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For fitness enthusiasts looking for a cheap and effective massage gun to speed up recovery and reduce muscle soreness, it’s difficult to compete with the value offered by Aldi’s $54.99 Massage Gun. But how does it stack up during daily use? Throughout our Aldi Massage Gun review, we’ll discuss its features, pricing, and overall performance while offering a few tips from our experience.
The Bottom Line
After using the Aldi Massage Gun for a few weeks, I found the device suitable for general pain relief targeting surface-level issues. However, the lack of amplitude means the device cannot penetrate deep enough into the tissue to treat some issues. Therefore, while an excellent choice for someone looking for a cheap and effective beginner massage gun, athletes requiring more intense stimulation may prefer a more powerful alternative like the POWR Deep Muscle Massager or even the compact Booster Mini Massage gun.
What I Liked
- I aim to run a marathon next year, so I frequently get outdoors and run long distances, but I can’t train as much as I’d like due to feeling burnt out and sore. However, after using the Aldi Mini Massage Gun for a couple of weeks, my recovery time was cut in half, helping me get active more frequently and boosting my training intensity levels.
- With just a single button and fewer modes than comparable devices, the Aldi Mini Massage Gun is one of the simplest devices I’ve used. With the included instructions outlining safe use and the single-button design, I was able to get up and running within just a few minutes, making it a great, no-frills choice, particularly for beginners.
What I Didn’t Like
- Although the Aldi fitness massage gun is good for improving muscle recovery, it has a stated operating volume of around 55 decibels, making the device 10 decibels louder than most massage guns I’ve previously looked at, limiting relaxation qualities, and reducing usability at night or in public.
- The Aldi Mini Massage Gun is advertised as lasting 7-20 hours after being fully charged and without load. In practice, the device would last around 5-6 hours. But with the charging process taking approximately 3 to 4.5 hours, I found myself charging the massage gun almost as much as I was using it, severely impacting convenience.
Who Is It For?
The Aldi massage gun is suitable for the average person looking to reduce muscle soreness after working out or a fitness enthusiast like me who wishes to reduce recovery time to increase my training regime. However, due to the device’s limited speeds and lack of amplitude, people requiring lots of customisability and a higher power output may find another option with more controls, and a greater amplitude suits them better.
Notable Features
6mm percussion range
The massage gun’s 6mm percussion amplitude is great for targeting surface soreness or general muscle pain. However, it may need more depth for applications like breaking up scar tissue.
Interchangeable heads
After getting my hands on the device for this Aldi Massage Gun review, I was pleasantly surprised to see four massage heads included in the box. My personal favorite was the classic rounded head, as it’s ideal for all-over use. However, the forked head is perfect for targeting smaller or deeper problematic areas, like my thighs.
USB-C charger
The Aldi Massage Gun utilizes a USB-C charging cable to facilitate faster charging speeds and excellent compatibility. With USB-C slowly becoming the new standard, the device should be future-proof and easy to charge away from home, improving its usefulness as a portable/travel massage gun.
Small size
The Aldi Massage Gun is highly portable thanks to its lightweight construction (510g) and small form factor (15.4cm at its longest point). Additionally, the massage gun comes with a handy carry case, which makes transporting the device and its attachments a breeze. As such, the Aldi Massage Gun is an excellent option for keeping in a gym bag or for throwing in my suitcase during travel.
Multiple intensities
The massage gun comes with four intensity levels that I can switch between to target different muscles or body areas like my shoulders or legs. The device has an LED indicator light to make it easy to see your intensity setting. However, it can be challenging to see during use in a particularly light environment, like the garden or my conservatory.
Price and Value for Money
To help reduce my recovery time, I wanted to buy a massage gun but was dissuaded by the price tag of popular options like Theragun or Achedaway models. However, when I saw that the budget supermarket chain Aldi offered a massage gun, I had to try it out.
