During-effort fuel · gel · reviewed 3 Sep 2026
Honey Stinger Caffeinated Organic Energy Gel 46
At 70 mg of caffeine for $1.67, this is the cheapest cost per mg of caffeine of any gel in the catalog at roughly 2.4 cents/mg -- less than half what Maurten's Caf 100 charges per mg and a quarter of Huma Plus's rate.
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 | Honey Stinger Honey Stinger Caffeinated Organic Energy Gel | 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. | 46 | 47 | 58 | 49 | 42 | 33 |
| CarbohydrateHow much fuel one gel carries. | 24 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. | 60 mg | 20 mg | 30 mg | not declared | 200 mg | 60 mg |
| CaffeineA preference, not a quality, so it is not scored. | 70 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 gelWhat one costs. Not comparable across gel sizes. | $1.67 | $3.75 | $2.50 | $3.12 | $3.50 | $2.00 |
| Cost per gramThe only price that compares across gel sizes. | 7 cents | 15 cents | 6.3 cents | 10.4 cents | 11.7 cents | 9.1 cents |
| Gels for 90 g/hrHow many you open an hour to hold a 90 g/hr target. | 3.8 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.1 |
Verdict
what it does · what it costsWhat it does well
- 70 mg of caffeine, more than double the 32 mg in Honey Stinger's own base Organic Energy Gel, at the same $1.67 price.
- 2.4 cents per mg of caffeine, the cheapest way to caffeine of any gel in this catalog.
- Eight ingredients, still built around organic honey and tapioca syrup rather than a maltodextrin base.
- 24 g of carbohydrate for 100 calories, in line with the rest of the Honey Stinger gel line.
What it costs you
- 11 g of the 24 g of carbohydrate is sugar -- a steep, honey-driven glycemic profile compared with Maurten's more controlled blend.
- 60 mg of sodium is on the low side; NEVERSECOND C30 carries 200 mg at a similar price.
- No glucose:fructose ratio disclosed, the same gap as Honey Stinger's base gel.
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.
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 caffeine and are optimizing purely for cost per mg.
- You already like Honey Stinger's texture and want more caffeine than the 32 mg base gel offers without switching brands.
Look elsewhere if
- You are sensitive to added sugars; 11 g of sugar in one gel is high for the category.
- You need a sodium-forward gel; 60 mg won't cover much in heat.