We Tried The RENPHO Mini Thermal Massage Gun & It's The Future Of At-Home Self-Care

A good massage can melt away months of built-up tension in minutes, but not everyone has the means to hit the spa regularly. That's why many are turning to at-home massages to undo their aches and pains, often with the help of handheld massagers. The popularity of handheld massagers has exploded in recent years, and chances are that you've seen them everywhere from the gifting section at Marshall's to online storefronts like Amazon. Still, not all massage tools are created equal, and it can be stressful to take your pick from dozens of devices without knowing what to expect inside their boxes.

Trying to find a handheld massage tool that's compact, powerful, and well-made can be like trying to stick to your macros during vacation — in other words, quite difficult. Luckily, seasoned healthcare manufacturer RENPHO recently released a new portable massager that checks all the boxes: the RENPHO Mini Thermal Massage Gun. With soothing, concentrated heat, easy-to-clean silicone attachments, and handy USB charging, it seems perfect for hitting pressure points on the go. To see if it's truly as good as it sounds, I put RENPHO's Mini Thermal Massage Gun to the test for Glam. The verdict? It may look small, but this little massage tool made a huge difference in my self-care routine.

When it comes to finding the best handheld massage tool, it's easy to lose hours to endless research, comparing product after product online. After all, there are seemingly hundreds of massage guns, gadgets, and gizmos out there. To make matters worse, fake 5-star reviews are increasingly common, so it can be tough to trust everything you read. However, I can attest that RENPHO is a top-notch manufacturer of home-health appliances. Prior to testing its Mini Thermal Massage Gun, I'd purchased RENPHO massage products in the past and can attest that they're still going strong even after years of use.

The RENPHO Mini Thermal Massage Gun, currently priced at $69.99 on Amazon and $109.99 on the brand's website (where it's sold out at the time of writing), is built with the same attention to detail and craftsmanship I've come to expect from the brand. While RENPHO offers several home massagers, from handheld wands to portable eye massagers, its Mini Thermal Massage Gun is a first. Small enough to fit in a hoodie pocket, measuring 4 inches by 6 inches and weighing just under a pound, the handheld massager is ultra-portable. It's also quite powerful, boasting four levels of intensity and an optional warming setting to boot, and comes with four silicone massage head attachments to try.

The RENPHO Mini Thermal Massage Gun arrives in a handy zippered carrying case. Inside, there's space for each of its four silicone attachments, as well as a decorative sleeve, USB charger, and product manual. My device had a partial charge that let me get an idea of its abilities right out of the box, but according to its manual, the Mini Thermal Massage Gun requires three hours of charge for a full battery. As such, I let it charge until the small, red light on its base turned off, letting me know it was ready. With the click of a button, I realized right away that this isn't your average handheld massage tool. It's incredibly powerful when used on the first intensity setting, and that was more than enough force even on tense, large muscle groups. Settings two, three, and four felt a little too strong for me, but others may appreciate the vigorous massage they provide. 

The extra attachment heads are a nice touch, and I love that they're made with easy-to-clean silicone. Still, I preferred the gun's flat base, or thermal massage head, overall. To activate it, just press the power button on the base of the unit twice until the green indicator light turns red. The heat it emits is warm and gentle, and it feels great on tense shoulders and back muscles, though it isn't quite as perceptible through clothing. Moreover, RENPHO's slim, ergonomic design makes the gun easy to aim at difficult-to-reach areas, like the upper back and shoulders.

Compared to similar products I've tried in the past, the RENPHO Mini Thermal Massage Gun is in an entirely different league. I've purchased plenty of massage guns, mats, and tools, and few can compare to the design and functionality of this machine. Its futuristic, rounded look is a refreshing change of pace, whereas other massage guns practically ask to get you pulled out of the TSA line. Plus, its silicone attachments are fantastic for those who like to keep their self-care tools neat and clean. My only qualm — which others may see as a plus — is that this little device packs a serious punch on its higher intensity settings.

I'm the type of person who enjoys a very deep massage, having once joked that I'd like a masseuse to use a hammer, but levels two, three, and four were far too much for me. Unless you want to see your limbs shake like a dancing Halloween skeleton decoration, I'd be cautious about using the device on anything past a two. But as long as you adhere to the product's manual and don't massage one spot for more than 10 minutes, you shouldn't experience any soreness or discomfort during or after your session. Overall, if you're looking for a powerful device that's sleek enough to fit in your gym bag, RENPHO's Mini Thermal Massage Gun is one of the best handheld massagers you can buy to improve your well-being.