Whether you’ve seen these strange, tubular objects sitting along the wall of your favorite gym and wondered what workout they’re used for, or you’ve been using one of the best foam rollers for years, there is a lot to learn and appreciate about them.
In a nutshell, foam rollers serve as a tool for giving yourself an effective, strong, and accurate massage that targets all of your sore areas.
Although a good foam roller itself is pretty simple in nature, what it does cannot be underestimated, as they are used by everyone from physical therapists to personal trainers to provide pain relief to those who need it.
Related: How to Use a Foam Roller
Highly Rated Foam Rollers - Top 10
As you peruse the terms, brands, and traits associated with some of the best foam rollers, we hope to help you arrive at a decision on an optimal purchase to complete your home gym.
By examining the key advantages that set each roller apart, and by having a base knowledge of the company who makes it, this list also aims to make your purchasing decision for the best foam roller a little easier and more convenient.
Related: Gym Equipment Names and Pictures
#10 – Black High Density Foam Roller
Highlights
- Two Sizes: 6x12in and 6x18in
- Made of Expanded Polyethylene
- Density: 1.9 Pound per Cubic Foot
- Small, Smooth, and Inexpensive
- Available in Black
Key Factors
Designed to be tough enough to target the trigger points in your back and limbs, the aptly-named Black High Density Foam Roller is simple and sufficient.
The absence of penetrating bumps and grooves makes for a less penetrating massage, but at a highly-affordable price, a solid round foam roller can do a lot to get your knots out.
The durability is tougher than average, and should be able to survive regular use for a long period of time.
Who Makes It?
A company called Black Foam Roller sells four different products, and each one is a variation of their flagship product, the black foam roller. In addition to round versions, the product is also available in “D-shape” for those who prefer it.
Bottom Line
If you need a simple black foam roller that lacks fancy grooving, but has the price to reflect it, than this one is worth your investment.
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#9 – The Foam Roller – Great Back Roller for Muscle Therapy
Highlights
- Made from Professional Grade EVA Foam
- 100% Recyclable
- Three Sizes: 13×6, 18×6, or 36×6
- 100% Money Back Guarantee
- Bright Blue Appearance and White Logo
Key Factors
With a light blue color and ultra-smooth texture, The Foam Roller by Rolling With It really sticks out over more plain colored competitors.
EVA Foam is a popular material among top-quality foam rollers, and the three size variations ensure that you can get one that’s small or large enough to fit your needs.
Since foam rollers typically lack personality, the Rolling With It logo on the side is a unique touch that sets this one apart.
Who Makes It?
Rolling With It is the company behind this blue, smooth, high-density foam roller, which appears to be their only product. One advantage of buying from a company that focuses on a single product is that they often have solid purchasing options, and that is the case here as well.
In addition to showing a lot of workout suggestions and details on their website, Rolling With It is enthusiastic about offering their 100% Money Back Guarantee to ensure customers are satisfied.
Bottom Line
If you prefer a smooth foam roller over one with a lot of rivets and bumps, then this blue foam roller from Rolling With It is an excellent option, especially considering the 100% guarantee.
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#8 – NewCell Integrate Foam Roller with Massage Acupressure
Highlights
- Bi-Directional Rivets for Spine Comfort
- Trigger Point Zone for Deep Penetration
- Two Sizes: 12×4 and 24×4
- Soft Exterior, Strong Interior
- Unique Half-blue, Half-Black Design
Key Factors
Designed by a structural integration specialist, the Integrate Foam Roller by NewCell is truly unique in both appearance and function. Unlike more basic foam rollers with a smooth surface, this one has numerous soft bumps protruding out of it for a deeper penetration of your trigger points.
To help spine comfort, these are made to be bi-directional, so you don’t have to worry if you’re rolling the right way or not. With its blue and black appearance and strategic texturing, the Integrate Foam Roller will spice up your home gym while getting your kinks out.
Who Makes It?
Based in a city with tons of athletes, Boulder, Colorado, New Cell Fit is dedicated to innovative foam rollers that help relieve pain for athletes. In addition to their intelligently designed Integrate Foam Roller, New Cell Fit also sells a Rock and Roller Massage stick which serves a similar purpose.
Bottom Line
For a deep, penetrating massage experience, the Integrate Foam Roller is strategically designed by experts to hit your hard to reach knots and relieve pain.
