It will probably’t be denied that the Theragun utterly modified the sport in relation to managing post-workout muscle soreness, and even providing a pre-workout warm up. Therapeutic massage weapons 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 implausible. The one downside? Regardless of having chronically sore and stiff muscle tissues because of my tendency to run so much and forego stretching (I do know, I do know, not good!) on high 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 seek out the Flyby F1Pro massage gun from Flyby, which prices a really affordable $75, a value that works in my tight price range. However I have to admit, I used to be fairly doubtful that this therapeutic massage gun would truly 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 at all times drilled within the message, “You get what you pay for!” Nonetheless, I made a decision to offer it a shot—and now I perceive why it has practically 12,000 five-star opinions.
First impressions
Opening the field, I discovered there are little particulars that clue you in that it is a budget-friendly therapeutic massage gun. For instance, the wall charger isn’t USB-C, there isn’t a LCD display screen on the gadget, and it would not include journey/storage case.
Associated Tales
That mentioned, I used to be impressed with the vary and high quality of the six attachment ideas, how neatly every thing was packaged, and the texture of the therapeutic massage gun in my arms. 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 here are a few of my favorites:
A number of attachment heads
The Flyby F1Pro comes with six distinctive attachment ideas.
- Spherical balls: There are two ball heads, every a special 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 at all times tremendous tight as a result of I run on my toes a bit.
- Spinal fork: The agency fork attachment is right for massaging the tissue round your backbone.
- Flat head: The broader, flat head attachment is form of like a paddle, so it could actually 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 obtained in one among my lats after rowing too aggressively (and with sloppy-ish kind) with out warming up.
- Wedge: Designed for scraping actions, I used this attachment to assist mobilize my plantar fascia on my toes and my IT band, which at all times feels wound up like a thread you pull in your sweater that causes your entire factor to pucker up.
The attachments are all comprised of arduous 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. Up to now so good, although.
High quality building
Truthfully, I’m stunned at how well-made the Flyby therapeutic massage gun is. The plastic elements form of look low-cost and really feel a bit low-cost in your hand, however when it’s truly 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, nevertheless it’s truly about 20 p.c 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 arms. The vibration on therapeutic massage weapons will get surprisingly tiring on your arm, particularly in case you’re attempting 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 pace setting whereas safely pointing upwards between my sofa cushions. It will definitely petered out at just 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 in case you use the therapeutic massage gun for 10 minutes day-after-day, it may final for 10 days on a single cost.
Straightforward to make use of
The most effective issues concerning the Flyby F1Pro is it’s tremendous easy, which makes it choice for individuals who don’t have loads 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 might be downright overwhelming in case 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 pace, it operates at a most noise stage of 45 decibels—about on par with an electrical toothbrush. On the bottom pace setting, I may barely hear it in any respect and I’ve very delicate listening to, and get notably irritated with repetitive noises. I truly discovered this to be one among my favourite options.
The downsides of going the cheap route
Smaller strokes
The first disadvantage of the Flyby F1Pro is that the amplitude of the stroke peak is barely 10 millimeters, so you may’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 sort of a bit extra.
Nice stress, however no stress sensor
That mentioned, the therapeutic massage gun can nonetheless ship 50 kilos of stress, so though you may’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 function I missed whereas utilizing the Flyby.
Big selection of pace, however solely three ranges
One other perk is the big selection of 1800 to 3200 pulsations per minute (ppm). The utmost pace is definitely larger than what you may get from the Theragun. Nevertheless, the Flyby solely has three distinct ranges. I is likely to be 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 or 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 accessible within the app.)
No Case
For those who work out on the fitness center or journey so much 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 may at all times purchase some form of zippered pouch, however I’m simply not that organized.
Is the Flyby F1Pro price it?
For being about one-fourth the worth of Theraguns (and even much less, relying on the mannequin!), this therapeutic massage gun is surprisingly highly effective, capable of ship a focused, professional-quality vibrating massage. So long as you aren’t in search of each single bell and whistle, it’s a wise buy to encourage blood circulate, assist tissue restoration, and ease your ache.
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