|
|
|
 A couple of months ago, I was contacted by RecoverFun asking if I’d be interested in reviewing one of their massage guns. I had never heard of Revcoverfun before. They didn’t have a recognizable name like Theragun or Hypervolt or LifePro Fitness. I did a little research online and based on the reviews I saw, I decided that it was worth giving it a look. I responded to let them know that I’d be happy to review their gun with the understanding that I would give it a fair and honest review. Frankly, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. RecoverFun only has a couple of different models. I saw that one of them is a mini massage gun. As a traveler, I thought this would be a great opportunity to try something that I could take with me on the road and would hopefully be beneficial to all travelers. It has been a while since I had done a review on a massage gun and there’s been a number of mini massage guns introduced to the market since I last looked. So, I was really looking forward to seeing what I would receive. What I found when I received the gun was a pleasant surprise. This is a solid little gun that feels well-built and has excellent travelability qualities. Additionally, you can’t go wrong with the price tag. This gun retails for $79 and I’ve even seen a $5 online coupon. It comes in 3 colors – black, red and pink. I found this gun to be a really good value and, although it has a few small drawbacks, it more than does the job. Let’s break it down. Out of the Box
In the package, you’ll find the massage gun, a drawstring bag, a USB cable for charging and a user manual. It comes with 4 attachments; a flat (more convex) head, a round ball, a bullet and a fork attachment. Everything appeared to be well-packaged. When opening the box, nothing appeared to be out of it’s designated spot. There’s a foam insert that holds everything in place. The gun itself was in a foam bag for additional protection. That bag for my unit had a small hole in it but did not affect the protection of the gun at all. Most other guns I’ve seen come with a rigid case instead of a drawstring bag. To me, it’s really a matter of personal taste. The bag is a space saver. A case is more protective. The USBC charging cable is 18”. It doesn’t come with a plug. It’s meant to plug into a computer or a USB charger. I’m sure that’s a way to keep costs low. I really don’t miss having the plug, as I have many options to plug into for charging. The user manual is printed with a very small font. I had difficulty reading it with my reading glasses, but I was able to read it in good light. It appears this manual was written by several people because the level grammatical correctness varied from section to section. For the most part, I was able to follow the messaging, but it wasn’t always 100% clear. Effectiveness and Functionality This is a mini gun, so it stands to reason that it’s not going to be as powerful as a larger size gun. If you compare the settings level-for-level on the RecoverFun to a larger gun, you’ll find it’s not quite as strong. That doesn’t mean it’s not effective. But if you want a massage gun for deep tissue, this may not be the gun for you. That said, I took this gun to both my chiropractor and physical therapist, and they were both impressed. They both recognized that the power was a little lower but saw that it could get the job done. They liked the build (which we’ll get to in a moment) and thought it would do a good job, certainly for the average user. So, unless you’re built like a tank and need deep tissue massage, the RecoverFun Mini should suit most needs. They really like (and so do I) the flat head, which is kind of rounded. It’s made of metal instead of plastic and glides across muscles really nicely. Additionally, this gun is nice and quiet. It’s one of the quietest guns I’ve worked with. If you try some other guns they can remind you of a jack hammer. Not here. This may not be a big deal to some but it’s a definite nice-to-have. Ergonomics and Build
This gun has a metal casing, rather than plastic and it’s got a surprising amount of heft to it. To me, it feels substantive. I think a plastic gun in that size would feel toy-like and cheap, so I really like it. It’s compact size really does classify it as “mini”. It’s not just a slightly smaller gun that has mini printed on the side, which I’ve seen on a couple of other guns. When I gave it to a couple of people to try they took a minute to find the power button, which is on the bottom of the gun. Most people are expecting to find it on the top or the back, but I wanted to get an uninfluenced first impression. Of course, everyone found it. Holding the power button for a couple of seconds turns it on. It starts at the lowest power setting. The power indicators are clear. There are four blue LED’s to indicate the power level. They’re easy to see. Changing the power setting is a quick press of the power button. Once it gets to the highest setting, the next press drops it down to the lowest setting. Pressing and holding the power button will power it off. RPM’s are comparable with other guns. The settings are as follows:
