Hypervolt Review: Why Hyperice's Massage Gun Is My New Favorite Recovery Tool
When I set out to purchase my first percussion massage gun, the Hypervolt quickly rose to the top of my list. My friend, a physical therapist, recommended a massage gun as an alternative to sports massage. Massage guns work by providing rapid strikes, or pulses to soft tissues that help break up scar tissue and increase circulation.
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Percussion massagers, like the Hypervolt or Theragun have many benefits, including:
Because of this, massage guns are a great recovery tool for runners!
In case you don't want to read the whole review...
Before I get into the details, I want to make it known that this is a real review of the Hypervolt I purchased with my own money. I did not receive a free product or compensated in any way from the manufacturer.
I purchased my Hypervolt from Amazon back in May. I researched several brands and models, and ultimately it came down to the Theragun G3 Pro and the HyperIce Hypervolt.
Here is the quick summary of what I found:
The Theragun G3 Pro and Hyperice Hypervolt are well made. They have plenty of power and are considered the best massage guns on the market. Both are used and recommended by physical therapists, athletic trainers, massage therapists, and recreational/pro athletes alike.
So, which massage gun is best? Well, I will leave that up to others to debate. After trying both, I think you would be happy with either. It comes down to personal preference and what you are willing to spend.
Speaking of which, let's dig into whether or not a massage gun is even worth it.
Are massage guns worth the money?
In the months leading up to my purchase, I kept asking myself, “Are massage guns worth the money?”. I tend to be skeptical when it comes to products that promise to make me a better runner or impact my health in some way. GPS watches and running shoes? Sure. But a massage gun? It looks like my electric drill!
However, after borrowing both models from my physical therapist friend for a weekend, my skepticism quickly wore away.
Both models did precisely what I wanted them to do. Each model had a choice of different power settings and attachments. Both the Theragun and Hypervolt left my muscles feeling similar to a post-massage session with an actual massage therapist.
Which is better? A massage gun or a massage therapist?
I will not pretend that a massage gun is better than a deep tissue massage by a licensed massage therapist.
But it is very close! Close enough that I feel it is the next best thing.
While a massage therapist can hit challenging areas to reach, a massage gun hit the places I care about as a runner — areas like my feet, calf muscles, quads, hips, and hamstrings.I also like to use it on my shoulders and neck whenever I feel tension building up.
Here is how I justified my purchase.
A good massage therapist can cost you $60-120/hour, and it can require several visits to work out all your knots, trigger points, and tightness. Then you have to maintain that a couple of times each month or you go back to your pre-massage condition.
A good quality massage gun will cost you around $250-400.00, and it is a one time purchase.
There are cheaper massagers, but my research found that most are cheap knockoffs that lack power, durability, and simply do not work as well or last as long.
Does the Hypervolt (and other percussion massagers like the Theragun) work?
Much of the research on percussion massage is solid. Especially in the area of flexibility, reducing inflammation, trigger points, reducing scar tissue, and making you feel better.
In some research areas like, "does percussion massagers speed up recovery times?" the research is more ambiguous. Some show improvement, some show no improvement. That is true with most research studies, though.
But percussion massage is not a fad.
Percussion massage has been around for decades, and it is one of the techniques used by licensed massage therapists.
A percussion massager like the Hypervolt is simply a tool to help you apply percussion massage therapy more effectively.
Hypervolt specifications and features
What is included in the box
When I purchased my Hypervolt, it came with the following:
Hypervolt attachments explained
The Hypervolt comes with 5 different attachments. Here is a picture of each and a brief description what they do
Bullet attachment
Good for targeting trigger points or highly targeted areas.
Cushion attachment
A soft attachment that provides a softer, gentler massage.
Flat head attachment
A broad attachment used for larger muscle groups like quads and hamstrings.
Fork attachment
Good for targeting areas around the calf, ankles, and shoulders
Round ball attachment
A softer attachment that can be used almost anywhere for a gentle, but effective massage
Hypervolt review
A quick note about my review
I ordered my Hypervolt from Amazon to take advantage of their Prime delivery.
Before I get into the details, I want to make it known that this is a real review of a product I purchased with my own money. I did not receive a free product or compensated in any way from the manufacturer.
I purchased my Hypervolt on May 23rd from Amazon.com.
I also waited three months before writing this review so I have time to use the product and make a review after I have used it for a few months.
Too many online reviews are curated from multiple sources and published when the reviewer does not actually own the product!
