Hypervolt vs Theragun: I Lift Daily, Own Both, Here’s How I Use Them

I’ve been lifting heavy since I started college and finally had access to a premium gym that didn’t have a monthly fee (excluding tuition), and it wasn’t until year 14 of heavy lifting did it all start to fall apart.

That’s when I realized that for me to continue to stay in great shape, I would need help.

My first concussion massager was a god-awful power drill I purchased from Amazon. Do not buy this.

Hypervolt vs. Theragun: 5 Year Review

Hypervolt was what I purchased next, and then wei got me a Theragun mini for Christmas. I’ve compared the full-size models at Equinox, and now, after 5 years of owernership and daily uses, here is my Theragun vs. Hypervolt Review.

The good thing about technology is that it is enabling. Hand-held massage devices like Hypervolt and Theragun help facilitate percussive therapy. The massage guns are backed by the same scientific evidence that supports massage therapy as the best treatment for a sore muscle after a workout.

Theragun and Hypervolt are long-time rivals. We know this because of their aggressive marketing, vast money, and first-mover advantage. These two titans took the initiative when no one else was employing massage guns and haven’t looked back since.

Let’s find out about them in Hypervolt vs Theragun review which one is better. 

Hypervolt vs Theragun

While an NBA partnership helped Hyperice bag some credibility, Theragun is better than Hypervolt because of the former’s ergonomic design and deep pulse. The Hypervolt is quiet, but Theragun’s overall ergonomics, power, and adaptability are superior.

Let’s break down their comparative analysis of Theragun vs Hypervolt and understand the differences closely. 

Knowing the Company – Hypervolt vs Theragun

History of Hyperice (Hypervolt)

Hyperice is the company behind Hypervolt, and their journey started with an idea to help athletes and sportspersons recover better. This deviation from designing and building products that are supposed to help people train better has become a revolution in the industry. 

Hyperice builds devices to stimulate movement in the soft tissue and help the body change its movement with the help of percussion and vibrations. The motive is to change the physiology of the human body to help it reach its full potential. 

Hypervolt and other devices by Hyperice connect technology to the art of movement. Personally, I have observed a remarkable change in my muscle strength and fluidity after using Hypervolt. 

Today the Hyperice devices are not limited to be used for recovering. Still, they are actively used in the pre-training and training phase to help our bodies develop a better form and structure.

Hyperice has designed its products on five different technologies, Percussion, Dynamic Air Compression, Thermal, Vibration, Ice Compression.  

Therabody History

Therabody is the brainchild of a chiropractor who invented the first prototype at his home to treat pain he got from an accident. Subsequently, more Theraguns were designed and built to help people live a pain-free life. 

Every Theragun is the combination of three things, Frequency, Amplitude, and Torque. As a result of their innovation, Therabody products have gone from a pain management massager to a device that helps you take charge of your daily wellness. 

As the requirements of the human body evolve, Therabody’s products undergo innovation. The company gets therapists, trainers, engineers, and scientists to work with them for product development. 

Their focus is also on educating the common folk on the benefits of using a massage gun at home and exposing them to overall wellness benefits.

Design and Ergonomics of Theragun and Hypervolt

Theragun 

Theragun has a triangular and multi-grip shape and its different variants possess different features. This one has awesome ergonomics. They are the superior choice because they have several grip handles and just enough weight. 

I can easily hold a Theragun in a variety of ways to reach even the most difficult of targets, such as the lower or middle back. Theragun Pro provides an additional benefit in the form of an adjustable arm.

• Theragun Prime: is the most simple without any unnecessary bells and whistles. The built-in matte plastic has a basic nature that ensures it isn’t a fingerprint magnet. 
• Theragun Elite: Theragun Elite is rather fashionable. It has a plastic body with a basic arm on one side. The other side covers the motor and the arm and has a magnetized fingerprint. 
• Theragun Pro: This is a more refined version of Theragun. Apart from the glossy arm, the handle and the rest of it are matte plastic. The massive round and colored engine cover, on the other hand, is what lets you know you’re looking at the Pro. 

Hypervolt

Hypervolt has a T-Shaped design, much like a power tool, and both their models come only in two colors; silver and black. You won’t get a carrying case with a Hypervolt; there is a small case for attachments. 

I didn’t like this part at all, and it is one of the most significant letdowns for me. The majority of massage guns come with a carrying case. With Hypervolt, I had to shed another $49 just to get a carrying case. 

The power switch on Hypervolt is positioned at the bottom of the handle. Although this isn’t the best location for a power switch, we’ve seen comparable shaped massage guns use the same route.

