Rapid tension relief guns have increased in popularity over the past few years. With the number of knock off brands you find on Amazon and other websites, they are obviously popular! But don’t get fooled by the cheap, plastic versions of the rapid tension relief gun. Instead, opt for the best quality for the best price that has been backed by research.
This is what I’m going to give you within this article. So here is my top pick and runner up for the best rapid tension relief gun.
Best Rapid Tension Relief Gun Proven By Research – Hypervolt by Hyperice
Runner Up Rapid Tension Relief Gun – Theragun Pro
Features |   Hypervolt Hyperice |   Theragun Pro |
|---|---|---|
Speed Settings | 3 speeds | 5 speeds |
Maximum Speed | 3200 RPM | 2400 RPM |
Attachments | 6 | 6 |
Battery Life | 3 hours | 2.5 hours (5 with two batteries) |
Sound | Quiet | Quiet |
Weight | 2.5 lbs | 2.87 lbs |
LED Screen | No | Yes |
Mobile App | No | Yes |
Cordless | Yes | Yes |
Price |
However, just telling you what I think is the best rapid tension relief gun isn’t enough as you don’t have any information to go by. So here is a breakdown of each product and the current research that has been published about percussive massage guns.
Hypervolt by Hyperice: Best Rapid Tension Relief Gun
Speed Settings
This is what really sets the Hypervolt apart from other brands. The Hypervolt can reach percussive speeds up to 3200 RPM. Meaning that’s 3200 quick and fast vibrating pulses per minute being rapidly pushed into your muscle.
It has 3 speed settings so you can start slow and work your way up in speed as part of your warm-up or you can stay at a slower speed if you are relaxing at home.
Attachments
The Hypervolt comes with 7 different attachments so you can attack any part of your body you need to.
Battery Life
The Hypervolt has the longest battery life I’ve seen put of any rapid tension relief gun coming in at a whopping 3 hours after being fully charged.
Sound
This model is one of the quietest you will find using their Quiet Glide technology so if you are out in public, at the office, or watching TV at home, you won’t be disturbing anyone.
Dimensions
The Hypervolt weighs only 2.5 lbs and is reasonably sized at 5.23” x 3.25” x 10” which is small enough to fit into your gym bag. You can also use their portable carry case if you want to keep it very protected when traveling.
Theragun Pro: Runner Up
Regarding its effectiveness to induce changes in range of motion within the muscle, I would assume you would see similar results to the Hypervolt as was found in the above study due to the similarities in devices. So I wouldn’t discount its ability to do that.
Speed Settings
The speed of the Theragun Pro doesn’t quite match the Hypervolt coming in at a maximum of 2400 RPMs. However, they have 5 different speed settings making it very versatile. Speed is changed through their app which in my opinion, is not such a great feature as I’d rather just change the speed through the screen on the device.
Attachments
The Theragun Pro comes with 6 different attachments so you have a wide variety to choose from.
Battery Life
Battery life for the Theragun Pro lasts 2.5 hours. However, the device comes with two batteries which you can swap out giving you a total of 5 hours. Because you can charge your other battery while you use your device, you can continually swap between them so you never run flat.
Sound
Theragun Pro uses QuietForce Technology to keep the device as quiet as possible so you can use it in almost any situation (maybe not the movie theatre?).
Dimensions
The Theragun Pro weighs in at 2.87 lbs with package dimensions of 12.75” x 10.75” x 8.25” which means it can also fit into your gym bag.
Hypervolt vs. Theragun Pro
Overall, you can’t beat the price of the Hypervolt as it is over half the price of the Theragun and essentially does the same job without a fancy LCD screen and an app. If you are a technology fanatic and have some spare cash, then the Theragun may tickle your fancy with the mobile app.
What Are Rapid Tension Relief Guns?
Rapid tension relief guns are also known as percussion devices or percussive massage devices. They are handheld devices that allow you to “massage” yourself. What makes them unique compared to foam rollers or massage roller sticks is the rapid pulsing of the massage device “head.”
How Do You Know If Rapid Tension Relief Guns Work?
To date, there have only been two published studies in the area of rapid tension relief guns. Since these are relatively new devices, more research needs to be performed to validate each model.
So far, only the Hypervolt and Theragun have been studied which I’m about to break down for you.
In 2019, a conference paper in the International Journal of Exercise Science wanted to find out how 5 minutes of Theragun treatment on the gluteals, quadriceps, calves, and hamstrings would affect vertical jump performance [1].
Based on the group results, the TheraGun did not increase jump height over not using any percussive massage treatment. However, half of the subjects did increase their vertical jump. But the other half decreased their vertical jump.
The latest study in 2020 in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine investigated the use of the Hypervolt in improving maximum voluntary contraction (how much force that can be produced isometrically) and range of motion in the calf muscles after 5 minutes of Hypervolt treatment to the calf muscles [2].
After a single 5 minute treatment with the Hypervolt, range of motion of the calf muscles increased by 5.4°. Regarding the maximum voluntary contraction of the calf muscles, no changes were found.
These studies suggest rapid tension relief gun therapy is a great tool to improve range of motion before training but likely won’t increase muscular performance. However, when using percussive therapy, the goal isn’t usually to improve muscular performance but rather, gain range of motion making their use pre-training worthwhile.
References
1. Kujala, R. P., Davis, C. D., & Young, L. (2019). THE EFFECT OF HANDHELD PERCUSSION TREATMENT ON VERTICAL JUMP HEIGHT. In International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings (Vol. 8, No. 7, p. 75).
2. Konrad, A., Glashüttner, C., Reiner, M. M., Bernsteiner, D., & Tilp, M. (2020). The Acute Effects of a Percussive Massage Treatment with a Hypervolt Device on Plantar Flexor Muscles’ Range of Motion and Performance. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 19(4), 690-694.
