Theragun Prime vs Elite

The Theragun Prime and the Theragun Elite are massage guns from the Therabody brand. The two devices also look very similar. So what is the difference between the Prime and the Elite apart from the price? That’s what I want to show you in the following article. On the one hand, I will go into the data of the two massage guns. On the other hand, I use my own experience since I have extensively tested the Therabody massagers myself.

 

Comparison – Theragun Prime vs Elite

 

Scope of Delivery and Attachments

You can find the scope of delivery of the Theragun Prime and the Theragun Elite in the comparison table above. Therefore, I will not list them again individually here. As you can see from the lists of the scope of delivery, there is exactly one difference between the two massage guns:

The Theragun Elite additionally comes with the so-called wedge attachment. This spatula-shaped attachment is ideal for scraping movements, for example, on the shoulder blades or IT bands. If this is important to you, you should prefer the Elite over the Prime in this category.

Functionality

Both the Theragun Prime and the Theragun Elite have five power levels. These each have the same impact frequencies. I have listed them here:

Since the shock frequencies don’t start until 1,750 shocks per minute, the massages aren’t particularly gentle. This is not what these massage guns are designed for. However, more shocks could be delivered upwards. Other massage guns reach 3,200 strokes and more per minute here.

On a positive note, the motors of both Therabody devices are very powerful. Unfortunately, however, I could not find any manufacturer information on this. However, other external test reports have shown that the Elite is somewhat more powerful. I could not really perceive this difference myself.

The impact depth of the massage guns is 16 mm. This is a very good value and allows you to massage even the deep tissue.

Usability

The operation of the two massagers is quite similar. Nevertheless, there are significant differences. But first, let’s look at the similarities:

Both massage guns have a large button. The motor can be started and stopped via this button. In addition, there are two further buttons (“+” and “–“). These can be used to adjust the power levels up and down easily.

The differences are furthermore the following:

1. The Elite has two more buttons (“<” and “>”). These can be used to call up preset massage programs.
2. On the Theragun Prime, the current level is only displayed via small LED lights. The Theragun Elite, on the other hand, has an OLED display to show the power level.

Overall, I think the Elite is here definitely ahead of the competition.

Handling

Externally, both massage guns are almost identical. Accordingly, there are also only minimal differences in handling.

First of all, both devices have a very narrow handle. This is very easy to grip. Accordingly, the massage guns do not slip out of the hand too easily.

However, the weight of the Prime and Elite is negative. The Prime weighs 2.07 lbs (938 g) without the attachment. The Elite, on the other hand, weighs about 2.26 lbs (1,024 g) without the attachment. Thus, both devices are very heavy, which makes use quite strenuous in the long run.

Still, the Prime has the advantage here, in my opinion. The weight difference of almost 0.20 lbs (100 g) is noticeable.

Power Supply

Both massagers have a built-in rechargeable battery for the power supply. This lasted for about 2 hours in my test. This is a typical value for such devices. Unfortunately, I could not find any information about the battery capacity. This is a pity for massagers in this price range.

It is also a pity that the batteries cannot be replaced. This means that if the battery in the Prime or Elite breaks, the entire massage gun has to be replaced. At least this is possible free of charge during the warranty period.

On the other hand, I would like to emphasize the recharging of the batteries in a more positive way. This works quickly and easily for both the Theragun Prime and the Theragun Elite. The charging cable is simply plugged into the massage gun and connected to a power outlet. The battery thus charges completely in a few hours.

Since there are no real differences in this category, I can’t highlight either device at this point.

Noise

For both massage guns, I measured the volume myself from a distance of 40 cm.

For the Theragun Prime, I got the following values:

For the Theragun Elite, on the other hand, I was able to measure the following volume:

You can see from the values that both massagers don’t take each other too much in this category. The Theragun Elite is minimally quieter at the lowest level. From levels two to five, however, it is the same as the Theragun Prime.

Overall, Therabody’s massage guns are, unfortunately, all very loud. For a relaxing massage or for use in quiet environments, they are therefore, rather not suitable. However, this is also not the application area for which the devices are primarily made.

 

Material and Quality

As with the volume, the Prime and Elite do have a lot in common in this category. The only difference for me is that the Elite has a slightly higher quality feel. In my eyes, this is due to the color scheme.

When it comes to the material, Therabody relies primarily on plastic for both the Theragun Prime and the Theragun Elite. Of course, this is not quite as stable and valuable as metal. Nevertheless, it makes a very good impression on me.

The workmanship is also on the highest level for both models. The gaps are very small, and I could not find any unclean or defective edges. I was only disturbed by the fact that lubricant was clearly visible on the massage head of both the Prime and Elite. If you are not careful, you can easily smear yourself there.

The smell is usually a problem with cheap massage guns. These often smell unpleasantly chemical due to the plasticizers used. The Theragun Prime and Theragun Elite, on the other hand, both smell simply “new”.

 

Price

I paid 248.99 € for the Theragun Prime myself. At the time of this product comparison, the massage gun was available for around $230 to $300.

The Theragun Elite is significantly more expensive. I bought it for 329,99 €. That’s also about the price it was available when I made this product comparison (~$349).

These price differences are clearly noticeable but are not really reflected in the performance. Therefore, I would clearly prefer the Theragun Prime from this point of view.

 

Conclusion – Theragun Prime vs Elite

The Theragun Prime and the Theragun Elite not only look similar. The inner values are also identical in almost every respect. The massage guns have the same power levels, the same shock depth, the same shock frequencies, the same shape, and the same battery capacity. Besides all these similarities, there are only a few differences, four really worth mentioning, to be exact:

1. The motor on the Theragun Elite has slightly more power.
2. The power level is displayed on an OLED display on the Elite. On the Prime, the display is only via small LED light.
3. Compared to the Prime, the Elite has two additional buttons for calling up predefined massage programs.
4. The Prime is almost 100 g lighter than the Elite, which is noticeable during longer use.

Whether these differences are worth it to you to pay the significantly higher price for the Elite instead of buying the Prime, you’ll have to know for yourself. I would prefer the Theragun Prime due to the large price difference!