ZYN and Dip - two entirely different products, but both offer a smoke-free way to use nicotine. So what is the difference between ZYN vs dip and other smokeless tobacco products? We compare the differences between ZYN, a leading brand of nicotine pouches and other smokeless tobacco products so you know the facts, especially if you are  looking into making a big switch to nicotine pouches from traditional smokeless tobacco products.

 

 

There are many differences between ZYN pouches vs dip when you look at them side by side. In general, there are 6 major differences between nicotine pouches and dip:

 

 

	Nicotine Pouches	Dip
Contains Tobacco?	No, they are tobacco leaf-free	Yes
Typical Place to Use	Between upper lip and gum	Packed in the cheek or between the lower lip and gum
Spitting Required?	No	Yes
Flavor Options?	Yes, many	Yes, but limited selection
Different Nicotine Strength Options?	Yes	No (but you can alter how much nicotine you use by altering how much dip you pack)

 

 

 

1. Tobacco vs Tobacco-Leaf Free

 

The most notable difference between nicotine pouches vs dip if you place them side by side is whether there is tobacco in the product. ZYN pouches, as well as other nicotine pouches, are tobacco leaf-free or contain synthetic tobacco - so you get the nicotine without the tobacco leaf. However, dip products (whether you choose Copenhagen dip, Skoal or dip products from any other brand) have tobacco as the primary ingredient. 

 

 

2. Portioned vs Loose

 

Typically, dip tobacco is loose - there are some portioned versions, but it is typically loose. When you compare this to ZYN, these all-white pouches come pre-portioned in a pillow-like pouch that parks between the upper lip and gum. 

 

 

3. Upper Lip vs Cheek or Lower Lip Park

 

Nicotine pouches are typically used between the upper lip and gum, where the nicotine is absorbed into the bloodstream via the oral mucosa. In comparison, most dip tobacco users tend to pack their dip between the gum and cheek or between the lower lip and gum. Dippers tend to need to pack the contents firmly with your finger so that your dip remains in place, if we compare this to ZYN the pouch should stay put without the need to pack it tightly. 

 

 

4. No Spit vs Spitting

 

One of the main reasons adult tobacco users often consider switching to nicotine pouches (such as ZYN) is that they don’t require spitting when you use them. Dip is known for being quite messy, not just because of the loose tobacco but also because of the spitting required. 

In summary, you can swallow ZYN spit but not the spit you produce when using dip tobacco.

 

 

5. Many Flavor Options vs Limited Flavor Options

 

Nicotine pouches come in a range of flavors: from fruit to mints to even some more unique flavors (such as cinnamon). These flavors are added to the nicotine pouch in order to give the pouch some flavor. 

Dip tobacco, as the name suggest, has tobacco flavors at the forefront. As the tobacco flavor is strong, you will only taste and added flavors (such as wintergreen) as a slight subtle hint rather than the primary flavor. 

 

 

6. Varying Nicotine Strengths vs Standard Nicotine Strength

 

Nicotine pouches come in a scale of different strengths, measured in milligrams per pouch. On Northerner, you can find nicotine pouches with strengths from 2mg per pouch all the way up to 15mg per pouch - but the nicotine strength options available will vary depending on which brand you choose. 

 

Dip tobacco is harder to measure the “per portion” nicotine value, as it is a loose product, dippers can pack varying amounts of dip which will have different nicotine strengths. However, on average, a can of dip contains 144 milligrams of nicotine.

 

One of the biggest questions, and hardest to answer, when comparing nicotine pouches vs dip: how many mg of nicotine is in a Dip vs ZYN?

This is quite a variable number, as the amount of dip you use can vary depending on how much dip you choose to pack. However, we will try to give you a per can overview for both nicotine pouches vs dip so you can make a comparison.

 

 

How Many mg of Nicotine in a Dip?

On average, a can of dip contains up to 144mg of nicotine. If an average can of dip weighs around 34 grams, this equates to around 144mg per 34 grams - or 4.2mg of nicotine per gram. 

Based on research, the average dip portion used weights around 2 grams, which means (as an average) each dip portion would provide around 8.4mg of nicotine. 

However, please keep in mind that this is just an average - the actual numbers can vary on many factors, including if you use loose vs portion, which brand you choose and more. If you want to read on about the ZYN strengths or go in depth about ZYN, read our "what is zyn" guide. 

 

 

How Much Nicotine is in a ZYN?

As there is so much variation in how much nicotine is in a nicotine pouch, we will look specifically at the ZYN range to compare. 

 

ZYN pouches come in two nicotine strength options: 3mg and 6mg. This means that, depending on which strength you choose, you will get either 3mg or 6mg of nicotine per pouch. 

 

 

 

As we mentioned earlier, there are many differences between nicotine pouches and dip - so why are adult smokeless tobacco users trying to make the switch? Some of the most common reasons dip and other smokeless tobacco users are trying to make the switch are.

 

 

 

You may be curious as to how people managed to quit dip, so we will be transparent - the process is hard, as the experience and feel of dip is unique, so it is hard to let that go. Combined with the addictive nicotine, it can be a hard thing to kick. However, if you are committed to moving towards tobacco-leaf free alternatives to dipping, here are a few tips to get you started.

 

 

Most Popular Dip Alternatives on Northerner

 

While you can get some tobacco-free dip options, such as Black Buffalo, there are also some other options you may want to consider that are popular with Northerner customers, or are more unique but offer a non-tobacco alternative: