The Hydragun is a device I never thought I would need in my life. Massage guns are becoming more popular as people are looking for ways to relieve sore muscles. Most of us work from home, so getting a professional massage requires more time and luxury. A massage gun can perform a similar service and can help reduce muscle fatigue and tension. For gamers, this is even more important, since we all know the incredibly strange positions we find ourselves in as we work to finish a final boss or get past a particularly hard level, and I know for me, the Hydragun has been invaluable.
The Hydragun is a massage gun with seven different attachments to target different muscle groups and six different speeds to choose from. Designed to relieve pain and fatigue by stimulating blood flow to areas of inflammation. The components of the Hydragun are two thin stainless steel tubes, a thin plastic tube, a softball, a match and a pistol. Most attachments target larger muscle groups, but some can be used for deep tissue massage or bony areas like the toes, and multiple adapters, so you can use the Hydragun anywhere in the world, depending on where the product is shipped from.
If that were not enough, the Hydragun comes with extra goodies like a semi-soft travel pouch, protein bars, eye gel, nasal spray, and a playlist to help you unwind. The massage gun is made from high-quality materials such as aerospace-grade aluminum and nano-silicone (for the handle). The six-point attachment to the gun is also very strong.
“…since we all know the incredibly strange positions we find ourselves in as we work to finish a final boss or get past a particularly hard level, and I know for me, the Hydragun has been invaluable.”
The Hydragun was a great tool for massaging large muscle groups but can be a little too aggressive for smaller areas like the neck and shoulders. If you use it in these areas, you might feel your brain shaking even at the lowest setting. It may be uncomfortable, but if you can stand it for a few minutes, the Hydragun can really help relieve the aches and pains you feel after a long day in front of the computer or game console.
In our testing, the Hydragun was a fantastic option for managing the everyday aches and pains of sitting at a desk all day, or just resting after a strenuous workout. I used it often after I found myself not moving for hours at a time trying to finish a review, or when I had back pain from gaming a bit too long on the PC. The balance between quality and user experience is excellent in terms of value for money. It is also surprisingly quiet for a massage gun.
The Hydragun is a bit heavy but still handy and easy to use. This weight can be attributed to the powerful battery and motor, which outperforms other options on the market. The Theragun Pro, for example, uses replaceable batteries that only last up to 150 minutes, and the engine provides a top speed of 2,400 rpm compared to the Hydragun’s 3,600 rpm.
The rear panel of the Hydragun has a single control button made of silicone, which is the same as the handle. The centre power button turns the gun on and off and cycles through 6-speed settings. LED indicators for speed and battery level are placed around the power button. There is no app support unlike competing massage guns, but the buttons are incredibly easy to use, so you should not miss the app or ever have issues using the device, at least in our testing.
The circular rear panel also has a “deviation” indicator on the top edge. It senses the torque pressure and lights up if you over tighten. While this option is nice to have, we didn’t see it appear during testing as we didn’t press it hard enough to trigger an alert.
The Hydragun offers six different speeds from 1,200 rpm to 3,200 rpm. Depending on your specific application, even the lowest settings are fine. We found that an intermediate setting of 2,000 or 2,400 rpm was optimal for 2 minutes of activity after particularly intense exercise. You can test to find the settings that work best for you. The manual gives some starting points, and I found it was a matter of taste, and how sore a select muscle group actually was.
In typical fashion, I did not read the manual before testing the product for the first time, and was quick to discover ways you should not use the Hydragun. One of the biggest things I should warn about is the need to be careful when using the Hydragun in or near bony areas such as around the spine or near the ankle. The bullet tends to bounce off the tight spots, which, although not painful, can cause the device to pull away from the body unexpectedly, and that is never good.
While less expensive than competing options, the Hydragun is not cheap. It will set you back around $399 USD. The device is ideal for relieving daily aches and pains associated with more serious muscle injuries. During our testing, we found that using the Hydragun for a few minutes each day helped to significantly reduce the pain of particularly severe calf muscle injuries and allowed the area to heal completely. But like anything made for health, results may vary, but for my time with the Hydragun, I found it a fantastic tool for my health arsenal, and did wonders for the many ways I hurt myself sitting at my desk, gaming or just not sitting the way I should.
