The Lab – Hyperice Normatec 3 Leg System – Rapid recovery thanks to compression
Whether before or after training, the Normatec 3 Leg System of American brand Hyperice is intended to significantly shorten the recovery time of your legs with the help of compression. The associated Hyperice app has preconfigured recovery programs and a wide range of personalisation options. Read on to find out how the Normatec 3 Leg System fared in our test.
Greetings fellow weekend warriors! We’re able to track our sleep, our recovery, and our effort. But what else can we do to improve our performance? We can shorten our recovery time and thus train more, obviously. With the Normatec 3 Leg System, Hyperice have introduced the successor to the – you guessed it – Normatec 2, and we didn’t pass up the opportunity to put it to the test.
What’s it all about, and who exactly are weekend warriors? Weekend warriors are people who pursue a sport, such as cycling, like they’re professional athletes. But since their weekdays are consumed by regular day jobs, they can only do so on the weekends. So they use the time they have to the fullest. Of course, it’s all the better when you can shorten your recovery time, so you can make the most of every day available.
Ask your doctor, not your pharmacist
We have no medical training and no medical laboratory to verify the effectiveness of the Hyperice Normatec 3 Leg System. However, you should find various studies on the subject, proving the positive effects of compression after training, in particular – compression has been shown to help reduce muscle damage and soreness.
Warning: please don’t use compression if you have acute thrombosis, a heart condition, or open wounds. In general, we recommend consulting your doctor beforehand, even if compression therapy is usually safe for healthy individuals.
When inflated, you can’t move your legs.
How do the compression boots of the Hyperice Normatec 3 Leg System actually work? The boots are made of an airtight fabric, which is divided into 5 overlapping zones per leg. The boots are placed around the legs and closed with zippers. You then connect the boots to the control unit. This includes the battery, the compressor, and a simple user interface. We mean simple in a positive way because you can get started by pressing just 2 buttons.
Having few buttons simplifies the user experience, but doesn’t allow for programmable presets.
To meet their customers’ wide range of requirements, Hyperice have equipped the control unit of the Normatec 3 with Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to call up different modes or switch off certain zones via the associated app. Switching off certain zones can be especially convenient for those with shorter legs, as the upper zone can easily be deactivated. The modes offer preconfigured programs that can be used as a warm-up, for relaxation, or for targeted recovery, like after a run for example.
The connectors are easy to use and airtight.
However, it is a pity that you can’t assign shortcuts to the control unit. If you want to treat yourself to a special massage or just deactivate a zone, you must go through the app every time. At the time of the test, we weren’t able to create profiles in the app either. You have to set the zone deactivation every time you use it – it would be great if Hyperice let you save your settings in profiles.
Get comfortable!
Once you’ve selected the right program in the app, you’re ready to go. With a surprisingly quiet hum, the control unit springs into action and you can quickly feel air being pumped into the various zones. Once you have adjusted the intensity to suit you, you will feel a pleasant, firm pressure that moves alternately across the zones. We found it wonderfully soothing and relaxing. It’s perfect for laying back and reading the latest edition of GRAN FONDO.
The battery of the control unit is specified to have a 3-hour runtime, which we can confirm. So you can leave the charger at home on weekend trips, depending on how intensively you use it. It also works just fine while plugged in. Pro tip: check whether the battery is sufficiently charged and rather plug the control unit before you get comfortable. It’s very difficult to walk to the shelf and get the charger with the Normatec 3 Leg System in place.
Does it work?
According to some studies, compression therapy is supposed to help speed up recovery after training, which is precisely what we used the Hyperice Normatec 3 Leg System for. We also let it massage our legs on non-training days for relaxation. Due to the hum of the compressor and the rhythmic compression, it quickly soothes you. Your muscles should feel nice and relaxed after the massage, which radiates to the rest of the body.
It also felt pleasant when applied to severely sore muscles, and seemed to be beneficial. We can’t say with certainty whether it actually limited the severity of the muscle soreness or sped up the recovery. Nevertheless, it is nice to have your legs massaged by a € 1,000 device.
Our conclusion on the Hyperice Normatec 3 leg system
It’s easy to use, and feels great both during and after the massage. The Hyperice Normatec 3 Leg System delivers what it promises, at least subjectively. Thanks to customisable modes and a wide range of adjustment options, the Normatec 3 compression boots can be a worthwhile investment for ambitious athletes.
Tops
- pleasant feeling during and after the massage
- quiet compressor
- control unit is easy to operate
Flops
- no individual profiles with saved settings
- the price
For more information, visit hyperice.com
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Words: Christoph Staudinger Photos: Antonia Feder
