Sidekick Bow Review

I was excited to try the Sidekick Bow. In 2020, I tried the Swerve, and it’s been one of my favorite recovery devices since. The Bow is designed for larger muscle groups like the quads and hamstrings. This made sense for me as a runner whose quads and hamstrings get sore.

This post is not sponsored, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the Company Sidekick

The company Sidekick was formed when Hin Lai started looking for a better solution to his problems. He found out about “scraping” from his chiropractor and felt the benefits. They believe in giving every athlete the tools they need to never give up on chasing their dreams.

What Makes the Sidekick Bow Different?

Best for larger muscle groups
weighted for effective pressure
Textured grip
Double Edge Design
Stainless Steel
It can be paired with the Sidekick SmartMobility App for guided recovery

About the Sidekick Bow:

The Sidekick Bow is designed with weighted hollowed-out handles. This allows you to apply enough pressure without straining. It also has a textured grip to it, so you won’t drop it (or, I guess, are less likely to). ‘

The Sidekick Bow is also the largest tool from Sidekick and is a solid 19″ long. This allows you to work larger surfaces with each stroke. It has an arc shape to wrap around big muscle groups such as the hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, hips, and latissimus dorsi.

Like other Sidekick products, the Sidekick Bow Muscle Scraper has a dual beveled treatment edge of feeling like it’s an extension of your hand.

Sidekick Tools Also Have a Variety of Videos and How Toos:

I am no professional and pretty much know nothing about the technique of how to muscle scrape properly. I know my body likes it when a licensed professional does it. Luckily they have what they call “Sidekick University,” and you can learn how to work various parts of your body. I’ve learned a lot by watching the videos.

My Experience with the Sidekick Bow:

As a runner, my quads and hamstrings get sore the fastest. I think many of us can relate to that! After using the Swerve for over a year, I knew the Sidekick Bow would be something we would *actually* use. The Sidekick Swerve is great but not the specific tool used for scraping the upper legs. My spouse who is the only person I know with dedicated “recovery time,” has been mountain biking and skiing more and mentioned he wanted something more tailored towards the legs as well.

Opening up the Sidekick Bow box is intimidating, it’s huge! After watching a few videos, I tried to implement the use for myself. I found it was so much easier to use on the quads and hamstrings. Why didn’t we upgrade sooner?

Another great design of the Sidekick Bow is the ability to use it on your back without assistance. This is probably my spouses’ favorite feature as he always has knots in his back (especially now from skiing).

I’ve since used it several times, and I do appreciate it works better than other products for the upper legs. I still use the Swerve more on the calves and other parts of the body.

Comparisons:

Sidekick Bow Muscle Scraper Tool vs. Foam Roller:

The Sidekick Bow Muscle Scraper tool gets deep than any foam roller, period. You can work into knots and adhesions better, plus the Sidekick Tools are more portable. The advantage to a traditional foam roller is, of course, the price, and they are significantly cheaper.

Sidekick Bow Muscle Scraper Tool vs. Massage Gun Device:

These days there are so many different recovery tools and devices.

First and foremost, this is a complex comparison because I’ve used several different massage guns and all of different qualities. Some massage guns don’t work, period. My favorite and most useful massage gun for the price is the Addaday BioZoom Massage Gun.

Massage guns use percussion to get deep into muscles, while the Sidekick Tools use blunt force and muscle scraping. I have found with the Sidekick Tool, I can physically feel the knots and adhesion and “crunchy muscle,” whereas, with the massage guns, I cannot.

I like to feel a problem and try and fix it. If I’m sore from a workout, my body feels better using the massage gun. If I have a specific issue like a tight calve of the hamstring, my body feels better using the Sidekick Bow Muscle Scraper.

Sidekick Bow Price:

At $170, this is not a cheap item, but I can truly say it’s one of the few recovery devices I use often, and it works well.

Sidekick Bow Conclusion:

In all, I find the Sidekick Bow Muscle Scraper Tool to be one of the most useful recovery tools I’ve tried. Recovery devices are only worth the money if you actually use them. Nothing is worth it if it sits in your closet.

I didn’t think there could be any more recovery devices I needed, but I was wrong. The Sidekick Bow Muscle Scraper Tool is well worth it. In fact, if I only had three recovery devices, it would be one I would keep.