Here’s a sneak peek into 5 of the recommended mini guns after our testing, along with the two previous generation guns, which we think you should avoid. You also get five interchangeable foam attachments (dampener, standard ball, wedge, thumb and cone) and five speeds (1,750-2,400ppm), giving you many different combinations of surface and intensity for different muscle groups and parts of your body. You’re guided through these combinations and helped to achieve your perfect massage programme by the app. It comes with 4 attachments and a very informative instructional manual on how to use the heads. You’ll also be pleased to learn that it comes in a nicely done travel case.

However, despite its many advantages, we feel that Theragun Mini 2.0 still falls just short of the Bantam in terms of overall value: While the original Theragun Mini left much to be desired, the Mini 2.0 is a game changer in the mini massage guns arena. Its five power settings are simple to control, and range from a gentle massage to a vigorous pummelling that's suited to large, particularly tight muscles. It's seriously fast, delivering between 1,400 and 3,200 pulses per minute. And with a lifetime warranty and a 20% discount (which you can get if you use the MGA20 coupon), the Bantam is the clear winner when it comes to quality and value for the money.Rpms are impressive as well, running at 2000-3200rpm with 3 gears to separate the intensity. This is standard percussions range for most guns in this category, but it feels slightly more stable. We’ve verified the percussion range using our laser tachometer device. Quite obviously, when you shop for a mini massage gun the size and weight are two very important factors. You should know that although most massage gun brands tend to call small massage guns as ‘mini’, there are two main types as far as size is concerned. We examine and rate each of the massage guns for price, availability, design, features and battery life. We go hands-on on each percussive device by trying out the different heads across their specified uses, as well as any additional features such as heated or cooling functions. At the end of each review, we’ll tell you what kind of use, and individual, each gun is best suited for as well as a list of any weak points we found. Frequently asked questions: How do I use a massage gun the right way? Charger type: Smaller massage guns should at least afford you with a convenient charging means. A USB-C is much more suitable than a dedicated charger. Materials: As you’ll see below, some massage guns are made from metal (aluminum) while some others are plastic/rubber. From our experience, the former are better for home use, while the latter are more practical and better for people on the go (e.g. great for hiking trips).

During our test, the Q2 impressed us just like its bigger brother and we chose to include it in this guide as a result. The smaller of the two and fits here perfectly. Please drop a comment below if you have any questions or need more information. We’ll be glad to help. It has a disappointing stall force of only about 12-15 lbs (our estimation). It stalls very easily, unfortunately, and it’s feels very underpowered compared to all guns on this list (maybe except of the Dyna Mini, but Dyna is like 30-40% smaller) Just the one attachment (ball). This doesn’t give you many options unless you have a bigger Theragun with more attachments, or the new mini 2.0.The full-sized massage guns will still give you all of these, or perhaps even better, but the important thing here is the portability the little percussive devices offer you instead.

The Shavron Vibration Massage Gun is approximately the same price as the Hydragun, above, and is another excellent mid-range percussive massager. It's not as quiet, but it's lighter, making it more comfortable to hold for long sessions. A timer will cut the motor after 10 minutes to help ensure you don't keep going for longer than is recommended. Because of this, regular sized guns are a better choice for people with massive body sizes or muscles, athletes, bodybuilders or those looking for intensive percussive therapy. A mini massage gun’s motor will make a certain amount of noise when it’s turned on. There’s tolerable noise and then there’s madhouse noise levels. According to our tester, it’s a pleasure to use from the get-go thanks to its ergonomic design. It’s lightweight (no aching arms here) and the buttons are perfectly placed for easy access mid-pummel. Performance-wise, our massage experience was extremely smooth, with no painful jogging or juddering when it was moved over our joints.

In other words, when you get the device rev at 3200 hits per minute, it will continue rev as fast even after pressure is exerted (due to high stall force). If you’re a regular gym-goer who takes training and recovery seriously, then a high-powered massage gun with Bluetooth and a companion fitness app will be a worthwhile investment. If you want a device to soothe sore muscles after another long day at your desk, then look for a lightweight massage gun that offers various easy-to-attach heads and gentler speed settings. The optimum noise level for us would be less than 65dB, with the 35 dB being the ambient sound in the room. Mini massage guns tend to be quieter than their full sized counterparts, so this shouldn’t be much of a hassle. We found Shavron's muscle guide particularly useful, helping us identify which muscles we should be aiming for, and target them safely. However, because it's printed on paper rather than presented in an app (as with the Power Plate Mini+), it's a little fiddly to use with one hand while wielding the massage gun in the other. Stall Force: This is the ability of the massage gun motor to continue working under a certain amount of pressure when pressed on to the body. It affects how effective a gun can be. Basically how deep a massage you can get.

As you can see, it’s super compact and perfect in size. In fact, if there ever is an on-the-go travel massage gun, this is it. First, we’ve not seen that design before the mini 1.0. It’s interesting to hold as well. But it’s not our favorite hold. We’re just not sure if this kind of handle is the best for a massage gun.

The best massage guns to buy now

In fact, the longer the stroke (amplitude), the slower device will percuss. For example the Theragun Mini may have only 2400rpms but it makes up for the reduced speed with a 12mm long stroke. On the other hand, Ekrin Bantam has ~20% less amplitude, but revs up to 3200rpms – a whooping 800rpm difference.