We recently did one Taotronics massage gun review, but this was an older brother of this model – the TT-PCA003. We saw how it has so much to offer and how affordable it was.

Well, this TT-PCA004 gun is very much like that older brother, at least in terms of the price (goes for $49.99 or $37.5 if you use the 25OTT promo code). We’ll find out as we review it if there are other similarities.

What we can tell you, for now, is that this is perhaps, slightly better. There are issues that the older brother had that this one seems to solve.

Stick around, and we’ll find out.

Who’s Taotronics?

Taotronics is an affordable consumer brand that sells a wide range of products. Obviously, we’re always interested in massage guns. Turns out they have been selling massage guns for quite a while now. They sell primarily through their own store.

But their massage guns aren’t premium, they seem to focus on entry-level devices for beginners, or folks who want cheap massage guns.

Even though the guns are cheap, and perhaps far from premium, they are a trusted brand that delivers what they promise.

We purchased 3 guns from them and they all arrived fast.

Taotronics TT-PCA004 Review

Taotronics TT-PCA004 Specifications (Verified)

What is Included?

Just like the previous model, it’s surprising that TT-PCA004 has a carrying case at less than $50. However, don’t get too excited; it’s not the best case you’ve ever seen…but there is one!

Included with the gun are the attachments, a wall charger, a thank you note with warranty information, a manual with the specs and how to use info. You will also find info on how to use the gun on different muscles. 

First Impressions

Straight of the box, you can tell that this one is different from the previous TT-PCA003 massage gun. It’s smaller and maybe a mini massage gun?

We’re not sure. It’s not as tiny as the Bantam or any of the small guns we’ve reviewed before.

We’ll call it a hybrid between a full-sized gun and a mini massage gun. That said, we love the size. Even if Taotronics intended it to be a mini massage gun, this size is acceptable.

It’s not bulky – you won’t feel like you’re holding a jackhammer. It weighs just 1.67 pounds with the flat head mounted. Looking at it, there’s definitely lots of plastic used to make it.

However, unlike the TT-PCA003, this model is definitely more stylish. The rest of it may be plastic but the top is metallic and feels very nice to touch.

We think it’s incredible for a budget gun to have this look. The design and materials look makes it look like one of those premium guns.

There are 3 color options to choose from – gray (the color of our gun), silver, and green. The previous model had a variety of colors to choose from as well, but we like the color combinations in this one. 

Ergonomics

We expected this gun to be a copycat of the previous model, but we were wrong.

Apart from being lighter, this gun has better ergonomics than its bigger sibling. It’s about the same size as the Bob and Brad T2 or C2 (and new C2 Pro). But this one has a longer handle with plenty of grip.

Even though it’s smaller than the TT-PCA003 model, the long handle seems to have stayed. If you hold them together the TT-PCA003 has a slightly longer handle, but it’s by a mere inch.

We also love the rubber that goes all the way to the top of the handle – the entire handle is rubberized. This significantly improves grip and solves a problem that the older model has.

Even the LEDs are hidden within the rubber – don’t worry, they are still visible. More rubber on the handle offers more options to hold the device without it slipping from your hand.

The handle is not round like the previous model. Instead, it’s square with rounded edges. It’s not as thick as the previous model; folks with small hands can still use it comfortably. It’s just a bummer that the handle isn’t as tilted as say Ekrin 365 or Achedaway Pro. That would’ve been perfect.

Even so, for a T-shaped gun, the handle is fantastically executed.

Controls

The controls are more or less the same as in the previous model. It’s the same style we have seen with guns such as Legiral Le3, Fitpulse, or the popular Chirogun.

But here the central display (at the back of the device) doesn’t have a battery charge indicator. You’ll have to use the LEDs on the handle to check the battery charge.

The screen, however, shows the number of speeds. There are + and – signs to increase and decrease speeds consecutively.

The buttons are touch rather than click – we like clickable buttons, they give you the old smooth feedback.

That said, everything works as it’s intended. The buttons help make cycling through speeds easier.

There is an activation button on the screen as well. The main switch is at the bottom of the handle. Despite what these controls may suggest, they are functional and good enough here.

Attachments

The attachments here are the same as the previous gun’s. We’re guessing it makes sense to have the same for the two guns since they’re not too distinguished from each other.

