A diameter and a hardness, and one of them is guesswork

The best massage balls for 2026

A massage ball is pressed between a muscle and a surface. It is the simplest product on this shelf and the specification is correspondingly short. Diameter decides where it can be used: 6 cm reaches under a shoulder blade and into a foot arch, 8 to 10 cm spreads the pressure across a larger area, and a peanut — two balls joined — straddles the spine so the pressure lands either side of it rather than on it, which is the one shape with a genuine anatomical reason behind it. Hardness is the property that matters most and the one nobody measures: most sets are sold as a graded trio, soft to firm, and the grading is internal to that brand. A published shore hardness would settle it and essentially nobody gives one. What is stated is the surface: a smooth ball spreads pressure, a spiked or knobbed ball concentrates it into points, and a lacrosse-style hard rubber ball is the dense article used against a wall. The material follows — solid rubber, TPE, silicone, or a hollow plastic shell — and the hollow ones are the ones that deform under a heavy person and stay deformed. A few models are vibrating, which adds a battery, a runtime and a noise figure to the list and makes them a different product. As with the guns on this site, what the ball does to tissue is a clinical question; what it is made of and how big it is are not. We compare diameter, shape, hardness, material and mass.

These parts, figure against figure

1. 

   AMITYUNION Cork Massage Ball, 5 cm

   A 5 cm ball made of 100 % natural cork from Portugal, dirt- and moisture-repellent, supplied with an illustrated exercise booklet.

   Diameter

   5 cm

   Shape

   Smooth sphere

   Hardness

   Not published by the maker

   Material

   100 % natural cork from Portugal, stated dirt- and moisture-repellent

   Mass

   Not published by the maker

   Amazon reference

   B071XFC7TS (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4260549650364

   • The only cork ball on this shelf — lighter than rubber at the same size
   • An illustrated booklet included, with the foot arch named specifically
   • No hardness published

   Best for: A pocket-sized ball for the foot arch and forearms

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2. 

   Collazoey EPP Massage Balls, set of 3

   A set of three EPP massage balls stated to be light, wear-resistant, odourless and to hold their shape through use.

   Diameter

   Not published by the maker

   Shape

   Smooth spheres, three in the set

   Hardness

   Not published as a figure; the maker states an ideal hardness for any fitness level

   Material

   EPP, stated light, strong, dimensionally stable, wear-resistant and odourless

   Mass

   Not published by the maker

   Amazon reference

   B0CNPKQPJR (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0786562463919

   • Three balls for the price of one elsewhere on this shelf
   • EPP named, with dimensional stability and odourlessness stated
   • No diameter published — the only listing here without one

   Best for: Getting several balls into a bag without choosing between sizes

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3. 

   HELDSON Spiky Ball Set, 3 pieces

   Three balls in three strengths — a 5 cm soft mini, a 7 cm medium spiky and a peanut whose hardness is set through a needle valve.

   Diameter

   5 cm for the mini spiky ball, 7 cm for the green spiky ball; the peanut is not dimensioned

   Shape

   Two spiky spheres and one peanut — two lobes joined, for either side of the spine

   Hardness

   Three strengths: 5 cm soft, 7 cm medium, and the peanut adjustable through a fine needle valve. A pump is not included; any standard ball pump with a needle fits

   Material

   Not named. Stated dermatologically tested for skin tolerance, and the product image carries a DERMATEST "SEHR GUT" badge dated 2025 that the bullets never mention. Grippy, non-slip surface

   Mass

   Not published by the maker

   Amazon reference

   B0F353BK6F (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4262463030116

   • The only ball on this shelf whose hardness can be changed
   • A peanut shape, which straddles the spine instead of pressing it
   • The pump is not included, stated

   Best for: Starting soft and working harder, on the same ball

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4. 

   Captain LAX Lacrosse Ball, 6 cm

   A 6 cm lacrosse ball of 144 g whose constant hardness over time is published as the point, with a stated per-point treatment time.

   Diameter

   6 cm (stated as 6 × 6 cm)

   Shape

   Smooth sphere

   Hardness

   Not published as a figure; the maker states the ball does not lose hardness over time

   Material

   Not named; the product is a lacrosse ball, stated made in China

   Mass

   144 g

   Amazon reference

   B0161ICFQQ (one reference across 2 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4250605923839

   • The only mass published on this shelf — 144 g
   • Constant hardness over time named as the design claim
   • The material is never named

   Best for: One hard point of pressure, held, against a wall or a floor

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5. 

   Theralino Spiky Balls, set of 5

   Five spiky plastic balls in diameters from about 6 to 10 cm, with the maker stating explicitly that they are not a medical device.

   Diameter

   Five balls, Ø approximately 6–10 cm

   Shape

   Spiky spheres — a soft nubbed surface

   Hardness

   Not published; the maker states the pressure is varied by the user

   Material

   Robust plastic, stated easy to clean, durable and shape-retaining

   Mass

   Not published by the maker

   Amazon reference

   B0D45SLL2C (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4262380873230

   • The widest published size range on this shelf — 6 to 10 cm across five balls
   • The only listing that states plainly it is not a medical device
   • The individual diameters are not listed, only the range

   Best for: Feet, hands and necks, where surface stimulation is the point

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6. 

   Bozeera Lacrosse Ball Set, 6/5/3 cm

   Three rubber trigger-point balls of 6, 5 and 3 cm, each covered by its own video guidance, with an exercise booklet and a storage bag.

   Diameter

   6 cm, 5 cm and 3 cm

   Shape

   Three smooth spheres

   Hardness

   Not published by the maker

   Material

   Rubber, stated easy to clean, skin-friendly, non-slip and abrasion-resistant

   Mass

   Not published by the maker

   Amazon reference

   B08Y61RYBK (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   8719325077599

   • Three sizes published individually — 6, 5 and 3 cm
   • Video guidance stated for each of the three sizes separately
   • No hardness and no mass published

   Best for: Working from broad to pinpoint on the same session

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7. 

   TRIGGERPOINT MB1 Massage Ball, 5 cm

   A 5 cm ball with an EVA foam surface, published as changing shape as pressure increases rather than resisting it.

   Diameter

   5 cm (2.6 in)

   Shape

   Smooth sphere, stated to change shape as pressure increases

   Hardness

   Not published as a figure; the ball is stated to deform under increased pressure rather than resist it

   Material

   EVA foam surface

   Mass

   Not published by the maker

   Amazon reference

   B01B4ZCNZO (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   3700006350051

   • The deformation published as a design property, not a defect
   • Water-repellent and easy to clean, stated
   • A four-line listing — the shortest in this family

   Best for: Pressure that moulds to the body rather than pressing through it

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