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#7 – ProSource Sports Medicine Foam Roller
Highlights
- New and Improved Design
- Tough EVA Interior
- Two Different Density Zones
- Measures 24×6
- Three Color Options: Black, Blue, and Orange
Key Factors
With two separate density zones that simulate palms and fingertips respectively, the Sports Medicine Foam Roller by ProSource is made with a focus on relieving the pain of athletes. The center is a hard material, while outside is a soft yet durable foam with strategically placed grooves.
To ensure happy customers, ProSource includes a limited lifetime warranty, so you really can’t go wrong by trying the Sports Medicine Foam Roller.
Who Makes It?
In addition to the Sports Medicine Foam Roller, ProSource makes a wide array of other fitness gear, including cross training equipment, Yoga mats, and dumbbells. For fans of therapeutic equipment, ProSource has a slew of other options, ranging from kinesiology tape and acupressure mats, to massage balls and an arched back stretcher.
Bottom Line
If you want a foam roller that offers deep bumps as well as flat ones, the Sports Medicine Foam Roller comes with three colors and has a lifetime warranty to keep you happy.
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#6 – OPTP PRO-ROLLER
Highlights
- Built for Heavy Use in Gym Settings
- Smooth, Lightly Textured Surface
- Measures 36×6
- Exclusive Heat Molded Technology
- Stylish Blue Marble or Green Marble
Key Factors
Larger, tougher, and more expensive than most others on the list, the OPTP PRO-ROLLER is specifically designed to withstand rigorous use in a professional setting. The look of these foam rollers is different, with a unique blue and white or green and white marble that’s very stylish.
Also, they appear to be extremely smooth and soft, with a round look and only very light texturing. Also available in semi-circle shape, the OPTP PRO-ROLLER is made to be exceptionally easy to clean.
Who Makes It?
Standing for Orthopedic Physical Therapy Products, OPTP is unlike any other company on this list.
For over three decades, OPTP has been finding the best products to include in their catalogue, and like the OPTP PRO-ROLLER, they pick durable products that they deem to be of professional quality.
OPTP sells an unbelievable array of products, spanning the gap between stability balls to heat therapy products.
Bottom Line
If you’re a pro trainer or gym owner, then the OPTP PRO-ROLLER is the quality of foam roller you’re going to want. At a little bit higher of a price, the PRO-ROLLER also brings enough toughness to survive heavy consistent use.
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#5 – Muscle Mauler
Highlights
- Dual Pressure Zones
- Designed for Sports Injury and Recovery
- Quick Guide and Ebook Included
- Portable: Only 13 Inches
- Bright Red Color
Key Factors
Sold in a bag with a handle and including a quick guide with suggestions for use, the Muscle Mauler is a foam roller with a lot of character.
The two different pressure zones provide mutually exclusive experiences, with one meant to simulate a strong palm massage, while the other is intended to hit you deep like a masseuse’s fingertips.
The bright red color and wild design make it more of a conversation piece than most foam rollers, but the variety of durable foam protrusions will make it easy to find your sweet spots.
Who Makes It?
Offering fitness and recovery equipment like massage balls, jump ropes, and kinesiology tape, Master of Muscle brings their innovative perspective to a series of fitness equipment. With bold coloring and catchy names on most of their products, Master of Muscle clearly makes an effort to stand out in terms of style and quality.
Master of Muscle also offers a “Better than money back guarantee” where you can send the product back for any reason and get anoter.
Bottom Line
The Muscle Mauler is an attractive foam roller that attempts to take the place of a masseuse by offering two distinct zones that apply different types of pressure.
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#4 – Exercise Foam Roller by Product Stop Inc.
Highlights
- Hollow Roller Designed to Hit Trigger Points
- Combines High and Low Density Foam
- Measures: 13×6
- No Questions Asked 100% Money Back Guarantee
- Five Color Varieties Including Pink and Light Blue Bumpy
Key Factors
In addition to two types of foam and a nice variety of styles, the Exercise Foam Roller also comes with a PDF guide detailing useful techniques. Including five styles and a 100% satisfaction money back guarantee, Product Stop, Inc. offers a lot of options to please customers.
The combination of durable and less durable foams produces a strong foam roller that is built to seep into your trigger spots. The smaller roller actually pulls out, allowing two distinct sizes and densities of foam roller. The fact that it pulls out to form two rollers was popular among a lot of customers, and adds notable amount of value to the Exercise Foam Roller.
