In the world of nicotine pouches, it can be tricky to predict what’s around the corner. At any moment, a new law could come in that completely changes the landscape.
But despite this uncertainty, there are some things we can predict about nicotine pouches — or at the very least, we can give it a good go! Keep reading to find out our top seven predictions.
Key takeaways
- In 2025, the FDA authorized the very first nicotine pouches for marketing, and it’s likely there’s more of this to come in 2026.
- More promotion of nicotine pouches is practically a given, and partnerships with the sports world are one to watch.
- Pouch users can look forward to product innovations, including nicotine-free options, higher strengths, and new flavors.
- As pouches rise in popularity, regulatory authorities may begin looking at products more closely than ever, meaning more rules at both the national and local level.
1. More Nicotine Pouches Approved for Marketing
In 2025, the FDA gave two nicotine pouch brands their marketing authorizations, which is the final stage of the PMTA process.
ZYN pouches came first in January 2025, followed by on! pouches (the PLUS range only) at the end of the year.
But there are dozens more brands out there on Prilla alone, and they’re all hoping for that all-important marketing authorization. In the competitive landscape of nicotine pouches, who wouldn’t want to get the word out more?
The FDA launched a pilot program to fast track pouches in September 2025, with the aim of securing faster authorizations. This included on! Plus, but also VELO Mini, FRE pouches, ALP pouches, and the not–yet-released ZYN Ultra range. It’s a reasonable guess that these will be the next to get their authorizations — and if the fast-track plan turns out to be a success, even more brands may follow.
2. More ZYN Marketing
There’s no doubt that many users are still loving ZYN. But the brand now has more competition than ever — not least because of the continued impact of the ZYN shortage, which led to users seeking alternatives.
Although ZYN’s parent company Philip Morris International (PMI) enjoyed a strong 2025 overall, it also revealed plans to boost marketing spending on ZYN.
We’re predicting this to continue into 2026, especially as other pouch brands get their marketing authorizations and start their own promotional campaigns.
3. More Regulation Across the States
When it comes to regulation, 2026 started with a bang. On New Year’s Day alone, California took its existing flavor ban up a notch by restricting everything other than a list of authorized products, while Washington introduced a 95% tax on all nicotine products. And this isn’t even an exhaustive list of regulatory changes!
It’s unlikely that things are going to stop here. National, state, and even local governments are all scrutinizing nicotine pouches and tightening their regulations. At Prilla, we’ll do our best to keep everyone updated along the way.
4. More Nicotine-Free Options
Nicotine pouches emerged as 21st century innovation, offering an alternative to traditional tobacco products like cigarettes with a format similar to traditional Swedish snus. But who says the innovation had to end there?
There are now an increasing number of nicotine-free pouches on the market, which make it possible to enjoy the format and flavors of nicotine pouches without the actual nicotine. Genius, right?
Some of these are essentially flavored pouches — they look and taste like other nicotine pouches, but don’t provide the sensation. Other times, manufacturers use caffeine as a nicotine alternative, which means the pouches offer a sensation comparable to that of nicotine without using nicotine itself.
These haven’t fully caught on here in the US yet, but be sure to keep an eye out in the coming months.
5. Newer Flavors
Americans love their wintergreen and other minty flavors, but the US pouch world is embracing alternatives more than ever. And we’re not just talking about citrus, berries, or coffee.
While we pride ourselves on the wide array of flavors we’ve collated here on Prilla, the truth is that the US nicotine pouch market is still way behind Europe. But we expect that might be about to change.
In the last year or so, some more “out-there” taste profiles have come onto the scene. Both zone and VELO Plus have introduced a dragon fruit flavor recently! And new for 2026, we already have the limited edition ZYN Ultra Dark connection, featuring the likes of ZYN Mojito.
More is to come. From flavors inspired by desserts and cocktails to unique combinations with all kinds of fruits, mints, and spices, the sky is the limit.
6. More Partnerships
As more nicotine pouches are given marketing authorizations, pouch brand names are likely to appear all over the place. But two places they’re particularly likely to appear are sports stadiums and racecourses.
Tobacco and nicotine products have a rich history with sports events, with it being commonplace for cigarette and smokeless brands to sponsor auto racing teams before the US government banned the practice. But these rules don’t extend to nicotine pouches, and some brands are getting in on the action.
Some of the new nicotine brands and sports partnerships for 2025 included VELO’s expansion of its collaboration with McLaren F1 and Grizzly’s sponsorship of Ty Dillon in the NASCAR Cup. What will be on the cards for 2026?
7. More Moistness and More Strength
The first nicotine pouches to make it big in the US were ZYN pouches, which also happen to be dry.
But with the success of the likes of VELO Plus and ALP pouches, the tide may be turning. Both of these are moist collections, and a lot of our new additions on Prilla in 2025 followed the same pattern.
Higher moisture levels create a more intense feeling as they help the mouth absorb the nicotine and flavor more quickly, meaning everything hits all at once. And it seems like it’s a sensation pouch users can’t get enough of.
Similarly, there’s been an uptick in higher strengths that go beyond ZYN’s offering. It’s not just minty portions that are strong anymore, either. For instance, FRE pouches offer nicotine contents all the way up to 15mg in all flavors.
We’re predicting that 2026 will be even stronger and more moist than 2025.
