ZYN Shortage and Shipping Ban

Production issues and a lawsuit have temporarily limited ZYN orders and prevented customers from purchasing ZYN pouches online. This has made it hard to find ZYN and given nicotine pouch users a chance to sample rival products.

While ZYN products have largely vanquished their big tobacco rivals, there are several independent rivals that are worthy of note. This is the latest of our ZYN guides and provides an overview of ZYN flavor options and viable options.

ZYN Alternatives Are Not ZYNposters

The most popular ZYN flavors remain the benchmark in the tobacco-leaf free alternative market, but we have been favorably impressed with several other nicotine pouches. Far more than simply "ZYNpostors", they have much to recommend and do not have the baggage of being manufactured by the tobacco industry. Phillip Morris International owns ZYN and Swedish Match, the manufacturer of these wildly popular nicotine pouches.

In the U.S. market ZYN has proven superior to Velo and On!, although the opposite is the case in Europe. Before you choose ZYN pouches again, consider all the alternatives and available choices. ZYN flavors like Apple Mint, Cucumber Lime, Black Cherry, and Violet Licorice are available in the U.K. In the U.S. market, your choices are reduced to selection of mints, unflavored, coffee, and citrus.

The next time you are buying ZYN online, consider great options like Zimo, Sesh and Juice Head. ZYN ingredients do not justify ZYN prices, you are paying a premium for the brand name. You won't collect any ZYN Rewards Points for your ZYN Rewards Account, but you will be cutting the cord with the tobacco industry while enjoying a smoke free alternative. Independent pouches come 20 to a can, rather than 15, and cost less. Check out our feature for more information: the Best Nicotine Pouch Brands for the ZYN Shortage 2024.

ZYN does not have a special monopoly on facilities or technology. Nicotine pouches are quite basic as is the formulation. The devil is in the details as it were. This interview with the ZIMO founder explains more about how they have created the infrastructure and nicotine pouch formulations to compete with Swedish Match.

Top 10 ZYN Flavors

• ZYN Wintergreen
• ZYN Citrus
• ZYN Spearmint
• ZYN Cinnamon
• ZYN Coffee
• ZYN Chill
• ZYN Smooth
• ZYN Cool Mint
• ZYN Peppermint
• ZYN Menthol

Obviously, it is unfair to stack the six cool and minty flavors to the top and this order reflects that reality. 

ZYN Wintergreen

Atop the list of the best ZYN flavors is Wintergreen. It has a nice level chilliness and a flavor very comparable to the typical wintergreen green gum. The difference is that this is a product for adult nicotine pouch users. It has a strong gum tingle to go with the coolness. The Wintergreen flavor is quite refreshing compared to oral tobacco products like snus. This is because ZYN is tobacco-free. There is not a hint of cured leaf flavor.

Wintergreen isn't the most unique ZYN flavor on the market, but it packs the trademark nicotine experience. This means some tingling and burning and then up to 40 minutes of tobacco-free taste. In the battle of what some derisively call the "toothpaste" flavors, Wintergreen ZYN consistently comes out on top. Some may tire of this assertive and cool ZYN Nicotine pouch, but it remains the industry leader.

Pros and Cons of ZYN Wintergreen

ZYN Wintergreen Pros: A nearly perfect blend of cool and chill that drives home the lack of tobacco-leaf ingredients mucking up the flavor.

ZYN Wintergreen Cons: Derided as a "toothpaste" flavor, it has a bunch of quite similar siblings and of course is dragged down by availability issues and a high price for only 15 pouches.

ZYN Wintergreen Alternatives

Making a nice wintergreen flavor shouldn't be a mystery. It has been found in other oral tobacco products for generations and is very common in mints and gums. But in a product which is consumed by adults for nicotine intake, there are other criteria worth considering.

Wintergreen Zimo

Wintergreen Zimo a juicier product while remaining spit-free and providing the strong and consistent of nicotine that pouch customers seek. Before you buy ZYN pouches, Zimo should get a long hard look.

