Foam rollers have many great uses, the best one being the relief of muscle pain as well as the relief of knots all over your body. If you are on the market for a new foam roller, you may be asking yourself what model is the best, plus how to choose the right one too.
Today we’re going to talk about everything you need to know about foam rollers, how to choose the best foam roller, and finally what the 5 best foam rollers are.
Summary: The Best Foam Rollers
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The Benefits of a Foam Roller
You may be wondering what exactly the benefits of using a foam roller are. Let’s talk about those for a minute.
Health of the Fascia
Fascia is a layer that builds up over the muscles and ligaments with repetitive motion. This fascia limits the range of motion you have and makes you less flexible. Using a foam roller will keep fascia broken up and thus increase your range of motion.
Improved Blood Flow
A foam roller has the ability to increase your blood flow, especially to the extremities. Increased blood flow means having more oxygen and nutrients delivered to the muscles, thus helping you work out harder, for longer, and will help you recover faster too.
Relief of Foot Pain
Foam rollers are great tools because you can stand on them and massage the soles and arches of your feet in order to relieve foot pain.
Relieving Knotted Muscles
A good foam roller will be able to stretch your muscles in various directions and penetrate deeply into your soft tissue in order to get rid of painful muscle knots.
Quick Tissue and Muscle Recovery
Exercising means degrading your muscles before they get bigger and the human body needs time to recover between workouts. Using a foam roller before and after workouts will decrease your recovery time so you can work out more often without causing injury.
Decreasing Lactic Acid
Lactic acid builds up around the muscles as you work out. However, a foam roller can make your muscles work harder without producing as much acid, thus allowing you to exercise for longer without feeling that burning sensation.
Better Stretching
A foam roller can help to improve your stretching and help you get a more thorough stretch by using it as a support tool.
Cheaper than a Massage
Massages are really expensive to get, but a foam roller is much cheaper to buy, plus it can give you relief for as long as the roller stays in good condition.
How to Choose a Foam Roller & What to Look for in a Foam Roller
There are a few different things that you should consider when choosing a foam roller that is suitable for you. To know which foam roller is best for you, here are some things that will help you choose.
Density & Firmness
If you are going to be using a foam roller for basic massaging and doing some exercises, you should choose one that is less dense and firm. On the other hand, if you need it for extreme pain relief, you should choose a harder foam roller, which will put more pressure on your body.
Texture
If you need the roller for intense massages that penetrate deeply into your soft tissue, you will want a roller that is textured with knobs and grooves. On the other hand, for some simple stretching or light massaging, a flat or non-textured foam roller will be fine.
Size
You need to choose a foam roller that is adequate in size. If you are going to be using it for your full body, especially for your back, you should get a larger model. Whereas if you need it for mainly your limbs or if you need it to be portable, a smaller one will do.
Durability
If you are going to be using the foam roller frequently, you should choose one made of EVA foam as it is very durable. On the other hand, for occasional use, a normal foam or polyurethane roller will do.
Shape
If you need the roller to be stationary as you move over it, you can also select a half circle foam roller that is flat on one side. This will make sure that it stays still on the ground.
Foam Roller Reviews
We’re now going to go through the top 5 foam rollers available on the market today. We’ve based our list on a few key features including the design, its value for the price, and the build quality of the foam roller in question.
Our Rating
The Rumble Roller Foam Roller features a great design and high-quality pain release abilities, with the only downside being its price. In our opinion, this is the best foam roller on the market today.
Design
The Rumble Roller Foam Roller is designed with deep muscle pain in mind because the knobbed surface works the soft tissues in your body to break down knots everywhere and stretch muscles in all directions. It also comes in a large size, which is perfect for the whole body, even larger people, and it also comes in more compact sizes as well. The Rumble Roller is extremely dense and meant for the most serious of pain issues as the original version is roughly twice as firm as normal foam rollers, with the extra firm version being about 3 times as firm as other basic foam rollers.
Value for money
The Rumble Roller may be slightly more expensive than many other foam rollers. However, the value is still great because it is proven to relieve even the deepest of pains and if this model doesn’t do it you may need medical help. Short of a doctor, this is probably the best physical pain relief tool out there.
Build quality
Since the Rumble Roller is very dense and stiff, it is also extremely durable and can be used for months or even years without softening or deforming in any way. Over prolonged periods of use, the knobs may become slightly softer, thus making it more comfortable, but still very effective too.
Pros
- Intended for extreme muscle pain
- Dense and durable
- Great for all parts of the body
- Comes in large and compact sizes
- Deep muscle penetration
Cons
- Fairly expensive
- Not meant for beginners
Our Rating
The TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller is a great middle of the line foam roller that will provide standard pain relief and comes in at a great price.
Design
The TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller is fantastic for all sorts of muscle pain because it has a multidimensional design with differing surface textures. The wider and softer surfaces of this model are good for soft massaging for pain relief and the smaller hard knobs are ideal for deep penetration and for breaking down knots. It features a very dense design to provide for optimal pain relief while also being hollow and flexible to ensure maximum comfort.
It comes in 3 different sizes and 2 different densities, making it ideal for a large variety of people and a wide range of muscle problems.
