Gel Blaster Surge and Gel Blaster Starfire Series Bring Lots of Fun This Holiday Season!

When it comes to toy blasters, I don’t think I have ever experienced the level of fun that was offered by the Gel Blaster Surge and Gel Blaster Starfire series. There’s just something about shooting numerous gel pellets without having to worry about stressful cleanup or picking them up for reloads.

The Gel Blaster products featured in this review were sent over for free for review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

A highlight of both Gel Blaster series is that they are electronic and operated by a built-in lithium battery. All you need to do is set the speed/mode, aim, and press the trigger to unleash a barrage of all-natural toxic-free gellets at your target. The sensation of the vibrating toy blaster in my hands as it shot a series of gellets… I loved it!

Let’s begin by talking about the Gel Blaster Surge line. There are two plastic toys in said series. We have the smaller Gel Blaster Surge and the much larger Gel Blaster Surge XL. 

The Gel Blaster Surge is a one-handed toy. It’s easy to carry around and aim with. The blaster features a simplistic yet cool design with a white and green color scheme. The box it came in included the blaster, a container with pre-made gellets (10,000+), a charging cable, an instruction manual, interchangeable barrels and tool, hopper, and safety goggles.

The charging inlet is at the bottom of the blaster, below the trigger portion. While charging, the charging port will give off a red light. I didn’t test the blaster when it came to how much playtime it provided on a single charge. But I was able to use it for half an hour after charging it for 10 minutes right out of the box. According to the company, you can get up to 4 hours of gameplay on a single charge.

The gellet container, or the hopper, screws on top of the blaster. You just have to make sure to screw it properly and that the gellets don’t fall into the blaster and block it. And while the gellets have water in them, this is not a waterproof blaster. So, do not get this toy wet as that can ruin the electrical circuits. The hopper can hold up to 800 gellets.

There’s a switch to activate the blaster. It is located near the trigger (at the back of the blaster). The Gel Blaster Surge has two modes, the single-shot mode and the full-auto mode. The full-auto mode is the most fun, in my opinion, as you can shoot a barrage of gellets quickly.

Depending on how you want to use the blaster, you can change the velocity. The standard barrel gives you a velocity of 175 FPS (feet per second) while the additional reduced velocity barrel brings it down to 100 FPS. The rate of fire is more or less around 10 gellets per second.

As for the gellets, I mentioned there being no need for stressful cleanup or having to pick them up during gameplay for reloading purposes. The water-based beads dehydrate after impact, making this blaster one that can be easily played with both indoors and outdoors. You just need to soak the gellets in water for at least two hours, strain them, and they are all ready to be shot.

Unused hydrated gellets can be stored by having them submerged in a sealable container and placing the container in a cool spot away from direct sunlight. If you do this properly, hydrated gellets can last you for up to 3 months.

Talking about the Gel Blaster Surge XL, it’s a two-handed toy that sticks to the white and green color scheme. It basically comes with the same things the smaller version came with along with a shoulder strap for easy carry. The Gel Blaster Surge XL functions similarly to the Gel Blaster Surge with a major difference being the performance.

The XL version has a rate of fire of 12 gellets per second.  The minimum velocity is 175 FPS with the maximum being up to 220 FPS. And the hopper can contain up to 10,000 gellets.

It too gives you up to 4 hours of play on a single charge. The battery indicator can be seen above the trigger. Next to that is the velocity indicator. The three blasting modes are semi-automatic, 3-shot burst, and fully-automatic.

Coming to the Gel Blaster Starfire series, the two blasters feature more of a purple color scheme. Though they operate the same as the Gel Blaster Surge series, the major difference is the glow-in-the-dark gellets they come with. And yes, for those wondering, the gl0w-in-the-dark gellets can be used with the Gel Blaster Surge series, too, without any sort of issue.

The tips and fins of the blasters can be changed depending on the color you prefer. They come in handy if you want the blasters to look the same for each team member during team battles.

One of the accessories I got was a collapsible plastic bucket, or the gellet depot, to help you hydrate a bunch of gellets at once. It’s a nice accessory to have if you have a bunch of players around. It can contain up to 10,000 gellets. It features a spill-proof lid as well as a carrying handle. The draining water spout is efficient at draining excess water and filling the hoppers up with hydrated gellets. The bottom has a quick-view window. And the collapsible design makes for easy storage.

You can also buy extra dehydrated gellets in different colors including Paradox Pink, Titan Teal, Aries Orange, Vortex Blue, and more. Each packet contains 10,000 dehydrated gellets.

As for the impact of the gellets, they don’t really hurt, making them okay (in my opinion) for young kids. Just don’t have the kids aim at each other from close range or aim for the face. These one-handed blasters are meant for ages 9 and up while the XL blasters are recommended for kids aged 14 and older.

When it comes to the drop test, I will be honest, I didn’t have it in me to drop these blasters on the ground. While the plastic is light yet durable and has a high-quality feel, I doubt these blasters can survive accidental falls on a hard surface. I did, however, drop the Gel Blaster Surge on the grass in a nearby park and thankfully it survived. I’m just letting you know because action-oriented playtime with kids can get kind of out of hand and I would recommend letting the kids understand not to be too careless with these blasters, especially when playing on hard surfaces indoors.

With the holidays right around the corner, I highly recommend looking into what the Gel Blaster line has to offer. It’s the type of toy that can work for a range of age groups in your family, including adults who want to participate in playtime with the younglings.

You can get more information by visiting Gel Blaster’s official website.

Have you tried shooting gel blasters?

Let us know.

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Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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