Either way, we still prefer something else other than the push/pull mechanism used here.

On to the attachments themselves;

• Ball head – This one is made of EVA foam and is used as a universal attachment to massage the entire body.
• The flat head – it’s the same one as the previous Taotronics with bumps for some added effect. It’s good for massaging large muscle groups like the quads.
• Air or cushioned head – This one has bumps as well and is used on sensitive or bony parts of the body.
• Bullet head – It’s typical in nature and doesn’t have any modifications. It’s for trigger points, joints, palms, and soles.
• Fork head – It’s also mainstream and should be good to massage the spine area and the Achilles. Some use it as a double-pronged bullet head.
• The wedge head (D-shaped) – This is the one we enjoyed using. It doesn’t have similar modifications as the flat head. It’s for shoulder blades and IT bands.

Overall, we think it’s amazing that they included 6 attachments for a sub-$50 massage gun. The attachments are good enough and we believe they will last.

However, we just have a few reservations;

• Just like the attachments on the TT-PCA003, they tried to re-invent the wheel by adding modifications to them.
• The bumps on the air-cushioned attachments make little sense since it’s supposed to be used on sensitive areas (areas that may be painful). 
• We prefer the regular flat head without any modifications – someone else may have a different opinion.

That said, for less than $50, having 6 attachments is a steal.

Performance

We didn’t know what to expect from this gun as far as performance goes. Here’s what we found out.

Amplitude

It’s the distance covered by the massage gun head as it percusses.

We saw 15mm as the advertised amplitude and our jaws dropped. This is a smaller gun compared to the previous model, how does it have a longer amplitude (by far)? 

But we always take information like this with a bucketful of salt. We expected it to have a smaller amplitude compared to the previous model, and so it proved.

It has a stroke length of less than 9mm or approximately 8.65mm – according to our digital caliper. This is so-so amplitude. The Bob and Brad T2 is better with 10mm amplitude.

The low stroke length is the weakest point of this gun.

The TT-PCA003 had a 10mm amplitude. That is good enough for some things like warming up and relaxation massage. This also means that the gun is highly vibrational. Which leads us to the next aspect, how is the stall force?

Stall Force

Stall force is the ability of the gun’s motor to withstand pressure without stalling.

For this gun, we did not expect much. No one can blame us; it’s a sub-$50 gun after all.

But we were quite shocked when we measured the stall force – we didn’t want to believe the information on their website. Surprisingly this gun is quite powerful.

We measured it against the TT-PCA003 model and it performed quite well – it stalls a tad faster, but still very impressive.

The motor can withstand a fair bit of pressure before it stalls. We’d say it has about 30lbs. of stall force, maybe even 35lbs. It feels that powerful. It’s not the 45lbs. advertised by Taotronics though.

Either way, we like this setup of more stall force and a somewhat considerable stroke length. You can still press it hard against the skin if you want a semi-deep tissue massage.

Overall, we’d say this gun performs better than many cheap guns we have seen and even reviewed. Some of them are even more expensive than this gun. Chirogun, Legiral, Fitpulse, Darkiron, Butyce, and many more come to mind.

Another thing that we noticed, something that was a bit of a bug for the previous model, is that this one doesn’t completely shut off when it stalls. It actually just revs off when the pressure is eased. That is what we like!

Speeds and Percussions

The range is nicely spaced. The advertisement on the manual says 800-3200RPM, but our measurements gave us 1062-3039RPM, or, to simplify, 1000 to 3000 percussions per minute.

That range is good for a number of reasons;

• You can have a slow and relaxing massage if you want. However, the stall force at lower speeds is incredibly low, but you’ll manage.
• The intensity is high enough to rival even the big guns like Ekrin – up to 3000RPM.
• The mid-range intensity is good (around 1600-2000, or 10^th to 12^th speed). Even though it doesn’t percuss fast enough, you can still exert decent pressure without stalling it.

We just have one reservation here; 20 speeds is a bit overwhelming.

Even with the wide percussion range, we still believe they went a bit overboard with this. We feel they should’ve gone with the same setup of 10 speeds as the previous model.

Noise

Well, we didn’t expect this device to be noisy; low amplitude devices tend to be quiet from our experience. But everything is not always a given with cheap massage guns.

