I hope that you all enjoyed my first product review, which compared the two most popular massage guns in the industry: Theragun’s G3 Pro and the Hyperice Hypervolt. I was sitting down to write another review when I thought it would be more helpful for me to go into detail about the swappable massage heads found on the highest-end massage guns. These heads, with their different shapes and sizes, can look pretty goofy and be a bit confusing so I wanted to shed some light on the inspiration behind the different heads, when and why you might use one over the other, and why it’s important to have swappable heads for your massage gun.
If you’ve explored a couple different massage guns, you’ve probably noticed that different products include a different number of heads and head shapes/sizes. For example, the Theragun G3 Pro, the massage gun I reviewed in my last post, comes with 6 different head options. So, here it goes, keep reading to learn more about the different heads and why/when you should use them.
I’m going to use the Theragun G3 Pro heads as an example because, when you purchase the product, it comes with 6 different head attachments, the most of any gun on the market. It is important to remember that all of the massage gun heads draw inspiration from a massage therapist and the tools they use in their practice.
- Standard Head: The standard head is 48 mm x 37.4 mm and is the most versatile head on the massage gun. It’s the head that comes on the G3 Pro when you take it out of the box and the one you’ll probably use most frequently. The size and shape of this head is such that it finds the perfect balance between getting deep into your muscles without going too deep and causing pain or breakdown. When comparing to a therapist’s hand, this is most similar to a three-finger press massage, which is equal parts flushing and pressure.
- Large Ball: The large ball is an oversized version of the standard head. Coming in at 66 mm x 66 mm, the large ball is the ideal tool for large muscle groups like quads or back muscles. The size and surface area of this head facilitates greater “bang for your buck” impact, increasing the effectiveness. I would not recommend using this head on smaller muscles like feet or forearms because the size won’t allow it to effectively fit into the contours of your muscle to administer the greatest massage possible.
- Dampener: The dampener is an interesting head in that it looks like a short, squat mixture of the standard head and large ball. It’s dimensions of 54 mm x 39.5 mm make it the perfect tool for delicate boney areas like hands and feet. It’s wide size helps to distribute the surface area and not administer too much power to any one area. The dampener head is a favorite of runners and climbers who will be shocked by how tight the muscles in their hands/feet become.
- Cone: The cone is the polar opposite tool from the dampener. The cone is, not surprisingly, a conical shape, that delivers sharp, precise massage to specific areas. The cone is 35 mm x 45 mm, which makes it the perfect shape for trigger point massage and serious deep tissue work. I love to use this tool on areas that are really locked up and just need a bit more attention. Don’t be afraid to decrease the massage speed when using the cone as it can be pretty intense when the gun is set on full speed!
- Wedge: The wedge is one of the most interesting and useful heads I’ve come across in my years in the industry. Based on the 58 mm x 40 mm dimensions you can see that this head is sharp like the cone but wide like the dampener, making it the perfect tool for scraping or flushing. Before massage guns came out, the “flushing” technique was not done with percussive movements, but the percussion makes it that much more effective. I love the wedge as a way of activating muscle groups before an activity or clearing out lactic acid after a hard session.
Thank you so much for reading my review of different massage heads. Having a great massage gun is the first step in giving your muscles much needed relief, but using the right head is just as important. I hope that after reading my overview you’ll be better able to select the perfect head for the job!
