Review: The Theragun PRO and Mini Just Got Upgraded — Are They Worth Your Money?
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Therabody is the leading massage gun brand in the recovery space, and recently they announced a whole slew of new Theragun devices, including a cupping therapy device, a relaxation chair, and the 5th Generation Theragun PRO and Theragun Mini 2.0. We’re always excited when Therabody drops new devices, both to see how well they perform and whether they’re actually worth a purchase. Are their newest guns worth an upgrade for current owners or worth the investment from new users? Keep reading our full review to find out.
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In August 2022, when the products were announced, SPY Senior E-Commerce Editor Taylor Galla was sent samples of each new device to try out, and spent an hour with Therabody’s team learning about all the technological advancements they made in the production of the new devices.
After a few months of testing, we’re ready to deliver a verdict on these new devices and provide commentary on where we believe Therabody is headed as a brand. Let’s just say, they’re moving beyond their humble massage gun beginnings towards something bigger in the recovery space but maintaining their signature lofty prices. The question remains: does the average person need to shell out the cash for these devices?
5th Generation Theragun PRO
Theragun PRO Massage Gun
$599 at Best Buy
$599 at Dick’s Sporting Goods
Therabody PRO Review
Read More: SPY Therabody Reviews
The 5th Generation Therabody PRO is very similar to the one before it, with new notable additions including pre-programmed routines built into the device for relaxation, warming up, cooling down, sleep and more. Previous guns could be programmed via the app for specific health routines, but it’s nice to have them on the actual device.
However, there’s a bigger selling point for the new Theragun PRO than its easy-to-use program library. It’s smaller and lighter than the previous version, making this a much easier device to use.
Let’s do a little comparison between the 4th and 5th Generation Theragun PRO for size, weight and noise level.
Dimensions:
4th Gen. Theragun PRO: 10 inches x 7.1 inches x 3 inches
5th Gen. Theragun PRO: 8.9 inches x 7.1 inches x 8.3 inches
Weight:
4th Gen. Theragun PRO: 2.9 pounds
5th Gen. Theragun PRO: 2.76 pounds
Noise Level:
Range of 4th Gen. Theragun PRO: 70.9-76.2 decibels
Range of 5th Gen. Theragun PRO: 63.2-67.8 decibels
As evidenced by the specs above, the 5th Generation Theragun PRO is smaller, slightly lighter and definitely quieter. These are very welcome changes as older generations of the Theragun PRO were definitely impressive devices, but were so large, loud and bulky that they really only made sense in a professional fitness or training setting. The new Theragun PRO is still much larger and more powerful than the average person needs, but it’s a little closer to a reasonable device to use at home, as opposed to previous models that only really made sense in the hands of a professional athlete or licensed physical therapist.
Therabody’s Smartest Massage Gun Just Got Even Smarter
One of my favorite parts of using the new Theragun PRO are the short, pre-programmed recovery regimens it has built-in that lead you through a series of massages on different parts of the body at different speeds. When you turn it on you’re immediately given the option to simply run the gun at the speed of your choice, or you can select one of these programs: Relax, Warm-Up, Recover and Sleep. Each one leads you through a series of massages for different parts of the body, including your traps, glutes, hamstrings, calves, arms or back, and tells you when to switch to the other side or a different muscle. The longest one, Sleep, is 6 minutes and the others tap out at only 2-3 minutes on average.
The App Leaves Something to Be Desired
I’ve never vibed with Therabody’s app, and I’m not totally sold on it as a necessity. The app does give you helpful visuals for what level you’re set to and how long you’ve been using the massage gun, but it can’t sync up with the different recovery programs. This would be a helpful feature since the OLED screen on the gun is small and being able to see which body part you’re aiming at on a bigger screen would help. I’ve found Therabody’s app is much more useful with their RecoveryAir pneumatic compression system.
This new feature makes this gun much more usable for the average person, who very well might pick up a massage gun and have no idea what to do with it.
Pros:
Smaller, lighter design makes it easier to hold, use and travel with
Single lithium battery can be plugged in versus needing to be removed to charge
Same ergonomic multi-grip and rotating arm
Same six interchangeable massage gun heads
Slimmer, more flexible sleeve case versus box that’s easier to pack and travel with
Much quieter than previous version
Cons:
Same expensive price tag
Shorter battery life
App is glitchy and not intuitive
Theragun PRO Massage Gun
$599 at Best Buy
$599 at Dick’s Sporting Goods
The Verdict: Should You Buy the Theragun PRO?
If we’re talking about a new Therabody consumer who doesn’t own any version of this device? Yes, absolutely. It’s the best in its category and worth a purchase if you’re willing to spend a bit more.
If you currently own a Theragun PRO, the smaller sizes might be worth considering, depending on how often you use your current model. The 4th Generation Theragun PRO is too large for me and is not the one I reach for at the beginning or end of a training session. If its large and heavy size is keeping you from getting the most out of your investment I recommend trying to sell it and upgrading to the new model.
Theragun PRO Massage Gun
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