Value for money
Coming in at just over 40 dollars the TriggerPoint Foam Roller has an excellent value for its price. It’s not the cheapest model on the market, but it is also a very reliable model, which is ideal for a wide range of people and problems, plus the multidimensional design provides a professional like massage.
Build quality
The TriggerPoint was designed with durability in mind because it is guaranteed to keep its shape and not chip or crack for years to come. Furthermore, it has a 500-pound weight limit making it ideal for even the largest of people.
Pros
- Comes in a variety of densities and sizes
- Durable and long lasting
- Multidimensional design provides masseuse like pain relief
- Ideal for the big and tall people
- Comes with instructional video
Cons
- Standard density so it’s not ideal for extreme pain or very deep muscle penetration
Our Rating
The Rolling With It Foam Roller is a great beginner foam roller that will provide much pain relief and has very few negative aspects.
Design
The Rolling With It Foam Roller is designed as a high-density roller, which is suitable for heavier people because it won’t collapse into itself. As well the very stiff and dense design means that this roller is ideal if you need deep muscle pain release because the hard nature of it penetrates much deeper into muscle tissue, plus it’s flat so the penetration is even. This roller is 36 inches long, which means that it is great for larger people and it also makes it a good pain relief tool for the whole body.
Value for money
Coming in at just under 40 dollars, the Rolling With It Foam Roller makes for a great basic beginner roller that provides comfort and pain relief to even the biggest and heaviest of people, not to mention that it is very tough and durable too.
Build quality
If you are looking for a tough foam roller, this is probably the way to go because its EVA foam build combined with its high-density design means that it will last for as long as you need it to. The special EVA foam prevents cracking and chipping so it’s great for bigger people, plus the foam is also 100 percent eco-friendly as well.
Pros
- Perfect for large and heavy people
- Great for even pain relief
- EVA foam prevents cracking and chipping
- Has great value for its price
- The foam is eco-friendly
- Comes in various sizes
Cons
- Cannot be used for lumbar spine issues
- Blue coloring rubs off after prolonged use
Our Rating
The LuxFit Foam Roller is a great foam roller for beginners and basic pain relief, but may not be able to deal with extremely severe problems.
Design
The LuxFit foam roller features a standard flat design, which is perfect for basic pain relief and getting a good massage. The flat nature of the LuxFit is ideal for muscle pain relief post workout and is great for getting warmed up before a workout. This model comes in 2 sizes, an 18-inch and a 36-inch model, which means that it is ideal for all sizes of people and any muscle pain relieving job that needs doing. The LuxFit is also extra firm, which means that it is able to penetrate deeply into muscle tissue to take care of your pain without issue.
Value for money
The LuxFit Foam Roller definitely has great value for its price. It comes in at just over 10 dollars, but just because it is cheap doesn’t mean that it isn’t effective. It has a durable design, is great for basic pain relief, and comes in a variety of sizes for convenience.
Build quality
This model of foam roller has a great build because it can withstand large amounts of weight to suit people of all sizes, plus it’s made of a specially treated plastic that is designed to fight off chips, cracks, and deforming. Another great part about the build is that it is completely waterproof so your sweat won’t sink into it.
Pros
- Very cheap
- Extra durable
- Versatile for various sized people
- Waterproof
- Firm and great for pain relief
Cons
- Lack of texture to relieve knots
Our Rating
The Master of Muscle Foam Roller has a great value, a fantastic design, and will relieve a variety of muscle problems. The only downside is that it isn’t ideal for big jobs.
Design
The Master Of Muscle Foam Roller is designed to be suitable for a variety of people because it isn’t too hard or too soft. The middle of the line density makes this a great pain relief tool without being too soft or too aggressive, thus causing pain. This roller has sections where it is virtually flat, which is ideal for the back and soft massaging. There are also knobbed sections, which are ideal for more intense pain and relieving deep muscle knots. The small 13-inch design is compact and ideal for being on the go.
Value for money
The Master Of Muscle is one of the cheapest models on the market right now. Coming in at just over 20 dollars this is a great foam roller for beginners and is ideal for pain relief throughout the whole body. That being said it isn’t great for larger people or full body massages because of its small size.
Build quality
This foam roller is extremely durable and will not deform, crack, or chip for many years and has an extra strong center cylinder. It is fairly small and does have a 330-pound weight limit so it may not be ideal for larger people. This model is very strong, but keep in mind that it does have a size and weight limit.
Pros
- Compact and portable
- Dual pressure zones let you control the massage
- Ideal for the arms, legs, and neck
- Medium density is great for pain relief without causing more pain
- Great for smaller people
- Extremely affordable
Cons
- Has a weight limit of 330 pounds
- Too small for bigger people or full back massages
Conclusion
The best foam roller for you is definitely out there and you just have to find it. We would highly recommend getting one of the models we have listed above because in our opinion they are the best picks around. Foam rollers are great for stretching, increasing flexibility, relieving pain, and achieving better workout results as well, plus much more too.
If you have any stories about a specific foam roller we mentioned we would love to hear it. Even better is if you know of a foam roller that you prefer over any of our options because we would definitely like to find out about it. Any comments or questions you have are greatly appreciated!