New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 vs FuelCell Rebel v5
Two versions apart. Updated October 14, 2026. Specs are men's US 9.
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THE SHORT ANSWER
Two updates and 3 years separate the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 from the FuelCell Rebel v5. Net change: 0.5 oz heavier, 7.5 mm more heel stack, a new midsole, $10 more at list. The FuelCell Rebel v4 is where the character changed, and that is the update FuelCell Rebel v3 owners notice first.
- New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3Sizes running outMen's at AmazonWomen's
- New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5Men's at AmazonWomen's
Availability last checked Oct 14, 2026. Prices and stock change without notice.
The two updates in between
Each step has its own page with the full change list and the verdict on that update.
- Step 1FuelCell Rebel v3 to FuelCell Rebel v42024Changed character
- Step 2FuelCell Rebel v4 to FuelCell Rebel v52025Refined, same shoe
FuelCell Rebel v3 vs FuelCell Rebel v5: every spec, side by side
The net of both updates. Per-update change notes stay on the step pages above, because they explain changes measured from a different starting point than this table uses.
| Spec | FuelCell Rebel v3 | FuelCell Rebel v5 |
|---|---|---|
| FIT AND WEIGHT | ||
| Weight | 7.4 oz | 7.9 oz |
| Widths | D, 2E | D, 2E |
| Upper | Structured engineered mesh with a gusseted tongue | FantomFit race mesh with a gusseted, padded tongue |
| CUSHIONING GEOMETRY | ||
| Heel stack | 27.5 mm | 35 mm |
| Forefoot stack | 21.5 mm | 29 mm |
| Drop | 6 mm | 6 mm |
| MATERIALS | ||
| Midsole | Nitrogen-infused FuelCell foam on a wider platform | Soft-tuned PEBA-and-EVA blend FuelCell foam |
| VALUE | ||
| List price at launch | $130 | $140 |
Or buy the FuelCell Rebel v4 instead?
The FuelCell Rebel v4 is worth a look only if you want the ride it introduced, because that is the update that changed the shoe. Buying it to soften the jump does not work: you would be adapting to the same change either way, just at an older spec.
Buy the FuelCell Rebel v4
Stocked at AmazonAvailability last checked Oct 14, 2026.
Questions runners ask
- Can I go straight from the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 to the FuelCell Rebel v5 and skip the FuelCell Rebel v4?
- Yes, but going FuelCell Rebel v3 to FuelCell Rebel v5 means taking one change in a single step: the FuelCell Rebel v4 is where the ride moved. Drop holds at 6 mm, so the difference is foam and fit rather than geometry: Nitrogen-infused FuelCell foam on a wider platform to Soft-tuned PEBA-and-EVA blend FuelCell foam.
- How much did the weight change across these two updates?
- 0.5 oz on in total, 7.4 oz to 7.9 oz in a men's US 9. Almost all of it came in the second update; the FuelCell Rebel v4 weighed 7.4 oz.
- Is the FuelCell Rebel v4 the better buy than either of these?
- On paper it splits them: 7.4 oz against 7.4 oz for the FuelCell Rebel v3 and 7.9 oz for the FuelCell Rebel v5, on a 30 mm heel and a $140 list price. Whether that is worth chasing depends on what the FuelCell Rebel v4 update actually did, which the section above works through.
- Did the FuelCell Rebel get taller between the FuelCell Rebel v3 and the FuelCell Rebel v5?
- Heel stack went 27.5 mm to 35 mm, by way of 30 mm on the FuelCell Rebel v4. Drop held at 6 mm throughout, so the extra foam sits under both ends.
- Where does the FuelCell Rebel v5 sit in the FuelCell Rebel lineup now?
- It is the current model, two versions on from the FuelCell Rebel v3 and the newest one you can buy at full retail.