Travel

I’ve been using this heated back massager for two weeks, and it’s completely upgraded my recovery routine

By Ashley Thieme

Copyright tomsguide

I’ve been using this heated back massager for two weeks, and it’s completely upgraded my recovery routine

Skip to main content

Tom’s Guide

Newsletters

View Profile

Search Tom’s Guide

You May Like

I tried this $129 Hyperice heated massager, and it’s perfect for office workers with a bad back

I have scoliosis, and this heat and vibration pad helped relieve my back pain

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 review

Phone Insights

Phone Best Picks

Phone Deals

Phone Face-Offs

Phone How-Tos

Phone Reviews

Network Carriers

Android Phones

Google Phones

Motorola Phones

OnePlus Phones

Samsung Phones

Nothing Phone

TV Best Picks

TV Face-Offs

Audio Insights

Audio Best Picks

Audio Deals

Audio Face-Offs

Audio How-Tos

Audio Reviews

Over-Ear Headphones

Bluetooth Speakers

Smart Speakers

TV & Audio Brands

Entertainment

Streaming Devices

Prime Video

Paramount Plus

PlayStation

Handheld Gaming

Gaming Peripherals

Connections

Computing Insights

Computing Best Picks

Computing Deals

Computing Face-Offs

Computing How-Tos

Computing News

Computing Reviews

VPN Best Picks

VPN Face-Offs

VPN How-Tos

VPN Reviews

Operating Systems

Identity Theft Protection

Parental Controls

Malware & Adware

Virtual Reality

Augmented Reality

Smart Glasses

Chromebooks

Gaming Laptops

Apple Desktops

Gaming Desktops

Android Tablets

Computing Brands

AI Insights

AI Best Picks

AI Face-Offs

Google Gemini

Apple Intelligence

Mattress Best Picks

Mattress Deals

Mattress Face-Offs

Mattress How-Tos

Mattress News

Mattress Reviews

Mattress Care

Mattress Toppers

Pillows & Bedding

Smartwatches

Fitness Trackers

Smart Rings

Apple Watch

Home Insights

Home Best Picks

Home Face-Offs

Home How-Tos

Home Reviews

Home Topics

Home Appliances

Home Office

Home Security

Home Brands

Popular Brands

View Phones

Phone Insights

Phone Best Picks

Phone Deals

Phone Face-Offs

Phone How-Tos

Phone Reviews

Network Carriers

View Network Carriers

Android Phones

View Android Phones

Google Phones

Motorola Phones

OnePlus Phones

Samsung Phones

Nothing Phone

TV Best Picks

TV Face-Offs

Audio Insights

View Audio Insights

Audio Best Picks

Audio Deals

Audio Face-Offs

Audio How-Tos

Audio Reviews

Headphones

View Headphones

Over-Ear Headphones

View Speakers

Bluetooth Speakers

Smart Speakers

TV & Audio Brands

Entertainment

View Entertainment

View Streaming

Streaming Devices

Prime Video

Paramount Plus

View Gaming

PlayStation

Handheld Gaming

Gaming Peripherals

Word Games

Connections

View Computing

Computing Insights

Computing Best Picks

Computing Deals

Computing Face-Offs

Computing How-Tos

Computing News

Computing Reviews

VPN Best Picks

VPN Face-Offs

VPN How-Tos

VPN Reviews

View Hardware

View Software

Operating Systems

View Security

Identity Theft Protection

Parental Controls

Malware & Adware

View VR & AR

Virtual Reality

Augmented Reality

Smart Glasses

View Laptops

Chromebooks

Gaming Laptops

View Desktops

Apple Desktops

Gaming Desktops

View Tablets

Android Tablets

Computing Brands

AI Insights

AI Best Picks

AI Face-Offs

AI Engines

Google Gemini

Apple Intelligence

View Wellness

Mattresses

View Mattresses

Mattress Best Picks

Mattress Deals

Mattress Face-Offs

Mattress How-Tos

Mattress News

Mattress Reviews

Mattress Care

Mattress Toppers

Pillows & Bedding

View Fitness

Smartwatches

Fitness Trackers

Smart Rings

Apple Watch

Home Insights

Home Best Picks

Home Face-Offs

Home How-Tos

Home Reviews

Home Topics

Home Appliances

Home Office

Home Security

View Outdoors

Home Brands

Popular Brands

iPhone Air Review
iPhone 17 Pro Max Review
iPhone 17 Review
Meta Ray-Ban Display
Best laptops

