The Best Massage Tools 2024

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:

• Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro
• Therabody Theragun mini G4
• TriggerPoint Grid Foam Roller
• Power Plate Roller
• ROLL Recovery R8
• Addaday Pro Roller
• Foot Rubz
• ROLL Recovery R3 Ortho Roller

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:

• Percussion massager
• Foam rollers
• Massage sticks
• Foot massagers

[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.]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.