For athletes and fitness enthusiasts, finding better ways to warm up muscles and help them recover is a major priority. Massage guns have become a trendy way to do so, with several brands offering multiple high-quality options.
Theragun is one of the biggest brands of massage guns currently available. The company offers several options, the best models being the Theragun Elite and the Theragun Pro. Due to how similar they are, choosing which massage gun is best for you is not easy, but they do have some notable differences.
The Theragun Elite is a massage gun built to help stimulate muscles before a workout and help them recover after a workout. The percussive therapy style works to get deeper into muscle tissue, and the multiple attachment heads can help focus the device on specific points in the body.
The Theragun Elite provides ample options and is comparable to the Theragun Pro in several ways. Boasting five different speed settings (the same number as the Pro), the Theragun Elite can serve as an excellent massage gun for both athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The device is also slightly smaller than the Theragun Pro, making it easier to travel with or store in a gym bag.
Additionally, the massage gun comes with a carrying case and is automatically connected to the Therabody App to help run personalized wellness routines and create customizable speed ranges.
Where the Theragun Elite stands superior to the Pro is its price point. Costing about $200 less than the Pro, the Theragun Elite is a far more affordable massage gun. This allows more prospective buyers and shoppers on a budget to choose the Elite over other options. In fact, the price difference is not huge. Hence, unless the user is a near-professional-level athlete, the Theragun Elite will be the best middle-ground option.
The biggest downside to the Theragun Elite is its battery life. While still boasting an impressive range of 120 minutes, the Elite comes up a full 30 minutes shorter than the Theragun Pro. Unfortunately, this will mean that users will need to charge the latter more often and eventually require a replacement battery.
Furthermore, the massage gun comes with only five different head attachments. Again, while this will help target the body’s contour and muscles better, the Theragun Pro comes with an additional attachment that provides even more specificity.
The Theragun Elite also has its head locked in one position, making certain body areas harder to reach, especially if the user is doing so alone.
While older options of the Theragun Elite exist, the only one available on Amazon is the 4th Generation Theragun Elite. This version comes with the latest technology from the company, as it boasts a QX65 motor built with QuietForce Technology to prevent the loud mechanical noises that many other massage guns have.
The Theragun Pro is the next step up in massage guns from Therabody’s line of products. With several additional features and a slightly bigger design, the device is often the massage gun of choice for professional sports teams and individual athletes.
While the Theragun Elite is the perfect middle-ground option, the Theragun Pro is slightly better in nearly every way. In particular, the Theragun Elite has six head attachments, unlike the Theragun Pro’s five attachments, to target specific muscle groups better. The sixth one is a larger and softer one built specifically to help with more sensitive areas, such as bones, and lightly massage out headaches.
The Pro also has a 150-minute battery life that helps users keep massaging for longer without recharging. Additionally, the Pro comes with a secondary battery of the same strength, allowing users to replace it when the first one dies. This also gives users time to recharge the extra battery while still using the Pro.
Moreover, the Pro has a rotating arm that makes the front head more maneuverable. This allows users to massage harder-to-reach places independently without straining or requiring help from another person.
The massage gun also connects to the Therabody app for additional features, including custom speed ranges and has an OLED display for battery life and power force levels.
The biggest downside to the Theragun Pro is its price point. At nearly $200 more than the Elite, the Theragun Pro may be out of the price range for some prospective buyers. Unfortunately, this may make the massage gun not worth the money for many people.
The massage gun is also larger than the Elite, making it harder to store and travel with. In addition, having more than half a pound of additional weight in your hand can make holding the device less comfortable.
Again, like the Elite, the only one sold on Amazon is the 4th Generation Theragun Pro. The massage gun uses percussive impacts instead of vibrations to reach deeper into the muscle tissue and help break down lactic acid.
The Theragun Elite and the Theragun Pros have major advantages and disadvantages that can make a difference to a potential buyer.
The Theragun Elite is a great massage gun with a lighter and smaller frame that can work at almost the same level of effectiveness as the Pro. The Elite is also significantly less expensive, making it a far more accessible option for most buyers.
The Pro is one of the best massage guns currently on the market. It can accomplish the same feats that the Elite can but with a longer battery life, a rotating arm and an extra head attachment.
For more basic users, the Theragun Elite will do more than enough to be satisfactory while saving them hundreds of dollars.
However, while much more expensive, the Theragun Pro is easily the better product and will be worth every penny if used often. As a result, the Pro is the superior choice for athletes and consumers looking for a professional-grade massage gun.
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Tom Price writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