We noticed that this one was slightly noisier than the previous model. Well, at least according to our decibel meter. We had 43.1dB at the first speed and 58.1 at the last (20^th).

That said, it’s not something that will irritate you as you use it – we would say it’s pretty quiet for how much it costs.

We also noticed a bit of rattling at top speed, but nothing too serious. There aren’t many vibrations to the holding hand either – it’s better than the TT-PCA003 model.

Battery

It’s a pretty well-juiced battery for such a small device. We tend to associate large batteries with bulky devices. This one, even though small, has the same 2600mAh capacity as the previous model.

What about the quality though? The quality is good. It drains slowly when used at moderate speeds and medium pressure.

Our experiments proved it can last for hours before you need to charge it again. For normal use, you’ll get about a week of use.

The device has a 15-minute auto-shutoff feature to prevent overheating and save on battery.

If you were wondering about the battery LEDs, they are located on the handle – 3 LEDs. They all light green when fully charged and flash when the battery’s empty.

Even with the auto-shutoff feature, it’s recommended that you let the device rest for 30 minutes after long sessions.

We are not sure how long the battery can last, given how much this device costs. We don’t expect it to last as long as those top devices like Ekrin, which are known to have a quality, Samsung-branded batteries inside.

Warranty and Price

Only a 1-year warranty like its bigger sibling. But it’s quite a standard for the industry.

If you need a better warranty you can check out Ekrin or Lifepro devices. Or Addsfit, they have a nice device under $100 and offer a 3-year warranty.

The price is the most adorable thing about this device, it’s only $37.5 – that is after you apply a generous discount to the $50 price tag. Use the coupon 25OTT to get it for that price. However, the coupon only applies when you buy it directly from their website. We bought our unit this way. 

Who is it Best for Then?

Anyone who’s looking for a cheap entry-level device. This device is very much the smaller clone of the previous model. The performance specs aren’t exactly top-notch.

It will be a good device to use at home to relax your muscles, treat soreness in the muscles, massage your neck and shoulder, and perhaps a warm-up before exercise.

It will also be a decent device for ladies who tend to have small hands – the handle diameter isn’t as thick as the previous model.

However, if you are a big guy with lots of muscles, this won’t be a punchy device. You’ll need one with a higher amplitude to get those deep hits.

Also, if you are looking for a Theragun alternative, this isn’t the gun for you (we got them here). There’s some stall force on this, but not enough amplitude to match with it.

Taotronics TT-PCA003 vs TT-PCA004

So, how do the two Taotronics devices compare? Here’s a summary:

TT-PCA003 advantages over TT-PCA004

• Slightly longer stroke length – we measured 8.65mm on TT-PCA004 vs. 9.53mm on TT-PCA003, so a 1mm difference. That is a minor difference; both guns feel vibrational.
• Slightly more powerful motor – but both devices work really well for an entry-level dev.
• Longer handle – by about an inch.
• Slightly quieter – 42.0 – 57.4 dB versus 43.1 – 58.1 dB for first/top speed respectively.
• 10 speeds versus 20 in TT-PCA004 (20 feels too many).

TT-PCA004 advantages over TT-PCA003

• Much smaller, more compact.
• 22% lighter – 1.67 lbs vs 2.15.
• Better shaped handle – squared with rounded corners vs. thick round.
• More rubber on a handle, more ways to hold the device.
• Feels better quality and less “plasticky” (e.g., metal top).
• Fewer vibrations on top speed transferred to a holding hand.
• Doesn’t stall to death on top speed as TT-PCA003 (auto resumes when pressure is eased).

Similarities

• Same percussion range of about 1000 to 3000ppm.
• Same battery capacity (2600 mAh).
• Same average attachments (6).
• Same price.
• Same warranty.

Our Verdict

These two devices look pretty similar, and the fact that they cost the same price presents a bit of a quagmire.

However, we would still pick the smaller, compact, lighter, and better quality TT-PCA004 over its larger counterpart. The amplitude is smaller for our choice, but it’s by a mere millimeter, something we can live with.

Besides, the stall force is great, the battery is the same (despite the size), and the price makes the choice even more straightforward. Lastly, it looks more stylish, with its metal top.

