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This is another Bob and Brad massage gun we are reviewing this year. But the Bob and Brad D6 Pro may be the most interesting of the Bob and Brad brand we have seen yet.
We’ll be looking at whether this sports massager is a worthy muscle massager. Or is it the Theragun Pro knockoff that it uncannily resembles?
Welcome to this in-depth Bob and Brad D6 Pro massage gun review.
We will say a few things at the end of this Bob and Brad D6 Pro review.
This is an awesomely 16 mm amplitude sports massager combined with a powerful ~60-lbs stall force (our estimate). It’s well-designed and of fantastic quality. It’s one of the most affordable massage guns (in the 16 mm amplitude category). It gives you the best deep tissue massage or trigger point massage.
It has 7 massage gun attachments (including a soft air-cushion head), 6 speeds, and a lockable rotational head with 6 positions. This allows you to find the best angle and grip for holding the sports massager on hard-to-reach areas, such as when treating pain in lower back and buttocks.
But the resemblance to the Theragun Pro is appalling. Its value for money is amazing (less than the price of Therabody’s smallest massage gun, the Theragun mini), and it is one of the best sports massagers at the moment. Still, like any other sports massager, we don’t know how it will hold in the long run (i.e., noise, battery, and motor performance).
TIP: If you haven’t heard of Bob and Brad, they are perhaps the most famous physiotherapists online. Their YouTube channel has close to half a billion.
Our review score:
4.7
| Feature | Bob and Brad D6 Pro Specs |
|---|---|
| Stall Force | ~60 lbs (advertised: 80 lbs) |
| Stroke Length | 16 mm |
| Speeds | 6 |
| Percussion range | 1460 – 2460 RPM (advertised: 1500 – 2500 RPM) |
| Weight | 2.86 lbs (measured with a flat attachment) |
| Dimensions | 10.5″ x 7.6″ x 3.1″ |
| Massage Gun Attachments | 7 included |
| Noise (decibel) | ~67.1 dB (on top speed) |
| Battery | 2500 mAh 1.5 – 2 hours (advertised: 3 hours) |
| Pros | Very powerful True to specs USB-C charging Adjustability Nice Attachments Good Ergonomics |
| Cons | Heavy Non-removable battery Too Theragun-ish? (lack of uniqueness) |
| Warranty | 1-year default 2-year for our readers |
| Base Price & Discount | $249.99 before coupon Apply the MGAD6PRO3 code for the extra 10% off* |
| Where to Buy | Check at Amazon |
First, we have to talk about the carrying case, which is reminiscent of all other Bob and Brad massage gun cases. It’s a semi-hard case, a single zippered bag.
It’s perhaps the first real difference from the Theragun Pro Gen 5. The Bob and Brad D6 Pro case is softer and possibly better than the one on a Theragun Pro (see it in our review here). It looks sturdy and likely to last a while.
We also like how compact they kept it—just enough to fit the sports massager, the massage gun heads, and whatever else needed to fit in there.
A small pouch carries the massage gun attachments, which is awesomely convenient.
The manual, which includes the sports massager’s specs, is also included. It has very well-written “how to use” information—probably the best we have seen in a while. It’s 86 pages long and contains lots of information and pictures.
We also found a USB charger and two spare gaskets for the massage gun attachments.
Now, back to the Bob and Brad D6 Pro itself…
If we didn’t know better, we’d say this design looks similar to the Theragun Pro.
Maybe it’s not the pretty triangular shape of the Theragun Pro, but there’s no mistaking that someone was referencing the Theragun Pro when they designed this one.
Either way, it’s not that bad. We’d say that the quality is excellent and almost comparable to that of the Theragun Pro.
It’s nicely built with decent-quality materials. The body is all plastic, but it’s good-quality plastic. We love the sleek finish with rounded edges—it looks very modern. The frame is covered in rubber to enhance grip.
Another thing we noticed (put that in the differences bucket) is that there is no aluminum plating, as on the Theragun Pro, which is the motor cover. That aside, there is no denying that the Bob and Brad D6 Pro could resemble the Theragun Pro (a classic case of “copy everything but don’t make it obvious”). What are we talking about?
The OLED display is located in more or less the same place as on the Theragun Pro. Even though the ergonomics have been slightly tweaked, the percussion arm is painted glossy black, even as the rest is matte black. It’s the same thing as the Theragun Pro.
As you will see in other sections of this review, there are even more similarities.
Our Take:
The Bob and Brad D6 Pro is a highly impressive massage gun at first glance.
The build quality and everything else are on point (if you like). If you have seen the Theragun Pro (if not, here is our review), you might know what we’re on to. But is this a good thing?
Well, this is likely awesome for customers. But we’re not overly impressed by how uncannily similar it is to one of the most popular massage guns (Therabody Theragun).