ZYN nicotine pouches are famous for their sustained nicotine release. Adult nicotine users may also be under impression that the dryer mini-pouch design is necessary, so you don't have to swallow ZYN spit. Zimo manages to avoid the dryness of the ZYN pouch without being overly wet like Rogue pouches. The high-quality Zimo ingredients are pH balanced and shelf stable. Despite not being exceedingly dry and stiff, Zimo pouches do not produce excessive saliva, which can result in an upset stomach.

ZYN nicotine levels are often said to punch above their weight and their products provide a superior nicotine kick to products that on paper are more powerful. The top strength of a U.S. market ZYN is 6mg. This is a very important factor because we are dealing with adult products here and nicotine experience is part of it. Zimo comes in 4mg and 8mg strengths. It has fewer flavors in count but when you factor in that a half-dozen ZYN flavors are mint ice, it actually has a wider array of choices.

The drier ZYN contrasts a bit in texture with the smoother water-free formula of Zimo, which still has the tingle but does not feel quite as brutal on the gums. It is important not to consume too much nicotine, but both ZYN nicotine pouches and Zimo deliver as advertised. Zimo just happens to have a higher nicotine strength and more options. If you love the Wintergreen ZYN flavor, do not miss Wintergreen Zimo.

ZYN Citrus

There are two major camps in the world of ZYNfluencers and ZYN Citrus has a major following in the adult nicotine market. It is one of the best ZYN flavors and features lemon and lime flavors. Unlike the European market, which is flooded with new ZYN flavors, Citrus is really the only fruity option in the U.S.

ZYN Citrus is not overly tart. The sweetness has a hint of orange flavor as well. There is still some coolness. Even the aroma is delightful with the Citrus ZYN.

ZYN Citrus Pros and Cons

ZYN Citrus Pros: The only fruity ZYN flavor in the U.S., it has a nice blend of tart and sweet flavors. Lemon and lime are great artificial flavors in so many contexts. This is no exception.

ZYN Citrus Cons: Smells better than it tastes, kicked off some heartburn in the author, which artificial citrus flavors sometimes do. Lemon and lime artificial flavors are great, but they are still notably synthetic without other fruit flavors or more mint to balance it out.

ZYN Citrus Alternatives

If you are a fan of citrus flavored pouches loaded with tobacco-free nicotine salt, do not miss Juice Head pouches. Juice Head nicotine pouches are a somewhat dryer product than Zimo but there is plenty of nicotine kick on tap. 6mg and 12mg are the available nicotine strengths. This is double the 3mg and 6mg offered in ZYN nicotine pouches. More importantly, they have a ton of unique flavors. The tart blend of Raspberry Lemonade Mint is a great starting point.

When reviewing what Juice Head has to offer, keep in mind that Citrus ZYN has some mild coolness, but the Juice Head flavors all have a twist of mint. Juice Head makes great nicotine products for former adult vapers and oral nicotine users. Their array of different flavors is a refreshing change of pace.

If the mint aspect is too much, Mango Zimo and Mango Sesh pouches are great choices. They are not a one-to-one replacement, but they are fruit rather than mint inspired. The Mango Zimo is great because it will slowly release flavor and maintain a very mild mango essence that does not dominate your taste buds.

ZYN Spearmint

While Wintergreen ZYN seems to have the most vocal fan base, the author prefers to the smoother taste of Spearmint and considers it among the best ZYN flavors. It is a natural fit for a nicotine pouch flavor, with the tingling, dry and stiff initial mouthfeel of the ZYN contrasting with a relaxing and subdued minty flavor. As is the case with most ZYN pouches, the flavor release is top-notch. Spearmint is the mildest and sweetest of the minty ZYN flavors. Consider Cool Mint the peppermint equivalent.

ZYN Spearmint Pros and Cons

ZYN Spearmint Pros: The authors favorite from the pack of ZYN mints. Smoother, crisper, and bit less assertive than wintergreen. More balanced than Cool Mint.

ZYN Spearmint Cons: A good flavor but not groundbreaking. There are a lot of good spearmint flavors in 20 pouch cans at a lower price point.

