Sportneer Percussion Massage Gun Review: More power to you

Personal at home massagers, those nice to have items that aren't quite nice enough to actually purchase, have surprisingly come a long way over the years. Gone are the days where massagers were nothing more than novelty items that vibrated for their massaging action. Instead, the latest advancements come in the form of percussion technology. Percussion massagers, like the name suggests, utilize a series of rapid strikes to the body at varying intensities to release tension, increase blood flow, and relieve stress.

I have spent the past month with one such massager, the Sportneer Percussion Massage Gun, and have come away with a newfound appreciation for the category. Now, I am certainly not an athletic person, nor do I suffer from any reoccurring pains, so I am definitely not the target market here, but I can still say that this powerful massage gun is one that you can actually feel. In fact, this massager is more than just powerful — it's incredibly powerful, which may or may not be a good thing.

Everything included

Sportneer Percussion Massage Gun: The features

The Sportneer Percussion Massage Gun is a handheld massager that, you guessed it, is similar in appearance to a gun, or hairdryer. The massage gun sports a two-tone finish, with a space-gray like handle, and a darker perforated black "barrel", both of which are made of plastic.

Along the handle is a single button, which is used for turning on the massager, and as a way to switch between intensity levels. Underneath the button is a series of five intensity indicator lights to represent all of the available levels, as well as a battery level indicator. On the bottom of the massager is a single 16V charging port, which uses a traditional power connector, and not a modern port like micro-USB.

The massager is powered by an internal rechargeable 3,400 mAh lithium battery. Sportneer states that the battery can last up to six hours on a single charge, but this will vary depending on intensity level, and a full charge takes between three to five hours. The massager's five intensity levels range from 1,200 RPM all the way up to 3,200 RPM, and has an auto shut-off feature that engages after ten minutes to prevent overheating.

Sportneer's massager comes with a travel case in the box, and includes a total of six different attachments. Installing an attachment requires no tools, as you simply push them into the barrel portion. A small rubber gasket helps to keep the attachment in place as there are no pins or set screws, and Sportneer includes a bag of extras in case one needs to be replaced.

The six available attachments are designed for specific purposes, such as a fork for the neck or spine, and a bullet head for joints. In addition to their shape, attachments also vary in their materials, like plastic, foam, and metal. The two metal attachments are designed to be used with essential oils to complete the whole at home massage experience if you are in to that sort of thing.

Ready to go

Sportneer Percussion Massage Gun: What I like

Setting up the Sportneer Massage Gun was quick and easy, thanks to the tool-less attachment design, and the built-in rechargeable battery. Even without fully charging the battery up before my first use, I was still able to run it through its paces for well over an hour, and had plenty of life to spare, so I am confident that it does meet Sportneer's six hour claims.

Moving over to the attachments, I like how Sportneer included a wide variety of different shapes and materials. Before trying the massager for the first time I suspected that the softer, circular attachment would be the best of the bunch, and sure enough, after giving them all a whirl, it was indeed the best for me. I actually liked this particular material so much that I wish that all of the other attachments were made the same, as a flat variant seems like it would be a match made in heaven.

When it comes to the power of the Sportneer massager, it went above and beyond my wildest expectations. Since this was my first run-in with a percussion massager, I had no clue just how powerful that they are compared to the old school plastic models that didn't really seem to do much. Now, power here is both a good and a bad thing, with the lower intensity levels providing plenty enough for me to really feel it at work, but as we will discuss later, things can get downright uncomfortable at higher levels.

In my usage, I found that the first intensity had just the right amount of oomph, and even at its lowest setting of 1,200 RPM, this massager pretty much all outclassed all of the others that I have experienced in the past. At this level, I really enjoyed just how well it worked over most areas, like my shoulders, and after a span of just a couple of minutes, I could tell that it did indeed loosen certain spots up, which was quite refreshing. Coupled with the long battery life, I like that this type of experience is just a button press away, without having to worry too much about if it is actually charged or not.

A little too powerful

Sportneer Percussion Massage Gun: What I don't like

Despite the "mini" moniker on the box and lightweight being tossed around in the marketing for the Sportneer Massage Gun, I wouldn't actually describe it as being either of those things. That isn't to say that the massage gun is too bulky or heavy, it just isn't exactly something that I personally would travel around with.

The included carrying case does make portability somewhat better, but I still see it as more of a stay at home accessory. In use, I did find that the weight of the massager did make long bouts a little uncomfortable on the wrist, but it wasn't unbearable.

During operation, as much as I love how easy it is to swap in and out attachments, I did see a few occasions where they would fall out. As I previously mentioned, connecting an attachment to the massager requires some force, and there is no feedback like a click to let you know that it is far enough in. So, if you don't quite get one pushed all the way inside, they may work themselves loose, especially during the higher intensity levels.

Speaking of intensity, the biggest complaint that I have about Sportneer's massager is that it can be a little too powerful at settings above the first couple of levels. Again, this could all boil down to simply personal preference and my lack of trouble areas, but once I started ramping up the intensity levels above the second setting, I found the combination of power plus certain attachments to be slightly painful at times.

At these higher levels, I certainly could not tolerate more than a few seconds in certain spots and as you might have guessed, I found the metal attachments to be the worst offenders here. So needless to say, I would have appreciated a few more softer tools included and some form of a manual control for finer adjustments, or additional intensities that sit between levels.

More power to you

Sportneer Percussion Massage Gun: The Bottom Line

Massagers are a truly personal experience, which makes recommending the Sportneer Massage Gun a little more difficult than your average phone or smart home accessory. If you have a want or need for an intense at home massage, then the Sportneer Massage Gun definitely fits the bill. With five truly powerful settings, six distinct attachments, and wire-free design, there is a lot to love here.

However, if you are just looking for a casual, softer, massage a few times a year, then you would be better suited with more "traditional" options at more affordable price points. Regardless though, if you haven't experienced a percussion massager, then you should definitely seek one out. It will change your perception of the category, as it certainly did for me.

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