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Health & Fitness

Therabody vs Hyperice: Who makes the better smart foam roller?

We pitted them head to head to see how these vibrating foam rollers stack up.

A man and a woman using foam rollers on their hamstrings. Credit: Therabody / Hyperice

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When it comes to workout recovery, it’s hard to beat Therabody and Hyperice, two brands known for their top-notch massage guns. But there are plenty of other devices you can use to level up your cool-down, like a smart foam roller. These devices combine the vibrations of a massage gun with the form of a foam roller for a two-in-one recovery device. Unsurprisingly, these two brands make two of the most popular options, the Therabody Wave, which retails for $149, and the Hyperice Vyper 3, $199. As Reviewed’s fitness writer, I tested both to see how they stack up.

Round 1: Foam density

the Hyperice Vyper 3 and Therabody Wave smart foam rollers.
Credit: Hyperice / Therabody

Like regular foam rollers, you'll likely want to look for the Goldilocks-level density.

Foam rollers come with various densities and textures, but the key is to find one that’s comfortable for you. While the density or “give” of the roller is important, it’s also a personal preference. More dense foam rollers will give you a more intense sensation, while softer foam rollers will feel more gentle but may not get as deep into knots.

The Therabody Wave is a fairly squishy foam roller, and far softer than the Vyper 3. Additionally, the wave-shaped cutouts make for a contrasting textured surface, though I didn’t notice a significant difference in how the raised portions felt to my muscles. Overall, with the power turned off, the Wave provided a gentler rolling experience than the Vyper 3.

The Hyperice Vyper 3 is a denser roller—more like the black foam of our top pick from our standard foam roller test, the LuxFit Premium High Density roller. The Vyper 3 also has a raised, bumpy texture that was more noticeable to me than the Wave’s, er, waves. I personally preferred the Vyper 3’s firmness because denser rollers tend to leave my muscles feeling more relaxed after a cool-down, but some may prefer the more gentle Wave, which still left my muscles feeling relaxed and loose.

Our pick: It’s a tie Get the Therabody Wave from Amazon

Get the Hyperice Vyper 3 from Amazon

Round 2: Massage settings

A man rolling his back with the Hyperice Vyper 3.
Credit: Hyperice

The more massage settings, the better.

The Wave has five speed settings that are easy to change on the roller or through the companion app. The lowest speed vibration feels gentle but provides a pleasant massage sensation, whereas the highest I felt deeper in my muscles. I noticed a difference between vibration settings, but due to the softer texture of the foam itself, I used levels three, four, and five the most.

The Vyper 3 has three speed settings that can be changed on the roller or through the Hyperice app. Though the Vyper has fewer settings, I felt each a bit deeper in my muscles compared to the Wave, I believe because of the roller’s stiffness.

While you’ll get a wider range of sensations with the Wave, which is why I’m giving it the W here, the Vyper is great for providing a deeper, more intense massage if you know that’s what you like.

Our pick: The Wave Get the Therabody Wave from Amazon

Round 3: The companion app

Two women rolling their hamstrings with smart foam rollers.
Credit: Therabody / Hyperice

Having a companion app makes using a smart foam roller much easier.

Both the Wave and Vyper connect to a smartphone app via Bluetooth, and the apps make using the rollers easier. Both the Therabody and Hyperice apps include a variety of pre- and post-workout sessions organized by muscle group as well as sport. Each also has a handful of “wellness” sessions focused on relaxing before bed or energizing first thing in the morning.

Connecting the rollers to their respective companion apps is a simple process and I didn’t experience any technical difficulties on my iPhone 13. Once you start a session, both Therabody and Hyperice let you adjust the intensity of the roller, and you can save sessions you especially enjoyed.

Though the apps are similar, the Hyperice app narrates the session aloud, which I found helpful as it meant I didn’t have to stare at my phone screen to read directions, and it made my cool-downs much easier overall.

Our pick: The Vyper 3 Get the Hyperice Vyper 3 from Amazon

Round 4: Battery life

A woman rolling her hamstring with the Therabody Wave.
Credit: Therabody

How long the charge lasts is important if you use the massage settings every day.

While you could use either roller as a “dumb” foam roller for as long as you like, to use the massage settings you will need to keep them charged. The Vyper’s battery claims to last up to two hours—roughly eight days if you use the roller for about 15 minutes a day—whereas the Wave’s supposedly lasts up to three hours—about 12 days, using it for 15 minutes a day.

Our pick: The Wave Get the Therabody Wave from Amazon

And the winner is…

The Therabody Wave and Hyperice Vyper 3 smart foam rollers.
Credit: Therabody / Hyperice

Both the Therabody Wave and Hyperice Vyper 3 are stellar options.

As far as vibrating foam rollers go, you can’t go wrong with either of these picks. Both are easy to use and feel great on sore muscles. Though I enjoyed using the Vyper 3 due to its denser build, the Wave is the winner, thanks to its five speed settings and longer, three-hour battery life. With the Wave you’ll get a gentle, relaxing rolling session, as well as the ability to crank up the vibrations should you need something more intense.

That said, you don’t need to spend the $150 or more to get the benefits of foam rolling. You can just as readily prevent injuries, boost athletic performance, and improve recovery time with regular use a “dumb” foam roller, which cost a fraction of the price. But if a vibrating foam roller feels better and gets you to roll regularly, it could be worth it.

Get the Therabody Wave from Amazon

Get the Hyperice Vyper 3 from Amazon

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