I tried this $129 Hyperice heated massager, and it’s perfect for office workers with a bad back

“I’ve got a bad back” is a phrase you’ll hear me repeating day in, day out. I have mild scoliosis in my upper back, which can cause aches and pains after strenuous activities, and I think I’ve tried just about every solution out there to ease my symptoms. I never thought that a vibrating pad would be the answer to my woes.

If you’re considering one of the best massage guns to counteract your muscle tension, you might want to first look towards the Hyperice Venom Go: a small, adhesive strap device that combines vibration and heat. Research suggests that vibration therapy can aid with pain relief and muscle rehabilitation. The vibrations activate the muscles, while the heat soothes by increasing blood flow to the area, therefore reducing the effects of any spasms.

The Venom Go can be used anywhere on the body as the reusable sticky pad easily adheres to the skin with the sticky gel. The pod, which sends signals for heat and vibrations, is then attached to the pad magnetically. There are nine possible heat and vibration combinations, and controlling the pod through the app is a breeze. It is also lightweight and compact for use basically anywhere.

But you should be aware that you need to buy refills for the adhesive pads as they do lose their tack. The battery life only lasts one hour, and you can’t check how much juice is remaining.

You can find out more about my experience testing this massage pad in my full Hyperice Venom Go review.

Hyperice Venom Go review: Specs

Hyperice Venom Go review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A vibration and heat therapy device that adheres to the skin with a reusable sticky pad, to help soothe sore muscles. The pod to control the heat and vibrations attaches to the pad magnetically.
• Who is it for? Anyone who needs a quick and reliable recovery method.
• How much does it cost? The Hyperice Venom Go is available at Amazon U.S. for $129 and £129 at Amazon U.K..
• What do we like about it? The Venom Go can be used anywhere on the body, from the back to calf muscles, and has a useful app that gives a quick response time to the device. It is lightweight and has nine possible heat and vibration combinations.
• What don’t we like about it? You only get three 20-use pads with the Venom Go, so you will need to buy refill packs. The battery lasts only one hour, and there’s no way to check battery life meaning the pod switches off mid-use.

Hyperice Venom Go review: Price & availability

The Hyperice Venom Go is available at Amazon U.S. for $129 and at Amazon U.K. for £129. This price is for the device only, but it’s also available for purchase with a carry case. However, with the addition of the case the price skyrockets by nearly $80 to $207 at Amazon U.S./ £210 at Amazon U.K., so I’d recommend skipping it.

The Venom Go is unlike anything else on the market, with the most similar in size and shape being a tens machine. A tens machine is typically small, like the Venom Go, but it works by sending small electric shocks to the muscles, whereas the Venom Go simply vibrates to activate the muscles. The Venom is also different from hand-held massagers like the Bob and Brad M7 or Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro, which use kneading and vibration.

Hyperice Venom Go review: Design

The Hyperice Venom Go is very compact and portable, even without the added carry case. The device weighs less than 0.2 pounds, so when using it at home, I just carried on with my day as normal without it impacting any of my chores.

The device is all black and consists of a vibrating pod and an adhesive pad that magnetically attaches. They quickly snap to each other with zero fuss, and I could even do it easily behind my back.

The pod, which measures 2 x 2 x 1 inches, controls the vibration and heat settings. At the top of the pod is the power button, on the left is the vibration settings, and on the right is the heat settings. There is also a USB-C charging port at the bottom.

There is also a USB charging cable included, and the need for charging is indicated by an amber light. However, I found that when it needed charging it would simply shut off mid-session. When it was finished charging, which took about an hour, the indicator light turned green.

With the device you get three reusable adhesive pads measuring 5 x 3 inches, a similar size to heat packs I would normally pick up at the drugstore. These are how the device fastens to your body, wherever you need pain relief. The pads are reusable and Hyperice says each one can be used 20 times. However, after 4 uses, I noticed the sticky backing had lost some of its stick.

To ensure the pad stayed sticky, I reattached the protective film after to ensure it stayed clean. Refill packs which have three pads and will set you back $29 (at Amazon U.S.) each time, so the price will quickly mount up if you need to use the Venom Go frequently.

Hyperice Venom Go review: Performance

The Hyperice Venom Go is now a staple in my daily routine. Especially after a long hike, which sometimes strains my back; or after sitting at my desk all day like the Hunchback of Notre-Dame. It eases tension almost immediately, and as someone with diagnosed scoliosis, it’s a real game changer.

You can alter your routine to best suit you, with nine possible setting combinations. There are three different heat settings and three different vibration settings, as well as the option to have either function turned off. This made me feel like I was in control of the experience and meant I could get the intensity of treatment I needed just right for every situation.

The three heat options are 105ºF (level 1), 109ºF (level 2) and 113ºF (level 3). At times, I found level 3 to be too hot, so I switched down to level 2 partway through the session. This was easy to do with the app, and I felt the difference in temperature instantly.

When heated, the pad relieved tension in my muscles the same way any heat pad would, and while the vibrations take some getting used to, I felt a difference in how my muscles moved when the vibrations stopped. Where I was stiff before, I could move more freely. But, there is no deep tissue activation with the vibrations, like you would get from the shocks of a tens machine. However, the vibrations did make me feel relaxed. So, while it is therapeutic, it won’t work for larger knots.

Nevertheless, the Venom Go relieved pain well enough that I could still get on with my chores around the house, rather than needing to sit still with a hot water bottle on my sore muscles. If you are looking for something to give deep tissue relief, you’ll want to turn your attention to the Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro ($349), which uses deep amplitude kneading — that means the head of the gun moves back and forth to penetrate deep into the muscle. For athletes, the Hypervolt 2 Pro would be a better choice.

Hyperice Venom Go review: Battery life

The Venom Go’s battery is slightly confusing. There is no way to check how much battery is remaining, so it just stops mid-session. It would be useful if there were an area in the app to check the battery percentage and avoid sessions being cut short.

There is one hour of battery life on a full charge. I found a 10-minute session provided lots of pain relief, so six of those is fairly good going. However, I had to keep a charger on hand as I was using the Venom Go frequently.

Hyperice Venom Go review: App

The app is my favorite thing about the Hyperice Venom Go. The pod connected via Bluetooth to my phone, although I had to reconnect it each time (which was only a minor inconvenience). The heat settings are controlled with a slider, and the vibrations can be selected by their names, which made it very easy to visualize what was going on in my sessions.

Since I was using the Venom Go on my back, the app made it far easier to control as I wasn’t reaching around to press buttons, nor having to detach the pod to see what I was doing. I could change the settings even mid-session. The response time between the app and pod is instant, so I could feel the temperature change immediately.

Hyperice Venom Go review: Verdict

I recommend the Hyperice Venom Go to anyone who needs relief from everyday muscle tension and aches. It can be used anywhere on the body, but I found it very effective for tension in my upper and lower back.

The lightweight and compact design means it’s discreet under clothes and can easily be put in your training bag for immediate relief after a training session. Like I said, it won’t offer deep tissue treatment. The app also enhances the whole experience by letting the user visualize treatment options.

That being said, it isn’t perfect. Although the adhesive pads are reusable, they lose their stickiness much faster than advertised, and you’ll need to purchase pricey refill packs. There is also no way to check remaining battery life on the device, and the battery only lasts for an hour, so have a charger on hand.

All that said, the Venom Go has become an everyday relaxation staple for me after sitting at my desk all day and after a workout. If you enjoy strenuous activity and need deeper muscle stimulation, definitely look into handheld massage guns instead.