Review Summary

That is the end of our Taotronics TT-PCA004 review. The gun is similar in many ways to the previous TT-PCA003 model.

It’s an entry-level massage gun for personal use at home. We love the simplistic but stylish approach to the design and the equipment included.

For those who like the specs discussed in this review, this will be a good massage gun to buy.

Plus, it’s incredibly affordable!

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We know, we have always had a thing against cheap massage guns. But then again that comes from our experience (often bad ones) with such gadgets.

This one has something that intrigued us. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s not so bad either. We’ve had it for a couple of weeks and we have to say, we like what we see.

We will share our thoughts and also tell you why we chose to include it in our best massage guns under the $100 list.

Is Taotronics a Good Brand?

Taotronics is one of those brands that are easy to ignore. Unless you were buying something specific and randomly chose one from them, you wouldn’t know about them.

However, they are a consumer electronics company that deals with a wide range of products. They love massage guns and have sold tons of them.

They have been selling their guns for the better part of the last 3 years, first on Amazon, and now also on their own store. That tells us they have a customer base that trusts them. Which means, they’re probably reliable. 

We have purchased 3 massage guns from them till now. They include Taotronics TT-PCA003, TT-PCA004, and their latest mini massage gun. We have had a nice shopping experience every time and their shipping is fast.

The TT-PCA003 massage gun has been on the market for 3 years with many good reviews. That tells you something…

Taotronics Massage Gun Review: TT-PCA003

Taotronics TT-PCA003 Specifications

First Impressions

Now that we know something about Taotronics as a company, let us find out what their massage gun looks like.

This one is a proper full-sized massage gun – it’s often good to declare this so we know how to review it.

It’s nothing special with the T-shape we have to admit. However, it’s slightly more rounded than Hypervolt and perhaps a tad sleeker.

The body is made mostly of plastic. The model we’ve purchased is satin gray with black on part of the handle (mid-part), the back panel, and the attachment mounting area. There are other color combinations including blue and all black.

That said, we love that it’s well put together, unlike some under $100 massage guns we have seen. For less than $50, this thing looks pretty awesome!

What is Included?

There is a carrying case. It’s pretty awesome to have a carrying case for a device that costs less than $50. This is probably not a top-of-the-shelf case, but it does the job.

There’s a wall charger included, attachments, a thank you note and warranty information, and a manual with information on how to use the device.

There is also information on how to use the device on different muscles. This is awesome, especially for beginner users.

TIP Check out our guide on how to use a massage gun.

Controls

We know we have seen these controls setup before. Oh, yes, Legiral Le3, Fitpulse, and the popular Chirogun. Just a quick run-through of the controls;

• There is a main switch at the bottom of the handle. The same setup as many other Hypervolt-like massage guns.
• The controls are mainly “touch” rather than buttons. They are all marked on the display on the back of the device.
• There are + and – for increasing and decreasing speed. This is a nice setup because it eliminates having to cycle through all speeds to get to the desired setting – it’s often the case with one-button operation devices.
• The number displays at the top indicate speed (to the left), and battery percentage (to the right).
• The display will turn off after 3 minutes of no activity. This is meant to save the battery. 

Overall this is a good setup that we like. No complaints here.

Attachments

This gun comes with 6 attachments. That is pretty normal for any gun that costs anything over $150. However, for a gun that is 1/3 that price, we have to say it’s quite something.

Again, we are not overpraising the attachments here (they look pretty standard), we’re just saying it’s a great bargain to have 6 for that cheap..

Here’s what we think about them;

• The flat head (with tiny bumps) – This one can be used on larger muscles especially when you want a more aggressive massage. 
• Ball head – This one is meant to be universal. It’s pretty standard but made of EVA foam. We don’t recommend using it on clothes.
• Air-cushioned head – This one is meant to be used on sensitive and bony parts of the body. It’s also improvised with small bumps on it. 
• Bullet head – It’s used for trigger points, joints, palms, and soles.
• Fork head – It’s good for the spine area. It can also be used on the Achilles, or as a double-tip bullet head.
• D-shaped or wedge head – It’s probably a modified flat head here. It doesn’t have the bumps on it though. We love it more than the others – does the job pretty well.