Aldi’s massage gun, priced at just $54.99 AUD, is a fraction of the price of some other models I’ve looked at, like the $998 Theragun Pro. I half expected a weak and poorly made device based on the pricing disparity. However, I was plenty surprised by the massage gun’s performance.
Albeit the massage gun is less strong than alternatives like the FITINDEX or Everfit massage guns, its 12v brushless motor does yield ample performance, especially at its price point. However, targeting deeper issues or areas of chunky tissue becomes a challenge with a percussion depth (amplitude) of just 6mm. That said, for its price, the Aldi Massage Gun makes a great introduction to the space.
My Own Experience (and practical usage tips)
While I’ve been using the budget massage gun, I was impressed by its surface-level performance, but I felt the device struggled to hit deeper-routed issues due to a lack of power. Thankfully, I could resolve this issue using the included forked or single-prong heads as they reduced surface area, enabling more precise targeting and much deeper tissue penetration.
I have a few other, much larger massage guns that work great for targeting easy-to-reach parts of my body. However, I always found reaching areas like my lower back difficult, and their weight made extended use fatiguing. However, the Aldi Mini Massage Gun is perfect for hitting those hard-to-reach areas, and with a weight of 510 grams, I didn’t feel like I had just done another workout after use.
Compared to the Everfit Massage Gun, which offers a depth of 12mm, the Aldi Massage Gun can penetrate only half as deep, with a 6mm amplitude. With myofascial stress release requiring around 8mm to 12mm amplitude, certain forms of relief will be unavailable with Aldi’s option. However, the device is ideal for boosting general muscle recovery and targeting surface-level issues.
As the Aldi Massage Gun lacks the amplitude to trigger some forms of relief, I found it critical to consider what you’d use it for before purchasing. I like to keep the massage gun for my gym and travel bags due to them being lightweight and boasting a small form.
What Customers Are Saying
Aldi tends to release a new “Special Buy” massage gun each year, meaning most customer reviews reference older models. However, having looked at YouTube reviews, online publications, and the Product Review website, it seems most people agree that Aldi massage guns tend to be lightweight and offer good value.
However, some people shared concerns regarding the build quality, particularly battery failures after a few uses. While Aldi does offer a one-year warranty on its massage guns, the lack of reviews on this year’s Mini Massage Gun makes it challenging to determine how the device performs across a wider sample size, meaning prospective buyers may run into undocumented issues, making fixes difficult.
Final Verdict
Rounding off my Aldi Massage Gun review, I found the device to offer phenomenal value, making it an excellent entry to the world of massage guns. With a $54.99 price tag, four included heads, a lightweight design, and a reasonable amount of power, the massage gun is great for anyone looking to begin working out more frequently, but for serious athletes, it may fall short due to its poor amplitude.
How I Rated The Aldi Massage Gun
- Ordering, Shipping, Delivery – 4/5
- Speeds – 4/5
- Motor – 4/5
- Attachments – 4/5
- Battery Life – 3.5/5
- Noise – 3.5/5
- Portability – 5/5
- Value – 4/5
- Warranty and Returns – 4/5
- Customer Service – 4/5
- OVERALL: 4.1/5
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Aldi massage gun good?
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly, portable massage gun, then Aldi’s offering is one of the best on the market. While suitable for surface-level issues and general recovery, the device’s limited amplitude made it hard for me to hit particularly stubborn knots.
Does the Aldi massage gun compare to premium alternatives?
While the Aldi Massage Gun lacks the performance of premium options, it does an excellent job considering its price. While more expensive products may win regarding the range of speeds, depth, and noise, the Aldi massage gun remains a capable machine that is well-suited to the average person.
Is the Aldi massage gun strong enough?
You must consider your requirements to determine if the Aldi Massage gun is strong enough. If you plan on using it as a general recovery tool for reducing muscle pain after a workout, it’s strong enough. However, if you need to break up scar tissue or target deep knots, you may need a device with an amplitude of at least 10mm.
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