My quads had a deep painful band near the IT band from running that I normally massaged with the heel of my hand. This is both awkward and tiring to do, so I tried the RAD rod to help me get to the deeper tissue. The rod is very easy and light to handle, and the thin profile means that you can set it at any angle and apply just the right amount of pressure. You can be much more precise than with a large diameter foam roller that you are resting all your body weight on on the floor, which allows neither precise nor adjustable pressure.
The rod helped me get to that sore band on both legs with no problem. If it was extremely sore I could use light pressure, and when not so bad I could increase the intensity to release the adhesions between tissues. It's a very convenient way to work on the calf muscles as well in a comfortable seated position.
The helix is a much more intelligently designed replacement for a foam roller. You can place the helix between you and the ground to work on several areas. There is a groove for your spine so that you can lie on it and apply pressure to the QL muscles on either side of the spine. I often tilt sideways to apply more pressure to one side than the other as I work through soreness. The tapered shape is perfect for glutes, so that you can lie at a 45 degree angle and get deep into the fascia and tendons above the femur and below the hip. I also like the textured surface that applies a bit of variety in the pressure profile as you roll.