You can feel the tightness in your muscle, but you can’t quite reach the area with your hands to give it the attention it needs. There is no need to struggle, a handheld massager is the tool that you need.
They can help you get a deep tissue massage to those hard to reach areas on your own. It will relieve muscle tension and rid your body of pain, like a professional massage experience at home.
If you are wondering – Do handheld massagers work? Is a handheld massager machine right for me? The answer is yes! Let’s go through some handheld massager reviews and find out more about the best handheld massagers.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information.
What are the Benefits of Handheld Massagers?
Handheld massagers will allow you to give yourself a self-massage at home. Some areas that are difficult to reach with your hands will no longer be a problem. Of course, you can use these massagers to give other people massages too.
After a few uses, you will start to notice:
Why Purchase a Handheld Massager?
With a handheld, you’re getting a similar experience to that which you’d receive under the hands of a professional. With a professional therapist, you’re getting mild to intense pressure for muscle soreness depending on whether you have deep knots in them.
A handheld massager allows you to direct the right kind of pressure directly to the muscles. All you need to do is press a few buttons or switch out the heads to receive a personalized massage.
It could be a massage to relax or one that pinpoints a few sore muscles. Headaches, sports injuries, chronic pain, anxiety, and more can be relieved with a handheld back massager.
RELATED: How to Choose The Perfect Hand Massager For You
What to Look for When Buying a Handheld Massager?
The handheld massager that you choose should provide a variety of massages from relaxing massages to deep-tissue work. It’s important to understand that the more variety you have, the more relaxation and relief the unit will provide. You might need relaxation one day, but pain relief the next.
Versatility and Focus Areas
You don’t want the same massage intensity level for all parts of the body. In some areas like the neck and shoulders, you’ll need a light touch. In other areas like the big muscles of the thighs, you’ll want a deep-tissue massager. When you can purchase a massager with various speed and intensity settings, you’re getting great versatility.
There are those that have interchangeable heads, too. When you can change the heads as well as the speed, you’re getting a customized massage experience. The ability to change the heads to focus on a single spot or a wide area is one of the most important parts of the massage.
If the main areas you want to target are your face and/or eyes, it might be best to consider either a facial massager or eye massager.
Heat Settings
Pain and stress usually result in tight, knotted muscles. A heated handheld massager can penetrate those knots and begin to loosen them. That pain can start to fade almost immediately as the muscle begins to relax.
Heat can be used during a relaxing massage on the back, the neck or the shoulders, too. Handheld devices with heat have a much better chance of providing serious pain and stress relief to users.
Related: Best Hand Massagers: Reviews & Buying Guide
Power Sources
While some devices have cords, others are cordless. They’ll have long-lasting batteries that will allow the unit to be more portable. Even with the best cordless handheld massager machines, you might not be getting as much power as you would with a corded unit. You do get more reach though.
Related: The Best Forearm Massagers To Relieve Pain
Attachment Heads
It stands to reason that the more attachment heads you have, the more flexibility you have and the more you can do with your massage gun. Most massagers will come with multiple heads (or they will be available for purchase separately). The more heads you have, the more you will be able to customize your experience and find the massage which works for you.
The Top Handheld Massagers
The 5 best handheld massagers picked for this list are based on tests and research as well as the customer response to the many massagers on the market today.
They’re crafted based on the massage you’d get in a professional spa and meant to give you relief of tension and pains you have in many parts of your body. These massage guns have varied speeds and pressures to put mild to moderate pressure on the muscle knots that are causing pain and tension through the entire body.
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HoMedics   |
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Brookstone   |
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MIGHTY BLISS™   |
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RENPHO   |
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Thumper   |
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1. HoMedics HHP-350 Percussion Action Massager
Some of the best massage guns have many features and one of them is heated massage. This is true of the HoMedics HHP-350 Percussion Action Handheld Massager. It’s an electric massager that is adjustable to give you a personalized experience.
You can use the handheld massager to deliver heat to those hard to reach spots that can tense up, like your back. When you have deep-tissue tension or tightness, heat works well to relax knotted muscles.
The HoMedics HHP-350 has two sets of heads that can be changed to give you a personalized massage. The electric massager has high, medium, and low pressure settings with pivoting heads to pound the surface of the skin. That’s important if you need a deep massage to ease those knotted muscles.
