Tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches are one of the hottest alternative products in 2024. Flavored nicotine pouches trace their origin back to Swedish smokeless tobacco products, specifically snus. Unlike snus and chewing tobacco, nicotine pouches contain no tobacco ingredients. Snus is made from finely ground tobacco.

In the US market, ZYN is the undisputed sales leader. Made by Swedish Match, ZYN is a Philip Morris International Product. Initially, its major competitors were made by their Big Tobacco rivals. On! by Altria, Velo from British American Tobacco, and Swisher's Rogue.

But nicotine pouches are fairly basic in design, which has opened the doors for independent companies to launch compelling options, which we outline in our feature: The Best ZYN Alternatives.

If you are looking to buy wholesale nicotine pouches, you will find the independently manufactured products have a better margin.

Top Nicotine Pouches of 2024

Oral nicotine pouches are not the flashiest looking product and have a very simple purpose: deliver the addictive chemical nicotine to adult users. This can make it tricky to narrow down this competition to just five brands. Do not use these products if you are not currently using nicotine. They are not meant for you. Find something else to do with your money.

Selecting the Top Five Nicotine Pouches

Tobacco companies currently make four major brands of oral nicotine pouches. ZYN is the clear-cut winner thus far. In fact, demand seems to have outrun supply. Check out, the best brands for the ZYN shortage 2024, if you seek a nearly 1-to-1 replacement. This is where Velo exits stage left and is bumped from our list. 

There are some big formulation differences between the European and US forms of nicotine pouches. While the EU's Velo is a worthy adversary to the ZYN, the US version is not so highly regarded, either by our experts, social media or really the U.S. market if sales are any indicator. 

This leaves us with five worthy brands, with two independents taking on three tobacco company stalwarts who currently dominate brick-and-mortar shelf space. 

The Juice Head pouches collection for example offers "fruit forward" pouches, which are ideal for vapers. They also come with a stronger nicotine strength option. But a lack of a Juice Head mint, cinnamon or wintergreen flavor means this product is somewhat less appealing to traditional smokeless tobacco users. If you are looking for more adventurous fruit inspired flavors formulated by a vape juice company legendary for the quality and clarity of their e-liquids, Juice Head should absolutely be on your short-list. 

Top Five Nicotine Pouch Brands

1. ZYN (Philip Morris/Swedish Match)
2. Zimo (Indepedent)
3. On! (Altria)
4. Sesh (Independent)
5. Rogue (Swisher)

Comparing Nicotine Pouches

When comparing nicotine pouches, it is essential to evaluate them based on specific criteria to make an informed choice. Consumers can be creatures of habits, particularly when dealing with tobacco products that are quite comparable on paper and in reality practice as well.

There is one very subjective category which is the elephant in the room and can make or break your decision. Suffice it to say, none of these pouches contain flavorings made by grinding up fresh mint with a mortar and pestle. These products are all using time-tested food grade artificial flavors that are found in countless consumable products. There is some expert blending involved but this category starts as a very even playing field. Which is the primary reason why independent pouch manufacturers (and vape juice makers for that matter) have always been able to compete with the tobacco-companies on a level field of play.

To keep this comparison from simply being the recitation of the authors personal preferences, we polled a swathe of nicotine pouch users both "in the wild" and among our team. These products are common enough so that anecdotes from single individuals did not weigh too heavily on the results. We also conducted taste tests, keeping in mind these are all are all adults currently engaged in tobacco use nicotine pouches and other nicotine products.

