The 5 Best Foam Rollers of 2023

We’ve updated this guide with our new pick for deep-tissue relief, the TriggerPoint Rush Roller. We’ve also added two notable contenders, as well as several rollers to The competition.

Foam rolling: These days, it seems like everybody’s doing it. A growing body of research as well as bodywork pros—physical therapists, massage therapists, and personal trainers alike—extol the soft-tissue benefits of self-massage for improvements in muscular flexibility and reduction in stiffness (and even pain). Gyms and physical-therapy centers are strewn with them, but how do you know what rollers are best for at-home use? To find out, we whittled down hundreds of options to a top-selling selection of the most popular roller types, and enlisted a cadre of experts and their muscles for more than 45 hours of kneading and compressing. We discovered that the ubiquitous firm-density foam rollers made of expanded polypropylene (EPP) aren’t much different from one another, at least in terms of the therapeutic benefits they can deliver. But the AmazonBasics High-Density Round Foam Roller stood out from the EPP pack as the best basic roller, proving you don’t have to spend a lot to get relief.

The AmazonBasics roller provides the firm density experts recommend—with a slight surface texture to prevent slipping—at an affordable price.

For self-myofascial release (SMR, aka massaging your own muscles) as well as for use in certain exercises, the AmazonBasics High-Density Round Foam Roller does as good a job as other foam rollers at a lower price. Made of EPP, the cylinder has a slightly rough surface texture that keeps it from slipping against clothes or the floor, and the 36-inch size allows for techniques that smaller rollers don’t, like stretches that involve lying along its length. The only caveat is that people who are new to foam rolling or sensitive to the pressure of self-massage (it can hurt!) might find the very firm density—like that of just about any EPP roller—to be too intense.

OPTP has a well-earned good name in pro circles, and our experts were similarly impressed with the Black Axis roller for easing out muscle knots and tightness.

A great roller that’s not our top pick because it costs a bit more than our top pick, the OPTP Black Axis Firm Foam Roller is a firm-density EPP foam roller, considered the gold standard for alleviating muscle tension and knots. It delivers as expected, with the company’s 30-plus-year reputation for quality, long-lasting equipment under its belt.

For rolling newbies (or those looking for a softer touch), Gaiam Restore’s medium-density roller has a bit more give than a firm EPP roller but still maintains its shape under pressure.

When you’re new to rolling, it can hurt. The Gaiam Restore Total Body Foam Roller, made of polyethylene foam, is less dense and therefore less intense on muscles than the EPP material of firm rollers. But it isn’t so soft that it immediately warps under weight, and its full 36-inch length makes it useful for all sorts of rolling and exercise purposes. However, simply due to the nature of the material—not to mention the fact that your muscles will eventually adapt and may need a firmer pressure—it’s unlikely to last as long as a standard black roller.

More expensive than our other picks and available only in a 13-inch length, the Rush Roller nevertheless delivers thanks to a diamond-shaped pattern of ridges that allows you to address knots in specific muscle groups (calves, glutes, and so on) with precision.

We like the textured TriggerPoint Rush Roller for targeted, deeper work on areas like glutes, hamstrings, and calves. At just 13 inches, the Rush isn’t as versatile for spanning the length of larger muscle groups, such as the upper back. But as a complement to a longer, smooth roller—or a compact option that allows for both rolling and sustained trigger-point work—its pattern of diamond-shaped ridges addresses knots with a degree of control (and an intensity) that we struggled to access with other highly textured rollers. If you’re new to rolling or thinking of upping the ante, the Rush is quite firm—more so than our other picks, as well as its sibling, the TriggerPoint Grid 2.0 (26″), which we also tested.

For portable SMR, Tiger Tail is a rolling massage stick with a plastic core encased in finely textured, dense foam. It’s lightweight yet can really dig into tight spots.

The rolling-pin-like Tiger Tail Original is made of foam-covered plastic with comfy rubberized handles. Given its petite size, it’s great for travel, as well as for digging into smaller spots on the body, particularly the neck and calves. On the flip side, it’s not nearly as good at SMR for larger muscle groups—you simply can’t get the same level of pressure or expansiveness as you can by lying on top of a large foam roller—so it’s best used as a supplemental product.

The AmazonBasics roller provides the firm density experts recommend—with a slight surface texture to prevent slipping—at an affordable price.

OPTP has a well-earned good name in pro circles, and our experts were similarly impressed with the Black Axis roller for easing out muscle knots and tightness.

