HotRock: the foam roller that relieves sore muscles with intense heat

March 4, 2020 Marko Maslakovic Crowdfunding, Health tracker 2 min read

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The healing power of heat has been known for ages. MedRock is bring foam rollers to the 21st century with HotRock, an FDA cleared device that delivers intense heat therapy.

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Go to any gym and you’ll see people using foam rollers. The are great for increasing blood flow and elevating heat in the tissues. Both are useful for relaxing and changing muscle length, and increasing the range of motion.

Heated foam rollers have been around for a while. But unlike the typical microwave-heated rollers, HotRock is a plug in device that can heat up and maintain its selected temperature in less than 4 mins. It is also the only one that heats up to between 160-180 degrees fahrenheit (70-80 celsius).

The heat is transferred to your body during foam rolling, providing benefits such as minimizing pain, stress and poor flexibility. A lower heat setting is meant to be used for sensitive body parts, while the higher is meant for deeper therapy of muscles and joints. The thing has a multilayer design of ABS plastic and EVA foam for maximum efficiency.

There’s no need for a smartphone app as everything is controlled via the four buttons on the side. This includes a power button, timer and temperature controls. The foam roller also has an LCD display which shows the current heat setting.

Needless to say, generating intense heat requires a lot of energy. This is why the company has opted not to design a battery operated device. So you will need to plug it into an electricity outlet, but there’s an extra-long 9 ft cord so you don’t get stuck between the coffee table and the couch. Those who would like to use the device on the go can purchase a portable battery that can provide this power to HotRock. This does mean, though, it will take longer to heat up.

The gadget has launched on Indiegogo a few hours ago. If all goes well with fund raising and manufacturing, backers can expect a HotRock on their doorstep this summer.