Best Foam Rollers
Most athletes and active people that are into fitness have had their share of muscle soreness and stiffness. Intense workouts often leave our muscles sore and aching and having some way to relieve them is very important. And a foam roller is just the thing! These nifty fitness accessories can help with many things, starting with muscle soreness relief all the way to enhancing your flexibility. A foam roller can also help you achieve a full range of motion in many movements – which is very important if you want to ensure you’re at the top of your game when you train.
Choosing a foam roller to suit your needs might seem like a straightforward choice, but you’d be surprised to see how many options are available. And to reap the benefits, you’ll have to choose the right foam roller.
| Best Foam Rollers | Specs |
LuxFit Speckled Foam Roller |
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Trigger Point Performance GRID Foam Roller |
|
AmazonBasics High Density Foam Roller |
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ProsourceFit High Density Foam Roller |
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Gimme 10 Foam Roller |
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Table Of Contents
- How Does a Foam Roller Work?
- What Can a Foam Roller Help With?
- Muscle Recovery
- Chronic Back Pain
- Range of Motion
- Posture
- Injury
- 5 Best Foam Rollers
- LuxFit Speckled Foam Roller
- Trigger Point Performance GRID Foam Roller
- AmazonBasics High Density Foam Roller
- ProsourceFit High Density Foam Roller
- Gimme 10 Foam Roller
- Bottom Line
How Does a Foam Roller Work?
While intense workouts can feel great and leave us energized, the strain that these exercises can put on our bodies is not to be neglected. Tense muscles can get sore and stiff, causing discomfort at best and at worse – injury. If sore muscles aren’t relieved of tension and are put under additional pressure and strain after the workout, we can risk a lasting injury. That is why a foam roller can benefit everyone who is active and works out on a regular basis – or simply someone with chronic muscle soreness and back problems.
The way a foam roller works is relatively straightforward. Their function is to provide what is called the “self-myofascial release” – a deep tissue massage that fully penetrates the muscle. The massage is helped by your own weight, and thus the roller can release the sore knots in the muscles, and stimulate good blood flow. The latter is very important for muscle rebuilding and healthy growth.
And best of all, a foam roller is very easy to use while its benefits are many. In a nutshell, the foam roller is a simple foam cylinder that you can roll around any flat surface in a variety of positions. The roller – in combination with the pressure of your own weight – will penetrate into the muscle tissue, and in particular affect the fascia. This is a thin layer that surrounds your muscles – once the muscles are overworked and it becomes restricted, you feel soreness, pain, and discomfort. A foam roller thus increases the blood flow, stimulating muscle recovery, in a healthy, meds-free way.
What Can a Foam Roller Help With?
When we consider just how simple a foam roller seems to be, it can be surprising that such a basic design can be helpful with a ton of issues that we deal with every day – especially if we are active, play sports, or work out regularly. A simple and inexpensive gadget, a foam roller actually boasts a very clever design – one that suits the anatomy of our bodies and targets the key joints effectively. And that makes a foam roller truly multifunctional, and good enough to be used at home, in the gym, or anywhere else. So here are just a few of the issues a foam roller will help with.
Muscle Recovery
After every demanding workout, our whole body requires a certain amount of rest and recovery. It is during this time that the muscle tissue heals, grows, and becomes stronger. But lying around won’t cut it. What the foam roller will help with is known as the active muscle recovery. Massaging the muscles on a roller will stimulate blood flow – which is very important – and penetrate into the tissue itself, helping to untangle all those knots and to speed up the healing process. In the world of sports and fitness, this simple action can make a world of difference.
Chronic Back Pain
Thanks to the many different ways a foam roller can be used, its benefits equally numerous. One significant issue it can help with is chronic back pain. Finding workout positions that don’t hurt can be tricky, but not with a foam roller. This ergonomic cylinder allows you to discover comfortable positions that can relieve the pressure on your back and joints. There are also plenty of different exercises that are designed to help with back pain in the long run. With regular use, you can significantly reduce your back pain and, in turn, improve the quality of your life.
