The Best Mini Massage Guns For DOMS-Defying Relief On The Go
They say small things please small minds, but we're not sure we'd agree — after all, you've got to have a fairly sensible head on your shoulders to clock that a mini massage gun is a smart investment. Small enough to chuck in your gym bag, not so pricey they'll burn a hole in your wallet and offering DOMS-defying therapy on the go, they're the thinking gym bro's companion.
Naturally, you want to understand how massage guns work before you splash your hard-earned cash. Put simply, they use percussive therapy — that's a good pummelling, to you and me — to encourage blood circulation in the muscles. This promotes and speeds up your body's natural healing processes, reducing soreness and stiffness, meaning you can get back to absolutely crushing it sooner rather than later.
Read our complete guide to recovery tools for bouncing back faster post-workout
They also happen to feel amazing on tight knots and sore spots — just be sure not to overdo it. Read our expert-backed guide on how to use a massage gun to ensure you get the best from your chosen product and don't injure yourself.
The main benefit of mini massage guns is their portability. Some larger models, while generally offering more power, are on the heavier side — some to the point that using them almost warrants another workout. However, if you're planning on using yours mostly at home, you might want to check out our complete roundup of the best massage guns, which includes larger models tried and tested by the MH team.
All that is not to say that mini massage guns can't bring the heat. While undoubtedly many are fairly ineffective (unfortunately we've tested enough to know this is far too common an occurrence), nowadays some brands are cracking the power-to-package ratio, cramming impressive RPM and amplitude into dinky devices.
What to Look For in a Mini Massage Gun
Speaking of, there are a few key factors to consider when shopping for a mini massage gun:
Speed
Clock what RPM (or PPM — that's percussions per minute) your device delivers. Most feature a range between 1800-3200, and while faster isn't necessarily better (we've found often a slower speed feels better on sore spots), it's beneficial to have a range to play with, so check how many modes your massage gun offers.
Amplitude
While not always advertised by massage gun makers, amplitude is a good measure of how effective your device will be. Essentially, it refers to how deep a massage gun can reach into your muscles and is measured in millimetres. Larger, high-quality massage guns tend to hover around the 12-16mm mark, while smaller devices will typically — though not always — offer a little less. For instance, the Theragun Mini boasts 12mm amplitude.
You might also come across the term stall force — this refers to how much pressure you can apply to the massage gun before the motor stalls out.
Weight
A mini massage gun that weighs a fair whack isn't exactly delivering on its primary objective. Convenience and portability is key, so look for models that sit at least under 700g, ideally less. Most effective mini massage guns weigh between 350-600g.
Attachments
In keeping with their compact nature, mini massage guns tend to come with fewer attachments than their full-sized counterparts. The massage heads provided may also offer a smaller surface area to work with.
Ideally you want at least one larger ball or flat head for bigger muscle groups, and one smaller, more thumb-like attachment for trigger points and niggles. Extras may include heating or cooling attachments, for thermotherapy benefits, or specialist massage heads like U-shaped, extra soft, foam or air-filled attachments.
Extras
If your massage gun is set to become your new gym companion, you'll likely benefit from a model that comes with a carry or storage case, to ensure it doesn't get knocked around too much in your gym bag. Other features worth looking out for include clever designs that enable ergonomic grip, battery life and charging method, plus any bonus items like workout guides or compatible apps.
Looking to kit out your gym? Read our tried and tested home gym equipment reviews, from Gymproluxe resistance bands to squat racks, adjustable dumbbells, pull-up bars and rowing machines.
How we Test Mini Massage Guns
Not to brag, but here on the MH team we've been testing massage guns for years now. As well as many devices having been put through their paces in our testing lab, most of our editors and writers own at least two massage guns and so can vouch for their longevity as well as effectiveness. We're au fait with the best brands and are lucky enough to be sent new releases as they drop, so we're always on top of the best products on the market.
While testing, we consider how easy the massage guns are to hold and reach different parts of the body, noise levels, ease of changing massage heads, power, battery life, handy extras and attachment versatility, as well as (most importantly) how they feel — do they offer relief on sore spots, do they move smoothly over muscles with no bouncing, do we feel looser post-massage, do they ever cause pain?
Only the mini massage guns we feel deliver on the above criteria make it onto this list.
The Best Mini Massage Guns to Shop in 2024
Every single one of our top-rated mini massage guns is on sale right now in the Black Friday sales.
Theragun Mini (2nd Gen)
Surprise, surprise, the titans of percussive therapy make an excellent mini model. Therabody's compact massager, aptly named the Theragun Mini, delivers on pretty much every front. The combined 12mm amplitude and 10kg (22lbs) stall force makes for a powerful punch, it operates via a simple single-button interface and has fantastic ergonomics, fitting snugly into small and large hands, with a non-slip silicone outer.
The three speeds are displayed via small LED lights next to the button, and the zip-up soft case means you can throw it in your bag with no worries of damaging it, although it's worth noting you can only fit one attachment inside along with the device itself.
