Bob and Brad Q2 Mini massage gun review: Travel-size trigger point therapy

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Your personal pocket masseuse.

Let me start by saying — I love massage guns. As a fitness professional and writer, I've had the opportunity to use and review all kinds of massage guns (big and small) over the years. That said — I firmly believe everyone can benefit from using one. Utilizing one of these fitness recovery tools delivers a long list of positives including: warming up and activating muscles pre-workout, helping muscle recovery and reactivation mid-workout, and reducing pain and promoting relaxation post-workout. As someone who travels a lot and likes to get my workout on wherever I am, the mini massage gun has become a must-have necessity wherever I go. That's how I discovered Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun. A pocket partner that is small, but mighty — providing everything needed for muscle activation and recovery on the road.

Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun review: Activate, recover, relax

The Bob and Brad Q2 Mini is a quiet, but powerful mini massage gun that delivers maximum speeds up to 3000 percussions per minute and a vibrational amplitude of seven millimeters. Plus, it weighs less than a pound, making it one of the lightest mini massage guns on the market.

Pros:

Ultra-lightweight + compact
7mm amplitude
Quiet operation
5 interchangeable massage heads
Long battery life

Cons:

Not as powerful as a full size massage gun
Plastic massage heads

Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun review: Hardware

The Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun is a sturdy little piece of hardware that feels durable and solid in hand. It can definitely take a drop or two (my family has certainly put this to the test). I've had mine for six months now and use it regularly (2-3 times per week give or take), and it looks, feels, and operates like the day I opened it.

The Bob and Brad Q2 Mini comes in three colors: blue, black, and red.

I opted for red because it's my power color, and that's what I want out of my massage gun — power. It comes with a USB-C charging cable, five interchangeable massage heads, and two extra rubber massage head sleeves in case you need to replace one. Six months later, I still have the original sleeves on all my massage heads. I can't imagine replacements being a necessity very often (if ever), more of a — we'll include extras to cover our bases kind of thing.

This little gun has an ergonomic design and fits well in the palm of my hand. The body is covered in a smooth silicone that feels great to the touch, and provides a firm, comfortable grip. The massage heads include a U-Shaped, Bullet, Flat, Air Cushion, and Ball head. The U-Shaped, Bullet, and Flat heads are made of a tough plastic, the Air Cushion head is made of rubber, and the Ball head of foam.

Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun review: Features

Speed and amplitude

Q2 Mini features five adjustable speeds ranging from 1800 to 3000 percussions per minute (ppm). Speed 1 = 1800 ppm, Speed 2 = 2100 ppm, Speed 3 = 2400 ppm, Speed 4 = 2700 ppm, and Speed 5 = 3000 ppm. I recommend starting your trigger point therapy session at Speed 1 and working your way up as needed.

It packs 32 pounds of force in its percussional punch and offers seven millimeters of amplitude (that's how deep you'll feel it penetrate your muscle). Of course, it doesn't offer as much amplitude as a full sized massage gun, but it delivers enough amplitude to make a difference in your pre, mid, and post workout routines.

Operation

It's super simple to operate. A three second hold on the power button turns it on and off. Once it's on, you can adjust speeds by quickly pressing the power button to get to your desired level. To put a massage head on the gun, all you have to do is push your selection into the socket. To remove, simply pull and gently twist the massage head until it pops out.

Battery and longevity

This little gun has a decent battery life. It features a 2500 mAh rechargeable battery. It does take longer than I'd like to charge — three hours, but it offers two and a half hours of massage therapy when it's fully juiced.

Note that like most massage guns, this gun is designed to automatically stop working after a 10-minute massage session. This is to avoid overheating. If you want to go longer — you can, but you do have to power it back on to continue. There's no way to override the auto-shutoff feature. Additionally, the gun will shut off automatically if it's on standby for over 20 seconds.

The Q2 Mini delivers two and a half hours of battery life on a full charge.

There is a little lightning bolt battery display under the speed level indicators on the back of the gun. If the battery indicator is blue, the battery is above 30 percent. If the indicator is red, the battery is between 30 and 20 percent. If the battery indicator is flashing red, the battery is below 20 percent and needs charging. While charging, the battery indicator will turn green, and once it's fully charged, it will turn off.

Massage Heads

I love that the Q2 Mini comes with five different massage heads. The other mini I own only has two, making Bob and Brad's Q2 more versatile and better able to cover all of the body's muscle groups. Each head is designed to target specific muscle groups.

The Ball Head is for your large muscle groups, the Air Cushion Head is for sensitive body parts, the Bullet (my favorite) for deep tissue and trigger points, the U-Shaped Head for sensitive muscles and soft tissues, and the Flat Head for all-over coverage. Each massage head comes pre-installed with a rubber sleeve, but as stated above — you get two extra rubber sleeves should one get damaged. Note that the extra rubber sleeve with a hole is for the U-Shaped head only.

Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun review: Product Specs

Weight

One of my favorite things about the Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun is that it's ultra-light at 0.95 pounds.

When it's in its neatly organized carrying case, with designated spaces for all massage heads and accompanying parts, it weighs a mere 1.5 pounds. That's why it's my go-to mini massage gun whenever I'm on the road. Honestly, I take this thing with me everywhere; while traveling, hitting the gym, on the airplane — everywhere. It has proven its worth time and time, saving my body from pain after intense workouts and preparing my muscles for my next training session.

Dimensions

The Q2 measures 5.7-inches tall by 3.3-inches wide by 1.8-inches deep. It fits comfortably in my hand. It's thicker than the other mini massage gun that I own, but it feels studier and more durable. The case it comes with measures 7-inches tall by 7-inches wide by 2.5-inches deep. It can easily slide into your suitcase, gym bag, backpack, or large purse.

Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun review: Price

The Bob and Brad Q2 Mini will run you $70 which isn't cheap, but isn't expensive all things considered. When you think about the five interchangeable massage heads, the bonus carrying case, battery life, durability, and performance, Q2 Mini is a good value.

Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun review: Bottom line

The Bob and Brad Q2 is my favorite mini massage gun and one of the best massage guns available.

As a fitness afficianado, I cannot sing the praises of massage guns enough. They make a big difference in both athletic peformance and recovery. This one is little, but fierce. It packs a powerful punch for its size, providing seven millimeters of deep, vibrational relief. It weighs less than a pound and is small enough to fit inside your pocket. You get five interchangeable massage heads for total body muscle coverage and a session with this little guy at the end of the night will promote the recovery and relaxation we're all looking for at the end of the day. No matter your fitness level or modality, everyone can benefit from a massage gun. The Bob and Brad Q2 Mini is not only travel-friendly, it's great value. A worthwhile tool if you want to take your workouts and your recovery to the next level.

Small gun, big relief

Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun

The Bob and Brad Q2 Mini Massage Gun is perfect for trigger point therapy on-the-go.

$70 at Amazon

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