Normatec Premier review: wireless compression for hassle-free recovery

As someone who likes to train hard four to five times a week, prioritising recovery is key if I want to continue performing to my absolute best. I’ll dabble with massage guns and foam rollers but, one of the more elite recovery tools on the market, favoured by athletes, particularly, are compression boots.

I had yet to try a pair myself, so when Hyperice reached out asking if I wanted to test the new Normatec Premier boots, I was keen. Unlike most compression boots on the market, the Normatec Premier eliminates external hoses and control units. Instead, they have a slim controller attached to the side of the boot, making them less bulky, lighter and easy to use.

I’ve always been a little skeptical about compression boots, as studies show mixed evidence on efficacy. However, after having used the Normatec Premier for the past three months, I can happily say that I’m a compression boot convert and that I’ll be very sad to hand them back over.

Read my full review below to see whether it's the right tool to add to your recovery routine.

Normatec Premier: Price and availability

The Normatec Premier (known as the ‘Normatec Elite’ in the US) was launched in October 2024 and is available to buy now directly from Hyperice US and Hyperice UK for a recommended return price of $999/£999. For this price you also receive a soft carry pouch for storing the boots and a charger.

Normatec Premier: what’s new?

The Normatec Premier presents considerable upgrades from its predecessor, the Normatec 3 Legs. The most significant change is there is no separate control unit or external hoses. Instead, there are two small units attached to the side of each boot, similar to the Normatec Lower Legs, which doubles up as a control unit and air pump.

This makes them considerably less bulky and more portable if you’re planning to take them out and about on the go. According to Hyperice, it’s the lightest compression boot on the market, with each boot also weighing 1.45kg (the 3 Legs control unit alone weighs this while Therabody’s Recovery AirJet Boots range from 1.86kg to 2.03kg per boot). I still wouldn’t go as far as to say that I found them ‘easy’ to pack down, but it definitely is doable.

There’s been a battery boost too. Now, you get up to four hours of charge time— an additional hour up from the Legs 3 and the same as the Recovery AirJet Boots.

Normatec Premier: How do they work?

As with all compression boots, air fills the pockets within the boots, which then tightens around the limbs and then rapidly releases the pressure by deflating them. This process assists in removing toxins and metabolic waste from your muscles, while also encouraging the flow of hormones to the limbs, which helps accelerate recovery.

Hyperice claims that they help with lymphatic drainage, pain, and soreness so that delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) never gets in the way of your training performance.

Is there any science to back up air compression on muscle recovery though? A 2015 study found pneumatic compression “was not effective” in improving recovery in well-trained athletes, when used in between cycling and running intervals. Whereas, a 2018 study found that daily 20-minute treatments of pneumatic compression “provided superior recovery from DOMS” in the elbow flexors.

Another study revealed wearing compression boots for 20 minutes after an ultramarathon saw a reduction in muscle fatigue and soreness. However, the same benefits weren’t experienced when worn the following day during a max-effort 400-metre run.

As you can see, it’s a bit of a mixed bag.

Normatec Premier: Ease of use

The Normatec Premier boots are easier than ever to use, especially with the integrated control unit. You simply zip on the boots (they’re already synced to each other), hit on, choose your level of air compression (1-7), the time you’d like your treatment for (15-60 minutes), hit start, then sit back and relax.

There’s also a ‘pause’ button, if you need a loo break or to do a quick errand in between those longer treatments, and, similar to the 3 Legs, a ‘ZoneBoost’ button which allows you to increase the intensity of a particular zone where you may need some additional TLC. You can use the boots while on charge too.

Although I didn’t think the Hyperice app was worth downloading when I reviewed the Normatec Lower Legs, it’s worth it for the Premier. With the app, you can select an ‘Active Zone’ (the area on your leg you’d like to target), as shown in the picture below for a more focused treatment.

Normatec Premier: recovery performance

I was sent the ‘standard’ size boots, however, these were a little too long for me (I’m around 5.5ft), so my foot didn’t entirely reach the bottom of the boot. Fellow shorties out there will be pleased to know there is a ‘short’ size available (for those under 160cm), and for taller folk, a ‘long’ size, if you’re 192cm and over.

I would typically slip on the boots after a heavy deadlift and squat session, or if my conditioning consisted of any running. Anywhere between levels 5 and 7 was my go-to. Level 7 gives an incredibly tight squeeze, to the point where it became slightly uncomfortable around my foot and thigh. However, I personally found that after an intense training session my stiff, achy muscles were significantly reduced the following day so I could continue training to my full potential.

I would never really use the boots for longer than 30 minutes and I never found they became too hot during this time, albeit, I’ve been using them during the colder months. I can imagine they’d probably get a little stuffy on a longer cycle during the summer. However, the boots are easy to maintain; a quick wipe down and leaving them open to air-dry will do the job.

Overall, I preferred using the boots to my regular massage gun or foam roller. Both these options may be significantly cheaper, but I feel like the boots do a more thorough job of targeting your entire leg. The only caveat is that they’re a lot louder than these recovery tools, so if you are sitting back and watching TV while getting your daily dose of air compression, you’re going to want to crank up the volume a few notches.

They're also not that easy to stuff inside your gym bag. I know Hyperice says they’re more portable, and I did manage to get them folded back up after about five attempts once deflated, but they still weren't quite small enough to fit in my bag.

Normatec Premier: Verdict

Are the Normatec Premier’s worth purchasing? If you’re someone whose training demands a lot of lower body attention and you’re serious about recovery, then— price aside— I don’t think you can go wrong with the Normatec Premier boots. The integrated control unit and air pumps make them incredibly easy to use, they have a wide range of compression levels and (despite still not being the easiest to fold) they are one of the more portable compression boots on the market.

They may be £100 more than the Normatec Legs 3, but, for this, you get a better battery life, they're lighter and easier to use with the integrated control units.

If, however, the Premier’s eye-watering price is a bit of a problem, you’ll be pleased to know there are cheaper alternatives from other leading brands, such as Therabody’s new JetBoots Prime. Similar to the Premier, these boots are wireless and lightweight with the intention of being more travel-friendly. They’ll only set you back £449, making them ideal for those looking for a budget-friendly option that doesn’t compromise on quality.