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May 27, 2023

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 review

An excellent, lightweight massage gun, that’s super portable and packs a

An excellent, lightweight massage gun, that's super portable and packs a powerful punch

More affordable than other massage guns on this list

Lightweight and comfortable to hold

Quiet

Comes with two massage heads, and charging adaptors

No Bluetooth

The app isn't great

No carry case

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Massage guns, such as the Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2, have become a popular recovery tool for athletes and amateurs alike. Forget foam rolling, the best massage guns on the market can penetrate deep into tissues, promoting relaxation and increased blood flow. They can be used in your warm-up and cool-down, and help reduce your chances of injury by aiding muscle repair.

Dimensions: 6.7 x 7.3 x 2 inWeight: 1.5 poundsPPM Range: 2200-3200 (3 pre-programed speeds)Attachments: 2Noise level: Up to 65 decibelsBattery life: 3 hours (180 minutes)Approved for carry on: YesBluetooth: No

But it's a crowded market, and working out how much to spend and what to look for can be confusing, especially when, unlike the best foam rollers, the best massage guns don't come cheap. The Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 is a relatively affordable, portable massage gun from Hyperice. But how does it compare to the likes of the Theragun Elite and the Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro? Read our Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 review to find out more.

The Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 costs $149/£149, making it one of the more affordable massage guns on the market. It costs around the same as the Theragun Mini, but unlike the mini, it comes with two different attachments, has a 180-minute battery life (compared to the Mini's 150-minutes), and has a top speed of 3,200 pulsations per minute (compared to the Mini's 2,400). It's also got a more traditional massage gun design, which allows you to hold it in different positions to really work into tired, sore muscles.

When the Hypervolt Go 2 was first released in April 2022, it retailed at $199/£199, but it has since been discounted by the retailer itself, as well as the likes of Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.

The Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 has a pretty common massage gun design — like the Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro, the long vertical handle is affixed to its horizontally oriented shaft and brushless 40-watt motor. The T-shaped massage gun isn't as easy to hold as say, the triangular-shaped Theragun Elite or Theragun Prime, and you can't adjust it in any way, but it's straightforward, and still allows you to get into most of the body's tight spots.

At 1.5 pounds, the Hypervolt Go 2 is seriously light. Surprisingly light, in fact, when you consider its top speed of 3,200 PPM — about the same as that of far more expensive, and heftier massage guns on the market. It's lightweight enough to be portable and is approved by the TSA to stow in your carry-on, however, it doesn't come in a carry case, which is a little disappointing, especially when the likes of the Theragun Mini does.

The massage gun turns on using a button on the back, and when on, the bottom of the handle glows green — the same light pulses when the massage gun is charging and goes red when it's fully out of charge. Above the on/off switch there are three lights that indicate the speed of the gun, to change the speeds, you simply press the on/off switch. The gun looks sleek and is easy to navigate around, without having to press too many buttons. Unlike other guns on the market, there's no screen, but it's easy to work out which speed level you’re on, and I can't say it bothered me too much.

Unlike the Hyperice Hypervolt Pro 2, the gun doesn't have Bluetooth connectivity, which means you can't connect it to the Hyperice app. With other massage guns in the range, once connected to the app, the app will automatically change the speed, depending on which muscle group you are working with. The charging port of the gun is on the bottom of the handle, and talking of charging, the Hypervolt Go 2 came with a charger and multiple different adaptors, which is a nice touch if you’re planning on using the massage gun on overseas races or competitions.

The Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 comes with two different attachments — a flat attachment for large surface areas like your quads, hamstrings, and chest, and a bullet head for trigger points in areas like your glutes, hips, and shoulders. If you already have a Hyperice massage gun, other attachments are compatible with the Hypervolt Go 2.

It would have been nicer to have a ball attachment, but the two that came with the gun did the job well enough. I used the flat attachment for most of my time testing the massage gun, as I found the bullet head to be a little intense. Compared to the ball heads on other massage guns, the flat head was a harder, plastic design, but I found this helped me really work into my tired legs after a half marathon.

Again, as I mentioned above, there's no carry case for these little attachments, but if I was traveling, I’d probably leave the bullet head at home.

Like the Hypervolt 2 Pro, the Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 has an exceptional battery life — at three hours, it outlasts the Theragun Elite and the Theragun Mini by 60 and 30 minutes respectively. During a week of testing, I didn't need to recharge the massage gun, even after using it for a full 24-minute lower body session from the app. Hyperice does recommend you give the massage gun a four-hour charge before using it for the first time, although during testing, it only took an hour for the gun to charge. Despite its excellent battery life, the lack of screen and Bluetooth connectivity means there's no obvious way to work out how much battery life you have left.

The massage gun has three different speeds — 2200 PPM, 2750 PPM, and 3200 PPM. There's a 40-watt motor, which isn't anywhere near as powerful as the Hyperice Hypervolt 2 pro, but still provides decent power during usage. Several reviews estimated the Pro's stall force at around 35 pounds, and that felt accurate. I didn't have any issues with recoil when testing the massage gun, as was able to work into bonier areas of my body (ouch). That said, when using the gun at its top speed, it does wear your wrists out after a while, although this is probably true of most massage guns.

Reviewers estimate the stroke length (the distance the attachment and shaft extend from the gun) to be around 10mm, which isn't as deep as a lot of the more expensive guns on the market but is to be expected of the smaller, more portable ones. During testing, I found the noise levels to be around 55-65 decibels, which is comparable to most of the popular massage guns on the market.

Even after using a massage gun as a recovery tool for years, I still prefer to follow a routine, so I know how long I should be spending on each area of the body, and any areas I should avoid. (Here's how to know when you shouldn't use a massage gun). With that in mind, the Hyperice app is a little disappointing, especially when compared to Therabody.

The app itself isn't very user-friendly — I struggled to find a routine, and as the Hypervolt Go 2 couldn't connect to the app via Bluetooth, there's no indication of force, or what speed you should be using the gun at — the addition of both would be great for beginners. I also found a lot of the routines were pretty long, my go-to lower-body sequence took 24 minutes, which is as long as my strength workout on some days. That said, I liked the in-app timer and the video demonstration with a voice-over that gave me instructions and tips. I also liked seeing a real person using the gun, rather than a diagram.

The Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 is an excellent, lightweight, affordable massage gun, best suited to those looking to get all the perks, without the price tag. I loved how long the battery lasted, and how light it was, both while using it, and when chucking it in my gym bag.

If you’re looking for a more powerful massage gun, however, you’ll want to shop for the Hyperice Hypervolt Pro 2, which also comes with more attachments for a varied massage. That said, if you’re completely new to using a massage gun, the Hyperice app isn't all that user-friendly, so I’d recommend finding some other routines to get you started.

Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past five years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements, you'll find Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy.

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