The ROLL Recovery R8 Plus is a deep tissue massage roller with adjustable spring tension. If the brand’s name isn’t clear enough, the R8 Plus is primarily a recovery tool. But fear not, it works just as well to break up muscle tension before your ride. It’s well-built with stainless steel hardware and ball bearings in all the pivots. The dial at the top of the R8 Plus allows you to adjust the tension of the springs, thereby increasing or decreasing the pressure of the dual rollers. That means you can dig in deep to muscles where you need to, but also apply lighter pressure where necessary.
Price: $169
Rating: ★★★★ ☆
Specs:
- Dimensions: 12.5” x 9.5” x 2.5” (31.75cm x 24.13cm x 6.35cm)
- Weight: 3.0 lbs (1.4 kg)
- Stainless steel hardware
- Ball bearings in all moving pivot points
- FDA Registered medical device
- TSA Approved
What I like: The spring tension is adjustable, so I can get more pressure when I need it and less when — and where — I don’t. Also, I don’t have to leave my couch.
What I’d change: I feel like there’s a lot more spin in the adjustment dial than there is noticeable tension adjustment.
My call: The R8 Plus deep tissue massage roller is an effective bodywork tool for all the different muscle groups in your legs and arms.
ROLL Recovery R8 Plus: The Hurt
The R8 Plus has a compact design that makes it ideal for traveling. It will fit into a backpack or carry-on quite easily. It also lends itself well to my lazy (read: lack of) recovery habits, which generally involve sitting on the couch and moaning about how everything hurts.
I have a foam roller and it mostly collects dust in a corner. I can make all sorts of excuses for why I don’t use my foam roller — my living room is small and it’s a pain to move furniture so that I can lay down to use it; if I’m on the floor, my dog thinks it’s time to wrestle; and it’s not exactly a pleasant experience to use. With the R8 Plus, I don’t get to avoid the discomfort of working on my IT band, quads, or calves, but I can at least do the work without rearranging my living room or getting licked to death by my dog.
Because I can use the R8 Plus while I’m sitting on the couch…I do. I’ve used the R8 Plus more consistently than I’ve used any other recovery or bodywork tool. I’m happy with the ease of use, and I’m just as happy with the performance of the roller. The adjustable tension of the R8 Plus means I can set the tension high for my aforementioned IT bands and quads, but I can also use a lighter, more appropriate tension to roll out my calves without crushing my shins.
I can even use it on my arms. Recently, I started playing the mandolin and to my surprise (probably not a surprise to anyone who actually plays an instrument), it made my forearms sore. Setting the R8 Plus at its lightest tension, I was able to use it one-handed on the opposing arm — both upper and lower arm. It’s a little tricky to use one-handed, but it is doable.
ROLL Recovery R8 Plus: Bits and Bobs
ROLL Recovery sells the R8 Plus with its mid-level roller inserts. The slightly rubbery rollers have four ridges to provide focused pressure. The combination of roller grip and general pressure means that the R8 Plus works best over leggings or on bare skin. I shave my legs once every week or three. The gripped-texture of the rollers did not cause any pulling or grabbing of my leg hair.
The insides of the handles have a light, rubbery grip so your hands don’t slip. They’re also comfortable to hold, both while controlling the roller on my leg and when I need to use some force to pull the rollers apart to get them around my leg. The diameter of the handle is relatively small. It felt fine in my average-sized lady hands and I don’t see it being an issue for anyone with smaller hands. My husband wears a large in most men’s gloves and reports that the handles don’t feel cramped or uncomfortable for him either.
Photo: Dan Cavallari | DawnPatrolMTB.com
You can also buy additional inserts to swap out with the standard rollers. ROLL offers a SuperDeep roller as well as a SuperPlush roller so that you can further customize how you want the R8 Plus to feel. The standard rollers were more than adequate for me. I never felt a need for deeper or softer pressure beyond what the adjustment provided.
However, if you do want to play around with the different rollers, ROLL Recovery makes it easy. Every bolt on the R8 Plus takes a 3mm Allen key. Most bicycle-specific multitools will have a 3mm key. Even if you’re traveling or using the R8 at the trailhead, you’ll likely have the tools on hand to swap out rollers or just tighten up a loose bolt.
ROLL Recovery R8 Plus: Just Keep Spinning
The one real critique I have of ROLL Recovery’s R8 Plus is that the tension dial spins and spins and spins and spins. I briefly wondered if it actually hit a limit and stopped (it does). It takes about 40 seconds and 12 dial rotations to go from lightest tension to max tension. It’s by no means a dealbreaker, just a slight annoyance.
The dial is a fairly simple, mechanical method of moving the springs to increase and decrease the tension. The spring tension changes with every turn of the dial, it just isn’t always a discernible change. I think there’s an opportunity for future iterations of ROLL Recovery’s R8 Plus to be more efficient when it comes to noticeable tension adjustments.
ROLL Recovery R8 Plus: Final Word
Due to the clam-style design of the R8 Plus, there are limits to how or where you can use it. Anything other than arms and legs isn’t going to work well or at all. While I use it more than I’ve ever used my foam roller, it isn’t meant to be a wholesale replacement for a foam roller.
It’s a great, compact option if you’re traveling, and it works well if you’re like me and primarily need something to work out the soreness in your legs. ROLL Recovery designed the R8 Plus specifically to make the task of rolling out your legs less of a chore. As far as I’m concerned, it succeeded in that, and I’ll continue to work on my IT bands while I watch garbage TV at the end of a long day.