Hyperice Launches Normatec Elite Heat: How Do They Stack Up to the Therabody JetBoots?

Just days after the New York City Marathon, Hyperice unveiled its $1,499 heated compression boots. We tested the new Normatec Elite Heat against Therabody’s JetBoots Pro Plus to see which recovery technologies are worth the investment

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A record 61,146 runners crossed the finish line of the 2026 New York City Marathon on Sunday, leaving many tired legs in need of recovery. Just four days later, Hyperice unveiled its latest (and highly anticipated) recovery device: the $1,499 Normatec Elite Heat. The wireless compression boots now add integrated heat, a first for the company’s flagship full-leg Normatec line.

The launch comes as recovery boot competition is heating up: evolving beyond traditional compression, with companies adding heat, vibration and infrared light in an effort to differentiate.

While Hyperice is focused on heat, Therabody is focused on infrared LED therapy and vibration. Its $1,149.99 JetBoots Pro Plus combines compression with vibration and infrared LED therapy.

We tested Hyperice’s new Normatec Elite Heat and Therabody’s JetBoots Pro Plus for several weeks after workouts to see how they compare, which features make the biggest difference and whether the added technologies are worth the investment.

Hyperice Normatec Elite Heat vs. Therabody JetBoots: How They Compare

Feature	Hyperice Normatec Elite Heat	Therabody JetBoots Pro Plus
Price	$1,499	$1,149.99
Therapy	Compression + heat	Compression + vibration + infrared LED
Compression zones	5	4
Pressure	40–110 mmHg	20–100 mmHg
Settings	7 pressure, 5 heat	Adjustable pressure, 3 vibration levels, 8 presets
Battery	Up to 1 hour at maximum heat + compression; up to 10 hours compression-only	150–240 minutes
Wireless	Yes	Yes
Best for	Runners who want heat and customizable compression	Athletes interested in multiple recovery therapies

Hyperice Normatec Elite Heat Legs

$1,499

BUY AT HYPERICE

Hyperice’s new Normatec Elite Heat is the company’s first full-leg Normatec device to combine integrated heat with dynamic air compression.

The boots offer five temperature levels ranging from 102°F to 125°F, alongside seven compression settings from 40 to 110 mmHg. Five overlapping compression zones cover the legs, while Hyperice’s ZoneBoost technology allows users to direct additional pressure and treatment time toward specific areas.

The biggest difference from traditional Normatec boots is the addition of heat. Hyperice says the new technology can be used before exercise to prepare muscles for activity or afterward to help relieve soreness.

According to Gilad Jacobs, chief innovation officer at Hyperice, integrating heat into the company’s wireless compression system presented an engineering challenge that took years to overcome.

“Pairing heat with dynamic compression is something our engineering team wanted to crack for years,” Jacobs told ATN. “But doing it in a completely wireless, lightweight boot just wasn’t technically possible until recently.”

The addition also reflects Hyperice’s efforts to position Normatec as more than a post-workout recovery tool. The company says heat can help reduce stiffness and prepare muscles for movement, allowing athletes to use the boots before training as well as afterward.

“It condenses two separate routines into one fast session,” Jacobs said.

In our testing, the added warmth made sessions feel particularly relaxing after a run, while the ability to adjust heat and pressure independently allowed for a more personalized experience. The combination felt like a meaningful upgrade in comfort, particularly as it became colder outside.

Like the original Normatec Elite, the new model is fully wireless, eliminating the hoses and separate control unit that characterized earlier compression systems. It also offers Bluetooth connectivity, synchronized compression across both legs and a new button that quickly deflates the boots after a session.

Battery life is one important consideration. Although Hyperice advertises up to 10 hours of use with compression alone, that drops to approximately one hour when heat and compression are both operating at their highest settings. The boots can also be used while charging.

The Normatec Elite Heat is available for preorder starting November 5, with shipments expected the week of November 23.

Therabody JetBoots Pro Plus

$1,149.99

BUY AT THERABODY

Therabody’s JetBoots Pro Plus takes a different approach to recovery, incorporating compression, vibration and infrared LED light therapy.

The wireless boots use four overlapping compression chambers and allow users to adjust pressure from 20 to 100 mmHg in 5-mmHg increments. They also feature eight preset programs and three vibration intensities.

