Stay Injury Free This Year With The Best Value Foam Rollers
Updated: Nov 5
Best vibrating foam roller:
Therabody Wave Series with Bluetooth Connectivity
Best foam rolling set for runners:
ELVIRE Foam Roller Set 5 in 1
Best 2-in-1 foam roller:
Core Balance Foam Roller
Best budget foam roller:
Foam Roller with 3 Resistance Level Bands
Best smooth foam roller:
Maximo Fitness Foam Roller
Best long foam rollers:
Trigger Point 90cm Foam roller
Why should you foam roll?
Foam rolling has become a necessity in modern sports performance. It seems like nearly everyone has one in their living room—albeit not used regularly enough. The benefits of foam rolling are endless, and it is the most cost-effective alternative to getting a sports massage.
From a personal standpoint, I can tell you that when I started foam rolling, I could barely move on the bloody thing without screaming out in agony. But as the weeks went on, something I noticed was that you can put more pressure on the foam roller and get deeper into your muscles. You start to feel like you're running on a cloud, and all those pesky injuries are just a thing of the past.
Much reduced pain after exercise
Can help you to warm up before a run
Improved blood circulation
Release muscle tightness
Improves athletic performance
Breaks down knots in muscles
Helps to prevent injury
Improves balance
Maximised effectiveness of stretching
Alleviates delayed onset muscle soreness
Enhances delivery of nutrients to tissues, thus aiding recovery
Foam rolling is more effective than stretching, and when it comes to injury prevention a foam roller is one of the best things that you can have in your arsenal.
Top tip: foam rolling after stretching is proven to help further increase the length of muscles to make you more supple.
Best vibrating foam roller
Therabody Wave Series with Bluetooth Connectivity
3-hour battery life
Bluetooth connectivity
5 vibration frequencies
High-density foam for noise dampening
Hypoallergenic surface
30cm length
Weight: 1.5kg
This vibrating foam roller from Therabody is from the same brand that brought us the Theragun, one of the best massage guns money can buy.
Pros:
Easier to use than a normal foam roller
This product comes with 5 different vibration settings which you can change depending on how sore you are or how deep of a massage you would like, the perfect solution for aching legs.
With Bluetooth connectivity you can connect this foam roller to your phone listen to guided foam rolling routines and adjust the speed from your phone, allowing you to focus fully on your massage.
Although this product is vibrating, you can rest assured that after a late-night night run you won't be waking the neighbours, the Therabody wave series is very quiet. This is because it is made with high-density foam to keep the noise down.
The battery life is roughly 3 hours, which is pretty standard for a vibrating foam roller.
Cons:
The price. Coming in at around £125 this is quite an expensive foam roller, however for the best recovery gear money can buy, you're going to be paying more money.
Heavy. If you are really looking for an imperfection then I guess you could look at the weight, coming in a 1.5kg it is heavy. However, this should not impact your foam rolling experience.
Best foam rolling set for runners
ELVIRE Foam Roller Set 5-in-1
33cm deep tissue massage roller
Back roller
Massage ball
Foot roller
'Ethylene Vinyl Acetate' material
Weight: 936 grams
If you are a runner then you probably know by now that an injury can occur anywhere- your hips, back, legs, or feet. By having a full set of massage equipment which you can use for literally anywhere on your body you are covering all bases.
Pros:
Equipment that can massage your whole body, protecting you from potential injuries
Comes with both hard and soft foam rollers. This is useful because you can choose which one to use depending on how sore your muscles are.
Great value.
Cons:
Not convenient to take with you everywhere.
Best 2-in-1 foam roller
Core Balance Foam Roller
2-in-1 foam roller which doubles up as a massage stick
Main roller 33cm x 15 cm
Smaller roller 33cm x 6cm
Weight: 180 grams
This foam roller doubles up as a massage stick as well, making it easier to foam roll awkward muscles such as your quadriceps.
Pros:
Doubles up as a massage stick.
Lightweight and portable.
A big foam roller can massage larger muscles, whilst a small foam roller can target the smaller muscles.
Has a firm surface to get deep into muscles relieving pain.
The price.
Cons:
This foam roller comes with no bumps meaning it can be hard to target smaller areas of muscle pain.
Best Budget foam roller
Foam Roller with 3 Resistance Level Bands
Foam roller with 3 resistance bands specs:
33 x 14cm
3 different strength resistance bands
EVA material
Weight: 880 grams
This foam roller is great value coming in at £10.99. The foam roller has bumps that can target areas of discomfort to help decrease the risk of injury. Also, this foam roller comes with 3 resistance bands which can help to build strength and decrease the risk of injury for runners- a great added bonus.
Pros:
This foam roller has bumps that help to target muscle knots.
Comes with 3 resistance bands to build strength.
The price.
Cons:
Can be too firm for beginners or if your legs are particularly sore.
Best smooth foam roller:
Maximo Fitness Foam Roller
High-density foam
45cm x 15cm
Textured surface
Weight: 358 grams
This foam roller is made with high-density foam so it is less likely to slowly develop dents or warp due to pressure. The fact that this is a smooth foam roller means that is it perfect for beginners or for when your legs are sore, although it is more firm than most foam rollers.
Pros:
High-density foam means it is like likely to warp.
Great for beginners.
Usable on sore legs.
Firm enough to get that deep tissue massage effect.
The price.
Cons:
Doesn't have bumps to target muscle knots.
Best long foam roller
Trigger Point 90cm Foam roller
Trigger point foam roller specs:
90cm x 15cm
High-density foam
Weight: 5kg
Long foam rollers are often used for more purposes than standard foam rollers. The length of this foam roller allows you to do core and stability work. Also, due to this foam roller being 90cm long, it provides more stability for foam rolling your back.
Pros:
Great stability.
Can massage back more efficiently.
You can do core workouts with this foam roller.
Covers more surface of your muscles.
High-density foam allows for deeper massages
Great value.
Cons:
The fact this is a smooth foam roller means it is harder to get deep into specific target areas.
Although this has high-density foam, it may still start to bend and dent if you always use it for your back.
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