Best Mattress

Don’t miss these

I tried my first vertical mouse to reduce muscle strain and I won’t be going back — and it’s only $27

Mattress Toppers
Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper review: Cooling support for back pain and sagging, thin beds

Smart Rings
Oura Ring 4 review: the new gold standard for smart rings

Bored with the gym? These 3 gadgets are game changers for my motivation

I tested the new Suri 2.0 toothbrush and it fixed my only problem with the original

Gaming Peripherals
I took my remote PS5 gaming setup to the next level with this phone controller — and I won’t be going back

Pillows & Bedding
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Neck Pillow review 2025: Soothing support for side and back sleepers with neck pain

Home Office
I’ve Been Using Herman Miller’s Vantum Gaming Chair For A Year And It’s The Perfect Gaming/Office Chair Hybrid

Gaming Peripherals
I spent the weekend playing PS5 and Switch 2 games using the GameSir G8 Plus — and its performance and versatility blew me away

The Hypershell X Ultra is the personal exoskeleton that puts a literal spring in your step

I tried this $129 Hyperice heated massager, and it’s perfect for office workers with a bad back

I have scoliosis, and this heat and vibration pad helped relieve my back pain

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 review

Hurry! Our favorite massage gun is on sale for Prime Day

Last chance! I’m a personal trainer, and my favorite recovery tool just dropped by $200 in the Prime Day sales

I’ve been using this heated back massager for two weeks, and it’s completely upgraded my recovery routine

Like a great big hug

Ashley Thieme

26 September 2025

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Recommended

(Image: © Tom’s guide)

Tom’s Guide Verdict

The Hyperice Venom 2 Back, with nine vibration and heat settings, has become a key part of my recovery. It heats quickly and is effective, offering three hours of battery life. The app also helps to visualize treatment. It’s comfortable to wear, but the only downsides are no battery indicator and a lack of portability.

$214.97 at NIKE

$269 at Amazon

$269 at Competitive Cyclist

$269 at Best Buy

9 vibration and heat combinations

App control

Immediately effective

Good battery life

Comfortable to wear

No battery life indicator

Large, so not entirely portable

Best picks for you

We’ve spent years testing the best massage guns — these are the 3 to buy

I’ve tested this ergonomic standing desk for more than 8 months — and it’s the perfect remedy for my sore forearms

11 best foam rollers 2025: tested and reviewed by our team

Why you can trust Tom’s Guide

Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what’s best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: Specs

Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: Price & availability

Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: Design

Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: Performance

Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: Battery life

Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: App

Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: Verdict

Anyone who knows me will tell you that my favorite thing to do is complain about my bad back. After years of being slumped over a hockey stick, I have lower back pain that actually renders me motionless some days.

But when I’m not being overly dramatic about it, I can recognize that adding some heat to the routine will relax my muscles and make everything feel better. If you’re considering one of the best massage guns to help with your back pain, I recommend looking at the Hyperice Venom 2 Back.
The Venom 2 has nine different combinations of heat and vibration to activate the muscles, increasing blood flow to the area and prompting recovery. It is immediately effective and, not to mention, extremely comfortable to wear. Control from the app and good battery life mean it is incredibly reliable too.

My only issue is that there is no battery life indication to let you know when the battery is low, and since it is so large, it’s not entirely portable.

You can find out more by reading this full Hyperice Venom 2 Back review.

