BOB AND BRAD D6 Pro Plus Massage Gun with Heat, Deep Tissue Percussion with 16mm Amplitude, Professional Muscle Massager Gun for Athletes, Quiet Electric Handheld Massager

Why it's worth it

With a 16mm stroke and 85 pounds of stall force, this is the strongest gun in the group by a clear margin. A heated head, an OLED screen and four preset programs make it feel like equipment rather than a gadget.

If you've outgrown a mid-range gun, this is the one that will still surprise you. The 16mm amplitude is the longest stroke here, and 85 pounds of stall force means you can put real body weight behind it. Owners who've cycled through several guns, including premium ones, consistently rank this at the top. One massage therapist who uses it daily on himself put it above the pro-grade unit he replaced.

The heated head is the feature that justifies the step up for a lot of people. Warmth loosens tissue before the percussion goes to work, which makes the same session feel less punishing on a cold morning. It's one attachment doing two jobs, and it saves you from owning a separate heating pad you never remember to plug in.

From our review of 12 percussion massage guns, by Eleanor Vance, Health & Beauty Editor

What we like

• +If you've outgrown a mid-range gun, this is the one that will still surprise you
• +The heated head is the feature that justifies the step up for a lot of people
• +Six speeds run from 1500 to 2500 RPM, deliberately staying in the low-and-deep range rather than chasing a big headline number
• +BOB AND BRAD reports a roughly 20 percent noise reduction over its previous design, and owners comparing it against a premium…

What to know

• –It's the biggest and heaviest thing here, and it isn't subtle
• –Several owners report a strong chemical smell from the attachments straight out of the box — it fades after a week or two of…