Which Foam Roller Should You Buy?

This is not a particularly impressive foam roller and it wouldn’t change my life if this was my first foam roller experience, but it does work well for some people as their main roller, especially if they are heavy. While it is relatively inexpensive, it’s better to spend a bit more and get something that will last longer and work better.

Pros

• Inexpensive ($15-20)
• Excellent for beginners with extremely low pain tolerance or those who are very heavy in bodyweight.

Cons

• Lack of a textured surface makes it feel very basic and less dynamic compared to other rollers.
• It’s not a lot of pressure. (Unless one weighs 190lbs (86kg) or more)
• Becomes somewhat useless after you get used to it.
• Not as travel friendly as the middle isn’t hollow, (but it is quite light.)

Rating

• If you’re a beginner: 6/10
• If you’re experienced*: 3/10
• *Experience denotes experience with foam rolling and thus, more pain tolerance than the normal person who has no experience with self massage, or someone who straight up gets actual deep tissue massage.

The TriggerPoint Grid was my favorite foam roller, bar-none, that I used for 5 years with great pleasure. Even when traveling, I take it with me because it looks innocuous and doesn’t take up any space in my luggage because clothes and other things can easily fit in the middle.

Pros

• Very, very good at reducing muscle knots due to its plastic core and textured foam surface.
• Pretty good at “cracking” the upper back.
• Most travel friendly roller because it’s hollow.
• Perfect for increasing thoracic extension.
• Makes for a perfect way to put your foot on it and do elbow-to-toe or head-to-toe hamstring stretches.
• Made very well, will probably last forever with no signs of losing firmness.

Cons

• Doesn’t feel as impressive after getting used to the RumbleRoller but it’s still one of my favorite rollers and one I take with me to travel with.
• Slightly more expensive than a traditional roller (but far cheaper than a RumbleRoller).
• Very rarely did people find this roller ineffective, but those who did were petite-women who were quite light in bodyweight AND got deep-tissue massages weekly.

Rating

• If you’re a beginner: 10/10 (Winner in this class)
• If you’re experienced: 7/10 (but avoid the extra firm version)

• The 13″ roller is the most versatile. It is their original product. 
• The 26″ one is a bit overkill, but it’s nice if you have the room for it.
• The 4″ version is worthless because it’s too hard to keep it centered and even when you do, it just doesn’t work well at all.

I do not recommend it. After using the regular version for years I was stoked when they came out with the firmer version and was horribly disappointed because it not only doesn’t feel better, but it actually feels less effective. The extra firmness doesn’t have enough “give” and renders the textured surface a bit useless so it doesn’t coax the muscles in any meaningful way.

After several years of using the 13″ TriggerPoint roller above, I wanted to try a RumbleRoller. I contacted the company and they sent me their blue, full-size standard roller to review for free (~2 years ago). I used it for a couple weeks trying to fall in love with it but I had to be frank with them and tell them that the knobs felt gimmicky to me and that they weren’t doing much because they felt soft and would collapse too easily. I chalked this up to the fact that I have a good bit of muscle mass and NEED all the pressure I can get from massages oftentimes.

Without even asking for it, they instantly sent me the black, extra-firm RumbleRoller. And it’s great that they did, because I instantly fell in love with the extra-firm version because of how aggressive it was. All those years of foam-rolling prepared me well for it.  It is the perfect intensity if you crave for heavy pressure during massage but your mileage may vary. Some people do not enjoy the bumpy-feel of RumbleRollers and prefer the smoother nature of the TriggerPoint. As you pass back and forth the knobs do a very effective job.

Pros

• Very good deep massage and effective at removing knots.
• The height of the knobs digs in to certain places better like a real massage.
• Made very well, will probably last forever with no signs of wear.
• Sometimes it “cracks” the upper back in a way other rollers don’t.
• For those that require heavy pressure, nothing beats the (black) extra-firm version.

Cons

• Higher cost than the aforementioned rollers. (However, the 12″ versions are half the cost.)
• Looks kinda scary (but it’s awesome) and isn’t the most innocuous looking thing to travel with.
• Also not as travel friendly as the TriggerPoint because it doesn’t have a hollow center and the diameter is slightly wider than normal.
• Not everybody universally enjoys the bumpy feel of this type of roller, but most do.
• Even the regular version might feel too intense for a beginner (especially if overweight).

