Recovery and mobility

Recovery equipment is simple hardware: a foam tube, a sheet of dense rubber, a small motor inside a handle. Because there is so little to them, the specifications that matter are easy to compare, and the claims made around them are easy to set aside.

A foam roller is judged by its core and its surface. A hollow roller with a rigid core keeps its shape under body weight, while solid foam compresses over months of use and gradually becomes a different tool.

Percussion devices are motors with an arm and a set of heads. Amplitude, the distance the head travels per stroke, and stall force, the pressure at which the motor stops, say more than the number of speed settings on the box.

What actually decides a purchase here

For rollers: diameter, length, and whether the core is hollow and rigid or solid foam.
For mats: thickness, density, and whether the surface still grips when hands are warm.
For percussion devices: amplitude in millimetres and stall force, not the count of speed settings.
Battery type and whether it can be replaced, which sets how long the device stays useful.

Our picks in this category

Percussion massager on a table next to a mat

Recovery and mobility

Theragun percussion massager

A handheld percussion device: a motor in a handle, an arm, and a set of interchangeable heads.

Best for: Anyone who prefers a small handheld unit to a larger one and will keep it charged.
Watch out for: Amplitude and stall force decide what the device can do; extra speed settings on their own mean little.

Check price and availability

Recovery and mobility

TriggerPoint foam roller, 13 inch

A hollow roller with a rigid core and a textured surface, so it keeps its shape under body weight.

Best for: Floor work before or after a session, in a room with enough space to lie down.
Watch out for: The textured surface is firm. A first roller is easier to start with in a smooth version.

Check price and availability

Recovery and mobility

Manduka yoga mat, 5 mm

A dense mat that lies flat, grips when hands warm up, and does not shed foam crumbs.

Best for: Floor work, stretching and bodyweight sessions on tile, concrete or floorboards.
Watch out for: A closed-cell mat is heavier than it looks and takes a few sessions to lose its slick surface.

Check price and availability