around with you, I would highly recommend the Medcursor. This case is round, but the massage gun is significantly smaller than most. I sometimes just throw it in my backpack and go about my day without the case at all.

Ergonomics is the most overlooked feature in my opinion. Some just feel right in the hand, and when you use them the buttons are in the right place. The Softspot, for instance, has a digital screen on the back which is great, but when you go to add pressure to it unintentionally change the speed or shut it off.

This is where I personally like the NoCry massage gun. The overall finish and build quality is second to none! Easy to grip with rubbery coating on the entire massage gun, hand positions with no harsh edges, and no accidental button pushes. Again, this comes from using these guns over months and months, but every time I go back to this massage gun, it just feels right.

Value

When it comes to value, ultimately you have to decide which of the above categories you value most, and that should heavily influence your decision about which one to buy. I’d love to know – which category do you value most? Comment and share with me as that will help me make future product recommendations!

The prices below might be different now, but here is what they were at the time of my research:

****Disclaimer: Some of the links shared below are affiliate links that give us a small commission. Despite that, we always guarantee honest reviews. We appreciate you supporting us and our research!

Best Bang for the Buck: 

As I mentioned earlier on, price matters most to me, so this puts the Medcursor at the top.

#1Medcursor Mini Massage Gun ($89)

Medcurser

Second Favorite Massage Gun:

My overall pick due to ergonomics and overall function is the NoCry. It either won or was at the top of every category as well.

#2The NoCry Cordless Handheld Massage Gun ($175)

No Cry

Others in my personally ranked order:

#3Softspot S2: ($114) Get $20 off by using our exclusive coupon code = BYDNINJAKIDS20

Softspot

#4Tokfit T2: ($160) Get $40 off by using our exclusive coupon code = BACKYARDNINJAKI

Tokfit

#5RecoverFun: ($134) Get $5 off by using our exclusive coupon code = Backyard5

#6Hing Pro ($99)

Hing Pro

#7Cheerfun ($129)

#8BeFit ($189)

#9Theragun G3 ($400)

Theragun

#10Theragun G3 Pro ($449)

#11Hypervolt ($350)

Hypervolt

#12Agitato ($99)

I hope you found value in this content! As always, if you have any questions leave them in the comments below!

Last update on 2024-03-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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