NOIS vs VELO: which nicotine pouch should you buy?

If you are deciding between NOIS and VELO, the useful comparison is not the marketing copy but the milligrams, the portion size and the price per can. We sell both, so all three are below.

Side by side

Strength

All six NOIS cans and all four VELO cans we stock are 4 mg per pouch, so the nicotine per pouch is identical. The difference is concentration: every NOIS pouch is 0.5 g, giving 8.0 mg/g. Three of the four VELO minis—Dark Cherry, Simply Spearmint, and Sour Lime—use a 0.42 g pouch, so the same 4 mg sits in a smaller portion at 9.5 mg/g. VELO Bright Spearmint is the outlier at 8.0 mg/g in a 0.5 g pouch.

That makes the VELO minis (except Bright Spearmint) the more concentrated option: you get the same 4 mg in a smaller pouch. If you want the same strength in a more compact portion, those are the ones. NOIS keeps everything in a 0.5 g slim pouch, so it delivers the same nicotine in a larger format.

Perceived strength also depends on sting. Our tasting data puts NOIS Extreme Light at 9/10 and Cool Strong Light at 6/10, while VELO's minis sit between 2 and 5/10. So if you want the same nicotine with more of a burn, NOIS Extreme Light is the pick; if you want a milder pouch at the same 4 mg, VELO Simply Spearmint or Dark Cherry.

• Light — 1.5–4 mg per pouch (177 cans listed, in stock or not). Where to start. Enough to feel, mild enough to sit with for an hour.
• Normal — 4.2–6 mg per pouch (76 cans listed, in stock or not). The everyday strength — enough to feel without taking over the afternoon.
• Strong — 6.3–12 mg per pouch (259 cans listed, in stock or not). A firm kick and a real tingle. Not a first pouch.
• Extra Strong — 12.5–20 mg per pouch (96 cans listed, in stock or not). Heavy hitters for a tolerance that is already built.
• Super Strong — 22.2–30 mg per pouch (70 cans listed, in stock or not). Serious doses, for a tolerance that is already well established.
• Extreme — 32.5–50 mg per pouch (70 cans listed, in stock or not). The highest doses we list. Far above any Canadian-authorized product.

Flavour and format

NOIS comes in slim portions, 30 pouches per can; VELO comes in minis, 20 per can. Both are CA$14.00, so NOIS works out to CA$0.47 a pouch and VELO to CA$0.70. If you want more pouches for your dollar, choose NOIS; if you prefer a shorter, more compact pouch, the VELO mini is the better fit.

Both ranges cover cherry and mint; beyond that they split. Only NOIS offers berry, mango, and the fruit-and-mint Wintergreen Light; only VELO has citrus, in the Sour Lime Mini. The mints differ too: NOIS's Cool Strong Light and Extreme Light are two distinct mint flavours, while VELO's Bright and Simply are both spearmint. So pick NOIS for fruity variety or two mint personalities, and VELO for consistent spearmint or a lime option.

The VELO range in full

• VELO Bright Spearmint Mini (4 mg) (4 mg) — Reach for VELO Bright Spearmint Mini when you want a smooth, easy-going hit of mint without smoke or tobacco.
• VELO Dark Cherry Mini (4 mg) — With VELO Dark Cherry Mini, you get clean cherry flavour and a smooth, easy-going release that lasts.
• VELO Simply Spearmint Mini (4 mg) — VELO Simply Spearmint Mini delivers a smooth, easy-going mint experience in a discreet, tobacco-free pouch.
• VELO Sour Lime Mini (4 mg) — VELO Sour Lime Mini pairs a smooth, easy-going nicotine kick with a crisp citrus taste.

Within VELO's four minis, Bright Spearmint is the most mint-forward at 6/10 mint with 4/10 sting; Simply Spearmint follows at 5/10 mint. Dark Cherry is the gentlest VELO, with 2/10 sting and 8/10 fruit. Sour Lime adds a tart citrus note at 7/10 fruit and 5/10 sting.

NOIS spreads across six slims. Blueberry ICE Light mixes a 6/10 sting with 5/10 mint; Mango ICE Light is less sharp at 5/10 sting and 6/10 fruit. Cherry ICE Light is the mildest NOIS at 2/10 sting and 8/10 fruit, and Wintergreen Light pairs 7/10 fruit with 3/10 mint and 2/10 sting. For fruit-forward, low-burn pouches, try Cherry or Wintergreen; for a more biting fruit, Blueberry or Mango.

A can of NOIS carries 120 mg of nicotine in 30 pouches; VELO carries 80 mg in 20. So even at the same 4 mg per pouch, NOIS gives more nicotine per can. VELO is made by BAT, NOIS by NOIS.WORLD.

Price and availability in Canada

These two brands are part of a 23-brand single-can range we stock, with prices at CA$12.00 or CA$14.00 a can. Per-pouch cost across that range runs from CA$0.47 to CA$0.70, and label strengths from 2.8 mg to 4 mg, so you can compare both budget and intensity across the shelf.

For NOIS and VELO specifically, the in-stock difference is the count: NOIS has six single cans, VELO has four. One order can cover all six NOIS singles we carry, whereas all four VELO singles we carry fit in the same shipment. If you want to sample the full current selection of a brand in one go, NOIS gives you more to test; if you prefer a smaller, more focused order, VELO's four-cans-to-full-selection ratio is tighter.

Buying is straightforward: we ship across Canada from British Columbia, and orders over CA$150 ship free. Because single cans are CA$12.00 or CA$14.00, you need six CA$14.00 cans or seven CA$12.00 cans to reach free shipping. Nothing here is drop-shipped: the cans are on our own shelf before they are on the site.

Common questions

If you're deciding between the two NOIS mints, the tasting data separates them clearly. Cool Strong Light rates 7/10 for mint and 6/10 for sting, while Extreme Light is a sharper 9/10 sting with a lighter 5/10 mint. So Cool Strong Light is the one for a pronounced mint flavour; Extreme Light is for when you want the sting to be the point.

The cans themselves differ in weight, not just pouch count. Every NOIS can holds 15 g of material across its 30 pouches. VELO Bright Spearmint holds 10 g across 20, and the other three VELO minis hold 8.4 g. At the same CA$14.00, a NOIS can is physically the bigger purchase—you get more total pouch weight. The lighter VELO cans are easier to carry in a pocket. Choose NOIS if the bulk doesn't matter; choose VELO if a slimmer can is more important.

Keep going: NOIS, VELO, our full nicotine pouch range, every brand we carry.