When you are suffering from muscle aches and pains, a good massage can be worth its weight in gold. Now getting a professional quality, trigger point deep tissue massage at home is as easy as investing in a massage gun. These devices have become extremely popular recently due to their convenience, deep tissue penetration and overall effectiveness. The two most popular massage guns on the market right now are the Hypervolt by Hyperice and the Theragun G3PRO.
In this article, we put the Hypervolt and the Theragun G3PRO head to head to see who emerges as the winner! We’ll compare them in the key categories and then make an overall judgment to help you to decide which one you should buy.
Design
The design of the Theragun G3PRO features a fully adjustable shaft. You can lock the shaft at any angle that you choose. Overall the Theragun provides you with a natural, ergonomic feel. This is telling, especially once you have been applying pressure for some time.
The Hypervolt feels rather awkward in your hand. The handle is thicker than it should be which makes it a little tricky to grasp onto and even more difficult to maintain your grip on when working at the highest intensity level. To switch the Hypervolt requires two steps, compared to one step on the Theragun. This makes it a little trickier to operate with one hand.
Hypervolt | Theragun G3PRO |
|---|---|
Straight thicker handle | Ergonomic handle |
Percussive Power & Speed
The revamped 2019 version of the Theragun provides you with two speeds, as compared to just one speed for the previous version. The first level provides 1700 percussions per minute. This is designed for parts of the body that require less intensity. Level two ups the intensity to 2400 percussions per minute. This is ideal for your larger muscle groups.
The Hypervolt provides you with three levels of intensity. This is one more than the Theragun. However, the 3rd speed on the Hypervolt is not quite as strong as the second level on the Theragun. Also, the lack of ergonomics on the handle makes this gun not as user-friendly to hold for an extended period. At full speed, then, the Hypervolt requires more muscle power to operate and can cause fatigue quicker than the Theragun.
The Hypervolt makes use of Hyperice’s Quiet Glide technology. This combines all of the component parts synergistically to deliver a powerful stroke without the noise.
In terms of performance, both massage guns provide an effective treatment for the smaller muscle groups such as the calves and forearms at the first level. It is less of a change from Level One to Two on the Hypervolt than it is on the Theragun. At the top level, the Theragun provides a slightly greater intensity than the Hypervolt. Also, the Hypervolt requires quite a bit more manual pressure to be applied by the user.
In general, we feel that the Hypervolt is better for lighter therapy treatment while the Theragun G3PRO is the best choice for more powerful deep tissue massage.
Hypervolt | Theragun G3PRO |
|---|---|
Lighter therapy treatment | Deep tissue massage |
Battery Life
The Theragun G3PRO provides you with a charge of around 75 minutes. However you do get two batteries with your purchase, so you can use it constantly for 150 minutes. This is not as long as the Hypervolt, but you should keep in mind that the Theragun is a more powerful massager and so each session should not take as long. You can also buy additional lithium-ion batteries separately.
The G3PRO's Lithium-ion batteries are swappable for continuous use. The G3PRO cannot be used while plugged in.
The Hypervolt excels when it comes to battery life. You get between three and four hours of life from a single charge, depending on the settings that you use. That is more than double the charge on the Theragun. You do not seem to be able to buy extra batteries for the Hypervolt, however.
Hypervolt | Theragun G3PRO |
|---|---|
Up to 4 hours of battery life | 75 minutes per battery |
Noise
The noise level on the Theragun G3PRO has been reduced from the 2018 model. That is a good thing because the older version of the Theragun was very noisy. It has now been reduced by as much as 50 percent.
The Quiet Glide Technology of the Hypervolt is the noise-reducing function that makes it one of the quietest massage guns on the market.
Hypervolt | Theragun G3PRO |
|---|---|
Very quiet | Quieter than the 2018 model |
Weight
Both the Theragun G3PRO and the Hypervolt are lightweight enough to easily fit into the corner of your gym bag without adding any bulk. The Theragun is slightly heavier at 2.9 pounds, compared with 2.5 pounds for the Hypervolt.