The hard head attachment pounds deep into the sore muscle. It becomes a form of massage therapy for relieving sore and painful muscles deep within the body.
If the high speed is too intense, you can lower it and switch from the firm head to the soft head, which is much gentler. There are also intensity adjustments that can be made with either head to make it a more personalized massage.
The high speed of the massager provides a maximum of 3,100 beats per minute. That can be therapeutic to those who need a more intense massage. The settings can be changed while the massager is being used on the muscle to get the correct speed and intensity.
The HoMedics HHP-350 has an ergonomic handle that allows you to stay in control of the massager without sacrificing speed and quality. You can add heat to the massage with the press of a button while you are using it. This means you can turn off the heat while it’s running, too.
Since this handheld massager is powered by a cord, it can run for longer and provide more intensity. While this limits where you can use the device, it shouldn’t be a huge factor since there is likely a wall socket near your bed or couch.
Overall, the power, heat, and adjustable heads of the HHP-350 give the home user a wand massager that will rival the hands of a professional massage therapist in a spa environment for a lot less money. It provides relaxation and deep tissue massages that can relieve pain and tension.
Things That Customers Like
Things That Customers Don’t Like
2. Brookstone Max 2 Cordless Dual-Node Percussion Massager
The Brookstone Max 2 can be used while it’s plugged into the wall or with the battery. The built-in lithium-ion battery will last for a very long time. This versatile wand massager comes with a charger that is fast charging, so you’ll replenish the battery in no time for cordless use.
A cordless massager offers excellent portability. Athletes can use this massager in the locker room or carry the unit where it’ll provide the most value. You can also take the massager to countries where there might not be a compatible power outlet and use it for hours before the battery runs out.
The Brookstone Max 2 is made with an aluminum body that makes it nearly indestructible while being lightweight, too. The fact that it’s lightweight means that you won’t get arm strain trying to hold the massager for a long period of time.
The popular massager is easy to control with it’s two handles that are ergonomically suited to hold in your hand. You’ll never have to worry about your hand cramping as you give yourself a longer massage.
The two massage nodes mean that you don’t have apply much pressure. The nodes move themselves while vibrating to give a deeper and more complete massage without as much effort.
There are 3 programs for deep tissue massage called soothing, energizing, and pulsing. The soothing massage program is meant for relaxation. The nodes will smoothly move over your body. For the energizing program, the massager works in small waves that promote blood circulation to the muscles, which will rejuvenate them instantly. The pulsing massage program gives short percussive taps to the muscles.
There are 5 speeds available for your massage with the Brookstone Max 2. The higher the speeds the more intense the massage will be. The lower speeds start at 1750 RMS and max out at 2550 RMS.
Things That Customers Like
Things That Customers Don’t Like
3. MIGHTY BLISS™ Deep Tissue Back and Body Massager
The Mighty Bliss massager has six interchangeable heads and variable speeds that will give you a personalized massage to relieve the aches and pains caused by knots in the muscles. This massager is lightweight and cordless, but still provides more than enough power to properly massage your neck, thighs, calves, and back as well as other areas where you need relief.
While you can get the deep-tissue massage in the big muscles of the body like the thighs, you can also work on sensitive areas like the backs of your knees or in the shoulder joints. If you can imagine a massage therapist digging deep into your muscle with force, then you will appreciate the various heads of this sleek massager as well as the powerful motor.
There are 3 speeds that provide relief with the various massage heads. Whether you need soft, medium, or firm speed, the heads can provide various styles of massages. There’s a Swedish, Shiatsu, sports massage and trigger point therapy head available with this unit.
One of the heads is a massage oil stick, which makes it easy to use essential oils with your deep-tissue massage. You can apply essential oils or pain cream directly to the areas like the back are hard to reach without having to bend uncomfortably to do it.
This cordless handheld massager is very similar to the Pure-Wave CM7, but at a lower price. It is also lighter and comes with a lifetime guarantee. The lithium-ion battery can be charged for 1 hour to run continuously for 120 minutes.
