The Best Massage Tools 2024

Buyer's Guide | Fleet Feet

Updated on

Runners, walkers and athletes of all abilities can benefit from using the right massage gear to help refresh the legs, maximize recovery and keep you in tip-top shape. These powerful and affordable tools can mimic a pricey professional deep-tissue massage from the comfort of your home.

Whether you’re running once a week or every day, the best massage tools and foam rollers can help:

  • Reduce muscle soreness
  • Work out knots in muscles
  • Encourage blood flow
  • Accelerate your warmup
  • Aid recovery post-workout

Percussion guns, foam rollers and foot massagers range in form, function and price. Some are small enough to toss in a travel bag or suitcase, and others provide pinpoint accuracy to really dig into stubborn soreness or nagging knots. But you can also find larger models for fuller coverage or power them up with vibration or percussion.

We know it can be a struggle to squeeze some recovery time into your routine. That’s why we hand-picked our favorite foam rollers, massage guns and massage sticks that make us feel great and actually look forward to incorporating some self-massage into our training.

Bring on the sweet relief with the best massage tools of 2024:

Looking for something specific? Check out more of our guides on the best massage tools for recovery that dive deeper into the best massage guns, foam rollers, massage sticks and foot massagers.

Best Massage Tools
Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro Thumbnail

Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro

$329
Percussion therapy can help relieve muscle soreness and stiffness, improve your range of motion, promote circulation, and accelerate your warmup and recovery. A massage gun like this will make recovery your favorite part of the day. You can easily throw it in your bag to use pre- or post-run, or use it as you wind down on the couch at night. You’ll be amazed at how relaxed it can help you feel before bed too. With five different speeds, five different attachments and a new digital dial, this is the most powerful and quiet massage device Hyperice has ever created. No doubt a luxury item but one you’ll never regret purchasing, the Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro is a favorite among the Fleet Feet team.

Need some tips? Check out these Hyperice Hypervolt Massage Tricks with professional runner Karissa Schweizer.

Best Massage Tools
Therabody Theragun Mini G4 Thumbnail

Therabody Theragun mini G4

$199
Great for running during vacation and destination races, the Theragun mini G4 will be your pocket-sized training partner. Weighing less than 1.5 lbs, Theragun built the mini G4 for portability. The ergonomic design fits easily into the palm of your hand and comes with a standard ball attachment that’s perfect for overall use on large and small muscle groups. We love how quiet the Theragun mini is so you don’t have to worry about disturbing anyone nearby. See our full gear review of Therabody Massage Guns.
Best Massage Tools
TriggerPoint Grid Foam Roller Thumbnail

TriggerPoint Grid Foam Roller

$40
Self-massage in its simplest form, the TriggerPoint Grid Foam Roller is for times when you just need to bring it down to the ground and roll your muscles over something. This roller takes your average tube of foam and elevates it by wrapping EVA foam around a hard, hollow core that adds rigidity to the roller, so you can press deep into sore muscles. Ideal for working your calves, quads, back, lats and anywhere else in need of relief, the Grid Foam Roller has multiple foam densities and textures across its surface to mimic a massage therapist's hands.
Best Massage Tools
Power Plate Roller Thumbnail

Power Plate Roller

$90
This massage roller kicks it up a notch by adding vibration to the mix. Somewhere between a foam roller and a massage gun, the Power Plate Roller has a powerful motor with three levels of vibration, plus a rhythmic setting that helps break up tight knots and increase blood flow to your muscles. The familiar shape and grippy outer layer make it easy to reach all the right places so you can stay on top of your game and boost your recovery.

Need motivation to foam roll or don’t know where to start? Follow Coach Nate along with this 15-minute guided foam rolling session.

Best Massage Tools
ROLL Recovery R8 Massage Roller Thumbnail

Roll Recovery R8

$139
Nicknamed the “jaws of relief” just now by our team, the R8 is a spring-loaded deep tissue massager from Roll Recovery that takes the work out of traditional foam rolling to help you floss out the gnarliest knots and rejuvenate your tired legs. Massaging with the R8 also improves blood flow to flush your tired muscle of toxins and reduce inflammation left behind by your toughest workouts. It’s also an FDA-registered medical device and is recommended by physical therapists to keep your body feeling great. Some of our favorite muscle groups to use it on are the IT bands, hamstrings, quads, calves, glutes and arms. See more of what our testers thought in our Roll Recovery R8 review.
Best Massage Tools
Addaday Pro Roller Thumbnail

Addaday Pro Roller

$48
The Addaday Pro Roller is the Swiss Army knife of massage sticks for runners with a budget-friendly price point. We love bringing this massage stick along to loosen up before a run and you’ll always see runners making use of them after a Fleet Feet Running Club workout. It comes with a set of five rolling gears that range from soft to firm depending on whether you’re working on sensitive muscles or want to get deeper into the muscle tissue. The Addaday Pro Roller is great for taking long strokes across bigger muscle groups like your quads, hamstrings and calves. Plus, it has a little red ball that is perfect for really getting into your Achilles.
Best Massage Tools
Foot Rubz Thumbnail

