A Guide to Dosage for Caffeine Pouches

Nicotine-free pouches have surged in popularity recently, and caffeine pouches are one of the subcategories on the rise. But just like it’s unwise to drink an espresso every hour (unless you want to stay awake all night), the same logic applies to other caffeine products.

This article explains how much caffeine these pouches contain and how many the average person can safely consume per day.

What are Caffeine Pouches?

First of all, let’s clarify exactly what caffeine pouches are.

They’re a type of nicotine-free pouch designed for those who want a similar experience to nicotine pouches but without the nicotine. Not to be confused with coffee pouches, which boast a coffee flavor but don’t contain caffeine.

At first glance, there’s little difference between standard nicotine pouches and caffeine pouches. Both products look the same (pillow-like sachets) and are consumed in the same way (by placing the pouch under the upper lip).

They may even have the same flavors — many energy pouches have minty, sweet, or fruity taste profiles.

The only real difference is that nicotine pouches contain nicotine while caffeine pouches don’t, and caffeine pouches contain caffeine while nicotine pouches don’t. It’s that simple!

WAKEY pouches and Kickup pouches are two of the most popular brands we stock on Snusdirect.

Caffeine Pouches vs Energy Pouches

The terms “caffeine pouches” and “energy pouches” are often used interchangeably. After all, caffeine is energizing, and caffeine is the best-known energizing substance.

However, they’re not always the same.

Some energy pouches may use other substances. For instance, ginseng is an energizing substance that doesn’t contain caffeine. Therefore, all caffeine pouches are energy pouches, but not every energy pouch is a caffeine pouch (although most are).

Caffeine Pouches vs Nicotine-Free Pouches

Another point of confusion is the difference between caffeine pouches and standard nicotine-free pouches.

In both cases, the products are free from nicotine and tobacco. However, nicotine-free is a broader category for any pouch free from nicotine — including those that don’t contain caffeine.

For instance, VELO Crispy Peppermint Zero is free from caffeine and nicotine.

Ingredients in Caffeine Pouches

The core ingredients in caffeine pouches are the same as those in nicotine pouches:

• Water
• Filler
• Salt
• Sweeteners
• Flavorings
• Acidity regulator

Some energy pouches contain caffeine extract, in which case you'll see “caffeine” on the ingredients list.

Other times, pouches use natural caffeine sources as the ingredient, such as black tea, green tea, or guarana. The use of tea is particularly common in products that try to emulate a “tobacco” taste and provide a tobacco-free snus option.

How Much Caffeine Do Pouches Contain?

Just like nicotine pouches can contain vastly different amounts of nicotine, caffeine contents can vary significantly between energy pouches.

WAKEY pouches contain 50 mg of caffeine per portion, while the caffeine contents in Kickup energy pouches vary between products. Kickup Original has 12 mg of caffeine per pouch, while Kickup Strong has 14.4 mg of caffeine per sachet.

Wondering exactly how that fits into the picture of your overall caffeine intake? We’ll get to that next.

How Much Caffeine Can You Consume Per Day?

General guidelines suggest that the average person can have up to 400 mg of caffeine per day.

But bear in mind that we’re not all “the average person.”

People can have different tolerances to caffeine due to:

• Body size
• Health conditions
• Pregnancy (pregnant women should only have 200 mg of caffeine per day)
• Other individual differences such as genetics

Therefore, for anyone who isn’t accustomed to consuming caffeine and is therefore unsure of their tolerance should keep their consumption lower.

Other Sources of Caffeine

At first, 400 mg of caffeine per day sounds like plenty — especially when opting for products with lower caffeine contents, such as Kickup pouches.

But don’t forget that caffeine pouches aren’t most peoples’ sole source of caffeine.

Caffeine in Coffee

When hearing the word “caffeine,” coffee tends to be what springs to mind, and it’s certainly one of the primary sources.

But how much does it actually contain?

One espresso shot contains between roughly 50 mg of caffeine (though it can be anywhere between 30 mg and 60 mg).

Meanwhile, a drink like a cappuccino or a latte is likely to have between 100 mg and 200 mg of caffeine — and those opting for a large could find themselves consuming even more.

Instant coffee contains far less (typically under 30 mg).

Bear in mind that there’s significant variation between brands here — one coffee chain may serve drinks with double the caffeine of their competitor.

Another important point is that decaf coffee also contains a small amount of caffeine (between 2 mg and 10 mg per drink).

Caffeine in Other Products

It would be easy enough to work out how much caffeine consumption if coffee was the only caffeine source. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple.

Many other products contain caffeine:

• Milk chocolate: 45 mg of caffeine per 100 g
• Dark chocolate: 80 mg of caffeine per 100 g
• Black tea: 22 mg of caffeine per 100 ml
• Green tea: 17 mg of caffeine per 100ml
• Energy drinks: 32 mg of caffeine per 100ml
• CocaCola: 17 mg of caffeine per 100ml

As a result, products that use any of the above as ingredients (e.g., chocolate cake) may also contain a trace of caffeine.

Effects of Excess Caffeine Consumption

Given how many foods and drinks contain caffeine and how difficult it is to accurately track consumption, it’s wise to keep an eye out for the side effects of consuming too much caffeine.

These include:

• Insomnia
• Restlessness
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Shakiness
• High heart rate

A Conclusion on Caffeine

Since most people can have up to 400 mg of caffeine per day and some energy pouches contain 50 mg of caffeine, consuming five or fewer pouches each day is unlikely to cause issues. However, those who are already consuming high amounts of caffeine from other sources — such as coffee or chocolate — should be more cautious.