For rolling newbies (or those looking for a softer touch), Gaiam Restore’s medium-density roller has a bit more give than a firm EPP roller but still maintains its shape under pressure.

For portable SMR, Tiger Tail is a rolling massage stick with a plastic core encased in finely textured, dense foam. It’s lightweight yet can really dig into tight spots.

To home in on the best foam rollers during our initial testing for this guide, we enlisted two experts: massage therapist Polina Savelieva, LMT, owner of Active Outlook Massage in Astoria, New York, at the time of our testing, who’s also a certified personal trainer and USA Triathlon coach; and physical therapist Matthew Rector, PT, DPT, director of business development at H&D Physical Therapy in New York City at the time of our interview, who also holds a certificate in applied functional science from the Gray Institute. We also interviewed Michael Fredericson, MD, professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Stanford University Medical Center and the co-author of Foam Roller Techniques for Massage, Stretches and Improved Flexibility; Lindsay Lopez, owner of Form Pilates in New York City, for her take on rollers in exercise; Jon Graff, marketing director at exercise-equipment manufacturer SPRI at the time of our interview, to learn more about the materials and manufacturing of foam rollers; and Thomas Best, MD, PhD, professor of orthopaedics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, for his thoughts on foam rollers that vibrate. Later, we reached out to OPTP (maker of our runner-up pick) and interviewed marketing coordinator Stephanie LaHaye to learn more about the life span of foam rollers.

Senior staff writer Ingrid Skjong is a certified personal trainer (NASM CPT) and an enthusiastic runner who has included foam rolling in her regular routine for more than five years. She has also taught foam-rolling techniques to personal training clients and willing family and friends. She covers fitness for Wirecutter, writing about everything from fitness trackers and jump ropes to how to keep a workout journal.

Writer Amy Roberts is a certified personal trainer (NASM CPT) and a running coach twice over (USATF Level 1 and RRCA). She has foam rolled consistently for years, using many different types and textures in her pursuit of the best self-myofascial release. She has also reviewed all manner of fitness products for Wirecutter, including resistance bands, adjustable dumbbells, and pull-up bars.

Foam rolling is for pretty much anyone. (Some conditions contraindicate the practice, however; when in doubt, check with a professional.) It is a technique of self-myofascial release (SMR), or self-massage, to help lengthen the fascia that covers the muscles, which, when restricted, can cause muscle tightness and adhesions (knots). In layperson’s terms, a foam roller is the poor person’s masseuse. By targeting muscle groups and using both gravity (placing the muscle atop the roller) and friction (the rolling action), you can effectively break up and ease out tight tissue. Foam rolling is good for anyone who sits a lot (the fascia can tighten in response to being held sedentary for too long), anyone who moves a lot (the fascia can tighten when at rest after being used a lot), and anyone who likes to work out (the fascia can tighten in response to being overworked, and may also tighten in other places to compensate for muscles that are overworked).

Our experts agree that a smooth-surfaced, 6-inch-diameter, 36-inch-long roller is the best general tool for SMR: It’s the most versatile for larger and smaller muscle groups alike, and you can also use it as a prop in your workouts. Short rollers will do the trick for some areas of the body (we recommend this one). But only long rollers allow you to, for instance, lie comfortably along their length to gently roll your back muscles, or stretch the front of your body. And in most cases, you want the firmest material you can tolerate to go as deep as you can—some trainers we know use actual PVC pipe and skip the foam entirely.

A bumpy, ridged, or otherwise textured roller can be good for targeting specific knots (known as trigger points) or for someone who prefers even deeper work. And a handheld option that fits in a gym bag is great for its portability, for hitting smaller muscles (such as your neck or ankles), and for partner work, if you’re lucky enough to have someone who’ll use the roller on you. But because you physically can’t produce as much pressure from pushing with your arms as you can from lying on top of a roller (ah, gravity!), the handheld roller is better used as a supplemental tool rather than your primary one. Likewise, other implements, such as firm rubber balls or smaller rollers, are also available and are great for very specific purposes—but because of their specificity, we didn’t look at those for this guide.

To choose the products we tested, we spent hours reading online descriptions and reviews, in addition to editorial recommendations from the likes of Runner’s World, Health, BestProducts.com, and Men’s Journal. We also took into account companies’ reputations for quality before selecting representative products from each of the three types: large smooth, large textured, and handheld.

The final field of nine for our initial testing:

The physical therapist, the massage therapist, and Amy then spent at least an hour with each product, using it on themselves and discussing its merits and demerits with colleagues. We considered each roller for:

We also reviewed each roller for its best attributes, any shortcomings, and overall usefulness, both individually and then as a group.