1. Flavor Variety: The range and quality of flavors available in nicotine pouches is a crucial part of the experience. A diverse array of flavors can cater to different preferences, making the product more appealing to various users. There are flavors that appeal to adults who use other oral tobacco products and to adults. Juice Head sadly got bounced as they are laser focused on adult vapers. 
2. Quality of Flavor: This is obviously a subjective category but there is no magic farm churning out nicotine flavors from cold-pressed juice. It is a duel of well-known artificial flavors and how well they are integrated into the total package of absorption, moisture, and flavor.
3. Nicotine Strengths: How quickly the nicotine is absorbed into the system will matter to many users because it affects the immediacy and duration of the nicotine kick, which can be crucial for user satisfaction. But there have been enough studies of nicotine pouches to show they all fall within a general range. The same is true for the percentage absorbed. This makes the empirical measure of actual nicotine strength choices a very important consideration.
4. User Experience: User experience for nicotine pouches boils down to a battle of pH balancing ingredients to enhance absorption, a perfect balance of food grade artificial flavors, the shelf stability ingredients and how well the plant-based filler holds nicotine and retains moisture.
5. Value: There are two measures of price performance. The price paid by the wholesale nicotine pouch seller, or the direct customer is the first. There is also the reality that nicotine strengths can vary quite a bit depending which brand and strength you buy. An 8mg strength can of On! contains 160mg of nicotine while a can of 3mg strength ZYN contains 45mg. Certainly, we do not advocate pursuing maximum nicotine. In fact, it is prudent to always get the lowest strength possible and use as little as possible.

Before diving into the specifics, we have provided the results first. This comparison is not as flashy as the world of exotic cars or vape mods. Just a white pouch that a vast number of people prefer to cigarette smoking according to industry projections.

We are only looking at the U.S. market in this comparison. There are strong opinions about the comparative quality and selection offered by Big Tobacco's pouches. Note that with value counting for fully 20% of the total, ZYN was always fighting an uphill battle with 15 pouches per can, huge supply problems and a more expensive price.

Zimo Nicotine Pouches

The ZIMO Nicotine pouches collection boasts a very formidable of alternative nicotine products for adults. Their nicotine pouch design is surprisingly innovative, and they check all the boxes. With value one of the five categories, Zimo had a head start on ZYN which is carried to the finish line. 

It is a product that leads the pack in our comparison of the top 5 nicotine pouches 2024. Some of our more travelled users compared Zimo favorably to EU market nicotine pouches, which have a stronger collection of flavors than most American brands.

Flavor Variety: The Zimo collection has an almost perfectly balanced flavor line-up. There are three traditional flavors, an always popular sweet mint, and a pair of strong fruit-inspired pouches. They cover a lot of ground with these options.

• Zimo Wintergreen
• Zimo Mint
• Zimo Cinnamon
• Zimo Mango
• Zimo Blueberry
• Zimo Grape

Flavor Quality: Flavor is not just a reductionist exercise of simply adding artificial flavors to a nicotine pouch. It is a matter of balancing sweeteners and stabilizers that balance the moisture level. Some may even be able to tell similar products apart in a taste test. Zimo manages to have a fresh and juicy mouthfeel without the more controversial wetness associated with Rogue pouches. The precision of the flavor is great, and it lasts deep into the cycle, managing to be present without being overwhelming.

Nicotine Strengths: This is where the tires meet the pavement for many users. Zimo comes in 3, 6 and 8mg strengths. This gives it one more level up than a U.S. ZYN. The journal Nicotine Tobacco Research found that nicotine pouches perform similarly to chewing tobacco and snus when measuring nicotine plasma levels.

User Experience: The Zimo's balance of moisture without becoming overly wet received rave reviews. None of the flavors were panned for being overly sweet or artificial. Velo did not make the comparison in part because of the notorious dryness and dust found in cans, plus a consensus that the EU version is outstanding while the U.S. market receives a lesser product in terms of flavor options.

As far as absorption, the moisture and experience of the Zimo was described as satisfying by those we spoke to. If not hitting quite as hard as ZYN one-to-one, the availability of one strength up served to close that gap. Obviously, pouches are a nicotine product and there is a balancing act when it comes to delivery. The typical duration that our pouch users kept their pouch parked in place was 20 to 30 minutes.

A German study of nicotine pouches sheds more light on this, as they found every pouch they tested releases 80% of their nicotine within 20 minutes but there can be a difference of 10% or more in the first five.

