Love massages but don’t have the time or budget to get them regularly? These massage guns are your new best friends.

By Sabrina Rogers-Anderson

As an avid gym goer, there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t groan about sore muscles. Sometimes it’s my shoulders and arms, other days it’s my glutes and hammies, and my calves are permanently stiff.

I try to make it to my recovery centre to use the compression boots, infrared sauna, massage guns, and hot and cold plunges as much as I can, but with my busy schedule that’s never often enough.

The next logical next step was to get my paws on a massage gun to use at home. Harnessing the power of percussion therapy - a combo of rapid, repetitive pressure applied to your soft tissues and vibrations that target your skin - these handy tools soothe aching muscles in minutes.

And massage guns aren't just for gym rats either. If you do any other form of exercise, you get pains and niggles from sitting at a desk all day or your feet hurt after standing for hours at a time, these puppies will bring you sweet relief.

Entry level: Homedics Handheld Physio Massager

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option that provides targeted muscle relief, the Homedics Handheld Physio Massager is your gun. 

With five massage head attachments and three intensity levels, you can customise your massage experience to suit your aches du jour. I’m a huge fan of the basic ball attachment that can be used on all muscle groups and I’m not averse to a level three hammering to really get those kinks out. 

You can also choose from the devil’s horns, bullet, flat and gnarly attachments (obviously my colourful descriptors and not the scientific names!) to target your pressure points and tease out all your knots. 

Its ergonomic design makes it easy to use on hard-to-reach areas like your lower back and shoulders, providing relief where you need it most without the hassle of a more cumbersome device.

Pros: Cheap as chips and gets the job done.

Cons: It may not be as smooth or effective as higher-end models.

Price: $99.oo (but you can find it cheaper if you shop around)

Mid range: Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2

The Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 is a compact travel massage gun that doesn’t compromise on performance. Despite its smaller size, it delivers a deep massage even at the lowest intensity. It effectively loosened the painful knots in my glutes after a particularly beasty leg day. 

Weighing in at less than a kilo, it’s the perfect massage gun to throw in your gym bag or suitcase. It comes with a bullet head as well as an innovative flat head design that glides smoothly across your body to relieve muscle fatigue and soreness.

I was blown away by how silent it is - you could use this bad boy under your desk and no one would be the wiser. And with three hours of battery life, you don’t have to worry about it going flat mid-massage.

Pros: Compact, lightweight and perfect for travel.

Cons: If you’re into the more hectic head attachments, you may be disappointed that this one only comes with two.

Price: $229.95

Luxe: Hydragun Atom Mini Massage Gun

Is it possible to find a massage gun sexy? I’m not sure if it’s the Atom’s super-sleek design or the incredibly smooth and powerful massage it delivers, but I’m in love.

Smaller than a soft drink can and weighing only 550g, the Atom comes with three heads: ball, bullet and flat. I’m a ball head girl (hmmm, that sounds wrong, but you know what I mean!), so I had my doubts about the flat head’s effectiveness at soothing my sore muscles. But I have a knot near my left shoulder blade that’s been there circa 1998 and the Atom’s flat head successfully loosened it after a couple of sessions! Even professional massage therapists have been powerless against that sucker.

I love all the attachment heads. I love the fact that it charges super-fast and the battery life is five hours. I love that it has three speeds and is whisper quiet. I love the classy travel case. I love how relaxed and pain-free I feel after each session. I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

Pros: It delivers an incredibly smooth and effective massage experience in a tiny, sexy package. According to Hydragun, the Atom motor is 25 to 540 percent stronger than other mini massage gun motors.

Cons: It’s more expensive than other mini massage guns, but it’s worth every penny.

Price: $349.00