For an update to this guide, Amy again consulted massage therapist Polina Savelieva to help evaluate four vibrating foam rollers. And finally, in our most recent round of testing, Ingrid assessed 12 additional rollers across our chosen categories using the same criteria listed above:

The AmazonBasics roller provides the firm density experts recommend—with a slight surface texture to prevent slipping—at an affordable price.

As it turns out, our experts found what most laypeople already assume: The ubiquitous firm-density black foam rollers made of EPP (expanded polypropylene) aren’t much different from one another, at least in terms of their therapeutic benefits. What set the AmazonBasics High-Density Round Foam Roller apart from others is twofold: its bargain price, and its slightly rough texture—sort of like those nonskid grips you’d affix to a tub—that helps keep it from sliding out from under you, whether you’re rolling or using it for exercise.

While this roller isn’t made by a tried-and-true pro source—our massage therapist expressed surprise that Amazon even makes rollers—nothing about its construction or its nearly 60,000 mostly positive Amazon reviews leads us to think it would be anything but long-lasting.

The 36-inch version is the ideal length for the widest variety of uses, but the AmazonBasics roller also comes in 24-inch, 18-inch, and 12-inch sizes for portability (one good reason to stick with 36 inches is that it will support your entire spine if you’re using it parallel to your body). The roller’s dark color works for a simpler reason: It doesn’t show as much dirt picked up off the floor (but you should still clean your roller after each use).

There’s really not much negative to be said about this roller, other than the fact that it may be too firm for some people, at least as an entry-level option.

OPTP has a well-earned good name in pro circles, and our experts were similarly impressed with the Black Axis roller for easing out muscle knots and tightness.

The OTP Black Axis Firm Foam Roller is the same size (36 inches) and density (firm) as our top pick, but it costs a bit more and hails from a well-known company. Orthopedic Physical Therapy Products (OPTP) has been an industry leader in providing quality products for use in professional settings for more than 30 years. This roller lives up to those high expectations, delivering reliable compression for large and medium muscle groups alike. However, one thing emerged in our testing: Those firm, black EPP (expanded polypropylene) rollers aren’t all that different from one another, at least when it comes to at-home use. Pro products are typically held to higher standards of durability, as they’re often used all day, every day, in gym or PT settings. That said, for both home use and value, you’ll likely be just as happy with the quality of our slightly less expensive top pick from AmazonBasics.

For rolling newbies (or those looking for a softer touch), Gaiam Restore’s medium-density roller has a bit more give than a firm EPP roller but still maintains its shape under pressure.

Foam rolling hurts—or at least it can be pretty darn uncomfortable, especially for a novice or anyone recovering from an injury. If this describes you, or if a firm black EPP roller is simply too intense, you’ll likely prefer the Gaiam Restore Total Body Foam Roller. Made of polyethylene foam—which, unlike EPP, is frothed with air rather than compressed—it provides a softer texture. This type of foam, however, is also likely to compress and warp with long-term use because the air is eventually pressed out. The Gaiam roller is not too soft (described as “semi-firm” on the company’s website, it’s similar in density to foam packing material), meaning it’ll have a bit more longevity both in your routine—before you’re ready to upgrade to a firmer model—and, most likely, in life. The full 36-inch length gives it more versatility than shorter rollers for large-muscle-group work (mid-back, for example) and also provides support for the tailbone and a neutral spine position.

It can be tricky to achieve deeper SMR with a smooth foam roller. Nubs, knobs, and ridges can help reach stubborn knots or areas that warrant deeper manipulation. We kept coming back to the TriggerPoint Rush Roller: A 13-inch roller textured with a diamond-shaped pattern of ridges, which the company says contributes to a shearing effect (essentially oppositely directed parallel forces acting on a muscle). We found that it works particularly well as a supplement to a smooth roller, when we want a deeper, more precise focus on knots in calves, glutes, or hamstrings—though the Rush would also serve those who simply want more intensity in their daily rolling routine. Made with a layer of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), a closed-cell foam, over a hollow plastic core, the Rush is less aggressively textured than other deep-tissue rollers we tried. It’s also shorter—and more expensive—than our other picks. But the ridges do the job, and the Rush’s smooth roll and sturdy construction make for a no-fuss experience. We felt a difference after using it in comparison with other textured rollers, mostly because we were able to use it longer. And though it delivers on intensity, the Rush isn’t so aggressive as to be prohibitively painful.