Hypervolt | Theragun G3PRO |
|---|---|
2.5 pounds | 2.9 pounds |
Attachments
The Theragun G3PRO comes in a cool and sturdy carry case that keeps everything in its place and protects them when you’re traveling. It provides you with six different head attachments as follows:
- Dampener
- Large Ball
- Standard Ball
- Wedge
- Thumb
- Cone
The Theragun also comes with an attachment pouch, two batteries, and a battery charger.
The Hypervolt provides you with four attachment heads. These are:
- Flat Tip
- Round Tip
- Bullet Tip
- Fork Tip
These options provide you with the ability to reach into most areas but do not give you the precision control that comes with the extra couple of heads that come with the Theragun G3PRO.
You do not get a carry case with the Hypervolt. This is a major failing, especially when you take into account the price point of this massage gun.
Hypervolt | Theragun G3PRO |
|---|---|
4 attachments | 6 attachments, 2 batteries |
Price
The Theragun G3PRO will cost you between $550 - 600.
A Hypervolt will set you back between $300-350.
Hypervolt | Theragun G3PRO |
|---|---|
Verdict
The Theragun provides better handling and has a more ergonomic design than the Hypervolt. It is also more powerful, providing a higher rate of RPMs, even though it has one less speed level than the Hypervolt. The Hypervolt has double the battery life of the Theragun and is slightly quieter. However, you get more head attachments with the Theragun G3PRO. And, as we can see above the Theragun G3PRO is a couple of hundred dollars more expensive than the Hypervolt.
FAQ:
Hypervolt vs Hypervolt Plus – what are the differences?
The key differences between the Hypervolt and the Hypervolt Plus are that the Plus has 3-speed functions, compared to just two on the original Hypervolt. It also provides you with 5 massage heads compared to four on the Hypervolt. The extra head is the cushion head. It also has a removable and rechargeable battery. You also get a pressure sensor that allows you to monitor the amount of resistance you are putting on the massager. The Hypervolt also has a strong brushless motor. Compared to the 60 watt motor on the Hypervolt, you get a 90 watt motor on the Hypervolt Plus.
Theragun G2 vs G3 – what are the differences?
The biggest difference between the Theragun G2PRO and the Theragun G3PRO is the huge reduction in noise level. The G3PRO is as much as 50 percent quieter than the G2PRO. This has been achieved by way of a complete re-engineering of the gearbox. This brings the noise level down by several decibels.
The G3PRO also has a greater battery life than the previous version. Whereas the G2 had a max battery life of 45 minutes, this has now been extended to about 75 minutes. Just like the previous version the G3 also provides you with two batteries so that you can extend the continuous use to 150 minutes.
You also get an additional speed setting on the G3s as compared to the G2. The two speeds on the G3 are 1750rpms and 2400 RPMs. The G3 provides you with two extra head attachments over the G2. These are the wedge and thumb attachments, designed to target the shoulder blades and lower back respectively.
In making these improvements on the G3PRO, Theragun has had to make a couple of concessions. The stall force has been reduced from 80 pounds to 60 pounds. The G3PRO is also 1.3 ounces heavier than the G2PRO.
Can you take them on a plane?
Yes, you can take your massage gun on a plane. These devices do not come under any of the banned categories issued by the TSA.
Final Thoughts:
Both the Theragun G3PRO and the Hypervolt deserve their status as among the leading massage gun brands on the current market. However, as we have seen from our breakdown of the key features, the Theragun G3PRO provides the overall best performance. The G3PRO is more powerful, more ergonomic, provides you with a carry case and gives you more head attachments. The only area where the Hypervolt comes out on top is regarding battery life. However, the provision of two batteries with your Theragun purchase effectively negates that advantage, making the Theragun G3PRO our massage gun head to head winner.