The new Hyperice Premier Hips is for anyone in need of some recovery assistance on the hips, glutes or IT band
Men’s Fitness verdict
Hyperice puts a premium on tackling aching hips, glutes and IT band with compression that can go about its business while you focus on deciding where to put your feet up while it goes to recovery work- Focused recovery for hips, glutes and IT band
- Focused recovery for hips, glutes and IT band
- Smartphone app support
- It’s very expensive
- Control unit adds undesirable weight
- A bit fiddly to pack away
Hyperice says it has one mission; to help you move better. How does it do that exactly? By getting you to strap on devices to various parts of your body to surround aching muscles with inflating and deflating chambers of air. This process wants to flush out metabolic waste like lactic acid to speed up your recovery after a punishing workout.
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Its Normatec line focuses its compression-based recuperation on the lower body, with dedicated setups already available for the entire leg or just the calves. The new Premier Hips is for anyone in need of some recovery assistance on the hips, glutes or IT band. These are all muscle areas that are the foundations for good mobility. Whether you’re squatting to lift big or you like to run hard and fast and want to minimise the effects of that more explosive training time.
Like Hyperice’s other Premier recovery devices, these operate wirelessly, letting you get them on in a fast fashion and start delivering the dynamic compression therapy at a range of intensities. It also has the connectivity powers to tap into a Hyperice smartphone app to make sure you’re putting it to best recovery use.
Design
The best way to describe what the Premier Hips are like to use is that it’s a bit like whipping on a pair of very oversized shorts. These aren’t shorts made of soft, comfortable cotton though. Instead, you’ll be surrounded by the same sort of nylon material used in the Hyperice’s Normatec Legs and Lower Legs devices.
Up front are two big buckles connected to straps that keep you strapped in. Clipping them up does feel like you’re about to be prompted to pay attention to a pre-flight safety briefing. The straps are thankfully easy to adjust once you’re in place. Two very large velcro straps ensure the optimal fit to get the most effective treatment.
The Premier Hips aren’t heavy to wear. The majority of its 1.5kg weight comes from the attached control unit. This is where you can choose compression intensity, set the duration of the session and turn on the ZoneBoost mode.
Not having to deal with any trailing wires is a dream. You will need to grab the charging one after you’ve hit the maximum 4-hour battery life. You’ll be able to get a fair few sessions before you have to reach for that though.
When a session is done, they’re straightforward to fold up and store away in the accompanying drawstring bag. They’re more compact than a set of full length compression boots and could be squeezed into a suitcase or simply slung onto your back. They are TSA friendly, which means they are suitable to be kept in carry-on luggage if you’re travelling light.
Features
Compression therapy isn’t new, but it’s now a lot easier to reap the benefits of it in the comfort of your own home. Hyperice’s approach isn’t vastly different from other dynamic compression systems. It places two sets of air chambers that inflate and then deflate at different rates and intensities.
There are seven intensity levels of compression to choose from and it can be used both for recovery and as a pre-workout activation aid. If you want to be more targeted with your session, hit the ZoneBoost button and that will prioritise delivering that dynamic compression more towards the hips or lower back.
You can alternatively control this all from the Hyperice smartphone app. It’s free to download, and once you’ve successfully paired them up over Bluetooth, you’ll be able to adjust intensity, see how much time is left for your session or hit pause if you get interrupted and need to get up.
Performance
The Premier Hips landed at the right time. I’ve been experiencing mobility issues with the hips and glutes, particularly problematic areas. It’s important to state that like other recovery devices, this isn’t going to magically fix an injury. You will still need to stick to those strength and mobility exercises and do all the good things you’re told to do to make sure you’re not having to take more days off training. What it can do is provide support, as you seek to get stronger and better equipped to handle more intense training.
Having tried compression boots before I knew what to expect. Those air chambers, when inflated, apply pressure without ever feeling uncomfortable. Like the boots, you won’t be able to move freely with it on, so prepare to settle in one spot. That was usually lying on the sofa or bed.
Unsurprisingly, that compression here is more noticeable at the hips and around the lower back. You need to make sure the fit is right to better target the lower back, and it is great to use after lifts and more explosive running time. You can use them to warm up as well, but I found it more comfortable to throw on when you have time to settle down and let it go to work.
Like the percussive therapy delivered by massage guns, I have bought into the recovery powers of dynamic compression therapy. What I haven’t bought into so much is just how much it costs to add the Hyperice Premier Hips to your recovery routine. At just shy of £600, you could buy a few of Hyperice massage guns and target those areas for less.
What the Hyperice Premier Hips gives you is a recovery device that’s one of the most comfortable ways to blast air at your hips and glutes to help get you ready to go again.