The Pro Plus uses infrared LED light, which is intended to produce biological effects through light exposure rather than simply warming the legs. The vibration feature adds a massage-like sensation.

In our testing, the combination of compression and vibration was particularly effective at creating a massage-like sensation, helping ease stiff legs after long runs. The infrared LED therapy was less immediately noticeable, but is positioned more for long-term benefits.

According to Tim Roberts, Therabody’s chief science officer, the company designed the Pro Plus around the idea that the technologies could address recovery through different mechanisms.

“JetBoots PRO Plus goes further, layering two additional modalities onto compression: infrared LED light therapy and vibration therapy,” Roberts told ATN.

Therabody points to a 120-person study examining the Pro Plus following exercise. According to the company, participants receiving the combined therapies reported a 36% reduction in perceived quadriceps pain from baseline after one session and felt 32% more recovered one hour after treatment than those in a passive-recovery control group.

However, Roberts acknowledged an important limitation.

“The study does not isolate the incremental contribution of the additional therapies beyond compression alone,” he said.

Do Compression Boots Actually Help With Marathon Recovery?

Compression boots use intermittent pneumatic compression, a technology that applies pressure to the legs in repeated cycles to encourage circulation and fluid movement.

A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis examining 17 studies involving 319 participants found that intermittent pneumatic compression may provide small to moderate benefits for perceived muscle soreness and pain. However, its effects on objective measures of muscle recovery and athletic performance were less conclusive.

Roberts said compression has demonstrated benefits for circulation and perceived fatigue, but cautioned against assuming that feeling better necessarily means muscles have recovered faster.

“Where the research is less conclusive is whether these acute recovery benefits translate into outcomes such as faster race times, long-term performance gains or injury prevention,” he told ATN.

The evidence for newer recovery features is even less established. A 2025 systematic review examining post-exercise heat exposure found inconsistent results, although the research primarily involved saunas and hot-water immersion rather than heated compression boots.

Similarly, while infrared light and vibration have been studied independently, there is limited evidence establishing how much additional benefit they provide when combined with compression.

For runners, that means additional features may make recovery sessions more comfortable or enjoyable, but there’s little evidence that more expensive boots necessarily translate into faster post-marathon recovery.

That being said, comfort is far from irrelevant. In our testing, Hyperice’s heat and Therabody’s vibration offered noticeably different experiences, making the decision less about which device promises faster recovery and more about which features runners actually enjoy and will incorporate into their post-workout routines.

Hyperice vs. Therabody: Pros and Cons

Hyperice Normatec Elite Heat: Pros

The biggest advantage of the Normatec Elite Heat is the ability to combine two distinct therapies without switching devices. The integrated heat offers a different experience from standard compression boots, while five compression zones and seven intensity settings provide considerable customization.

The option to use heat before training also gives the boots a potentially broader role in an athlete’s routine, particularly for runners who prefer warming treatments before heading out.

Its wireless design and quick-deflation feature also make it relatively straightforward to use.

Hyperice Normatec Elite Heat: Cons

Battery life drops substantially when using maximum heat and compression together, down to around one hour.

Price is another drawback. At $1,499, the Normatec Elite Heat costs approximately $350 more than the JetBoots Pro Plus.

Therabody JetBoots Pro Plus: Pros

The Pro Plus offers a broader range of therapies, combining compression, vibration and infrared LED light.

Its customizable pressure settings and preset routines make it appealing to athletes who want more control over their sessions. Therabody has also conducted product-specific research, although the findings don’t establish whether combining the therapies produces better results than compression alone.

The Pro Plus also offers considerably longer advertised battery life than the Normatec Elite Heat operating with maximum heat and compression, which could matter to athletes who travel frequently or prefer longer sessions.

Therabody JetBoots Pro Plus: Cons

At $1,149.99, it’s also a significant investment for consumers who may primarily want compression. The additional therapies add features, but their incremental benefits over basic compression remain uncertain.

Hyperice vs. Therabody: Which Recovery Boots Should You Buy?

For runners who regularly use heat to warm up or relieve soreness, Hyperice’s Normatec Elite Heat offers an appealing combination of warmth and customizable compression. Therabody’s JetBoots Pro Plus, meanwhile, delivers more treatment options for approximately $350 less, making it the better choice for athletes who prefer vibration or infrared light.