For portable SMR, Tiger Tail is a rolling massage stick with a plastic core encased in finely textured, dense foam. It’s lightweight yet can really dig into tight spots.

Many brands of the 6-inch-diameter rollers—including our top pick—come in shorter lengths, typically 12 and 18 inches, that are somewhat easier to travel with. (We also tried a couple of rollers designed for travel, but neither won us over completely.) But if you don’t want your roller to take up significant real estate in your gym bag or suitcase, look to a handheld roller. The Tiger Tail Original is our pick for a smooth-surface portable roller. Its small diameter allows for more targeted trigger-point work, yet the length is generous for most parts of the body. Because it’s harder to access some muscles (like the upper back) with a handheld and you won’t get nearly as much pressure as you can from an on-the-floor model, this is really best used as a supplement to your SMR routine.

Vibrating foam rollers (equipped with battery-powered motors) take things up a notch—at souped-up prices. But so far, we’ve found that for most people, they don’t live up to all the buzz.

The effects of adding vibration to SMR remain largely unstudied. Subjective assessments have suggested that vibration can aid recovery and/or mitigate foam-rolling-related discomfort, Thomas Best, MD, PhD, professor of orthopaedics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, told us in a phone interview. “I can’t tell you that it’s going to help, but people have tried it, and they like it,” he said. Best added that if people enjoy the vibrating sensation, they may be more inclined to foam roll for longer and more often, potentially boosting the therapeutic effects of the self-massage.

Massage therapist Polina Savelieva and Amy reviewed four top-rated, best-selling models: the Hyperice Vyper 2.0, the NextRoller, the VulkRoll Vibrating Foam Roller, and the Product Stop Vibrating Foam Muscle Roller. For our 2021 update, we tried the Therabody Wave Roller. We used each one as a foam roller first (no vibration), then rolled with each on its lowest and highest power settings, evaluating the sensation and intensity.

The vibrating foam rollers we tested cost at least double the price of our top pick and are all fairly loud. If you plan to use a vibrating foam roller at home, you may have to time your rolling so as to avoid disturbing others. In addition, all of the powered models we tried are significantly shorter than our non-vibrating roller picks (12 to 18 inches in length, compared with our top pick’s 36 inches), which could make them too short to use on some larger muscle groups.

With those caveats in mind, Amy preferred the longer, more expensive, and slightly louder VulkRoll Vibrating Foam Roller.

Ultimately, though, we think most people would be better served by spending less than a third of the cost of either model on our top pick. (See more details on all five vibrating foam rollers we tried.)

Now that you have this thing at home, what the heck do you do with it? “It’s not a self-explanatory tool, and there are so many varied uses,” said Stephanie LaHaye, marketing coordinator at OPTP. If you understand a few key concepts, SMR isn’t complicated. There are two main techniques you can use: 1) rolling back and forth, which creates friction and a rolling-pin-like ironing-out of the fascia, and 2) holding still on a tight spot, for trigger-point targeting to “melt” away knots. The other basic concept to understand: When you hold yourself atop the roller, the more gravity you can create on a muscle, the more intense the work. This generally means looking at your body’s points of contact with the floor—the closer your hands or feet are to the roller, the more you can hold yourself up, and the less intense the pressure of the muscle on the roller. The fewer and further apart the points of contact, the greater the pressure on the muscle you’re rolling.

An example: When rolling out your hamstrings (backs of the thighs), you can put both legs on top at once, which is less intense because the pressure is distributed across two legs. You can also slide the roller over so just one leg is on it, and use your other foot on the floor (knee bent) to support some of your weight; this becomes more intense because you’re hitting just one leg. Or, you can do one leg and hold your free foot off the floor entirely (getting more intense), or even cross that free leg on top of the worked-on leg to add more weight and pressure (most intense).

A typical method to ensure you hit all the major muscle groups is to go from the bottom up: Start with your calves, then your hamstrings, then your glutes (sitting on top of the roller with one ankle crossed over the opposite knee to target one cheek at a time), then flip over to get your quads, then do the sides of your hips to get the tensor fasciae latae (TFL), then lie across the roller at your middle back to get your shoulders. It’s generally not recommended to roll across the lower back, which could put undue pressure on the lumbar spine and its intervertebral discs. Instead, rotate the roller so it’s running down the length of your back, and rock from side to side to roll one side at a time, taking care not to roll over the spine itself.

We’ve also gathered a few other foam-roller tutorials. Here’s a good total-body guide to using a foam roller, from a physical therapist based in Southern California. And for runners, the Guardian published an excellent tutorial listing six specific foam-roller stretches.

