VELO's Strength Ladder: Same Mint, Three Rungs

With most pouch brands, changing strength means changing flavor too. VELO had the good idea of making some flavors at more than one strength, so you can change the number without changing the flavor. Freezing Peppermint comes in 10, 14 and 17 mg, and Polar Mint comes in 8 and 14. That makes them the most useful cans in the store for finding your actual strength.

Why one flavor, three strengths matters

Finding your strength usually goes wrong because people change two things at once. They try a new flavor and a new number of milligrams, and when it feels off, they can't tell which one to blame. VELO takes one of those out of the picture. The mint tastes the same at every strength, so the only thing that changes is the nicotine. Change one thing at a time and you'll know what's causing what.

The three strengths

• 10 mg: VELO's default strength. Crispy Peppermint and Peppermint Storm come in 10 too. It's an everyday strength for people settled in the medium range.
• 14 mg: only four more milligrams on paper, but it feels like a real step up rather than a small one. Wintery Watermelon is also a 14, and it's the top strength for Purple Grape, which fruit fans will know from our grape comparison.
• 17 mg: VELO's strongest, and it's up there with the cans on our ranking of the strongest pouches we sell. It's a strength to work up to, not one to start on.

Moving up or down

Give each strength at least two weeks, because it takes that long to judge one properly. If the 10 seems to disappear by lunch and you're putting in one pouch right after another, move up to the 14. If the 14 has you setting cans aside half-finished, you've gone too far, so step back down. Going down is just as normal as going up, and there's no prize for reaching the top. If you're not sure which strength to start on, our guide to pouch strength covers that.

Which mint to pick

VELO names its mints after the weather, and we explained all the names last month. Polar Mint is the rounder one, sweet and cold. Freezing Peppermint is the sharp one. Freezing Peppermint comes in all three strengths and Polar Mint comes in 8 and 14. Both are $9.99 a can, and you'll find the full range on our VELO page. Pick your mint, then move up one strength at a time.

For the whole European VELO line and who each can suits, see where to buy VELO in the US.

WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.