Nicotine strength explained
Updated
Warning: Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. This guide explains how strength is labelled – it is not advice to use nicotine products.
mg per pouch – the number that matters
The most useful figure for comparing products is the amount of nicotine per pouch, in milligrams (mg). Many cans also state mg per gram. To get from one to the other you need the weight of a pouch:
mg per pouch = mg per gram × pouch weight in grams
Example: a pouch weighing 0.8 g with 10 mg/g contains about 8 mg of nicotine. Two products with the same mg/g can therefore differ per pouch if one uses larger pouches.
Why brand dots can't be compared
Many brands print dots or names like “Strong” or “Extra strong” on the can. These follow each brand's own scale: three dots at one brand can mean a different amount of nicotine than three dots at another. Use them only to compare products within the same brand.
Our strength levels
To make products comparable across brands, we group every product by its nicotine content per pouch. Tobacco snus gets its own bands: it releases nicotine less efficiently than a nicotine pouch, so the same mg feels milder. Most regular-strength snus has 7–10 mg per pouch and is labelled “Normal”.
| Level | Nicotine pouch | Tobacco snus |
|---|---|---|
| Low | up to 3 mg | up to 5 mg |
| Normal | over 3 up to 6 mg | over 5 up to 10 mg |
| Strong | over 6 up to 9 mg | over 10 up to 14 mg |
| Extra strong | over 9 up to 13 mg | over 14 up to 20 mg |
| Ultra strong | more than 13 mg | more than 20 mg |
Why two pouches with the same mg can feel different
How quickly nicotine is released also depends on the moisture of the pouch and the product's pH, among other things. That is why we record the felt kick from our own test on a separate 1–10 scale. It helps to describe a product, but it never changes the score – a stronger kick isn't better or worse.