Foam rollers, we all hate them, but they are so goooood. It’s a love/hate relationship. It’s one piece of equipment that is synonymous with our profession. While the jury is still out on the working mechanism of foam rolling, there have been a couple of good reviews, one here by Dr. Greg Lehman. I know from experience that foam rollers have worked great for me.

BUT which foam roller should you get? Which one works the best?

I did somewhat of a survey as well as a quick internet search and 2 foam rollers rose to the top. The Trigger Point Grid Roller and the Perform Better Foam Roller. So I got them both and I wrote up a quick review. Here are my thoughts.

TP Grid Roller

The Grid, as I like to call it is a 5″ PVC pipe covered in a fancy hard form covering. There is a method to Trigger Point’s madness with the design of the roller. The 3 distinctive portions of the roller are meant to simulate a forearm or palm, fingertips, or like fingers and a thumb. 

I don’t know if I really feel the difference in the separate areas BUT I do like that fact the the Grid has ridges. I have used it a number of times on my quads and IT band, and it feels really terrible in a good way.

Pros:

1. Durability. The Grid has a PVC pipe core and the foam on the outside is very tough. The thing is going to last until kingdom come.
2. Ridges. As I said before the mechanism for why foam rolling works is still debated, but these ridges seem to add a little intensity to my experience. I love them.
3. Portability. The Grid is 13″ long and 5″ wide, making it very portable. Great to throw in your trunk, if you’re a traveling therapist or just going to the gym.
4. Warranty. The grid has a 1 year warranty…can’t beat that.

Cons:

1. Price. The 13″ Grid costs $39. That’s a tad high for some people. The full sized Grid 2.0 is 26″ long and costs $64.

 

Perform Better Foam Roller 

The Perform Better foam roller is a classic foam roller. The reason it is so great is that the molded foam has no cells in it, making it more firm and much more durable than a traditional white foam roller. There is really nothing fancy about this foam roller, it is a straight shooter. From my experience, it is the best of its kind.

Pros:

1. Durability. The foam is hard, it doesn’t deform easily and it is going to last you A WHILE, longer than the Grid.
2. Price. The 3″ long 6″ wide foam roller costs $20 normally, right now they are on sale for $15.95.

Cons:

1. No features. The PF foam roller has no frills.
2. No warranty. 

 

Conclusion:

Both of the rollers are fantastic, the “better” foam roller depends on what you are going to use it for. For me, a student physical therapists and a fitness nerd, I love the TP Grid. The portability, durability and the color options (why not) make it the perfect foam roller for me. If you are a business owner who needs to buy 6 foam rollers that need to last for a while then I would definitely choose the PF foam roller. It’s simple, durable and cheap making it perfect for a clinic. It all comes down to what you really need.