 Let’s look at the attachments. Flat Head: This is by far my favorite attachment. I mentioned it’s got a slight curve to it and it’s metal, not plastic. The combination of shape and material allow it to glide smoothly as it moves across muscles. It’s also a little wider than some other flat head attachments I’ve seen. Ball: The ball is like many others I’ve seen. A foam material so it has a little give. It’ gives a more concentrated contact than the flat head. There’s nothing in particular that stands out about this attachment but, when comparing it to ball attachments from other guns, it’s quite comparable. Fork: The fork attachment is made of plastic and it’s a little cheaper plastic than some other fork attachments I’ve seen. I don’t use this attachment often and I don’t think it makes too much of a difference. The fork on my other gun is a little more rounded and might glide a little more smoothly. Bullet: The bullet is similar to other bullet attachments I’ve seen. The bullet attachment I have on my other gun is made of a little better-quality plastic and has a more rounded tip. Depending on your need at a given time, a narrower tip may be more useful. Battery Life and Charging  RecoverFun advertises a 5-hour battery life and my rough guess is that’s about right. The battery status indicator isn’t my favorite. According to the user guide, to read the level of charge the small green LED on the bottom of the gun just below the charging port will blink once when the battery level is 0-30% charged, twice when it’s between 30-70% and three times when it’s 70% or above. However, what actually happens is when you turn it on is it will blink green once, presumably to indicate that it’s powered on. That kind of threw me off because I first thought that the gun’s charge level was below 30%. After that first blink, it will then blink every 5 seconds based on the power remaining. I’ve charged the unit twice. Once after I first got it and used it a few times. It took several hours to charge and I don’t believe it charged completely because the charging LED was still red. The battery had completely run down before I charged it, which I’m sure contributed to the lengthy charging time. The second time, I charged it after quite a bit of use. The charge indicator suggested the battery was below 30% (but based on the above I’m not completely sure). It took about 2 hours to charge this time. The charge indicator turned from red to green. I will continue to test the charging time and amend this post if needed. My other gun has a power indicator and a separate charge indicator that always indicates the power level, which makes it much easier to know when charging is necessary. It would be nice to have something like that here. Warranty The RecoverFun Mini comes with a 12-month warranty. Given the price tag, I wouldn’t expect much more. If you want a better warranty, go with a product from LifePro Fitness. They’ve got lifetime warranties on just about all of their products. You’ll pay a little more for them and I can’t speak to how their mini gun performs, as I haven’t tried it. If you’re comfortable with a 12-month warranty, the RecoverFun Mini is a great option. Travelability I mentioned earlier that this gun has a little heft. It’s about a pound so, for it’s size it’s pretty significant. But it’s still only a pound. Its size is perfect for travel. The upside to it only coming with a drawstring bag is it’s easier to pack. However, the downside without a more traditional rigid case is it lacks protection. The user guide specifies keeping it protected. That’s a given. In most cases, you’re going to pack it in a suitcase or a bag with clothes or other items that can protect it. So, with all that considered I think it’s great for travel. I’ve travelled with it and it takes up very little space. I can fit it in lots of places in a bag or suitcase and I really don’t notice an extra pound. In Summary I’m really glad RecoverFun approached me to try their mini massage gun. It was a very good experience. I love the size. It’s great for travel and well built.
The power is more than sufficient. I’ve not tried other mini guns so I don’t know how it compares within its class. The true test is does it bring the muscle relief that I want when using it? Based on my experience, absolutely. There’s a couple of small downsides. I wish the charge indicator was a little more intuitive. Also, the user guide leaves some things to be desired. However overall, this is an excellent value. It’s important to note I was not paid by RecoverFun or anyone else to write this review. I’m always happy to share more details on my experience with this or any product. Please feel free to ask any questions by commenting on this post, over social media or email me at [email protected]. For details on RecoverFun products, go to https://recoverfun.com/.