Range of Motion
For bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts, and all athletes (amateurs and pros alike), having a good range of motion is a big deal. When completing exercises and tricky movements, you truly want to focus on achieving a full range of motion. This way you exploit the maximum of your potential and encourage proper muscle development that will benefit you later down the road. And by practicing regularly with a foam roller, you can reach a maximum stretch and easily practice that full range of motion that you need so much. Explore positions and balance points, while stretching all the way. It can seriously up your game and transform the way you exercise your body.
Posture
For a lot of people today, especially younger generations, bad posture is a big issue. In most cases, the reason for poor posture (and a myriad of other issues) is the fact that people who spend a lot of time seated at their desks have poor spine alignment. In time, this bad posture evolves from being simply unattractive to a problem that can affect the entire body. But even if you work long hours behind a computer screen, that is no reason not to work on your correct posture. With the regular use of foam roller, you can keep your spine in the right position, and you can even use the roller as a form of additional back support when seated – much more efficient than a regular cushion.
Injury
Last, but certainly not the least, is the preventive role of the foam roller. Perhaps the number one reason for sports injuries is untreated muscle soreness. Overworking the muscles without enough rest can lead to torn ligaments and lasting injuries. By actively using a foam roller for massage and stimulation of muscle recovery, you are working in advance to keep your body prepared for all the challenges you put it through.
5 Best Foam Rollers
LuxFit Speckled Foam Roller
Customer’s choice
This versatile foam roller really offers a variety of choices that can cater to every style of use and every person. Thanks to the fact it’s made from high density molded polypropylene foam, this roller boasts great firmness and will retain its original shape even after prolonged use. The foam has around 2 lbs of density per cubic foot, which gives it great shape retaining abilities. And when it comes to its uses such as strengthening, postural, and recovering activities, these aspects do play a significant role as they ensure the foam roller retains its shape and offers the same benefits after months of use.
Another nifty feature of this roller is the special finish which repels liquids. So even if you are sweating profusely during the workout or accidentally spill something – no worries – the roller will remain the same as before and won’t get soggy or ruined. These rollers are made in the USA and come with a 10-year limited warranty, which really speaks volumes about its quality. And to make matters even better, you’ll get a free instructional video with the roller, which quickly explains how to use the roller and offers some ideas on exercises you can try out.
Who Should Buy This Product?
If you plan on using the foam roller for various things from exercises to massages, LuxFit has your back. It comes in different sizes and it’s versatile enough to be used in any way you please, so you’ll definitely be getting your money’s worth out of this fitness gadget.
Pros
- Various sizes available
- Great density
- Retains shape over time
- Affordable
- 10 year limited warranty
Cons
- Smooth surface
- Could be a bit too hard for some
Specs for Comparison:
Available Lengths: 12”, 18”, 24”, 36”
Available Colors: Blue, Orange, Red
Material: Molded Polypropylene Foam
Width: 6”
Trigger Point Performance GRID Foam Roller
Best for relieving muscle tension
This is an innovative take on the basic foam roller design that attempts to enhance the benefits a standard foam roller can offer. And the result is this: a unique, heavy-duty roller that offers a truly piercing recovery massage and can make a world of difference for fitness enthusiasts. GRID is a roller made from a multi-density foam outer layer, which is in turn supported by a rigid hollow core. This perfectly combines a stable rigid core and the massaging properties of a foam roller.
Furthermore, the design features several embedded patterns on the surface. Thus the foam roller imitates some essential massaging elements: one third resembles fingertips, other fingers, and the last one resembles an open palm. This is a really unique concept and can really make the foam roller massage feel more like a professional one, and this unusual texture makes this design truly great for really active athletes.
Who Should Buy This Product?
Any hard-hitting athlete can benefit from this foam roller. The unique textured surface offers a deep massage experience you could usually only get from a professional: if you want to make sure that your muscles recover properly after an intense workout, you can’t go wrong with this one.
Pros
- Rigid hollow core adds support
- Patterned foam surface mimics hands
- 500 lbs weight limit
- Free instructional video
Cons
- One size only
- Just 1 year of warranty
Specs for Comparison:
Available Lengths: 13”
Available Colors: Black, Camo, Lime, Orange, Pink
Material: Multi Density Foam + Plastic core
Width: 5.5”
AmazonBasics High Density Foam Roller
Best for beginners
How to achieve that deep tissue massage without utilizing a rigid or patterned surface? AmazonBasics offers an answer to that, with its high-density roller. The foam in use here is a dense expanded polypropylene whose toughness and the ability to retain its shape are both effective solutions to the proper self-massage. The design also features molded edges that can help prevent the breaking and dissipation of foam.