ZYN Spearmint Alternatives

Zimo Mint is a great alternative to ZYN Spearmint. It must cover a lot of bases as there remains the ZYN Cool Mint, ZYN Menthol and ZYN Peppermint in this same flavor profile space. Mint flavors are obvious a smash hit in the world of nicotine pouches. The strength of Zimo Mint is that the flavor release is slow enough, but it has a sweet burst when parked. It has all the minty bases covered.

ZYN Cinnamon

Zynnamon Cinnamon continues with the chewing gum themed nicotine pouches. It tastes a lot like Big Red and is a bit less punch than those Red-Hot confections. This might put Cinnamon ZYN is the crosshairs of nicotine abstinence lobbyists, but this has always been a flavor available in tobacco products like snus. The big difference is that ZYN Cinnamon doesn't contain any part of the tobacco plant and has a much cleaner flavor.

The flavor does have a bit of spice and if you don't like cinnamon chewing gum you will likely have zero use for this flavor. But if you are a fan of the sharp and sweet notes of cinnamon, this ZYN pouch will be a perfect fit.

ZYN Cinnamon Pros and Cons

ZYN Cinnamon Pros: A refreshing change from mints and flavorless options. Spicy and sweet! Common breath freshening flavor profile.

ZYN Cinnamon Cons: Can be an acquired taste that some people loathe. Not as strong as you would expect from a flavor that is traditionally quite assertive.

ZYN Cinnamon Alternatives

The flavors in ZYN pouches are great but Zimo Cinnamon is an alternative that proves to be much more than just a nic pouch to enjoy when you cannot buy ZYN online or have ZYN delivered. With the ZYN shortage, Zynnamon may not be widely available at MSRP 5.49, but Cinnamon Zimo can stand on its own merits. That it undercuts the cheapest ZYN and contains 33% more pouches in each can makes it a huge bargain in comparison.

The sweet and mildly spiced release slowly while the nicotine starts out a bit more argy-bargy. This is not as dry and stiff of a pouch as ZYN, but Zimo does provide the visceral experience when first inserted underneath your top lip.

ZYN Chill

Chill ZYN is one of the "unflavored" ZYN Flavors. Unflavored belongs in quotes because coolness is an added taste, even if it is not a characterizing fruit or mint artificial flavor. A synthetic cooling agent might be responsible for the Chill ZYN flavor but notes of the filler material and nicotine are also present. This is generally a background taste and quite mild. Chill ZYN rewards the user because when the coolness is gone the nicotine has been absorbed. Smooth has no such indicator.

ZYN Chill Pros and Cons

ZYN Chill Pros: The superior of the flavorless ZYNs, it contains cooling agents with add a tingle.

ZYN Chill Cons: Is it flavorless if it contains a cooling agent? Not as satisfying as chilly mint options.

ZYN Chill Alternatives

Sesh Nicotine Pouches include an unflavored version in 4mg, 6mg and 8mg nicotine strengths. Sesh Clear are traditional nicotine pouches which start dry with a tingle. What they don't have is a notable flavor. It is a product solely focused on delivering nicotine to an adult user. A good and quality

ZYN Smooth

Chill ZYN has an icy kick. ZYN Smooth has no flavors at all. I prefer chill. Nicotine pouches work best when they give an indication that the contents have been absorbed. That is one of the primary reasons the flavors are even in nicotine pouches, as they are not technically a tobacco product and have no burnt or cured leaf notes to hide.

ZYN Smooth Pros and Cons

ZYN Smooth Pros: This flavor truly does not have added characterizing flavors. You can still taste some of the materials and shelf stability ingredients, which are quite mild and sweet.

ZYN Smooth Cons: With no flavors there is no way to track your progress. Pouches are generally designed to run out of taste when the nicotine is all gone. Turns out no flavor is kind of bland and less appealing to adult palates.

ZYN Smooth Alternatives

Unflavored Sesh Nicotine pouches are a more logical replacement for ZYN Smooth than Chill. Both flavors are not flavors at all, which can be detrimental if you use the flavor running out as an indication that it is time to remove the pouch.