Hyperice Venom 2 Back (Black) at NIKE for $214.97
Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

48 x 11 x 2 inches

Up to 3 hours

Vibration settings

Heat settings

Connectivity

Neoprene, silicone
Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: Price & availability
The Hyperice Venom 2 Back is available for purchase at Amazon U.S. for $269 and at Amazon U.K. for £249. The Venom 2 also comes in different sizes to fit the leg and left and right shoulder, and these are all the same price.
Unlike other wrap-around back massagers that use rollers or kneading mechanisms, the Venom 2 uses vibrations to activate the muscles. This is also different from hand-held massagers like the Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Pro ($349) or the Bob and Brad M7 Plus Mini Massager ($89), which just knead the muscle.

Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
For a smaller-scale option that utilizes vibrations to activate muscles, the Hyperice Venom Go is a great choice. This is much smaller and adheres to the skin with reusable sticky pads, but provides the same vibration and heat therapy.
Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: Design
The Hyperice Venom 2 Back is very comfortable to wear throughout the treatment session. I even found myself walking around with it on after I had done my 10 minutes of heat and vibration therapy — it feels a little like a hug.
The device measures 48 x 11 x 2 inches, and the strap that wraps around the torso is adjustable with velcro, so I was able to get a super secure fit. The wrap weighs 1.04kg, so I could definitely feel it, but it’s not an uncomfortable weight, and I was still able to walk around while using it. But the size makes it pretty large and not entirely portable if you travel a lot. In that case, something like the Hyperice Venom Go would be better.

(Image credit: Tom’s guide)
There is a large silicone area at the back of the Venom 2 Back with four pods that heat up and vibrate. When the wrap is on, these sit comfortably on either side of my spine, so there is good coverage across my lower back. It can also be moved and tightened higher up, but it’s harder to move around when positioning the device like this.
The pod is built into the strap of the wrap. Since I had previously tested the Hyperice Venom Go, I knew what to expect with the controls of the device.

(Image credit: Tom’s guide)
There is a power button on top of the pod with vibration and heat settings on its side. Three settings for both of these change with the number of times the button is pressed. There is also a port for charging the device with the included charger at the bottom of the pod.
Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: Performance
The Hyperice Venom 2 Back is now something I regularly reach for after a busy day as a way to unwind and relax. I carry a lot of tension in my lower back, likely from sitting at uncomfortable desk chairs and slumped over a keyboard all day, and this helps to relieve my aches almost immediately. I have combined the heat and vibration therapy of the Venom 2 with some light stretching, and my muscles have never been so relaxed.
There are nine possible combinations of heat and vibration settings, so I was able to get the right treatment effect no matter how sore my muscles were. Three heat options are available, including 113°F (level 1), 122°F (level 2), and 131°F (level 3). There is no waiting around, and the pad heats up instantly.

(Image credit: Tom’s guide)
I used the wrap over my clothes as it gets very hot, and I wanted to avoid burning myself. This didn’t affect the performance of the wrap at all, though, and I could still feel how effective the vibrations are. These heat options are higher than what is available with the Hyperice Venom Go, which only reaches a temperature of 113ºF.
There are three vibration settings on the Hyperice Venom 2 Back: steady, intermittent, and pattern. Heat or vibration can be turned on and off independently. You can also tailor the length of time you use the wrap for; a 15-minute session worked well for me and was enough to make me feel relaxed.

(Image credit: Tom’s guide)
As a woman, this made my monthly aches so much easier to deal with, as I often experience a lot of cramping around my lower back. This wrap was literally a godsend and made my cramps bearable.
Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: Battery life
The Hyperice Venom 2 Back has a battery life of up to three hours. This depends on which settings you use, so if you use a lower heat, the battery will last longer. I did 15-minute sessions with the wrap, and after charging it fully, I was able to use it eight times before it needed another charge. I mostly used the wrap on the highest heat setting and the steady vibration.

(Image credit: Tom’s guide)
The wrap also comes with plug adaptors to easily charge up the pod that controls the settings. Charging fully took around an hour. However, there is no indicator of when the wrap may need to be charged, so when I was using it, it simply stopped.
Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: App
The app makes controlling the Hyperice Venom 2 Back an absolute breeze. I connected the wrap to my phone using Bluetooth and selected the device in the app. From the app, I can alter the heat settings using a slider and select which vibration setting I want to use. I can also alter the time of the session, making it longer or shorter depending on how sore my muscles feel or how much time I actually have.

