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Are you searching for a massage gun that offers top-tier performance without burning a hole in your pocket? Drawing on our extensive hands-on experience, we’re here to guide you to the perfect choice.
In the early days of massage guns, steep prices were the norm. But today, thanks to fierce competition, affordability doesn’t compromise effectiveness. You can snag a high-quality, budget-friendly massage gun that holds its own against pricier models.
Join us as we discover the best value massage guns based on real-world testing and review.
Key Takeaways:
Update for 2025: This post has been revised to reflect the current market situation. The most significant change is the addition of the Bob and Brad D6 PRO massage gun. Although it costs $250, you can get it for under $200 when using our coupon, so you get a fantastic deal. We also added more photos and linked them to individual reviews.
We first considered sports massagers that scored good points in our earlier reviews (those that scored above 4 stars). We then considered devices based on their price/value factor.
Here, we removed the expensive and the cheapest massage guns. We wanted sports massagers that give the best bang for the buck. Unfortunately, most cheap massage guns lack power – power is absolutely important in our criteria.
The best value massage guns fall within the $150-$200 range.
We’ve personally interacted with so many percussion massagers, and it got us thinking that maybe we don’t need to include Theraguns and Hypervolts.
We mean, those muscle massagers are great, but they don’t necessarily offer the best value for money. In our opinion, they are too expensive for what they offer.
However, we also changed our mind about some of our all-time favorites, including Ekrin B37S – one of the strongest and best massage guns out there that we voted as the best massage gun of 2023.
When choosing the best value-for-money and affordable massage guns, we considered the following factors:
We believe the best value percussion massager has to be an “all-terrain” device. It has to work on different muscle groups despite the level of development of these muscles.
In other words, it shouldn’t matter whether you are a regular guy or a bodybuilder; the best-value massage gun should be effective in all cases.
We define power in a massage gun by looking at its stall force, amplitude, and percussion range.
Stroke length, also called amplitude, is the distance traveled by a massage gun’s tip during percussions. Here, it could be high or low.
But which type provides better value? Is one category better than the other?
We don’t believe one necessarily is better. It’s all a matter of preference. We believe you should know what you need before you pick a massage gun to buy. Some people prefer deep hits, while others would work with vibrations and shallow hits instead.
Our Advice:
Go for the medium amplitude massage gun if you’re unsure what you want. These sports massagers fall under our “sweet spot” category, where the message isn’t so shallow but not so deep as to hurt you. And the Ekrin B37 is the best you can get here (get it here).
If you’d rather get the Theragun experience, we believe the Bob and Brad D6 Pro (our 2nd pick) will do a very good job. It’s a 16 mm high amplitude massage gun, just like Hypervolt 2 Pro or all Theraguns, but it comes at a fraction of their price (check it yourself at Amazon here).
Stall force is the massage gun motor’s ability to withstand pressure. The stronger the pressure resistance, the deeper the muscle massager can hit. But where or how does the stall force matter?
Stall force allows the best deep tissue massage on medium and large muscle groups. You can only hope for superficial tissue massage when a percussion massage gun doesn’t have a high stall force.
Superficial massages are only desirable when you want a relaxing massage; therefore, you would prefer a more vibrational than percussive therapy.
We recommend avoiding sports massagers that easily stall even when they offer a greater amplitude.
That said, low-stall force massage guns will reduce percussions per minute (PPM/RPM) when applying pressure. That means if you have a device that percusses up to 3200 PPM, you may end up with only 1000 PPM when you use some pressure.
A medium to high stall force massage gun will keep percussions steady.
How much stall force do I need?
Assuming that the device is versatile enough to allow for effective percussive therapy on all muscles, you’d need a device with 30-40 lbs stall force – ideally close to 50 lbs.
We picked devices that can work on large muscles, too.
Most high-amplitude massage guns typically have a revolution range of 2300-2700 PPM (percussions per minute), while low to medium-amplitude massage guns have a broader range of 1800-3200 PPM.
