During-effort fuel · gel · reviewed 3 Sep 2026
High5 Energy Gel Caffeine 28
A genuinely separate SKU from the plain High5 Energy Gel, not just a caffeinated flavor of it, but at 30 mg of caffeine it's one of the lightest doses in the catalog's caffeinated-gel field -- less than half of Honey Stinger's Caffeinated Organic Energy Gel at 70 mg, for a similar 23-24 g of carbohydrate.
Score breakdown
Each dimension below is scored 0 to 100 against a fixed scale, not against the rest of the catalog, so adding a product never moves this number. The overall score is the average of the dimensions this product declares data for. How the scales are set →
Comparison
6 of 38 gels heldPrices per single sachet at the cheapest box size we track. Best in green, worst in red, across the gels shown.
| Measure | High5 High5 Energy Gel Caffeine | Maurten Maurten Gel 100 | Science in Sport SiS Beta Fuel Gel | Precision Fuel & Hydration Precision Fuel PF 30 Gel | NEVERSECOND NEVERSECOND C30 Gel | GU Energy Labs GU Original Energy Gel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall scoreAn average of the various variables measured. | 28 | 47 | 58 | 49 | 42 | 33 |
| CarbohydrateHow much fuel one sachet carries. | 23 g | 25 g | 40 g | 30 g | 30 g | 22 g |
| Glucose : fructoseGoverns how fast you absorb it. More fructose, higher ceiling. | n/d | 1 : 0.8 | 1 : 0.77 | 1 : 0.5 | 1 : 0.5 | ~ 1 : 0.47 |
| SodiumAgainst 400 to 1000 mg an hour typically lost in sweat. | 16 mg | 20 mg | 30 mg | not declared | 200 mg | 60 mg |
| CaffeineA preference, not a quality, so it is not scored. | 30 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| ProvenanceWhether that ratio is read off the panel, computed from it, or inferred. | Not disclosed | Stated | Derived | Stated | Stated | Estimated |
| Price per sachetWhat one costs. Not comparable across sachet sizes. | $1.96 | $3.75 | $2.50 | $3.12 | $3.50 | $2.00 |
| Cost per gramThe only price that compares across sachet sizes. | 8.5 cents | 15 cents | 6.3 cents | 10.4 cents | 11.7 cents | 9.1 cents |
| Sachets for 90 g/hrHow many you open an hour to hold a 90 g/hr target. | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.1 |
Verdict
what it does · what it costsWhat it does well
- Confirmed as its own product line with its own nutrition panel and SKU, not a repackaged flavor of the plain Energy Gel.
- 23 g of carbohydrate for 90 kcal, in line with High5's plain Energy Gel Citrus (23 g / carb-matched).
- 30 mg of caffeine is a light, controllable dose -- useful if you want a lift without the jitters some 100 mg+ gels carry.
- Vitamin B6 included, uncommon among the gels already in this catalog.
What it costs you
- No US retail listing found for this exact 40 g / 30 mg formulation; price here is converted from the official highfive.co.uk GBP price (GBP28.99 for a 20-pack) and not confirmed for US buyers.
- US shoppers searching for a caffeinated High5 gel will instead find "HIGH5 Energy Gel Plus" (38 g, 35 mg caffeine + choline) -- a different regional SKU, not this one.
- Sodium is effectively zero (16-20 mg depending on flavor), same limitation as High5's caffeine-free gels.
- 30 mg of caffeine means you'd need over three gels to match a single Maurten Gel 100 Caf 100's 100 mg dose.
Where to buy
Prices and links as last checked. The price next to the name above is per unit at the cheapest box size we track -- a single-unit price below may run higher.
Not yet checked at retail.
Who this is for
the numbers, appliedThe field tells you what it is. This is who should act on it.
Worth the money if
- You want a light, controllable caffeine dose rather than a heavy one.
- You're already buying High5 gels and want an easy caffeine option in the same line.
Look elsewhere if
- You need a confirmed US retail purchase path.
- You want a bigger caffeine hit per gel -- look at PowerBar PowerGel Hydro (100 mg) or Maurten Gel 100 Caf 100 (100 mg) instead.