Hypervolt vs Theragun Pro Massage Devices

Who doesn’t love a massage? Especially after some rigorous exercise, the feeling of your muscles being tended to is hard to beat. Unfortunately, for most of us, massages are somewhat of a luxury that we treat ourselves to now and then.

Bar sending your partner on a massage course there is only really one way to up your massages from now and then to daily. And that’s by getting a tool that does it for you.

The Hypervolt Plus and Theragun Pro are some of the best massage guns on the market. They are both handheld massage guns that use acoustic therapy to warm up and cool down your muscles pre and post-exercise. Both are proven to help with soreness and assist with muscle recovery after exercise.

The idea is that you warm up your muscles before exercising by using the massage gun for roughly 15 seconds across each of the core muscle groups you’re going to use. Then again on the same muscles post-exercise for 2 minutes.

A quick comparison of the Hypervolt vs Theragun shows they have a similar design, weight, and are easy to use. They come with rechargeable batteries, charge indicators, and the defining difference is that the Theragun has 2 speeds and the Hypervolt has three and that they both emit a different amount of noise.

So which one is right for you? Hypervolt Plus or Theragun Pro (or Theragun Prime)? In this review, we have put them head to head against the most important categories to give you an honest opinion on which is best.

Design & Usability

Design and usability are key to enjoying using a handheld massage gun, after all, you are going to have a vibrating machine in your hands which could become quite uncomfortable if it’s designed badly.

The Theragun Pro massage device is said to feel more natural to use due to the ergonomics of the handle. It fits nicely in your hand, is easy to turn on and off, plus it feels comfortable while in operation. Perhaps that is why so many professional athletes use it?

The 4 different arm angles really do make a difference and make it much easier to access hard-to-reach sore muscles in places like your back without having to ask for help or use it at an awkward angle. The 6 different massage head attachments are also a nice touch, especially when combined with the two different speeds.

The Hypervolt Plus massage device is not quite the same and come’s off worse in terms of ergonomics and usability. The handle is wide and makes using it uncomfortable and cumbersome, this is due to the battery pack being stored in the handle. You may even end up using it with two hands, which makes accessing hard to reach parts of your body impossible without an assistant to help.

It’s also a two-step process to turn the Hypervolt Plus on, rather than just flicking one switch you have to turn it on at the base and then again at the top of the body. It does however come with lights that show it’s on and how much charge the battery has, plus 3 speeds and 5 head attachments.

In terms of extras, the Theragun Pro comes with a carrying case whereas you have to buy the carrying case for the Hypervolt Plus. Both the carry cases look a bit odd and you can just pop either of them in a normal bag, just be sure to keep track of the head attachments.

Overall, the Theragun Pro is the obvious winner here thanks to its ergonomic handle and adjustable arm settings. It’s much easier and more comfortable to use.

Sound

A deep tissue massage is meant to be a relaxing process and the last thing you want is for your handheld massage gun to sound like a pneumatic drill while using it. Hence why we have decided to review how much noise both the Theragun vs Hypervolt make when in use.

The Thergun Pro massage gun is said to be 50 percent quieter than the previous model, and while it is quieter, it’s certainly not quiet. On its standard speed (the highest of the two), it’s loud and can easily be heard from behind a closed door. This makes using it in a public place, like the gym, a little awkward, as some passers-by may think you’re shaving your head or something similar.

The Hypervolt Plus massage gun is said to utilize Quite Guide Technology, and it is quieter than the Pro but it’s still quite noisy. That being said, on the lowest level, the sound is negligible and probably a bit more acceptable to use in public than the Theragun Pro.

Overall the Hypervolt Plus is the better of the two massage guns when it comes to noise reduction. But in the end, they both make a bit of noise while in use, so, don’t expect complete silence. (Note: You can see the sound comparison at around minute 3:00 in the video above)

Battery Life and Charging

The battery life and charging of your handheld massage gun are going to be something you’re affected by regularly. Losing power mid-massage is a pain and having to then charge and wait is another.

The Theragun Pro comes with two battery packs that look similar to the ones you’d plug into a power tool. The benefit of having two means if one dies, you simply swap it out and continue massaging vaguely undisturbed.

The batteries for the Pro are said to provide 150 minutes of massage time but when they drop down to below 50% charge, the Pro shuts itself down after every 20 seconds of use. This is to save battery but it will get quite annoying while using it. Thank god for the extra battery, just be sure to always keep one charged up.

In order to charge the battery, you’ll have to unclip the battery and connect to the charging base, and the two cords, one to the base and one to the wall. This is a lot to carry around in terms of portability and is probably best left at home.