Who Makes It?
The number one best seller on Amazon, Product Stop Inc. began with a bold vision. Seeing a lot of incompetence among other retailers, the Harvard grad started the company to find the best products and provide top-level service.
That vision has led to a lot of success, and the Exercise Foam Roller is among the products that met the high standards of Product Stop Inc.
Bottom Line
For a high-quality hollow foam roller that’s essentially two rollers in one, the Exercise Foam Roller comes with five colors and solid buying options so you can be confident you’re making a smart purchase.
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#3 – PERformance Roller
Highlights
- High Density: 1.9 Pounds per Cubic Foot
- Three Sizes: 12×6, 18×6, and 36×6
- Keeps Shape After Heavy Use
- Made with EPE Foam
- Professional Looking Black Roller with White Logo
Key Factors
A lot of people prefer a smooth, simple, foam roller made of durable foam. If that’s your preference, then the PERformance Roller by EPE is a highly-affordable and durable option. With three size options which are all less expensive than most others on the list, this EPE foam roller has a very dark, simple appearance.
Who Makes It?
EPE provides a specific website for their Black High Density Foam Roller. It details the six advantages of the product, including the fact that it’s made in the USA, and made from molded EPE foam.
Bottom Line
For a tough, simple foam roller that’s one of the least expensive on the list, the PERformance Roller is well-worth the price.
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#2 – Athren Foam Roller for Muscle Massage
Highlights
- Three Different Pressure Zones
- Measures 13×5
- Durable Foam Wrapped around Hard Plastic
- 30 Day Money Back Guarantee
- Three Colors: Black, Lime, and Orange
Key Factors
A truly innovative foam roller, the Athren Foam Roller is the only one on the list that uses three different density zones. Available in only one size, 13×6, the Athren Foam Roller is highly-portable, and fits into most gym bags.
What it lacks in size options it makes up for with interesting colors, and is the only foam roller on the list to have a lime green color variation.
Like a few others on the list, this foam roller by Athren also comes with a no questions asked, 30 day money back guarantee, so you can make the purchase with confidence.
Who Makes It?
Athren is a highly rated company that sells four products on Amazon, including the Athren Foam Roller. Their products fall into the fitness and recovery category, and include an exercise ball, massage stick, and premium quality jump rope.
Bottom Line
Arguably the best value on the list, the Athren Foam Roller offers three different massage surfaces and cool color options, all at a reasonable price point.
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#1 – TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller with SMRT-CORE DVDs
Highlights
- Highly Portable: Measures 13×5
- Innovative Distrodensity Zone Designed to Hit your Trigger Points
- Includes Level 1, 2, and 3 Smrt DVD’s with Advice for Use
- One Year Warranty
- Available in Orange or Black with TriggerPoint Logo
Key Factors
A premium foam roller with by far the highest price tag on the list, the GRID Foam Roller by TriggerPoint is unlike any other. What sets it apart is its distrodensity zone, a grid of various sizes and shapes of padding that is specifically designed to massage all of your trigger points.
It’s also portable but tough, with a huge max weight limit of 500 lbs. Also notable is that it comes with a three DVD crash course on how to use the foam roller, with lessons divided into three different skill levels.
Who Makes It?
Founded by a bio-mechanical specialist who focused his expertise on sports fitness, Trigger Point Fitness sells a variety of unique products.
These range from a Cold Roller to instructional DVD’s, with all of the products geared towards helping your muscles recover and massaging your trigger points. Their website has an impressive array of useful info for learning about the human body and how massage works.
Bottom Line
If only a top-notch, premium foam roller will work for you, then the GRID Foam Roller is the ideal choice. From its innovative distrodensity zone that gives a varied massage experience, to the three instructional DVD’s it comes with, the GRID Foam Roller offers a complete package for effectively hitting your trigger points.
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Wrapping Up
If you’ve decided you need a good foam roller, then the one that’s perfect for you will depend on your priorities. It’s worth mentioning that just because a foam roller has more elaborate features or is more expensive, does not mean that it will necessarily work best on your body.
If you have the opportunity to try a foam roller, either at a gym, or at another fit friend’s house, then determining whether you like a bumpy grid type density or a flat one will help your purchase.
Whatever your main concerns in a foam roller, each of them are designed to alleviate muscle pain, and to hit all of the spots that’ll leave you fresh for your next workout.
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