Hyperice Venom 2 Back Review: Tackling Lower Back Pain & Delivering Muscle Recovery On the Go

In the ever-changing world of health and fitness trends, recovery is currently the buzzword on everyone’s lips. With plenty of devices and methods out there targeting post-workout relief, these days recovery has become a “Choose Your Own Adventure” experience.

But while we’re all loving the new trends of massage guns and cold plunges, there’s still something to be said about tried and tested, staple treatments, like heat and vibration. Their powers combined, this soothing, effective method is a great way to relax away those pesky aches and pains, without any painful myofascial release or dripping ice water.

Hyperice Venom 2 range now available in South Africa

There aren’t many devices that combine both heat and vibration quite like that of the Hyperice Venom 2 range. Hyperice makes some of my favourite recovery products, including massage balls and vibrating foam rollers, and now they’re fanning the flames of heat and vibration therapy with the release of the brand’s all-new Venom 2 products.

The Venom 2 lineup boasts Back, Knee and Shoulder product options that introduce HyperHeat technology to deliver plenty of soothing warmth to key areas in a matter of seconds. These new devices have turned up the heat when it comes to recovery — putting your grandmother’s heating pad to shame. But it’s the Hyperice Venom 2 Back that has caught my attention.

Following on from its highly successful predecessor, the Hyperice Venom Back, the latest iteration of the back recovery tool is significantly different from its first-born sibling, with a much larger treatment area, improved battery life, and the addition of Bluetooth functionality.

To see if the new heated belt could fire up my recovery sessions, I tested the Venom 2 Back for a few weeks at home. Between my normal strength training regimen and cardio sessions, the device had plenty of opportunity to bring the heat.

What is the Hyperice Venom 2 Back?

Designed to help treat lower back pain in an easy, quick, and effective way, the Hyperice Venom 2 Back is the ideal recovery tool for active types, but anyone who suffers from lower back pain can benefit from it. With its convenient wrap-around belt design, the recovery device is convenient to use any time and anywhere you want to enjoy a treatment session.

Rather than dishing out a small fortune on regular sessions with a massage therapist or chiropractor, the Hyperice Venom Back 2 offers a long-term treatment solution that you can enjoy at home, giving you the freedom to fit your treatment in whenever it suits you.

Hyperice Venom Back 2: What’s new?

For fans of the original Hyperice Venom Back, there’s plenty to get excited about when considering upgrading to this new model. For starters, the treatment area of the Venom Back 2 belt has more than doubled. According to Hyperice, the new belt also heats up six times faster than conventional heating pads, with the device said to deliver a quicker, more consistent distribution of heat across a greater surface area.

While the new belt has a much larger treatment area, the device is a lot less bulky thanks to the neoprene belt itself being a lot slimmer and easier to wrap around the waist. The level of compression of Hyperice’s heat and massage belt is also easy to change using the velcro strap. Although compression isn’t its key feature, this is a nice added bonus. The battery life of the recovery device has also increased from two to three hours, and the Venom 2 Back is now Bluetooth enabled.

An updated user interface sees the buttons for the device located around the edge of the control unit, making it easier to operate the Venom 2 Back without looking. There are dedicated buttons for turning the belt on, changing the heat settings and switching between vibration modes. LED lights next to each button indicate which setting the Venom 2 Back is on. This is a small, but very user-friendly upgrade from the previous model, which required you to check the touch-screen display that faced away from your belly, which admittedly, could be a little unresposive at times.

Hyperice Venom 2 Back: How does it work?

This compression, heat and vibration device is super easy to use and offers quick relief for pain and discomfort in the lower back area. The heat and vibration features are easily controlled from the compact unit at the front of the belt with three heat levels (ranging from 45°C to 55°C) to allow for targeted and individualised treatment.

The recovery belt features three different vibration modes, each with a different pattern to switch up your massage game. While the different vibration modes don’t make the vibration stronger, there are benefits to each different vibration pattern. Overall, there are nine different massage/heat combinations to choose from, depending on your preference. The belt can be used for 15-minute sessions at a time (which is more than enough to achieve effective results) before the unit switches off automatically to avoid overheating.

