Theragun Prime Review - Is This Beginner Gun Worth It? (2024)

Welcome to our all-inclusive and hands-on Theragun Prime review! We’ve personally navigated the highs and lows of this renowned device to bring you an unbiased, in-depth analysis.

Get ready to dive into its strengths, uncover its weaknesses, and explore some worthy alternatives (spoiler: yes, there are better alternatives).

Are you ready to see if the Theragun Prime lives up to the hype? Let’s find out together!

Theragun Prime – What To Know

Theragun (currently part of the Therabody’s ecosystem) is where it all began. Their very first percussion massager hit the market way back in 2016.

Now, if you’ve been following the massage guns phenomenon you know that they began to catch fire sometime in 2018. This is when celebrities began endorsing them on social media and then everyone jumped on the bandwagon.

However, in our hands-on experience, no massage gun brand has outperformed Theragun. We love Theragun for its innovative design and functionality that we have personally tested.

Theragun Prime is in their fourth generation of Theragun devices. It’s the most affordable of their full-sized guns, going for $299 at Theragun.com, compared to the Elite at $399 and the powerful Pro that costs $599.

Theragun have dubbed it an entry-level massage gun, but we believe it’s a step further than their mini – smallest of the Theraguns.

Is it any good then? Let’s get right to it.

Theragun Prime Review

For the beginning, let’s take a look at the specs. Note that all measurements are verified by us!

Theragun Prime Specs (Verified!)

First Impressions

First things first, and what is a massage gun without a carrying case? Perhaps not very courteous. But that’s our opinion, you’ll probably agree with us on this though. If we’re being fair, at that price point, the Prime should probably come in a carrying case.

It is however, in a box, with everything else packed nicely in there. The device itself, the attachments, a soft pouch (not a case, but better than nothing at all we guess), and a dedicated charger.

In our hands, the gun itself is a testament to Theragun’s uniqueness. Even though they advertise it as an entry level massage gun, we appreciate that it stays with a similar shape as its high-end siblings.

It also does have the familiar triangular shape with multiple grip ergonomics. It’s also quite compact as we’ll see in another section.

Upon our initial handling of the device, we noticed that a significant portion of its construction was made from plastic. This gave us a particular feel for its build quality.

We would’ve loved at least a rubberized handle but maybe we’ll have to look elsewhere for now. It’s matte black.

A mix of colors would’ve made things a bit interesting, like what Ekrin did with their B37S with the satin finish. Still color isn’t a big deal here but a premium product should offer a bit of slickness.

That aside, based on our usage, we appreciate that it’s a really well put together percussion massager.

Operation

One aspect that we immediately appreciated was the simplicity of the device’s operation. This made it approachable and user-friendly, even for those new to massage guns.

The power button at the back of the device works by long-pressing it to turn the device on and off.

If you want to cycle between speeds, there are 2 arrows on top and below the power button for this. The one pointing up increases the speed, while the one pointing down decreases the speed.

It doesn’t have the OLED screen like the Elite and Pro. We are guessing that’s why they’re calling it entry-level. It does however, have simple LED indicators for speed and battery level.

In the package, we discovered a pamphlet tucked away in an Apple-style envelope, a personal touch we appreciated. Inside we found the story on Theragun, a letter from the founder (nice touch), instructions page, a quick-start guide, and information on warranty.

Attachments

In our unboxing of the Prime, we were intrigued to discover four distinct attachments. These attachments struck us as unique, and seemed to embody the spirit of the Theragun brand.

• The Dampener: It’s the tender attachment specifically designed to work on tender and bony areas. It’s also perfect for when you want a general massage.
• The Standard Ball: This one Theragun designed to work on your whole body. It will work better on large muscle groups compared to the dampener.
• The Thumb: This is a specially designed attachment meant to work the trigger points and the lower back.
• The Cone: It’s the equivalent of the bullet point that’s found on many non-theragun percussion massagers. It’s used for pinpoint muscle treatment. You can use it on both hands and feet.

Living up to our expectations for the Theragun brand, the Prime’s attachments were of notable quality. Made from durable rubber rather than the often used foam, we found these attachments to be resistant to rapid wear.

