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With today’s research showing just how bad sitting all day is for your overall health, foam rolling seems like a must for anyone with an office job or daily routine in a similar setting. On the other end of the spectrum, athletes should be rolling to prevent injury, decrease recovery time, and improve athletic performance.

Buying guide: Let’s get into our foam roller reviews!

This is Mobility Guardian’s comprehensive review of the best foam rollers on the market. We’ve tested and reviewed all of these rollers for your benefit, let us help you to choose the best foam roller for your needs and lifestyle.

The Grid is our top pick out of all of the foam rollers. It has textured areas so that you can get into those hard to reach hip flexors and other problem areas. It also has flat areas for beginners and larger muscle rolling. Coming in at around $40 and having such durable construction, you really can’t go wrong choosing The Grid foam roller as your first roller. I own one myself and have been using it for over two years with no complaints, the thing is solid. You can pick up a Grid roller in three different sizes: the Mini which is 5-inch, the Original is 13-inch, and the Grid 2.0 is 26-inch. There is also an additional X Extra Firm 13-inch version that features a more rugged construction and a more firm surface for the advanced rollers. Click here to read our full review of The Grid Foam Roller.

Surface: “Unique distrodensity zone” for targeted massage

Sizes available: Mini (5-inch), Original (13-inch), X Extra Firm (13-inch), Grid 2.0 (26-inch)

Durability: Extremely durable, rugged surface and inner core.

Review rating: (5 / 5) and Mobility Guardian’s top pick!

Cons: Not many!

Buy The Grid Foam Roller on Amazon

EPE foam rollers get our recommendation for beginner rollers who have never used a foam roller, and aren’t looking to spend a lot of money to try one out. They receive excellent reviews all around, and get the job done right when it comes to tissue massage. They are a little bit softer than most EVA rollers, so again that’s a great feature for anyone just starting out with rolling as it can be a bit uncomfortable when you start. These EPE rollers can be found in a wide variety of sizes and almost every colour. So if you’re just starting out and on a limited budget, check out these rollers for a fairly durable and reliable option.

Surface: Smooth EPE foam surface

Sizes available: 6″x6″, 12″x6″, 16″x6″, 24″x6″, 36×6″

Durability: Fairly dense, and durable model

Review rating: (4.5 / 5) Mobility Guardian’s budget and introductory pick!

Cons: It may feel lackluster after you get used to foam rolling and want a more firm roller. The shape can be lost with extended use.

Buy an EPE Foam Roller on Amazon

If you’re going for a smooth foam roller, the j/fit is one of my favorite picks. It features a heat class seal and the highest density of EVA foam available. They also claim that their roller is the “longest lasting available”. I’ve found that the EVA rollers are much more durable than the EPE foam rollers, so if you have a bit more room in your budget go for an EVA. These rollers feature really great and solid construction for a reasonable price, enjoy a classic smooth foam roller massage with this device. They’re available in a wide variety of colors and sizes as well.

Surface: Smooth EVA foam surface

Sizes available: 12″, 18″, 24″, 36″

Durability: Extremely dense and durable model featuring heat seal

Review rating: (4.5 / 5) Mobility Guardian’s favorite smooth foam roller

Cons: You may want to upgrade to a firmer roller as you gain experience.

Buy the j/fit Roller on Amazon

The Rumble Roller is one of the more unique rollers featuring a surface covered in firm but flexible bumps for deep tissue stimulation. It’s a great and durable roller made with high quality materials, but I would not recommend it for a beginner as the surface is quite unique and requires more control and experience to get the most benefit from. If you want to check out this roller, I would suggest one of the intro picks or The Grid before moving onto one like the Rumble Roller. Once you’re more experienced having access to those hard-to-stimulate spots can be quite the treat.

Surface: Covered in firm squares

Sizes available: Half-size, Full-size

Durability: Long lasting construction made from high-quality materials.

Review rating: (4.5 / 5)

Cons: Doesn’t roll very well. Isn’t very good for larger muscle massaging.

