Accessory Reviews

A Beginners Guide to Nicotine Pouches

We take a look at some of the leading brands of nicotine pouches to see how effective they can be as a smokefree alternative

by Michelle (Purplefowler)
Feb 20, 2025

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Here at Potv, we have predominantly been all about the vapes, but first and foremost, we are all ex-smokers who found a more effective way to quit smoking and at the time, vaping was the only really viable option. It works! But things are moving at a fast rate, and we are seeing some really great alternative safer nicotine products, so we thought it was about time we stretched our wings a bit and started looking at some of these alongside our more traditional content.

Our good friends over at The Electronic Cigarette Company and Totally Wicked were kind enough to send over a selection of nicotine pouches to get things started, so this will hopefully be an excellent primer if you are interested in dipping your feet but are not sure where to start.

The beauty of nicotine pouches is that they can be used as a standalone product if you want to break away completely from inhaling anything, but they can also be a good option for those times when you can’t vape so, for example, if you travel long distance, you can pop these in for a discreet nic hit. They are a clean and subtle way of making sure you can still get the levels of nicotine you are used to whatever the situation you find yourself in. For me, I kind of wanted a bit of a break away from vaping. As a reviewer, we have to vape a lot, and after doing it for a while, I just wanted to try something different, but I still want to enjoy my one last pleasure. Pouches seemed like the obvious choice.

What Are Nicotine Pouches

Let’s go back to basics before we get too far in. I am sure most of you have probably seen these round tubs on the shelves next to the pod kits and e-liquid, but you may be wondering what it is all about. Nicotine pouches are small packages which contain nicotine and flavouring but no tobacco, all suspended in a fibre pillow. The idea originated in Sweden, a country which is leading the way when it comes to becoming smokefree. They come in various sizes and shapes so there may be a bit of trial and error until you find ones that are the best fit for you. When correctly placed in between your upper lip and your gum, the nicotine is released and is then absorbed through the lining in your mouth. Like e-liquid, they come in various strengths so you can tune how much nicotine you need, and this also means you can have a progression path if you want to eventually cut it out completely.

Positioning the pouch is absolutely key. The first time I tried one, I put it back near my molars, big mistake! This seems to trigger a bigger release of saliva which means that the pouch gets saturated faster and in turn, this releases the nicotine much quicker. I was driving at the time and ended up having to pull over as I was feeling extremely nauseous, had chronic hiccups, and was literally dribbling a bit due to the excess spit, all in all, it was a very unpleasant experience! Once things had calmed back down, I googled to see if this was normal, and that’s when I realised I had put the pouch in wrong. You need to place it nearer the front of your gums, and once I did this, everything became a much more positive experience. I found out the hard way, so you don’t have to!.

Initially all you should feel is the pouch where you put it, but after it has become moist, it starts to release the ingredients. You may feel a bit of a tingle, especially with some of the mint flavours, and you will also be able to taste it along with that slightly peppery flavour of the nicotine. The sensation is a sign that things are working correctly, and it can be quite a pleasant feeling. As for the flavours, mint is obviously one of the big ones, but you can also find a good selection of fruity or sweet ones too. I am particularly sensitive to sweeteners, but so far I haven’t found any problems with the flavourings in pouches.

One of the things I really like about nicotine pouches is the packaging. The tubs themselves are tight fitting to keep the moisture out, but the lids also contain a separate compartment that you access by flipping the top up, and this is for putting the used pouches in until you can get to a bin where you can safely dispose of them. There is absolutely no reason you should see discarded pouches littering the streets like disposable vapes do, they literally give you everything you need to keep using them as cleanly and responsibly as possible.

The Pouches

We were sent a selection of nicotine pouches from some of the leading brands along with a couple of hot off the press new ones by Totally Wicked. They ranged from low to high strength, and also varied in size and shape.

Totally Wicked Mint

Totally Wicked Mint is a very clean, very fresh mint with a high initial tingle. They are a fairly small pouch too so fit very discreetly, and I didn’t feel they would poke out any time. The flavour was strong and had an almost menthol taste and feel which gave it an intensity that some of the others didn’t have.

