We received a pitch for a massage gun that clocked in at a jaw-droppingly cheap $26.31 (or as low as $22.10 if you buy in bulk!). In an email to me, Judie questioned whether a massage gun that cheap could possibly be effective. While we plan to review this inexpensive massage gun to see how it does, I pointed out that while $26 does seem overly cheap, the reality is that a massage gun is a relatively simple device that probably shouldn’t cost $300 and up, either!
$26? $260? Both? Neither?
The basic concept behind any massage gun is fairly simple. It’s so simple, in fact, that if you’re extremely handy (and/or brave), you could make your own massage gun with a handheld jigsaw and a golf ball.
Note that we don’t recommend this, but the point is that the basic concept of a massage gun is simple enough that mass-producing it with no branding and selling one for $26 wouldn’t be impossible.
Last year we reviewed several massage guns. After the review periods, we shared them with Gear Diary friends to spread the muscle recovery love. At one point, visiting my home meant getting a free massage gun for your troubles!
Everyone who received one of these massagers has been using them for months with no complaints, and none of those devices were terribly expensive!
Our point here isn’t to suggest you buy a handheld jigsaw at Home Depot (though if you do, please share the results in the comments); it’s to say that you don’t need to drop $400+ on a Theragun either.
We’ll know soon enough if all you need is $26 and an eBay account to get a decent massage gun experience. But what we can suggest in the meantime is that any one of the massage guns (or similar models from brands we’ve reviewed) is worth considering before you spend more than you need to on fitness recovery!