Myovolt review: Affordable & portable vibration-based muscle recovery!

Myovolt is a wearable, vibration-technology device that claims it can provide up to 3x quicker muscle recovery after sport or physical activity.

While the science behind it is hard for me to verify, I noticed my muscles felt lighter and fresher after using the Myovolt for only 10 minutes – it definitely worked for me.

It’s simple, can be used anywhere, and is unobtrusive. The only downside is for smaller muscles (like my calves), it can be challenging to put on correctly.

Price

The Myovolt comes in four models; arm, back, legs, and shoulders. The leg, shoulder, and back variants all cost NZD$210, while the arm model costs NZD$182.

With a Myovolt purchase, you get a vibrating massage device and a specialized strap for the area of the body you’re working on.

Considering the only real competition in the portable vibration recovery market are handheld massage guns and the TENS device, the Myovolt is well priced.

Design

What makes the Myovolt unique is its ability to be used anywhere. The Myovolt is portable and light. Its most attractive feature is its wireless capabilities. Other muscle recovery devices, like compression pants, are massive and need to be plugged in, which can be a nuisance. The Myovolt is easy to put on anywhere. It works well.

I’ve been using the leg and back models and I found that for certain muscles, it was relatively difficult getting the Myovolt tight enough. I have skinny legs, and it was hard to get the device sitting nicely on my calves. However, it worked well on my quads, hamstrings and back.

When you can get it tight enough, the four-point design of the massager works well. It comfortably sits around muscles, and it’s not bothersome. It doesn’t irritate the skin or cause any pain, like I’ve found when using a TENS machine. It’s also easy to take in and out of the strap for charging.

I did notice that the vibration worked best when it wasn’t touching any other surface. If the Myovolt was touching the chair I was sitting on, the chair would absorb a lot of the vibration. I just had to sit forward and that fixed the issue. It wasn’t a problem.

I appreciated that the Myovolt isn’t loud. It doesn’t beep or have an alarm. It just vibrates. I could use the Myovolt while watching TV with my family, and it didn’t bother them or me at all.

At this time, you aren’t able to purchase individual straps on the Myovolt website. You have to buy a strap with a massager which isn’t necessary if you already have one. It’s easily inserted and removed and Myovolt has stated that individual straps will be available to purchase in the future which is a good thing.

Does it work?

Myovolt claims that the device targets vocal vibration onto the body, increasing circulation and blood flow. This aids joint and muscle recovery and helps to loosen tight muscles and reduce stiffness.

While it’s difficult for me to say if that works, I definitely noticed a difference in how my muscles felt before and after football training and matches. After using the Myovolt for only ten minutes, my legs felt “fresh,” they felt light, and they felt good. After a hard night of fitness training, I had aches in my hamstrings, and the Myovolt helped to relieve those pains. There are also several scientific studies that validate its effectiveness.

The Myovolt has three modes. There’s a wave mode used for muscle recovery, a pulse mode used for flexibility and range of movement, and a continuous mode prioritized for muscle and joints warm-up. It’s easy to switch between these modes, and I did find they provided the results they were designed to. Having the Myovolt on continuous mode before training made my legs wake up. Usually, they’re stiff and take some time to get going, but after using the Myovolt, that process was much quicker.

The Myovolt isn’t only beneficial for athletes. I suffer from a sore back as I sit at my desk all day. The Myovolt backstrap not only conveniently made me sit with a better posture, but it also made my back have less tension. It felt great.

Battery

As soon as I felt the benefits of the Myovolt I didn’t want to take it off. Myovolt claims a full charge allows for 8-10 treatment cycles. I found this to be true. It is dependent on the mode you’re using. Continuous mode drains the battery faster than wave mode. Obviously.

It’s also easy to tell how much battery you have left on your device. The power button has an LED inside that changes colour depending on how much battery remains. Green means you have 70-100% power remaining, orange 30-70%, and red less than 30%. It’s fine and works well.

Unfortunately, the Myovolt has a micro USB charging port instead of a USB-C port. Faster charging times would allow for more use, which I know I definitely wanted. It takes around 3 hours to fully charge the Myovolt from empty, which does feel long.

Verdict

Usually, there is some scepticism around these sorts of devices; however I achieved great results with the Myovolt. It did exactly as it promised, my legs and back felt fresh and less tight, and it works well both before and after activity.

It’s portable and can be used anywhere, I found it more effective than a massage gun, and it doesn’t bother my skin like a TENS machine. For smaller muscles, it can be difficult to get a secure fit, but for everything else, it’s comfortable and quiet.

I really like the Myovolt, it’s the first recovery device where I have felt significant results. I just wish it charged faster so I can use it more.