Caring for your foam roller need not be difficult. Jon Graff, marketing director at SPRI at the time of our interview, shared the following advice: Store your large roller upright, somewhere not in direct sunlight (some foams may degrade from UV light). Don’t wear clothing with zippers or buttons that may gouge the roller’s surface when you’re rolling. After use, rub the roller with a damp sponge or antibacterial wipes, and clean it with a cloth dipped in soapy water followed by a good rinse every once in a while. (Don’t soak it, though, as some foams may absorb water and take forever to dry.)

It’s hard to gauge exactly how long a foam roller will last. “There are so many variables,” said Stephanie LaHaye, marketing coordinator at OPTP (maker of our runner-up pick), including how and where it’s used, as well as the frequency with which you use it. “Buying a quality foam roller, however, will help increase the life span of the tool.”

Foam rollers are often made of polymers like expanded polypropylene (EPP) and polyethylene foam. “They’re both recyclable,” said Kiersten Muenchinger, associate professor of product design at the University of Oregon, who studies sustainability, “but neither are highly recycled in our recycling systems.”

Recycling is just one part of the story. Durability can play an important role in the decision-making process. Rollers made of softer materials, like the aforementioned polyethylene foam, have the potential to warp over time, particularly when used frequently. Unless you’re sensitive to the pressure of SMR, consider rollers made of sturdier EPP (like our top and runner-up picks), which have the potential to last longer. Rollers made of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA, a foam often found in the soles of running shoes) or PVC are also hardier and built to sustain higher-volume usage.

Unless you’re sensitive to the pressure of SMR, consider rollers made of sturdier EPP, which have the potential to last longer.

Some rollers are made of “natural” materials, such as cork or bamboo, but they’re not necessarily more sustainable than a roller made of synthetics. “‘Natural’ is this weird, undefinable thing that has no regulation to it,” Muenchinger said. Though people often think a “grown product” is more natural and therefore more sustainable, Muenchinger pointed out that most of the cork used in the United States comes from the Iberian peninsula, and most bamboo products (raw or finished) hail from southeast Asia.

Bottom line? Solidifying what you want from a foam roller before you make your purchase can help ensure a satisfying—and long-lasting—relationship with it. “If you keep something twice as long, you’ve increased its sustainability twofold,” said Muenchinger.

There were no real complaints from our experts about the attractive TriggerPoint Grid 2.0, a longer version of the well-known TriggerPoint Grid. It rolls nicely and provides a firm density and good self-myofascial release, though no one could really feel much of a difference from its ridged, foam-covered plastic over a regular foam roller. And though it’s 26 inches long (the original Grid is 13 inches), that’s still 10 inches shorter than most full-size rollers. It’s also much pricier. But we’ve used one for about six years to good effect, and it’s held up well.

The somewhat spongy appearance of SPRI’s EVA Full Foam Roller might make you think it’s a big softie, but don’t be fooled: The medium-density foam is a bit firmer than the Gaiam Restore’s polyethylene foam, but it has more give than any of the black EPP rollers. In other words, it’s a fine pick if you’re looking for something in the middle and don’t mind spending a bit more.

The LuxFit Foam Roller (High Density) (available in 12-, 17½-, and 36-inch lengths) has the same slightly textured surface and density as our top pick. Somehow, though, it felt a bit picked over. As we discovered during testing, many of the firm black EPP rollers don’t differ much in form or function. So if the AmazonBasics roller isn’t available, this one—which, in the 36-inch size, regularly costs $5 more—will do the job just fine.

The 321Strong Foam Roller (Medium Density Deep Tissue) and the Original Body Roller—both 12½ inches long and 5¼ inches in diameter—turned out to be nearly identical, with the same textured pattern. The Original Body Roller is too light and slipped out from under us several times while rolling. The 321Strong roller had a distinct chemical smell out of its plastic that dissipated only after several weeks. We felt its deeper texture when rolling, but it was tricky to control when it came to targeting areas like the calves precisely.

The dual-textured Gaiam Restore Deep Tissue Foam Roller is made of smooth, dense foam. But it feels cheaply made. We also spotted a few customer reviews on the Gaiam website complaining of internal cracking or seams coming apart.

With its aggressive-looking studs, the RumbleRoller Full-Size Original can look awesome or awful, depending on your deep-tissue needs. Either way, our experts cautioned that this isn’t the roller for people who are new to SMR—and indeed, it’s better for sustained trigger-point work over rolling.

