With so many products on the market it’s hard to know which roller is best.

This blog will walk you through 3 things you should consider before buying a foam roller.

By the end you should have a better idea of which type is best for you.

The 3 things to consider are:

Dimensions

Density

Texture

Do you want a long one or a short one?

Long rollers (24 inches and above) take up quite a lot of space and aren’t particularly portable.

The only real benefit I can see of a longer roller would be if you wanted to use it as a prop or tool to do exercises with or to lay on it with the roller in line with the spine to open up the shoulders.

If you only want to use the roller to roll with then a shorter one would be perfectly adequate.

Short rollers (24 inches or less) are very portable and are most useful for people who train or travel a lot or have limited space. This size will allow you to roll out all areas of your body adequately.

In my opinion with a really short one (less than 12 inches) I find it harder to roll out the glutes and my back because the roller doesn’t actually span the width of my back.

Do you want a thick one or a thin one?

Thick rollers give you less revolutions per roll and lift the body part you’re rolling further from the ground. This can make it easier to apply pressure over the roller. With thinner rollers the opposite is true.

You don’t really want a roller that’s less than 4 inches in diameter because it’s just not going to push into you enough to have any kind of effect.

Lower density foam rollers aren’t going to provide as much deep myofascial release as higher density rollers. But if you don’t want to go too deep then that’s just fine. Stick with a low density one.

The only potential downside to a lower density roller is that they can get permanently squished and flattened with lots of use which eventually makes them useless for rolling on.

If you’re environmentally conscious then perhaps go for a higher density roller that’s going to last you longer.

Higher density rollers can be really quite nasty so beware if you have delicate skin, varicose veins or osteoporosis (if you’re going to roll out your back).

If you’re going for a higher density roller then ease yourself in slowly until you get the hang of it.

Smooth

Smooth rollers give even pressure over the whole roll and aren’t as intense as textured rollers. A potential downside is that you can’t be particularly targeted with them.

Textured

Textured rollers come in many different variations. They allow deeper myofascial release and a bit more specificity to get into trigger points.

Beware using a textured roller to roll out the muscles either side of the spine. Often the knobbly bits end up digging into the spinous processes of the spine which can cause bruising and is generally not very pleasant.

The best all round textured roller I’ve found is the Manta Health roller. It’s texture allows you to roll out the muscles either side of the spine without digging into the spine itself.

As well as being good for the spine it’s texture is also really good for the legs, glutes and arms. It’s a good all rounder.

Conclusion

Think about what you’re going to use your roller for and let that guide you with your purchase.

If it’s just rolling then a shorter firmer one is best.

If you want to lay on it and use it to do exercises with then get a long smooth one.

If you have sensitive muscles go for a smooth one.

If you want to be specific and achieve self myofascial release then use a texture one.

This blog is copyright of Helping Hands Health 15a Clayton Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4RP