Zyn Pouches vs Crave Nicotine Toothpicks a Review

Recently we had the opportunity to try the Zyn Nicotine pouches from our local gas station. We were excited to give these a try as they represent another offering in the Oral Nicotine product categories, especially tobacco free categories that many consumers are actively switching to. Zyn is one of Swedish Matches first major offerings to go nation wide in the United States. Here’s what we thought.

Zyn Flavors

We were pleasantly surprised by the Citrus flavor. Here Zyn really knocked it out of the park. Since they were not fighting tobacco or additives to their media for flavor, they were able to use decent flavors. Where our thinking differs from theirs is that they used dry flavors that need to be activated through your saliva. This left a powder in the container and on our lips.

Zyn Pouches

The pouches look like a Silica Gel pouch you might find in a new pair of shoes. Only this one you’re supposed to put in your mouth. In a way it felt slightly rebellious, if you’ve ever wondered what the experience of putting a silica pouch in your mouth would be. The downside for us was that the pouch is filled with a basic cotton material, and reminded us a bit of visiting the dentist.

Zyn Side Effects

This is the big downside for us, the Burn. When we were in early development for Crave Nicotine Toothpicks we experimented with many different types of Nicotine from many different suppliers. One type that we tried and tested was “Salt Nicotine” which is the type of Nicotine Zyn uses. This never made it to focus group testing because it caused a bad sneezing reaction (sinus irritation) and burning on the gums. Zyn in their product design seems to have fully embraced this sensation. The Zyn pouches burn significantly on your gums while in use. We took them around a local smoke shop and one of the guys who chews described it as “rot-gut” feeling, especially when swallowing the saliva produced by the Zyn. That’s where we know our product really shines through, a total lack of burning and no sickly swallow feeling. Crave is able to obtain this through superior Nicotine selection and engineering.

Zyn Pricing

We bought our Zyn samples at the Gas Station for $6.99 for a pack of 15, though you can find them online for $4 (plus shipping). That is $0.46 per pouch at street retail or $0.27 when buying online not including shipping. Each Zyn pouch has 3mg of Nicotine (they do make a 6mg version), but without utilizing our more than 4 20% discount or any coupon codes, our pricing comes in at $0.19 per 3mg Crave Nicotine toothpick. We think Zyn should definitely offer more per package.

Zyn Packaging

Zyn’s aesthetic is very nice, we like the colors to signify different flavors and clean white packaging. The can’s are quite substantial though, and about the same size as a round of chewing tobacco. If you slid it into your pocket there would be an obvious round bulge in a pair of jeans. The cap also lacked Child Safe Closure, though it can be difficult to access (getting a nail under the lid). With our Crave Nicotine Toothpicks we sought to include a lot of product in a slim and small container. The back sits comfortably and snugly in that lighter pocket in both mens and womens denim jeans. We also utilize a Child Resistant cap produced by an American Plastics supplier that also supplies the same vials to Advil and Tylenol for travel container serving sizes.

Overall, we really think you should try both Zyn and Crave Nicotine Toothpicks to get an idea of what will work best for you switching to a non-tobacco Oral Nicotine Product. We know when you compare the two side by side, both on performance, enjoyment and cost you’ll be happy you chose Crave.