On Cloudmonster Hyper vs Cloud Eclipse: Which Max Cushion Trainer Deserves Your Money?

Introduction

If you are shopping for a max cushion daily trainer with a bit of up-tempo bite, the On Cloudmonster Hyper and the On Cloud Eclipse are both likely to drift onto your radar. They aim at the same core use cases: easy runs, recovery runs, and long runs where plenty of foam between you and the road matters.

The Cloudmonster Hyper takes On’s regular Cloudmonster line and hypes it up to super trainer status, adding a hybrid wedge of PEBA embedded in the familiar CloudTech setup. The Cloud Eclipse is the firmer, more responsive option, using On’s CloudTech Phase midsole that debuted with the Cloud Surfer to deliver cushioned but peppy performance.

So which one is best? After plenty of miles in both, the answer turned out to be pretty clear, though not entirely one-sided.

Specs and Price: Where They Differ

On paper, the two shoes are close. The Cloudmonster Hyper has a marginally higher stack at 37.5mm in the heel and 31.5mm in the forefoot, while the Cloud Eclipse sits at 37mm and 31mm respectively. Both use a 6mm drop.

Weight is where they separate a little. The Cloudmonster Hyper comes in at 9.1oz (258g) in the UK men’s 8, slightly lighter than the Cloud Eclipse at 10.5oz (297g), the same weight as the old Cloudmonster 2.

Price is the biggest gap. The Cloudmonster Hyper carries a $220 / £210 super-shoe price tag, up there with the Asics Superblast and the best part of $40 or £40 pricier than the Cloud Eclipse, which sells for $179.99 / £170.

Midsole and Ride Feel

The Cloudmonster Hyper is the biggest-stack shoe in On’s lineup. It packs a wedge of high-energy PEBA and an EVA CloudTech foam cradle for a so-called super trainer. Surprisingly, there is no plate, not even one of the nylon speed boards found in other On shoes.

The Cloud Eclipse pairs a similarly big wedge of midsole foam with On’s CloudTech Phase setup. The cloud elements collapse in sequence like dominoes and release as you roll through, creating a smoother transition and adding a bit of energy. A speedboard plate towards the bottom of the midsole adds stiffness to the foam, along with a more aggressive forefoot rocker.

The result is two distinctly different rides. The Cloud Eclipse is firmer, smoother, and more responsive, with the rocker tipping you forward nicely. The Cloudmonster Hyper relies more on the resilience of the foam itself for its bounce back, and can feel slightly disconnected at times because of the separate PEBA wedge under the forefoot.

Upper and Fit

Up top, the Cloudmonster Hyper has an excellent engineered woven upper, while the Cloud Eclipse uses a dual mesh upper. Both offer good flex and ample wiggle room in the toe box, with similarly padded heel collars. The Cloud Eclipse adds a small external heel clip for a bit of extra security.

The lacing differs too. The Cloud Eclipse has a lower section that cinches right behind the toes for more security, while the Cloudmonster Hyper uses rubberized laces with lock ties that do not come loose. Tongues on both are thin and foot-wrapping.

On fit, both shoes worked well in testers’ normal sizes, with good toe box clearance and secure midfoot and heel hold without rubbing or Achilles irritation. The Cloudmonster Hyper is a touch roomier and more accommodating, especially around the toes, but there is not a huge amount in it. Both can be bought true to size.

Run Test: Which One Is More Fun to Run In?

Testing covered more than 40 miles in the Cloud Eclipse and close to 100 miles in the Cloudmonster Hyper, at a mix of paces on road and light off-road, including easy runs, recovery runs, long runs, and a few faster efforts.

For most testers, the Cloud Eclipse was the more enjoyable shoe. It is not the most incredible foam in the world in terms of bounce, but the rocker design delivers a very smooth ride with a good turnover. As a high-cadence-friendly rocker shoe, it is fun to run in and moves through the gears reasonably well, even if it is not the lightest or most versatile shoe out there.

The Cloudmonster Hyper was harder to love. The CloudTech pods at the back of the shoe dominate the feel, and they are heavier, harder, and less bouncy than the PEBA section under the forefoot. It can feel blocky, firm, and bottom-heavy, especially for heel strikers, and it improved only after a few miles of each run. It also lacks top-end agility: for tempo runs or half marathon pace, the Cloud Eclipse was the clear pick.

Where the Hyper earned its keep was long-haul comfort. A 55-mile Comrades Marathon in roughly nine hours showed it has real road ultra credentials, serving up the right balance of cushion and energy for that kind of effort.

Durability and Outsole

Flipped over, the Cloud Eclipse has more outsole rubber, particularly in the heel area, which is good news if you are a heel striker. The Cloudmonster Hyper sticks with On’s familiar reinforcements on top of the cloud element pads, and those were already showing signs of wearing a little faster than the Cloud Eclipse.

In practice, the Hyper should offer a bit more life and protection in key areas, and it is better suited to wandering onto lighter trails. Grip has been fine on both. On’s trademark stone-catching channels have been largely eliminated in both shoes, though the Cloudmonster Hyper retains a small channel towards the heel that might still pick up some debris.

Verdict: Which Should You Buy?

As a daily trainer, the Cloudmonster Hyper is probably overpriced. If you are after the best value and versatility, the Cloud Eclipse is the better shoe: almost as cushioned, easily as lively, and on par for overall comfort, while doing everything the Hyper does for less.

If money is out of the equation and you are judging purely on ride, the Cloud Eclipse is the more nimble, punchier shoe, at the cost of some plush cushion comfort. If you want a stiffer, more rocked, responsive ride, the Eclipse is for you. If you want more reliable road protection and max cushion for two hours or more, the Hyper offers marginally more of that, and as a road ultra shoe its top-dollar pricing becomes less of an issue.

Between the two, the Cloud Eclipse is the easy pick for overall value and everyday enjoyment.

Conclusion

The Cloud Eclipse delivers a smoother, more versatile ride at a notably lower price, and it is the one to get for most runners choosing between these two. The Cloudmonster Hyper makes sense mainly if you prize maximum protection for long road ultras and extra outsole durability, and are happy to pay a premium for it.