Overall we think it’s fantastic to get 6 attachments for a sub-$50 percussion massager.

However, they are not really top-of-the-shelf attachments – we have seen better ones. They’re a bit overdone in our opinion (sort of trying to re-invent the wheel).

For instance, what are the bumps for on the cushioned head? We missed the normal flat head here – but someone else might find those bumps useful. But we wouldn’t complain so much about what you are getting here.

Ergonomics

You can only expect so much from a cheap massage gun. This Taotronics massage gun has the typical T-shape. We know those tend to put a lot of strain on the wrist when you have to use them for too long.

There are exceptions, such as when you get plenty of rubber on the handle or when the handle is extended to help you reach your back as you massage yourself.

Here the handle is pretty thick, which may prove difficult to handle for folks with small hands. However, it’s long enough for a DIY massage and has plenty of rubber on it to improve the grip.

If you want something thinner, you might want to go with our favorite Ekrin 365 (which costs 3 times the price of this one), or Bob and Brad T2 (which costs 2 times the price here).

However, you will be relieved to hear that it only weighs 2.15 pounds with the ball head attached. It holds just like the first Hypervolt.

We just wish they rubberized the entire handle to the top to make it even easier to hold and use.

Performance

We obviously sighed pretty hard when we had to test this device to see how it performs. We didn’t expect much, but we hoped for some surprises.

Amplitude

It is the distance traveled by the massage gun head as it percusses and determines what kind of therapy you can get from a massage gun.

The advertised length by Taotronics is 12mm. “Sweet,” we thought when we first saw it. But we had to test it just to be sure.

Unfortunately, it’s overstated. Our measurements gave us close to 10mm (or 9.5m to be precise). But that isn’t so bad for the price of this thing.

If you have been following our posts you know that 10mm is vibrational at best, but a good kind of vibrational. Good enough to do what a massage gun is supposed to do.

The fact that it’s closer to 10mm also means that this is a better Taotronics than model TT-PCA004 which has less than 9mm.

It’s also worth pointing out that 10mm of amplitude can be really good if complemented with enough stall force.

Stall Force

Stall force is the pressure withstood by a device’s motor. It’s also an important aspect that determines what kind of massage therapy you can get from a device.

Taotronics doesn’t disclose the stall force information. But we have noticed this with other brands as well – Hypervolt doesn’t ever say what the stall force of any of their devices is. That is why we do our own measuring using devices that actually disclose that information.

For this device, we have to say we were quite surprised. We didn’t expect this much power, especially on higher speed gears. Sure the device feels pretty weak at those lower gears (precisely between gears 1 to 3).

However, it gets pretty hard to stall from gear 4 all the way to 10. We have to say this is very impressive. A good stall force and 10mm amplitude sounds pretty good for a massage gun this cheap. That means it can kick into muscles and deliver a serious massage.

We have to say this gun performs better than many Amazon darlings such as Chirogun, Legiral, Fitpulse, Darkiron, Butyce, and others, which, by the way, are way more expensive.

Speeds and Percussions

Another positive surprise about this Taotronics is the wide percussion range. The advertised range is 1400-3200RPM.

However, our measuring gave us 1020-2986RPM – so approximately 1000-3000RPM. The slight discrepancy aside, this is good for this kind of massage gun.

The wide range means you can start slow and then go aggressive at higher speeds. This is what you want with a versatile massage gun.

For this Taotronics, the middle range gears really impressed us. At speed 4 or 5 it doesn’t percuss fast but you can feel how strong it gets.

We just don’t like that it has 10 speeds. That is too many to cycle through and back. Luckily there are controls for that, but still cumbersome to keep pressing (but then again the wide range justifies it).

Another thing we noticed that got slightly on our nerves is how it kicks back after stalling; it doesn’t kick back at all. It just stops and doesn’t resume like what we see with other guns.

We don’t know why this happens. But that’s about it, you can easily turn it back on and it will work. A minor inconvenience for the price we guess.

Noise

We don’t expect devices with 10mm amplitude to get very loud while in use. This one isn’t an exception.

It’s pretty quiet, especially on lower gears. It gets a little whirry at higher speeds, but nothing too disturbing. Our decibel measurements gave us 42dB to 57.4dB compared to what is advertised; 40-50dB. This is good enough but not the quietest gun out there.

