What is Stall Force and why is it important for Massage Guns?

There are a lot of terms that you come across looking for a good massage gun. Some of them are pretty basic while others can be a bit harder to understand.

Stall force is probably one of the latter.

In terms of massage guns, It is one of the biggest deciding factors. It is like the horsepower in your car. The more you have the faster your car can go.

However, that doesn’t mean you have to get the massage gun with the absolute highest stall force.

Lots of people ask us about how to choose the right power in your massage gun.

The right answer is, it comes down to a personal preference, and understanding what stall force is will help you narrow down your search.

So we created this quick guide to help you find the right power massager for you.

What is Stall Force?

In simple terms, stall force is the amount of force or pressure you can apply to an area before the internal motor stalls.

A massage gun’s stall force is another easy way to determine the level of intensity it can deliver. Most of it is measured in pounds.

In higher-quality percussion massagers, the motor is designed to pause if too much pressure is applied.

Using a massage gun with a high stall force can make it more likely to work more aggressively on an area before stalling.

Which factors affect the stall force of a massage gun?

Any massage guns’ stall forces are largely influenced by the type of motor and the batteries.

Stall force corresponds primarily to either power or pressure. Two main factors that affect stall force are – 

• A motor of high quality that gives more power
• To produce more power, we need more batteries 

A lithium-ion battery is commonly used for massage guns. The number of cells in the lithium-ion battery will indicate how high the stall force will be (Ex. 2-cell, 3-cell, 4-cell). Having more cells means having a higher voltage output.

Using this information, you can choose the right massage gun according to the stall force.

However, keep in mind that a higher-quality motor and more batteries also mean the massage gun will cost quite as much.

Why is Stall Force Important for Massage Guns?  

Yes, the stall force is one of the most important factors to consider while choosing a massage gun. It will not directly affect performance, but it is essential for your comfort and relaxation since everyone’s tolerance for pressure is different.

Some people enjoy aggressive massages while others prefer light massages. To choose the right massage device for you, you’ll need to know what type of massage you prefer, and which device has the right stall force.

During heavy massage sessions, massage guns with high stall forces can provide a lot of force. In addition to using more expensive parts, this is the reason for their higher price.

How Much Stall Force Does Most Massage Guns Have?

Stall force may vary according to the brand and price of a massage gun. Massage guns have stall forces ranging from 25 to 80 pounds.

However, most high-end massage guns designed for athletes, such as the Theragun G3Pro, have a stall force of about 60 pounds. 

Achedaway Pro has the highest stall force of 80 pounds. I think this is the most powerful percussion massager we’ve tested so far.

How to find the stall force of any Massage Gun?

In some cases, the details might be mentioned in the packaging box itself or you can visit the official website and look for the specific model. Additionally, you can also find all the details of a massage gun on our website if we have reviewed it.

Disclaimer: Some companies report higher stall force in the specs, but in their testing, they don’t use the massage gun the way it is supposed to be used in real life. So, do keep that in mind.

What will work best for me?

If you are an athlete or have a very muscular body, it will be useful to press the massage gun deeper into your body to target deep knots. It may be beneficial for them to move up to 60lbs of stall force, but it might be too intense for others.

High stall forces may be too intense for older or less built users, or for people whose muscles are tender or sore. For them, stall forces between 40-45lbs provide adequate power and general usability.

Knockoffs or off-brand products often cut costs in the motor, resulting in 25 to 35 pounds of stall force. A person who is less built or older is most likely to benefit from it.

Conclusions

When buying a massage gun, you should always consider how much stall force it has, so that you can use it comfortably. 

Although it is great to have a massage gun with a very high stall force they usually cost more, and not everyone needs it.

Also, remember that the measurement of stall force is not standardized and some brands might report higher numbers on the specs because they use a different method of testing.

So, before any purchase, it is a great idea to read some reviews and get feedback from actual users.

Lastly, no matter how important Stall Force is, there are a lot more things about a massage gun like – amplitude, noise, weight, speed, and price that can make or break the experience.