Did You Know?
PPM (Percussions Per Minute) tells you the massage head speed, while RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) refers to the motor speed inside the massage gun. In the end, both are the same.
So, when a sports massager claims to percuss up to 3400 PPM or more, it usually implies one of two scenarios: either the device has a very low amplitude—significantly below 10mm, or the manufacturer has overstated the range.
Our experience is that you either have high percussion or high percussion amplitude massage guns, but not both. It’s all about how these sports massagers are designed, so don’t get tricked into thinking otherwise!
We love sports massagers with a wide range; our beloved Ekrin B37 has a 1400-3200 PPM range – that’s broad enough to give you a slow, relaxing massage as well as intensive vibration therapy.
Most sports massagers come with 3-6 speeds. This is the optimum setup, depending on the percussion range. Keep in mind that low stall force devices slow down percussions when applying some pressure. That is why we didn’t include such devices here.
Apart from the power on a device, you also want to ensure it has great ergonomics. It’s crucial for DIY massage. Massaging your lower back and calves may be difficult, especially for bigger guys or the elderly.
We don’t believe you should go for the T-shaped, best percussion massager. We picked our top budget-friendly massage guns with good ergonomics in mind.
Examples include Theragun’s multi-grip handle and angled handles like Ekrin’s B37 or Bob and Brad D6 Pro.
The device’s weight significantly contributes to its ergonomics. A massage gun weighing 2.2-2.3 pounds is easier to maneuver than a hefty 3-pound percussion massager.
Given the importance of a manageable weight, we’ve included a compact option – the Ekrin Bantam – which tips the scales at a mere 1.1 pounds, offering a lightweight mini massage gun yet effective solution.
4.8
Let’s talk about the Ekrin B37—this massage gun. It is an all-rounder that offers exceptional value for money. In fact, in our tests, it was found to be the most versatile massage gun available today.
First, watch the Ekrin B37 video where we unbox and conduct first impression tests:
Now, here’s why it’s the best one on our list…
The Ekrin B37 really strikes a balance when it comes to power features. It doesn’t punch as hard as a Theragun, but it offers a higher amplitude than models like the Bob and Brad T2, Toloco massage gun, or the Sharper Image massage gun, which tend to have a more vibrational, superficial impact.
In our testing, we measured a stall force of 56 lbs at the fastest speed. This high level of force allows for deep, intense massages, especially on denser muscle groups, like when treating glute muscle pain, hamstrings, and lower back and hip pain.
At lower speeds, the stall force is still more than adequate for soothing massages and deep tissue massages, given a reasonable amount of pressure.
We were also impressed by its wide percussion range, which runs between 1400 and 3200 PPM and is spread across a 5-speed setup. This enables great flexibility, from slow, soothing massages to intensive, hard massages.
The ergonomics of the Ekrin B37 are unquestionable.
The battery life is phenomenal. We used it for an impressive 8 hours on a single charge—the longest among all our tested massage guns. Even under pressure and at high speeds, it could easily last for two weeks with everyday use. The credit goes to the high-quality Samsung battery.
The Ekrin B37 has four quality attachments and a sturdy carrying case, adding to its overall value.
And lastly, it’s quiet. Even at its highest speed, it’s less noisy (up to 61dB) than many other massage guns we’ve tested. It’s a powerful, reliable, and highly versatile sports massager, all at an unbeatable price.
Furthermore, Ekrin Athletics is a trusted American massage gun brand that has sold tens of thousands of sports massagers. Our experience with the Ekrin B37 only reinforces this. After two years of use, our unit is still going strong.
They offer a lifetime product warranty, so you can feel confident about your purchase. The build quality is excellent, and premium materials make it feel just as high-end as a Theragun.
The Ekrin B37 usually costs $229.99, but you can use the MGA20 coupon to get it for just $183.99 – a 20% discount.
Full Review: For more details, refer to our hands-on Ekrin B37 review here.