ZYN Coffee

If you are looking for the rich notes of Arabica bean in a spot-on coffee flavored pouch, ZYN Coffee might disappoint. Like all ZYN Flavors it is still pleasing to the palate but a black coffee imitation it is not. It is more of a sweet coffee type experience, think ice cream or a gummy, which is quite pleasant.

ZYN Coffee Pros and Cons

ZYN Coffee Pros: A change of pace using a flavor with a strong legacy in many applications outside of oral nicotine.

ZYN Coffee Cons: Depending on what you drink, it really doesn't taste like coffee but like coffee flavor. There is a big difference.

ZYN Coffee Alternatives

Lucy Breakers Espresso 4mg is the logical Coffee ZYN Alternative. The rival tobacco companies also churn out mocha inspired nicotine pouches. Lucy Breakers contain an extra flavor burst within and have ZYN beat in terms of intensity and integrity of taste. Lucy Breakers are slim pouches, and the breaker also helps reduce dryness when activated.

ZYN Peppermint

Zyn Peppermint is a bit stronger than spearmint, more akin to those red and white striped mints than a stick of chewing spearmint chewing gum. There is still a fair amount of flavor overlap, it is unlikely you will like one and hate the other.

ZYN Peppermint Pros and Cons

ZYN Peppermint Pros: Peppermint is a unique and classic flavor that deserves a pouch. It has a bit more bit but is still cool and sweet.

ZYN Peppermint Cons: Is there such thing as too many mint flavors? There is plenty of great competition from independent nicotine pouch companies in the chilly mint market.

ZYN Peppermint Alternatives

If you must have the word peppermint written on the label, the independent pouch producers simply don't have the resources to submit PMTAs for five mint or six similar flavors. But their old tobacco industry rivals Rogue, On! and Velo all have one.

ZYN Cool Mint

ZYN Cool Mint has many fans who insist it is superior to Wintergreen or Spearmint. It is easy to see why mint is such a great seller in this space. The people comparing them to toothpaste are wrong.

ZYN Cool Mint Pros and Cons

ZYN Cool Mint Pros: Cool Mint is always a wonderful and refreshing flavor with oral nicotine products, really anything you suck on when gum and mints are factored in.

ZYN Cool Mint Cons: This flavor masterpiece has plenty of tough competition from Zimo, and its own stablemates like Spearmint and Wintergreen.

 ZYN Cool Mint Alternatives

Back in the typical mint flavor pocket, Sesh Mint, Zimo Mint and Lucy Mint are all great options. Like any good mint, this ZYN flavor teases a bit of herbaceous sweetness. 

ZYN Menthol

There is some splitting of hairs when it comes to comparing Wintergreen, Spearmint, Cool Mint, Peppermint, Menthol, and chill. Menthol is probably the weakest of the flavors as it isn't as sweet. For alternatives, the Sesh Mint, Zimo Mint, Frē Mint, Lucy Mint are all outstanding.

ZYN Menthol Pros and Cons

ZYN Menthol Pros: Cooler and with less sweet mint flavor, fans of chilliness who don't want a flavor as spartan as chill will love it.

ZYN Menthol Cons: Feels a bit like a filler flavor and narrowly tailored to a small group that loves coolness and doesn't want mint.

Our Verdict

No one can argue that ZYN dominates the U.S. nicotine pouch market. Swedish Mint makes a strong product that has seen off challenges from Velo, Rogue and On! But with the proper facilities and master formulators, the independent pouch industry has managed to create products that have achieved parity or better with ZYN.

Brand loyalty is huge and being an earlier entrant has provided ZYN with a big edge. But we recommend giving brands like Zimo, Juice Head and Sesh a shot. You can save money and might just be surprised that this isn't a Coca Cola situation. There is no hidden subterranean vault that holds the secret of how to make a mint nicotine product or a pH balancing ingredient that tingles. Our feature, What is in a Nicotine Pouch?, deep-dives the ingredients in pouches and their purpose.