The $50 Gift I Bought My Dad That’s Just as Good as a Theragun (70,000 Amazon Shoppers Love It, Too!)
This feature is part of Apartment Therapy's Gift Edit, our editor-curated collection of gift ideas. Need more inspiration? Check out all our guides here.
My dad is one of those fathers who gruffly insists that he doesn’t need anything for Christmas (or his birthday, or Father’s Day). So when it comes to trying to find him a gift, he’s nearly impossible. For years, I just bought him the latest historical nonfiction bestselling book and called it a day, but now he’s buying his own books … so what’s an eldest daughter to do? Thankfully, I have some shopping editor experience to fall back on, but it still takes several days of brainstorming and some deep-diving down gift guides and retail sites to find the perfect gift.
This year, after getting him a sentimental Father’s Day gift, I decided to opt for a more practical gift for Christmas. I inherited my father’s lack of flexibility and tight muscles. Despite my constant harping on him to stretch before and after working out (which he does nearly every day), he doesn’t. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and get him a budget-friendly percussive massage gun. I know that if I’m suffering from back and neck pain on a regular basis, he must be too. I opted for a more affordable version because, on the odd chance that he doesn’t use it, I won’t be frustrated that I dropped hundreds of dollars on something that’s gathering dust on a shelf. But I’m hopeful that because muscle soreness relief is just a push of a button away, he’ll use it frequently.
What Is the TOLOCO Massage Gun?
The TOLOCO Massage Gun is a handheld tool that uses a repetitive percussive motion to relieve stiffness and muscle soreness and loosen tight knots in muscles. It can be used on nearly every body part, including backs, necks, legs, arms, and shoulders. It comes with a carrying case, a USB charging cable, and a whopping 10 different attachments, so users can get at any spot. The massage device’s battery can last for nearly six hours and it’s portable. It’s also fairly quiet at 40dB-50dB. It also boasts a Smart LED screen, so it’s easy to adjust between the seven different intensity settings. The lowest setting (1) is best for people who are sensitive or recovering from an injury.
It has more than 34,800 5-star ratings on Amazon and 70,000 people bought it on Amazon last month (which is incredibly high, even for Amazon’s standards).
What Amazon Reviewers Are Saying
Average Rating: 4.5/5
“A few things to know: it’s a powerful tool, don’t use on high speeds and wrong heads for proper healing. This massager isn’t light, you’ll get used to the weight of it and use the weight for applying pressure. It’s important not to bruise or abuse your muscles with too much stimulation. I like the softer bright orange bulb head, it’s perfect for easing into tender areas, from my hip joint, down and all around my upper leg, behind my knee and lower leg. It also helps massage around, but not on, my knee incision so scar tissue doesn’t form. This tool is for all ages — I’m a 73 yr old female!”— Kathy Bradham
“I love my massage gun! There are several different attachments and the battery life lasted for several uses. It doesn’t talk long to recharge either. I bought it to help with my neck and shoulders. It’s easy to use but a little heavy. I can see some older people who may not have much strength, struggle with the weight. The settings on the gun can get really strong. I keep my settings on 1 or 2 and that works well for me.” — Khristy Strange
“I had been wanting to get a massage gun but the cost of some of the more recognizable brand names was holding me back. I found this one though one of the prime day deals and I’m super happy with it. I was worried it wasn’t going to be as powerful as I needed or the batter would die quickly, but I haven’t experienced that at all. I really like all the different attachments to target problem areas and the little case to keep everything organized. I would definitely get this again or recommend it to a friend.” — LD
And right now, the TOLOCO massage gun is about $25 off, so now is the perfect time to snag it. Whether you’re shopping for someone who deals with neck and back stiffness from sitting at a desk all day or an athlete, this massage gun makes the perfect gift for just about anyone.