Although later at the party than Theragun and HyperVolt, HydraGun is more innovative than any of the other massage guns we’ve reviewed. It’s packed with features that you won’t see on any other massage gun.
Unique Features
First of all, the HydraGun comes with a compact carry hardcase and 6 attachable heads. I know this isn’t very unique, but we have to start somewhere.
What’s more unique is the following:
The high-torque brushless motor is more reliable and longer lasting than no-brush motors, and the reduced noise make it one of the quietest massage guns we’ve tested. The magnet based motor also has a safe stall mechanism.
The safety protection chip let’s you know how much pressure you’re putting on the motor and if it’s going to stall, so you’ll never have to worry if you’re overdoing it (stalling for too long generally won’t cause damage to brushless motors, but it’s not recommended). It also turns the device off after 10 minutes – the recommended use time. If you want more than 10 minutes of massage you can simply turn it back on, although you have to wait a few seconds before that works.
The nanoscale silicone wrapped handle provides better grip without being sticky. We happily believe HydraGun’s claim that it passed the left-handed oil test as it was indeed slip-proof after sweaty sessions.
What’s most impressive, though is that they’ve managed to use a rechargeable battery with 2600mAh capacity, which is good for 6 hours on the lowest speed or 3 hours on the highest speed. With a recommended massage duration of 10 minutes, that comes down to 25-30 uses. That’s better than all the other massage guns we’ve used.
Quality and Ease of Use
The build quality is very good as well. HydraGun prides itself for using aerospace grade aluminum, and although we wouldn’t know how to distinguish that from regular aluminum, we can definitely tell its distinguishing from almost all the other brands that use composite or ABS plastic. The aluminum chassis is stronger and provides better noise insulation while staying light and malleable. Meaning it won’t chip, crack, or wear and tear over time.
It’s not the most lightweight percussion massager of the field, but at 2.3lbs the weight should be acceptable for most users. Moreover, the position of the handle makes the massager easy and comfortable to use. It’s funny how we never thought of this as a problem when using other massage guns, but the 90 degree angle that most handles have can strain your arms, while we’ve never had that problem with the HydrGun and its slightly tilted handle.
Even the extremely lightweight Renpho massager, we feel, is less comfortable than this HydraGun device. This surprised us, but apparently design is more important than weight. Good to know.
Hydragun Experience
Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 restrictions in our area, I couldn’t test the HydraGun while going to the gym. All I used it for was my calfs and hamstrings, before and after a few 5 mile runs, and for massaging my always sore back and neck.
The HydraGun definitely alleviated my running aches, but it wasn’t noticeably better or worse than the other percussive massagers in that regard. That’s probably because I’m used to percussive massagers, though, and know how to use them for reducing my recovery period.
However, I did notice a difference in my back and neck after using the HydraGun. Other devices helped as well, but the HydraGun felt better and either massaged my muscles deeper, or smoother – I’m not sure. The 12 mm amplitude isn’t unusual though, so I think it’s the smoothness, the consistency of the punches. You really feel how smooth and continuous the massage is, not one stroke is deeper or quicker than the other. As a result I’m actually walking around without any aches or soreness in my back now.
The other thing that’s definitely an improvement over other massage guns is the 99º handle. It reduces strains in your arm when using the device, and it even allows you to work on your own neck. Ergonomically, I think it even beats the massage guns with a rotting handle, because in the end you hardly ever use all settings with those, and they usually don’t come with the optimum angle setting of 99 degrees.
If that’s worth the above-average price is entirely up to you, but I can tell you that for me, it has become the go-to massage gun and I’m extremely happy to have found it.
- Brushless motor with high-torque to weight ratio
- Very comfortable to use, thanks to the handle
- The long-life battery needs fewer recharging
- Exceptional build quality, with aluminum instead of plastic
- More expensive than most of the other massage guns we reviewed
- A bit heavy
