If you’re a basketball fan, you might’ve noticed your NBA team players using a massage gun courtside. That’s because Hyperice is their Official Recovery Technology Partner, and the Hypervolt is the official percussive massage gun of NBA professional athletes.
So, if the Hypervolt is good enough for these guys, you’re probably thinking it must be good enough for you.
But next comes the question — which Hypervolt massage gun is best? We’ve gathered all the info into this Hypervolt vs Hypervolt Plus review, so you’ve got all you need to find out.
Hypervolt Plus vs. Hypervolt: What Makes Them So Special?
The Hypervolt is made by Hyperice, which is one of the top industry brands in sports medicine devices that promotes accelerated healing, enhancement of muscle and joint movements and injury prevention.
Using technology innovations to support and enhance “the art of movement,” Hyperice considers itself to be a game-changer in its industry, challenging itself and others to continuously push for better.
Quiet Technology
This is widely considered to be one of the features that make the Hypervolt an amazing massage gun.
Each gun is fitted with their patented QuietGlide technology, and this is an incredible selling point when you’ve heard the thunderous motor of the competitors — and we’re not just talking about budget massage guns.
Possibly their biggest competitors, Theragun recently released their own quiet technology, too. Here’s a quick comparison:
Theragun PRO: 65-71 db
Hypervolt Plus: 62-69 db
Hypervolt: 55-57 db
Connectivity
One amazing feature that Hypervolt also offers that most massage gun options do not is Bluetooth capability. Download the app, connect your massage gun and have total control over your massage experience as you choose and build select programs.
It even allows changes in speed and pressure so that you can target specific areas. It’s like going to the RMT, but in your own home.
Head Attachments
Both models come with five interchangeable standard attachments that give you a great range of choices. These are especially helpful for reaching different parts of your body and targeting different muscles.
Whether you prefer a harder or softer attachment or a bit of both, you’ve got options here with the Bullet, Fork, Round, Cushion and Flat interchangeable head attachments.
With all of these key benefits, in the battle of Hypervolt Plus vs Hypervolt, you can be sure that you’re starting from a pretty great place, and it’s really just about working out what the specifics do for you.
Force and Speed
The Hyperice Hypervolt Plus and the Hypervolt both offer three preset power settings that allow the user to adjust as needed. An LED light panel will tell you how much force you’re exerting.
These three settings are slightly higher than other Hypervolt guns. Here they are:
Level 1: 30 Hz / 2,400 PPM
Level 2: 40 Hz / 2,800 PPM
Level 3: 53 Hz /3,200 PPM
What Does That Mean?
For many who’ve wound up here, this might be straightforward and understandable. But for those who might be new to massage guns and don’t know what they’re looking at, here’s a breakdown:
Hz refers to the number of times the massage gun cycles or pulses per second. So, with 30 Hz, your massage gun is vibrating 30 times per second.
If you googled PPM, you’d get parts per million. However, in this case, it’s an industry measurement meaning percussions per minute. So, if you’ve got your message gun set to 2800 PPM, it’s going to hit the area 2800 times per minute.
Around 2,500 PPM is good for most needs, and Hypervolt offers you two settings that are close to that. If you like a strong massage, then the more intense 3,200 PPM is there if you need a good deep tissue massage.
Compared to similar market brands, this is one powerful massage gun.
Stall Force
While they don’t list the stall force, some sources have theorized the stall force of the Hypervolt Plus is about 45-50lb, while the Hypervolt maxes out at about 35lbs, give or take.
This means you can exert around 50lbs of pressure onto the gun before it stops working.
Don’t worry if you accidentally reach this point trying to get at a stubborn muscle knot (although it would take a significant effort for most) — your gun won’t break, it’ll just reset.
Hypervolt Plus vs Hypervolt: For sheer no-stall force, the Hypervolt Plus wins out.
Stroke Length
The stroke length, also called amplitude, refers to how far the massage gun’s attachment heads go when pulsating back and forth. Stroke lengths tend to be between 6mm and 16mm, with 10mm-12mm being a great happy medium for relaxing massage that will still break up stubborn muscle knots.
The Hypervolt Plus has a stroke length of 14mm. The Hypervolt has a stroke length of 10mm.
Hypervolt Plus vs Hypervolt: It’s a draw. This depends on whether you want a deeper massage or a more relaxing one.
Look & Feel
If you’re comparing Hypervolt Plus vs Hypervolt on the look and feel, the only real comparison is that the former comes in black and the latter in silver.
They are the exact same size, they have the same soft grip on the handle (which is also the battery) and they both come at a fixed 90-degree angle.
The only real difference besides the color is that the Hypervolt is 2.5 pounds while the Hypervolt Plus is 3 pounds. Still, if you’re holding them, both are super lightweight and you’re not likely to notice the 0.5 pound difference.
Motor Power
Hyperice has described the Hypervolt Plus as being “for the power-seeking enthusiast,” which is exactly what it is. Though the frequency settings are exactly the same, where you’ll notice the difference is in the motor power and the power it has to give a deeper massage.
Hypervolt Plus: 90W high-torque brushless
Hypervolt: 60W brushless motor
Hypervolt Plus vs Hypervolt: Hypervolt Plus wins for being the most powerful massagers.
Battery Life
The battery is exactly the same in both — it’s a 24V lithium-ion battery.
The Hyperice website states that the battery life for both of the guns is 3 hours. However, third-party detailed reviews have said that it tends to be a bit less: between two and two-and-a-half hours of battery life.
Some have theorized that the Hypervolt Plus battery life is shorter because of its larger motor, which makes sense. Of course, we don’t know their research methodology, so take it with a grain of salt.
Hypervolt Plus has a battery life of 2 to 3 hours, while the Hypervolt has a battery life of 2.5 to 3 hours.
What’s great about Hypervolt is that they come with removable batteries that are also rechargeable, so backup batteries are a great option for those who get a lot of use out of their handheld massage guns.
Easily track how much juice is left by the light halo around the base of the battery and an LED display on the back of the gun. The light halo will be solid green when charged and go red when running low.
Hypervolt Plus vs Hypervolt: Hypervolt has a slightly longer lifeforce.
Comparison of Cost
If we’re looking at cost, you can safely assume the Hypervolt Plus is slightly more expensive. However, the Hyperice website says it’s been recently reduced, drawing it closer to the Hypervolt.
One criticism that multiple reviewers had was that they do not come with a travel bag, though you can buy the Normatec carry case for $150.
Bottom Line
Hyperice is a great option for professional athletes, as well as those of you who work long and hard hours. In the debate of Hypervolt Plus vs Hypervolt, you could call either model the top pick.
They share the same great benefits as compared to similar massage guns, and where they differ, you’ll find different sorts of advantages that’ll help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
