There are lots of massage balls out there. Most of them are pretty hard. For those made of materials like polymers, elastomers and rubbers, hardness is measured on the "Shore Durometer Hardness Scale".

The Shore Scale has different hardness tiers ranging from the Shore 00 tier (for measuring the softest materials) to the Shore D tier, which measures the hardest materials.

To put it in perspective, on one end, a gummy bear is at about a Shore 00-10. A human finger is at about the same level of hardness (at least that is what researchers at the BioRobotics Institute in Italy think in trying to simulate robotic fingers to feel like human ones). On the other end, a lacrosse ball is typically between a Shore 00-75 to a Shore 00-90. In the middle are the typical hard foam or rubberized massage balls that are on the market and are promoted for you to put on the floor and roll around on. Those are typically between Shore 00-65 and Shore 00-78 or so.

We, at Gelliflex, have a different view. We think softer materials are safer, have more penetrating but less damaging effect on the tissue and fascia and are especially suited for hand, forearm, finger, wrist and elbow use. The Abacus' Gelliprene balls are made from soft, non-latex elastomer, each color representing a different firmness. From our softest ball at Shore 00-24 (our purple ball), to a Shore 00-40 (our green ball), and our most firm – a Shore 00-55 (our blue ball). We are trying to make self massage with our device feel more like what you would feel if you could get to a therapist.

For those who still prefer harder balls for larger muscle groups or for the bottom of your foot, don’t worry! We are working on it. Future ball developments will always fit on the same Gelliflex Abacus hardware and frame as all of our other balls. Think of our frame as a camera body and the interchangeable balls are like lenses. Stay focused on your self-care and give us a try!