Differences were identified both in terms of the proportion of nicotine released in relation to the total nicotine content as well as in terms of the release rate. In four out of 15 samples, more than 70% of the total nicotine content was released in the first 5 minutes. In contrast, seven other samples released less than 60% of the nicotine they contained within the first 10 minutes. In summary, the results can be used to conclude that most of the nicotine pouches released the majority (>80%) of their nicotine content within the period investigated. Accordingly, most of the nicotine is released within the first 20 minutes.

Value: Flavor is subjective, although industry trends suggest there are winners and losers. Users may also have different priorities, whether they want faster absorption for the first five minutes or more released over 20. But value is easy to put a number to.

Zimo Pouches come in cans of 20 and cost less than the competition. A five-pack of Zimo cans contains 100 pouches, versus 75 in a pack of ZYN. This is almost 2 additional Zyn cans per purchase. As the typical pouch user goes through a can every two to three days in our experience, it is possible to get an extra day out of each Zimo can. Value provided Zimo with a winning edge over ZYN, although the availability of fruit flavors was also a huge bonus. 

ZYN Nicotine Pouches

The reason there is a ZYN shortage is that this is a very popular product. It was the first to achieve mass market appeal and the rest of the industry is playing catch-up. It also means ZYN has a bit of a target on their back, with groups like the Orwellian-named Truth Initiative making the evidence free claim that their staidly packaged product is drawing youth to oral nicotine use.

They were established in 2014 by Swedish match, which is now a Philip Morris International subsidiary. 

Flavor Variety: U.S. ZYN flavors really drive home a few basic flavor profiles in multiple forms. Wintergreen was felt to be the best, with Citrus their only foray away from the classic chewing tobacco flavors. But if you are looking for a mint or menthol that feels almost bespoke, their great selection in this narrow range is a huge feature. 

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

Flavor Quality: Here is where it gets tricky. Plenty of people swear by the ZYN flavors while a subset of our reviewers took shots at ZYN for tasting a bit too artificial. The market cannot be that wrong in this case, with ZYN dominance suggesting that they should keep doing whatever they are doing.

User Experience: There is no straight answer here either, with arguments about which brand tingled the most or lost flavor the quickest. ZYN did seem to have some zip in its step out of the gate, which may explain its greater appeal. The flavors also didn't feel dusted on but incorporated deeply in the pouch.

Despite their small size and slightly lower nic strength for their most potent pouch, ZYN is generally viewed as a harder-hitting pouch by its many advocates, whether that can be empirically demonstrated is an entirely different question. Also, the term "cotton mouth" came up a ton with ZYN, although it is possible the issue is that little new ZYN product is reaching the market currently.

Value: ZYN is a more expensive product and there are fewer pouches per can. There is also a massive ZYN shortage, which has further inflated prices. Push 0.50 cents a pouch with tax, you may be surprised that ZYN costs close to double what a ZIMO currently does. This provided Zimo an edge in scoring which ZYN was unable to overcome. 

Sesh Nicotine Pouches

Sesh+ has a traditional slightly dryer mouthfeel than Zimo. There aren't many flavors to choose from in the Sesh pouches collection, but they check the major boxes. While not accused of inducing cottonmouth, Sesh isn't as juicy as Zimo. They are a viable independently manufactured pouch product and come in an unflavored Clear version.

Flavor Variety: Not much to write home about here. There are four flavors, one of which is a fruit and one unflavored. The mango option is a nice edition. Realistically, the ZYN flavors have quite a bit of overlap. Traditionally, mint and wintergreen are offered in most oral tobacco products and this tradition has carried over to pouches.