4.7
We initially considered featuring the powerful Achedaway Pro in this section. Still, after testing the latest release from Bob and Brad D6 Pro, we knew we had a serious contender.
This Theragun alternative offers impressive value for money. It’s packed with notable features that rival some of the more expensive guns in the market.
The Bob and Brad D6 Pro differentiates itself from the Ekrin B37 by strikingly similar characteristics to Theragun Pro. For instance, it matches the 16 mm high amplitude of the Theragun Professional.
In our everyday use, it was aggressive, much like its more well-known competitors. If you prefer a hard massager (punchy), this might be the ideal fit for you.
The stall force is equally impressive. While the advertised figure is a whopping 80 lbs, our test estimation was closer to 60 lbs. This still puts it in the most powerful massage gun category because of its excellent power range, which satisfies even the most demanding users.
The Bob and Brad D6 Pro’s percussion range (we measured it) is from 1400 to 2500 RPM and offers six-speed options. Our top pick, the Ekrin B37, offers a broader range but is nearly identical to that available in Theragun devices.
When it comes to ergonomics, the Bob and Brad D6 Pro is definitely competitive:
During our tests, the Bob and Brad D6 Pro is reasonably quiet for a massage gun with a long amplitude, reaching only 67-68 dB. This is a pleasant surprise, considering how loud some high-amplitude massage guns can be.
The battery life is also satisfactory. The device charges via USB-C, and we could use it for 2-3 continuous hours on a single charge.
This means you can expect over a week of use from a single charge with normal use. All these factors combined make the Bob and Brad D6 Pro a solid and affordable choice in the high-amplitude category.
Any cons? Well, not many:
Besides that, we found it to be a high-quality, well-equipped massage gun that costs a fraction of Theragun Pro’s, even though it performs at a similar level.
It may not be as versatile as the Ekrin B37 above, but if you are looking for a hard massager (punchy option), this is it.
You can buy it at Amazon, normally for about $250, but there is a coupon that you can use. If you apply the MGAD6PRO promo code at the checkout, you will also get an extra 10% off. The total price will be under $200—an awesome value for a quality high-amplitude massage gun!
Full Review: Read our hands-on Bob and Brad D6 Pro Review.
4.3
While the Bob and Brad X6 Pro Max may not boast the high-performance features of some of the other top guns we’ve tested, it has the unique appeal that earned it a spot on our list – its hot and cold therapy attachment and the long handle.
Not many massage guns, not even the industry’s heavy hitters, come equipped with this feature. In fact, we recently named the best heated massage gun available.
Apart from the heated mode, its elongated handle enhances its reach. We tested this function and can confirm its effectiveness.
The Bob and Brad Q2 Pro (mini massage gun) and the T2 Pro (medium size) also come with hot and cold therapy (attachment).
The hot and cold therapy function allows for simultaneous heat and percussive therapy. The heat can help alleviate pain during muscle spasms and speed up recovery, while the cold helps reduce swelling and inflammation.
To implement this, Bob and Brad provided a special attachment that warms up to 102 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit while the cold temperature range is 50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit. The attachment is charged independently.
The Bob and Brad X6 Pro Max also has 5 speed levels, 6 attachments, and is one of the most affordable options featured here. One of the attachments is made of titanium for a better deep tissue massage.
However, when it comes to performance (amplitude, stall force, and percussion range), the Bob and Brad X6 Pro Max does not disappoint. Despite advertising an amplitude of 10 mm, our tests revealed an actual 10.5 mm amplitude. This meets our vibrational criteria.
The other performance features are here:
Despite its larger size, the Bob and Brad X6 Pro Max only weighs 1.98 pounds, while the Theragun Prime or Theragun Professional weighs 2.2 pounds.
Its quality is great as expected from any other Bob and Brad massage gun. However, its T-handle makes it less ergonomic than the Ekrin B37 or the multi-grip on the Bob and Brad D6 Pro.
Bob and Brad X6 Pro Max normally retails for $139.99. However, when at Amazon, tick the box beside the Coupon for a $30 discount, so you’ll pay only $109.99.
