VELO is a brand of tobacco-free nicotine pouches made by British American Tobacco and one of the best-known pouch brands in Europe. Many people call VELO "snus", but it is not snus. This guide explains what VELO is, who makes it, why it is not snus and why that difference matters when you buy nicotine pouches in the EU.
What is VELO?
VELO is a nicotine pouch. Each pouch is a small white sachet filled with a plant-fibre base, nicotine, flavourings, sweetener and a little moisture. You place it between your upper lip and your gum. The nicotine is absorbed through the gum, so there is no smoke, no vapour and nothing to light.
VELO belongs to a product group that is often called "modern oral" nicotine. Other brands in the same group include ZYN, Nordic Spirit, Loop and Pablo. If you want to understand the category first, start with what are nicotine pouches.
Who makes VELO?
VELO belongs to British American Tobacco (BAT). In most European countries the pouches were first sold under the name Lyft. Between 2021 and 2022, depending on the country, BAT changed the name to VELO, which is the name the brand now uses worldwide.
That is why you still see older reviews and forum posts that talk about Lyft. In most cases they mean the product that is now called VELO.
Is VELO snus?
No. VELO is not snus, even though many people use the two words for the same thing. The difference is tobacco:
- Snus is made from ground tobacco leaf. It is a Swedish oral tobacco product.
- VELO contains no tobacco leaf. The nicotine is added to a plant-fibre base.
Both products look similar and you use them in the same way, under the lip. That is why VELO is often called "white snus" or "tobacco-free snus". Strictly speaking, both names are wrong, because snus is a tobacco product by definition. Our article on snus vs nicotine pouches explains the full difference.
Why it matters that VELO is not snus in the EU
In the European Union, the difference between snus and VELO is a legal one. The sale of tobacco snus has been banned in every EU country except Sweden since 1992, and the ban was confirmed in the EU Tobacco Products Directive 2014/40/EU. VELO contains no tobacco, so it is not covered by the snus ban.
Nicotine pouches are not regulated at EU level yet. Each country sets its own rules, and they differ a lot: some countries treat pouches like tobacco products with an age limit of 18, some limit the nicotine content per pouch, and a few have banned them. Our overview of nicotine pouch laws in Europe explains the situation country by country, and the EU limits reference lists the nicotine caps. If you are in the United Kingdom, read is snus legal in the UK instead.
So when someone in Germany, Austria or the Netherlands says they "buy snus", they almost always mean a nicotine pouch such as VELO, because tobacco snus is not on sale there.
VELO strengths and formats
VELO comes in three pouch sizes: Mini, Slim and Standard. The strength is marked with dots on the lid, and the nicotine content per pouch is printed on the can. In the European range the strengths run from about 4 mg per pouch, for example Bright Spearmint Mini, to 17 mg per pouch in Freezing Peppermint Max. Most everyday VELO flavours sit between 8 mg and 11 mg per pouch.
Not every flavour is available in every strength. VELO itself recommends that people who are new to the brand start with the lowest dot level, even if they already use other pouches.
If you compare VELO with another brand, compare milligrams per pouch. Some brands print milligrams per gram instead, which makes a pouch look stronger or weaker than it is. Our comparison of the strongest snus brands by mg per pouch explains how to read the numbers, and the nicotine calculator finds a starting strength in four questions.
VELO flavours
The VELO range is split between mint and fruit. The mint side includes Crispy Peppermint, Freezing Peppermint, Peppermint Storm and Bright Spearmint. The fruit side includes Ruby Berry, Purple Grape, Lime Flame, Orange Spark and several "Ice" flavours with a cooling finish, such as Mango Ice and Blueberry Ice. There is also a small Zero line without nicotine. Our guide to VELO flavours goes through the whole range, and the VELO nicotine pouches guide explains the formats and the dot scale in more detail.
How VELO compares to other nicotine pouches
VELO is a large and widely available brand, so it is a common first pouch for many people in Europe. It is still worth comparing brands, because pouches differ in a few ways that you notice every day:
- Strength steps: how many levels a brand offers and how big the steps between them are
- Moisture: drier pouches release nicotine more slowly, moister pouches release it faster
- Flavour: how strong the flavour is and how long it lasts
- Price per pouch: cans hold different numbers of pouches, so compare the price per pouch, not per can
ZYN, for example, uses a numbered scale from S1 to S6 and has a very consistent mint range, while VELO offers more fruit flavours. We compare the two in ZYN vs VELO, and the three biggest brands in VELO vs ZYN vs Nordic Spirit. If you want to see what else is available, our overview of snus brands from A to Z lists every brand in the shop, and the full VELO collection shows the current range with all strengths.
Whatever brand you choose, nicotine is addictive. Nicotine pouches are intended only for adults aged 18 and over who already use nicotine. If you do not use nicotine already, the best choice is not to start.
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