I also want to disclose that I do have a few Amazon affiliate links on this page. Should you purchase an item from Amazon by using my links I may receive a small affiliate commission as a result of your purchase. This does not increase the amount you pay in any way. And, I only provide these links for convenience so you can check prices and read the Amazon reviews. It also helps support site maintenance costs. You do not need to purchase through these links. If you do, thank you!
My experience with the Hypervolt
After three months of using the Hypervolt, I continue to use it nearly every day. I find that it keeps my muscles loose and relaxed.
Things I like about the Hypervolt:
Things I do not like about the Hypervolt
Closeup Hypervolt Pictures
The following are close-up pictures showing the on/off button, LED speed indicators, LED pressure sensor and LED battery level indicator.
Speed Indicator LED Lights (in picture the unit is off), are the three LEDs to the right of the arrow. Speed level one lights up the first light, speed level two lights up the second light and so on.
Speed Setting Button - Tap once for speed setting one. Tap again for speed settting two and so on (up to three speeds)
Pressure LED Lights - indicates the level of pressure being applied.
Battery Power Indicator Lights - Indicates the current state of the battery power.
This picture shows the ON/OFF button and the AC Power / Charger input port.
Does the Hypervolt increase recovery time?
One of the claims that massage gun manufacturers make is that they increase the speed of recovery. For me, it is hard to say whether or not it has or hasn't increased the speed of recovery. As a runner, I run 3-4 times per week and therefore I build recovery time into my training program. I never intended for the Hypervolt to be a recovery tool, but rather a tool to help reduce trigger points, knots and increase flexibility by keeping my muscles loose. I can say, that after strength workouts it does seem to help some with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. So while that can be a sign of increased recovery, I am not sure I would go back an exercise more frequently because of it.
Does the Hypervolt reduce Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness?
Another claim massage gun manufacturers make is that they help reduce DOMS, or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. This is the post-exercise soreness you get after a hard workout.
My experience is that it did help. I did not expect it to totally remove it, but I do feel it made an unscientific, 25-40% improvement when comparing it to average soreness prior to using the Hypervolt. Most sports massage or deep tissue massage does, and therefore since massage guns use percussion massage therapy, it makes sense that it would as well. And, for me, it did. This is due to increasing blood flow into the area, as well as helping reduce or eliminate inflammatory fluids, post exercise.
Does the Hypervolt reduce muscle tightness?
Yes. This is the primary reason I purchased the Hypervolt and this was the most noticeable benefit I get from using it.
I will warn you that it takes several days to work the tightness out, so you may not notice much improvement the first several days. However, if you stick with it, I am fairly confident you will notice improvement. You may also notice that you are "more sore", the first couple of days. One thing I learned is that you do not want to push the Hypervolt into your muscle. Simply let it do the work by holding it against the muscle. Resist the urge to press deeper into the muscle. More pain is not better!
Should I use the Hypervolt on an injured area?
No. The Hypervolt should not be used on injured areas. And, avoid using the Hypervolt on your back or neck if you have any pre-existing conditions
Will the Hypervolt help relieve IT Band pain?
The Hypervolt would make a great tool for increasing flexibility around the IT Band and keeping it pliable and responsive. Tip: If you use it, use it more on each side of the IT Band rather than directly over it. I have found that to be the most effective.
Does the Hypervolt help loosen tight calf muscles?
Yes! This has been a game-changer for me. I have crazy tight calve muscles and this was a big plus for me in addition to traditional stretching. I will share that they can be slow to respond so you probably need to hit them one to two times per day for a week to make them feel amazing. It just depends on how tight yours gets. I tend to develop trigger points and knots in my calves so the Hypervolt helps where traditional stretching can't.
Tip: Use the soft ball or cushion attachment first as the calf muscles can be quite sensitive to massage at first.
Final Thoughts
I know that purchasing a massage gun is a big investment for most. I resisted for a long time. But I will tell you that next to my running shoes and GPS watch, this is my go to piece of equipment.
They do work. But like everything it takes consistency and patience, especially that first week. The best way I can describe using a massage gun is to compare it to the first time you use a foam roller. It can be uncomfortable at first.
Now that I am three months in, I feel like I can skip a day or two whenever I feel and still maintain the progress I have made. I just spend 5-10 minutes in the evening or when I have pockets of time and use my Hypervolt while watching TV, or watching a YouTube video.
You can check out other reviews and the current price for the Hypervolt here on Amazon
Thanks for reading and Happy Running!
