PRODUCT REVIEW: Honey Stinger

Product Review Honey Stinger

PRODUCT REVIEW: Honey Stinger

Review Submitted by: Bethany D

As a brand ambassador for Honey Stinger, it’s important to tell the world what I love about their products, how I use them, and how they work when you’re trying to make sure you’re fueled properly enough to go the distance. It’s also important to point out where there’s area for improvement on anything.

In general, Honey Stinger products are wholesome, gluten-free, non-GMO and certified USDA Organic whenever possible. They use true source honey (their backstory in the honey industry is fascinating). Overall, the products are easily consumed and easily digested—even when pushing your limits. Most of the energy you receive from Honey Stinger products is derived naturally from the honey, so they’re clean and good for you, too.

Let’s do a breakdown of a handful of Honey Stinger products, and some quick thoughts on each.

Honey Stinger products

First up: Energy Chews

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, the Honey Stinger energy chews. They come in so many tasty flavors, but my favorites are the orange blossom, cherry blossom, and fruit punch (a mix pack, basically). I tend to eat about 3-4 every 45 minutes or so when I’m on a long training run, hike, or other adventure. Each packet is considered 1 serving, and has 12 chews in it.

What began as just trying to make sure I was consuming calories while training, turned into noticing a difference in performance. I was able to get a pick-me-up mid-run when I needed it most and I wasn’t bonking nearly as much as I was when I consumed nothing at all.

Also, as an added bonus: they do not stick to your teeth like some of the other chews on the market, and they have never upset my stomach. They don’t leave me thirsty, forcing me to consume all the water I’m carrying, and they’re easily stored.

Best time to use: both before and during activity

Plus+ Performance Energy Chews:

These are a little newer to the market, and were specifically made for ensuring your performance can go the distance. They have more calories and more caffeine per chew than the normal chews and are built to sustain your energy levels and electrolytes in order to replenish your reserves.

My husband and I tried these out separately (I tried the Mango Melon flavor and he tried the Lemon Ginger). Upon reconvening after our run, our consensus was the same: the performance aspect was really nice and the energy boost was obvious. They digest nicely and the packaging makes it easy to eat on the go. Neither one of us liked the flavor AT ALL. It just seemed a little too medicinal in our opinions.

Best time to use: both before and during activity

Energy Gels:

Think back to GU. These are the same concept (and even similar packaging style), except they are made with organic honey, and most flavors are actually made from 98% organic ingredients. They pack nearly 100 calories and have a variety of flavors to choose from. They come in caffeinated or non-caffeinated (with the caffeinated ones boasting an impressive 32 mg of caffeine derived from ingredients like green tea.

Easy to store during training or a race, easy to open, and easy to consume while on the go.
The flavors taste great with these. The only downside is that if you’re a texture person, you may not prefer the texture of the gels over something like the chews.

Best time to use: both before and during activity

Waffles:

I could eat these for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and every training session in between. The waffles come in mini, protein, gluten-free, and the original waffle styles. The waffles are easy on your stomach and taste delicious (my favorites are the salted caramel and vanilla flavors!) The energy found in the waffles is released immediately upon consumption, and your body absorbs is at a steady rate to delay muscle fatigue.

They fit nicely in my Nathan running vest, but they probably aren’t something I’d take out on an obstacle course race simply because they’d probably get crumbled to bits in obstacles like a barbed wire crawl. This is not something you have to worry about with the chews.

Best time to use: both before and during activity

Cracker Bars:

These are a tasty snack that, admittedly, I sometimes eat just because throughout the day. With a nut butter of some sort mixed with chocolate, they are a great pick-me-up that blends sweet and salty for a perfect combo of carbs and protein. Our favorite combination is the almond butter with dark chocolate.

The nut butter is smothered between multigrain crackers and then dipped in chocolate. Yes, please! These are a great recovery snack. They do tend to crumble a bit and make a small mess, so probably not ideal for race conditions.

If you’re training and have the time to stop to munch on one and not care about the crumbles, then go for it! I tend to eat it post-activity to help with recovery since protein is essential after a hard training session or race anyway.

Best time to use: both during or after activity

PRODUCTS NOT REVIEWED:

We have not tested the protein bars yet.  When we do, I will update the post accordingly.

OVERALL CONSENSUS:

So there you have it.  Honey Stinger freaking rocks, and helps boost my performance by providing quality, clean fuel so my body can perform better, longer. The delayed muscle fatigue is incredibly helpful (and, yes, the products really help with this.) There’s a reason their tagline is “Fuel Made Simple.” And, it’s incredibly accurate!

As a side note: it’s nice to always carry more than you think you’re going to need! I’ve given food away in a race where conditions were less than ideal and I came across someone seriously struggling. You just never know when someone else might really need something you have on you. For the most part, Honey Stinger products are easy to store and access while you’re racing. This makes it easy to be able to quickly share when the situation arises.

Do you use Honey Stinger to fuel you, or something else?

SOME THINGS TO NOTE:

Although I’m a brand ambassador for Honey Stinger, I wasn’t compensated in any way to write this review. We don’t receive commissions if you click on the link back to Honey Stinger. We present this product review simply to pass along our thoughts on the various products Honey Stinger offers. She wouldn’t be an ambassador for a company she didn’t want to talk about, after all!

1 thought on “PRODUCT REVIEW: Honey Stinger”

  1. Pingback: Product Review: Honey Stinger Hydration - Obstacle Course Racers

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Join Our Community

Receive free workout downloads, race information and more!