We reviewed the Hyperice X Knee – here's our take

We all know that browsing products online isn’t the same as taking them for a test spin, so we’re here to help. In our series of in-depth reviews, our editors pick out products you may be curious about and provide the lowdown on all their features.

This time, we’re reviewing Hyperice X Knee, which targets the knee with advanced hot and cold therapy. Around two years ago, I developed IT band syndrome while training for a half-marathon. I tried physiotherapy, massage guns, taping and more, but unfortunately the pain recurs from time to time, which is why I was drawn to the Hyperice X Knee and its promise of long-lasting and sustained relief. If, like me, your knees are worse for wear due to overuse, this might be just the fix. Read our review to learn more about how it works, then head to Cathay Shop  to purchase it. 

A little bit of background

Hyperice X Knee provides on-demand contrast therapy. Cold therapy offers pain relief and reduces inflammation and swelling around the knee, while hot therapy reduces muscle soreness, tension and aches. Switching between heat and cold therapy allows you to reap the benefits of both – in particular, it can improve circulation for relief in the knee joint and tissue. The lowest temperature is approximately 5°C and the highest temperature is approximately 30°C, and it can switch between them within 60 seconds. 

Designed to fit adaptively without cords or wires, you can move around freely while using the device. It's also fully automated, so you can say goodbye to ice packs, ice baths, heating pads, and hot and cold-water immersion – and the additional prep time that these traditional methods require. Its battery life is said to last 90 minutes, and it comes with an AC cable, 9V charger, as well as three minimisers and three extenders.  

First impressions 

The Hyperice X Knee has an intuitive design. To use it, simply place the white circle over your kneecap and then use the three Velcro straps to achieve a secure fit. After switching it on, connect to the Hyperice App on your phone with Bluetooth, search for the Hyperice X Knee device, and use the app to start one of the 14 pre-set programmes.  

On the app, you’ll find a brief description of each programme, which includes cold, hot and contrast routines. The shortest is a 10-minute pre-exercise warm-up, while the longest is a 24-minute post-exercise cooldown. Each routine has a recommended duration and temperature, but you can adjust these to your liking. There's a bar that shows the temperature transition throughout your routine – from cool to cold, warm to hot, or cold to hot.   

I was impressed that the Hyperice X Knee was colder than an ice pack and hotter than a warm compress – not to mention how quickly and seamlessly it changed temperature. As someone who typically uses an ice pack, I found this device more convenient. And while I was unable to road-test the device while out and about, I was able to multitask and comfortably walk around the house with it on.   

Over several weeks, I developed a routine, combining the Injury Maintenance and the Soothe Sore Joints programmes which last 20 minutes each. The former gets you on the road to recovery from chronic pain with chilled therapy, while the latter loosens stiffness, soothes sore muscles and boosts overall wellness with heat therapy. 

Any cons? 

The app wasn’t the most user-friendly and slowed down the process of using the device. Before deciding which programme to use, I wanted to read through the descriptions on their individual pages. However, each time you enter a new programme page, you have to wait a while to select the Hyperice device and reconnect it. Also, while you’re in the middle of a programme, you can’t leave that page, even if it’s just to learn about another programme.  

While the device claims to have a battery life of 90 minutes, I only managed to complete two to three sessions on full charge. Once there’s an alert on your app that your device is running low on battery, it won’t let you continue, so my programmes were often cut short. I also had some difficulty using the device while it was charging.

Finally, I wish the device would be able to target treatment to injured areas, instead of simply activating cold or hot therapy on the entire knee. This feature would be a great addition to the app, potentially with a diagram that allows you to click on different parts of the knee.  

Final thoughts   

While this device delivered on convenience and provided a range of temperatures that it swiftly transitioned between, I didn’t experience drastic improvements in terms of pain relief, inflammation or soreness. However, this might have to do with the fact that I mainly experience outer knee pain due to IT band syndrome, which the Hyperice X Knee isn’t specifically designed to target. This device may be better suited for those who experience more general, widespread knee pain.