Maurten built its reputation on Hydrogel gels and drinks, now used by a large share of the elite marathon and ultra-trail field. In late July 2026, the Swedish brand launched the Gel Mix 480, a hybrid between a gel and a drink that promises 120 grams of carbs in a single soft flask. At RunMorph, we took this new format apart to see whether it deserves a spot on your race belt.
© Maurten, official photo used for editorial purposes
The Maurten Gel Mix 480 is a powder you mix with 200 ml of water in a 350 ml soft flask to get 120 g of carbs (480 kcal), taken in successive sips rather than in one go. Its texture sits halfway between the brand's Drink Mix and its classic Gel, which makes it easier to get down over long distances while keeping the Hydrogel technology meant to limit stomach issues. It's a smart format if you want to simplify your fueling plan for a marathon or an ultra, as long as you accept more prep work than a single gel.
Maurten's range rests on two clearly defined families: the Drink Mix line, energy drinks you dilute in a large amount of water, and the Gel line, single-serve packets ready to eat. With the Gel Mix 480, launched in late July 2026, the Swedish brand creates a third format that borrows from both. The concept: mix the packet with 200 ml of water in a 350 ml soft flask to get 120 g of carbs (480 kcal), then take it gradually, sip by sip, instead of all at once like a classic gel.
This new format targets marathoners, ultra-trail runners, cyclists and long-distance triathletes who want a simpler fueling strategy. The idea: carry a known, large dose of carbs in a single container instead of tearing open packet after packet mid-race.
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Maurten |
| Model | Gel Mix 480 |
| Release | Late July 2026 |
| Carbs | 120 g per packet |
| Energy | 480 kcal |
| Water required | 200 ml (in a 350 ml flask) |
| Rest time | 5 minutes after mixing |
| Technology | Hydrogel (sodium alginate, pectin) |
| Flavor | Neutral, Additions sold separately (cola, menthol, orange, apple) |
| Packaging | Box of 6 packets, 125 g per packet |
| Price | €7.95 per packet (French market) |
With 120 g of carbs in a single flask, you handle fewer packets during the race and can spread your intake over several tens of minutes instead of juggling individual gels at key moments.
Drinking in small sips, at the pace of the effort, suits very long distances, where swallowing a whole gel at once gets harder as the hours go by.
If you already tolerate Maurten's classic Gel or Drink Mix well, you'll find the same logic here, with the added benefit of a high carb concentration in liquid form.
© Maurten, official photo used for editorial purposes
RunMorph's tip: never try the Gel Mix 480 for the first time on race day. Mixing requires 5 minutes of rest and low-calcium water (under 80 mg/L) for the Hydrogel reaction to work properly. Test it first on a midweek long run, as you would any new nutrition product.
The product had been on the market for barely three weeks when we wrote this review, so long-term feedback is limited. We're flagging that openly rather than implying a track record the product doesn't have yet. The independent feedback available still agrees on the texture: it genuinely sits between a Drink Mix and a single-serve Gel, thicker than a regular drink but runnier than a ready-to-eat gel. One test on a 3-hour bike ride, pairing the Gel Mix 480 with Drink Mix 320 and a classic caffeinated Gel, reports a steady 100 g of carbs per hour with no reported stomach discomfort. The tester also found it easier to take than a thick gel swallowed in one gulp.
The same feedback notes that the soft flask format works well on the move, whether cycling or running, with no fiddly handling once it's mixed ahead of time. The most common caveat is precisely that prep: unlike a gel you tear open and swallow in seconds, the Gel Mix 480 requires mixing and waiting, which you need to plan before the start. That makes it a poor fit for impulsive fueling mid-effort.
On flavor, the product stays true to the Maurten philosophy: neutral, with almost no distinct taste. That can be off-putting at first, but it prevents flavor fatigue over very long distances. The Additions sold separately (cola, menthol, orange, apple) let you customize the taste without altering the base Hydrogel formula.
| Criterion | Gel Mix 480 | Maurten Gel 160 |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 120 g (mixed with 200 ml of water) | 40 g per packet, ready to eat |
| Format | Flask to prepare, intake spread out | Single-serve packet, one intake |
| Preparation | 5 minutes of rest required | None, just tear it open |
| Typical use | Centralized long-distance fueling | One-off intake at a specific point in the race |
| Price | €7.95 per packet | About €3.50 per packet |
Both products share the same Hydrogel technology but meet different needs. The Gel 160 remains the benchmark for a quick, one-off hit, while the Gel Mix 480 is for runners who want to plan a large carb intake over an extended window, at the cost of more demanding prep.
In a RunMorph marathon or ultra-trail plan, the Gel Mix 480 belongs on your weekend long runs, where you can test a centralized fueling strategy. Mix the flask before you head out, respect the 5 minutes of rest, and drink in small, regular sips instead of waiting until you're thirsty. Never try it for the first time on goal race day.
The Maurten Gel Mix 480 offers an interesting alternative to single-serve gels if you want to simplify your carb intake for a marathon or an ultra-trail. The in-between texture works well in real-world use, and 120 g of carbs in one container will win over runners who hate juggling packets mid-race. The prep and the high price remain the two main drawbacks, and long-term feedback on such a new format is still limited. 7.6/10: a smart format for long distances that you absolutely must test in training before using it in a race.