Totally Wicked Spearmint

Totally Wicked Spearmint pouches are a similar in size and feel to the Mint, but the flavour is a little smoother and sweeter. It has that obvious initial tingle again which is a bit of a signature of the Totally Wicked pouches, but I found it wore off a little faster leaving a more mellow flavour. Personally I preferred the sweeter flavour from the spearmint, but as with all things flavour, taste is subjective. I was happy to see how different the two flavours were from each other though, the first is a straight cool mint, and this is unmistakably spearmint so if you have a preference, you should be happy with either.

Ubbs Cola Ice

Ubbs pouches are wider so if you have a smaller mouth, you may have to fiddle around to get it seated securely, I was always a little worried when I talked that people would see the corners poking out. The tingle is a bit more subtle and takes a little longer to kick in that with the Totally Wicked branded ones. The flavour is lovely though, a warm and rich natural cola with just a hint of cooling which just adds highlights to the taste. I am a fan of cola flavours, and this worked really well for me.

Velo Polar Mint

Velo Polar Mint pouches are almost as wide as the Ubbs but are also thinner which lead to a better fit. I was expecting to get a real blast from these, but they were surprisingly subtle. The tingle is a slow build here, you hardly notice it at first but is gently builds up. The mint is quite laid back leaving you with a clean taste that doesn’t get in the way at all. It may be a little too subtle for some, personally I like a fairly strong level of flavour so I preferred some of the other mints, but this may be a good option to ease yourself in gently.

ZYN Citrus

ZYN Citrus pouches are a mini pouch so as you would expect, these were the smallest of the bunch. They were also the most uniform too. Normally I have to smooth things out to make sure the filling is evenly distributed, but these were good to go with no faff. The smell is very subtle so I couldn’t really get any clues about the flavour, but once it is in your mouth and is activated, you get a lovely sweet citrus blend which leans more to the lime side of the spectrum. The tingle was very mellow here which was a surprise seeing as these were one of the stronger strength pouches.

Lost Mary Airplane Mode Cool Storm

If you are coming at pouches from vaping, you will know Lost Mary from their very successful disposable vapes and you may be surprised to see they are branching out into pouches. Out of all of the ones I was sent, the Lost Mary Airplane mode pouches are the largest and are also the least uniformed. In fact they looked positively lumpy so I had doubts as to how well they would fit and stay in place, but I was pleasantly surprised to find they were very comfortable. The tingle was mid-level, present but not distractingly so, and the flavour was similar, strong but not overpowering in any way. It is a fresh and clean mint but not icy or too fresh. I really liked them, much more than I expected to if I am being honest.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully this has been a useful primer for anyone looking at giving nicotine pouches a try. It has been very interesting to see the variety in size and shape, it really shows that you may need to get experimental at first as you find what works for you personally, after all not only do we all have different tastes, but we also have different shaped mouths so pouches will be particularly individual. As for the flavours, they were all really nice in different way. If you want an instant hit in all departments, the Totally Wicked ones both delivered huge flavour and the strongest sensation, and the Velo ones fitted at the other end of the spectrum. I really enjoyed the non-mint ones and am definitely looking forward to trying more variety. Inf act I am looking forward to trying more pouches in general, they offer a fantastic alternative to vaping if you are looking for other ways to enjoy safer, cleaner forms of nicotine, and could be a great way to break the habit of smoking in the first place. We are lucky to have so many truly viable options to live smokefree at the moment, it is just such a shame that our politicians seem hell bent on making our lives harder and restricting our choices when it comes to making informed choices for a healthier lifestyle!

Many thanks to TECC and Totally Wicked for sending this selection of nicotine pouches in for review.

Pros

Smoke free alternative
Safer nicotine
Easy to dispose of
Good flavours

Cons

None

Michelle (Purplefowler)

Reviewer at POTV

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When her usual forum closed, Michelle found herself in a brave new world full of excitement that something fresh and new was happening. A few days later she somehow found herself on the moderating team and is still not really sure how that happened. Even stranger, she slowly worked her way up to admin and now helps behind the scenes, liasing with vendors and coordinating social media but she can still be found making smutty comments on the forum. If all that wasn't enough, she also is a proud member of the Potv review team specialising in E-liquid reviews for the discerning vaper.

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