0 Comments
 It’s a hot, humid July afternoon in Columbus, Ohio and I find myself standing in front of the large CrossFit box that is CrossFit Bexley. I showed up for the 4:30pm class and was greeted by one of their coaches, coach Amy, who was actually taking the class with me but was nice enough to get me a waiver to sign and check to see what my swag choices were (more on that later). CrossFit Bexley is a place that I’ve been wanting to get to for a while, as I travel to Columbus frequently enough, at least before the pandemic. Now that travelling has started ramping back up I had another opportunity. The timing was good, so I was able to take advantage. I typically stay by the airport and it’s less than a 10-minute drive so, it’s quite convenient. Let’s break this visit down into the usual categories. And here’s your regular reminder - all ratings are on a scale of 1-5 barbells.
I sent an email out expressing my interest in dropping in the week before I travelled and within 6 hours I received a response from one of the owners, Patrick Woods. He let me know he’d be happy to have me and gave me details on the cost and where to sign up. I asked for any information on the workout and he didn’t have it yet, which isn’t uncommon at all. I was looking for 2 days of workout information, as I wasn’t sure which day I could make at first. The day before I left, Patrick sent me the next day’s workout, which I ended up making. Looking at their website, it’s easy to navigate with a clear calendar schedule and a drop-in option under rates. There’s a section for trainers that gives a picture and a full bio, including certifications, for each coach.
Overall, CrossFit Bexley was pretty clean. The coach asked us to wipe down our equipment after our workout. There’s plenty of spray bottles and rags. However, I did notice that several of the bars had a good bit of chalk on them. There was a little chalk on the rig but it’s almost not worth noting. I did not have an opportunity to inspect the bathrooms. No big issues here.
This category is a little more difficult. CrossFit Bexley is a big, beautiful facility. It’s stocked with equipment. There’s two large rigs on either side of this very open space. There’s loads of rowers and bikes. There’s plenty of dumbbells, kettlebells, and bars. I saw a fair amount of rust on several bars. That can be harder to keep up with in the humidity between all the perspiration and cleaning solution. The space is really nice.
The one downside is the flooring. The padding is quite thin, which I don’t necessarily mind. We did several warmup movements on the floor and there were burpees in the workout and I had no issues. The level of protection seemed sufficient. However, thinner flooring is more susceptible to expansion and contraction. In my opening I said it was a hot, humid day and I noticed in several places that the flooring rolled up, which could be a tripping concern. It wasn’t widespread but it was in more than one or two spots. So, I’d say be aware and watch your step.
The workout was “Lyon”, which was challenging. It’s 5 rounds for time of:
I had to scale, of course. However, to me it’s about the quality of the workout. I’m not looking to prove anything.
Coach David introduced himself to me prior to the class and introduced me as the class got started. He reviewed the workout prior to class and then ran us through a full warmup. He noticed a couple of things for me to correct and pointed them out to me. We also discussed how best to scale prior to the workout. Coach David kept an eye on all of us and was encouraging. He communicated well during the workout, rest and cash-out to keep us motivated.
It was really difficult to get a sense of the culture only because there were just two other people in the class with me. It was 4:00 on a weekday so that didn’t surprise me. There were a few athletes working out independently, but they were in their own space. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt because the few people I did get to meet were very pleasant. The two people in my class were supportive. Based on what I saw, I believe this was a sample of larger cultural makeup here.
The cost to drop in at CrossFit Bexley is a mere $15. A bargain. If you want to add a shirt, it’s only $10 more, which is also really good. However, swag availability was extremely limited. They didn’t have anything in my size. This isn’t uncommon. You usually can find plenty of small and medium in most places. After that, you need a little bit of luck from the CrossFit Gods. We’ll see how things look when I swing back around to Columbus.  The entiredy of CrossFit Bexley's apparel offering at the time of my visit. In Summary CrossFit Bexley has a lot going for it. It was a positive experince. The communication and the coaching was very good. Although I only got to meet a handful of people, they were all friendly and welcoming. The facility was huge and well equipped. Yes, the flooring was a downside but I would still recommend CrossFit Bexley as a good place to workout in the Columbus area. And, I would ask the owners if they address the flooring issue to please contact me and I will gladly ammend this piece. Contact Information CrossFit Bexley
2903 E. 4th Avenue Columbus, OH 43219 (614) 525-9073 https://crossfitbexley.fit/ [email protected] |
RSS Feed