Physical therapists Bob Schrupp and Brad Heinick offer a number of health-related products and one of the value options is their C2 Massage Gun. This Deep Tissue Percussion Massager Gun offers 5 different speeds, 5 different attachments and targets professional athletes, home gym workout recovery and pain relief.
Massage guns are a very popular category of electronics and health tech for good reason. Our human bodies are amazing, but when we stress them, they can be assisted by some muscle relief. Historically this would take a visit to a paid professional, but now technology is here to help and can be obtained by anyone for use at home and is small enough to travel with you.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to try it out and below is my full review of what’s good and what’s not. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.
Design
When it comes to design, there are two aspects, the design of the massage gun itself, but also the carry case.
The massage gun has an interesting design, and initially, when you unbox it, you may think it looks a little strange, but once you hold it you’ll understand why it makes a lot of sense.
The oval-shaped, rubberised hand grip feels comfortable in the hand, allowing you to get a firm grip while adjusting angles to get the best massage. Inside the hand grip is the battery that powers the device and charging is done by a USB-C port in the base. Given many of us have USB-C chargers around the home, the convenience offered by charging this on any USB-C port is great, you could use a phone charger beside the bed, or a AC to USB-C adapter in the home gym.
The top of the device features a circular vent to allow heat to escape from the electric motor inside. During testing, I didn’t notice the device getting hot, but it is important that heat is able to dissipate to ensure the longevity of the device.
The massage gun heads slide into the barrel of the gun and with a simple twist can be removed. There are 5 heads included with the massage gun, each designed to apply a different pressure to your muscles. There are:
- Ford head
- Ball head
- Flat head
- Bullet head
- Air cushion head
To operate the gun, you’ll extend your thumb up to the on-off / gear selector button on the back of the device. There are 5 different speeds you can select from, indicated by blue LED lights.
There’s another series of LED lights at the base of the grip, indicating the amount of charge remaining, which is updated in real-time as the device charges, showing 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%.
Safety is designed into the device with it preventing use while the device is plugged in to charge.
When it comes to the travel case, it’s a really nice design, a brushed grey fabric finish, with a rubberized black handle, complimented by a black zip. The branding is fairly subtle with a Blue rectangle in the upper-left corner with the Bob and Brad logo. Inside the case, there’s a fabric-lined, foam cut-out for the gun and the head attachments. You’ll also get a USB charging cable, along with an instruction manual.
Features
Lightweight & Portable Design
Bob and Brad massage gun is only 1.5lbs, easy to carry anywhere, and easy to pack into any gym bag in the home gym office. Bring your own case to increase the portability of the massager. It’s easy to hold with its ergonomic silicone handle design. Carry the massager with you and use it anytime.
Powerful Performance
Brushless motor, super blocking torque energy output without interruption, and dual shaft drive structure offer stable operation. The max speed up to 3200rpm can help muscle recover faster, reduce muscle pain, muscle fatigue, and lactic acid build-up, encourage blood flow, improve range of motion and flexibility, help with muscle stiffness, and more. Because of the stronger percussion of this massage gun, more suitable for professional athletes.
5 Massage Heads & Speeds
5 massage heads and 5 speeds are suitable for different parts of the body and can meet different needs. Massage heads in different shapes can be used on different muscle groups and provide targeted therapy for fast recovery.
Type-C Quick Charge
Type-c fast-charging port can be charged to a 5 V/2A adapter or power bank, providing greater portability. Any regular phone adapters will be able to charge the massage gun without a problem.
Smart Chip and 10-Minute Timer Auto-Off Protection
Built-in intelligent chip, working for 10 minutes automatic shutdown, to avoid harm from overuse to the human body. Ultra-quiet muscle massage gun. It uses the latest noise reduction technology to reduce the noise of the massage gun during use, the sounds are less than 60dB even at max 3200RPM.
Performance
I was blown away by how powerful this massage gun is. Despite its compact size, it packs a serious punch, to the point where you need to be careful about which setting you use on which part of your body.
I spend a lot of time at the keyboard, so can suffer from shoulder/neck pain, or at least tense muscles. Using the massage gun helps relieve this tension but if you use anything more than 2/5 power level, it’ll vibrate up through your neck and your vision gets shaky. Turn it up to 4/5 or 5/5 and it’ll rattle your teeth – it really is that powerful.
These stronger modes are best used for larger muscle groups like your back, quads, calves or glutes.
Issues
I felt like there should be some more digital guidance provided to buyers, like a mobile phone app to highlight which attachment head to use to address which area of your body, or ailment.
There are suggestions provided in the paper manual for Chest, Abs, Upper traps, Upper back, Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps, Forearm, Hands, Hip flexors, Shins, Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves and Feet. It is 2023, so this really needs to be a digital manual at least, but ultimately an app with videos to follow.
In future revisions, I’d love to see Bob and Brad move to integrate a Bluetooth connection that could enable the gun to connect to the mobile app. Other connected devices like smart toothbrushes provide video tutorials and logging of device use, to power recommendations for improvements over time.
Price & Availability
The Bob and Brad C2 Massage Gun is available now via Amazon for A139.99. This massage gun category is certainly getting crowded with many brands competing in this space. The price is right for the performance and design on offer here. You can spend more than a thousand dollars on a massage gun, or cheap out and spend under $100, but something at this price point offers great value for money and will likely be with you for a number of years.
It’s also worth remembering that if you have a partner, you could both get benefits from the massage gun, further increasing its value.
Overall
I’ve used a number of massage guns now and the Bob and Brad C2 Massage Gun certainly features a great design, appropriate price and great performance. The biggest decision you are likely to have when buying one is around the size.
If you’re someone who travels a lot and exercises while travelling, you may want to take the massage gun with you when travelling. If you’re trying to travel light, then the size of the gun and its packaging (in this instance the travel case) is an important metric, given it’ll be consuming space in your suitcase.
There are smaller, mini massagers on the market, but the trade-off is certainly performance. One option may be to select your favourite head and take just the gun and head without the carry case to reduce the space required.
If you’re someone who plans on using this at home, then it’s certainly an easy recommendation, this works, it’s simple and powerful for a great price.