The dampener is the softest of all the attachments. The cone feels a bit hard, but we guess it’s because it’s used for pinpoint muscle massage.

Perhaps the only concern we have, with regards to the attachments, is that could have been a little more varied. The thumb, ball and dampener feel quite similar and we wouldn’t mind if they replace one of those with a flat head, and another of the two with a spinal/fork head. That would be, in our opinion, a better and more balanced set.

Size, Weight and Ergonomics

Even though the Prime looks almost similar to its two siblings in Elite and Pro, it’s slightly smaller in size. It measures 8.9” x 6.3” x 2.9”.

The size is perfect for what the device does. It doesn’t feel too heavy to wear you out as you use but it also doesn’t feel too light to not do the job properly.

It weighs in at 2.2lbs. which is the average weight for most full-sized massage guns out there. We are a bit perplexed that it weighs the same as Elite which has extra features built in like the Force Meter, OLED screen and actually looks larger than the Prime.

That said, it feels well balanced and perfectly built. It could be the perfect gift to give to someone.

The ergonomics are good. It has multiple grips, just like its other two counterparts. It doesn’t have a rotating arm like the more advanced Pro but we didn’t feel it was necessary here.

Performance

Stall Force

This is the amount of pressure needed to stop a massage gun’s motor. This happens when the gun is pressed against the body.

The stall force is a great feature for any massage gun because it determines what kind of massage you can have. Most entry level guns do not have a higher stall force because you’ll mostly just need them for a quick soothing massage.

Theragun Prime is advertised as being an entry level massage gun and only stalls at 30lbs of pressure. Well, it’s not impressive, to say at least. We’d forgive any other device for this but not the mighty Theragun.

After testing this device extensively, we believe that the amazing 16mm amplitude seems a bit of a waste with the low stall force. For that kind of stall force (30-35 lbs), a 12mm amplitude would be just enough. Or, In our opinion, the flipside would’ve been perfect here – i.e. the stall force should’ve been more and the amplitude shorter.

We also noticed that the stall force is progressive and not the same throughout the speed gears. You only get 30lbs. stall force at the highest speed.

Even so, it’s not a device recommended for those with bigger muscles that need a deep to the bone massage.

Amplitude (Stroke Length)

Amplitude is how far the head moves back and forth, and no one in this industry does it quite like Theragun. We would argue it’s their biggest selling point for all their devices.

The Prime has a 16mm amplitude which is the longest in the market for now. This used to be an only-Theragun kind of thing but more brands now equip their guns with 16mm amplitude.

The 16mm amplitude is perfect for a deep percussive massage. In fact, if you’re a body builder or a demanding user, 16mm stroke length is perfect.

However, this only works if the stall force (no-stall force) is also good enough, and unfortunately we can’t say so for Theragun Prime.

Percussions and Speed Levels

Percussions are the ones that tell you how intensive a massage can get with a particular device. We have always held that the higher the percussions the more you can get from a device.

However, there are exceptions to this rule. For instance, if the percussions are too high and the amplitude is too low, then what you’re getting is vibration therapy and not percussion therapy. Also, if a device has a longer amplitude and fewer percussions per minute, then it’s good enough for a percussive massage.

Theragun Prime has a percussion range of 1750-2400rpm (rotations per minute). In our view, this is okay because of its longer amplitude.

However, we have seen devices that offer more percussions per minute with the same amplitude – the Achedaway Pro is a perfect example with 16mm amplitude and 2800 maximum percussions per minute.

Rest assured, we found the advertised percussion range correct. We used a high-precision laser tachometer to measure percussions – and it revs up to 2400 percussions per minute indeed.

Noise

Theragun claims that the fourth generation devices are quieter than the previous 3^rd generation and we agree. The Prime is a lot quieter than its predecessor – Liv.

However, it’s still not the quietest of guns. At 61 dB on the top speed, it’s louder than the bigger and more powerful Elite. The sound it makes isn’t as smooth as in the Elite, too.

In fact, we can name a dozen guns in this category that are quieter than this.

