If you’re a goalie and you haven’t yet invested in a foam roller.. you probably wouldn’t be reading this. Foam rolling is a critical component of proper muscle recovery (myofascial release) and each and every one of you should be adding one of these pieces to your gear bag.
Every elite athlete should own a foam roller. Chances are, if you’ve visited a chiropractor throughout your athletic career, they’ve informed you that total body muscle recovery is more important than just a single area. If your legs hurt, your hips will suffer. If your hips suffer, your back hurts. The list goes on. So, choosing a foam roller that fits your athletic lifestyle is critical. The best foam rollers for athletes are simply the ones that give you the best result for your situation. If you’re new to foam rolling, chances are you should go with something softer like an Amazon Basics model. If you’ve done this before, go with a Theragun Wave or the Hyperice mode.
Aside from learning a few good hip stretches, you will not make a better, cheaper investment in yourself as an athlete. You have to learn the importance of maintaining your body at an early age in this game, or you won’t be in it for long.
Learn to treat your body well and it will reward you long beyond your playing days.
Here are the 5 best foam rollers for elite athletes on the market
- Theragun Wave Foam Roller
- Hyperice Vyper 2.0
- Trigger Point Foam Roller
- Amazon Basics Long Foam Roller
- Trigger Point Multi Density Foam Roller
The Theragun Wave Foam Roller is the next big thing in foam rolling. In fact, we prefer this foam roller over the Hyperice Foam Roller that previously dominated.
Are the best foam rollers for athletes also good for regular people?
Of course they are! If you’re an athlete, chances are you’ll get more value out of a vibrating foam roller. That’s not to say that a harder foam roller won’t work for the average person, because they will. If you’re new to this, start out with a softer roller. If you’re experienced, buy something that’ll vibrate.
Best Foam Rollers for Athletes
When it comes to finding the best foam roller, you’ve literally got about 4 options. You’ve got vibrating foam rollers, open core foam rollers, literal foam – foam rollers, and solid core foam rollers.
Vibrating foam rollers are generally best for experienced athletes. Open core foam rollers are going to be the 2nd most aggressive type of foam roller, due to the firm PVC core that’s used to support the weight. Solid core foam rollers are the next step down in terms of firmness, and lastly you’ve got actual foam style rollers.
Which should I choose? It’s all based on your level of experience and desired result. Many of the professional goalies we train are going for the most advanced, hardest to target, deep tissue release. If you’re a hardcore athlete, a vibrating foam roller will suit you the best. On the other end of the spectrum, if you’re just looking to get started with foam rolling, you should consider choosing a solid core or an actual foam style roller.
As far as foam rollers for athletes are concerned, there’s really only three brands that matter in the foam roller game. Theragun, Hyperice and Trigger Point. Everything else on the market is pretty much a direct copycat of these three brands. And if you want to go for the knockoff product, by all means go ahead. However, if something goes wrong with your product, don’t expect to have the customer service that these household names can offer.
Theragun Wave Foam Roller
Move over, Hyperice.
The Theragun Wave Foam Roller is the single best foam roller on the market. This roller was brought to market by the same company who first built the vibrating massage gun. Hence, the name Theragun. We wrote an entire Theragun Wave Roller Review over on another post, so we’ll keep this short and sweet.
The Theragun Wave Foam Roller is the next big thing in foam rolling. In fact, we prefer this foam roller over the Hyperice Foam Roller that previously dominated.
Hyperice Vyper 2.0 Foam Roller
Simply put, the Vyper 2.0 is one of the best vibrating foam rollers on the market. It just is. We’ve been using ours almost daily for a little over two years and absolutely love it. While it’s now a little more expensive than the Theragun Wave, this foam roller has stood the test of time for good reason. The Hyperice Vyper is worth every penny, you absolutely will not regret this decision.
As far as this roller vs the afore mentioned Theragun? I’d go with the Theragun. You’ll save a couple bucks and get a roller that’s very competitive.
Previously our number one recommended foam roller, vibrating or not, the Hyperice Vyper 2.0 has been dethroned by the Theragun Wave Roller. The Hyperice still has it's advantages, however.
Trigger Point Foam Roller
So, anything Trigger Point is pretty much overpriced.
With that said, you’re getting the actual best foam roller on the market. Every other foam rolling brand on the internet is doing their best to keep up with Trigger Point products.
Personally, I think these guys tried to hit every corner of the marketplace a little too hard, but that’s just my opinion. As far as myofascial release products are concerned, Trigger Point is to foam rollers as Kleenex is to tissues.
Amazon Basics Long Foam Roller
This is about as basic and as cheap as a foam roller is going to get. Anything Amazon Basics is going to be entry level. That’s not to say that this isn’t a good product.
It is. My local gym has the exact roller and I use it frequently. I love the fact that this foam roller is longer than the others.
Trigger Point Multi Density Foam Roller
This is going to be a more travel sized foam roller. It’s softer than the first TP roller we recommend to our athletes, so it’s better for kids who are on the younger end of things. It’s more forgiving. Honestly, I own both this one and the solid core Trigger Point roller and love both.
This is great for pre workout rolling when you’re not as pliable.
When you invest in a foam roller, invest in quality
There’s really no excuse for going cheap on a foam roller. With these things, the cheaper you go, the less durable you go. Get something that fits within your budget and style of rolling and you’ll get the results you’re after.
Is there such thing as a perfect foam roller?
Of course not. The closest thing to a perfect foam roller is going to be a versatile foam roller that grows with you. Refer to the top of our article where we talk about determining roller material and firmness and make your choice from there.
Customer service. Foam rollers go bad if you use them the right way (which is, every day). Buy something quality, you’ll be so happy you did.
