The Hyperice HyperVolt is one of the first and most well-known percussive massage devices.
It's now one of many massage guns on the market, and as of 2023, the technology has developed rapidly. There are now many high quality percussive massage devices - some offering more features for less money.
Popular alternatives include the Theragun, Opove, ExoGun, and our very own (and newly upgraded) AlphaGun X.
However, the HyperVolt remains both one of the most popular and expensive - so it's worth looking at it in detail before exploring the alternatives.
In this HyperVolt review, I'm going to cover:
1. What the features of the HyperVolt are
2. What's good about the HyperVolt
3. What's bad about it
4. Finally how it compares to the alternatives which are up to $130 cheaper, but have more speeds, amplitude, battery life and massage heads.
What's good about the HyperVolt?
The HyperVolt is one of the original percussive massage guns. It's a big brand and the build quality of their devices is very good.
Both the HyperVolt and the HyperVolt Plus pack a powerful 3,200 max RPM and a stall force of 40lb. Weighing about 1.8lb, the it's lighter than the average massage gun, which is about 2.5lb.
The standard HyperVolt has 3 speed settings which start at 2,000 RPM, rising to 2,600 and finally 3,200 RPM.
A few years ago, most massage guns had 3 speed settings, or less. The Theragun used to have only 2 speeds (but the current Theragun has 5). However, in 2023, only 3 speeds is quite limited.
The Hypervolt Pro, which costs $100 more than the standard Hypervolt, has 5 speeds - but that's all.
Where the HyperVolt beats many rivals still is in the amplitude. The HyperVolt has an impressive amplitude of 14mm, whereas many cheaper devices offer only 10-12mm. This means the HyperVolt gets deeper into your muscles than a device with only 10mm or 12mm.
The HyperVolt has 5 massage heads that are designed to target various parts of the body. This is slightly more than most devices - even some of the most expensive have only 3 or 4 heads.
With up to 3 hours of battery life and a relatively quiet (60 dB) brushless motor, the HyperVolt is a well designed, durable and portable percussive massage device.
The latest version of the HyperVolt now comes with Bluetooth, a feature still rare among massage devices. The main difference is that it now comes connected to an interactive smartphone app that:
1. gives suggestions to guide your use of the device
2. provides timed routines that adjust the speed settings automatically
This is clever, but the device is already easy to use and most users will know what speed setting is comfortable for them, so can make manual adjustments. Some users may even have preferred more speed settings instead of an app.
The Hypervolt costs $299 and the Hypervolt Plus costs $399. For this you get the device, charger, heads and accessories, but the carry case will cost you an extra $40.
Overall it's a well-known brand, a good all-round performer and a well built device.
What's Bad About the HyperVolt?
The first potential negative with the HyperVolt is the high price tag - it starts at $299 for the basic model and up to $399 for the HyperVolt Plus. This is in the same range as another leading massager, the Theragun, which costs as much as $599.
Crucially though, the HyperVolt's range of speeds and massage heads are limited, especially considering the high price.
The standard $299 HyperVolt has only 3 speed settings (and the $399 Hypervolt Pro only has 5), and the lowest settings (for both) are still noticeably powerful at 2,000 RPM. There are two problems with this:
1. The HyperVolt effectively only has 3 massage programs - there are now many alternatives with as 10 times this number of speeds, and some of the newest massagers have over 90 speeds - that's 30x as many.
2. The speed settings do not increase gradually, but in steep increments. For example, if your body is very sore the lowest setting of the HyperVolt might be too powerful, and there's a big jump in RPM between each setting as there are only 3.
With more speeds, you could start at a lower intensity for very sore or painful muscles and move up more gradually. This is especially important for someone who plans to use the device to ease pain or discomfort.
Compared to alternatives with more speeds, this means the HyperVolt may not offer such a highly customizable massage - but it is still a high quality device with a solid brand and reputation.
There's also the price to consider; the HyperVolt is $299 and that's the price for the basic model with no carry case (which costs $40 extra).
That's $100 more than the Opove M3 Pro and $130 more than the new AlphaGun X - and both these come with a free carry case, more speeds and more massage heads.
The Top Alternatives
We can't talk about HyperVolt alternatives without mentioning the Theragun.
It sells for even more than the HyperVolt, and while it's a very good device it still shares some of the drawbacks of the HyperVolt: high price, limited range of massage heads (only 4) and limited speed settings (the Theragun has 5 speeds).
