It could’t be denied that the Theragun fully modified the sport in relation to managing post-workout muscle soreness, and even providing a pre-workout warm up. Massage guns at the moment are commonplace amongst leisure and aggressive athletes alike.
I’ve examined and reviewed each single Theragun massage gun mannequin and admittedly, they’re all improbable. The one downside? Regardless of having chronically sore and stiff muscle tissues on account of my tendency to run quite a bit and forego stretching (I do know, I do know, not good!) on prime of a neurological dysfunction that causes extreme tightness and spasticity, I can’t actually justify dropping a number of hundred {dollars} on a therapeutic massage gun myself.
So I used to be thrilled to search out the Flyby F1Pro massage gun from Flyby, which prices a really cheap $75, a value that works in my tight price range. However I need to admit, I used to be fairly doubtful that this therapeutic massage gun would really work successfully sufficient on my crazy-tight muscle tissues with out crapping out after a couple of makes use of.
In spite of everything, my mother all the time drilled within the message, “You get what you pay for!” Nonetheless, I made a decision to present it a shot—and now I perceive why it has almost 12,000 five-star critiques.
First impressions
Opening the field, I discovered there are little particulars that clue you in that this can be a budget-friendly therapeutic massage gun. For instance, the wall charger isn’t USB-C, there isn’t a LCD display screen on the system, and it would not include journey/storage case.
Associated Tales
That stated, I used to be impressed with the vary and high quality of the six attachment suggestions, how neatly the whole lot was packaged, and the texture of the therapeutic massage gun in my palms. It has a minimalist design, with only one button on the underside to toggle for the three completely different speeds.
The very best options of the Flyby F1Pro
For such a low value level, this therapeutic massage gun has fairly a couple of bells and whistles. Listed below are a few of my favorites:
A number of attachment heads
The Flyby F1Pro comes with six distinctive attachment suggestions.
- Spherical balls: There are two ball heads, every a unique measurement, for softer and smoother massages. I used them alongside my shins, neck, and the place my foot meets my ankle within the entrance, which is all the time tremendous tight as a result of I run on my toes a bit.
- Spinal fork: The agency fork attachment is good for massaging the tissue round your backbone.
- Flat head: The broader, flat head attachment is form of like a paddle, so it will possibly apply a widespread therapeutic massage to a bigger space just like the thigh.
- Bullet head: The tapered bullet head applies a really concentrated or focused therapeutic massage to tight areas. I like this one for massaging knots in my calf. I additionally used it for digging right into a spasm I bought in one in every of my lats after rowing too aggressively (and with sloppy-ish type) with out warming up.
- Wedge: Designed for scraping actions, I used this attachment to assist mobilize my plantar fascia on my ft and my IT band, which all the time feels wound up like a thread you pull in your sweater that causes the complete factor to pucker up.
The attachments are all made out of exhausting plastic, aside from the 2 balls, that are molded out of sentimental foam. The plastic heads appear actually sturdy, and though I loved the softness of the balls as a result of it feels gentler on delicate areas (like across the ankle bones and alongside the shins), I do fear they could deteriorate over time. Thus far so good, although.
High quality development
Actually, I’m shocked at how well-made the Flyby therapeutic massage gun is. The plastic components form of look low-cost and really feel a bit low-cost in your hand, however when it’s really in use, it doesn’t appear to function cheaply.
Light-weight design
At simply 1.8 kilos, the Flyby F1Pro is lighter, smaller, and simpler to make use of one-handed in comparison with the Theragun Prime or Theragun Elite, every which weigh 2.2 kilos. That may not sound like that large of a distinction, however it’s really about 20 % lighter.
As a result of I’m fairly tiny (and admittedly have form of poor hand and wrist power and management), I discovered the Flyby a lot simpler to handle with out my arm getting drained or needing to revert to gripping it with each palms. The vibration on therapeutic massage weapons will get surprisingly tiring in your arm, particularly should you’re making an attempt to hit hard-to-reach locations in your physique!
Nice battery life
The Flyby F1Pro is claimed to run for 4 hours on a single cost, which is twice the battery life you’ll discover on the Theragun Prime or Theragun Elite. I put that declare to the check and ran it on the medium velocity setting whereas safely pointing upwards between my sofa cushions. It will definitely petered out at slightly below three hours and 40 minutes, which appears proper on par with what they promote. (The four-hour mark might be when utilizing the bottom setting.)
Which means should you use the therapeutic massage gun for 10 minutes each day, it may final for 10 days on a single cost.
Straightforward to make use of
Among the finest issues in regards to the Flyby F1Pro is it’s tremendous easy, which makes it an excellent possibility for individuals who don’t have lots of curiosity in studying the ins and outs of tons of options and settings. Whereas the Theragun’s companion apps and customization could also be nice for avid athletes who wish to be very particular of their restoration, the alternatives could be downright overwhelming should you simply wish to hit “on” and get massaging.
It’s very quiet
The Flyby is extraordinarily quiet in comparison with the Theraguns. Even on the highest velocity, it operates at a most noise degree of 45 decibels—about on par with an electrical toothbrush. On the bottom velocity setting, I may barely hear it in any respect and I’ve very delicate listening to, and get notably irritated with repetitive noises. I really discovered this to be one in every of my favourite options.
The downsides of going the cheap route
Smaller strokes
The first downside of the Flyby F1Pro is that the amplitude of the stroke top is just 10 millimeters, so you possibly can’t get a very deep therapeutic massage. For comparability, the Theragun mini has a stroke of 12 mm and the full-sized fashions can journey 16 mm, which is kind of a bit extra.
Nice stress, however no stress sensor
That stated, the therapeutic massage gun can nonetheless ship 50 kilos of stress, so though you possibly can’t essentially get an excellent deep therapeutic massage, the power nonetheless feels fairly impactful—I can actually pummel the intense knots within the calves. The Theragun Prime and Elite solely ship a most of 40 kilos of stress, though they’ve a stress sensor that lets you know the way a lot stress you might be making use of—a characteristic I missed whereas utilizing the Flyby.
Wide selection of velocity, however solely three ranges
One other perk is the big selection of 1800 to 3200 pulsations per minute (ppm). The utmost velocity is definitely better than what you may get from the Theragun. Nonetheless, the Flyby solely has three distinct ranges. I is perhaps oversensitive (I do have sensory processing dysfunction), so I have a tendency to note small gradations extra readily than most individuals, however I discovered myself craving extra like 5 – 6 completely different ranges to extra exactly dial into the depth I used to be in search of. (The Theragun Prime and Theragun Elite each have 5 speeds, starting from 1750 to 2400 ppm, with additional customization obtainable within the app.)
No Case
Should you work out on the health club or journey quite a bit for work, run races or compete in different athletic occasions, it’s actually useful to have a journey case, which is lacking right here. In fact, you possibly can all the time purchase some form of zippered pouch, however I’m simply not that organized.
Is the Flyby F1Pro value it?
For being about one-fourth the value of Theraguns (and even much less, relying on the mannequin!), this therapeutic massage gun is surprisingly highly effective, in a position to ship a focused, professional-quality vibrating massage. So long as you aren’t in search of each single bell and whistle, it’s a sensible buy to encourage blood move, support tissue restoration, and ease your ache.
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