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Theragun Mini 2.0: Feeling stiff? Give yourself a punch with this

This almost pocket-sized massage gun packs one hell of a punch. But does it actually make you feel any better?

The Theragun 2.0 Mini, an almost pocket-sized massage gun that packs quite the punch. Picture- Supplied
The Theragun 2.0 Mini, an almost pocket-sized massage gun that packs quite the punch. Picture- Supplied

“Oh man, my neck is really sore.”

“Here. Have a punch on this.”

That’s how I imagine a conversation would go between two people, one who owns a Theragun Mini 2.0, and one who doesn’t.

The Australian has been playing with the relatively new device from the Californian business which sells “RecoverAir”, “TheraCups” and “smart goggles” over the past few months.

Therabody, founded by chiropractor Jason Wersland, who is now the company’s “chief wellness officer”, exists in the wellness market – one that’s reportedly brought in $US4.3 trillion ($6.6 trillion) in 2020 and is expected to reach $US7 trillion by 2025.

Within that space there’s a whole lot of fodder from courses that will, once paid for, “unlock your true potential” to a suite of products designed to help you achieve your best. Most of it is really good – or bad, depending on how you see it – marketing.

A woman using the Theragun Mini 2.0 in her bicep.
A woman using the Theragun Mini 2.0 in her bicep.

We’re not saying that’s the case here, and to be completely fair, the product descriptions on Therabody’s website are rather modest.

“Theragun power, packed into an ultra-portable package to keep you moving wherever you go,” the website reads – and it’s a pretty fair description at that.

The Theragun Mini 2.0 which retails for $349, is the company’s smallest massage gun yet, having arrived 20 per cent lighter and 30 per cent smaller than its predecessor.

The second-generation gun kind of looks like one of those big old perfume bottles you’d likely see on your grandmother’s beauty cabinet.

The device itself has three modes which alter its speed, is USB-C rechargeable and can last up to two hours on a single charge.

The USB-C charging factor is something we do enjoy, and not having to carry some old-school adaptor or cable different to that which we use with an iPhone is pretty convenient if you ask us.

The Theragun Mini 2.0can connect to a smartphone via bluetooth.
The Theragun Mini 2.0can connect to a smartphone via bluetooth.

As for the device’s ability, well, it works. We found it was actually quite good at providing some temporary relief, especially from things like a stiff neck.

The company claims online that: “Theragun is the only massage device proven to improve your recovery, performance, sleep, mobility and stress.”

Do we doubt that? Not really.

Within the Theramind app there’s a whole heap of courses for the novice to run through from pre-walk warm-ups to bedtime rituals, “goodbye, tech neck” and routines to provide relief from plantar fasciitis, a painful inflammatory condition in the heel.

The Theragun Mini 2.0 has three speeds.
The Theragun Mini 2.0 has three speeds.

Where things get a little smart is that you can connect to your device via bluetooth and when completing a session in Theramind, the device will automatically change modes as the session dictates.

The verdict? We honestly quite enjoyed having this around. We didn’t necessarily see it as a one stop fix but having a handheld device punch a few holes in our neck when we’re feeling stiff was really rather nice.

Joseph Lam
Joseph LamReporter

Joseph Lam is a technology and property reporter at The Australian. He joined the national daily in 2019 after he cut his teeth as a freelancer across publications in Australia, Hong Kong and Thailand.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/gadgets/therabody-mini-feeling-stiff-give-yourself-a-punch-with-this/news-story/9108ac5dbbc064ce490b5404c755b79e