A Discussion of Nicotine Strength Levels
Today, we’re going to be talking about nicotine! People often ask, “What strength should I use”, or “What is the most enjoyable nicotine strength”, and I always respond with “well, that varies”. Ultimately, your preferred strength is up to you, and will come in time after trying various different strength levels and finding what satisfies your nicotine cravings.
One quick note, for years we always relied on the mg/g scale to look at strength levels. And back in the day, when most pouches weighed 1 gram each that was pretty easy to do. But now, with pouches weighing anywhere from half a gram to a full gram, you can’t really use mg/g to determine strength. So, I will be using the better mg/pouch strength level, because that’s the nicotine level you can actually feel.
A quick way to calculate this if it isn’t listed is to multiple the total nicotine (mg/g) by the portion weight, and that gives you the nicotine per pouch. Example, a 22mg/g snus with a 0.7g pouch (22 x 0.7 = 15.4) gives you 15.4mg/pouch.
So, without further delay, let’s check it out!
Light / Low Strength (4-6mg/pouch)
The light or low strength level is for those with lighter cravings. This can be anywhere from 4mg to 6mg per pouch. This strength level exists in mini snus products like Catch. You can also find it in some lower strength Velo Nicotine Pouches and the 77 Light line.
Regular Strength (8-10mg/pouch)
The regular strength level is my preference. I find it to be perfect for all day usage. This will be found in lots of products such as General at 8mg/pouch, or in the nicotine pouch world Loop Strong at 8.5mg/pouch.
Strong Strength (12-14mg/pouch)
Strong is the next step up over the regular level. For me, strong is the highest level I can go to for “daily usage”. With products like Artisan Snus at 12mg/portion and Thunder Citrus Nicotine Pouches at 13mg/pouch, it’s a pretty comfortable nicotine level. It’s interesting to note that while Thunder is called an Extra Strong, the nicotine/pouch is actually at the strong level. This is why it’s good to look at nicotine per pouch instead of mg/g nicotine.
Extra Strong Strength (16-20mg/pouch)
Extra strong nicotine levels are usually the highest I will go to. I don’t generally go over them. These are pouches I use after meals, but some use this level all day long. Lab 06 is a great one at 18mg/portion. But, if you like nicotine pouches, Ace Cosmic has the full sized pouches and a nicotine level at 20mg/pouch.
Ultra Strong Strength (26-43mg/pouch)
There really isn’t a term for this level, but everything over Extreme is often called Ultra Strong. Sometimes I just call it “everything else”. These levels can vary, but most products in this category are reserved for Siberia. And again, we have to look at nicotine per pouch. That is all affected by pouch size and moisture. Siberia Slim White Dry is 26.23mg/pouch, Siberia White Dry Large is 28.81mg/pouch, Siberia Slim Original is 35.69mg/pouch, and the full on Siberia 43mg/pouch only comes in their original portions.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, you preferred nicotine strength is up to you. I tend to stick to regular to strong, and extra strong portions only after meals. But I’m not one to judge. Generally, over the years, I’ve advised people not to go over 20mg/pouch because it does tend to desensitize you and makes it harder to enjoy normal strength snus. However, you can use what you want, it’s up to you. To find your preferred strength I’d suggest getting maybe 1-2 from each category and experimenting with them and finding what level satisfies your nicotine cravings best. From there, you will find the sweet spot that is just right for you!
