I’ve had my Theragun Prime for almost two years now, and figured it was time for a Theragun review. Plus I noticed they’ve recently switched their focus from athletes to everyday people which makes way more sense.
When I originally bought it, I was having a lot of neck and back pain. I assume from sitting at a desk all day. 🤷🏼♀️ Sadly, I didn’t have the budget for regular massages (even though, spoiler, it doesn’t replace a good massage therapist), and still don’t! I figured the Theragun would be a good investment for post-workout soreness and everyday aches and pains.
A Closer Look at Theragun: Your Guide to Finding the Perfect Fit
Theragun was founded in 200- by Dr. Jason Werslander. He’s a chiropractor that was looking for a solution to pain after a motorcycle accident. Since then, Theragun has evolved a lot. It looks way different from the original prototypes plus a lot more options in the rolodex!
The focus still remains on recovery, and honestly, it’s a great market. There’s more and more research is showing that strength training lengthens our life span and improves our overall quality of life as we get older.
To make the most of strength training, you have to build in recovery. Let me repeat that in a different way. If you don’t build in recovery, you won’t build muscle and enhance the benefits of strength training.
Theragun Lineup
Currently, there are six different Theragun models:
- Theragun PRO Plus: Percussion massage with heat, vibration, LED therapies and breathwork.
- Theragun Sense: Percussive therapy massage with built-in guide for pain and stress relief.
- Theragrun Relief: Comfortable, everyday massage for everybody (aka not just athletes)!
- Theragun Elite: Deep massage with premium features and customization.
- Theragun Prime: I believe this is the OG percussive massage for everyday pain and soreness.
- (NEW) Theragun Prime Plus: The massage components of the OG Prime combined with heat.
I’ll be reviewing the Theragun Prime as that’s what I have, and I don’t remember there were as many options before. I do remember it was more cost effective than the other options available at the time, so that’s what ultimately led me to choose it.
Putting the Theragun to the Test: Our Review Criteria
We’re narrowing it down to three criteria for this review: design & performance, user experience and a quick comparison of the Theragun Prime vs. Theragun Relief. I found this was the easiest and quickest way to break it down for someone who is considering making the investment.
Especially if you can’t decide on a specific model. The Prime and Relief are the only two geared specifically for “everybody” so if you’re not a full-time athlete, these two are probably your top two choices from the brand.
Theragun Design & Performance
When you’re looking at the Theragun, you think you understand how the handle works, but until you use it… you really don’t. At least that was the experience for me! It’s designed really well. I’m not an expert in design, so don’t hate on my layman’s terms. The handle and all of the different angles make the unreachable reachable. Therabody refers to it as the “patented triangle grip handle” that you won’t get with any of their competitors. (See photos for exactly how I grip!)
You don’t need a second person to reach the different areas like your lower and upper back. It’s like magic. Many other massage guns on the market from other big brands and the cheaper alternatives don’t have that same grip so I don’t think it would reach your aches and pains quite as well.
As far as performance, I do feel like the pressure could be a little more intense sometimes. Perhaps, an upgrade is in my future. The percussive massage takes a little getting used to too. Super weird side note, but often after I use it… I get a weird itchy feeling. The Theragun battery life is amazing. We go a LONG time without charging, and still get a lot of use.
It comes with a four different attachments: Dampener, Standard Ball, Thumb, Micro-point. We like the dampener the best, and don’t change it often. I think some of the newer models actually come with six attachments.
The other thing to note about the design, is it’s heavier than it looks! It gets tiring to hold, especially with all of the vibrations. It can get hard to hold onto for me. With that, I give the design and performance a 4 out of 5 stars!
Theragun User Experience
I’ve pretty much laid this out in design and performance, but a few additional key things to note. When you first get a Theragun, it’s almost like, okay what not? How do I use it? The Therabody app is decent, and I did get good use out of it when I first started plus tons of YouTube videos. However, I tend to just pick it up and use it in the areas I need it.
The Therabody app is pretty cool because it connects directly to the Theragun via Bluetooth. It controls the Theragun for you and tells you exactly where and how to use it. So definitely recommend using it if you’re not lazy like me!
If you do have issues with performance, most devices have a one year limited warranty. Good to keep in mind when making a big purchase!
Theragun Prime vs. Theragun Relief
As I mentioned before, the Theragun Prime and Theragun Relief are pretty similar and primarily targeted towards “everyday” people (aka not extreme athletes). So I did a little digging to see exactly how they differ:
Theragun Prime
- Price: $299
- 16mm percussive massage therapy
- Up to 30 lbs. of no stall force with proprietary brushless motor
- Five speeds and LED indicators to manage massage speed
- Bluetooth connected to the Therabody app
Theragun Relief
- Price: $149
- FDA registered medical device
- 10mm percussive massage therapy
- Lightweight
- 3 scientifically designed attachments
- Three speeds with LED indicators to manage massage speed
- Whisper-quiet
The one I have my eye on?! The Therabody Theragun Mini Massager. It’s the smallest of the Theraguns, and perfect for working sore muscles at your desk… maybe the next Prime Day sale?!
What do you think of the Theragun? Worthwhile or not? Let us know in the comments! And if there’s any other brands or products that you want us to try, DM us @whimsysoul!
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