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8 best at-home massage tools to relieve aches, pains and knots
Hit the gym hard and have been left with sore muscles? Try this equipment to loosen up
Whether you’ve overdone it at the gym or on the dancefloor, it’s well worth investing in an at-home massage tool that can help you treat your aches, knots and sprains. From foam rollers to massage guns, there’s plenty of options out there and we’ve tested the best equipment for all.
We loved all these products, but for us the greatest revelation was at-home acupressure. The spiky mats or pillows are dotted with little clusters of sharp points that stimulate but don’t break the skin, they work along the same principles as acupuncture or acupressure.
Depending on how much faith you have in alternative medicine, that means they either target specific points on your body to trigger a relaxation response or use a low, controlled level of sensation to trick your body into producing feel-good endorphins. Either way, they made us feel amazing.
Tools designed for athletes, or that provide a very targeted massage, like the foam roller or the spiky ball, are best used shortly after exercise or on your rest day. For tools more geared towards general wellbeing, like the acupressure mats and pillows, try scheduling a little pocket of time for self-care whenever that’s feasible.
We have also included some massage oils and gels. These are best used when you’re using a tool that rolls over your skin, like the hand roller, but are also a treat, and smell incredible, for an acupressure session.
Read more:
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- 9 best yoga leggings and pants that are comfy and squat-proof
The best massage tools for 2021 are:
- Best overall – Pranamat Eco massage set: £242.25, Pranamat.uk
- Best massage oil – Neal’s Yard soothing massage oil: £14, Nealsyardremedies.com
- Best for tight muscles – Trigger Point grid foam roller: £39.99, Wiggle.co.uk
- Best for budding athletes – Theragun liv: £229, Theragun.com
- Best for shoulder and neck pain – Bed of Nails acupressure pillow: £40, Selfridges.com
- Best for easy to store and carry – Yogi Bare acupressure mat: £39.50, Oliverbonas.com
- Best massage ball – Yogamatters spiky massage ball: £3.50, Yogamatters.com
- Best gel – China Gel: £17.95, Yogamatters.com
Pranamat Eco massage set
Best: Overall
The spikiest acupressure mat we tested was also the most effective. Pranamat Eco’s pretty mat, made with linen, cotton and coconut fibre, takes a little getting used to: the lotus-flower shaped spiky rosettes, made from hypoallergenic plastic, were the hardest we encountered. One of our reviewers couldn’t even come close to standing on it with bare feet. But this spikiness makes it extremely effective; so much so that it’s become an irreplaceable part of our self-care toolkit.
The pillow, which comes with the mat if you buy the set, is stuffed with buckwheat. Rolling it under the nape of the neck and shoulders completely relieved our headaches – even one that had more to do with martinis than muscle strain. It works even if you’re not particularly setting aside time to chill out – laid over your chair while you’re watching TV, or in bed while reading at night, for example.
The verdict: Self-massage tools
The Pranamat eco massage set is a complete, at-home acupressure session; it’s also a go to when you have a minor ailment, or need a pick-up. A bottle of Neal’s Yard’s gorgeous soothing oil is an essential whatever you decide to indulge in – and doubles as a luxurious moisturiser.
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For a more in-depth review of two of the biggest names in massage gun, read our head to head comparison between Theragun and Hypervolt