Deciding on the size and type of foam roller can be a tough decision, especially if you have never used a foam roller before.
The “key” to picking the correct size and type or foam roller to get will be based on your experience level, pain tolerance, and specific goals you want to accomplish.
If you are an athlete or body building, you probably need to get one that’s strong, sturdy, portable and one that can get deep into your muscles and trigger points.
As a foam rolling beginner, you probably want something that’s a soft, long, and fits in your bedroom closet.
The only way to really know what foam roller work’s best for you is to try one for yourself.
What’s great about foam rolling is it offers and abundance of benefits for the body.
Foam rolling lengthens muscles, eases muscle pain, aids in muscle recovery, increases range of motion, can reduce the appearance of cellulite, increases blood flow and helps the body relax.
With that said, let’s look at how sizes affect your foam roller choice.
What Size Foam Roller Should I Get?
An all-purpose foam roller will often come in lengths of 18”, 26”, or 36” size ranges. The size or height of the foam roller that you choose really depends if you’re trying to loosen and massage large or small muscle groups. The more detailed you need to get with your foam roller, the more likely you need to get something smaller. If you need to produce long, large, sweeping motions for your leg muscles, then you will want to go with a 5”-6” diameter foam roller. If you need to detail a certain muscle group like the forearms, all you may need is a 3” foam roller.
Not only should you be concerned with the size of foam roller you choose, but the type of foam roller is all critical to your selection.
Let’s go over:
What Size Foam Roller Type I Should Get?
#1 Soft or Smooth Foam Roller
A soft or smooth foam roller is going to be used almost exclusively by beginners, people who cannot tolerate pain, and people rehabbing an injury. These types of foam rollers are often too soft for the advanced exerciser as they make it difficult to get deep into a muscle. With that said, it might be a good option if you’re starting out. If you foam roll enough, you may need to eventually upgrade to a medium density foam roller.
IF you’re going to go the soft foam roller route, try the OPTP PRO-Roller Soft Density Foam Roller. This foam roller is good for beginner massage, stretching, yoga and pilates. Made with closed-cell foam, it will wipe clean, is durable, and comes in a 36″ long by 6″ diameter.
#2 Medium Density Foam Roller
Medium density foam rollers are going to be the ideal type of foam roller for some beginner and moderate level exercisers. These foam rollers are a bit harder than the soft foam rollers allowing you to dig a little bit deeper into the muscles. Some of these foam rollers are textured, creating a way for to get a deeper and more effective massage.
If you’ve managed to make it to the second level of foam rolling, try the Yes4All Premium Medium Density Round PE Foam Roller. This light, portable self massage and myofascial release device will help increase your range of motion, manage stress, and increase bloodflow to all your tissues.
#3 Firm, Textured and Bumpy Foam Roller
If you enjoy that deep tissue massage, these foam rollers are really going to do the trick. The firm, textured and bumpy features are not going to be very forgiving and should be used by more advanced exercisers. These types of foam rollers are going to give you the most bang for your buck, will give you the deepest massage, and will benefit people who workout often and get very tight muscles.
My personal favorite and one I’d strongly recommend in this category is the TriggerPoint GRID Textured Foam Roller for Deep Tissue Massage. This textured and bumpy foam roller is rigid with a hollow core, won’t break down or lose shape and comes with and instructional video. I personally have the orange one and use it all the time.
If you need something even heavier and bumpier for your deep tissue massage, try the RumbleRoller. This textured muscle foam roller manipulates soft tissue like a massage therapist, targets trigger points helping to restore flexibility and relief.
#4 Handheld Foam Roller
If you’re sitting on your couch or office cubicle, a handheld foam roller might be your best bet. These are often lightweight, small and portable. Most of these types of foam rollers are medium to hard density. Their size will make them easily accessible and can be used anywhere.
One popular handheld foam roller is the 18″ Original Tiger Tail Massage Stick. Use this anywhere – on the go, on a plane, in your office, on your couch. It’s comfortable, gentle, effective and provides great stress and muscle relief any time of the day.
#5 Foam Balls
If you really need to get into the areas around your shoulder, back, hips and forearms, a foam ball might be the best option for you here. The detail a foam ball provides can get those smaller and trickier spots a good massaging. If you need a solid option, you can even grab a Lacrosse ball for optimal hardness.
A great piece of portable massage equipment is the Pro-Tec Athletics Orb, Orb Extreme and Orb Extreme mini mobility massage balls. These 3″ to 5″ diameter high intensity massage balls reduce muscle fatigue, improve flexibility, enhance performance and enable you to target the smallest of areas.
#6 Vibrating Foam Roller
Finally, is the vibrating foam roller. These come in many sizes, shapes and types and will give you that extra ounce of relaxation. Some of these have different speeds of vibration and even light up. If you’re going to do something that is painful, why not make it fun in the process?
If you’re going to go big, get the Pulse Vibrating Rechargeable Foam Roller. WIth a size of only 11″ x 5.5″, this awesome massage device will dig deep into those muscles. Backed by a 1-year warranty and 10 hour battery life, this portable foam roller is unmatched in the massage world.
Summary: What Size Foam Roller Should I Get? (What Type?)
Choosing the proper size and type of foam roller for you body should be based on the experience, pain tolerance, and goals you are wanting to accomplish. Foam rolling offers many benefits to the body and should be used as often as you need to. Lengthens your muscles, ease muscle pain from workouts, and increase your range of motion with the proper size and type of foam roller.
Which one did you decide on? Let me know below!!
