A gel blaster is a toy that fires small, soft, water-filled beads called gellets. The beads start as tiny dry pellets, swell up when you soak them in water, and burst into a splash of water on impact. They sting more than foam darts and are less messy than paintballs, which is why gel blasters are popular with teens.

How a gel blaster works

  1. Soak the gellets. Dry gellets go in water until they swell. Follow the soak time on the maker’s instructions.
  2. Load the hopper. The soaked beads go into a hopper or magazine on top of the blaster.
  3. Fire. In an electric model, a battery-powered motor feeds a bead into the barrel and pushes it out with a burst of air. A manual model uses a pull-back or pump priming.
  4. Splat. The bead breaks apart on impact and leaves a damp mark that dries.

Electric or manual?

  • Electric gel blasters have rechargeable batteries and fire semi-auto or full-auto. The Gel Blaster Surge 2.0, the Surge XL 2 and the SplatRBall models are examples.
  • Manual gel blasters (like the Nerf Pro Gelfire Twist Shot) use a T-pull to prime and fire one or three rounds per trigger pull.

Who are gel blasters for?

Gel blasters in our catalog are rated 14+ by their makers. They are made for teens and adults, not for young children. For younger players, foam blasters are the better choice: see gel blaster vs Nerf foam and the age and safety guide.

What to know before you buy

  • Eye protection is not optional. Every player wears clear safety goggles. Some kits include safety glasses.
  • Check the age rating on the box. Follow it.
  • Claimed speeds are the maker’s claims. For example, makers list the Surge 2.0 at up to 175 fps; retailers sometimes list lower. Our fps, range and hopper guide explains why.
  • Ammo is cheap. From the refill packs we checked, gel ammo costs about $0.50 per 1,000 gellets, against hundreds of dollars per 1,000 foam darts.
  • Plan the cleanup. Gellets that fall are biodegradable water beads, but still collect them so pets and toddlers do not eat them.

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

For a full buying guide, see the best gel blasters guide. Local rules vary; check yours before you buy or play.

Frequently asked questions

Are gel blasters the same as airsoft? No. Gel blasters fire soft water gellets, and airsoft guns fire hard plastic pellets. Our type comparison guide explains the differences.

Do gel balls hurt? They sting more than foam darts. That is why the makers rate gel blasters 14+ and why every player needs eye protection.

Can younger kids use them? The makers rate gel blasters 14+. For younger kids, use foam blasters.

What do gellets do to a yard? They break apart and dry into a thin residue. Pick up whole beads, since they can look like candy to small children and pets.