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Hydragun is a massage gun designed to be used after sports (sports recovery).

Massage guns are shaped like a portal electric drill, and it works by pounding your muscles to reduce the tension and soreness in the muscles. It seems to be an in-thing now, and even my wife also wanted it.

Hydragun retails for S$399 and shipping (2-day shipping) within Singapore is free. Shipping within Singapore and Malaysia is by Aramex, and for the remaining countries, it is by DHL Express.

To get S$50 off the Hydragun, you can use this discount code: LESTERCHAN50. The discount code is valid until 23:59, Tuesday, 6th October 2020. It is also limited to the first 20 redemptions.

I know there are alternative Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) massage guns on Lazada or Taobao that retails for less than S$50.

However, the Hydragun is not an OEM massage gun. It is designed in Singapore by Hydragun’s product team and made in China. I got the confirmation from Hydragun.

The Hydragun was designed in Singapore by our product team, after a rigorous research and development process that involved working with our manufacturer to customize key components to come up with what we feel is a well-rounded, front-of-class configuration of specs.

Unboxing
The design and packaging feel premium, something you would expect if you are paying almost S$400.

When you opened up the box, you will see a hard carrying case containing the Hydragun, six attachment heads, a charger, three replacement rubber rings, and an instruction manual.

The instruction manual is probably the best quality instruction manual that I came across.

6 Swappable Attachment Heads
Included in the packaging are six swappable attachment heads. Out of which, two flat heads are made of stainless steel.

• Ball Head: For larger muscle groups (glutes, quads, lats, traps). If you do not want too deep a massage or to go around bony structures like the knee.
• Fork Head: For deeper penetration on medium muscle groups (forarms, calves, shoulders). Releases tightness with dual-point targeting.
• Bullet Head: For inner joints, feet, or for deeper penetration. Pinpoints and releases tightness in a particular point on the body.
• Flat Head: For flat muscles (pecs, back) with a wide surface area.
• Steel Flat Head: For a harder massage with a wider surface.
• Steel Round Head: For a harder massage for larger muscle groups.

Design
I had not tried any of those OEM massage guns, so I can’t compare it with the Hydragun.

The build of Hydragun is solid and feels premium with the aluminum casing and silicone grip. Weight-wise, it is heavy (as expected) at 1 kg.

The grip is nano-coated so that it does not leave behind a sticky residue from your sweaty hands.

The body and the grip are attached at a 99° angle. According to Hydragun, this is the most optimal angle alignment between your forearm, wrist, and the gun.

A red ring at the rear of the Hydragun is a nice touch to break up the overall matte black design of the Hydragun.

The charging port is located at the bottom of the grip.

Specifications

• Speed: From 1,200 PPM – 3,200 PPM (Pulses Per Minute)
• Attachment: 6 Swappable Attachment Heads
• Body: Aerospace-grade Aluminium Casing
• Handle: Nano-scale Silicone Grip 99° Handle
• Button: Single Button
• Noise Level: 30 – 50 dB
• Safty: Smart Safety Chip
• Battery Capacity: 2,600 mAh
• Battery Life: 7 Hours
• Charging Time: 3 – 5 Hours
• Weight: 1 kg

Tips
Copy and paste from the instruction manual.

• Start from the lowest setting
  The intensity of the massage gun can be quite strong. Be careful, especially if your body is already sore. Start on the lowest setting and gradually increase the speed from there.
• Avoid bone
  If you hammer away at a bone, you likely won’t cause any damage, but it is not going to be comfortable.
• Start on the larger muscle groups
  Glutes, quads, calves, lats, and traps until you get the hang of operating the massage gun. You can also use your other hand as a guide to identity bony sections to massage around.
• Keep it moving
  Do not press too hard or stay in one spot for too long. Keep the gun moving across different muscles for the best results. Let the gun do the work.
• Less is more
  While a 90-minute massage by actual human hands can feel amazing, you don’t need 90 minutes of using the massage gun. Focus on the store body part for one to two minutes, then move on. Cycle back once in a while if necessary.

To add on the last point, Hydragun will switch itself off after 10 minutes of continuous use to prevent overuse and overheating of the device.

If you encounter that the device auto switches off by itself, do not be alarmed as that is a safety feature, and it is not faulty. Just let it rest for a few minutes and switch it back on again.

Usage
Hydragun is a single button operation. There is only a power button. Press and hold the power button to switch it on or off.

Once it is switched on, press the power again to cycle through six levels of settings (also known as gears) from 1,200 PPM to 3,200 PPM.

The User Interface (UI) of the Hydragun is like a plus sign. Six LED indicators from left to right and another six from top to bottom.

The top three LEDs is the Torque Meter. It is there to indicate the amount of pressure you apply to the gun head.

The bottom three LEDs is the battery level.

Six LEDs from left to right indicate the PPM level that you are on.

Thoughts
My use-case for Hydragun is mostly for massage since I don’t do sports regularly.

My threshold for pain is relatively low, so I always opted for the lightest massage. I am currently using the OSIM uJolly Back Massager which sometimes will not be as enjoyable due to my low threshold for pain.

When using Hydragun, I always start with the first gear, which is 1,200 PPM, and progressively increase it up to the third gear. As the gear increases, the intensity increases, but it doesn’t cause any discomfort. So far, I have not gone beyond the third gear.

For attachments, I am using the Ball Head for general-purpose massage and Bullet Head for feet massage.

Since it is hand-held, you can’t massage your back without needing another person’s help.

Although it will stop automatically after 10 minutes, I have not reached that limit yet for all my massages. Your hands will probably get tired of holding the Hydragun first.

It is really quiet, using my UNI-T Mini Sound Lever Meter, the noise level averages about 47 dB, which is within the range of the specification.

Wife’s Thoughts
My wife is the opposite of me. She has a high pain tolerance, and she expects a lot from a massage device. The first time using Hydragun, she started with gear 1. For subsequent usage, she went straight for gear two as gear one is too mild for her.

She doesn’t like massage chairs because they are rollers based, and hence it is not as targetted and doesn’t offer deeper massage as the Hydragun.

From time to time, her shoulder muscles will feel inflame, and my massage skill is too lousy for her. So at least the Hydragun can help target and loosen her shoulder muscles.

She foresees herself using the Fork Head on her calf if she encounters any cramps in the area.

Using the Steel Heads, you can apply some cream and glide it on your skin. The steel material will make it easier to clean afterward.

The plastic Flat Head is probably the most gentle attachment and is suitable to be used at the back of your neck. If you are feeling adventures, you can even use it for facial massage.

Her go-to day-to-day general massage is the recovery attachment heads (Flat Head, Steel Flat Head, and Steel Round Head). For more specific areas massage, she will choose the remaining attachment heads (Ball Head, Bullet Head, and Fork Head).

Closing Thoughts
I would say at S$399, the Hydragun is a good buy for a massage gun even if you are not using it for sports recovery. For us who don’t do sports often, we use the Hydragun as a general-purpose massage gun.

I can’t compare the Hydragun with the cheaper OEM massage guns that you can find on Lazada or Taobao since I don’t own one. But the Hydragun is a premium product and you can see it throughout the whole product starting from the packaging to the build quality.