I tested the Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3, and it proves you don't need to spend big bucks on sports recovery

As someone who is active and has scoliosis, I’m all too familiar with muscle aches and pains. I often use heat and anti-inflammatory medications to get through my day-to-day activities so I can keep climbing mountains and running in the mornings. But it turns out that investing in one of the best massage guns can be extremely beneficial too.

The Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 has been a welcome addition to my recovery routine, delivering effective performance and supported by the companion app. It’s great value for money and has four hours of battery life to carry you through your weekly sessions without reaching for the charger.

There’s no Bluetooth connectivity for in-app control, and there are only two attachments in the device kit. But these could be acceptable sacrifices for the cost savings. To find out more about the percussion therapy device, you can keep reading this full Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 review.

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 review: Specs

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 review: Price & availability

The Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 is available for $149 from Amazon U.S. and £129 from Amazon U.K. The massage gun is only available in black. The Hypervolt Go 3 is an entry-level model with two interchangeable heads, but Hyperice also offers the Hypervolt 3 with four interchangeable heads.

The Hyperice Hypervolt 3 is the option for someone who needs a more robust muscle-care routine with heated heads and pressure sensors, but it is more expensive at $249. But I think the Go 3 offers the best value for money.

The previous version of the Go 3, the Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2, is a little cheaper at $139. I think it’s worth spending an extra $10 on the new model for more speed settings and longer battery life, with four hours instead of the previous three hours.

Other affordable massage guns include the Bob and Brad M7 Plus Mini, which costs $89 and has a higher speed. It also comes with more attachments, including heat and blue light. However, the Go 3 has a significantly longer battery life and 10mm of amplitude compared to the 9mm of the M7 Plus Mini, so it depends on what you need in your own routine. The amplitude is the distance of travel of the head attachment, and 10mm is middle of the road for massage guns and is best for moderate activity.

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 review: Design

The Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 looks very futuristic, but I’ve come to expect this from Hyperice. It has a long oval-shaped handle that meets a long cylinder at the top, which drives the massage gun. It’s a very similar shape to the Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2, but without the cooling vents on the top.

The long handle has padding that’s very comfortable to hold throughout treatment. I found it easy to grip in any position, even when working behind my back. It only weighs 1.6 pounds, so it’s not too taxing to hold. But keep in mind that, although it’s designed for travel, it’s still quite large, measuring 7.5 x 6.8 x 2.4 inches.

It comes with two head attachments: Flat and Wedge. The Wedge attachment gets a little deeper into the muscle by targeting the force to a smaller point, while the Flat attachment is a little more soothing. The heads easily attach to the gun by pushing them into place. But be aware that if you don't push them in far enough, they will pop out when the gun is turned on.

The Go 3 comes with a hard shell case, so you can easily take it with you anywhere. There are two holes to store the attachments and a larger one for the device itself. It also has a mesh pocket for the USB-C cable. I’ve found it very handy for keeping all of the components together.

Controls

The controls for the Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 are easy. You hold down the power button on the back of the device to turn it on and then turn the dial to increase the speed of the treatment. It has five speeds, but I only managed to get up to two since any higher felt quite strong and a little painful — that means the gun is powerful, which is a good thing.

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 review: App

Personally, I don’t believe a massage gun needs an app. In fact, I don’t believe a lot of the devices I test need an app. Call me an app cynic. However, I actually enjoy the Hyperice app.

I also enjoy using the app for other devices I’ve tested from Hyperice, like the Venom Go, because, depending on where it’s positioned on your body, you can’t reach the physical controls, but you can use the app. But with a massage gun, since it’s always in your hands, you can always adjust the controls manually.

The reason I like this app is the guided sessions. These can take you from prep and warm-up to cooldown and recovery, with timers to keep you on track and a video you can follow. The video walks you through the exact workout, and pictures on the side tell you which attachment to use. Since the Go version of the massage gun only has two attachments and the programme is made for the entire range, I had to make do with what I had for some sessions. Downloading the companion app for this device made me feel like I was getting the most out of it.

However, there’s no Bluetooth connectivity for the Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3, so you can’t control it from the app. You just use the app for guided sessions. If you want control over the device in the app, you need the Hypervolt 3.

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 review: Performance

I used the Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 to help with cooldowns during my current training block and for general muscle aches that stem from my scoliosis. I have to say: I’m very impressed and probably the most relaxed I’ve been in a long time.

The massage gun succeeded in releasing knots to improve my range of motion, accelerating warm-up and reducing recovery time. It does this by using percussion therapy, which uses targeted pulses to drive into the muscle.

I have scoliosis at the top of my back, which can lead to shoulder and neck pain, especially if I’m doing a lot of heavy lifting. I use a lot of home remedies such as heat packs and anti-inflammatory gels to help with this, but the Hypervolt Go 3 has added an extra layer to my routine that helps the relaxation last longer. I used speed two for this. More seasoned massage gun users may be able to use higher speeds, but I didn’t need to.

I’ve recently started a new running plan too, so my legs are feeling a little more stiff than usual. I followed the Lower Body Relief guided session in the app and started using the Flat head on my feet before moving to my calves, hamstrings, quads and glutes. I made an effort to implement this routine after each run and saw a huge difference in how I felt the following day.

I’m not a professional athlete, so this gun was more than enough to take care of my aches and pains, but if you need something more intense with a deeper amplitude, you can try the Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro.

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 review: Battery

The Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 had a battery life of up to four hours. This depends on the speeds you're using on the device, but when using the lower speed, I was able to complete my sessions for the week without needing to charge again. It charges via USB-C.

The Bob and Brad M7 Plus Mini, for example, only has an hour of battery life, which is fine for short sessions, but you’ll be charging it often with daily use. It’s worth spending a little extra money to get reliable usage.

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 review: Verdict

The Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 is a value-for-money massage gun. It’s all you need to get started with at-home percussion therapy and delivers an effective performance, releasing tension and supporting my sports recovery. The four-hour battery life is impressive and means I can get all of my sessions in for the week without needing to juice up. I also enjoy the app; although it doesn’t connect to the device directly, I was able to make the most of it by following recommended treatment plans.

But keep in mind that it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the more advanced models in the range from Hyperice. The Hypervolt Go 3 only comes with two attachments and has no Bluetooth connectivity for control within the app.

Still, the Go 3 proves that massage guns don’t really need Bluetooth or extra features. Those haven’t stopped me from reaching for this gun every day.