Best Mini-Massage Guns of 2024 – Small, Compact Recovery For Travel
The need for recovery from exercise unfortunately does not go away when you travel, that’s why it is important to continue the same recovery regime using a combination of percussion therapy, sauna, cold therapy and adequate light, hydration and sleep.
Many massage guns are far too heavy and large to pack into a bag, but there are a number of smaller, more lightweight, massage guns available for sale that can easily pack into a small bag and are h a fraction of the size of standard massage therapy guns.
The benefits of percussion therapy are well known, which is why many people are searching for “small massage guns” to be able to travel with a compact version of the normal guns used at home or in the gym.
These mini-massage guns may have a little less power and stall force, but they definitely offer up the benefits of increased blood flow, reducing inflammation, improved lymphatic drainage and easing tight, sore muscles.
In this article, we have a list of the best mini massage guns on the market, perfect for travel, and will compare them on price, warranty, size & weight, stall force and rpm and you will get a snapshot of which is the best small massage gun for you.
What Does A Massage Gun Do?
A massage gun is a percussion therapy tool that has similar benefits to other myofascial and muscle release techniques like massage and compression therapy. Massage guns have many science backed benefits including improving recovery time, decreasing pain, swelling and inflammation, improving lymphatic drainage, decreasing DOMS and increasing range of motion.
The practice using a massage gun is an effective tool for both pre-exercise, to aid in warm up, and for post-exercise to aid in recovery. Using a massage gun can prepare the muscle for movement by increasing blood flow and warming up the tissues. Massage guns can reduce recovery time by aiding in the removal of lactic acid build up and again increasing blood flow to injured tissues to supply more oxygen rich blood to the muscles.
Massage guns can be used as a targeted muscular release tool to remove muscle knots which are tight and bound areas of muscle fibre that may have trapped metabolic waste. By using a massage gun to target these “trigger points” you can help to these tight areas of muscle fibres to relax again.
The benefit of having a mini-massage gun is that all of these massage gun benefits can be maintained by having a tool that can be packed in a gym bag or in a bag for travel.
Best Mini Massage Guns – Our Top Picks
Best Overall - Blackroll Fascia Gun
The Blackroll Fascia Gun is the overall best mini massage gun we have tested to date. It really trumps most other small massage guns, with aerospace aluminium, up to 15 hours battery life, super small size and reasonable price point of $259.90.
Best for Travel – Hydragun Atom Mini Massage Gun
A massage gun for travel is essential, and the Hydragun Atom gets our vote for best massage gun for travel. With three speeds, 5 hours battery life, free shipping and a 1.5 year warranty, the Atom Massage Gun is what you need to pack on your next holiday for pain free travel.
Use code RECOVERYGURU for $20 discount at checkout
Best Value – Ekrin Bantam Massage Gun
The Ekrin Bantam is one of the best priced massage guns out there, and at $149USD, it earns itself best value massage gun on our list. The Ekrin Bantam, has all the trimmings with USB-C charger, 6 hours battery, travel case and 4 attachment heads, just for a fraction of the price of other competitors.
Use code GURU20 for 20% discount at checkout
Best Amazon – Renpho Mini Massage Gun
There a loads of budget massage guns out there, and the best budget mini massage gun is the Renpho Mini. At $139 it really is one of the cheapest, decent quality mini massage guns we’ve put to the test.
Best For Size – Theragun Mini 2.0 Massage Gun
Theragun is one of the leaders in the recovery, massage gun market and their Theragun Mini 2.0 is one of the best sized massage guns to buy online. The Theragun Mini 2.0 has a unique shape and a 12V lithium ion battery making it one of the more powerful and ergonomic mini massage guns, but at a slightly higher price of $349.
How We Choose
We are pretty mad about all things designed to improve exercise recovery, increase performance and boost wellbeing. When we test and review massage guns, we take into consideration a variety of factors before a massage gun makes it to our page.
When we do our massage gun reviews, we are making our assessment based on price, value, stall force, amplitude, battery life, ergonomics, warranty, extras, attachment heads, charging time, weight and portability.
Obviously, when looking at the best small massage gun, one of the biggest factors we take into consideration is size and weight. The benefit of a good mini massage gun is that they generally weigh somewhere between 500-700grams and are small enough to fit in carry-on luggage or a small gym bag.
Best Mini-Massage Guns of 2024
I have seen the effectiveness of massage guns first hand and have tested well over 25 massage guns now, with a good feel for what makes a good massage gun. The massage gun market is well and truly saturated, and it is difficult to wade through the 200+ options for massage guns for sale.
We have previously shown you the best massage guns on the market, and now, with travel options re-opening after Covid restrictions have been lifted, we thought it would be beneficial to show you some of the best mini massage guns for a more compact percussion therapy tool you can take anywhere.
Best Overall: Blackroll Fascia Gun
Price: $249
Warranty: 1 year
Weight: 544g
The Blackroll Fascia Gun really outperforms the majority of other small, mini massage guns available right now. Why? It not only sits somewhere at the middle to lower end of the price point for mini massage guns, but features some of the best design and performance specs in comparison to others.
The Blackroll Fascia Gun is a German designed massage gun that ships all around the world, including free shipping in Australia which we love. Blackroll are leaders in recovery technology and their massage guns are no exception. The Fascia Gun is $249, and features some of the highest battery life we’ve seen across any massage gun, anywhere, at 15 hours battery life.
