I wore the viral $2,000 Hypershell X Ultra exoskeleton, and it supercharged my legs

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Ultra X offers 1000 watts of power, which is the most for a Hypershell exoskeleton.
• It is made for people with an active lifestyle.
• The Hypershell is now available to purchase for $1,999.

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This year, IFA 2025 was mostly about smart home innovations, but I also got a refreshingly new demo at the Berlin tradeshow that hasn’t left my mind since I returned home. I wore the Hypershell X Ultra exoskeleton on the ground to test its capabilities. 

I wasn’t prepared for what to expect or for how it would impact my walking abilities, but I was curious to know how it would feel to have my legs powered by an external force. 

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To test the device and appease my curiosity, I put on the Hypershell X Ultra and went around the showfloor walking for the next six hours. Here’s what happened next.

Setting up the Hypershell X Ultra

Wearing the Hypershell X Ultra requires fiddling with straps and adjusting the fit through a belt, which is really hard to move. I had a prototype unit for a demo, and Hypershell says they are working on making it easier for consumers to adjust the belt size. Once done, it stayed in place (with minor strap adjustments every few hours) for my workday. 

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The X Ultra exoskeleton weighs 2kg (battery included). I was skeptical about being bothered by the battery’s weight, but it didn’t trouble me at all. I was comfortable wearing it for the next six hours. Hypershell has packed its flagship offering with over a dozen sensors and two M-One Ultra Motors to generate 1000 watts of power. 

For reference, this is more than any other Hypershell exoskeleton. The base $900 Hypershell X Go offers 400W of power, while the $1,200 X Pro gets you to 800W. 

The increased power output is claimed to deliver up to a 20% reduction in physical exertion when walking, a 39% reduction in physical exertion when cycling, and a 63% increase in hip flexor endurance. 

I listened to these numbers as I was strapped on, and they didn’t make much sense to me initially. But once I started walking, I could feel my legs being powered by an external force. All I had to do was perform the action of walking, that is, raise one foot at a time. The X Ultra provided an extra bounce to save me effort and complete the task, making walking easier.

You can adjust the intensity through a physical button on the side-mounted control panel or from the app. The latter is set up during the initial sizing process and pairing of the machine to your phone. In addition to controlling your exoskeleton, you can use the app to check battery life, change modes, etc. The more you increase the intensity, the more dramatic it feels to have an external force power your legs. 

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Hypershell offers two modes: Eco (regular mode; green dots on the control panel) and Hyper (more powerful; red dots on the control panel). The former is ideal for most situations, but if you need extra power, turn to Hyper, which supercharges your legs. My thighs got extra bounce, and it felt as if I was just tapping the ground instead of resting my feet in between steps.

You can change to Transparent mode (blue dots on the control panel) if you want to switch off the external force and walk in your “human” abilities. Just make sure you don’t do that in the middle of walking, like I did. (It felt as if I had turned off my feet as they became heavier.) Even in Transparent mode, I didn’t feel the 2kg weight on me. It was still comfortable to walk around. 

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The company has done an excellent job with weight distribution on this product. It has also immensely improved the battery life, which is now rated to deliver 42,000 steps per battery, or 60km of walking range — a leap from the previous generation’s 17.5 km. After six hours of walking, my unit still had 70% of its charge. 

Why the Hypershell makes sense

The Hypershell X Ultra exoskeleton is meant for people who perform a lot of outdoor activities like hiking, camping, etc. It won’t help people stand or walk again after they’ve lost those abilities. But it can help those who have minor mobility issues. 

Hypershell also offers other fitness benefits with five intelligent modes. You can trigger Cycling+ with dynamic torque assist for enhanced bike performance, Descent Assist for better knee protection on downhills, Running+ for a boost while sprinting, Dune for improved stability on sandy surfaces, and Snow for assistance when walking through powder. Plus, there’s a Fitness Mode to help you warm up before a run by providing external resistance. 

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I couldn’t test them all since I was walking on a plane surface, but the Hypershell X Ultra sounds useful for people with an active lifestyle. It is innovative and surprisingly good at what it promises to do. Just make sure you don’t use it all the time because once you take it off, you’ll be reminded of your human limitations without that external force.

The Hypershell X Ultra costs $1,999 and is officially on sale now.