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 review: Specs
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.