Bob and Brad’s Q2 Ultra Massage Gun Review: Small Size That Provides Serious Recovery Power

Bob and Brad make excellent devices. Whether it’s a massage gun, an eye massager, a weighted heated blanket, or anything else that accelerates recovery and improves health, their products are top-notch. And while they’re not exactly reinventing the wheel with the Bob and Brad’s Q2 Ultra Massage Gun, it has the refinement and little touches that make it stand out in a crowded market.

This brand excels at the details. When you open the Bob and Brad’s Q2 Ultra Massage Gun, it’s all zipped up in a carrying case that has molded spots for each of the accessories. There’s also a mesh pocket to hold the USB cable and extra gaskets for the attachments. Everything has a place, and there’s no scrambling or wondering where you put the exact attachment you need for your sore arm.

The attachments, by the way, cover everything you could possibly need. There are four regular massage heads: ball, fork, flat head, and bullet head. Fork attachments are for your Achilles or similar places where you need to work around the tendon but not on it directly.

The Bob and Brad’s Q2 Ultra Massage Gun’s bullet heads are good for trigger points, like tight, deep knots in specific muscle groups. Flat heads are good for big muscle groups and general tension relief, while the ball head is also good for big muscles and is the most beginner-friendly massage head option.

But that’s not all Bob and Brad packed into this surprisingly powerful and small device. It also has a combination red light/infrared heat head, adding a new layer of recovery to the classic massage gun experience.

Red light therapy is supposed to help with inflammation and general pain relief, and there’s scientific backing for that claim, straight from the National Institutes of Health. Infrared heat uses a slightly different light wavelength and provides heat as well as light for muscle recovery.

You can go down a deep rabbit hole if you want to learn all the ways it helps, but what you need to know for the purposes of this review is that the attachment is there, and it’s super easy to use. This head is a little different than the others, because it has its own USB-C port for charging, and in theory you could use it without attaching it to the rest of the gun.

Having it attached makes it easy to hold in places where you need it, though. I used the red light on the Bob and Brad’s Q2 Ultra Massage Gun several times on a sore shoulder after a hard workout, and it felt like it helped. Obviously, this is anecdotal, but I appreciated it and found myself reaching for it several times during the review period.

Roku remote for scale

It’s not hard to describe a massage gun. It’s a pretty straightforward device, and so what really makes one stand out against the sea of competitors is in the details. And that’s where Bob and Brad excel.

The Bob and Brad’s Q2 Ultra Massage Gun’s build quality is phenomenal. It’s made of a soft-touch material that feels nice to hold. The power and intensity buttons are delightfully clicky. It moves smoothly at every level, without the feeling that your massage gun is actively trying to punch your muscles into submission. Combine that with an attractive and well-made carrying case, and you’ve got a recovery tool that should be in everyone’s toolkit.

The Bob and Brad’s Q2 Ultra Massage Gun retails for $109.99; it is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers, including Amazon. It’s FSA/HSA eligible, so as we head into the end of the year, if you have extra funds to spend, this should be at the top of your list!

Source: Manufacturer-provided review sample

What I Liked: The smooth finish feels nice to hold; The percussive massage is smooth; It runs relatively quietly for a massage gun; The carrying case keeps everything organized; It comes with extra gaskets for the heads

What Needs Improvement: The infrared head is a major fingerprint magnet