Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 review

The Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 is a premium massage gun with a premium price tag to match. Everything about the Hypervolt Go 2’s design is luxurious: its ergonomic handle, ease of use and grippy material.

Is this enough to make it one of the best massage guns? If you’ve got money to spend, then of course. The Hypervolt Go 2 is $139, much more expensive than other mini massage guns I’ve tested. Although it lacks premium Bluetooth features found on other Hyperice options, it could be a good supplementary massage gun for traveling (and it’s TSA-approved!).

I’ll discuss everything in detail in this Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 review.

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A ‘mini’ massage gun
• Who is it for? If you don’t want to spend hundreds on a Hypervolt Pro, or if you just want a smaller massage gun
• What does it cost? $139 / £129
• What do we like? It feels nice in my hand, and it’s cheaper than other Hyperice products
• What don’t we like? As with other Hyperice products, it’s really overpriced

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 review: Specs

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 review: Price & availability

The Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 is the cheapest of Hyperice’s massage guns. It’s $139 from Amazon U.S. and £129 from Amazon U.K..

This makes it $200 cheaper than the Hypervolt 2 Pro I reviewed recently, yet $50 pricier than the Bob and Brad M7 Plus Mini. Spoiler alert: Bob and Brad works in pretty much the same way, so I see no reason why you should spend the extra money for the Hyperice.

More premium Hyperice massage guns — like the aforementioned Hypervolt 2 Pro and the $199 Hypervolt 2 — have Bluetooth and app connectivity, which was my favorite aspect of the 2 Pro.

As the Go 2 lacks this feature, I don’t really see how that $139 price tag is justified. It’s so much more expensive than other similarly priced massage guns, like the Bob and Brad options. But I’ll get more into that later.

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 review: Design

As with other Hyperice products I’ve tested, the Hypervolt Go 2 excels in its design. The Hypervolt Go 2 is a beautiful, ergonomic, and high-quality massage gun that works hard to justify its high price.

I say "ergonomic" very loosely: I’m not a medical professional, nor someone professionally knowledgeable about what is or isn’t ergonomic. However, the Hypervolt Go 2 feels comfortable and easy to hold.

It’s made from a grippy silicone-like material, so it’s almost impossible to drop. I found it very easy to grip the handle tightly enough to massage difficult-to-reach areas. This silicone-like material is probably one of my favorite design aspects of the Hypervolt Go 2.

In terms of ergonomics, while the Hypervolt Go 2 isn’t particularly lightweight (1.5 pounds compared to the Bob and Brad M7 Plus Mini’s 14 ounces), it has a nice feel to it. I found the handle easy to grip. On top of that, the center of gravity was well-balanced. I could stretch out my arm without dropping it or having to loosen my grip.

The gun is available in two colors: black and pale gray. I tested the pale gray option, and I found its light color didn’t make it look dirty at all. I was worried it would be a dust magnet, but it wasn’t.

Although it’s not a truly ‘mini’ massage gun, the Hypervolt Go 2 is the smallest gun in Hyperice’s lineup. It’s just 7 inches long and 6 inches wide (with a 2-inch diameter on the actual ‘gun’ part), compared to the 2 Pro’s 10-inch length. I much prefer the smaller size of the Go 2, but I wish it had a larger speed range and came with more attachments.

Unfortunately, presumably, as this is the entry-level Hyperice, the Hypervolt Go 2 only comes with two attachments: a bullet and a flat top. I used the flat top the most, as the bullet was a bit too painful. If you have a tight knot, though, the bullet attachment could be your best bet.

Comparatively, the Bob and Brad M7 Plus Mini has five attachments (one of which heats up) for just $89. I know which massage gun I’d buy.

All in all, the Hypervolt Go 2 is a premium-looking massage gun with a premium price tag to boot. Whether it’s worth its price tag is another question in and of itself: I don’t think it’s worth $139, but if you’re a more serious athlete and you want the luxury brand of massage gun, then it’s the cheapest way to achieve that.

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 review: Performance

It takes a number of seconds to turn on the Hypervolt Go 2. I found myself wondering if it had run out of charge, only for it to then light up green. You control percussion speed with the on/off button at the rear of the body.

As there are only three speeds, a fourth press will turn off the device. I was pretty disappointed to see just three speed settings, as the Bob and Brad M7 Plus Mini has five speeds. As mentioned in the "Design" section above, though, the Hyperice option is much prettier and nicer to hold than the Bob and Brad, so there’s a sacrifice.

As the lowest speed is 2,200 RPM, the Hypervolt Go 2 is a pretty intense massage gun. Even at the lowest speed, I found it too much on my back. I could only use it on my traps, quads, calves and glutes.

When you first turn the massage gun on, it takes about five seconds to accelerate to the desired speed. Honestly, I found this acceleration period more comfortable on my muscles than the minimum 2,200RPM percussion speed.

My boyfriend is much more muscular than I, and he was able to use it on his back with no problems. I would recommend the Hypervolt Go 2 for relatively muscular users, like athletes or bodybuilders.

If you’re a casual user, I’d recommend the weaker and cheaper Bob and Brad M7 Plus Mini.

Unfortunately, there’s no Bluetooth or Hyperice app compatibility. This was my favorite aspect of the $349 Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro, and it at least did some work to justify its premium price.

Even though the Hypervolt Go 2 is $139 — around $50 pricier than similar spec massage guns — it doesn’t have any app functionality. I was majorly disappointed to see this; if it had app functionality, I would see this massage gun as a much better deal.

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 review: Verdict

I’m not saying the Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 is a bad massage gun. It’s perfectly in line with the rest of Hyperice’s range: premium, aesthetic and expensive. It’s not intended for casual massage gun users who may want a quick massage post-workout.

It’s intended for customers who desire the best of the best — it’s kind of like buying a MacBook Pro rather than a Chromebook, when all you’re going to be doing is browsing the web.

The best feature (that almost justified the high price tag) of the Hypervolt 2 Pro is missing from the Go 2; I don’t see the Go 2 as good value. However, Hyperice has a reputation — and an intended clientele — and if you fall into that category, then there’s no reason why the Hypervolt Go 2 won’t be the perfect massage gun for you.

If you want the best of the best and don’t mind spending the dollars, then the Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 is the massager for you.