(Image credit: Hyperice)
When I made changes in the app, the effects were instant, and I could feel the wrap cooling immediately when I turned the heat down.
Hyperice Venom 2 Back review: Verdict
The Hyperice Venon 2 Back is a new staple in my recovery routine. With nine vibration and heat settings, I can easily tailor therapy sessions to suit my needs. And having the app to do this meant that I could visualize my own treatment plan.
The wrap heats really quickly and is immediately effective, and thanks to a three-hour battery life, I didn’t need to worry about charging it every day. It’s also extremely comfortable to wear, and I was able to move around while using it.
My only issue is that there’s no battery life indication, so I couldn’t judge when I needed to charge the wrap for another full session. Since it’s so big, it’s not entirely portable if you travel often. In that case, I’d recommend the Hyperice Venom Go, but the Venom 2 back is a brilliant option for anyone who suffers from lower back pain.

Hyperice Venom 2 Back: Price Comparison

$214.97View

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

powered by

Ashley Thieme

Social Links Navigation
Staff writer, Reviews

Ashley is a staff writer on the the Reviews team at Tom’s Guide. She has a master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and a BA in Journalism, Media and Sociology. She has written for titles including Women’s Health UK, writing health and wellness stories, and Virgin Radio UK, specializing in entertainment news and celebrity interviews. She has reported on a variety of topics including music, literature, motorsport, entertainment and health. She has previously reviewed live music events, books, and wellness products but discovering the top audio equipment on the market is what she does best. When she is not testing out the latest tech, you can find her either curled up with a cup of tea and a good fantasy novel or out hiking.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

I tried this $129 Hyperice heated massager, and it’s perfect for office workers with a bad back

I have scoliosis, and this heat and vibration pad helped relieve my back pain

Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 review

Hurry! Our favorite massage gun is on sale for Prime Day

Last chance! I’m a personal trainer, and my favorite recovery tool just dropped by $200 in the Prime Day sales

Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper review: Cooling support for back pain and sagging, thin beds

Latest in Fitness

2 expert running coaches reveal why running in the cold could actually be better for you — and how to stay safe doing it

Asics just dropped a huge fall sneaker sale — here’s my 15 favorite styles to shop now

Neither running nor swimming: Boost cardiovascular health over 60 with this workout

These 25 fall fitness deals are under $50 — shop affordable finds from Nike, Adidas, Hoka and more

I’m a weightlifting coach — 5 ‘old-school’ exercises that still build functional strength and muscle all over

I’m a weightlifting coach — there are 3 times I prefer resistance bands over barbells to build strength, power and stability

Latest in Reviews

This is the most beautiful air fryer I’ve ever seen — but thankfully it’s not just a pretty face

I’ve been using this heated back massager for two weeks, and it’s completely upgraded my recovery routine

This $150 pair of ANC earbuds are the perfect budget alternative to the AirPods Pro 3

I’ve been using the Coway Airmega ProX air purifier for a month and it performs better than it looks

Ghost of Yotei is a cinematic and visually stunning PS5 sequel, but I wish it didn’t play things so safe

Cozy Earth Bamboo Sheet Set Review 2025: Luxuriously soft and cooling for those prone to sleeping hot

LATEST ARTICLES

This household hack dissolved limescale in minutes — and you only need these two kitchen ingredients

Spiders are probably hiding in this overlooked spot inside your home — you’ll want to check it right now

I’ve been using this heated back massager for two weeks, and it’s completely upgraded my recovery routine

This one feature reminded me why an iPhone and AirPods are the perfect pairing

Your weekend binge list: 12 best new shows and movies to stream on Netflix, Apple TV and more (Sept. 26-28)

Tom’s Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Terms and conditions

Contact Future’s experts

Privacy policy

Cookies policy

Accessibility Statement

Advertise with us

Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street,

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait…