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Truth be told, I’ve never been one to really see the need for a massage gun. I stretch, walk and do yoga once in a while. But after retiring my running shoes, I’m just not getting the same exercise that I once was. And my muscles just aren’t getting as sore.
But all my doubt was thrown out the window when my husband used it on an old injury site. Well, around the site anyway.
At first, the pain was too much to bear. (That’s what I get not for reading the instructions first.) But once we switched the heads around a bit, I found it much more bearable.
Was I convinced that I had hit the gold mine?
Not really. In fact, we even discussed regifting our Urikar to someone who would get more out of it.
However, just a few minutes after my husband released his grip, I found myself tired. And what followed could only be described as a post-toxin release that had me in the ultimate state of deep relaxation. For hours.
The new me now reaches for my Urikar first thing every single morning.
Needless to say, the AT1 will be making a lasting impression in our home for a long time.
And if you haven’t heard about the Urikar AT1, this review will cover this relatively new company and why you should give their strong but mighty machine a chance.
We’re going to cover a little a few key points of this new gadget:
✅ History
✅ Other Urikar Massagers
✅ My Urikar Use
✅ Design Rating
✅ Performance Rating
✅ Final Thoughts
First, who is Urikar?
Urikar was founded in Colorado in 2015 by Mr. Bob in an effort to find a more effective way to treat muscle pains and speed up recovery after injuries. His motto? “We want to power your motivation and support your desire to move better, feel better and live better.”
To help keep their tools at the forefront of technology, Urikar staffs a competitive research and design team.
In their six years, Urikar has produced The Pro Series and, after a little Kickstart, the AT1 Series. The Pro Series includes three different massagers, so there’s something for even the fitness lightweights like myself. How does the Pro series compare to the AT1? Let’s take a look at them a bit closer.
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Urikar Pro 1 Heated Massage Gun
The Urikar Pro 1 combines the power of heat and force to provide the ultimate massage gun experience. It has a 180° rotating sensor handle to help get into even the most awkward and hard-to-reach places. When you let go, the pulses stop.
The Pro 1 comes with three smart modes: continuous, intermittent and ladder for a fully customizable experience.
Urikar Pro 2: Deep Tissue Massage Gun
The Urikar Pro 2 is very similar to the Pro 1—three modes, 180° swivel handle and the same PTC heating elements as the first. The biggest upgrade is that there is no sensor on the handle. In other words, if you don’t get just the right grip on the handle, you won’t lose your power.
Urikar Pro 3 High Powered Quiet Massager
The Urikar Pro 3 is where things get exciting. While it doesn’t contain the same heating elements, users will enjoy 30 speeds, 14 mm muscle depth and rechargeable batteries that let you take your comfort on the go. It also features an HD display and a brushless motor with QuietPower technology.
The Urikar AT1
That brings us to the Urikar AT1. The biggest of the Urikar massagers, the $270 AT1 offers all the bells and whistles of the other high-powered massagers—all except the heating element, that is.
AT1 Features:
- AI-powered chip and Infrared Technology
- Digital, Smart Display
- QuietPower 2.0 Technology
- 8 Different Speeds
- 6 Interchangeable Heads
- Reaches 80% Deeper Than other Massagers
- 65W Brushless Motor
- 2600mAh Battery That Lasts up to 10 Hours
- Lightweight at 2.65 Pounds
The digital smart display lets you customize your massage speeds, duration time and the head that is currently in use. It will also let you know how much battery you have left, a feature I really appreciate!
Armed with AI technology, the massager automatically recognizes the head you choose and provides recommendations based on your choice. Plus, it features self-adaptive speeds that will increase. In other words, it’s great for even the fitness newbie like myself.
But that doesn’t mean that you have to give up power. The AT1’s brushless motor penetrates up to 16mm into muscles to increase blood flow and relax those tense, post-workout muscles. You will get 65 pounds of no-stall force and up to 3600 percussions per minute.
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My Urikar Use
I’ve mentioned before that I am not the fitness junkie I once was. There was a variety of reasons for me retiring my running shoes, but one of my biggest complaints stems from a torn ligament in my neck causing shoulder pain and sensitivity to high impact workouts. More recently, in a moment of stubbornness, I tried to move a very big, very heavy bookshelf by myself when I heard (and felt) a pop from somewhere just above my glutes.
Whether it’s a problem with a tendon, disc or something else, it often causes me severe sciatic pain. And after laying down all night, I usually wake up feeling tight and hurting with no amount of hip openers to ease the pain.
Therefore, all my comments stem from a place of long-term recovery rather than the traditional weight lifting you may think of when you hear massage guns.
AT1 Design
As you have probably noticed, the AT1 is the biggest Urikar massager they offer. Where there was once a rotating handle, users will find two stationary handles. The idea is to give you a secure grip while still accessing the hard-to-reach places.
The AT1 also has a very technical appearance. In addition to the HD display, the side features some round, lighted designs that could have a place in Star Trek.
The HD display helps navigate the wide world of Urikar massage heads and trigger points on the body, so I don’t have to think too hard about what will feel good. In fact, I found myself massaginging my abs, a place that I never would have thought about, thanks to the screen recommendations.
Finally, the carrying case makes it easy to take my Urikar AT1 on the go. And I do take my AT1 to go.
Design Score: 4.3/5
I didn’t give this 5 stars because I would have loved to use the single-handle, rotating arm. I find the size makes it a bit restricting and hard to navigate. Although my neck injury limits my shoulder mobility and users with more strength and range of motion in their shoulders are not likely to be deterred by this design.
AT1 Performance
The AT1 is built to perform, and perform it does! With 8 different speeds and 6 interchangeable heads, you can easily customize your massage. In fact, this machine comes with so much power that it started smelling like burning rubber when we first started it. The smell went away quickly and we’ve had no issues since, so there is no real ding there.
My favorite thing about this little machine is its ability to pack a punch. I started out running the AT1 over my glutes at speed level 3 each morning. Now, I’m up to level 7 and using it each time the pain starts up during the day, which, I’m happy to report, isn’t often!
Not only does it relieve the pain almost instantly, but I have also found increased mobility in the areas I use it. I feel so great that I’m actually thinking about busting out my running shoes again! If I don’t get quite back to running, I am definitely more active now that I’m not in pain and my husband and I are planning our next hiking adventure.
AT1 Drawbacks
The biggest thing on my AT1 wish list?
The heating element other Urikar massagers had. That just sounds glorious.
Also, I found that the auto feature has kicked in a few times, even when I had the settings set to manual. Although that seemed to be just at the beginning and I haven’t experienced that in some time.
Finally, we have never been successful with the two-prong head. Although, I admittedly haven’t spent much time playing that particular one and the Urikar customer service team is responsive and ready to help with all of our questions.
Performance Rating: 4.7/5
How To Use the Urikar AT1
Learn from my mistakes and check out the different massage heads before going full-force.
Whether you are new to massage guns or just new to Urikar, here are some simple steps to get you started:
- Find your pain spots (buffing with a lower gear)
- Once you find your spot, press the massage gun lightly over the spot for about one minute.
- Once you’ve adjusted to the speed, increase the gear or change smaller heads to increase intensity. Take a break and relax the spot.
- After you’ve relaxed the area fully, hit on the desired muscle for 5-10 minutes.
Final Thoughts
Where a skeptic once sat is a new massage gun lover.
In fact, my 7-year-old daughter sees me using it so often that she requests a massage fairly often, too. (We keep it at a low level, of course).
I love the carrying case that makes it easy to take my Urikar AT1 on the go and the fact that I can customize my experience. This massager provides a comprehensive, full-impact punch when I need it to, but it’s also gentle enough for my tender areas. While it doesn’t have the heating feature that has me drooling, I would definitely recommend this massager to anyone. In fact, we love it so much that ChatterSource readers can get theirs for $100 off retail using code AT1100OFF.
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