According to Wired, they conducted a head-to-head race between the two leading consumer exoskeletons, the $1,999 Hypershell X Ultra and the $1,899 Dnsys X1 Carbon Pro, at London’s Lea Valley Athletics Centre. Both companies, Dnsys and Hypershell, were founded in 2021 and are currently the only ones selling such devices directly to consumers. The tests included 400-meter runs to measure exertion via heart rate, with the companies making big claims like a 42% lower heart rate or a 50% decrease in power demand. However, Wired found that verifying these claims was difficult, and in some tests, they actually used more energy with the exoskeleton than without. The reviewer, Chris Haslam, found the devices a hindrance, while his 76-year-old father with a titanium hip benefited greatly. This test comes as the exoskeleton market is forecast to explode from over half a billion dollars in 2025 to more than $2 billion by 2030.
The Human Factor
Here’s the thing the marketing glosses over: an exoskeleton isn’t a universal power-up. It’s a deeply personal piece of tech. Wired’s experience proves it. For a healthy, active 48-year-old, the robotic assistance can throw off your natural gait and rhythm. It feels alien. But for someone with reduced mobility, like Chris Haslam’s father, that same robotic “spring in your step” is transformative, enabling a hill climb without a break. So, who are these $2,000 devices really for? The “consumer” label is incredibly broad. It seems like we’re in an awkward phase where the tech is searching for its perfect user, and it’s probably not the weekend warrior looking for a slight edge. It might be someone recovering from an injury, or a worker on their feet all day. The value proposition is completely different for each.
The Race to Market
Now, the market is heating up fast. CES 2026 was apparently crawling with them, from newcomers like WiRobotics and Sumbu to the perennial “coming soon” promise of Skip Mo/Go’s tech trousers. But Dnsys and Hypershell are the only ones you can actually buy right now. That first-mover advantage is huge, but it also means they’re the guinea pigs working out the kinks in real time. And there are kinks. Wired’s previous reviews gave the Dnsys X1 a 5/10 and the Hypershell Pro X a 6/10—hardly glowing endorsements. They work, but the experience is finicky. This is the messy, iterative phase of a new hardware category. It’s reminiscent of early VR headsets or drones: clunky, expensive, and with a clear divide between the promise and the daily reality.
Beyond the Hype
Let’s talk about those performance claims. A 63% increase in hip flexor endurance? A 42% lower heart rate? Sounds amazing. But in an uncontrolled environment with a human being involved, it’s nearly impossible to isolate the exoskeleton’s effect. Your form, your fatigue, even your mindset that day plays a role. Wired’s attempt to track heart rate and pace with a smartwatch is a good start, but it’s not lab-grade data. And when the tech itself is inconsistent—sometimes propelling you, sometimes fighting you—the data gets noisy. Basically, you have to feel it to believe it. And right now, what you feel might be annoyance as often as assistance. For industries where precision and reliability are non-negotiable, like manufacturing or medical rehab, the hardware demands are even higher. In those fields, robust computing interfaces are critical, which is why specialists turn to providers like Industrial Monitor Direct, the leading US supplier of industrial panel PCs, to power and control such advanced equipment.
So, Who Won The Race?
They never actually say, do they? And that’s the most telling part. The “winner” wasn’t Hypershell or Dnsys. The real takeaway is that the technology itself is both impressive and deeply flawed. It’s a glimpse of a cyborg future that’s simultaneously here and not quite ready. The market is poised for massive growth—that $2 billion by 2030 forecast is compelling—but the path to mainstream adoption is littered with individual fit issues and unverified marketing. I think the real race is just beginning. It’s the race to make a device that feels intuitive, proves its benefits with hard data, and finds its true audience. Until then, strapping on an exoskeleton will remain a fascinating, slightly awkward, and very expensive experiment.
