I finally have a muscle roller that looks as good as it feels

When I started running again in the middle of the pandemic, I knew nothing about recovery. I mean, I was all of 23 years old, and my body bounced back from weekly mileage as if it were nothing. And yet, I felt like I should probably have some sort of tool for my muscles because I figured the soreness would come eventually.

So, I did what any clueless runner would: I bought the Stick. Well, I bought the smaller travel version anyway. I figured that simply having it would make me want to use it. However, the flexible plastic body and beads always felt a little flimsy and inconsistent. Pretty soon, my Stick ended up in a drawer, and I picked up a massage gun instead.

The problem with massage guns? They're bigger, heavier, and come with too many accessories when you're trying to travel light. I could never fit my Hyperice (and accessories) in a carry-on, which meant I just never had recovery on the go.

Now, though, muscle rollers are back on top. There's a high-quality new option that just launched, dubbed the Jeea Recovery Companion, and it's finally a recovery tool I take everywhere. Let's talk about it.

Recovery, but make it classy

At its (carbon fiber) core, the Jeea Companion is a lot like the Stick. I mean, there's no need to fix what isn't broken. The thing is, though, I'd only extend that comparison to the most basic components of the muscle roller. It's the same in that you press it on a muscle and move back and forth - that's it.

In all other respects, the Jeea Companion is better. It offers several options for the beads themselves, and you can replace or reposition them in a matter of seconds. The muscle roller comes with smooth walnut beads by default, as well as a set of knobbed beads and a set of brass beads when you need to switch things up.

Personally, I've been locked in with the knobbed beads since just about day one, but I thoroughly appreciate the idea behind the smooth brass ones. As Jeea's founder, Trevor Wright, explains it, you can pop the brass beads in hot water for a minute or two to get a little thermal relief, or stick them in the fridge for a while to cool your warmed up muscles.

Oh, and while the Stick is a pretty simple tool that only makes use of its beads while you hold it by the handle, every last inch of the Jeea Companion has a purpose. You'll notice that one end of the roller is rounded, while the other is flat, and both are perfect for digging into pressure points for quick relief. I prefer the round one - I think it feels softer - but it'll all come down to personal preference.

The last piece of the Jeea's highly customizable puzzle is the brass clamps themselves. Unlike the Stick, which keeps all of its rollers locked in place, the Jeea allows you to shift your beads back and forth to lengthen your reach when you need it. I thoroughly appreciate this touch, as it can be tough to reach parts of my very inflexible back, so I'm happy to work smarter instead of harder.

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Speak softly and carry a small stick

What's really cemented the Jeea Companion's place in my backpack is, well, the fact that it fits in my backpack. The whole setup is about a foot long, weighs less than three ounces, and comes with leather pouches to carry all of the extra beads. It's built to travel, and is actually enjoyable to travel with.

At less than three ounces, the Jeea Companion can fit almost anywhere for any type of travel.

Of course, there are things that the Jeea Companion won't do. It won't replace your fancy Normatec boots, nor will it fix an actual longterm injury. It will, however, come in clutch on long car rides when you just need to roll out a shoulder or dig into a sore spot. Keep it on hand after workouts and when you wake up in the morning, and you'll probably find that you take it everywhere you go.

Oh, and if you're ready to give your portable recovery game an upgrade, now is the time. The Jeea Companion just launched for presale on Kickstarter, and this is your chance to get it at its lowest price. 

Once it moves beyond the Kickstarter campaign, the Jeea Companion will jump to $99, so hit the button below and grab yours now.

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