AlphaGun X Review: How Does the 2023 Upgrade Measure Up?

The AlphaGun X is the flagship massage gun from AlphaGun, an established maker of a range of sports massage devices founded in 2019.

First launched in 2020, in 2023 the AlphaGun X got a comprehensive upgrade and now comes with some market leading features matched only by the top brands (like Therabody) and some extra features even these devices lack (like a huge number of speeds and accessories).

Remarkably, the AlphaGun X remains about $100 cheaper than many of its peers at $199.

AlphaGun X Review: Summary

Here at PercussivePro, we review and rate popular fitness devices, and in this AlphaGun X review, I'm going to go through the good and bad points of the AlphaGun X in detail.

What is the AlphaGun X?

The AlphaGun X is a percussive massage gun, designed and sold by AlphaGun. It was designed to offer the same (or improved) features of expensive premium devices but at a lower cost.

Originally launched in 2020, the AlphaGun X has been relaunched this year (2023) with some impressive and useful upgrades. It now has:

• 99 Speeds instead of 30 - The earlier version of the AlphaGun X already offered many more speeds than leading alternatives like the Hypervolt and Theragun, but this version has gone even further. With 99 speeds ranging from 1,200 RPM to 3,300 RPM (a wider range than most devices as well), the AlphaGun X is super smooth and way ahead of any other devices on the market.

• 10 Massage heads instead of 8 - Again, this is more than any other premium device and it includes heads designed specifically to target the hands, feet (good for those using it to ease pain of plantar fasciitis), back, shoulders, large and small muscle groups and a few full body heads thrown in too.

• A stroke length (amplitude) of 16mm - a big jump from the 12mm the previous version offered. This is almost the biggest amplitude on the market - only the Theragun offers 16mm, all others are lower. This gets really deep into the muscle.

• Lighter weight of 1.95lb - Makes it more portable and slightly smaller. The previous AlphaGun X was 2.5lb. Almost as lightweight as the Hypervolt 2 now (which is 1.8lb).

• Longer battery life of 6 hours - extra hour compared to the earlier version which offered up to 5 hours.

Overall, the new version of the AlphaGun X is a big improvement on the previous one, which was at the time a popular alternative to more expensive devices such as the Hypervolt.

In addition to these upgrades, the AlphaGun X has the basic features you would expect from a premium device:

• Relatively high RPM of 3,300 RPM

• Low noise motor

• 'HyperVolt style' design

• Battery life of 6 hours

• Range of 10 massage heads

• Carry case included free

• Charger (US plug only)

• 12 month warranty

Although the new version is lighter, it's still a solid device made of durable materials. The handle is made of smooth plastic, which is one potential drawback (the earlier device had a rubber coated handle for easy grip), but other than this the upgrade has improve the weight and feel of the device.

The standard features of the new AlphaGun X

A quiet but high RPM motor

The AlphaGun X has a 3,300 RPM motor with a very wide range of speed settings. Along with an unusually deep amplitude of 16mm (more than the Hypervolt and the same as the Theragun) this is more than enough to give your muscles a truly deep massage.

The stall force is up there with the premium devices too at 45lb.  Again this is similar to the basic HyperVolt and higher than the budget Theragun Prime.

Most modern massage guns have some kind of 'quiet' technology. With the Hypervolt it's called 'Quiet Glide' and with AlphaGun they refer to it as 'QuietTec'.

It's essentially the same thing in practice: it means that the parts of the motor in the device have been engineered to create minimal friction and thereby perform as quietly as possible.  Generally this makes the devices about the same noise level as an electric toothbrush.

Battery life

The battery life of the AlphaGun X is stated at 6 hours on their website, and in our tests this held up to the claimed length (except when it's used on full power the whole time). 

The standby time is much longer: left alone and unused for a week the battery went down by only 6%.

Range of massage heads

The latest version of the AlphaGun X has 10 massage heads. These range form the basic ball and flat heads to more unusual ones like the fork and curved heads which are for specific body parts.

This is more that almost all other massage devices in the same price range, which tend to have 4-5 heads.