Things That Customers Like
Things That Customers Don’t Like
4. RENPHO Rechargeable Hand Held Deep Tissue Massager
The RENPHO full-body massager is great. The motor has been designed and built to be long-lasting and give you the power you need. With a long-lasting motor, comes a long-lasting Li-ion battery. The combination will keep you massaged, relaxed and stress-free.
This massager can ease any tension in almost all of your joints and muscles. The percussion technology helps you relax. It’s one of the best handheld massager for knots. It can be used daily and wherever you need it. It is great for use after sports or any other physical activities.
We love additional features in massagers, and this one has plenty. It comes with multiple massage heads that are easy to change. There is a timer which will turn the unit off after 20 minutes. There is no need to worry about overheating or muscle damage.
It’s simple to operate. There are four buttons power, increase intensity, decrease intensity, and change mode. You can choose from four modes (constant vibration, slow intense pulse, medium pulse, and fast pulse). The handle has a rubber grip to make it easier to hold.
If you need a massage on the go, then this could be the unit for you. The portability and the battery life make this massager an attractive option for someone on the go.
It is lightweight and comes with a handy charger stand. The light will turn green when the handheld massager is fully charged which takes about 2.5 hours. Then it will provide about 75 minutes of therapeutic massage.
It comes with a 1-year limited warranty so you can be confident in your purchase.
Things That Customers Like
Things That Customers Don’t Like
5. Thumper Mini Pro
The Thumper Mini Pro has varied speed settings with a power that makes it the perfect handheld massager for deeper muscle treatments. It offers a patented thumping action.
With all of the attachments on the massager, it’s still lightweight at approximately 3 pounds. The head of the device has two sphere’s that can pulse at various speeds. They massage deep into the muscles to provide lasting relaxation. The massager will work on the surface of dry skin as well as over light clothing.
There are 3 different speed settings for the Mini Pro that make it a great choice for a variety of body parts. For example, you can switch the pulses between 40, 30, or 20 pulses per second on the back of the neck or the back of the thighs. The power you use for the muscle group will depend on the massage level that feels comfortable digging deep into muscles.
Relaxing back massages can be had at the slow setting, which is approximately 1,200 pulses per minute. You can adjust the pressure as you slide it across the body so that you can use it on the back of your calves as well as your arms. For extensive work on big muscles, you can use the high-speed setting, which brings 2,400 pulses per minute to the massage.
The thick, comfortable handle maximizes your reach, so you can give yourself a thorough back massage. This small handheld massager provides 13 inches of reach with only one hand, and it’s light enough that using it one-handed won’t be a strain. The thick handle puts a minimizes the percussion transmitted to your hand. It won’t cause you to lose your grip on the massager while you’re trying to reach your back.
Note: This is the latest model (3rd generation) of the Mini Thumper Pro although they no longer include a number in the product name. The color and packaging of the Mini Pro was refreshed in 2016. It has the same speeds, the same penetration, and the same weight as the original model. The new innovations (overheat and overload protection) introduced in the Mini Thumper Pro 2 model are also included.
Things That Customers Like
Things That Customers Don’t Like
What is the best handheld massager?
These handheld body massagers allow you to get the same relief at home you’d get from a professional in a spa or massage therapy office. This tension and pain relief comes with a less expensive price tag and the ability to get this relief in the privacy of your own home.
The Best Overall Handheld Massager
Mighty Bliss Massager
This massager is portable and lightweight while providing various heads for different massage needs. You can get a Shiatsu or a sports massage with the same unit simply by switching out the heads and changing the intensity of the vibrations.
The Best Handheld Massager for the Money
Homedics Handheld Massager
The HHP-350 has heat and two heads to customize your massage experience. One head provides a deep percussion massage while the soft head can give a total massage. The speeds are varied and can be changed while the massage is ongoing. This is a great value for the money with the power and variation available in speed as well as power.
Is a Handheld Massager Worth it?
Yes! A handheld massager costs about the same as 1-3 professional massages (depending on what spa you go to), so after you use it a few times you are saving money. Plus, it is nice to be able to get to those hard to reach spots whenever you want without needing assistance from anyone else.
Related: 6 Best Neck And Shoulder Massagers Reviewed, The Best Hand Massagers: Reviews & Buying Guide for 2022 and 5 Homemade Face Massage Cream Recipes for Younger Looking Skin
First published on October 2017
Last updated on December 2021
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