Had you told me six months ago that I’d be voluntarily pulling on football boots on a Tuesday evening — and not as part of a fancy-dress stunt — I’d have raised a brow and returned to my regular sofa scroll.
Athleticism and I have never been especially well-acquainted. One might go so far as to consider us perfect strangers (I used to hide in the library during P.E. and was once off for nine months after calling a mole removal a back operation).
Nevertheless, in a moment of unexpected resolve (or possibly delusion), I joined a local women’s football league, and let’s just say my muscles have been loudly voicing their objections ever since.
The thing no one tells you about grassroots sport in adulthood is just how quickly your quads revolt and your calves conspire against you. So, given my retail-centric profession, I figured there must be some kind of high-tech tool to solve all my muscle-related woes.
My search, of course, led me to the massage gun. That now-ubiquitous percussive device beloved by professional athletes and ambitious amateurs alike. The question is: do you really need to spend several hundred pounds to relieve the pain of your Sunday League endeavours, or can a more affordable alternative do the job just as well?
To find out, I spent several weeks oscillating (pun intended) between the cult-status Theragun and a popular budget contender from Bob & Brad, the self-styled YouTube physios turned device developers. One sleek and satisfyingly engineered, the other compact, no-frills, and considerably kinder on the wallet. Both promise to soothe sore muscles, speed up recovery, and generally improve the quality of life for those of us who forgot that sprinting, in fact, hurts.
This review isn’t about jargon or gym credentials– I have neither – but about how these tools fare in the hands of a sports novice trying to keep pace with more seasoned teammates. From noise levels to usability, effectiveness and aesthetics, I’ve put them to the test. Because while I may not yet know how to curve a corner kick, I do know what 48 hours of DOMS feels like.
Keep scrolling for the full, comparative review.
Key Specifications
Bob & Brad Q2 Pro - £79.99, Amazon
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Theragun Pro Plus - £499, Amazon
Design
Despite its rather miniature stature, the Q2 Pro has all the design elements I’d expect of a premium device: a sleek hard-shelled storage container, a chic matte finish, and a weighted but not overly heavy feel. While the Theragun Pro Plus certainly looks the part, it’s a bulky, heavy device that I wouldn’t class as travel-friendly – though it does come with a handy, tiered, soft-shell case for easy storage.
User-friendliness
Remarkably easy to set up and beautifully void of unnecessary companion applications, the Bob & Brad Q2 Pro is pretty much ready to use out of the box. It comes with a little crib sheet which details exactly what each attachment does (as does the Theragun Pro, though it’s neatly imprinted onto the inside of the case) and has three simple buttons, a plus for increasing pressure, a minus for achieving the opposite, and an on/off button. Entirely idiot-proof, just how I like my gadgets.
The Theragun Pro Plus is a little more complicated – especially if you want to set up the companion app. The toggles are more plentiful due to their higher-tech nature, but it doesn’t take long to figure out how to increase or decrease the pressure or heat, and it’s likewise relatively simple to shuffle through the myriad presets to find a 3-5 minute routine to suit your therapy goals.
Functionality
The Q2 Pro was an immediate office-wide hit. Rather than delivering cruel-to-be-kind, painful percussive ‘therapy’, its lightweight design and ultra-comfortable attachments actually feel relaxing, which allows the tension in muscles to simply melt away. Every one of my colleagues wanted a turn to help relieve stiff shoulders from being hunched over computer screens all day, and the relief after a mere two-minute session was obvious for all of us. It comes with a dual hot and cold attachment, which worked wonders on my lower back and glutes after a football session.
Following my first test of the Theragun, my editor asked why I was using a pneumatic drill in the office. Though adjustable and filled to the brim with customisable settings, the Theragun Pro vibrates so powerfully upon initial set-up that I struggled to read the LCD screen to toggle with the settings. This problem is easily solvable with the help of Therabody’s companion app – but I loathe having to download additional applications to use an already very expensive product.
Once I dialled down the vibrations, I found some relief with the help of the heat attachment, which definitely helped to loosen some knots. The attachments are, however, quite tough on my body. I’m not exactly made of muscle, and I found the device quite painful at first, unless used on my sides and thighs. The beauty lover in me does appreciate the constant LED red light therapy that the device emits to boost circulation.
Verdict
If you’re looking to replace your physio entirely, Therabody’s Theragun PRO Plus can provide just that. Yet Pro is in the name for a reason – it’s simply not necessary for us regular folk. While I’d be tempted to recommend their standard Theragun Relief as an alternative, it’s still quite a pricey £129 and only comes with three, rather similar attachments.
Ultimately, both products have been designed by experts in the field, and both are going to massively help with muscle recovery in the short and long term. Bob & Brad’s Q2 Pro, however, is the wallet-friendly healer we’ve all been looking for.
Bob & Brad Q2 Pro
This ultralight percussion gun by Bob & Brad is a surprisingly capable companion for on-the-go recovery. Weighing around 0.6 kg with USB C charging and a 2000 mAh battery, it delivers a massage amplitude of 7mm across five adjustable speeds with the help of six interchangeable attachment heads – including a high-tech hot and cold therapy attachment – for deep tissue relief in compact form.
Plus, with noise levels under 50dB, it’s ideal for discreet use after a match or long commute.
Buy now £79.99, Amazon
Therabody Theragun Pro Plus
The Theragun PRO Plus is a flagship device blending luxury and versatility. Featuring 16mm percussive depth, five percussion attachments, plus heat and vibration heads, infrared LED light, cold therapy compatibility (sold separately), and guided breathwork via Therabody app, it's engineered to support full body recovery and mental wellness. The price is reflective of the tech behind it, but it’s called the Pro Plus for a reason – it’s engineered for athletes and professional therapists.
With 150 minutes of run-time on lithium-ion battery, Bluetooth connectivity and a triangular ergonomic grip, it delivers controlled, comprehensive relief. From its clinical FDA registration to its guided routines on an LCD screen, it redefines recovery for serious users.
Buy now £549.00, Amazon
