It’s important to note that this massage gun only comes with one massage head. But it is lightweight and easily portable, making it a great choice for frequent travelers or on-the-go runners. A regular massage is typically administered by a certified massage therapist. You can book the experience both at home or in-studio, but it tends to be costly. During a regular massage, therapists use their hands, fingers, and thumbs to glide, knead, and stretch—usually treating the whole body. In recent times, a fair few Mumsnetters have been asking for advice on how to ease muscle pain after exercise and there seems to be one overriding answer: personal massage guns. As one satisfied Mumsnetter, ShirleyPhallus, reports: “I have a massage gun and it’s absolutely amazing. Gets rid of the DOMS pretty much right away.”

We also spoke to three experts to discuss what to look for when selecting a message gun. Experts we spoke to included: Massage guns, also known as percussion massagers, percussive therapy and vibration therapy, offer many of the benefits of massage without the expense or the hassle of a visit to the massage therapist. ANSGEC profession deep tissue massage gun adopting powerful brushless high-torque motor featuring Quiet Glide technology, featuring 30 intensity levels, Ergonomic design, all of which helps relax your muscles and boost blood flow, prevents DOMS, is a effective at-home device for your healthy life.These devices can help with loosening them up, but to truly eliminate knots, it requires stretching and contractions,” says Wu. Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about where we find our recommendations. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family.

The muscle guns below, marked with our Women’s Health Lab Approved logo, have been put to the test in our lab. Our expert tester has trialled them over a three-week period, using them around their hectic exercise schedule — made up of weightlifting, running, HIIT, yoga and more — to see how well each one helped muscles to recover. For beginners or those on a budget, Recoverfun’s Mini Massage Gun is a great option—it’s easy to use, conveniently compact, and super budget-friendly. But most importantly, the device delivers real results. “At the end of the day, the product is only good if you're going to use it, and I really enjoyed using this massage gun,” she said. “I reach for it after workouts, especially the day after when the delayed onset muscle soreness sets in,” she said. While training for a half marathon, our tester used (and greatly appreciated) the Theragun Mini Massager. “I felt noticeable relief of tension and tightness after use,” she said. “I am training for a half marathon and have had especially tight hips and hip flexors—the Theragun Mini has helped.” Our tester loved the versatility of each attachment but did wish for a more in-depth guide on where and how to use each one. And while she appreciated the carrying case, it would have been nice to have a clear storage spot for each attachment. Cordless and rechargeable, the best massage guns offer a choice of different attachment heads in different shapes and sizes. Whether you want to work on your shoulders, glutes, quads, spine or Achilles tendon, you should be covered.

Why you should trust us

Super Quiet and Portable Design: Adopt powerful 24V brushless high-torque motor and noise reduction technology, ANSGEC massage gun runs very quietly below 40DB. You can use this powerful but ear-friendly massager at home, gym, office without disturb others. The ergonomic single-hand grip with rubber non-slip coating, minimizes external vibrations, no wobble at the handle. This deep tissue massage gun is portable and handy, even for the elderly. Organized case for easy carry and store; Karena Wu, PT, DPT, OCS, owner and clinical director of ActiveCare Physical Therapy in New York City Use in a similar way to a foam roller; either before exercise to activate muscles and increase blood flow, or after to release tension and prevent DOMS. Or, simply when you feel your shoulders creeping up towards your ears and tension setting in. This massage gun has five quality head attachments - ball, bullet, fork, air cushion and flat - which should cover all your recovery needs. Choose between five speeds - the brushless motor can switch between 1800 to 3200rpm/minute while remaining surprisingly quiet. Professional Deep Tissue Massage Gun: ANSEGC professional electric handheld massage gun uses percussion therapy to relieve muscle soreness and accelerate recovery, which efficiently helps relax your stiff muscles, breakdown knots, boost blood flow or prevent DOMS, to increase your flexibility, extend your range of motion. Gives your professional relaxing massage experience, Anytime, Anywhere.

Percussion therapy not only provides pain relief but can also help to hydrate tissue, improve posture, enhance sleep quality and also help you warm up faster before exercise.This mini but mighty massage gun is lightweight, quiet, and comes with a carrying case—it’s the perfect accompaniment for travel. Our tester liked that it felt safe, controlled, easy to use, and provided rapid relief: “I almost immediately felt muscle soreness relief and dissolution of tension when using this product.”

If you’re going to be incorporating a massage gun into your routine, you want something that’s intuitive and easy to use. A quality device should have clear instructions for seamless operation. Some, like the Theragun Prime, even include app compatibility with how-to guides and instructional videos. The only component our tester found inconvenient was the massage gun’s shutdown process. There’s one button on the device: You press it once to turn on and four more times to get to the maximum speed level. But instead of pressing the button once more to shut it off, you have to hold it down for a few seconds—which our tester found frustrating. The device felt lightweight and easy to maneuver, according to our tester, who was also impressed with how quiet it is. Plus, this massage gun comes with a carrying case and long-lasting battery life, so you can take it on the go. Our tester noticed a huge difference in muscle tension and was surprised by how powerful yet smooth and sturdy the device was. “It’s thoroughly enjoyable and really does feel like a deep tissue massage,” our tester said. “And because it was an enjoyable experience, I was likely to use it more frequently.”

As for cheaper massage guns, these tend to have harder attachment heads (which make for a slightly less comfortable experience), a shorter battery life, or are less durable. If there's a choice between a cheap muscle gun and a more expensive massage gun that's on sale, we'd always suggest going with the one that looks like it will last the longest and is the most specced out. If it comes with a warranty, even better. Do massage guns work?