Full Review: Read our in-depth Bob and Brad X6 Pro Max review here.
Our review score:
4.9
We can confidently say there is no better value mini massage gun than the tiny Ekrin Bantam. It’s by far the best mini massage gun on the market right now.
It also happens to be the best-priced mini massage gun (around $120 with our coupon applied at ekrinathletics.com).
In our opinion, it’s the only mini massage gun that can be mentioned in the same breath as the Theragun mini; heck, it might even surpass its Theragun counterpart (we proved it in our Ekrin Bantam review).
Here is our video where you can see the Ekrin Bantam up close and in action:
Our Take:
If you love hiking and road trips, this is your portable massager. We know because we have tested it times en route.
We discovered how great it can be during one full-body evening session. After carrying a hefty backpack for 12 hours, the massage helped calm our fatigued muscles and help us recover. For best results, try it with an ice bath session.
The Ekrin Bantam is one of the lightest mini massage guns around. At just 1.1 pounds, it’s very tiny and can easily fit in your pocket.
However, despite its miniature size, it packs quite a punch. We’re talking up to 30 lbs. of stall force – that’s right up there with the bigger (supposedly more powerful) Theragun Prime.
Even the Hypervolt Go 2 (reviewed here) doesn’t pack that kind of power, and is twice weaker than the Ekrin Bantam, even though it’s overhyped.
The amplitude is almost 10 mm – so it’s pretty good, especially for a mini massage gun.
It’s even better when the amplitude is supplemented by a nice percussion range of 2000-3200 PPM – just like the bigger Ekrin massage guns. Since this mini massage gun won’t stall easily, the percussions remain steady even when you press it against your body with less than 30 lbs of force.
Other great features include:
It’s a great bargain if you like the features that come with it.
The Ekrin Bantam is reasonably priced at $149.99. However, our MGA20 coupon gives you a 20% discount, so buy it for $119.99 only.
Full Review: Be sure to check out our in-depth Ekrin Bantam review.
Theraguns started the whole percussive therapy massage gun industry, and they have the following unique features:
We have seen other sites suggest the Theragun Elite. However, having personally used Theraguns for so long, we’d argue for Theragun Prime.
That’s because the Theragun Prime is way cheaper (regular $299 compared to $399 for the Theragun Elite). The Theragun Prime is also the most compact of all three Theraguns – Theragun Elite is slightly larger while Theragun Professional is the largest.
Also, even though Theragun Prime has a low stall force compared to Theragun Elite and Theragun Pro, in our opinion, it can still do the job for most folks. With 30 lbs. of stall force, it’s only slightly behind the Ekrin Bantam.
However, keep in mind that Theragun Prime also boasts quite a long stroke length. That intensity is good enough to compensate for the stall force – you won’t need too much pressure to get the best deep tissue massage.
But Theragun Prime also lacks some nice attachments available on its more expensive siblings, such as the Theragun Supersoft. However, you can buy the Supersoft head for $30 and the others for $20.
Our Take:
Well, in our opinion, they are great massage guns but don’t offer anything you can’t find with other sports massagers. Besides, they go for a pretty penny.
Even Therabody’s entry-level deep tissue massager, the Theragun Prime,, is almost 40% more expensive than our top pick, Ekrin B37. That’s $299 compared to $184 with the MGA20 coupon (automatically applied at check out at ekrinathletics.com).
Theraguns are also noisy massage guns. They have an annoying rough sound and are generally loud.
Their warranty is also disappointing. Theragun Prime has a one-year warranty, and Theragun Elite and Theragun Professional have two, but that’s nothing compared to Ekrin’s lifetime warranty.
Related: Other Theragun reviews are worth checking out for more first-hand information:
Hyperice is also a big name in the industry, competing with Therabody. Their sports massagers include Hyper volt 2, Hypervol2 Pro, and Hypervolt Go2.