When it comes to usage, Hypervolts can be challenging to handle and use. It’s not just the jackhammer design, but the bulkiness makes a 15-minute massage session difficult. Sometimes, I had to ask my partner to hold the massage gun for me.  

The devices put a lot of strain on your wrists and hands, causing you to become fatigued quickly. The diameter is an issue for persons with little hands, despite the fact that they have a circular handle, which is appropriate.

What Should be Done?

Theraguns are great for a DIY sort of massage, but it is not true for Hypervolt. There you may need some assistance to hold the handle. 

But, when it comes to Hypervolt Go vs Theragun Mini, the former is better in the mini massage gun category. 

Attachments in Hypervolt vs Theragun

Let’s start with the number of attachments; Theraguns have different numbers of attachments for each model. Mini has one; Prime has two; Elite and Pro have five and six attachments, respectively. 

Hypervolt massage guns have five attachments for each of its two regular-sized machines. The Hypervolt GO model has only two attachments. Attachments for Theraguns are often softer than those for Hypervolts. 

At least three of Theragun’s massage gun heads also provide the same sensation (dampener, ball, and thumb). They’re also less varied than what we’ve seen from many other brands.

I loved how Hypervolt decided to pack its attachments and that it has a fork and a flat head attachment. 

But you won’t get Theragun’s Pro Supersoft attachment, one of the best attachments I have ever used and is a perfect remedy for massaging the bony areas. 

Power Backup

Next up in Hypervolt vs Thergaun, we have battery life and charging. If you live like a free bird and travel frequently but cannot do without a proper massage before going to bed, you need to have a massage gun with impressive battery life. 

Both the Theragun PRO and the Hypervolt Plus have a battery life of 150 minutes per charge. The PRO, like a power tool, slows down after a long period of continuous operation and/or when the charge level falls below 50%. 

The Hypervolt Plus, on the other hand, maintains a constant level of power even as its charge level decreases.

You will find two Lithium-ion battery packs and a charging connection for the batteries. The battery slides in and out of the main handle, much like a power drill. The advantage is that you can replace one battery for the other if one dies.

The battery is kept in the handle of the Hypervolt, while the base is plugged into a three-piece contraption similar to the Theragun. An AC cable, a power source, and another cord to plug it into the wall are included. 

Theragun’s Performance vs Hypervolt

Now on to the main part of our Theragun vs Hypervolt review. I bought both these massage guns for a couple of reasons; one was to understand the differences closely. The second was to know which gun gives the most relief. 

Now, after discussing the above components, everything boils down to performance. I know some people would make do with the handling and case-not-there problems if the massage gun gives the desired relief. 

I will help you understand the performance in three aspects;

Comparing Theragun’s Stroke Length with Hypervolt

It is the forward and backward motion of the massage gun head denoting the distance covered by this movement.

Longer stroke lengths are better than shorter ones because we do not want vibrational therapy. For percussive massage treatment, longer stroke lengths are more effective. 

Hypervolt has a short stroke length. In their defense, they marketed the massage guns as vibrational treatment devices. The shorter length is justifiable. 

Hypervolt Plus is the first percussive massage gun released by Hyperice. These guns have a sufficient stroke length of roughly 14mm. Even though the company does not mention the stroke length, I found it somehow. 

Theraguns are kings of the amplitude since they set out to give percussive therapy from the beginning. For a long time, their 16mm amplitude for regular-sized weapons was the industry standard. 

However, if the stall force is sufficient, a 14mm amplitude will suffice. In fact, with enough stall force, even a 12mm stroke length can outperform a 16mm stroke length with minimal stall force.

Stall Force

This represents the amount of pressure required to stall or stop the massage gun motor. More force is recommended for a deep tissue massage, the kind of massage that takes away all your pains.

Here again, Hypervolt does not share the stall force of their massage guns, which is disappointing. As I like to know everything about the product before using it, I make an effort to find these details. 

It goes like this; The stall force of their entry-level Hypervolt is estimated to be around 35 pounds, which is a point or two above the Theragun Prime model giving 30 pounds of stall force. 

I seriously hoped for more stall force in Theragun. Given its long amplitude, we believed it needed greater stall force to be a truly deep percussive massage device.

It would have been great to get a 35-pound stall force in Theragun and a longer amplitude in Hypervolt. In any case, Prime performs better as a percussion instrument than the Hypervolt.