Buy the Rumble Roller on Amazon

The AccuPoint is actually the first foam roller I ever purchased. It’s almost a hybrid between The Grid and the Rumble roller, featuring smooth areas, and also contoured bumpy areas to get those tricky problem spots. I recommend this roller to anyone because it does have that amazing versatility that you won’t find in other rollers. There are some complaints about durability, but I haven’t encountered any myself. Being able to roll and massage tissue differently based on how you position the roller makes this an awesome addition to your self-massage arsenal.

Surface: Has flat areas and contoured bumps as well

Sizes available: 13″x5″

Durability: Durable core and rugged surface finish

Review rating: (4 / 5) Mobility Guardian’s all around pick!

Cons: Not many!

Buy the AccuPoint Roller on Amazon

The Barracuda Cork Roller is by far the most unique roller I’ve ever used and reviewed. It is definitely the toughest roller that I’ve had the delight of using, and is an interesting product to say the least. Buying and using one of these bad boys is not for the faint of heart, be forewarned that this will be one of the more grueling foam rolling sessions you’ve ever had. However at some point in your self-massage career, you may be ready to unleash this beast on your well conditioned muscles and fascia. When you’re ready, enjoy this almost 18-inch roller that will provide the deepest massage possible and release tension from those stubborn trigger points. While this roller is a bit more expensive than most, it’ll be the toughest roll you’ve ever experienced.

Surface: Flat cork surface

Sizes available: 6″x17.5″

Durability: Solid cork construction, will NEVER lose it shape like some rollers might.

Review rating: (5 / 5)

Cons: Brutally tough on the muscles, although that may not be a bad thing for some!

Find this unique Barracuda Cork Roller on Amazon

Tips on choosing the best foam roller

Density

Now that you’ve checked out our foam roller view, you probably still have a few questions on how to pick the best one for you. It is widely recommended that beginners use less dense foam rollers at first to gauge how much pressure can be handled before moving on to the firmer and denser models. The goal isn’t to apply so much pressure it becomes painful, it is to allow those areas to relax. This can still be easily achieved with a less dense foam roller. Once you can handle it, firmer rollers will allow easier targeting of tight areas, and tend to be more durable. Examples of less dense rollers would be the EPE or EVA soft foam rollers:

Durability – How durable do you want your foam roller to be?

If you want your foam roller to last, durability is an important quality to keep in mind. While the best foam roller isn’t always going to be the most expensive one, paying a few extra bucks up front can save the inevitable replacement cost of the cheap basic type. In general, if you’re just starting out I would recommend an EVA roller or The Grid. Both of these rollers are reasonably priced, and will likely not need to be replaced for a very long time (think several years). Aside from buying a foam roller, make sure that you store your roller in a safe place and give it a wipe down once you’re finished with it – this will go a long way in preserving the surface which is likely to break down first.

Surface texture – what types of foam rollers are out there?

My general guideline is to start simple at first, think the EPE Roller, or the j/fit Roller. Starting with these smooth surfaces will give you a chance to adjust your weight and feel how the roller works before you go jabbing it with squares and grids and the like. If you’re really set on doing specific tissue massage, I would recommend you going with the AccuPoint Roller which gives you the best of both worlds. There are soft smooth areas alongside bumpy areas so you can have some textures to play with as you gain some more experience.

What size foam roller should you get?

This is another really common questions I hear – what size of foam roller is best for me? I generally recommend the mid sized rollers (around 12-16 inches) for the averaged size person. If you’re taller you may want a longer roller (think 16-24″) so that you can hit all of the parts of your body while rolling without adjusting the positioning. There are also smaller sized rollers that are suitable for travelling and storage. I wouldn’t normally recommend them for anything other than those reasons as they require a lot of re-positioning and extra work to get the stimulation you need.

Pricing

I always say “buy once cry once” when it comes to purchases that will be used on a regular basis. However sometimes we do have budgetary restrictions. My budget picks would have to be the j/fit Roller for a smooth roller, and the AccuPoint Roller for a varied-surface. These are both really solid models for affordable prices; you can’t go wrong with picking either of them.

Our Top Picks

Learning to use your roller

Here’s a really comprehensive video on how to foam roll your ENTIRE body, check it:

Here at Mobility Guardian we produce video, image, and text tutorials on how to foam roll and do other mobility related exercises; so you’re in the right place. Here are a few categories on our site where you can find roller exercises, resistance band exercises, and some stretches.