Rating

• If you’re a beginner: 6.5/10 (Using the regular version)
• If you’re experienced: 9/10 (Using the extra-firm one if you like strong pressure). (Winner in this class)
• Again, the regular-firmness roller is better good for beginners and the extra-firm one is excellent for those that NEED heavy pressure.

Note: The compact versions of the RumbleRoller are also very good. I have tried the extra-firm compact version many times and was impressed just as equally as it seems to perform almost just as well as the full size one and it’s much easier to travel with. However, I still travel with my triggerpoint roller these days.

I don’t own this product but I have had the pleasure of using it several times. Unfortunately, they didn’t feel particularly impressive in the same way the Triggerpoint Roller did in the early days or the same way the extra-firm RumbleRoller did in the latter days, but the experience is still quite pleasurable in a different way. The vibrations speed up how fast the relaxation and loosening of the muscles occur. And the most powerful setting is ridiculously powerful! But, is it worth it? If the cons listed below don’t deter you, then I say yes if you have the money for it. Otherwise, there’s no need to spend so much for a foam roller.

Pros

• It is nice that it is compact, however and doesn’t take too much space and looks quite slick.
• The release it provides with the vibration is a different kind of release. It’s more pleasurable and fun than a regular foam roller for that reason.
• Very high quality construction.
• Has multiple intensity settings.

Cons

• Higher cost at around $70.
• Heavy and requires charging.
• Noisy when turned on. (Bad if you have neighbors below.)
• Not travel friendly due to the weight of the battery.
• The battery, like all lithium batteries, will need replacement after 500 cycles.

Rating

• If you’re a beginner: 7.5/10
• If you’re experienced: 10/10

I kept reading about DIY foam rollers. Everytime someone on reddit would ask what’s a good foam roller, one of the top most upvoted comments would be “Just use a PVC pipe. Works just as well as an expensive roller.” I saw this in multiple threads and even though I owned multiple rollers, I had to see what the fuss was all about. I mean, it HAS TO be really good with that kind of firmness, right? Harder is better, RIGHT? (Wrong.)

Spoiler alert: It performed the worst of any other foam roller I’ve used and I think people upvote those comments because they don’t have experience with it themselves and they think the cheapest option is the best and that they’re saving money by going that route. But the cheapest route is most definitely not the best in this case. And the people touting them have an inherent bias because they made it.

So… I went to the local hardware store in search of a 4″ PVC pipe. Everyone says it’s SO CHEAP, but there wasn’t the option for a 12″ piece, so the piece I had to get was lengthier than I wanted and it cost around $15 which was already expensive, considering it was a mission just to go to the hardware store. Then, I had to look for an old yoga mat, but I couldn’t get myself to cut apart a yoga mat that was still just fine regardless of its age. The local thrift store had used yoga mats for $8. I thought wow, that would already be well well over 20-bucks. And then you need glue to glue to the mat, or get a roll of duct-tape and wrap duct-tape all around it, which isn’t cheap either. Or get a foam-noodle and tape it around. By then if I spent a little more I would have had the TriggerPoint roller mailed to me. And if my time was worth anything (which it is), it’s definitely not a good route to go because going to different stores to get the parts, constructing it and making it look good requires the highest form of sacrifice: my time!

Pros

• It’s inexpensive if you happen to have the parts for it already (but not necessarily so if you don’t and time is worth a lot to you).
• Can work well with the right amount of foam or padding but requires experimentation.
• Fun project if you like to make things, especially if you got all the parts already.

Cons

• Poor ability to actually relax the muscles in an effective manner.
• It can actually hurt in a not-good way because the hardness doesn’t can’t differentiate between muscles and vertebrae.
• The plastic is slippery and doesn’t allow you to roll your body well.
• Requires parts that you may or may not have already, which may require a trip.
• May cost the same as a professional roller. (Definitely will if your time is worth anything.)
• Looks like shit usually.

Rating

• Variable: Hard to rate it when they vary so dramatically in quality, but relative to the other rollers, I give it <5/10.
• Tip: If your budget is extremely tight and you’re new to foam rolling, go for the traditional, high density foam roller as it’s <$15.