7 Best Massage Guns, According to a Personal Trainer

With five built-in speeds, this best-in-class massage gun from industry-leader Theragun comes with four attachments and integrates via Bluetooth to pair with the Therabody app to remotely adjust speed and follow along with guided treatment routines. But you don't need the app to work the device; LED indicators on the side show the level of speed and let you work at your own pace. The overall design is simple to use but effective.

Lab results: The Theragun Prime secured our top spot thanks to its powerful amplitude (the distance of the head as it moves back and forth which indicates how deep the gun can get into problem areas), decent stall force (the amount of pressure it takes to stop the massage gun motor), ergonomic handle that made it easy to access tough-to-reach spots and a superior feel that provided greater muscle tension relief and recovery than competitors. It's pricey, though not as expensive as the Theragun Pro or Theragun Elite (more on those later) and still offers optimal control and power during your session. The attachments are some of the most well designed that we have seen, with the dampener attachment better for total body use and tender muscles and the cone attachment designed for a more intense moment. Overall, Theragun technology provides superior performance to any other massage guns that we tested.

Best for: Athletes, intermediate and advanced exercisers, physical therapists and fitness professionals.

Coming in at under $100, this popular massage gun from RENPHO offers five unique attachments and a carrying case. The lightweight but powerful device goes up to 3200 RPM and has an upgraded handle for ease of use. You'll also find a convenient 10-minute auto-shut off feature which helps preserve battery life.

Lab results: For the price point, our experts say you can't beat the value and performance of the R3. The five attachments alone offer great variety and the device is quite powerful, with a range of 1800 to 3200 RPMs and max force of 35 pounds to accommodate for whatever level of recovery you need. Serious athletes may want something with a higher amplitude, but for beginners and intermediate activity levels this massage gun is a solid choice. Our fitness pros also love that you can get 150 minutes of working time before needing to charge the device, though it does take three hours to re-charge until your next session.

Best for: Beginner, intermediate and advanced exercisers.

Small but powerful, this portable massage gun from favorite Hyperice is designed to stow in your gym bag for recovery on-the-go and even travel with you (it's TSA approved for carry-on). You'll get three hours of use time before needing to charge it. Many will appreciate the uncomplicated design and simple but effective attachments.

Lab results: Our experts love this pick for beginners since it comes at a decent price point and doesn't overwhelm the user with too many attachments or speed levels but is still a high quality device. The Hypervolt GO 2 is simple to use but unlike its predecessor, it does not pair with the Hyperice app. Although it doesn't come with a carrying case, the massage gun is lightweight and easy to stow in your purse, backpack or carry-on.

Best for: Travelers, beginners through advanced exercisers, athletes.

Those looking for even more portability will appreciate this innovative mini handheld massage gun from Theragun. The small but mighty device has three speeds and three attachments and can be easily thrown into a jacket pocket or bag. While it may not be as versatile as others on the list, it gets the job done in an extremely convenient size and style.

Lab results: Our experts appreciate the compact size and varied attachments of this improved offering from Theragun. For the size, it generates a good amount of power and also has a 150 minute battery life. Our fitness pros point out that this upgraded second generation version is smaller and lighter than the original Theragun mini and also offers Bluetooth connectivity to the Therabody app for guided treatment routines. It can be difficult to reach certain areas given that it doesn't have a traditional massage gun handle and it only has a stall force of 20 pounds, but the mini 2.0 does the job especially when on-the-go.

Best for: Travelers, beginners through advanced exercisers, athletes.

This well-rounded massage gun from Ekrin Athletics offers up to 56 pounds of stall force and four unique attachments plus a convenient carrying case. You'll notice the angled handle that is designed for grip at different angles for various purposes. The lower handle gives maximum reach, while the upper handle grip provides precision and power. You can even double grip the lower handle and upper tower at the same time for an even deeper feel.

Lab results: The unique angled handle put less strain on our wrists and made it easy to target areas that tend to be difficult to reach. The round foam attachment is gentle but effective, and the more unique fork attachment is great for work on the spine and neck. The wide range of built-in speeds is ideal for relieving sore muscles at any level. We don't recommend traveling with the device, however, since it utilizes lithium-ion batteries. But it is the only massage gun on the list that offers an impressive lifetime warranty.

Best for: Athletes, beginners through advanced exercisers, physical therapists and fitness professionals.

With a solid stall force and wide range of six speed levels, the Sportneer Elite D9 comes at a decent price point and offers great variety. The lightweight device works with a one-button control which makes it easy to navigate during your recovery session.

Lab results: The six different attachments provide a ton of options for varied levels of recovery and pain relief on sore muscles throughout the body. It's on the lower amplitude side but does the job. Our experts do note that the massage gun cuts off after about 20 minutes, but we were impressed with the long battery life. Two of the heads come with a unique chrome finish in which massage oil can be applied and then easily cleaned, which can be especially helpful on painful sore muscles.

Best for: Beginner and intermediate exercisers.

A top performer in our tests, the Theragun Pro comes at an exorbitantly high cost but you're paying for one of the best and most powerful muscle recovery experiences in the category. You'll find six well-designed attachments and a unique four arm position to help create the best angles to reach nearly any area on the body.

Lab results: Although it comes at a hefty price point, no other massage gun compares to the level of depth and recovery that the Theragun Pro offers. You can connect via Bluetooth to the Therabody app for guided treatments and presets, but the OLED screen displays the force as well. Designed for serious athletes, the attachments all serve a purpose, and the impressive stall force of up to 60 pounds is unrivaled in the industry. The new micro-point attachment is not for the faint of heart and delivers intense stimulation. We also loved that the Theragun Pro comes with two batteries, both with 150 minutes life for 300 minutes total if on-the-go.

Best for: Serious athletes, advanced exercisers, physical therapists and fitness professionals.