Massage Heads

Both the number and types of massage heads a massager comes with are extremely important. Some massagers may not come with any additional massage heads, while others may have as many as 12. Each massage head will have a different shape or size, and they’ll be best suited for particular spots on your body.

It’s crucial to know where each massage head should be used — and where they shouldn’t — so you make sure you’re not doing more harm than good. Most massagers will include a small booklet that lets you know where to use each attachment. You should keep the book as a reference point as new aches and pains crop up. Here are some of the most common massage heads you’ll see and what areas they should be used on.

• Fork attachment: The fork attachment, also sometimes called the U-shape head, looks like a little two-prong fork. It’s best suited for large, tight muscles like hamstrings, quads, and glutes. Since it gives you two pinpointed spots to work with and can apply deep, targeted pressure, it’s a great massage head to use after a long run because it may help your muscles recover faster and feel better instantly. You should be cautious using this around the spinal area because of how intense the pressure can be. If you’re going to use it to straddle the spine, you should use the lowest speed and avoid applying additional pressure.
  
• The bullet attachment: This attachment looks like a single bullet, and like the fork attachment, it applies a small spot of intense pressure, although this one only hits one spot at a time. This may be one of the most popular attachments because it allows you to quickly pinpoint super painful areas and reach the deep tissue. It can be great for the legs, the bottoms of the feet, shoulders, and even the back, as long as you avoid the vertebrae.
  
• The flat round attachment: This attachment looks like a flat knob, and it’s good for medium-to-large muscle groups. You won’t get the deep tissue action you do with a bullet attachment, so it’s excellent for pounding at higher speeds on your calf or bicep.
  
• The ball attachment: Ball attachments can come in various sizes, and some massager kits will include both a large one and a small one. The ball might be made of foam or plastic. It’s a gentler way to deliver a soothing massage, and it’s ideal for super sensitive areas, like intensely painful shoulders or problem spots located closer to the bone. You’ll easily control the intensity by adjusting how much pressure you apply.
  

Heated

Having a massager that uses heat can help relax tight muscles and can relieve pain and tension. Not all massagers use heat, though. For maximum relief, you may want to find one that does. It’s common to see a heating function on foot massagers, but not as common to see that feature on massage guns.

The level of heat that is provided will vary between brands and models. Sometimes it is a gentle, one-level heat, and other times, the massager can offer varying degrees of heat, with some quite intense. It can be a good idea to start with the heat on the lowest setting and gradually increase it so you avoid heat that is too much for your skin.

• Auto Shut-Off
  Having an automatic shut-off on your massager is an excellent feature. If you forget to turn off the massager, it will shut it off for you, generally after a few minutes. Having an automatic shut-off feature can protect you in several ways.
• Preserves battery power or electricity: Let’s say you’re using your foot massager and unintentionally fall asleep because you become so relaxed. If you don’t have the auto shut-off feature, the massager will keep going until you wake up or the battery dies. If your massager is powered by a battery, you’ll either need to replace it or recharge it. If it runs through corded electricity, you’ll be paying for that electricity even though you’re not awake to enjoy the massage.
  
• Avoids over-massaging your body: While massages feel great, they shouldn’t go on indefinitely. Usually, 10 to 15 minutes of concentrated usage of your massager on any particular spot is enough for stress and pain relief. You’ll get a much longer massage than that if you fall asleep while using your massager. Also, having an auto shut-off of five minutes on a hand-held massager will give you the opportunity to reevaluate how your muscles feel after a few minutes of massage. You may find those five or ten minutes were enough.
  
• Avoids fire hazards: When you’re using corded electric massagers, they run the risk of overheating if you use them too long. While many of them will have overheating protection, some don’t. Having an automatic shut-off feature can protect you from using your massager for so long that it becomes overheated and potentially damaged.
  

Power Source

What power source your massager uses makes a big difference in how much money you’ll spend while using it. Massagers use four different power sources that all have their own set of pros and cons.

• Manual power: Some massagers rely on the user to supply the power by pressing or digging the massager into sore muscles. A foam roller massager, for instance, is an example of a manually-powered massager. These are free to operate, but can get tiring and often won’t be powerful enough to reach deep tissue.
  
• Replaceable batteries: Although this kind of massager is becoming rarer, you’ll still occasionally see one that uses a replaceable battery. With this kind, you’ll either need to throw away the single-use battery and replace it, or you’ll have to buy a rechargeable battery and replace it. That can get expensive over time.
  
• USB-powered: USB-powered massagers use a rechargeable battery that can be plugged into a USB port to quickly recharge. These will work for hours before needing to be recharged. They can be immensely powerful, and massage guns often use this type of power.
  
• Corded electric: Some massagers must be plugged into a wall outlet to work, and sometimes these massagers also provide heat. Foot massagers frequently use this source of power to operate, and many designated neck and back massagers also use outlets.