Having more heads can make a device more adaptable, as the more obscure heads are tailored for specific body parts, like the back and shoulders.

Warranty

AlphaGun are an established brand that's know for making budget-friendly alternatives to popular sports massage devices.

Like other devices sold by AlphaGun, the X comes with a warranty of 12 months and a return period of 30 days after purchase.

Where is the AlphaGun X impressive?

The three key areas the AlphaGun X competes on are value for money, power and customization.

Value for money

At $129, the AlphaGun is relatively cheap for a massage gun from a reputable brand, considering the features.

While there are cheaper devices on sites like eBay or Amazon, many of these are from sellers who are there one day and not the next. Many customers have bought devices that do not last much longer than the two week return period and come with no warranty.

With AlphaGun this is not a concern - it's an established brand (since 2019) and their devices come with a full manufacturers warranty of 1 year (plus 30 day returns).

This is important to consider when buying a massage gun, as you want to know that the product is going to last a long time when you are spending over $100 on it.

Most brands like this sell devices for a lot more - for example the Ekrin B37 ($249) and Hydragun ($299).  Both these devices come with fewer speeds and/or heads.

AlphaGun tick the low price and value for money boxes.

Power

With 3,300 RPM and an amplitude of 16mm, the AlphaGun X produces a massage experience that's both intense and gets deep into your muscles.

While the AlphaGun lacks features like a bluetooth connected app (which both the HydraGun and Theragun offer), it more than makes up for it with high powers and the ability to get deeper into your muscles than most (most expensive) massagers.

Customization

The AlphaGun X comes with 10 heads and 99 speed settings. Notably, the 99 speed settings range from a very gentle 1,200 RPM up to 3,300 RPM in 99 tiny increments. The increase from one speed to the next is imperceptibly smooth - ideal if you are using the device on sore muscles or to relieve pain.

Out of the 5 speeds most devices have, users will generally find a range of 2-3 that they use all the time, and rarely if ever use the others - they may be too powerful, too light, etc.  That brings 5 usable speeds down to just 2-3, and there may be an uncomfortable jump between them.

Having more speeds, according to AlphaGun, means that this is less of an issue.  Within the range most people find comfortable, there will be as many as 50 speeds that you can use comfortably.

With a combination of more heads and many more speeds than most devices, the AlphaGun X really excels in this area - it's the most customizable massage device we've seen for this price.

What's wrong with the AlphaGun X?

While the AlphaGun offers some premium features and reliability for a budget massage gun, there are a few areas where it could be improved.

No app

As you would expect with a device that costs under $200, there is no app. To get a massage gun that offers this feature you will need to go for the super-premium Theragun or Hypervolt, as these are the only two massage guns that offer this feature.

Free Shipping

There is only one shipping option and it's free shipping, which takes about 2-3 days with USPS. It would be nice to have the option to upgrade to faster shipping, e.g. next day, but this is not available.

Recently, AlphaGun seem to have been trialing a faster delivery service using the distribution networks of two major retailers - Target and Walmart.

Availability of this faster shipping service (2 days, guaranteed) is patchy though.

AlphaGun X review: Is it worth buying?

The AlphaGun X offers better value for money than many other brands, and far better reliability than ultra-cheap devices that you might find on online marketplaces.

While it lacks an app like the ultra-expensive HyperVolt and Theragun have, the AlphaGun X is a solid and reliable massage gun that punches above it's weight in terms of power, features and accessories.

It has massive number of speeds and a very wide range, which makes it suitable for sensitive areas of the body and users who might find the top speeds too intense.  It's good for someone who's never had a massage gun before, who might feel unsure about both the price and power of these devices.

That's not to say it doesn't deliver an intense massage at the top speeds (it really does), but with a low minimum speed and gradual increments, the AlphaGun X is suitable for 

If you're in the market for a reliable, powerful and newly feature-packed massage gun at a reasonable price, the AlphaGun X is it.  We rate it as our top budget massage gun.

The AlphaGun X is only available through the official AlphaGun site