We know that Therabody has patented1 the overall design of its massage guns, including some features. We know that even the massage gun attachment design and other features are patented. It helps to keep them unique, something we like to applaud whenever we mention Therabody.
The Bob and Brad D6 Pro looks like a copycat of the Theragun Pro. We’ll give them credit for not making everything similar. But we have mixed feelings about this.
Nevertheless, we are not expert designers and didn’t take part in making this massage gun. We can only give our honest assessment based on the experience we have gathered using massage guns.
No doubt, customers will want to buy this affordable Theragun Pro knockoff.
This large sports massager measures 10.5 inches high, 7.6 inches wide (without the massage gun attachment), and 3.1 inches thick.
It weighs 2.86 pounds (or 1299 grams) with a flat head massage gun attachment mounted, about the same as Theragun Pro gen 5, which weighs 2.82 pounds with the ball head-mounted.
If we consider the sports massager weight standard, this is one of the heaviest on the market. Holding it for longer will fatigue your arm.
But, the Bob and Brad massage gun brand ensures you get an ergonomic sports massager that sort of mitigates the extra weight problem. When discussing ergonomics, we must mention how similar it is to Theragun Pro, but the devil is in the details.
Bob and Brad massage gun brand avoided Theragun’s signature triangular shape and opted for a D-shape with two handling areas—should we call them handles? Even then, Theragun’s shape is better because you have three handles. Even the angling is better.
This D-shape adopted by Bob and Brad D6 Pro doesn’t offer plenty of angles to work with. In fact, the two handles feel pretty similar. However, we noticed that the distance between the handles makes one handle better for massaging the front muscles (like trapezius muscle pain). In contrast, the other handle is better for massaging the back muscles or glute muscle pain.
The bottom and upper handles work the same way and help you with a proper trigger point massage. But they are not as versatile as Theragun’s handles. These ergonomics are superb for such a large and heavy sports massager.
But why didn’t they go for Therabody’s patented triangular shape? Your guess is as good as ours. We’ll refer to what we alluded to earlier: a case of copying but not making it obvious. Even so, you can’t help but see the similarities.
That said, we know that Therabody furiously fought against imitators, including guns with the D-shape. Remember the once-popular Kraftgun Force and Lifepro Pulse FX?
Both sports massagers no longer sell due to Theragun’s legal action. We’ll see how long this one lasts.
That aside, we like the material on the handles—slightly rubberized plastic. But we don’t like the shape of the handles. Instead of round, they opted for plain oval with edged sides. The edges feel slightly rounded, but not enough for our liking. You feel discomfort from those edges when you hold the Bob and Brad D6 Pro for a few minutes.
Another key feature we noticed here is the arm’s adjustability. Again, the massage gun’s arm is adjustable, just like the Theragun Pro’s.
But they made it slightly better. Instead of four, the Bob and Brad D6 Pro has six lockable positions. A push button allows you to adjust the arm from 0 to 90 degrees.
Our Take:
We like the ergonomics here, but we’d go for the Theragun Pro—it holds better. The Bob and Brad D6 Pro is heavy and may be challenging for small people to hold for long.
However, you can adjust and hold the rotatory arm at multiple angles. Bob and Brad massage gun brand worked on improving ergonomics.
They are different – perhaps the part where they didn’t want to make it so obvious?
There are two buttons here. The top button turns the sports massager on or off—press and hold to switch it on or off. You can also use it to increase speeds by quick pressing.
If you quick-press the lower button, the speed decreases. Long-pressing it changes the massage mode – we will discuss the modes later in the article.
There are 7 attachments included here. The set is of good variety and superb quality. We felt the material used to make the attachments resonates with the Theragun Pro. The attachments are soft.
The massage gun attachments included, per Bob and Brad’s naming:
Our Take:
The value here is incredible – you get 7 useful massage gun attachments. The quality of the set isn’t bad, either.
But they also look very Theragun-ish. We had some negative things to say about the Theragun set, remember? Some of the heads feel the same way.
For instance, the damping and the standard ball massage gun attachments. We would’ve also loved it if they included a fork attachment, which Theragun doesn’t have either.
That said, we like this set anyway. We are only wondering why they made them very similar to Theragun attachments.
We obviously cannot know what Bob and Brad’s massage gun designers thought when they created this sports massager. However, this will be interesting, given that Theragun has patented some of its massage gun attachments.
We guess Therabody’s lawyers may be busy now trying to earn their pay. We’ll see how things unfold in the days to come.
It would be a shame if a Theragun knockoff didn’t have stellar performance features. We checked the amplitude, stall force, and percussions per minute—collectively known as “power.”
Also known as stroke length, it’s the distance the head travels as the gun percusses.
