I understand they won’t be for everyone, but I grew up with toy guns. I had cap guns, water pistols, laser tag, pellet guns and even the classic spud gun. So my inner child was reborn when the people behind Gel Blaster sent over the new Surge for me to play with.
What is a Gel Blaster?
Gel Blasters are very similar to pellet guns, with one very important, safer, difference. Instead of firing hard plastic balls, a Gel Blaster fires a small ball of gel called a Gellet. The Gel Blaster Surge that I was sent to test out can hold up to 800 rounds, and offers single and full-auto firing modes with a max muzzle velocity of 175fps. So while this is a “toy”, so to speak, it comes with some responsibilities. You can fire up to 10 shots per second which means the Gel Blaster Surge really does offer some firing power.
Pros of the Gel Blaster Surge
I’m going to kick off with the positives.
Easy to Use
The Gel Blaster Surge was up and firing so quickly. It came with some hydrated gel pellets already loaded. All I had to do was screw the hopper onto the top of the blaster and turn it on after a quick charge.
Eco-friendly Gel Balls
The gel balls, or Gellets, are perhaps the smartest part of this whole system. Instead of buying plastic pellets, you buy a small sachet with 10,000 wee dots in it. After soaking these dots for 2 hours, you’ll have 10,000 gel beads to fire. These beads are made from a Super Absorbent Polymer. This is a fully natural, non-toxic, non-irritating, starch-based material.
This approach makes topping up your ammo very affordable too. The sachets of dehydrated pellets cost just €9.99 for 10,000 rounds.
This is another massive plus versus traditional pellet guns.
Good Battery Life
You’re buying this to buy yourself some peace and quiet, right? Well, the good news is that Gel Blasters will give you about 4-hours of distraction for your kids. When it’s time to charge, the Gel Blaster Surge fast-charges off USB-C. I’m not sure if others are like me, but seeing USB-C on products like this just make be trust them more. It’s a relatively simple sign of “modern” and not cheaping out. It somewhat underlines a little bit of confidence in the brand perhaps.
Adjustments on the Go
The Gel Blaster Surge can be quite scary to see in action. It’s powerful, fast and accurate. Now, these are also the most fun elements of the whole thing. But for parents, there is good news. If you don’t want your kids peppering each other at a full 175fps, there’s an included fitting to drop the muzzle velocity fown to 100fps.
You can also swap the gun between single and full-auto rate of fire. Both of these controls can, of course, be easily bypassed by your kids so you’ll need to manage that a little. Or just let them off.
Gel Blasters are Fun as Hell
When I fired this thing, I laughed a bit. It was fun. Even getting shot made me laugh. Then I turned on full-auto and I turned into an absolute giddy schoolboy again. The Gel Blaster Surge is so much fun. You get the feeling of paintball or airsoft at home, on a level much better than anything I’ve experienced with the likes of a Nerf Gun.
Cons of the Gel Blaster Surge
There are a few drawbacks.
The Gel Beads are Messy
It’s claimed that the gel balls will vanish after a few minutes. Apparently, like nothing ever happened. In fact, the packaging states the pellets leave “zero mess”. That just wasn’t the case for me. After quite some time, I did have to sweep up some remnants of gel balls in the living room.
It wasn’t the end of the world, but still. This is a big selling point for parents, so I’d rather you fully understand it’s just not “mess-free”.
Can Be Dangerous
Look, I’m not exactly the most careful person in the world. Within seconds of opening the Gel Blaster Surge, I was being fired at on full auto and laughing to myself. But the packaging states this is suitable for 14 years and up. Parents will have to make this call themselves because the Gel Blaster Surge has, as I’ve pointed out, some impressive, but scary, specs.
It’s not at all beyond the realms of possibility that someone could be hurt by one of these blasters, particularly if left unsupervised without the glasses for example. So while you might be trying to distract your kids for a few hours, you will need to keep an eye on them. These should never be aimed at the head, animals or used away from the home.
Are Gel Blasters Dangerous or Painful?
Personally, I consider the Gel Blaster Surge to be quite safe. I had my better half pepper me with rounds on full auto and while I felt them, I wasn’t hurt. I’ve been shot at point-blank range on full auto while playing airsoft – the Surge doesn’t even come near that experience.
In the box, you’ll find a pair of safety glasses included. I would say these are mandatory for anyone looking to play real-life Fortnite at home. While unlikely to do much damage, contact with an eye is the biggest risk.
Gel Blaster Surge: The Verdict
I love this. I’m not blind to the other narratives that surround “toys” or games like the Gel Blaster Surge. I completely understand that a lot of parents don’t want their kids playing with guns. And that’s totally fine and understandable.
Buy, I was a kid that grew up dreaming of a gun like this. While laser tag was fun, it just lacked the realistic feeling of being hit by a friend that targeted you. Pellet guns were never deemed to be safe enough in Ireland to shoot at anything other than cans on a wall.
The Gel Blaster Surge lets your kids, and let’s face it grown ups, play Fortnite, PUBG or COD in real life at home at a relatively affordable price.
You can grab the Gel Blaster Surge in Currys for €69.99 with some other similar brands being available on Amazon.co.uk.
Updated 28/06/2023: Updated age recommendation from 9 years to 14 years in line with recommendations in the UK and Ireland, not the United States.