The Normatec Recovery System belongs to Hyperice, a company that specialises in design and manufacture of recovery equipment and products.
They have developed 3 evolutions of the system, hence their latest release the Normatec 3 Recovery System.
At a cost of £899 for the leg system and a further £375 for the arm attachment and £250 for the hip attachment it’s quite a considerable investment.
So let’s see if the outlay is worth it for an improved recovery from exercise experience.
What is The Normatec 3 Recovery System Review
The Normatect 3 Recovery System is a dynamic air compression device that helps to support that bodies ability to recover from exercise.
The main component of the system is the leg compression. But there are two other attachments for the arms and the legs if you want a complete body recovery.
How Does the Normatec 3 Work?
Imagine a blood pressure cuff that inflates around your arm and creates compression. The Normatec 3 recovery system is very similar in that you place your legs, hips or arms into the sleeves of the Normatec. It then inflates with air and compresses around your body. It is based on the premise much like compression socks, that the compression improves the circulation and flow of blood to the muscles to aid repair and recovery.
The Normatec 3 comes with a control dock that allows you to customise your settings. You just sit back, relax and let the Normatec 3 get to work.
What is the Science Behind Compression Therapy?
When you perform physical activity, you can create minor trauma to the muscles. This can cause inflammation and creates metabolic waste chemicals such as lactic acid. So, if you’ve ever wondered why you feel sore the next day or two after exercise this is why. You may be familiar with the technical term delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMs if you have experienced this before.
By increasing circulation to the muscles through compression you are increasing the volume of oxygen and blood to the sore muscles. The increased blood flow can help to flush away the metabolic waste and also help aid the immune response to the inflammation. This in turn helps to speed up and potentially improve the recovery process.
What Are the Main Features of Normatec 3 Recovery System?
The Normatec 3 is all about compression, circulation and recovery. Plain and simple! But it comes with the following key features:
- 7 different levels of compression.
- Patented ZoneBoost technology
- Up to 3 hours of battery life
- A control dock with customisable settings
- Bluetooth connectivity to connect to the Hyperice App
- Pre-built plans to try from the app
The one feature from the above that may need a little extra explaining is the ZoneBoost technology. Essentially, this feature allows you to give some extra attention to different zones of your legs or body. For example, if your calfs were a little tighter than the rest of your body you can add a little extra intensity of compression to that zone.
Our Verdict
Just like the massage gun category you have a few select market leaders where the price is considerably more than cheaper alternatives.
So, when we provide our verdict for products such as the Normatec 3 Compression system it boils down to two key questions. Firstly, does the product quality justify the high prices? Secondly, and possibly the most important factor for most exercisers, is it worth spending the high price versus their significantly cheaper counterparts?
The Normatec 3 is a high quality compression system. Hyperice have designed an excellent product that delivers all the features you would need for effective compression recovery treatment post exercise.
However, whether the price is justified for an everyday amateur exercise enthusiast will be down to the scientific research. So as we dig into the research on compression recovery it does suggest that there is immediate recovery benefits to using compression technology. But the long term benefit and improvement to exercise performance is still inconclusive.
If you are a high level or elite level athlete then the product is probably justified to sustain the volume of exercise required to perform at that level. Also, to explore opportunities to find an edge over competitors then it’s certainly worth incorporating into your recovery regime.
But for the amateur athlete or occasional exerciser then it might be worth trying less expensive methods based on similar principles of recovery such as compression socks, cold / heat treatment and sports massage if the outlay proves too much. If these type of recovery methods are integral to your performance and you use them regularly, the Normatec 3 may be worth your investment.
Level of Fitness: Can be used by all levels of fitness.
Pro’s:
- A convenient all in one system for recovery from exercise
- Provides all essential features one would need for a thorough compression system recovery session.
- Hyperice are the leaders in compression systems which shows in the high quality design, materials and specifications.
- ZoneBoost technology is a nice feature to focus in on areas of the body that need more attention for recovery.
- Excellent battery life.
Con’s:
- The price. It’s a considerable investment and in my opinion an everyday exerciser on an average income wouldn’t justify it as value for money.
