Therabody Wave Series review: Vibration therapy at your fingertips

Therabody has seemingly created a series that, like its flagship Theragun range, provides an easy way to get localised treatment. The new Wave series combines self-myofascial rolling and vibration therapy, working in line with your daily routine or fitness regime to improve your body’s performance and overall well-being.

The range stands out as the next generation of foam rollers, acting as a comprehensive solution for working away tight knots and stiff muscles before, during, and after workouts. Although a little pricey, each roller offers incredible attention to detail, making for a pragmatic and highly efficient approach to self-care.

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Therabody Wave Series review: What do you get for the money?

The Wave Series consists of three, carefully designed products: The Wave Roller (£125), Wave Duo (£89) and Wave Solo (£69). Although the series can be bought as a bundle for £283, you can also purchase the rollers individually to fit your routine and desired outcome. While all three share the common objective of working away tension in the body, they each bring their own unique features to the table.

Each roller in the series incorporates wave patterns on the surface to aid dynamic movement across a localised area, actively hitting different points of the muscle to relax the tissue. When pressure is applied to the padded wave pattern, it closes up, gripping the muscle during contraction and, along with the vibrations, releases the tension, to bring a layer of warmth to the muscle.

All three feature smartphone Bluetooth connectivity, a handy carry bag and a one-year warranty, with the exception of a six-month warranty on the Solo. The Duo and Solo are supplied with USB-C fast-charging cables, while the Wave Roller includes a mains charger.

What does the series consist of?

The Wave Roller: A great all-rounder, It’s equipped with five vibration settings and a generous three-hour battery life. Unlike other firmer foam rollers, it also features high-density foam padding on the outer layer, providing additional comfort not often associated with foam rolling.

The Wave Duo: Shaped like a peanut, the Wave Roller doesn’t include any padding like the Roller. However, it does feature five vibration settings and a three-hour battery life. Its unique shape can either surround the muscle or localise the area, digging deeper to release knots and stiffness.

The Wave Solo: A simple yet effective ball, the Solo has three vibration settings, a three-hour battery life and an impressive piece of engineering – QuietRoll. The QuietRoll is a circular area located on the Solo where, when in contact with the floor or any surface, dampens the vibrations and sends them back through the ball into the body.

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Therabody Wave Series review: How does the app work?

The app is a handy companion to have. It’s free to download, easy to set up and straightforward to use. After signing up, you’ll need to choose your desired wellness goals– whether it’s to improve performance, reduce pain, or just general well-being. The app then tailors sessions for you based on your preferences to suit your desired outcomes.

Once set up, you can connect your rollers via Bluetooth – another simple step that takes no more than a minute. I connected all three and as long as they’re switched on, they can be interchanged as you work through the sessions. Unlike some apps, there isn’t a video demonstration for the sessions but it’s not much of a problem. Instead, each exercise provides a diagram or picture to demonstrate the correct movements which are easy enough to follow.

Each exercise in the session is timed, with the app automatically controlling the level of vibration – although you can adjust the frequency manually through the app itself. The settings can also be tweaked, such as setting how much time you need between steps and the option to include stretching exercises alongside the roller activities. The app is a great place to start if you’ve never used a roller before or, if you’re like me, it’s a beneficial addition for adding some structure to your routines.

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Therabody Wave Series review: What is it like to use?

What strikes me about the Wave Series is the attention to detail. It’s equipped with a hypoallergenic silicone surface for simple cleaning, allowing any sweat or moisture to be wicked away easily. But it’s not just the handy cleaning that impresses– Therabody has taken everything into account, from the density of material to the range of vibration frequencies. Each roller ranges from 5 to 55Hz, which covers the optimal frequency for enabling a muscle to relax and alongside the self-myofascial rolling, benefits the release of muscle tension as a massage would.

Wave Roller

I found using the Wave Roller a treat – as much as using a foam roller can be. It’s certainly much kinder on the body than most. The high-density padding reduces the discomfort that you often get with non-padded or firm rollers and it’s gentler on the muscle when applying full body weight, while still achieving the goal of releasing tension and tackling nasty knots.