Looking for more control during your recovery sessions? The Venom 2 Back can now connect to the Hyperice app via Bluetooth, enabling you to start and further customise your sessions.

Hands-on with the Hyperice Venom 2 Back

The Venom 2 Back is best suited for lower back issues, and has proven to be a godsend for me on days when my lower back is screaming out for some extra attention. I have used it to relieve strain on my lower back after intense strength training sessions, when not-so-perfect form left my back feeling a little tender. Without fail, every time, it sorts out my back in 15 minutes and I can go back into my next day of workouts with no pain or stiffness.

Furthermore, the updated, comfortable silhouette of the belt ensures it moulds easily to the body for soothing heat therapy that really works. The device is also flexible enough to move with you. The stretchy neoprene straps of the belt allow me to firmly secure the device so that I can still accomplish tasks around the house without it budging during a session.

While designed to treat lower back pain, the Venom 2 Back isn’t more than a one-trick pony. The device can also be configured to be used on other areas of the back. The belt can also be worn like a sling bag, thrown over the shoulder, to provide heat in the upper back area and works quite effectively to target issues in those areas as well.

The heat distribution of the Venom 2 Back is excellent and it heats up rapidly (within a matter of seconds) to allow for consistent heat treatment throughout the 15-minute treatment time. While cheaper options exist for this type of therapy, the Hyperice Venom 2 Back combines heat, vibration, and compression with technology to bring you one masterful device that cannot be beaten by analogue options like heat packs or compression straps.

Hyperice Venom 2 Back: Bluetooth sweetens the deal

Further enhancing the performance of the Hyperice Venom 2 Back is Bluetooth connectivity along with an accompanying Hyperice app. Now this is where things start to get very exciting, especially if, like me, you are the proud owner of multiple Hyperice products.

Firstly, the app makes your Venom 2 Back even easier to use. When using a heat therapy device on a targeted muscle area, like the back, using the control pod can be a bit of a strain. The companion Hyperice app enables you to easily control your device from your smartphone giving you the freedom to fine-tune the appropriate heat and vibration settings without having to fuss too much with the on-unit system. You can also use the app to schedule an exact treatment time for your recovery session if the 15-minute cut-off is too long.

But, the real magic lies in the app’s smart recovery tools and connecting your Hyperice products to your health wellness apps. By connecting to Strava or Garmin apps to your Hyperice App you can customise your recovery program to suit your needs and optimise recovery.

You can receive recommendations for routines based on your movement and track your activity stats all in one place with the accompanying app. Plus, the app also offers guided warmup, recovery, and maintenance routines curated by athletes, trainers, and physiotherapists

For easy-to-follow routines, simply pair your Hyperice Bluetooth device, begin a routine, and let HyperSmart do the thinking. The speed will automatically adjust as you follow along with the guided routine so you can focus on your warmup or recovery. Talk about smart recovery for dummies!

Should you invest in the Hyperice Venom 2 Back?

If you don’t have any issues with your lower back it will be hard to justify the price tag of this otherwise excellent massage belt. But, for those who long for the sweet release from the dull ache that lower-back pain can bring on, the Hyperice Venom 2 Back is worth the premium.

If you’re disciplined enough to use this device religiously then you’ll find it well worth the investment. But, be aware, it’s ideally suited for home use. The Venom 2 Back isn’t compact enough for use on-the-go and you’ll struggle to fit into a gym bag along with your gym gear. It does roll up small enough to be (gently) stuffed into a boot bag and hung in the cupboard when you’re not using it, so it shouldn’t be in the way in-between uses.

There’s no denying the Hyperice Venom 2 range has burned past the competition when it comes to heat therapy. The Venom 2 Back provides excellent relief in a matter of seconds, and I cannot deny the convenience baked into the Hyperice app.

Price and availability

The Hyperice Venom 2 Back is available to buy directly from Hyperice South Africa at a recommended retail price of R4,999.