RENPHO R3 vs R4

The RENPHO R3 and the RENPHO R4 already look very different at first glance. But are there also differences in functionality, handling, quality, and so on? This is the question I asked myself. In the following article, I will answer it by comparing the two massage guns with each other. I can draw on my own experience, as I have tested both devices extensively myself.

 

Comparison – RENPHO R3 vs R4

 

Scope of Delivery and Attachments

You can find a complete list of the scope of delivery of both massagers in the comparison table above. As you can see there, the RENPHO R3 and R4 are both equipped with a lot of accessories. However, in my opinion, the R4 has the edge here. There are two reasons for this:

1. The R3 comes with a USB-C cable but not with a power adapter. Thus, if you do not have a corresponding power adapter from a cell phone or similar, you can only charge the battery on the PC or laptop. The scope of delivery of the R4 is more complete here.
2. The RENPHO R4 comes with a larger number of attachments. Although the attachments of the R3 are more than sufficient, you simply have an even better selection with the R4 and can adapt the attachment exactly to your needs.

Functionality

Both massage guns have their weaknesses in terms of functionality. Nevertheless, the R3 Mini has the edge for me. On the one hand, this is due to the power levels. The RENPHO R3 has the following five levels:

The RENPHO R4 only has four power levels. In addition, I could not find any information about the impact frequencies anywhere here. That is a pity because you do not know how to assess the intensity of the different levels.

Secondly, the motor on the R3 is slightly more powerful than on the R4 (25 watts versus 18 watts). Although the difference is not particularly large on paper, I felt it very much during the massage. The massage on the RENPHO R3 felt more intense. In addition, the motor is much less quickly blocked under pressure.

Neither device has any additional functions, such as a pressure sensor or timer.

Usability

The operation of both massagers is very simple and solved almost identically.

There is only one button on the RENPHO R3. This is held briefly to switch on the massage gun. By pressing the button again, the power levels are switched through. The current level is indicated by a small LED.

The operation of the RENPHO R4 is basically the same. Only switching on and off is done via a separate button on the massage gun.

Handling

The handling is supposed to be one of the big plus points of the RENPHO R4. Finally, the arm of the gun is adjustable and should thus be optimally adaptable to the massage of different muscles. This also worked very well in my test. In addition, the handle is very thin and can be easily grasped. On the other hand, the weight of the R4 is very high and amounts to 2.30 lbs (1,044 g) with the large ball attachment. This makes longer massages very strenuous.

The RENPHO R3 Mini, on the other hand, is much lighter. It weighs only 1.59 lbs (719 g) with the ball attachment. This means that even longer massages are no strain. In addition, the handle is rubberized, which means that it does not slip out of hand as quickly. Only the circumference of the handle could be smaller so that you can grip it better.

Nevertheless, I see the R3 Mini just ahead of the R4.

Power Supply

The RENPHO R3 has a 2,500 mAh battery with a runtime of approx. 2 to 3 hours. The battery of the RENPHO R4, on the other hand, has a capacity of approx. 2,200 mAh and a runtime of 2 to 4 hours. Here, the two massage guns do not take each other too much.

The situation is different when it comes to charging the battery and its exchangeability:

The R3 Mini is charged via a USB-C cable. Thus, it can also be charged with most cell phone charging cables. Unfortunately, the battery is not replaceable. If the battery is defective, the entire massage gun has to be replaced accordingly.

The RENPHO R4, on the other hand, is charged via the supplied charging station. This works quickly and without any problems. In addition, the battery can be removed. So in case of a defect, you can simply insert a new battery.

The R4 is thus just ahead in this category.

Noise

For both massage guns, I measured the volume from a distance of about 40 cm. I obtained the following values for the RENPHO R3:

With the RENPHO R4, on the other hand, I measured the following noise levels:

Already at first glance at these values, it is noticeable that the RENPHO R4 is consistently much louder than the R3. This difference was particularly noticeable at the highest performance level. While the noise of the R3 is still pleasantly loud, the noise level of the R4 is almost unbearable. If the volume is important to you, I would definitely recommend the R3.

 

Material and Quality

RENPHO uses plastic materials for both the R3 and the R4. However, there are qualitative differences. The material of the R3 Mini is very thick and makes a high-quality impression. The material of the R4, on the other hand, is rather thin and made a less high-quality impression on me.

There are also clear differences in workmanship. The gaps on the RENPHO 3 are quite small and cleanly processed on one side. On the other hand, the gaps in the RENPHO R4 are very large and could be improved.

Both massagers have the same smell. Unfortunately, both the R3 and the R4 have an unpleasant chemical smell on the handle at the beginning. This is probably due to the rubber used. Fortunately, the smell disappeared quite quickly in both cases.

 

Price

I have the RENPHO R3 Mini for $99.99. When I tested it later, the price was around $85. The RENPHO R4, on the other hand, cost me $89.99. At this price, it was also available when I tested it and wrote this product comparison.

Accordingly, both massagers are rather in the upper midfield. They are not the cheapest massage guns, but also not the most expensive. But in return, the massage guns are also only in the midfield in terms of performance. For me, the price-performance ratio is definitely better with the R3 Mini due to the other criteria.

 

Conclusion – RENPHO R3 vs R4

The two massage guns could hardly be more different at first glance. The RENPHO R3 is small, handy, and looks like a classic massage gun. The RENPHO R4, on the other hand, has a special shape and is comparatively large.

However, the two massage guns are not only visually very different. There are also clear differences in functionality and co. Only the price is roughly identical. The most important differences are the following:

• The RENPHO R4 comes with more attachments than the RENPHO R3. In addition, the R4 comes with a charging station, while the R3 only comes with a USB-C cable for charging.
• The battery is replaceable on the RENPHO R4. Unfortunately, this is not the case with the RENPHO R3, which is why the entire massage gun has to be replaced in case of damage.
• The RENPHO R3 is much lighter and more compact. Thus, it lies better in hand, can be transported in a space-saving manner, and does not make even long massages seem exhausting.
• With the R4, there is no information about the shock frequencies. This is different from the R3. In addition, the R3 has one more power level.
• The RENPHO R3 is a rather quiet massage gun. The RENPHO R4, on the other hand, is one of the loudest massagers.

As you can see from this list, the RENPHO R3 is ahead of the R4 in most cases. Accordingly, it also performed much better in my massage gun test. If I had to choose one of the massage guns, it would definitely be the RENPHO R3!