Read our full Blackroll Fascia Massage Gun Review here
This small massage gun has 14.5kg of stall force, which is a good indicator of the power and pressure you can apply to your muscles before affecting the performance of the gun. This stall force is comparable to even some of the larger massage guns out there.
The Blackroll Fascia gun is just 544 grams or 1.1lbs, meaning it can be taken anywhere. Not only that, it is designed from aerospace aluminium, giving it a super durable and sleek design. If there was any low cost, exercise recovery tool that you could pack in a bag and take anywhere, it would be the Blackroll Fascia Gun.
Best for Travel: Hydragun Atom Mini Massage Gun
Price: $349
Warranty: 1.5 years
Weight: 550g
A small massage gun for travel is the main point of this article. The Hydragun Atom massage guns is one of the nicest looking small massage guns out there, with an equally attractive carry case. That’s why weve given the Atom massage gun the title of best mini massage gun for travel.
Use code RECOVERYGURU for $20 discount at checkout
The Atom Massage Gun is $349, which is at the higher end of the price point for mini massage guns much the same as the Therabody Thergun Mini 2.0 Massage gun. At this price though, you get a solid aluminium design, 1.5 years of warranty which is better than many, 30 day returns, free shipping, and a very handy USB-C charging capability that lets you easily recharge the massage gun while on the go.
Read our full Hydragun Atom Review here
The Hydragun Atom has three different speed settings and is a very quiet massage gun, at 50-55 decibels, further increasing it suitability for travel. It comes with 3 attachment heads, a charging dock, USB-C and USB-A charging, cleaning cloth, and stylish black carry case.
Best Value – Ekrin Bantam Massage Gun
Price: $149
Warranty: Lifetime warranty
Weight: 498g
Ekrin massage guns have always been high on our list of massage gun reviews, constantly making high quality massage guns with design features and budgets for multiple user requirements. The Ekrin Bantam Massage Gun is easily the best value mini massage gun we have reviewed.
Buy the Ekrin Bantam Massage Gun online
Use code GURU20 for 20% off at checkout
The Ekrin Bantam is almost half the price of some of its other comparable small massage gun competitors like Hydragun and Theragun, at only $149.
What stands out about the Ekrin Bantam to make it best value massage gun is that fact that is has a lifetime warranty. The lifetime warranty and low price point of the Ekrin Bantam really make it strong competitor in the small massage gun choices.
The Bantam is super lightweight at 1.1lbs or 500 grams, and still has 6 hours battery life, three massage speeds, four attachment heads and a carry case. Again, the USB-C style charging capability make it suitable for travel and offer the option to charge your massage gun using a standard iphone charger connection for minimising the need for more charger connections.
Best Amazon: Renpho Mini Massage Gun
Price: $69
Warranty: 1 year
Weight: 570g
If you’re looking for a budget massage gun, the Renpho Mini Massage gun is the best budget massage gun on Amazon. The Renpho Mini massage gun is one of the cheapest massage guns that still maintains quality, at $69.
The Renpho Mini Massage gun is a relatively cheap massage that won’t break the bank, but still gives decent performance metrics with 5 speed levels and 4 massage heads, super quiet 45 decibels, 0.45kg in weight, usb-c charging and carry case.
The Renpho mini massage gun can be purchased in two different colours – blue or black. While the Renpho mini massage gun is not as powerful and well designed as the other massage guns on this list, it is worth taking into consideration that you could buy five of these massage guns for the price of one of the other more expensive brands!
Best For Size: Theragun Mini 2.0 Massage Gun
Price: $349
Warranty: 1 years
Weight: 650g
The Therabody Theragun Mini 2.0 Massage guns is one of the most popular and highly regarded massage guns, with athletes and high performers around the world endorsing this product.
Buy the Theragun Mini Massage Gun now
The Theragun Mini 2.0 Massage gun has some of the highest rated massage gun reviews of any product on this list, and for good reason. The Thergun products are well tested and include some of the best technology available for massage guns, giving them the highest stall force and power ratings.
The Theragun Mini 2.0 Massage gun is the best massage gun for size, and features a unique triangle style shape for ideal ergonomics. The Theragun Mini massage has a really good feel in-hand and makes it a pleasure to use, which I love.
Although it is $349, it is a worthy massage gun to consider if you have the budget and has 150 minute battery life, super quiet brushless motor, tiny size and lightweight design of 650 grams, and 4 attachments.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Conclusion on Best Mini-Massage Gun
All things considered, if you are looking for a massage gun and only want to buy the one gun, I would highly recommend opting for small, compact, lightweight massage gun over a larger one, as most of them provide enough power and performance and have the added benefit of being small enough to take away on trips for races, game day, or as a travel accessory.
Out of all of the options we have tested, the overall best mini massage gun out there today is the Blackroll Fascia Gun. It provides the best all round performance, has a professional design that we cant get enough of and is somewhere in the middle on price point compared to the other options. The best massage gun for travel is the Hydragun massage gun with its sleek compact carry case and quiet operation, while the best value mini massage gun is the Ekrin Bantam at $149USD.
For a smaller budget, there are plenty of options for Amazon massage guns, however be mindful of their quality and the amount of real customer reviews and testing they have undergone.
The best thing about these small massage guns is that most of them can be charged using USB connections that the majority of people travel with for other common devices like Iphones and shaving devices. The result is, you don’t have to give up your usual recovery routine just because you’ve gone on holidays or only have a small bag!
