First Look: Hypershell X Ultra

Updated October 13, 2025 01:30PM

Revolutionary. Game-changing. These are the most overused words when it comes to gear and technology. But they’re the only way to describe the new Hypershell X Ultra, an AI-powered exoskeleton made specifically for outdoor adventures and endurance sports. Whether you need support to push the limits on an epic hike, ride, or climb, or simply need the assistance to help experience the outdoors, the X Ultra enables you to achieve your goals while reducing exertion, heart rate, and muscle fatigue.

So what is it? Exoskeleton is a word you’re more likely to see in a sci-fi movie than while shopping for trail gear, but Hypershell’s latest is far from fiction. The X Ultra is the world’s first exoskeleton specifically designed to help endurance athletes and everyday adventurers go further. The wearable device is made from aerospace-grade titanium alloy and SpiralTwill 3000 Carbon Fiber, which means, despite its minuscule weight, it’s incredibly durable and built to withstand conditions you’re likely to encounter outside (think steep scree fields or rocky singletrack). The whole thing with the battery weighs about 3 pounds, and one charge will get you up to 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) of range, or around 42,000 steps.

As always, the proof is in the details. And these details are impressive. With 1,000 watts of peak power output, the exoskeleton reduces physical exertion by up to 39 percent while you’re cycling and 22 percent while walking. It also reduces heart rate during activity by up to 40 percent. It does all of this by using AI to adapt to your movement and assist with each step or pedal stroke—even better, it learns your gait pattern over time for a more seamless and personalized user experience.

You could spend all day just dreaming up ways to put the X Ultra to use. Last year, I spent six weeks bikepacking the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route and rode 2,700 miles from Mexico to Canada. Taking off six weeks for the journey was a push, and I can’t help but wonder how long it would have taken me if I had the X Ultra (or how much better my legs would’ve felt each night!).

But epic efforts are only one way to benefit from the X Ultra. It also makes hiking objectives feel more doable at any level, like accessing a hard-to-reach fly fishing spot or touring winter terrain. It actually adapts to a dozen different conditions and activities, snow and sand included. And with the new Downhill Buffering feature, the X Ultra detects downward motion and automatically reduces impact, helping to protect your joints.

Founded in 2021, Hypershell is a wearable robotics company focused on expanding human mobility. Its intelligent exoskeletons adapt in real time to terrain, activity, and intention, making movement lighter and more natural. With SGS-certified performance and more than 15,000 units sold worldwide, Hypershell enhances — not replaces — human ability, shaping a future where wearable robotics become as essential as backpacks for exploration, work, and play.