Even some of the most powerful guns are more hushed – Hypervolt Plus has a powerful motor but is a little bit more piped down, others include Ekrin B37S, Opove M3 Pro Max, and Achedaway Pro.

But we will single out the Bob and Brad D6 Pro here because it’s the smoothest of them all.

Battery

It’s a non-replaceable battery that will last for up to two hours of continuous use. However, even the two hours promised here depend on how you use the device.

For instance it may not last the full two hours if you stay too long on the maximum speed or apply too much pressure. You probably won’t need all of two hours for a massage anyway.

To be fair, there are devices with better optimized and more juiced up batteries. For example, Ekrin’s full-sized guns offer 2550mAh capacity batteries that last 4-8 hours per single charge. This while weighing the same as the Prime.

The Therabody App

The Therabody app is the perhaps the coolest thing about the Theragun Prime. It is also one feature that distinguishes Theragun from anyone in the massage gun industry.

The gun connects with the app via Bluetooth. We recommend updating the device firmware if you want to enjoy the full range of functionalities.

Once connected (happens rather seamlessly), the app guides you through how best to use your device and also how to maximize the benefits of each massage.

There are a lot of massage routines recommended within the app. There are warm-up routines, recovery routines, and routines for different situations like daily wellness, sleep, and waking up.

It’s really cool when using the app. For instance, if you were to have a full body massage for relaxation, the app will recommend; the massage attachment (dampener here), the type of grip, and the amount of pressure to apply for each body part.

As you massage the different body parts, you can feel the intensity changing as you move on to a different section of the body.

You can also adjust the massage gun speed within the app. The app also guides you on how much pressure to apply for what body part.

You can get the App here: iOS version or Android version.

Who Is It Best For?

We advise that you consider Theragun Prime as an entry-level massage gun. It’s only good if you want to have low to semi-intensive massages.

It’s not strong enough to offer deep to the bone percussive therapy and may not be good enough for body builders or people with a lot of muscle mass.

However, it may be a good gun for those looking to manage conditions such as lower back pain, arthritis, or other related issues that require delicate treatment.

Is Theragun Prime Worth It?

The Prime MSRP is $299 which is a pretty hefty price point. Perhaps the biggest reason why you may want to look elsewhere. You can check the latest price here, just to know for sure.

In addition to almost bleeding you dry, Theragun doesn’t even offer you a lifetime warranty. The best they can do is a 1-year warranty and this with conditions that have to be met to qualify. We know of brands that offer lifetime warranties on all their devices e.g. Lifepro or Ekrin.

But we perhaps won’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Theragun Prime is still a good introductory device that should be okay for anyone who just wants an everyday massage. It may not be good for professionals who want the most out of a massage gun though. For instance, the stall force is a big letdown if you consider the price.

If you just want a Theragun and nothing else, then by all means go for the Prime. If you are okay with the low stall force, we recommend choosing it over the Elite model which is much more expensive.

If you want to learn more, check out our comprehensive Theragun Prime vs. Elite vs. Pro vs. Mini comparison.

However, if you really want a bang for your buck, there are some pretty viable options that we can recommend to you. Check out the ones below!

Best Alternatives to Theragun Prime

Review Conclusion

Before we wrap up, we’d like to share some insights we’ve gathered from using this Theragun Prime, an entry-level massage gun.

• Our first impression was that it’s a premium-grade device. In our testing, it served us well and we found it to be ideal for users who don’t require overly intense massages.
• We were genuinely impressed with the Therabody app during our use. The app was very user-friendly, especially for those of us who had never used a massage gun before. We found the recommended routines to be excellent and effective in our sessions.
• However, during our testing, we felt that those seeking more power might prefer the Theragun Elite, another model we’ve personally tried from the Theragun family.
• If you’re on a budget, we’ve also put the Ekrin B37S and Achedaway Pro to the test. Both alternatives offered us more power at a lower price point – You can also check our post dedicated to Theragun alternatives for even more product recommendations.

Lastly, if you’re unsure about which massage gun to go for next, don’t hesitate to reach out. Based on our extensive personal experiences testing these devices, we’re here to guide you towards the right choice.

Bye!