The advertised amplitude here is 16 mm. Surprise! Indeed, it’s 16mm. We confirmed it with our digital caliper.
This is only the third gun with a 16 mm stroke length. The others are the Achedaway Pro, Theragun Pro, Theragun Elite, and Theragun Prime.
TIP: This massage gun’s high amplitude can deliver heavy punches and the best deep tissue massage. However, it may feel too aggressive for some people. In that case, you can use the air-filled massage gun attachment.
Bob and Brad Massage Guns have just released a mini massager called the Bob and Brad Q2 Pro Mini Massage Gun. It has a 7 mm amplitude, a decent 35 lbs of stall force, 5-speed, and easy button operation (more details here).
Related: Highest amplitude massage gun recommendations.
It’s the pressure it takes to stop a massage gun’s motor.
We have seen most massage guns imitate the Theragun in all other aspects but fail miserably regarding stall force.
We thought this Bob and Brad massage gun would be the same. Based on other Bob and Brad sports massagers, we had reason to be pessimistic about the Bob and Brad D6 Pro. We were wrong!
The Bob and Brad D6 Pro is an absolute monster, a hard massager. Although the 85-lbs max stall force is exaggerated, it is a powerful massage gun.
We pitted it against our Theragun Pro, and the stall force felt the same. Translating that into figures means you should expect a robust 60-lbs stall force for this sports massager.
Believe us, it feels almost impossible to stall. The gun doesn’t slow down when applying pressure, even at the first speed. Expect a powerful and best deep tissue massage!
Given the high amplitude and powerful stall force, we wondered what the percussions would be. We like the percussion range allocated here. The advertised range is 1500 RPM to 2500 RPM.
We used our laser tachometer to confirm this. We measured 1460 RPM to 2460 RPM, which is very close to what they say. Again, this is reminiscent of Theraguns.
There are 6 speed settings. This is different from the 5-speed seen on Theraguns.
The manufacturer didn’t include Bluetooth connectivity with this Bob and Brad D6 Pro sports massager. Unlike the Theragun Pro, this one doesn’t have an app with customized massage speed settings.
If we compare it to the other gun with a 16 mm amplitude, Achedaway Pro, this one has about 300 RPM less at maximum speed. Even so, this doesn’t diminish what this gun can do. We believe it’s an absolute monster and great for the best deep-tissue massage.
Even though you won’t have access to connectivity and App assistance, you still get 4 massage modes. You can select a massage mode by long-pressing the lower button indicated with an M. Then, you can choose the mode you want by pressing either the upper or lower button.
The modes are as follows:
The M4 mode impressed us the most. It’s the best everyday mode and is great for warm-up sessions before a workout.
It has a pressure sensor, too.
Yes, like the Theragun Elite and the Theragun Pro, it has a built-in pressure sensor. When you exert pressure, the OLED display shows a bar scale with the corresponding pressure level—you guessed it, just like Theragun! But…
They could’ve executed this much better. Unlike the Theragun, the sensor detects the first pressure level later than expected.
It records when more pressure is applied rather than sensing the slightest initial pressure. The more you press, the more the Bob and Brad D6 Pro shakes, and the screen becomes unreadable. You must have a sharp eye focus to capture an accurate reading. In practice, it barely works.
Our Take on Performance:
This is absolutely one of the most powerful massage guns out there. It matches the Theragun Pro and is way more powerful than the Theragun Elite, even though it costs much less.
If you need a super-aggressive massage, this sports massager is for you. The percussions won’t slow down when you apply pressure.
The long stroke length hits deep but not as fast as guns with lower amplitude. Even so, 2500 RPM for a high-amplitude gun is decent. We like the dynamic modes, too.
They could’ve done better with the pressure sensor, but it doesn’t hurt anything else.
The Bob and Brad D6 Pro is superb!
Despite having the highest amplitude in the business, it’s a relatively quiet sports massager.
We know Theragun struggled to keep their sports massagers quiet. But their new Theragun Pro 5th Gen is quieter than the Bob and Brad D6 Pro. The Bob and Brad D6 Pro maxes at 67.7 dB, compared to the Theragun Pro’s 66 dB.
When we used it, it sounded okay. We noticed that the sound is similar to the Theragun Pro Gen 5’s (at this point, the surprise muscle is exhausted!) We heard no rattling or creaking noises, even when pressure was applied.
We figure that all has to do with the good build quality. We left it running to see if it heated up or if the attachment popped out (it happened with our Bob and Brad T2 massage gun), but it worked okay.
It has a 2500 mAh battery, which is the standard size for most sports massagers today.
It’s a non-removable battery. Theragun Pro has a removable one—the same as the Achedaway Pro.
It has a USB-C charging cable, just like Theragun Pro Gen 5, and it also comes with a charger. This is great because it can charge 5V to 12V.
