Recovapro Lite Review – Is It Better Than Some of Its Peers?

Welcome to this hands-on Recovapro Lite review.

By the name, you can tell this is the “lighter” version of the big Recovapro guns. We were impressed by them – Recovapro SE and MAX. If you didn’t know, Recovapro is one of the best-known UK massage gun brands.

We thought since the bigger guns were so good, the Lite version had to be interesting as well. But not everything is great here. It’s not the worst gun we have seen, but it’s far from the best we have reviewed.

Read the full Recovapro Lite review below to find out more. We’ll also recommend alternatives worth your money.

About Recovapro

RecovaPro is probably the big kahuna among UK recovery tech companies. Its repertoire is similar to Therabody’s – just look at their store. It’s not just the store that’s reminiscent of Therabody’s thing; they also run sponsorship deals with sports organizations in the UK and other parts of the globe.

For instance:

• They sponsor Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League
• Rangers FC in the Scottish League
• Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling – UK’s leading cycling team for the last 3 years
• They have a partnership with Apple Fitness+

Again, like Therabody, they started with massage guns but have expanded to include other devices; their recent additions include compression therapy products. Interestingly though, they operate 3 demo stores where you can try the products before buying.

Long story short, this is a respectable company with a proven track record. Their products have been tested and proven.

They have also been through several redesigns and tech iterations. This is better than rivals Pulseroll who haven’t changed the appearance of their devices since the first release.

Recovapro Lite Review

Recovapro Lite Specifications

What is Included? 

Some things we found inside the packaging include:

• A good quality carrying case.
• A leather and rubber mat with the device and four attachments.
• A charger with 4 international plugs.
• 4 attachments – we’ll talk about them in a few.
• An envelope with several Hyperice-style cards, including Warranty information, a quick start guide, attachments information etc. 
• Brief operating instructions and specifications.
• 4 stickers – a nice gesture!

Design and First Impressions

The first thing you notice when you unbox the gun is the massage gun’s design. In fact, we weren’t quite sure whether we had seen anything like it.

The shape and proportions look rather new. However, this is probably the most peculiar gun we’ve seen. We first spotted Merach Evo with a similar design. 

That said, this is still a pretty unique design, and we’ll give them that.

However, when we saw “lite,” we thought “tiny,” but that’s not what this gun is; it’s bigger than tiny. It’s not the size of a full-sized gun like the bigger Hypervolts. It’s larger than the Pulseroll Mini and Theragun mini. We’d say it’s about the same size as the Hypervolt Go 2. 

Back on the rather perplexing design, the overall appearance is round or oval. There are different fun colors to choose from. We went with the sky blue one. You can decide if you want a similar one or a rose gold, space gray, pure white, or midnight black. Do the colors ring a bell? We’re thinking Apple’s iPhones, no?

That aside, the proportions for this gun are far from familiar. For instance, the bigger chunk of it isn’t the handle – the handle is the short end of the gun. We are used to those being longer. Either way, we’ll discuss why under the ergonomics section. For now, let’s talk about the build quality.

There are two metallic areas on the device – there’s some metal at the front and some at the bottom of the handle. It sure looks like metal from a distance, but is it metal? Not really; it feels like chromed plastic.

We noticed the power button doesn’t look all that great. It’s made of plastic, looks clumsy, and slightly wobbles when you touch it. It also produces rather cheap feedback when clicked. 

Our Take

We wouldn’t call this a sleek design; it’s unique, yes, but far from convincing. It lacks the premium feel we saw with the previous Recovapros.

It’s also the opposite of the rivals Pulseroll mini and Theragun mini, both of which are heavily rubberized and not all-plastic. It’s perhaps the black sheep of Recovapro devices – which is surprising.

Size and Ergonomics

We are not sure we like the approach Recovapro took here. However, there are positive things worth mentioning.

For starters, despite looking slightly larger than some mini guns out there, it’s rather light; it weighs just 666 grams or 1.46 pounds with the flat head on. Theragun mini has about the same weight. However, Pulseroll mini is lighter than both guns. 

Our biggest displeasure is with the ergonomics of this gun. Unlike what we have seen with most massage guns (T-shape with a long handle), this one has what looks like an L shape. It’s not a typical edged L, but curved.

