Addaday’s BioZoom Edge Makes Quality Recovery More Affordable

Get a high-powered muscle massage on your schedule, for the price of pair of running shoes.

The RW Takeaway: An affordable and powerful percussion muscle massager for runners looking to improve both their pre- and post-run routines with guided in-app sessions, or to simply reduce soreness between workouts.

• Bluetooth connection offers guided sessions on a phone app tailored to your areas of soreness, time availability, or the duration and intensity of your workout.
• Five different intensities and five attachment heads let you customize your massage.
• Touch LED display and additional trigger buttons make it easy to control speed.

Price: $149
Weight: 2 lbs
Battery Life: 2 hours on high; 4 hours on low

Recovery is where the magic happens. It’s during those 23 hours of the day when we’re NOT running that we actually reap the benefits of our workouts to become stronger, faster runners. By now, we know the biggest players in recovery are nutrition and especially sleep, not recovery tools. If you’re not prioritizing those two first, it won’t matter much whether you’re rolling out on a fifty-cent tennis ball or slipping into a $1,500 pair of NormaTec boots. That said, we’ve absolutely felt the benefits of using devices like percussion muscle massagers for a little extra help between hard runs to feel less sore and stiff.

The most important thing is that when we make time for these extra types of recovery, we’re making it count by doing it correctly. That’s why we’re big fans of the BioZoom. Even just two minutes daily of consistent quality work done right feels heavenly, and the new guided Bluetooth app features ensure that you’re getting the most out of whatever time you have available. Just take Courtney Dauwalter, for example—who BioZoom’d mid-race during her recent record-tying run at Big’s Backyard Ultra—where literally every second counts between loops.

$149.00

PROS:

• 5 speed settings and 5 head attachments for more customization
• Bluetooth connectivity for guided in-app sessions

CONS:

• No included case for storage and travel

Fully Guided Recovery Sessions

Most apps give a static, point-and-shoot visual of how to target different muscles with a percussion massager. While that’s more helpful than no directions at all, Addaday does more by offering immersive, dynamic walkthroughs to ensure you’re engaging your muscles properly to maximise recovery. The in-app demos focus on moving your body along with the device itself and using the correct technique so you can loosen and relieve soreness in muscles safely and effectively. It’ll tell you which attachments to use, which of the five speeds to select, and how much pressure to apply. (If you choose, the app will even toggle the speed for you automatically.) Plus, thanks to the Stall Force tech, the device also ensures you’re applying the right amount of pressure, because the BioZoom does pack a lot of power, despite its whisper-quiet volume.

Of course, that app guidance is optional. You can do it all on your own if you already know all the niggles you need to massage out. But, I’ve enjoyed the BioZoom most by letting it build a custom routine for me. I’ll tap pre-workout or post-workout, choose what I did or plan to do (running, bicycling, strength training, etc.), and slide to the length and intensity of my workout. The app considers my stress levels, hours of sleep, and any existing soreness or injuries before prescribing a curated set of recovery exercises.

Customized Massage for Each Muscle

The BioZoom had five different head attachments that each have their own specific purpose. The one you’ll likely use least often is the staggered, two-prong attachment. It’s made from a very dense plastic for honing in on those specific areas where you want to engage the fascia before the muscle. (Think of this one as doing the finer detailing on a car.) The thumb attachment mimics just what it sounds like; use it to dig in deeper on smaller nooks for trigger point therapy.

For boosting circulation, use the foam ball heads. The smiley face yellow ball is the lowest density foam, and has a slightly stubbly surface—for a gentle grip on the skin so you can target muscles without sliding—followed by the medium-density red foam ball. The smaller size makes it ideal for reaching tight areas around joints. Last, and my favorite, is the blue Epcot-style orb. Made from the highest density foam of the three, it’s for hitting big muscle groups like the hammies and quads. I’ve found it lets me apply more pressure where I can handle it, while still covering a solid amount of surface area with each stroke.

The Bottom Line

If price has been a barrier to getting into the recovery tool game, the BioZoom Edge delivers a more affordable option. At $149, it’s about the same price as a pair of max-cushioned running shoes. (That makes it about $200 cheaper than other models like the Hyperice Hypervolt.) In truth, the Edge isn’t quite as sexy and streamlined as its competitors, but our testing proved that it doesn’t skimp at all on performance or quality.