The Hypervolt Plus battery is built-in and to charge it, you simply open the handle to expose the battery and drop it into the charging base which has a similar set-up to that of the Theragun Pro. It only comes with one battery, so once you’re out of power, you can’t use it again until it’s been charged.

The battery is said to last 3 hours and it does last a lot longer than the Theragun Pro battery which goes below 50% after 45 minutes of use. To be honest, the chances of using either of them for a 45-minute straight massage are slim, but it’s good to know that you’ll be charging the Theragun Pro a lot more than the Hypervolt Plus.

Overall, the Hypervolt Plus wins in terms of battery life and you’ll find yourself doing a lot less charging. The Theragun Pro does have the advantage of two batteries though, so you’re less likely to be caught short.

How It Feels

Working out how each one may feel to each different user is pretty much an impossible task. Everyone feels things differently and depending on the kind of massage you’re used to, either of them might suit you better. But we can look at it in terms of modes and muscles.

The Theragun G3Pro comes with two modes, a standard, and sensitive mode while the  Hyperice Hypervolt comes with three, going one step higher in terms of percussions per minute. The higher settings are designed for larger muscles like your quads or glutes, while the lowest level is for smaller muscles.

If you’re particularly stiff and are in need of deep tissue massages, perhaps the third level would suit you best, although it’s quite hard to feel the difference between 40 and 53 percussions per minute.

A benefit of the Hypervolt is that the percussions per minute increase in lower progressions, so it feels nicer when moving up from level one to level two, whereas you feel quite a jump with the G3Pro.

Overall, it comes down to you and what you like to feel. Both of these handheld massage guns will take some getting used to and once you’re used to them, will both most likely have the same effect.

Value for Money

There is quite a big price difference between the Theragun Pro and the Hypervolt Plus. The Theragun Pro massage gun is super expensive while the Hypervolt Plus massage gun is around half the price, so is the Pro worth double the price? It’s a tough call comparing massage guns.

The major benefit of the Pro is the two rechargeable batteries for undisturbed massaging – which is ideal for a massage therapist who has no time between sessions.

On top of that is the fact that it’s much more pleasurable to use during massage therapy. It fits in your hand nicely and its adjustable arm means you can get to those hard-to-reach areas unassisted. But it is much noisier and requires more charging.

While the Hypervolt Plus is cumbersome to use, and sometimes it requires two hands, it’s quieter and has a better battery life, all for half the price.

Overall it’s up to you. We’d go for the Hypervolt Plus if you plan on using it now and then but if you want or need to use it every day, the Theragun Pro will be a more pleasurable experience overall.

We can foresee the Hypervolt Plus becoming frustrating over time due to the uncomfortable handle whereas the shortcomings of the Theragun Pro you would probably get used to without much fuss.

Final Thoughts

Massages are such personal things and everyone likes them a certain way. And this is proven in the fact that once you find a good masseuse, you go back to them, not someone else. And it’s true with the handheld percussive therapy too, it’s a personal preference. But, having stated the facts above this is what we’d recommend when comparing Theragun vs Hypervolt.

The Theragun Pro being the more expensive of the two is more sophisticated and this is thanks to its adjustable arm handle and ease of use. It’ll allow you to massage away unassisted in comfort, apart from the extra noise, which you’ll most likely get used to.

The Hypervolt Plus is often way less and probably half as easy to use, but it does have better battery life and is a bit quieter.

In our opinion, the Pro is the right choice if you plan on using it daily. Otherwise, the Hypervolt Plus is the way to go if you plan on using it weekly or less.

Cheaper Alternative: Theragun Prime

When it comes to Theragun massage funs: I want to add a few things about Theragun Prime as it’s a great cheaper alternative to the Theragun PRO.

Theragun Prime is significantly cheaper than the Pro, but it still comes with most of the features that you want. So, if you just want to get started, or try it out, it’s a great alternative.

The biggest difference with the Theragun Prime is that it has a smaller battery, so with two batteries, you get around 2 hours of use. Which is more than enough for us non-professionals at home!

There are fewer attachments on the Theragun Prime, 4 in total, compared to 6 on the Theragun Prime. But again, for the cost saving, you won’t notice the difference.

The speed and power controls are also a little more limited on the Theragun Prime with 5 settings, compared to a continuous dial on the Pro. So, certainly a bit more restrictive, but still lots of control.

In the end, if money is an issue and you just want to get started with percussive therapy massage guns, then try the Theragun Prime!