Dowin Massage Gun Review

REVIEW – I have owned a Hyperice Hypervolt massage gun for just over a year.  I guess their patent on the technology has recently run out because I am seeing a plethora of knockoff massage guns popping up on Amazon that look amazingly just like the Hypervolt.  One of these is made by a company out of China called Dowin.  They sell for about $140 less than the best price I can find for the Hypervolt, plus they come with a case and few extra attachments.   Let’s see how it compares!

What is it?

The Dowin massage gun is exactly what it says it is.  It is a massage gun.  The keyword is the word ‘gun’.  This is not one of your ‘magic fingers’ easy massage devices that you can find at places like Brookstone and Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  This is a therapeutic percussion massage gun that can give a deep tissue sports massage.  In other words, if you put this on sore muscles, it will hurt, but you will feel better if you can stick it out and work out the soreness.

What’s in the box?

Besides the main case and smaller case holding the attachments pictured in the main image, the following items come with the massage gun.

• The massage gun itself, with the battery attached
• Charging cord
• Six different head attachments.  (large and small spherical heads, U-head, cylindrical head, flat head, and an air cushion head)
• Welcome card asking for you to review the device and get 10% off your next order
• User Manual

Hardware specs

• Max 3200 rpm
• 40-60 decibles
• 20 speed levels  with 1200-3200 strokes per minute
• removable battery with 2-6 hours estimated battery life
• Two and a half pounds in weight

Design and features

The first pictures above show you the case the device comes in.  It is a nice grey color.  The case is a bit flimsy feeling in that it is not hard plastic.  I can feel the top of the case give if I twist the corners.  Almost like it is made of really stiff cardboard.  It still holds its form and is a nice way to keep everything together in one place.  There is a nice rubberized carry handle that appears to be well attached to the case.  It is nice because you can use it to carry the device with you to the gym or clients if you need to.  The Hypervolt does not usually come with a case.  They sell it as a side item, but they are currently offering special Black Friday deals where the case is included.

This next picture shows the battery detached from the device.  It detaches from the head by pushing the button just below the DOWIN nameplate.  You then give a strong pull down to separate the battery from the head of the unit.  This is exactly how the battery is removed from the Hypervolt.

This is what the top of the battery looks like.  It has a handy arrow indicator showing the direction the battery must be inserted into the head.  I have to say that the battery looks exactly like the battery from the Hypervolt.  I was really tempted to try the Hypervolt battery in the Dowin massager, but I did not want to risk breaking either item.  I checked on the Amazon website, and I could not find a replacement battery specific to Dowin, but I found several that are 2400 Mah just like the Dowin and appear to be the exact same shape.  They cost about 68 dollars.

This next picture shows the bottom of the battery.  In the center is where you would plug in the charging cable.  You can charge the battery when it is connected to the head or when it is off.  There is also the main on/off switch for the device.  You must flick the switch to the On position before you can start to use the gun.

This next picture shows the massage gun with the switch turned on.   The display on the left currently showing ’00’ is showing the level of vibration intensity.  The display on the right is showing the battery level.  Ninety Nine indicates a full charge.  You will also notice the glowing green band at the bottom of the battery.  When you charge the battery that band will flash green.  Only when it stops flashing and is solid green, do you know the battery is fully charged.

Performance

To use the gun, you press the power button below the two LED indicators on the back of the head of the unit. One press will start it at level one.   One thing I did not like is that there was no tactile feel of a button press.  The first time I used the gun I ended up pressing the power button twice because I was not sure I had pressed it properly or not.  The gun went to level two after a second pause.   I am used to the clickable power button at the back of the Hypervolt.  When I press that button I hear and feel a click and the gun starts to immediately vibrate at level one.  On the Dowin, you press the button and give it a second, then the gun will start to work.  You can push the power button twenty times to access the twenty levels of massage.

There is definitely a different feel in the massage power of the Dowin compared to the Hypervolt.  The Dowin feels much more aggressive.  I posted some videos below so you could see for yourself.  The Dowin is louder, but you could still easily watch TV while doing a massage.  Because the Dowin at level one is more ‘punchier’, you have to be really careful about getting anywhere near joints or bone.  The gun will immediately start to bounce which is something you do not want.  I found with the Dowin, it works better at higher speeds.  The lower speed causes it to jump around a bit.  Of course, it makes it a bit louder the faster it goes.  What I found interesting is that there are 20 speeds for the Dowin.  The Hypervolt only has 3.  I personally have only ever used up to level 2 on the Hypervolt.  I think the speed increments on the Dowin are a bit redundant, but some folks may like the ability to minutely change the speed levels.

The picture above shows the Dowin next to the Hypervolt.  Except for a few cosmetic differences the guns look identical.  They both have specifications showing two and a half pounds in weight. They both also advertise a max 3200 rpm.

This picture shows the Hypervolt flat head to the left and the Dowin flat head to the right.  Both work in either gun.  The Hypervolt seems just a touch flatter and seems to cover just slightly more area.  The original Hypervolt only came with four attachments.  It had everything the Dowin does but was missing the cushioned massager and the larger ball.

I want to mention that if you do want more of a relaxing massage and not an intense sports type massage, use the air cushion head.   The Black Friday version of the Hypervolt that includes the case, does have the air cusion head inside.  My husband hates all of the heads that came with the original Hypervolt, but when I put the air cushion head on the Dowin, he loved it.

Here are some short videos I created so you can see and hear the sound differences between the Hypervolt and Dowin.  This first one is the Dowin massage gun at its lowest setting.   All the videos I took with the gun running at the top of my thigh.  You can see how aggressively the gun is pounding the head into my leg.  I am using the flat head on both the Hypervold and the Dowin.

This next video is the Hypervolt running in the same location on my thigh at its lowest setting.  You will notice it is not ‘punching’ nearly as hard, but it is much quieter.  Even though it is not jumping up and down, I really do feel it.  It is pulsing down through the muscle layers.  It is just not pounding like the Dowin.

This last video is the Dowin massage gun at its highest setting which is level 20.  I would say starting about level three and up is where the Dowin starts to compare to the Hypervolt.  Levels one and two are so harsh that I would be very careful using it on any type of sore muscle unless you are a glutton for punishment.  You will notice the sound level is definitely louder.

What I like

• Great price point
• Comes with a carrying case.
• Comes with six attachments
• It has twenty levels of speed adjustment and will show you the level and the amount of battery left.
• It will give a good massage to your sore muscles.
• They say they have a lifetime warranty

What needs to be improved

• The motor is louder than what I am used to.
• The pulses feel much more aggressive than what I am used to.  This may be because of the difference in motors.
• The case could have been made of stiffer materials

Final thoughts

If someone is looking to get a massage gun and does not want to pay the higher prices of the original creator this is a pretty good option.  I think the motor is not quite as refined as the Hypervolt, but you are also paying a lot less than the Hypervolt.  If your New Year’s resolution includes starting a new fitness regimen, or you are already spending a lot of time working out.  This gun could help you recover much faster and be ready for your next workout.

Price: $159.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Dowin.