Mitchell, this is a question that has been asked before on a number of occasions. If you do a search, you will find previous discussions on the merits of high versus low gear ratio reels. There is only a marginal difference in weight between the reels. The key difference is the gear ratio. As a general rule, faster gear ratios are preferable for popping reels.
Stellas are excellent reels and probably the most popular popping reel on the market.