Personal exoskeletons were like that everywhere at CES 2026. There were ambitious designs from newcomers WiRobotics, Sumbu, Ascentiz, and Dephy, while Skip Mo/Go was back promoting its long overdue tech pants. Dnsys (pronounced Deen-sis), a relatively well-established name, had a new launch to play, Hypershell was back with its top model, and Ascentiz had us running down the show floor.
An exoskeleton is a relatively new class of wearable device designed to enhance, support, or assist human movement, strength, posture, or physical activity. The main piece goes around your waist like a belt, and from it, hinged, mechanical splints extend down the hips to be strapped to each thigh, where they provide robotic assistance for normal movements like walking, running, or squatting.
Once used only in medical rehabilitation and industrial settings, exoskeletons are now sold as mainstream consumer devices. It’s a fast-growing market, too, with reports suggesting it will grow from more than half a billion dollars by 2025 to more than two billion dollars by 2030.
As of today, only Hypershell and Dnsys (both Chinese companies founded in 2021) have consumer exoskeletons for purchase. And, as promised, when we first review the pre-launch prototype of the Dnsys X1 (5/10, MORE Review), as soon as possible, we will chase them. So, with the launch of the Hypershell X Ultra, that day has finally arrived.
For a series of “athletics” races at London’s Lea Valley Athletics Center, we went head-to-head with the $1,999 Hypershell X Ultra and the $1,899 Dnsys X1 Carbon Pro. Both are premium products, both are commercially available, and both have caused people to stop and stare, though that would be our amazing athleticism.
Leg Raised
Dnsys and Hypershell spend a lot of marketing budget promoting the physical benefits of their exoskeletons. Hypershell, for example, says its devices can lead to a 42 percent lower heart rate, 20 percent less exertion when walking, and a 63 percent increase in hip flexor endurance. Dnsys suggests that wearing their equipment will “reduce energy demand by 50 percent.”
As we found out by testing the Hypershell Pro X (6/10, WIRED Review), confirming or denying these claims is very difficult, especially when technology (and personality) is not always in play. Besides tracking heart rate, pace, and distance using a smart watch, some of our efforts have suggested using More strength with the exoskeleton than without.
But there’s no denying that exoskeletons work. They put a robotic spring in your step and propel you forward. How much tangible benefit you get from help will depend a lot on you as an individual. Chris Haslam, one of WIRED’s crack product reviewers who signed up for this test, has a 76-year-old father with one titanium hip. Chris’s father was able to use the exoskeleton to climb the hill without his usual breathing in mid-air. However, Chris—a healthy, active 48-year-old—found them more of a hindrance than a help.
Having two different exoskeletons allowed us to compare performance and discuss perceived effort. Yes, some sprints were a little tongue in cheek, but the more time we spent wearing each device, the clearer the picture of what the exoskeleton actually did and how it felt while doing it.
Tests
Slow and steady: We completed a baseline unassisted, 400-meter run without repeating the same test on each exoskeleton. The pace and distance were kept the same, so the difference in exertion was clearly visible in the drop in heart rate.