Can you expect 3 hours on the battery, as they promise? We believe they were being too optimistic. To get 3 hours, you’d have to use the Bob and Brad D6 Pro on speed 1 and not apply any pressure.
We believe that, realistically, it would last 1.5 to 2 hours on average, even when you use pressure and dynamic modes. This still means you get a week before charging it again.
Talking of charging, it takes 210 minutes to charge the battery fully. The battery indicator is visible on the OLED screen. It has overheating protection. You will see an icon on the screen. You will then have to let your Bob and Brad D6 Pro rest for 30 minutes.
We are not sure how long the battery will last. We’ve had it for about three weeks now and are waiting for time to judge it.
Given how it performs, we’ll say it’s wonderfully priced.
It currently retails for $249.99, but you can get it cheaper. First, tick the coupon box on Amazon. Then, apply our MGAD6PRO3 code at the checkout for a 10% discount. The price should be below $200—great value. Buy it on Amazon.
However, we are not sure about the sports massager’s long-term reliability. By default, it has a 1-year warranty. We’d say Theragun Pro may feel safer as it offers a 2-year warranty, albeit more expensive. But keep reading! We can get you a 2-year warranty on the Bob and Brad D6 Pro!
WARRANTY EXTENSION
Bob and Brad Massage Guns brand contacted us recently and offered our readers an exclusive one-year warranty extension!
After you buy the Bob and Brad D6 Pro or any Bob and Brad massage gun, contact [email protected], provide your order number, and include the phrase “Massage Gun Advice Warranty Extension” – your warranty period will be extended.
What the Bob and Brad D6 Pro sports massager has that Theragun Pro doesn’t:
Where Theragun Pro G5 beats Bob and Brad D6 Pro:
Similarities:
Price
Our Two Cents:
This Bob and Brad D6 Pro is so similar to Theragun Pro that we don’t know what to think.
That said, some customers who can’t afford Theragun Pro will be happy to get the best cheap massage gun option to the Theragun Pro-like gun.
But could it also be ethically wrong? If Theragun has spent so much energy and resources making a unique sports massager, here you have a competitor who clones the best features. And then sells it at half Theragun Pro’s price.
From what we have seen in the past, Theragun may not sit this one out. This Bob and Brad D6 Pro may soon follow in the way of Kraftgun Force and other copycats. For now, however, all we can do is speculate. Maybe there’s a uniqueness to this D6 that is all Bob and Brad – even though most features look copied.
But one thing is for sure: the value of money on this hard massager is simply hard to beat. We don’t know about the long-term reliability of the Bob and Brad D6 Pro massage gun, but it will hold for now.
In Achedaway, you have a proven brand with an equally powerful device.
Achedaway Pro is a powerful Theragun Pro option that is way cheaper than Theragun. It has the same powerful features as those on the D6 and Theragun Pro.
Achedaway Pro has a 16mm stroke length if you like a high-amplitude gun. It’s backed up by a powerful stall force of up to 60 lbs.
We don’t think the D6 has the 80 lbs. it’s touted to have, but it feels a tad stronger at lower gears than the Achedaway Pro.
The Achedaway Pro is also one of the few high-amplitude massage guns that revs fast. It can rev up to 2800 RPM—300 RPM more than the D6 Pro.
It comes with a non-adjustable arm but has a removable battery instead. The battery is juicier than the D6 Pro’s—3200mAh vs. 2500mAh. Even with the large battery, it’s lighter, weighing 2.7 pounds.
You won’t get multiple grips like the D6 Pro, but the angled handle works fine. You also get 4 “unique” attachments—two are aluminum coated.
It’s probably the quietest, high-amplitude massage gun out there. Expect no more than 66 dB at high speed. The sound is smoother, too.
It has a 2-year warranty, while the D6 Pro only has a 1-year warranty (unless you contact [email protected] with your order number and mention our website name—you will get a free one-year extension to match Achedaway’s two-year period).
Its price is similar. It sells at $239 with the MGA60 code.
READ MORE: In our hands-on Achedaway Pro Review.
Summary
The Bob and Brad D6 Pro is a well-equipped and amazingly powerful massage gun with impressive performance specs. It is one of the best massage guns for demanding users who need a punchy, deep-tissue massage for sore muscles after the gym.
However, the resemblance to the Theragun Pro Gen 5 is baffling.
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.
December 29, 2023: Small content corrections, updates to recent product prices, and enhancements in internal linking. (Author: Greg)
July 27, 2024: Added information about a free one-year warranty extension available to our readers. (Author: Luke)
August 7, 2024: Added our video review to complement this written analysis. Now you can visually explore the unboxing, attachment overview, stall force tests, and charging instructions. (Author: Greg)
Published on:
•
Written by:
Luke Deszczulka
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