So, let’s look at each muscle massager individually:
It’s not the strongest massage gun we tested—it’s absolutely less strong than Ekrin Bantam—but it will do the job.
We measured a 12 mm amplitude (details in review), which we consider a sweet spot and a similar range of percussions as the Ekrin B37 massage gun.
Unfortunately, we think the handle isn’t as great. Even though Hyperice made the handles slimmer by changing the shape to oval (pill-shape, as they call it), they still haven’t tilted them to make them easier to hold.
It has a better amplitude—14 mm (verified in review)—which is between Ekrin B37’s 12 mm and Theragun’s 16 mm highest amplitude massage gun. That means you can expect this one to be a hard massager.
We also found it reasonably powerful; you can expect a stall force of about ~35 lbs., which is good enough. The handle is also slightly longer compared to Hyper Volt 2’s.
We’d call it a decent proposition, but you’ll have to cough up a lot to get it. The Ekrin B37 costs half that price, and it offers superior performance and ergonomics.
It’s Hyperice’s mini massage gun. Although it’s slightly improved on the outside, it feels pretty much the same as the older Hyper Volt GO.
We measured the same 10 mm amplitude as the predecessor during our test. However, it still lacks the stall force to withstand even the least pressure, which, in our opinion, makes it a nonviable option.
To complete the picture, all the massage guns we recommend in the sections above are twice as powerful as this Hypervolt and offer better value for your money.
The two regular ones, Hyper Volt 2 and Hypervolt2 Pro are decent hand-held massagers. However, they don’t offer anything unique. They cost $199 and $329, respectively, which is too much if you consider the specifications.
Our Take:
We’d rather have the Bob and Brad D6 Pro and Ekrin B37 than these two Hyperice massage guns – they cost less (additional savings when you apply our discount codes) and are practically way better performing full body massagers.
For the record:
So, which is the best value massage gun? Well, you can find one easily today, as the market has expanded significantly since its debut. Focus on versatile, well-equipped, and powerful enough massage guns that can work on all muscle groups.
Our Take:
We have picked different massage guns, all are effective and give you great value. Need to decide now? Go for:
Any questions? Feel free to comment down below.
Take care!
Here's a quick rundown of all the tweaks and edits we've made to this article to keep it accurate and up-to-date!
Current version.
February 11, 2024: Additional minor content update for better readability and experience. (Author: Mario)
January 13, 2024: Added Bob and Brad D6 Pro as our number two recommendation. This follows our in-depth review of this device. We also added more photos, and linked to individual reviews. (Author: Luke)
Published on:
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Written by:
Greg Szostak
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Great article, that Ekrin seems to be hitting all the right buttons for me.
“Not biased”, but the B37 is the best value when the Lifepro Sonic X is the exact same thing and cheaper?
Jeff, thanks for the comment. The devil’s in the details, so let me explain a few things.
First, the current Lifepro Sonic X is nowhere close to Ekrin B37. Granted, it used to be nearly identical to the B37, which we indicated in our review back then, but last year they replaced the product with a device that is more like the entry-level Ekrin 365 than the more advanced B37. Therefore, you should compare it directly to the 365 model, not B37.
Lifepro kept the model name and more or less the same price, but the product inside is different now. Many customers wouldn’t notice the change, including yourself, but if you take a closer look, you will see that the current Sonic X has a slimmer, and longer handle, USB-C charging, smaller battery (1600 mAh vs. 2550 in the old one), power meter and master power switch at the bottom – just like the Ekrin 365 (B37 and old Sonic X didn’t have those). And quite obviously, since the 365 and Sonic X are entry-level devices, their performance is inferior to the B37.
Second, the price. Ekrin 365 is cheaper than the current Sonic X. You can buy it for $143 with the MGA20 discount code vs. $157.5 at lifeprofitness.com with the MGA10 code).
So yes, we think the B37 is an excellent value for the money device, and we don’t like the trick Lifepro did to keep selling different hardware under the same name.
With all that being said, we need to update our old Sonic X review to reflect the change of the device, and we will do it soon.