Pulseroll Ignite Pro Review: I’m A Big Fan Of Its Heated Head

Pulseroll’s premium massage gun is a smooth operator but does it do enough to sway Theragun fans? 

If there’s one thing the fit-tech industry doesn’t need, it’s more massage guns. Also known as muscle guns, these fitness gadgets gained mass appeal in the late 2010s pioneered by the likes of Therabody and Hyperice with claims they could improve muscle recovery and reduce pain and soreness after workouts. This made the best massage guns a staple for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. 

But in a crowded market, massage gun makers are now having to come up with innovative ways to offer users something different. The latest entry? The Pulseroll Ignite Pro – a massage gun with a heated attachment to help soothe tense muscles for what Pulseroll claims will be “a more potent and efficient massage”. But how effective is it? 

Pulseroll Ignite Pro design

Right out of the box, it’s clear the Pulseroll Ignite Pro isn’t just another run-of-the-mill massage gun. Its unusual, somewhat boxy design isn’t quite as stylish-looking as, say, the Theragun Pro, but at least it’s original. With a haptic touch control screen on top that boasts slick LED lights, switching between modes or speeds is easy as all it requires is a simple light touch.  

But appearance isn’t everything, and the Ignite Pro feels as solid as it looks. It’s clear the massage gun has been designed to handle the rigours of intensive daily use. Ergonomics are up there, too. While it looks large and bulky, the handle is generally well-contoured and fit the palm of my hand comfortably. That allowed me to keep going through those longer sessions without cramping up or feeling uncomfortable. That’s important when you’re trying to work out those deep muscle kinks. 

With eight heads bundled into the Ignite Pro’s carry case, there’s a decent range of massage options. Switching between them is easy enough as they click in securely, allowing you to switch up your recovery routine on the fly, whether you need a softer touch for sensitive areas or more intense pressure for deep tissue work. It’s also a useful tool to use alongside stretching exercises.

Pulseroll Ignite Pro performance

With four adjustable power settings (and a 1,500-3,100rpm speed range), the Pulseroll Ignite Pro lets you dial in exactly the right intensity for your needs – whether that’s waking up your muscles with a gentle hum or digging deep to ease those stubborn knots. There are also two built-in power modes. The first, Wave, delivers a slow incremental percussion in five-second intervals before reversing the gears to the lowest speed. The second, Pulse, dishes out a fast incremental percussion wave in one-second bursts. 

If whacked up to full speed, the motor has a real kick to it and will deliver a really deep massage if that’s what you need. What’s also impressive is how smoothly it operates across all settings. Even at the highest intensity, the Ignite Pro runs remarkably quietly, which means you can enjoy a late-night session without raising eyebrows. The power behind each percussion is consistent, too, delivering reliable penetration deep into the muscle tissue for relief where it’s needed most. 

Heated massage head

But what about the Ignite Pro’s main feature – the ‘Ignite Heat’ heated massage head attachment? It’s not a unique feature as we’ve seen it on the Nordic Lifting Fuego X9 and it’s available on the smaller Pulseroll Ignite Mini. This attachment’s flat aluminum surface works by delivering targeted heat to the muscles of up to 55 degrees Celsius. According to Pulseroll, this added heat element provides faster recovery results as it widens the blood vessel walls to deliver blood faster (vasodilation) while the percussion speeds up the blood supply to the targeted area.

But is this really the case? Well, it’s hard to tell if this feature is really helping your muscles to recover faster, but it does feel more relaxing thanks to the heated element. It’s a nice touch, but tricky to know for sure whether it’s doing what it claims. 

As for battery life, you can expect around 5–6 hours of use from the Ignite Pro on a single charge, depending on the intensity you choose to run it at. This ensures you won’t be left hanging mid-session, a factor I appreciated on those back-to-back recovery days or when I was too busy to plug in after every use. And when it comes to recharging, it’ll take about three hours to re-juice. 

Areas for improvement 

While the Pulseroll Ignite Pro Massage Gun scores high on many fronts, it’s not without its flaws. Its weight, at 1.1kg (2.4lb), could mean it’s a bit heavy for some users, especially during longer sessions when wrists could start to ache. This also makes it less portable. 

Another niggle is that the price point is pretty steep. Priced at £250 / $293, it certainly isn’t cheap, which could deter casual users who don’t need such advanced features for their recovery needs. To put it into context, the Fuego X9 – which has similar features and five interchangeable heads – is less than half the price.

Should you but a Pulseroll Ignite Pro?

Since the Pulseroll Ignite Pro is considered more of a premium device with advanced features – and designed for deep muscle recovery – it’s perhaps better suited to high-performing individuals who are really serious about fitness. If you’re someone who’s interested in keeping in shape but but want to discover how to speed up muscle recovery, then it might not be worth the splurge.  

If you fall into the latter category but like the sound of the heated attachment, then you could always opt for the cheaper and more portable version, the Ignite Mini, which delivers a similar experience through the same heated attachment but costs £100 less. It’s just not quite as powerful or effective as its bigger, pricier brother.