Speaking of attachments — the Theragun Mini comes with a classic ball (great for larger muscle groups), a dampener (for tender and bony areas) and a thumb (for trigger points), and we particularly liked that they're the same size as those on the standard sized models, so you don't sacrifice surface area.
However, a little more choice in massage heads would be nice and would earn this the title of best mini massage gun overall — but this is really the only (and tiny) fault we can find.
Q2 Mini Massage Gun
The Q2 Mini from Bob and Brad is an excellent all-rounder at an affordable price point. Let's start with just how much you get for £80 (now £60): the device itself, which boasts five speeds up to 3000 PPM; five massage head attachments; a user manual complete with treatment guides; the USB-C charging cable; a couple of replacement rubber gaskets (ensuring longevity); and a sturdy, double-zipped carry case to house it all in.
We particularly like how comfortable this is to hold, plus the smooth performance and light display which shows which speed you're on. As with most mini models, it uses a single button interface, which is effective in its simplicity, but because of the five speeds, cycling all the way through them all (rather than toggling up and down) can feel a bit slow.
The combination of 7mm amplitude and 35lbs (15.8kg) stall force means you can really dig into sore spots, and the breadth of massage heads is also excellent — the U-shaped head is particularly effective on traps, while the bullet makes light work of sore trigger points, especially in the feet.
Read our full review of the Bob and Brad C2 Mini here.
Hypervolt Go 2
This is easily the heftiest contender on this list. Weighing in at 680g, it's the heaviest and also the largest mini model we recommend, and while this dampens its portability credentials, it feels very powerful as a result. And with 10mm amplitude, you can reach deep into muscles and fascia for instant relief.
The Hypervolt Go 2 comes with just two attachments — a flat head and a bullet, the idea being that this serves pretty much every muscle group large and small. We feel a ball, dampener or U-shaped attachment wouldn't go amiss, but the offering is very effective, feels great and glides smoothly over muscles and trigger points.
It is also among the loudest of the mini massage guns we recommend, particularly at higher speeds, and it doesn't come with a case — however, it feels sturdy and we've had it knocking around in gym bags with no issue. An excellent premium option, particularly if you're not too bothered about taking it out and about.
MYTI Massage Gun
It's rare for a compact massage gun to come with special features, which is why we had to include this thermotherapy option from HoMedics. When switched on, one of the five attachments (the flat one pictured), will heat up to a toasty 45°C to further encourage blood circulation in the muscles. It genuinely feels lovely — especially when it's so cold outside.
Other features we're big fans of include the design — it's super lightweight and feels good to hold, with your index finger looping around the top of the massage head barrel — and the storage case it comes in — it's small, very smart and has a place for everything, with a double zip and carry handle.
We also have to mention just how quiet the MYTI is. It tops out at less than 55db, which is comparable to a quiet home environment and means you can easily watch TV or hold a conversation while using it.
The single button control on the base makes for simple use, while small lights display which of the four speeds you're on. Being metal, rather than silicone or plastic, it feels premium too.
The only drawback? It's not as powerful as the other models on this list in terms of amplitude (the speeds are still impressive). We'd argue that thanks to the addition of heat therapy this isn't a huge issue, but if you're after intense percussive therapy, look elsewhere.
Atom Mini Massage Gun
The folks at Hydragun have absolutely nailed the on-the-go essence of mini massage guns here, packing impressive power and battery life into a truly dinky (and very luxe) device.
The sleek case contains three massage heads, covering all the bases, as well as a cleaning cloth, charging cable and a bunch of different power adaptors so you can get a bit of extra juice no matter where you are in the world. The lightweight design and incredible five hour battery complete this travel-friendly bundle. Plus the massage gun stands up on its own, making for a smaller footprint on your desk/the changing room bench.
The three attachments differ in firmness as well as shape: there's a firm flat head, a firm pointed bullet (great for pressure points) and a softer rubber ball head — although this is quite small and could pass as a thumb attachment.
On the performance front this does not disappoint. With 17.6lbs (8kg) stall force, 8mm amplitude and speeds up to 3200PPM it feels very powerful, and is fairly quiet too — it just makes a bit more noise when pressed firmly into muscles.
Carbon Go
The Carbon Go from MuscleGun is very compact, standing no taller than your average smartphone, and feels super high quality. The four interchangeable massage heads are designed to target different muscle groups (we're particular fans of the fork for running down the spine) and no matter which we used, the performance was truly excellent.
It operates via a single button and a simple colour-coded battery level indicator, so you're never caught short mid-massage. Speaking of: the massage this provides feels very powerful — largely down to that higher amplitude/stall force combo and the fact that this operates on higher speeds as standard. Such power comes at a cost though, and this is among the noisier of the mini massage guns. At the highest speeds it's also very high-pitched.
That said, aside from the short massage handle possibly not being suited to those with very large hands, we couldn't fault anything else. The battery life is great, the build quality fantastic, the charging quick (around an hour) and simple, and — most importantly — the relief it offers palpable.
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