Smooth and dense, with a texture that looks like elongated bubbles, the 26-inch Teeter Massage Foam Roller (Less Firm) isn’t wholly unpleasant, and we liked the longer length (though it’s still 10 inches shorter than many of our favorites). But we found it slippery and bumpy to roll on, and it had two pronounced seams that were fairly sharp.

The assertive looking knobs on the 26-inch Teeter Massage Foam Roller (More Firm) are intense and, for most people, would be too much for rolling. Like the RumbleRoller, this one is more suited for lingering trigger-point release.

The design-forward The Grind by Yuniti (available in four chic colors) has two panels of rugged, thumb-like knobs separated by a pair of smooth, 1½-inch strips. We couldn’t really get the benefits of flat and textured rolling as it promised—it rolled too unevenly—but targeted trigger-point relief was doable. Still, it wasn’t markedly better than many of the other textured rollers we tried.

The Idson Muscle Roller Stick for Athletes consists of nine dimpled, hard-plastic segments that are noticeably harder than the foam-covered roller of our favorite handheld SMR tool. The dimples provide a bit of added texture, but we didn’t notice a significant difference in intensity or the ability to finesse the amount of pressure applied.

The Pro-Tec Roller Massager is similar to the Tiger Tail, but its foam covering is segmented, with the ability to slide the segments together or keep them apart. Unfortunately, our pros found them largely ineffective in terms of changing the depth of the massage the roller provides—and given that the Pro-Tec is a handheld with the obvious limiting factor of arm strength, it doesn’t bring much new to the table.

The Brazyn Life Morph Collapsible Foam Roller has a smart design: The roller collapses flat so it can be tucked into its mesh bag for travel or storage; loops on either end of the roller are pulled firmly to bring the roller back to its cylindrical shape. The mechanism held up over repeated pulls and deflates. Compared with our favorites, though, the roller felt hard and rolled clunkily. We took it on the road on a few occasions, and it was nice to have something to roll with, but it never won us over.

Like its sibling, the Gaiam Restore Deep Tissue Foam Roller, the collapsible Gaiam Restore Foam Roller didn’t feel great. Cleverly designed, it slides apart into two portable, packable sections. But it’s hard and bumpy to roll on, and a corner of the foam began to pull away from the body soon after we tried it.

We dismissed the HoMedics Gladiator Vibration Foam Roller without testing because while most vibrating foam rollers are rechargeable, this one runs on four C batteries, which—with frequent use and replacement—would quickly add to its otherwise lower cost.

By far the strongest—and priciest—vibrating foam roller, the 13-inch Hyperice Vyper 2.0 has a supple foam covering with nicely rounded edges. But in our testing, we found it to be too powerful, even on its lower settings. It was also the loudest foam roller we tested.

With its nubbed texture, the NextRoller looks intense even before you turn on the vibration. “I like this type of roller for sustained static work on certain areas, and I enjoyed using it on my hamstrings where I felt like it was allowing for deeper work,” wrote massage therapist Polina Savelieva. Still, “I feel the same as I do about all knobbly rollers: I don’t think it is for the average user,” she cautioned, as knobbly rollers can increase the risk of bruising. This roller is really loud at its highest setting, and like other vibrating foam rollers, it’s shorter (13 inches) and much more expensive than our top pick.

The 12-inch Therabody Wave Roller is sleek and smooth with an upscale feel, all the way down to its cloth storage bag. Its five vibration settings range from soothing and gentle (levels one through three) to serious vibration (levels four and five). Like many of the vibrating rollers we’ve tried, it does emit a loud hum at top speed—particularly when it’s vibrating on the floor (we moved to a yoga mat to help dampen the noise). That said, it feels nice to use for short periods of time.

The VulkRoll Vibrating Foam Roller’s 18-inch length was enough for Amy to roll two legs at once (though the VulkRoll is still shorter and more expensive than our top pick). Unlike the other powered rollers we tested, this one has an undulating setting, which we found soothing for sore muscles, especially along the calves.

Ingrid Skjong

Ingrid Skjong is a supervising editor on the appliance team, focusing on the likes of ranges, refrigerators, dryers, and dishwashers. She previously covered fitness for Wirecutter and has been an editor and writer at various lifestyle magazines. She is an avid runner and lives in New York City.

Amy Roberts

Amy Roberts is a certified personal trainer (NASM-CPT), a running coach (USATF Level 1), and a regionally competitive runner. She also served as a staff writer for the Good Housekeeping Institute for nearly five years, working closely with the engineers and other scientists to interpret product test results.

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