Ekrin Bantam Massage Gun Review 2023

In-depth Review of Ekrin Bantam Massage Gun

Construction

The Ekrin Bantam is really lightweight and compact. It isn’t the smallest portable massage gun we’ve tried, but it’s a great size to fit well in hand and to take with you on the go. It only weighs 1.1 lbs so it’s really light.

It doesn’t feel heavy when you’re using it.

Even though this is a compact, portable massage gun, the Bantam is still powerful and good for relieving muscle tension.

Motor

The Ekrin Bantam has a level 1 brushless motor. The motor feels comparable to other massage guns in this price range and size. It is quiet enough to hold a conversation over, which is really nice. In comparison, it is quieter than the Theragun Mini and more comparable to Bob And Brad Massage Guns, and even the smallest and quietest model which is the Q2 Mini.

The Bantam is more powerful to use than the Bob And Brad Q2 Mini.

It actually feels more comparable to the Bob And Brad C2 and Hypervolt Go 2, which are a little larger in size. I think the motor’s stall force helps to make the Ekrin Bantam feel as strong as it is. It has a 35 lb stall force, which is pretty significant for a massage gun of its size. The Theragun Mini in comparison only has a 20 lb stall force.

The stall force is the amount of force or pressure that you can place on the massage gun while using it before the motor stalls. 35 lbs is a significant amount and more than you would ever need to place on the Bantam while using it. This force definitely helps indicate a well-constructed design.

Amplitude

In addition to the motor and stall force, the amplitude is a big factor that helps to determine how powerful and effective a massage gun is at delivering percussive therapy. The amplitude or stroke length, is the movement that the attachment travels back and forth while the massage gun is on. When holding it to the muscle, it is the amount of depth the massage gun can dig into your muscles.

We didn’t expect the Ekrin Bantam to have a very long stroke length, which it doesn’t, but it is still a great range to relieve tension throughout the body. The Bantam has a 10 mm amplitude which is around average for most massage guns. For a massage gun in this price range though, the Bantam’s amplitude is a little higher. The Bob And Brad C2 only has an 8 mm amplitude, so the Bantam massages deeper. It isn’t quite as strong as the Theragun Mini or the Ekrin B37, but considering it is smaller and cheaper, it has plenty of depth.

Handle

The Ekrin Bantam looks like a mini copy of the Ekrin B37. Its handle is much shorter and slimmer. This makes the Bantam more travel-friendly. It also fits a little better in smaller hands since the B37’s handle feels a little thick. I can wrap my hand around it better than the B37. It has the same 15-degree angle that other Ekrin Massage Guns have.

I think this angle functions very similarly to other massage guns with right-angle handles.

The texture on the handle is the same on the entire massage gun, although the handle consists of a large portion of the build. It feels soft and velvety without feeling slippery.

Percussion Settings

There are 3 adjustable speed settings for the percussions on the Ekrin Bantam. The percussions are a little faster than Therabody’s massage guns in comparison. 2000 RPMs is the slowest and then 2600, and the fastest is 3200 RPMs. I like this range because the lowest setting feels light enough for more sensitive areas, while the fastest setting can definitely help to target my more stubborn and deeper areas of tension like my lower back.

Once you turn the Bantam on, it will start in the lowest setting and then once you press the power button it will increase to the next setting each time you push the button.

The power button is located at the bottom of the handle.

Attachments

Even though this is Ekrin Athletics’ most affordable and smallest massage gun, the Bantam still comes with 4 different attachment heads. Having a different variety of attachments to choose from is great for different areas of tension and for using the massage gun all over your body. Considering the Theragun Mini only comes with 1 attachment, this is a nice feature.

Flat Head

The flat head attachment is a little smaller than others, but it has a nice silicone covering and it’s good for use all over the body.

I like the silicone covering because it doesn’t make the flat head feel quite as firm as other flat head attachments. Sometimes, these attachments can feel a little hard on certain areas of the body.

Bullet Head

The bullet head attachment is very similar to others that we’ve used from other brands.

It’s plastic, hard, and best for targeting deep tension and specific areas of the body like the hands and feet. It definitely provides the most amount of pressure out of all the attachments.

Round Head

I really like this round attachment. It has a silicone covering rather than hard foam covering like the Ekrin B37’s round attachment. The silicone is a little easier to wipe clean and your skin doesn’t rub off on it like the foam covering.

The round attachment provides a lower amount of pressure or impact than the other attachments, including the flat one, but I like using it for overall use, especially on large muscle groups.

Fork Head

The fork head offers two areas of contact.

It literally forks in two directions so you can use it on the muscles along the spine without actually applying pressure and percussive therapy on the spine. I like that the ends are a little flatter than other fork attachments because the pressure and impact don’t feel quite as high as others. This way, you can use it in a little more sensitive areas.

Functionality & Performance

For a small, portable massage gun the Ekrin Bantam is a really hearty little massage gun. It offers a great range of amplitude and percussion speed to work well for most people. Serious athletes might prefer something a little stronger, but to take it with you while traveling or even just to the gym, the Bantam is a great option.

One thing that helps make it so portable – besides its size – is the hardshell traveling case.

It’s a zipper case that neatly fits the massage gun, attachments, and USB-C charger. Everything has a place and the case has a top handle so you can carry it easily. It’s also small enough to fit in your suitcase, duffle bag, or even a tote bag.

Of course, the Ekrin Bantam isn’t best for all-day use like commercial-rated massage guns like the Theragun Pro. We didn’t expect it to be in this price range. Compared to other massage guns in its class and price, the Ekrin is a great contender and option. I recommend it to those who need a travel-friendly massage gun, to beginners who are new to percussive therapy, as well as households who want a massage gun to use occasionally. The Bantam comes with a built-in 10-minute timer that shuts it off after 10 minutes of continuous use.

The battery is said to last up to 6 hours which is a long time. Considering you’ll probably only be using the massage gun for 5-20 minutes or so at a time, one charge could last you days if not weeks. For charging the battery, the Bantam comes with a USB-C compatible charger. You will need a USB wall adapter plug of your own to plug the Bantam into the wall though.

To keep an eye on the battery’s life, a small LED light at the bottom of the handle by the power button lights up in different colors indicating how charged it is.

The blue light is 80-100% charged, the purple light is 60-80% charged, the red light is 20-60% charged, and if the red light flashes it is below 20% and needs to be charged.

There isn’t a light to show which percussive speed setting you’re at, but with only 3 settings you don’t really need it. They get slightly louder and faster as the setting increases.

Warranty

We love that the Ekrin Bantam is backed with a lifetime warranty. This helps instill confidence in the well-made construction.