You should expect rattling when the device hits top speed. There are also vibrations transferred to the holding hand. However, this doesn’t take away major points from this otherwise superb sub-$50 gun.

But the track record for cheap devices isn’t always good. They tend to get noisier with time. We’ve had this Taotronics for well over a month, and so far everything’s fine and dandy.

We are holding our breaths for a few months (usually 6 to 12 months) down the line when it expectedly starts roaring.

Battery

The battery has 2600mAh worth of juice. That is a common capacity for devices this size. It’s pretty okay with how it performs. It drains slowly when used with moderate pressure. A single charge can last for hours or well over a week for minimal sessions.

It has an auto-shutoff feature after 15 minutes to prevent overheating and ultimately save on battery.

There’s an LED ring on the handle that lights up when the battery is charging. It indicates as follows;

• Green when above 40% charge
• Yellow when below 20-40%
• Red when below 20%

Who is it for Then?

This is a good entry-level device that will serve well those who want something to use at home.

If you are on a tight budget and want a massage gun, why not start with this one. It will help you relax, treat sore muscles, treat your back, neck and shoulder, and you can warm up with it before engaging in physical activity. 

It’s not the perfect device for demanding users who want a deeper-hitting percussive therapy. You will need one with a better amplitude (check these high amplitude devices instead, but beware, prices will be higher as well).

It’s also not a good Theragun alternative – it lacks the amplitude to make it happen. But the stall force is good enough though.

Warranty and Price

It has a 1-year warranty. This is a standard warranty for most cheap devices. If you want better warranties then you better consider Ekrin or Lifepro devices. Addsfit has one under-$100 device that has a 3-year warranty, the Addsfit Max massage gun.

The price is amazingly low. It’s an under-$50 device. The current price is $45.99 when you buy through their website. We bought from there as well and the experience was awesome. The item ships pretty fast.

Taotronics Best Alternatives

addsfit Max

This Addsfit massage gun has a lot in common with our Taotronics device here. The ergonomics, looks, and feel are all pretty identical.

However, the addsfit massage gun looks more advanced to some extent. We are not biased, there are details in this addsfit Max that lack in the Taotronics device.

That said, the performance aspects are strikingly similar; they both have the same amplitude and more or less the same stall force. There are differences, however, with percussions – addsfit Max can rev up to 3300RPM.

The addsfit Max has better attachments. They are softer and more comfortable. They also have a better mounting system compared to Taotronics – push and pull which requires a bit of force.

addsfit Max has a 3-year warranty if you register your device on their website (free of charge). In our opinion, Addsfit is better but you will need more money to get it.

It normally costs $129.98, but you can get it for $97.5 if you use the coupon MASSAGE25. Get it at addsfit.com.

READ MORE Our full addsfit Max review

Taotronics TT-PCA004

What better alternative is there than another Taotronics device. We would call it a sibling to the TT-PCA003. But this is the smarter better-looking sibling. The one that gets all the favors and doesn’t feel like they are adopted. We especially like the metal top used here.

It’s also smaller and more compact. It weighs just 1.7 pounds.

It has a premium feel to it and we thought it should’ve been priced a little higher – $100-$150 perhaps.

In terms of performance, it is not very far from TT-PCA003. It has a less than 9mm amplitude and up to 30lbs. of stall force. 

It has somewhat better ergonomics with more rubber and better grip. Since it’s smaller, it’s also easier to maneuver. It has the same percussion range as the TT-PCA003, and the same style attachments as well.

If you check our in-depth Taotronics TT-PCA004 review, you will see that we actually like it a bit more than its bigger brother.

It goes for $49.99, but you can get it for $31.99 with the 20OTTdiscount coupon. Same price, same coupon code, slightly different device. Buy it right here.

Taotronics TT-PCA003 Review Summary

We’ve come to the end of our Taotronics massage gun review. We would conclude that this is a good entry-level massage gun – an awesome budget choice for personal use at home. It’s simple but really well equipped.

If you’ve never had a massage gun, this one should be your first if you are looking to save some extra cash. The value for money here is irresistible.

We have listed two alternatives in case one or two things put you off from this one. One of them, also Taotronics, is similar but smaller and stylish.

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