The exoskeleton conception is not that new and has been in development for quite some time. One of the companies, though, came up faster than others with a serial-production exoskeleton – the Hyperhell X that I’m going to review today!
Starting with the build quality – the Hyperhell Go X is made with very high-quality materials and feels sturdy and rigid. The base, which attaches to your lower back, supports extensive adjustment of the width, so it can suit most body structures. It’s also very well padded throughout the whole width to provide maximum comfort, which I wish worked in my case too.
The padding at the end of the belt is quite thick and feels very durable. The belt itself ends with two buckles for quick release and additional adjustments, which I love and find easy to use.
On the back part you will find two knobs that allow you to extend the whole metal frame. It has visible measurements that will help you with setting the proper width, and I highly suggest that you check the “fitting guide” inside the Hypershell application.
There you have to attach the battery, as it clicks in place securely and features one USB Type-C port for charging. The cool thing is that you can use it as a powerbank too, but I doubt that most people will need such a function. The battery itself is not on the lightest side, but not too heavy.
One additional thing that is very well appreciated is the reflective parts on the outer side of the exoskeleton because even in darker environments, you are going to be seen.
And here comes one of the issues I faced with the Hypershell Go X – the fit for obese people. Weighing 92kg at 179 cm height, it was very hard for me to properly position the upper part of the device. This was not an issue with my wife, who has a regular figure and manages to adjust it properly. For me, it was a bit more uncomfortable to wear it for a longer period of time, mainly because of my body structure.
Going down from the main belt, you will find the motors that, in this case, provide 400W peak power and 18 nm peak torque. In simpler language - that’s a lot of assistance. Also, there’s the power and adjustment button, in case you don’t want to rely on the smartphone app. With a double click and hold, the Hypershell turns on, and with the same combination, it turns off. Double pressing boosts the power, and a triple press lowers the power output.
It’s good to know that there are 3 versions of the Hypershell X, and the GO version that I used relies on 3 modes – Transparent (you move freely), an ECO mode where you can adjust the power of the motors and a Fitness mode which provides resistance, instead of assistance. For the other models, you have Hyper Mode, but that’s not a feature I’ll be talking about.
Going down from the motors are the two rods that attach to your legs. They are made of metal and feel very sturdy yet very Cyberpunk-like, which I really enjoyed. Don’t be fooled by the whole-metal construction because the Hypershell GO weighs only 2 KG.
At the end of the rods are the pads that go around your legs, approximately 2 inches up from your knee. The pads themselves are made of something that resembles neoprene and rely on two buckles for width adjustments. I find them very easy to set, but again, please pay attention to the fitting guide in the application. The cool thing is that they are soft and very adjustable, but there’s the second issue I faced with the product – don’t wear shorts!
I was wearing shorts for one of my tests, and I regret it pretty much. The lower pads (above the knees) were just rolling up my shorts until the pads were against bare skin, which resulted in chafing. If you want to skip this unpleasant part of wearing such a device, please wear long trousers or yoga pants. Aside from this mistake of mine, the overall experience with fitting the lower part was a walk in the park – no issues at all.
Now let’s get to the real business – the overall experience!
I have been using the Hypershell Go X for a few workout sessions and a 12-km hike. I was not aware of what to expect, but let’s say it like that – it exceeded all my expectations. On my 12 KM walk, most of the time I was pacing so fast, even with 30% power of the motors, that my wife was barely able to catch up on my tempo, so I had to stop a couple of times to wait for her.
The amazing thing here is that the Hypershell relies on AI algorithms to analyze and switch between workout modes in a few milliseconds. It automatically detects whether you are idling, Race Walking, climbing, going down stairs, hiking uphill, or descending. Based on the activity, it will adjust itself to it, so you can get the most out of the device. It really made my hike like a walk in the park, even with a few very steep (15-degree) climbs. No matter if climbing or descending, the Hypershell helped me a lot with lowering my effort.
I made a test where I went for the same pace, but this time without the exoskeleton, and the result was more than a 15 bpm difference in my pulse, which is incredible. I felt lightweight and incredibly fast, so I decided to try trail running with it, and it felt like cheating, compared to myself without the Hypershell. I was able to accelerate more while keeping the BPM lower than usual. The overall feel is that the exoskeleton lifts your legs for you or at least assists you with it.
Of course, there is a big downside to all of this assistance, and it comes when you remove the exoskeleton. I felt heavy, hardly mobile, and really slow. This is something that I will recommend to people who want to keep up with other people while hiking, for example, if they are not on the same physical level. In this case, it will help a lot, but my suggestion to you is to build muscle and endurance without the exoskeleton first and then use it as a “legal doping” when needed.
Another great use that I see here is for people who are going through some kind of trauma or recovery, maybe even muscle dystrophy, and now must get on their feet again. In this case, it may help with making those hard steps after being in bed for too long, and I am talking about this from experience. The Hypershell Go X could be useful even for elderly people, but I highly recommend you talk to your doctor or physician first.
The motors are rated at 3000 km lifespan, but I suppose that for most people, it will be enough.
The battery is another thing I want to talk about, because it’s huge, coming at 5000 mAh or 72 Wh. It gives you around a 15 km range, but it will also depend on the power percentage you are using the Hypershell on. During my hiking, it recorded a 12.05 km range, mostly used on 30% power, with some exceptions when I used it at 100% while climbing uphill, and at the end, I was left with 34% battery remaining, which is amazing. I suppose that if you are running, it will drain a bit faster, but overall, it’s performing very well. The cool thing about the battery is that it supports 65W fast charging, using a QC 3.0 charger in my case, and it will top up the battery in around 88 minutes.
Last but not least is the application for your smartphone. It works both with Android and iOS, so everyone is covered. The app is very simple, yet intuitively made. Navigation is easy, and every option is within one click distance. In the app you will find the slider that adjusts the percentage of assistance, transparent mode selection, and ECO mode selection. There you will also find the by-default auto setting for sports recognition, and I highly recommend that you leave it like that unless you are specifically doing something.
Also, the product tour page is something I recommend you to check out because it will give you essential tips for properly adjusting and wearing the Hypershell GO X. On the “stats” page, you can find the distance you’ve walked/hiked while wearing the device and also the elevation you gained or descended, which I find very interesting, mainly because I love diving into statistics. As I said - everything is simple, yet effective, and I love such applications that go without complications.
In conclusion, I can say that the Hypershell Go X is a very interesting product that exceeded my expectations. At first glance, I was a bit skeptical about the actual use of it, but when I put it on, I quickly understood what was going on here. It gives me the ability to hike with friends that are more prepared than I am, so I can catch up with them, but on the other hand, I want to be able to do it without the exoskeleton and here comes my internal dilemma – does it really help me or does it make me get use to the easy feeling when hiking. This is something you also have to consider for yourself.
I really see the benefits of this device for people with physical/movement difficulties. It may help with making them start moving more, and without overloading their legs. In my past experience, I had a couple of weeks that I was not able to move more than 1000 steps a day due to physical issues, and now I see how a device like that can quickly get me into a recovery state, providing me the ability to move more, without the need to rest. But of course, please do talk to your doctor or physicians first when it comes to a recovery from a serious injury.
I can easily give it ⅘ stars, and I take 0.5 stars for the issues I had while being obese, and 0.5 stars for the leg padding that does not allow me to use regular shorts with it. Everything else, like the functionality, was spot-on and receives a big “thumbs-up” from me!