This approach makes the handle rather short. If you want to massage your lower back, this gun might not help at all. We don’t think you’ll be able to massage your upper back either. It’s probably okay for other areas, but not places that are hard to reach. 

Also, the gun doesn’t have any rubber on its handle. The rubber helps to keep the grip firm. If you have to use it for longer sessions, holding this gun would be a problem – sweaty hands!

Another thing we didn’t like is the location of the power button (which is also the control button). It’s so easy to accidentally press it when you are using it. Even worse, if you use it at top speed, it goes off upon accidental touch. We experienced this a couple of times. 

Out Take

Overall, the device is somewhat sleek, but the ergonomics aren’t that impressive. We are guessing we’ll probably get used to it over time. However, we are sure we’ll have difficulties using it over longer periods.

Unless there is a better iteration in the future, we might be stuck with these problems for a while.

Attachments

There are 4 attachments included with the device.

They are:

• Ball head: It’s made of EVA foam and feels hard with a slight give. We wouldn’t recommend using it on clothes. It’s usually the universal attachment. 
• Bullet head: It’s made of hard plastic and used on trigger points, palms, and soles.
• Fork head: It’s sort of a double-tip bullet head. It’s used to massage the spine area.
• Flat head: It can also be used as a universal head, but it delivers a more aggressive feeling than the ball head. 

Unique Feature

The attachments can move in different directions when you press the device against your body. This phenomenon, according to Recovapro, is called a “flexible adaptive strike.”

It’s an omnidirectional movement that works to the contours of the body. Apparently, other devices have a bi-directional movement.

Anyway, we didn’t know how it felt and so we decided to test it. At first, we thought the attachment would automatically oscillate, only to find out it’s a free-play that allows you to bend the gun slightly.

The feature sounds cool, but, unless we miss something, it hardly adds any value. It’s probably unique, but in our opinion, not needed.

So, about the attachments: we have to give credit where it’s due. You rarely see a mini device with 4 attachments. They have about the same quality as the ones from Medcursor and Sportneer devices – very basic quality.

Also, they are not as excellent as the ones on both Recovapro SE and MAX. The attaching system is push-n-pull, where you need a bit of force. We love the insert-and-twist approach used on the other two Recovapros.

We hoped they would employ the same system with this gun so the attachments are interchangeable. Other brands do this for their devices (Theragun, Ekrin). There are cases when full-size device attachments can fit on their mini versions.

Also, we didn’t see any super-soft attachments for delicate areas. Pulseroll mini has a pneumatic, air-cushion attachment for this, and Theragun has one you can buy separately. 

Controls

The controls are simple here. Typical for a device of this nature.

There is a single button to operate the device. Press it for 2 seconds to activate it and quick-press it to change speeds.

There is a minor inconvenience when the device is at top speed; if you press the button again, the device shuts off. You’ll have to restart it.

However, that’s the price you pay for one-button operation devices.

Performance

In performance, we measure the three important parameters; amplitude, stall force, and percussions per minute. Let’s find out what Recovapro Lite has.

Amplitude

It’s the distance traveled by the head during percussions.

It’s probably the biggest selling point of the Recovapro Lite percussion massager. Recovapro says it’s 12mm, but we had to make sure.

Our caliper showed 11mm, about a millimeter less than advertised. That’s awesome by mini massage guns standards. Had it been 12mm, it would be the first gun to match the Theragun mini. However, we’ll take 11mm for a mini gun any day.

Just to put it into context, Hypervolt Go 2 (almost similar in size to this Recovapro) has a 10mm stroke length. Other guns include Pulseroll mini with 8mm; surprisingly, the bigger Recovapro SE has a 12mm amplitude. So the Lite isn’t really far behind. 

But what does it mean?

Well, on paper, 11mm can deliver punchy hits. It also means that, unlike most mini guns that tend to be vibrational, this Recovapro Lite is actually percussive.

In practice, it feels punchy, but does it have the stall force and fast percussions to back this up?

Stall Force

Stall force is the motor’s ability to withstand pressure.

Recovapro says it’s 40lbs. That would be awesome if true.