Sesh Pouches Flavors

• Mango Sesh Nicotine Pouches
• Mint Sesh Nicotine Pouches
• Wintergreen Sesh Nicotine Pouches
• Clear Sesh Nicotine Pouches

Flavor Quality: Despite a bit of dryness, Sesh+ had an almost gum like flavor affect. Which was delightful out of the gates and fading to unobtrusiveness after a few minutes. A pretty nice experience overall. The wintergreen was superb by all accounts while the Mango Sesh lagged Zimo's vaper friendly Grape, Blueberry and Mango flavors.

Nicotine Strengths: The range from 4 to 8mg covers every reasonable base. That 4mg is the lowest strength might be viewed as detrimental to users looking to reduce their intake though.

User Experience: Sesh+ provides a very solid overall experience, this is a very high-quality product. It checks all the boxes in terms of steady release, an early stage that is not excruciating and a couple banger flavors in Wintergreen and Mint.

Value: Sesh Pouches also have 20 pouches per can. They cost a smidge more than Zimo at most locations but are comparable. There is no glaring price disparity like ZYN and its competitors.

On! Nicotine Pouches

Altria has entered the building. Altria purchased on in 2019 for $372 million USD. They have dumped a fair amount into this product and have blown by Velo into second place in the U.S. market. Sold in metallic cans, they are a gas station staple. The question this: How well do they stack up to ZYN and the pouches made by independent U.S. manufacturers.

Flavor Variety: It is fun that a global conglomerate intent on banning vaping flavors in the U.S., perhaps due to the fact that vape flavor bans increase cigarette sales, offers both a Citrus and a Berry nicotine pouch. Fun may not be the right word actually.

Apparently adult nicotine users can access flavored tobacco-free products provided that Big Tobacco still profits. On! has more variety than ZYN but the Berry doesn't stack up against three Zimo fruit flavors of superior quality or Sesh's solid mango.

• On! Wintergreen
• On! Berry
• On! Citrus
• On! Cinnamon
• On! Mint
• On! Coffee
• On! Original (Unflavored)

Flavor Quality: The Cinnamon was excellent. It is not overly sweet and it has some nice spiciness. ZYN has the edge when it comes to the Citrus flavor, while On! simply doesn't have a garage full of slightly modified mint, menthol and wintergreens to choose from like ZYN does. Berry is fine but not as good as Sesh Mango and it is totally overshadowed by all three excellent Zimo fruit flavors.

Nicotine Strength Options: This author is never going to complain if there are lower strength options available. On! starts at 2mg and makes its way up to 8mg. Ideally, no one uses nicotine, and we all live as prudent, upstanding, productive and risk averse citizens free of vice. Realistically, this is the best split of nicotine strengths on the market. You can shop for even more powerful pouches, but Altria was right on target with this.

User Experience: The On! can, while probably wasteful and impractical, is a nice and compact choice. The pouch is slightly smaller but has a dry texture that promotes prolonged use.

Value: With a ZYN shortage and that product's premium pricing, On! is the more affordable option. It does not appear to have compromised quality, unlike say the obsolete cigalikes they continue to sell on gas station shelves. No wonder this is a growth market for the tobacco industry. On! is often priced to move and capitalizes on value. With 20 pouches per can, this is an accurate claim. But Zimo still offers superior retail pricing without the use of tie-ins and rebates linked to sales.

Rogue Nicotine Pouches

Rogue has a subversive name, but they are simply a product of the tobacco powerhouse Swisher. They are also the most polarizing product in this comparison. While Zimo has a unique and better mouthfeel, not much separates the four above. Rogue provides a somewhat unique experience.

Flavor Variety: Rogue has the widest selection of flavors. They offer three fruit options, tying Zimo and three mint type flavors like ZYN. They are the only one with a fake tobacco fauxbacco pouch as well. This is not a huge surprise as their parent company is a purveyor of flavored Swishers.

• Rogue Wintergreen
• Rogue Peppermint
• Rogue Spearmint
• Rogue Mango
• Rogue Apple
• Rogue Berry
• Rogue Honey Lemon
• Rogue Cinnamon
• Rogue Tabac
• Rogue Original

Flavor Quality: The moderately moist Rogue pouches do not have any loose flavoring powder. The apple flavor is excellent and should be considered by every other manufacturer. The flavor seems to last fairly long as well.

