Jim Bray's Car & Tech rants - publishing online exclusively since 1995
Ekrin Athletics' massage gun - aye, there's the rub!By Jim Bray Do you like to have your sore or tight muscles massaged, but don't like having to trek down to the local masseur/masseuse/masswhatever all the time? Well, there is a number of massage tools available for such folks, from products dedicated to a particular body part (such as your feet or neck) to hand held massager "guns" that bring their own calibre of performance and flexibility to the task. I looked at such a hand-held beast a couple of years back, the Theragun Elite, and though I don't use such things very much, my dear wife liked it a lot, and in fact uses it to this day. She likes the concept because she now has a machine that rubs her the right way, unlike her husband. Then, Ekrin got in touch and offered a sample of their B37 gun to try, a product that's similar in concept but quite different in execution from the Theragun. Naturally, we (well, she) wanted to give it a try. Ekrin admits it's playing in a crowded marketplace, but says there are several ways in which their B37 is best. I quote them here: • Quality. We back it up with our unprecedented lifetime warranty! I might, as jaundiced as I am, argue that being trusted by the likes of the New York Times and Hollywood doesn't bring the type of credibility the folks at Ekrin might like – and a four year corporate life span might be impressive for a massage gun company but it's still newbie territory for anyone who has operated a business – but a lifetime warranty is nice (especially if it's your life and not the machine's!), as is the price point and the very solid construction of the beastie. 
It is quiet, too. I didn't put a decibel meter anywhere near either of the guns, but I did find the B37 didn't scare the cats as much as the Theragun. On the other hand, our cats simply love both of the massagers and when my wife fires one up they're there for some "robo-petting." There's another marketing point Ekrin could use! It's pussy cat-compatible! It's a classy-looking product that comes, with accessories, in a lovely carrying case that organizes all the stuff inside very well. Ekrin refers to the B37 as a "percussive massage device", which they say works "by applying force to your body's soft tissues. A hammer-like motion sends rapid pulses of pressure into your muscles, affecting the nervous system, circulatory system, and musculoskeletal system." Which makes me wonder how effective such hammer-like motion would work for disciplining unruly kids. According to Ekrin, there are three primary components to percussive thearapy: force, speed, and amplitude. Force is measured in pounds (hence the "pounding" you get!), while its speed – the faster, the better – is an indication of how efficient the device may be. Ekrin says slow speeds are good for "sensitive muscles" (which I assume aren't snowflakes looking for safe spaces), while the fast speeds are for "for hardy ones." Naturally, the more speed choices you have, the more flexibility in your massage. Amplitude, Ekrin says, refers to "how deeply a massage gun penetrates the soft tissue" and claim that their massage guns "reach past the surface of the skin, effectively loosening fascia and muscle fibers." All without slicing you open! Operating the B37 is quite straightforward, with single button that covers power and speed. That was a big advantage over the Theragun, which has a kind of weird rocker button operation I never did figure out the few times I used it (not that I cracked the manual…). On the other hand, my wife liked the way the Theragun fits in the hand better than the Ekrin. The latter has a single holding point, whereas the Theragun's triangular design offered her more flexibility. It wasn't a big deal, though, and in my never humble opinion the ease-of-use operating makes up for it. Anyway, the ease of operation works like this: hold the button down to turn it on or off, and use quick pushes of the button to change speeds. It's a no brainer! Even I could figure it out! There's no little LCD screen to tell you what power level you're using, but it's pretty easy to fathom because – well, not only can you can feel it, but there are also some LED's that fire up to indicate the speed level! It also shuts down automatically after about 10 minutes, undoubtedly to save the battery and prevent you from overdoing it. 
The B37 comes with four attachments: ball head, bullet head (I knew a guy like that once!), a spine/fork head, and a flat head. My wife uses the ball head mostly, and it seems to do most of the massage jobs she wants. The flat head does many things well, on many muscle sets, but we find it most helpful on areas such as our pecs and glutes. No butts about it! And the bullet head is good for zeroing in on specific muscle areas that are bothering you. In use, the B37 doesn't exhibit a lot of rattle or extra noise when you press it against you (or the person on whom you're inflicting it), and the vibrations seem to stay between the head and the body – so your hand holding the thing doesn't get shaken and/or stirred like a vodka martini. This is nice! The battery life is very good, and a charge should give you several hours of use, depending of course on how you use it and such things as Murphy's Law. We never had an issue. Elkin's B37 is available on their website at https://ekrinathletics.com/products/b37-percussion-massager, and as of this writing it lists for $229.99, which I assume is US dollars, while you can still spend them. I checked it out and there's also a 20 per cent off promotion going on (use code DEAL20), though whether it'll still apply when you read this is unknown. But, hey, it's worth a chance! The B37 is also available from Amazon. My wife and I like the solidity and quality of construction of the B37, and it's also very easy to use. The price seems reasonable as well, at least if you're going to use it enough to warrant the expense. Copyright 2023 Jim Bray |