However, it’s disappointingly lower than 40lbs. We tested it against over other devices, and we can confidently say it doesn’t have more than 15 lbs. of stall force. Maybe a few pounds more, but not more. This means it stalls very easily.

The only other gun we have seen with a stall force this low is Hypervolt Go 1. Even Hypervolt Go 2 has a similar stall force. 

But is this okay for this kind of gun? Yes, it might be enough unless you demand more from it, in which case it will disappoint you.

It feels inferior to Theragun mini even though it has about the same amplitude – there is a 1mm difference. It’s also noticeably weaker than Pulseroll mini.

Low stall force reduces percussions per minute when the slightest pressure is used. This impacts the overall intensity and effectiveness of a device.

Percussions and Speeds

Recovapro says it’s 1500-2800RPM with 5 speed gears to go with it. There are LED indicators on the device for speeds. Given the low amplitude, we expected the top speed to rev at about 3000RPM or more.

However, our laser tachometer gave us an even smaller ranger than what is advertised. We measured a range of 1250-2300RPM.

The different speeds are as follows:

• 1^st speed setting – 1300RPM
• 2^nd speed setting – 1550RPM
• 3^rd speed setting – 1800RPM
• 4^th speed setting – 2050RPM
• 5^th speed setting – 2300RPM

The difference between the advertised percussion range and the actual figures is quite significant. You can actually tell when you first turn on the device that it doesn’t rev quite as fast as they say it does.

Noise

It’s very quiet during operation. We believe it’s partly because of the few max percussions. It has about 700-900RPM fewer than most mini devices.

The sound is smooth, and there is no crackling or rattling. On our dB meter, we measured 50dB at the lower speed and approximately 55dB at the highest speed – the background noise was about 35dB.

Overall this is great and better than the Theragun mini, which has a rough sound.

Battery

We didn’t know what to make of the battery. It has quite a low capacity; just 1200mAh – which is probably the lowest we have seen thus far. This will probably affect how long the battery stays on.

Recovapro says this battery will go for 180 minutes. However, we believe this would work if you only use it at the lowest speed and never apply pressure. Realistically, expect about 80-120 minutes, depending on your use. 

Since the device weighs close to 1.5 pounds, we expected a more juiced battery. Just to compare, the Pulseroll mini is 27% lighter but has a battery of 2500mAh.

We also miss a USB-C charger with this device. USB charging has become synonymous with mini massage guns. 

Despite the downsides to the battery, there are nice things as well. For instance, there are 4 LED battery-level indicators.

The device also comes with magnetic charging, which is synonymous with Apple’s MagSafe. It’s a nice and practical feature.

There is a charging mat included with the device. Note that the charging mat has nothing to do with the electrical transfer of charges into the device but rather a placing mat for the device as you charge it.

Warranty and Price

It’s not a cheap device. You will have to choke up £119.99 for it. This isn’t cheap by any means. You can buy it here at Amazon.

The consolation is that you are getting it from a trusted brand. You get a next-day delivery, 90 days return policy, and a 2-year warranty. 

That said, we still think the price is too steep for what you are getting. The fact that it doesn’t compliment any of the other 2 Recovapro devices means it’s not a viable upsell if you already have them – unless you adore the brand.

We believe there are far better choices for this price.

Recovapro Lite vs. Recovapro SE

Does it make sense to choose Lite over SE?

Recovapro Lite vs. Theragun mini

Theragun mini is a premium, more expensive alternative.

Recovapro Lite vs Pulseroll Mini

Pulseroll Mini is a cheaper alternative. It made using an entirely different concept, but the execution is top-notch. It doesn’t just differ from Recovapro Lite in price, it’s a totally different proposition. 

Recovapro Lite Review Summary

We’ve come to the end of our Recovapro Lite review. Hopefully, now you know what to make of the device.

To sum it up, it’s important to note that this is a decent entry-level gun. A trusted UK brand manufactures it.

However, it doesn’t perform as well as many of its peers. It also lacks consistency with other devices from Recovapro. It’s a downgrade in perceived quality, attachment compatibility, and more.

It’s probably good that it’s well-equipped, but this doesn’t make up for the poor performance and overall low quality.

We believe it’s not worth the expensive price tag. Pulseroll mini offers the best bang for the buck, and choosing Theragun mini may not be a bad idea either.