Real Life Reviews: I Tried an At-Home Cupping Device to See How It Helps Everyday Aches

Cupping has been a popular wellness treatment for thousands of years, and in modern days, it remains a widely enjoyed therapy for sufferers of everything from sore muscles to migraines. I’ve heard people rave about the benefits of cupping many times before, but it’s not something I had ever tried before I was offered an opportunity to review the Therabody TheraCup.

This higher-tech take on traditional cupping blends heat, vibration and suction to offer relief to bodies needing a little TLC – and it does so in a nicely portable package. 

Real Life Reviews: Therabody TheraCup cupping device

I’ve been testing out the Therabody TheraCup for the last few months and will take you through my thoughts on the device here. But first, here are the specs you need to know about.

• Suction decompression with 3 intensity levels (30 kpa, 40 kpa, 50 kPa)
• Heat therapy with 3 intensity levels (41C, 43C, 45C)
• Vibration therapy with 3 intensity levels (Low, High, and Wave)
• 3 interchangeable transparent cups – (35mm, 45mm, and 55mm diameters)
• Auto shutoff after 3 minutes of continual usage
• Internal pressure detection with auto shutoff if pressure exceeds 60kpa
• High-intensity suction warning when selecting highest suction level
• LED power indicator
• Internal lithium-ion battery with 120-minute battery life
• USB-C charging port
• Portable and lightweight
• Price: $199

What’s good?

Okay, so starting from the beginning – the Therabody TheraCup comes in a neat transportable bag and is loaded up with three cup sizes. It’s incredibly easy to toss the whole thing in a backpack and bring it around with you if you ever need to, and packing it away at home couldn’t be simpler. 

As a portable device, you’ll need to charge the TheraCup up to get it working for you, but the good news there is that the 120-minute battery life will last you quite a while. Each cupping session runs for three minutes, so you’d need to work through 40 treatments for the battery to run its course. I rarely use the cups more than four times in a row, so 40 sessions would take most people a minute to get through. 

Use is also really quite easy. You could probably figure out how the cupping device works just by fiddling around with the buttons (there are only three), but I’d recommend reading through the user manual anyway. Short presses of the suction button will increase the intensity, while a long press will stop suction, so getting this wrong could get uncomfortable quickly.  

As someone who had never experienced cupping before, my first time using the TheraCup was an eye-opening one. I often experience tightness in my shoulders and so used the device to try and attend to this part of my body first. Initially, I found the suction sensation to be a little intense, but once I got used to it, I started to find the whole experience to be pretty enjoyable. The warmth and vibration felt rather soothing. And I definitely felt a sense of relief in my shoulders afterwards. 

Could it have been placebo? Totally. But I did walk away feeling a difference. 

The places I’ve gotten the most benefit out of using the TheraCup include my shoulders, feet (where I can get the device to attach) and back. I’ve also attempted to run the cupping treatment along my thighs – with the help of body oil – to see if it might reduce the visibility of cellulite, but I found this to be a little difficult, so I haven’t been able to be consistent enough to see results there. Every time I would attempt to run the TheraCup along my thigh, it would latch onto to a part of my thigh, and I’d have to start again. 

In saying that, I think the pain relief cupping can offer is more important than cellulite reduction, so I was more interested in focusing on this feature when trialling the device. 

Mostly, I’ve used it when I developed tension in my shoulders and neck after work, and in parts of my body that are sore post-workout. For these reasons, I’ve found the TheraCup to be really helpful. 

I’d also say that the $199 price point is really quite reasonable when you consider how much it costs to get regular massages to treat tension and discomfort. 

What’s not so good?

The Therabody app offers an option to sync up your devices, but the TheraCup is not yet able to connect to the app. This is somewhat disappointing as the app gives helpful guides to treating common issues with other devices (like the Theragun and beyond). It shows where and how to massage parts of the body to offer relief when dealing with things like carpal tunnel or tech neck. But as the TheraCup is not yet supported in the app, you don’t get the benefit of using these guides. 

Additionally, it’s worth considering that if you’re someone who usually uses cupping to treat multiple body parts at once, it may take you a while to get through your session with the TheraCup, as you can only use one cup at a time. Each treatment cycle is three minutes, so moving around the body can take some time. 

If you’re intending to address multiple issues at once, know that it won’t be a speedy process. 

Therabody TheraCup cupping device: The verdict

After using the Therabody TheraCup for a few months, I can honestly say that I find it to be a really useful device for helping manage day-to-day niggles that would otherwise cause discomfort. Sure, it can’t solve all problems with pain, but for $199, it might help you avoid making quite as many appointments with your local masseuse. 

Of course, in any situation where you experience serious pain or discomfort, it’s important you seek qualified medical advice before attempting any treatment, but if you’re looking at a tight muscle, a home cupping device may be rather helpful. 

You can shop the Therabody TheraCup from the website here, as well as from assorted retailers like JB HiFi or Rebel Sport.

Lead Image Credit: Lifehacker Australia/Stephanie Nuzzo