The Hypervolt by Hyperice is a handheld percussion massage device with some pretty incredible power. Hyperice is well-known in the sports medicine world as the company behind some of the best products in cryotherapy and compression used by the world’s best athletes. Now, Hyperice is bringing its line of superior products to gamers and eAthletes and, as it turns out, we can get some incredible benefits from these products too.
It’s been a game-changer for many professional esports players and just from my personal experience, I can say that anyone who experiences sore muscles and backaches can benefit from Hypervolt’s unique customized massage experience.
Looks Like A Power Tool, Feels Like Magic
On first glance, the Hypervolt can be a pretty intimidating piece of equipment. It’s large, but not unwieldy. It isn’t as heavy as it looks either, weighing only 2.5 lbs. The Hypervolt works right out of the box and, as soon as you turn it on, the first thing that stands out is how impossibly quiet it is.
Hyperice calls this “Quiet Glide” technology, a patented feature developed in partnership with aerospace engineers that makes the device whisper-quiet, even on the highest speed setting. It isn’t the biggest selling point of the device or anything, but it speaks to the level of quality and consideration that Hyperice puts in its products.
The Hypervolt comes with five different head attachments that all are different shapes and serve different purposes, but Hyperice says that for a majority of users the soft ball attachment can be used on any part of the body. I found it to be the applicator I most preferred.
Hyperice recommends the Hypervolt for sore muscles in the legs, arms, back, and shoulders and, with a little practice, I found it to be extremely easy to use. As an editor and gamer, I spend a lot of time hunched over at my desk and I end up with very sore shoulders and lower back. Using the Hypervolt on the lowest setting, I slide it along my shoulder or back until I find the tender spot and then I hold it on that spot for 30 seconds. It hurts, but the good kind of hurt you get from an intense massage.
The targeted vibrations and percussion is designed to relax the muscle, which has an immediate effect of reducing pain and eliminating that soreness and stiffness. Hyperice also says that the device improves range of motion, promotes circulation, and accelerates warm-up and recovery.
I can use the Hypervolt easily on myself on all areas except just below my shoulder blade (I overdid it a bit playing Until You Fall in VR this week and my shoulder is pretty sore), but my partner was able to hit the spot for me giving me immediate relief. For knots and especially tight muscles that need to be worked out, there is a finger attachment that is better at targeting specific spots. Again, simply find the tender spot and hold for 30 seconds. There are also three speeds, and while I found the lowest speed was plenty of power for me, I can only imagine the serious work the third speed is capable of doing.
Taking Care Of Our Esports Players
Hyperice is taking the same great devices that Lebron James and Blake Griffin use and bringing them to pro gamers for both preventative care and accelerated recovery to help players stay at the top of their game. Injuries in esports are very real, considering the amount of time these players put into mastering their games and the repetitive motions they do with their hands and arms. On top of that, just sitting for extended periods of time can negatively impact circulation and cause soreness in our muscles.
Even if you aren’t a pro gamer, everyone can benefit from the Hypervolt’s percussion therapy. I’m just a schlub that spends too much time at my desk and the Hypervolt blew me away with how quickly it loosened up my aching muscles so I could get back to, well, being a schlub I guess.
Beyond the Hypervolt, Hyperice offers a huge range of recovery, cryotherapy, and vibrating products that are all as unique as they are useful. I also got a chance to try out the Hypersphere, a vibrating massage therapy ball that made my whole body tingle, and the Vyper, a vibrating massage roller that was such an incredible warm up I felt like I could run a lap around the San Diego Convention Center (I DON’T run).
You can check out the entire line of Hyperice products on their website. The Hypervolt in particular is a phenomenal device for everyday use that everyone can definitely benefit from. I use the Hypervolt for just a few minutes every day, and it now has a special spot on my desk. I call it my Hypervolt Bay because it sounds like something you’d find on the Enterprise.
