HYDRAGUN is a new Singapore company that sells a percussive therapy vibrating massage gun, called HYDRAGUN. The company aims to bring about a positive impact to athletes and have worked with many local athletes such as Angela Lee. The HYDRAGUN retails at S$399.
Unboxing
HYDRAGUN comes in a minimalistic white box and inside you’ll find:
- HYDRAGUN massage gun
- Massage heads x 6
- Storage bag
- Charger
- User manual
Tech specs
| Material | Aluminum alloy + Nano silica gel |
| Battery life | Up to 6 hours |
| Motor | Brushless |
| Battery capacity | 2600mAh |
| Stall force | 30lbs |
| Amplitude | 12mm |
| Speeds | 1200, 1600, 2000, 2400, 2800, 3200 RPM (6 settings) |
| Noise | 30 to 50dB |
| Weight | 1.04kg |
How does it work
HYDRAGUN is basically delivering percussive therapy to your muscles. I’m no expert on this field but I did some reading up and here’s what I learnt. Percussive therapy massage gun will deliver vibrations to the muscle and the different tissues of that particular area, which enhances the flow of blood to it. So when blood flows to the targeted muscle groups, it brings oxygen with it which will help with break up pain and soreness that your body is experiencing, and of course the recovery of the muscles. The improvement in blood flow to that muscle group will also help to ‘wake up’ your muscles.
So in short, a percussive therapy massage gun like HYDRAGUN can provide the following benefits:
- Reduces post-workout soreness and improve recovery
- Tool to use for warming up specific muscle groups
Build quality
HYDRAGUN feels really well-built as the main body of the massage gun is made from aluminium alloy. The handle uses a grippy silicon material, which feels nice to the touch. And it seems to be the same material used on the buttons face as well. HYDRAGUN weighs around 1kg and generally feels durable and tough.
HYDRAGUN also comes in a carry case that keeps the gun and attachments neatly in place. It’s a bit big so as an individual it might too cumbersome to bring along the whole bag to my workout. But I think it’ll be great for personal trainers to take HYDRAGUN with them if they were to use a massage gun on their clients.
User experience
I have never used a percussive therapy massage gun before. But when I workout or do sports, I tend to use a massage ball to relieve my knots and aches. I will discuss my experience with HYDRAGUN and discuss its features as I replace it with my usual use of my massage ball.
99º handle
A massage ball is pretty good at reaching the knots but some muscle groups are hard to reach and I’ll end up awkwardly trying to press that muscle against the ball. With HYDRAGUN, it is much easier to target a muscle group. HYDRAGUN says its 99º handle is the optimal angle so that you will not strain your wrist when using it.
I have not tried any other massage guns or any with a 90º angle, so I can’t say for sure that it has an ergonomic effect. But even though the massage gun weighs about 1kg, I did not feel any particular strain on my forearms or wrists when using on my legs or arms. The silicon material used on the handle feels good to the touch, and even if your hands are sweaty it would not feel sticky or gross.
6 different massage heads
Now this is where HYDRAGUN has an edge over my massage ball. As my massage ball only has one type of surface, it can feel a little weak or a little too much at different muscle groups. I alleviate this by changing the amount of force I’m putting on the ball. But with the HYDRAGUN, I can simply change the massage heads to achieve the type of massage I want to induce. HYDRAGUN offers up to 6 different massage heads so you can choose the want that fits your needs.
My traps usually feel very tight and full of knots. By changing the muscle head to the bullet head, I am able to get a deeper penetration into the knots and muscle as compared to when I was using a ball head, or even my massage ball.
You will notice that there are steel variants of massage heads. These massage heads are ideal for when you are using HYDRAGUN over a T-shirt or a pair of tights. Here are the list of massage heads included in the package and its suggested use:
| Ball head | For larger muscle groups (glutes, quads, lats, traps) |
| Flat head | For flat muscles (pecs, back) with a wide surface area |
| Bullet head | For inner joints, feet, or for deeper penetration |
| Fork head | For medium muscle groups (forearms, calves) and back |
| Steel flat head | For a harder massage with a wider surface |
| Steel round head | For a harder massage for larger muscle groups |
6 different speeds
Having more speed options is always better. It’s the same as having more ear tips sizes for your true wireless earbuds will offer you a higher chance of a good fit. HYDRAGUN offers 6 different speeds starting at at 1200 RPM all the way up to 3200 RPM – meaning it has RPM speeds of 1200, 1600, 2000, 2400, 2800, and 3200 RPM. Check out the video below for a sense of the speeds, shot at 60fps on iPhone 11.
As a new user like me, I found having 6 different speeds is really helpful for experimenting and finding the ideal speed for different muscle groups. Some muscle groups I prefer a lower speed, while at some I prefer it to be fast. The permutation of the 6 different heads and speeds is great to find the right impact that I want.
Battery life & Noise levels
HYDRAGUN suggests that each massage session should not exceed more than 10 minutes, and they implemented a safety feature to auto-turn off the gun after 10 minutes of continuous use. As HYDRAGUN is rated to last up to 6 hours per full charge, it is should be enough for a week’s use of workout assuming if you exercise everyday. And if you were to compare it to the TheraGun Prime‘s 2 hours, the HYDRAGUN wins by more than double.
As for noise levels, it is a low rumbling sound when contact is applied and you can definitely hear it if you are in your own room but its does not sound annoying or noisy. If you are using it in a gym where there is going to be music playing in the background, I’m pretty sure the sound that emits from HYDRAGUN would not be an issue at all.
My experience
I go for runs and play bowling occasionally. HYDRAGUN recommends using the HYDRAGUN three times during a planned workout – before, during, and after. For me, I used HYDRAGUN before my run to warm up my muscles, and after during my cool down. If were to run on Monday, I usually rest on Tuesday as I can feel my calves aching from the exercise the day before. After using HYDRAGUN as part of my cool down routine, I did find that my aches were a little more bearable the next day though it is honestly a little hard to test the actual effect with and without the use of HYDRAGUN since I am not an athlete.
Another benefit of HYDRAGUN is that it provides fast relief to any muscle knots that I have. I have stubborn knots at my traps and equipping the bullet head at speed 5 for a minute or so is able to loosen up some annoyance from those pesky knots. HYDRAGUN is convenient and easy to use on muscle groups such as my arms and legs. I find that trying to target my lower back can be a little tricky and tiring, but you can always get someone to do it for you.
Conclusion
If you hit gym or go for runs often, I think having a massage gun is a great tool to add to your regime. It complements really well with any massage balls or foam rollers if you are already using one. It is a quick and convenient tool to use before or after your runs, gym or Classpass sessions.
S$50 off your purchase
HYDRAGUN retails at S$399 and is somewhat in the middle of the price spectrum of massage guns in the market. Theragun is probably the most known massage gun brand, but that costs almost S$500. HYDRAGUN provides a 1.5 year warranty period to give you a sense of security when you are purchasing. They also have a 30-day love-it-or-return-it guarantee, so no harm giving it a shot. Plus, as you’ll be supporting a local company, they are able to ship within 1-2 days. If you having been considering getting a massage gun, HYDRAGUN should be one to consider.
Update: HYDRAGUN team has kindly provided a promo code for you guys if you are interested. Use the code TECHJIO50 for S$50 off your purchase, valid until 6 Oct 2359.