The Theragun is the only other device we tested that has bluetooth. So far, it seems to be only these two (very expensive) devices that thought this feature was worth including.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Opove and ExoGun are both popular low-price alternatives. The Opove is a very similar looking device to the HyperVolt, with the same basic features, including 3 speeds, but only 30lb of stall force and only 4 massage heads. It costs $199.
The ExoGun has a few advantages over the HyperVolt. It has many of the same features, but 6 speed settings instead of 3 and costs only $199 - $100 less than the basic HyperVolt.
Finally, there's the newly upgraded AlphaGun X. The AlphaGun is similar to the HyperVolt in design, and both have a powerful (and quiet) brushless motor, strong lightweight outer casing and a carrying case (included free with the AlphaGun). Many of the basic features are the same.
But in addition to that, the AlphaGun X has a massive 99 speed settings instead of 3, up to 6 hours battery life (instead of 3), 10 massage heads (instead of 5), and even a higher amplitude of 16mm (compared to 14mm on the Hypervolt).
The AlphaGun X has about the same stall force (45lb vs 40lb with the HyperVolt) and a slightly higher RPM of 3,300, so overall the power level is similar.
Compare the HyperVolt, AlphaGun and others here.
Also, the combination of over 30x the number of speed levels and more massage heads makes the AlphaGun capable of a much wider range of massage programs - e.g. for different body parts, for when you're very sore, if you only want a very gentle massage, etc.
Not only does it have a much lower minimum speed (of 1,200 RPM), but you'll be able to increase the intensity much more gradually when required between the Alpha's 99 speeds than the HyperVolt's 3.
The new AlphaGun X is also lighter than previous versions at 1.95lb (earlier versions were 2.5lb). Although this is still not as lightweight as the latest HyperVolt, which weighs 1.8lb, it's still one of the lighter devices on the market.
Finally, the new AlphaGun X is currently available at a relaunch price of $169, making it much cheaper than the HyperVolt (even when it's on sale).
Key reasons to consider the AlphaGun instead:
1. The upgraded 2023 AlphaGun X is $130 cheaper than the HyperVolt. The AlphaGun X comes with more speeds, heads and battery life and costs $130 less than the HyperIce HyperVolt.
2. The AlphaGun X now has 10 massage heads while the HyperVolt has 5. Massage heads come in different shapes and sizes and are designed for different parts of the body - in addition to many more speeds, more heads means the AlphaGun is more adaptable and tailored to your whole body.
3. The AlphaGun has also has 99 speed settings compared to the HyperVolt's 3. The Alpha has an LCD screen where you can select between 99 speeds from very gentle to intense, making it significantly more customizable - gentle when you're particularly sore, intense when required and at very gradual increases in between.
4. The AlphaGun has a 3,300 RPM motor. The max speed of the AlphaGun X is the same as the HyperVolt and the minimum speed is much lower - so it has a wider range of speed (massage intensity) settings.
5. And a higher amplitude at 16mm. Get deeper into your muscles with a 16mm amplitude vs the Hypervolt's 14mm. The only other massage gun we tested with a 16mm amplitude was the market-leading (and more expensive) Theragun.
Essentially, the AlphaGun offers very similar features to the HyperVolt, but for $130 less and with extra features including more speed settings, more massage heads, more battery life and more amplitude.
Compare the AlphaGun to the HyperVolt and others here
Both have a 30 day money back guarantee and a one year warranty. Both come with US charging plugs included.
But unlike the HyperVolt, the AlphaGun X comes with a free carry case.
Four key reasons to try the new AlphaGun X instead:
1. It's cheaper at $169 compared to $299+
2. The Alpha has 2x as many massage heads: 10 compared to 5 with the HyperVolt
3. The AlphaGun has a digital control panel and over 30x as many speed settings
4. The AlphaGun has a powerful 3,300 RPM motor and higher amplitude/stroke length.
5. The AlphaGun is shipped free from the USA and usually delivered in about 2-4 days.
So, for a limited time you can get a powerful and versatile massage gun for $130 less by choosing the AlphaGun X.
Click here to see the AlphaGun now
Bought the Alpha Gun instead of a Hypervolt and I was a bit apprehensive about it at the time as it’s a lot cheaper and I hadn’t heard of it before. I must say though I’m very happy with it. The extra speed settings alone are worth trying the alpha gun – it’s SO much better being able to slowly increase the speed rather than having to settle for less speed settings (I tried a friends massager before that only had 3 speeds, and it was painful and intimidating). Pleased I bought one of these. Well worth the money and it’s cheaper
Leave a comment