Nicotine Strengths: There are only two strength options here.

User Experience: This is where Rogue gets controversial. It is a slightly bigger pouch and there were complaints that it was a bit of a gum and cheek shredder.

Value: Depending on the month, you can get a decent deal on Rogue and each tin holds 20 nicotine pouches.

Our Verdict

It is tough to declare winners and losers when these products are quite similar and many of the differences subjective. Yet Zimo did emerge as the clear-cut favorite. It was less expensive than ZYN and offered a moistened experience in comparison without being claggy or damp.

ZYN suffers due to their price, pouch count of 15 per can and scarcity. Sesh proved a sturdy ZYN alternative while On! Features some excellent flavors but remains an also ran when comparing Big Tobacco products. While a couple swore that Rogue was the best, it proved a polarizing product overall.

How to Use Nicotine Pouches

Nicotine pouches are easy to use and provide a satisfying experience for adults currently using nicotine. Just tuck the slim pouch, which is made from plant-based fibers, under your upper lip. Oral nicotine pouches are small enough to discretely "park" in place. They are spit-free, come in different strengths of nicotine and are sold in adult-appealing flavors.

There will be tingling that can last for five minutes. After 30 minutes, most of the nicotine will be absorbed. The nicotine kick will be slower than vape or a combustible. Completely free from any notes of tobacco leaf or tobacco ingredients, pouches are a flavored nicotine product and typically infused with citrus, fruit, peppermint, wintergreen, cinnamon, and mint flavors.

We do not recommend eating or drinking with the pouch in place, as this will increase the odds that you will swallow the pouch and can dislodge it, which can slow absorption.

Do not chew, suck, or swallow a nicotine pouch. Keep them out of the reach of children and pets. Placed used pouches in the storage area on the can until you can dispose of pouches in the trash and do not litter.

Nicotine Pouches Safer than Other Tobacco Products?

In the U.S., only the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products that were destroyed by vaping in myriad head-to-head tests as a cessation tool are officially recognized by the FDA. These are the gums, lozenges and patches made by the pharmaceutical industry. 

If you were expecting us to promote these products as a method to quit tobacco you have come to the wrong place and Sweden may be more your speed. They have embraced nicotine pouches and are close to being the first smoke-free country in Europe.

The U.S. is far removed from an era where nicotine pouches would be promoted as having a significant role in harm reduction. Or where harm reduction would even be acknowledged in regards to nicotine.

Although former FDA chief Scott Gottlieb has expressed some alarm about trends in smoking that directly coincide with greater restrictions on vaping and efforts by politicians to snuff out nicotine pouches that led to a ZYNsurrection.

Declines in smoking rates have started to stall ; if we're going to help more adults quit combustible cigarettes we have to embrace harm reduction and offer adult smokers modified risk nicotine products that don't have same risks as combusting tobacco 1/2 https://t.co/l3a1zmffqc

— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) February 26, 2024

This said, studies have shown that synthetic nicotine products are free from carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines.

Tobacco Specific Carcinogens

Nicotine pouches are free from carcinogenic tobacco specific nitrosamines because they are made from synthetic nicotine rather than tobacco leaves. A peer-reviewed 2023 study published in Biomed Central tested ZYN nicotine pouches, moist snuff, snus, Nicorette and nicotine gum for “Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents” (HPHCs).  

Tobacco-leaf derived snus had a five to 12-fold lower level of HPHCs than moist snuff, providing a scientific basis for Sweden’s decision to embrace snus all those decades ago. But synthetic nicotine pouches outperformed snus and were comparable to the pharmaceutical industry’s nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products: 

“No nitrosamines or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were quantified in the ZYN and NRT products. Overall, the number of quantified HPHCs were similar between ZYN and NRT products and found at low levels.”