Bob and Brad D5 Pro Review – An Affordable Massage Gun Great For Muscle Soreness (DOMs)

Welcome to our latest review of one of the leading brands in massage guns – Bob and Brad. In this article, we’ll provide an in-depth and unbiased opinion on their latest release, the D5 Pro.

Bob and Brad released their new D5 Pro massage gun in May 2024, and we couldn’t wait to get our hands on it to take it for a spin.

This article details our findings, including verifying the claimed specifications and how we tested its effectiveness in treating muscle soreness and tension.

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Our Overall Verdict and Rating

We like it! The D5 Pro is an affordable massage gun retailing for under USD 170 – save a further $30 off with our discount code (below).

But don’t let the lower price point fool you into thinking the quality is sub-par. The D5 Pro offers excellent quality and performance without burdening your pocket. 

It is also among the quietest hand-held massagers we have tested, even at high RPMs!

No doubt about it, the D5 Pro is an impressive device at a great price point.

Below are some of the features which are a standout in comparison to some other massage guns in the same price range:

Bob and Brad D5 Pro Review

Feature	Specifications
Stall Force	~55 lbs (as advertised)
Stroke Length	12.2 mm measured by us / Advertised: 12.8mm
Speeds	5 Adjustable speeds: 1500, 1750, 2000, 2250 & 2500
Percussion range	1500 – 2445 RPM measured / Advertised: 1500 – 2500 RPM
Weight	2.18 lbs (measured without an attachment)
Dimensions	10.2″ x 7.4″ x 3″
Attachments	5 included
Noise (decibel)	~51.2 dB (when operating at top speed)
Battery	2500 mAh 3 – 4 hours depending on the setting / Advertised: 4 hours
Pros	Very quiet device for an enjoyable massage Excellent quality at an affordable price Fast USB-C charger with cable Good variety of attachments Ergonomic design with improved grip
Cons	To some, the device may feel large for small hands
Warranty	1-year default 2-year for our readers!
Base Price & Discount	$169.99, or get it for $139.99 when you apply the MGAD5PRO code*
Where to Buy	Check at Amazon

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What Is Included?

The device comes with a user manual, USB-C cable, power adapter, and five massage gun heads, neatly packaged together in a nice semi-rigid carry case. 

Conveniently, the attachments also have their own zippable soft pouch. It keeps things nice and tidy, and we love that! 

Bob and Brad have hit the mark with this device, offering exceptional quality inclusions. 

Moving on, let’s have a look at the device.

Design

Aesthetics, Frame and Handle

One of the first things we noticed immediately was the aesthetics – it looks nice, but the similarities to the Theragun still exist. We won’t rehash all comparisons, as we wrote about it when comparing the D6 Pro to the Theragun Pro.

However, to make just one comparison, the D5 Pro is quite a bit longer (handle shown in the image above); for some people, this may make a difference in ergonomics. Particularly for people of smaller stature, you might feel the length makes it a little awkward to hold comfortably for any period of time. In that respect, the ergonomics of the Theragun are superior in our opinion.

What is nice, is the smooth finish of the handle, giving the device a premium feel. The top of the grip features an anti-slip texture for better control even when you’re a sweaty mess.

The shape of the handle is oval, which feels comfortable enough, and the joint edges are smooth and don’t feel obvious when holding it. For smaller hands, the top handle’s girth is an appropriate size that won’t leave your hand aching after a lengthy massage.

Sticking with their D-shape design, the D5 Pro makes it versatile to reach different areas of the body with relative ease. The design lets you grip the device’s frame at the top, end, and bottom, giving you leverage to reach those hard-to-get places, such as your middle back. 

Noise

Something we love about Bob and Brad’s massage guns is how quiet they are, and the D5 Pro is no exception. It provides a much quieter massage than devices such as Theragun and Hyperice.

This has been achieved using a brushless motor and Bob and Brad’s proprietary sound insulation. Compared to the Theragun Elite, for example, where the decibels range from 60 dB to 67dB, the D5 Pro is whisper quiet at 42dB to 51dB.  

When pressed against the skin, there is a slight rattle, which becomes audible but not as much as other brands. 

Attachments

It comes with 5 different heads made of silicone and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The large ball head also comprises Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA). 

Testing the variety of heads in succession of each other, you can certainly feel how each provides a different massage experience.

At 12.8mm, the amplitude (more on this below) is still not as long as we like to provide a deep massage using the standard attachment, and as expected, there is a noticeable difference to the feel of D6 Pro with 16mm of amplitude.

Despite this, we felt the D5 Pro provided a satisfactory deep tissue massage with the large ball head attachment.

For those who prefer a gentler massage or if you’re experiencing DOMs, then we found the air cushion head attachment to be an excellent choice. This attachment provides a much softer percussive therapy while relieving the aching muscles.  In addition to the large ball head and the air cushion head, the other attachments included are:

• Standard ball head: This one looks and feels almost the same as Theragun’s dampener. ideal for overall use. It didn’t deliver a deep massage like the large ball head, but was also not as soft as the air cushion.
• Bullet head: perfect for targeting trigger points^​1​ and felt particularly nice on the feet. 
• Spade head: great for use on the shoulder blades or right in the crease of your neck. Also, the best attachment to use on your IT bands for relief.

All attachments are easy to clean and designed not to absorb sweat or lotions. 

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Massage Modes

The D5 Pro comes with 4 pre-set massage modes. Each mode delivers a different cycle of RPMs. The mode which has been selected is displayed on the LCD panel at the top of the device.