The Hypervolt Plus, on the other hand, is an entirely different story. Hypervolt Plus is now the actual percussive device from Hyperice, with a 14mm amplitude and an estimated stall force of 45-50lbs. It contains a 90W motor, which means it produces 30% more power than the ordinary Hypervolt.

Hypervolt Plus may also have the edge over Elite because it revs faster and is somewhat stronger. 

In Hypervolt vs Theragun performance review, the latter wins the race if they are competing with the Hypervolt Plus and Theragun Pro models.  Plus, the stall force of 50 pounds is sufficient for a deep tissue massage, even on huge muscles (think of quads, glutes, hamstrings). 

Pro has a higher stall force (60 pounds) and a 16mm amplitude. Pro also boasts a more powerful motor, making it a more powerful device without a doubt.

Percussion and Speed

The fight between Theagun vs Hypervolt cannot be complete without checking the percussion force and speed. 

In comparison to Theraguns, Hypervolts have a higher intensity. The latter is more vibrational than percussive, meaning they deliver more punches but with less force. The percussion range is 2000-3200rpm on all Hypervolt models. The range of Theraguns is 1750-2400rpm.

The varied stroke lengths are another reason why Hypervolts rev faster than Theraguns. Hypervolts have smaller amplitudes (10mm and 14mm for Hypervolt and Hypervolt Plus, respectively). 

Theraguns have larger amplitudes (16mm). Hypervolt Plus, on the other hand, will be noticeably more potent than the normal Hypervolt. Theraguns also has five different speed gears built into their gadgets. Hypervolts, on the other hand, are limited to only three speeds.

I would prefer Theraguns 5 speeds to Hypervolts 3 speeds. Not that speed is an issue for me, but if the focus is on percussion, then more speed is better. 

Theragun is better in another area, which is the connectivity. It allows you to select custom speeds in addition to the fixed five quickly. Hypervolt, on the other hand, is not like that. There are three speeds, and that’s it!

To sum it up, if you want a soothing and relaxing massage, choose Theragun vs Hypervolt. 

Some Other Aspects to Consider in Hypervolt vs Theragun

Here are three more factors to look at in our Hypervolt vs Theragun review. 

Noise Levels of Hypervolt vs Theragun

Nobody will like hearing the motor whining, especially when the person wants to have a relaxing massage. I would always prefer a massage gun, which makes minimal noise. 

In Theragun vs Hypervolt, the Theragun Elite is the quietest of every other massage gun considered. Among the Hypervolt models, the Hypervolt BT (Bluetooth) is the quietest but not more silent than Theragun Elite. 

Mobile Application

Both companies have highly intuitive mobile applications. Besides the mini versions, all the models of Hypervolt and Theragun connect with the mobile application.  

The feature I absolutely dig is how these applications provide step-by-step instructions to use the device. As they have built them, it is only legible that one should learn from them how to use the device for best results. 

If I were to choose one app out of two, that would be Therabody (Theragun). It is a user-friendly application and provides clear instructions about the amount of pressure and force that must be applied for every routine. 

Pressure Sensors

Pressure sensors are imperative to get the right massage configuration. Out of the two, Theragun has a simpler approach than Hypervolt. 

LEDs represent three levels of Hypervolts (soft, medium, and firm). Theragun, on the other hand, adds a 6-level bar graph to it, which makes it more appealing and practical. It’s only available on Elite and Pro, though. It isn’t available on Prime.

Theragun allows users to save custom settings to their devices. Working with the routines in their app allows you to save up to three of your favorite presets.

You may save your preferred pace and pressure, as well as the amount of time required for a massage. With the click of a button, you can quickly access various presets. Hypervolt, on the other hand, is devoid of such function.

Hypervolt And Theragun | Amazon Reviews

I went on Amazon to hear the chit-chat of the percussive massager buyers, especially those who bought a Hypervolt or Theragun. In total, Hypevolt models have got 2882 reviews and 88% of the reviews have given them a 5-Star rating.

For the Theraguns, I found (to date) 7950 reviews, and 86% were rated 5-star. This shows that the majority of the buyers using any of the Hypervolt or Theraguns are also happy with the outcome.

Of course, there will be some who don’t like the massagers and they have given ratings according to their understanding and experience.

To Sum it Up

In summary, Hypervolt has less noise, better stall force, and a higher percussion rate. You get different attachments (fork and flat are my favorites) and there is a built-in pressure sensor. 

Theragun, on the other hand, has a higher and bigger amplitude, it is a machine specifically made for percussive therapy, and there are five-speed levels against three in Hypervolt. 

Before choosing one between Hypervolt vs Theragun, understand your expectations and requirements.