Hyperice just released the Hypervolt GO, officially ushering in the mini is the “new black” massage gun movement.
Unlike the Hypervolt and the more powerful Hypervolt Plus, the Hypervolt GO dares to defy the bigger is better mantra and do the complete opposite. With a 30% smaller footprint and at half the weight, the GO is meant to fill a on-the-go niche of portability and convenience many will appreciate.
With the all-powerful Theragun Pro being the gold standard recovery device of serious athletes, it’s hard to imagine the need for a mini massage gun like the Hyperice Hypervolt GO.
Does the small stature of the Hypervolt GO live up to the hype?
We spent the last week putting the Hypervolt GO through its paces. While we liked some of its newly introduced features, sadly there were enough shortcomings to place the GO on our “not recommended” list.
TL;DR
PROS
CONS
Quick Summary: We don’t recommend the Hypervolt GO. Check out the Ekrin BANTAM instead. It’s everything the Hypervolt GO should have been. Get 20% off with promo code “MASSAGEGUNFIGHT20” at checkout.
Introducing the Hypervolt GO
After months of speculation, Hyperice finally unveiled their first mini massage gun, the Hypervolt GO. We aren’t necessarily surprised by the announcement. Given the current massage gun trend towards going smaller, we assumed it was only a matter of time before Hyperice would join the ranks. It’s not too much of a stretch to assume the Hypervolt GO is Hyperice’s answer to the Theragun Mini, their direct competitor.
Whatever the case, the Hypervolt GO is here and we couldn’t wait to try it out.
What Is It?
The Hypervolt GO takes all of the DNA of the original Hypervolt, tweaks the design ever so slightly, and shrinks it down by 30%. The reduction in physical size also comes with a reduction in price too. At $199, the price of admission to the Hypervolt ecosystem is now more “affordable” than ever.
Despite the small design changes(no pun intended), the GO is still very much a Hypervolt. Like its counterparts, the GO feels very premium in the hand. The signature black soft touch exterior finish, the silicon clad handle, and the green battery ring light have all been ceremoniously passed down.
Like other mini massage guns we’ve reviewed recently, the smaller size does come with some tradeoffs. If you think you’ll be getting the same percussive massage goodness of its elder brethren, you will come away disappointed.
So no, it’s not a full-sized Hypervolt, but taken for what it is, the GO might offer enough versatility to meet your needs.
Hypervolt GO Pros/Cons
We’ll say this upfront, the Hypervolt GO has a lot going for it, but also has a couple glaring omissions you need to know about. Here are a few factors to weigh before buying:
Let’s start with the positives.
The portability factor clearly is its #1 selling point. Given that it’s about 1/3 the size of other massage guns and weighs just 1.5lbs, you will definitely be more inclined to tote the GO around versus a full size one. Whether you want a massager for those long days working from home or eventually to travel with, purchasing the GO makes sense. For the knots and muscle kinks associated with everyday living, the Hypervolt GO is the perfect take anywhere accessory.
Borrowing the angled 15 degree ergonomic handle design of the Ekrin B37, the Hypervolt GO is also very comfortable to hold. It may not be much, but that slight deviation of the handle lends to a more organic and natural positioning of the wrist while using it. That ultimately will lead to less arm and wrist fatigue with extended use.
Continuing with the design, the location of the power/speed button on the handle is brilliant. We hope more manufacturers will follow suite because it’s extremely convenient. It makes more logical sense to place that button at your fingertips rather than on the back of the device like the other Hypervolt models.
And finally, let’s talk about power. Despite being mini, is the motor in the GO powerful enough to satiate your massage needs? Definitely, maybe.
When compared to other mini massage guns like the addsfit Mini, the LifePro DynaMini, or the Ekrin BANTAM, there’s no question the GO has a slight advantage. The percussion is a bit stronger which is apparent right off. That’s not to say that the other, less expensive alternatives aren’t powerful enough, however.
If we had to make a choice, the BANTAM would be our #1 pick given all the downsides of buying the GO, which we’ll discuss next.
Now onto the negatives.
We so wanted to fall in love with the Hypervolt GO, but in the end just couldn’t commit to it.
As we just mentioned, it’s the most powerful mini massage gun we’ve tested to date. So why not recommend it? For starters, it’s obnoxiously loud.
Here’s what we noticed: When you initially turn it on, the GO mostly lives up to Hyperice’s “whisper-quiet operation” product description. However, the moment you start applying downward pressure on the massage head, it turns into a rattling mess. We’re not sure if our review unit was defective, but it seems added pressure causes the internal rotary shaft to knock against the plastic body. It’s disconcerting and makes you wonder if it’s about to fall apart.
Aside from the noise, physically, there’s not much we don’t like about the GO. It looks great. Feels great. All in all, it get’s two thumbs up from our team.
There are, regrettably, a couple more minor drawbacks that are worth mentioning.
We’ve been very vocal about this in the past, but we disdain the fact that the Hypervolt GO does not come with a carrying case. Unlike every other company on the planet, including Theragun, Hyperice never includes a case with their massage guns. Instead, that little accessory can be yours for a premium $49 upcharge. That’s just insane.
Like the airline industry charging baggage fees, it just feels wrong paying extra for something that should be included.
The other gripe, and perhaps this too comes down to economics, but the Hypervolt GO only comes with two massage head attachments. In the box you get a flat head and bullet head. That’s it. For us, the addition of a ball head, arguably the most comfortable type of massage head, would have been appreciated.
And finally, to round out the cons is the price. At $199 dollars, we simply can not get on board with that. It’s much too expensive for what you’re getting or not getting in this case. At that price point, we could name countless other alternatives that are a better bang for your buck for less money. Like what you ask? They may not be “mini”, but the Ekrin B37, the DynaSphere, the opove M3 Pro, the addsfit MAX, and the TaoTronics all offer more value.
Should you buy it?
Mini massage guns will never be equal replacements for their full-size counterparts nor are they meant to. Of course they’re limited by their size, but that’s also their top selling point too.
The Hypervolt Go is meant to fill that niche of portability. If you want something that fits in a small bag and you can travel with, the GO is there to fit that space. While it provides adequate percussive power, it is no substitute for the Hypervolt and Hypervolt Plus.
When it comes down to it, we think Hyperice compromised just a little too much with the GO. Drop the price by $50-$75 dollars and sort out the noise issues and they’d have a real contender. As is though, we think you’d be better off looking elsewhere.