To make sure anyone can find this foam roller useful, it is available in four different sizes and seven different color options. Made in the USA, easy to clean and carry around, this basic foam roller is a decent choice for a decent price.
Who Should Buy This Product?
If you want an affordable, versatile, and well-made foam roller to start with, AmazonBasics offers a great option for beginners. It will do the job whether you want to relieve muscle tension or use it as a prop during workouts – and you don’t have to break the bank to get a good quality product.
Pros
- Durable high-density foam
- Retains shape over time
- Different sizes available
- Easy to carry around
Cons
- It’s not completely smooth – molding has raised seams that might bother some people
Specs for Comparison:
Available Lengths: 12”, 18”, 23”, 36”
Available Colors: Black, Blue, Blue Speckled, Purple, Purple Speckled, Red Speckled, Yellow Speckled
Material: High Density Expanded Polypropylene (EPP)
Width: 6”
ProsourceFit High Density Foam Roller
Best for core strengthening and spine stabilization
ProsourceFit offers a unique approach to the seemingly simple foam roller design – an approach that offers you the best of both worlds, so to speak. The first great thing about this foam roller is the choice of material: the non-toxic high density expanded polypropylene foam boasts great rigidity that will keep its shape after heavy-duty use. But while great, this is not the selling point for this foam roller – its most interesting feature is the fact that it is not fully rounded but rather half round. This version has a flat base with the half-circle profile to make it easier to use and suitable for performing exercises aimed at core strengthening and spine stabilization.
Who Should Buy This Product?
Beginners will find the half-circle foam roller easier to use- if you lack balance, this stable version will help you make those first steps. On the other hand, the fact that this foam roller is great for certain types of exercises that help properly align the spin and build your core is what makes it so popular – you can’t go wrong with this one whatever your reason is.
Pros
- Unique half-round design
- Versatile
- Variety of size choices
- Durable
- Beginner-friendly
Cons
- Can be a bit slippery
Specs for Comparison:
Available Lengths: 12”, 18”, 36”
Available Colors: Black
Material: High Density Expanded Polypropylene (EPP)
Width: 6” and 3”
Gimme 10 Foam Roller
Best foam roller for runners
If you are a passionate runner, you probably already know how life-saving a quality foam roller can be. This roller is made from medium density EVA foam on the outside but features a hollow core ABS rigid support inside. This makes it incredibly sturdy and enhances the effect it has on the deep tissue of the muscle. But what contributes the most to this roller being ideal for myofascial massage is the patterned surface. Deep grooves and raised squares will mimic the feeling of therapeutic massage, penetrating deep into the muscles.
Both after a morning jog or a half-marathon, you’ll need your body to recover and replenish and deep tissue massage with this high-quality, deeply textured foam roller is a great place to start.
Who Should Buy This Product?
The Gimme 10 roller is more aimed at the advanced user, as people who work out heavily and really depend on that high-quality roller massage to maintain healthy muscles and recovery rates. It’s ideal for runners but other kinds of athletes, too- it massages deeply and aims to provide the effect of sports medicinal massage at home.
Pros
- Durable
- Deeply textured for an enhanced effect
- Suitable for advanced users
- 3 levels of intensity mimic masseuse’s hands
Cons
- Only one size
Specs for Comparison:
Available Lengths: 13”
Available Colors: Black, Turquoise, Grey, Blue, Galaxy
Material: Medium Density EVA Foam
Width: 5.25”
Bottom Line
Foam rollers are such a simple, yet so efficient tool that can make a really big difference in how our bodies behave and react to hard work and demanding exercise. With regular use of one of these handy fitness gadgets, you can help your body rest and recover in a more efficient way and elevate your workouts to a higher level.
Available in options suited to beginners and advanced athletes, foam rollers are great for exercise and can help with many different issues such as back pain, muscle tension, and bad posture.