I focused on calf, quad, and glute sessions – the holy trinity of regret when using a roller. The frequency is controlled by the app but in some sessions, you’re required to focus on dynamic or lateral body movement without the vibrations. Applying full body weight while using the Wave was nowhere near as painful as other rollers I’ve used, I found it encouraged me to push on to complete the sessions. Although it isn’t as uncomfortable, it doesn’t mean the results aren’t being achieved.

The specially designed wave patterns incorporate a pinching method, and in unison with the foam padding, help to warm, relax and ease the muscle without it feeling too much like a workout. My quads were painful as usual, but not to the extent where I needed a break, which is a credit to the effectiveness of the Wave Roller.

Wave Duo

The Wave Duo, although versatile, finds its niche with the calves, back and neck. The design is deliberately focused on detailed muscle work, allowing you to fine-tune your pre or post-workout routines. The unique peanut shape prevents you from applying direct pressure down the centre of the muscle. Instead, it either surrounds the muscle (calf) or is aptly shaped to only hit the intended muscles (back).

The Duo works wonders on the back and neck. Its shape allows it to be of great benefit – either static or dynamic – up the erector spinae, relieving pressure on the very muscle that keeps you upright. After positioning myself appropriately, I allowed the vibrations to do their work, releasing tension in tight areas and working away the knots nicely. The sessions not only offered muscular relief but also provided relaxation and stress relief throughout the body.

As the Duo isn’t padded like the Wave Roller, it can cause a level of discomfort when applying full body weight. However, the dual-bulbous shape allowed it to fit nicely up the side of my body, reaching areas that an ordinary roller wouldn’t be able to and I found completing the lateral movements on the roller to be very helpful. When using the Duo for my upper back, I found my rotator cuffs were tight and while rolling in line with the muscle fibres was successful in massaging the tissue, remaining static and performing lateral or dynamic movements helped to release the area further. The dipped shape also allowed my leg to sit comfortably between the raised edges when working on my calves, with the sides surrounding the outer sections of the muscle. Unlike the flat surface of a roller, which works on pushing away knots, the duo works in and around the entire section, making it a pragmatic option for attentive and localised treatment.

Wave Solo

The Solo is best suited for isolated sessions on the body. You can utilise the vibrations when holding it in your hand to ease wrist tension or combat carpal tunnel syndrome but it’s also highly efficient at loosening the glutes and releasing tension in the back.

A standout feature of the Solo is its “Quietroll” technology, which I found to be useful when using it at home. When using it on my foot, the vibrations on the floor were minimal, preventing any unwanted noise through the floorboards and ensuring the downstairs neighbours remained undisturbed.

I initially tested the Solo on the sole of my foot, where I could either remain static and let the vibrations release tension in the tissue or roll it along the muscle fibres. It’s an excellent release for the tendons, but also the nerves found in the sole of your foot – which play an important role in the body’s overall well-being.

After some primary tests, I took the Solo out for a round of golf, to utilise its portability. Before the round, I used the Solo on my back, using it as a trigger-point style massage on key areas up the spine. Starting in the lower, an area much used in golf, I worked away any tension simply while sitting on a chair, pushing myself against it for a deeper release. I did the same on the erector spinae, working into tight areas and letting a mix of pressure and vibrations warm the area up to relax the muscle.

When I was satisfied with the back, I moved on to my glutes. I did this by simply taking a seat and placing the Solo beneath me, occasionally rolling it around for greater coverage. When I stepped onto the first tee, I was amazed at how fluid the swing felt. Usually, there’s some stiffness on the initial few practice swings, but I immediately felt good to go – my takeaway was effortless and the rotation on the downswing felt smooth.

Therabody Wave Series review: Should you buy it?

Therabody has created an efficient, carefully thought-out series that benefits not just athletes, but anyone who wants to take control of their fitness or lifestyle routine. From the practical Quiteroll technology on the Solo, to the foam-padded and deep-lying wave patterns on the roller, every detail has been scrutinised for the best possible experience.

Using the series enabled me to work on areas that needed close attention, providing localised treatment to aid recovery and improve performance. As a result, I was able to take control of how my body felt by applying the necessary exercises to ameliorate tension within the appropriate muscle regions. All three products have their intended use and design – but as a series, it’s a multi-faceted collective that, if used right, will keep your body and well-being in top shape, even on the go.

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