Foot Rubz

$6
From a price to relief ratio, the Foot Rubz foot massager is a no-brainer. It’s a major upgrade from that golf ball you’ve been using thanks to flat-topped spines that mimic acupressure techniques to help loosen tight muscles, break up scar tissue and increase circulation. We love rolling this massage ball back and forth under the foot to help soothe heel pain, arch pain, and plantar fasciitis. You can use it on sore calf muscles or give yourself a hand massage as well. Plus, it’s super easy to throw in a bag to take with you anywhere.
Best Massage Tools
ROLL Recovery R3 Ortho Roller Thumbnail

ROLL Recovery R3 Ortho Roller

$35
The R3 from ROLL Recovery pairs the classic lacrosse ball feel with a more stable frame so it doesn’t shoot out from under you. It has two flared ends and an asymmetrical design that matches the shape of your foot. A bulb, situated just off center massages the plantar fascia while two grooves at the outer edges work into the surrounding tissue of the foot as well. Pro tip: this roller feels great on your Achilles and calves too.

More of The Best Massage Gear By Category

From motorized models with long-lasting batteries to classic tools of the trade, here are some of the best massage tools to bring you relief:

[This is our Best Running Gear Guide 2024. For more expert advice on the best gear for runners, check out our top lists of the best running shoes and best running clothes.]

Best Percussion Massagers

A woman uses the Hyperice Hypervolt massage gun on her quad after a marathon.

Percussion massagers use powerful motors to hammer away at knots, sore spots and tightness.

While more expensive than unpowered options, percussion massagers deliver precise work and consistent pressure with minimal effort from the user. There are also a range of models that span different price tiers; typically, these units run from around $200 to more than $500.

More money can get you more accessories or a wider range of device options, but all these massage tools do essentially the same thing: jackhammer-like action breaks up fascia and loosens muscles.

Perfect for runners, lifters and any athlete, these percussion massagers can help you accelerate your warmup and optimize your recovery.

Best Foam Rollers

A woman using the ROLL Recovery R4 foam roller

Foam rollers are one of the original recovery products, but they have recently gotten a bump in power thanks to internal motors.

Traditional foam rollers are tubes of firm foam or plastic wrapped in foam that help you massage muscles both large and small. Modern foam rollers, though, incorporate textured surfaces that can dig deeper into muscle tissue.

The new crop of powered foam rollers takes the simple art of rolling to the next level by adding vibration. Vibrating foam rollers shake at high frequencies to help alleviate aches and encourage recovery.

Best Massage Sticks

A runner sits next to an addaday Pro Roller massage stick after a run

Like a foam roller, a massage stick is a low-tech option for warm up and recovery.

A massage stick in its most basic form is a straight bar with motorcycle-grip handles on the ends. Again like a foam roller, the goal is to run the stick over muscle tissue to loosen the area and increase range of motion.

Many massage sticks incorporate rolling balls, gears or textured sleeves that can make it easier to move across skin and get deep into muscles. One of the major benefits of massage sticks is that it gets you off the floor, so you can massage muscles while sitting or standing.

These sticks also let you adjust the pressure easier than foam rollers. Massage sticks let you press harder for a deeper massager or lighten up for an easier feel.

Best Foot Massagers

A person using the ROLL Recovery R3 foot massager

You can turn any old tennis ball or lacrosse ball into an effective foot massager, but a few specialized models make it easier to keep your dogs in top shape.

Foot massagers help loosen and stretch the plantar fascia, which can help alleviate (or prevent) the dreaded condition known as plantar fasciitis. They also just feel great after a big run or a long day on your feet.

These simple tools are affordable, effective and easy to stash in a travel bag, making them great companions to your training and recovery regimens.

Recent Massage Tool Reviews

Recovery Tips from the Fleet Feet Team

How We Tested the Best Massage Tools for Recovery

With over 250 stores in communities across the country, Fleet Feet is the largest running store in the U.S. with over four decades of experience outfitting runners with the best running shoes, apparel and gear. We focus on running and walking gear, so we can be the experts and bring you the best running and walking advice possible.

Through our personalized Fleet Feet fit id® Outfitting process with 3D foot scanning technology, we use data from over 5 million foot scans (and counting) to give us unique insights into how today’s top running shoes fit and perform on a wide variety of feet. Additionally, thanks to 100,000+ runners participating in our local running clubs and training programs each year, we can see firsthand how the newest massage and recovery gear perform for all different types of runners, each with different goals in mind.

Collectively, our experienced team of Fleet Feet editors has tried, tested and fallen in love with massage tools and foam rollers from the top running brands. With this knowledge, we meticulously pour over the smallest details like performance, materials, durability, price and weight, to decide which massage guns, sticks, foam rollers, foot massagers and recovery gear are the best. From running shoe and gear reviews to workout tips and inspiration, we are your go-to source for running knowledge and motivation.

Standing Behind Our Picks

Fleet Feet knows running.

We picked the best foam rollers, massage guns and massage sticks based on over four decades of experience outfitting runners of all abilities, ages and sizes. If you buy gear from us and you don’t like the way it looks, fits or performs, bring it back within 60 days for a full refund.

Plus, we offer free shipping & returns on all orders over $99 on fleetfeet.com, and we’ll match a lower price from a qualifying retailer. That’s our Happy Fit Guarantee.