Despite their prominence on various health lists, there’s little evidence that massage guns actually work. Limited evidence suggests they aid in recovery beyond the placebo effect. The idea that they help blood circulation is scientifically dubious. While some studies suggest they can reduce muscle soreness after exercise and improve flexibility, it’s likely not much greater than a stretch. Exercise magazines can’t earn healthy profits from recommending calf stretches, which you can do for free at home, but they can from Amazon affiliate links to massage guns.

What is the point of them, then? Why did I buy one? Simple: it feels pleasant and relieves soreness temporarily, which is what I’m looking for. If that’s the headspace from which you’re approaching a massage gun, you want one that’s easy to use, quiet, light, provides a lot of speed, and comes with all the massage heads you want for a reasonable price. That’s why I chose the Mebak 3.

Though its faux-carbon fiber case is extremely tacky, it’s a small package perfect for traveling. It contains all seven attachments and the gun itself, which is similarly small. It’s not a particularly stylish piece of industrial design, but it has an aluminum-effect plastic casing, rubber-gripped handle, and touchscreen control system on the back, which indicates battery and power level and lets you increase intensity.

The goal for a massage gun should be that it can hit where you want at the power you want and not be out of power when you need it. The Mebak achieves all this easily. The handle is long, letting you reach most of your back with relative ease and good weight balance. The most intense power level is far more than you would probably want to use, but it’s good to have, along with four slower interval speeds. The battery life is long enough that you can leave it uncharged after using it and be confident it will work for as long as you want when you return to it.

Why choose the Mebak over competitors? My choice came down to price and features. The Mebak 3 retails at $150 but is frequently available for under $100, as mine was, compared to its main competitors, the $299 Theragun Prime and $230 Ekrin Athletics B37. There are smaller and cheaper massage guns on the market, but these cheaper products make some core sacrifices around strength and battery life. Given that you just want it to work as needed when needed, those seem disqualifying. The most direct competitor is the Opove M3 Pro, which has stronger performance but a far bigger chassis.