• Mode M1 – standard manual mode – you are in control.
• Mode M2 – starts at a lower speed and incrementally increases.
  This mode is suitable for muscle relaxation and recovery after workouts.
• Mode M3 – starts at a higher speed and incrementally decreases.
  This mode is recommended for muscle activation before workouts. 
• Mode M4 – RPMs change incrementally in a pyramid pattern, starting at a lower speed before reaching a top rpm of 2250, then reducing speed again.
  This mode is suitable for all applications.

Note: The device has an inbuilt auto-off timer that stops the device after 10 minutes of use. With a press of the button, you can power it back on again immediately.

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Performance Assessment

Following our in-house standards for assessing all the devices equally, we have measured noise levels, RPM, and amplitude to verify the specifications of the D5 Pro.

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RPM and Noise Levels

When starting the device, we noticed it was decently quiet, with no obvious rattles or shakes. So, how did it fair up in our tests? 

We measured the noise at the lowest and the highest RPMs. Our test indicated that the noise levels range from 40dB at 1500 RPM to 51dB at 2500 RPM, which makes it one of the quietest massage guns we have tested.

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Amplitude

We were curious about a 12.8mm amplitude—why not stretch it to 13mm? Nonetheless… 0.2mm isn’t much of a difference, is it? Well, there wouldn’t be if the amplitude was, in fact 12.8mm as stated by the manufacturer; however, when it came time to do our testing, it seemed it didn’t quite live up to this claim. 

Using a digital caliper, we measured the D5 Pro arm without attachments. As you can see from the pictures above, the amplitude measured doesn’t quite reach 12.8mm, as stated by the manufacturer. In our test, we measured the amplitude of the D5 Pro was 12.2mm.

Perhaps it was just the one device – who knows, but seeing such a deviation from their claim of almost 13mm, was a little disappointing.  

Related: Highest amplitude massage gun recommendations.

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Stall Force

Boasting an impressive 55lb stall force – almost as much as the Theragun Pro – we were keen to see if we could, in fact, stall this baby. 

We tested the D5 Pro’s stall force with a full charge on the quads. Jade could not apply enough pressure to stall the device at 1500 RPM. The additional pressure, however, provided a deep massage – but at the expense of a tired arm. But who is going to apply that much pressure for a long period of time anyway! 

Likewise, when Mario attempted to stall the device on his quads – he was unable to stall it.  The only time we were able to stall the D5 Pro was when Mario applied pressure on Jade’s leg – but even that took some effort. 

When applying pressure (read about the Pressure Sensor below), the LCD indicates the pressure level with 7 or 8 horizontal lines (because of the vibrations, it couldn’t be seen properly). The more pressure is applied, the more lines appear on the display – until it stalls. 

It’s safe to say the stall force on the D5 Pro is impressive and great for those who want to get a deeper muscle massage.

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Pressure Sensor

Bob and Brad have integrated a pressure senor to the D5 Pro, similar to that of the D6 Pro.

On the OLED display, the bars below the “Mode-M4” increase in number as more pressure is exerted on the massage gun head.

The sensor doesn’t register additional pressure immediately but only when the applied pressure is constant or increasing.

As more pressure is applied to the device, it bounces erratically, making it difficult to see what is on the display. Furthermore, the stall force is considerable, and you couldn’t apply that much pressure, let’s say when treating lower back pain and neck tension. As with our D6 Pro review, we feel the indicator is redundant.

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Battery Performance

What is impressive is their claim of an extended battery life of up to 4 hours! It has a non-removable 2500mAh battery, the same as those in the D6 Pro, Q2 mini, and X6 Pro.

We followed the battery use recommendations to maximize its run-life. With a fully charged device, use the massager once per day for 20 minutes. We confirm a new battery will operate between 3 to 4 hours (depending on the settings). 

Don’t worry, though. With the USB-C fast charger, your battery will be fully charged after only 2 hours and 15 minutes or the equivalent of 135 minutes, (our tested charge time).

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Warranty and Price

Its price tag makes it a very affordable massage gun of great quality compared to other well-known brands that offer less for a slightly more expensive hand-held massage gun.

Its introductory price is $169.99, but you get a massive discount when using our coupon.
It means you can have it for $139.99 instead. How?
Buy it on Amazon, tick the coupon box, then, apply our MGAD5PRO code at the checkout to get the discount. Buy it on Amazon.

On the other hand, Ekrin Kestrel is the stand-out and continues to offer a Lifetime warranty!

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Review Conclusion

We really like the D5 Pro from Bob and Brad. It is a quality device that delivers effective percussive therapy. We love that it’s quiet and the premium feel of the product. 

The ergonomics are good for most, with the D-shape frame and the anti-slip oval handle making massaging hard-to-reach muscles a cinch. We do feel smaller hands might struggle to find that snug and comfortable grip, given the overall size of the massager.

In saying that, if you’ve not used a massage gun before, you may not ‘feel’ its size as much as someone who has used other percussive devices – in particular, a Theragun. Combined with the large ball head attachment, we felt the amplitude was sufficient for everyday users but lacked the punch we hoped for.

While some of the other attachments provided a more relaxing massage experience, those looking for deep tissue relief would find it best to look at other products with a longer amplitude, such as the Bob and Brad D6 Pro or the Theragun Elite or Pro.

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References

1. 1.

   Lavelle ED, Lavelle W, Smith HS. Myofascial Trigger Points. Anesthesiology Clinics. Published online December 2007:841-851. doi:10.1016/j.anclin.2007.07.003