Hydragun massage gun review: Helps with your muscle ache but the price is a heartache

If you’ve been in the market for a massage gun, it’s very likely that Hydragun massage gun would have crossed your radar…. along with a whole bunch of sub-RM100 options on Shopee and Lazada. So that leads to the question – is the RM1,299 Hydragun worth 12 times the price?

My initial answer was no, so I bought a cheapo one. And when that stopped working, “no” was was my second answer.

But when Hydragun reached out with a review unit, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to answer that question with my body rather than my wallet.

First impressions – The Hydragun first impresses with a premium build and quality accessories

Compared to the cardboard boxes our past massage guns came in, the Hydragun massage gun comes in a hardcover carrying case with a sturdy foam inlay. The cutouts ensure that the gun and each attachment head is held in its proper place. A carrying case may seem unnecessary on the surface but, if you’ve ever lost an attachment head or had one collecting lint and dust, having a proper carrying case makes a huge difference.

Along with the charger, you’ll get 7 attachment heads in the case:

• Ball head
• Fork head
• Bullet head
• Curved head
• Steel round head
• Steel flat head
• Domed steel head

The gun chassis itself is made of aerospace-grade aluminum with a soft-touch material at the handle grip. While that amounts to a premium feel, it also makes the Hydragun an unexpectedly hefty boi at 1.04kg. This weight brings its own pros and cons when it comes to the massage experience – something we’ll get into later.

The quality also extends to the attachment heads. The fully plastic Fork, Bullet, and Curved heads appear to be single-moulded; which means that they won’t have jutting plastic bits that you’ll see on cheaper accessories. And trust us, you don’t want jutting bits on something that’s essentially pounding you hundreds or thousands of times a minute.

The Hydragun massage gun is quieter and pounds your sore spots with more consistency

The Hydragun claims to be quietest massage gun at 30 – 50dB. While I don’t have a decibel meter on hand to measure that, I have no reason to doubt it. With 6 levels of intensity, the soft hum on low settings rises to a dull buzz on max intensity; both of which you’ll have to be within earshot to hear.

But does the Hydragun actually give you a better massage? Yes. Yes it does. By a long shot.

If you’ve only used sub-RM100 alternatives like I have, the first thing you’ll notice is the oscillation of the motor (aka the pounding). The Hydragun gives a consistent and higher rate of percussion, which makes the difference between a therapeutic experience and a gun that just pounds away at you.

As someone who used to think “well, they both do the same thing” when it came to cheaper alternatives, the best way I can explain the difference is like getting a massage from a professional spa masseuse versus a trainee from a shoplot massage center. They both do the same actions, but the experience and the consistency of the experience is completely different.

The higher density foam used in the Ball head also reduces the “bouncing” that happens when you accidentally go over the bony areas. While you’re supposed to avoid these areas regardless, it gives you a wider margin of error while trying to target certain problem spots.

Speaking of targeting problem spots…

Like many things that feel good, the Hydragun is best used with someone else

So far, you’ve been reading the experience of someone whose idea of a workout is walking from his chair to the fridge for a coffee refill. To give the Hydragun massage gun a bigger challenge, it was taken to a martial arts gym where Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu students gave themselves some tendon loving care after a session of grappling and spiderwalking.

While they complimented the build quality and the “nice strong vibrations” the gun gives, they also brought up a good point – you’ll likely need someone to use the gun on you.

“Because you can’t use it at an angle, there might be places that are hard too reach on your own, so you need someone else to use it on you.”

“I just wish they would trade some of the material with something more lightweight. The device might not feel as premium, but would make it more practical”

Although Hydragun has a whole YouTube playlist of videos that teach you how to best use the device and its attachments, I have to agree that some areas – such as my back – requires a certain amount of dexterity to reach, and strength to control due to the weight. While the weight lends to more control, particularly removing the tendency to press further into the tissue than needed, there is a tradeoff where my wrist started feeling tired a couple of minutes in.

None of these setbacks are an issue when you’re using it on someone else though.

If you’re going solo, you might want to consider Hydragun’s Atom Mini Massage Gun, which weighs only 550g (compared to 1.04kg). Either way, reaching certain spots comfortably is a problem that’s endemic to all massage guns.

Is the Hydragun massage gun worth paying RM1,299 for?

Well, this is a tough one. If your budget allows for a RM1,299 massage gun, then the answer is yes – go for it. A single Hydragun  massage gun would be worth more than 12 cheapo options. Coupled with that 1.5 year warranty, I’d say it’s worth the money.

However, this ignores the fact that there are also other branded options (mostly from massage chair brands) out there that cost a few hundred Ringgit less, and may be more suited to your needs. If you don’t see yourself using a massage gun regularly, then the Hydragun’s features and performance may be overkill.

If you’re on the fence, my suggestion is to take advantage of their return policy and try it out for yourself. You can always return it within 30 days if you aren’t happy with it.