XQS Lines Explained: The Two Ranges on the South Africa Shelf

There are two XQS lines on the South Africa shelf across 11 cans: the fruit and cooling cans at 8mg and 10mg per pouch, and the mint cans whose names begin with The, running from 6mg to 17mg per pouch. The XQS nicotine pouches collection is easiest to read that way, because the line tells you the pouch style and the flavour family, while the mg figure on each can tells you the nicotine.

XQS is part of the Scandinavian Tobacco Group, and every can holds 20 tobacco free pouches. Our products are for adults aged 18+ only, and we deliver to South Africa, so a reader in Johannesburg, Pretoria or Cape Town sees exactly the same shelf.

What Are the XQS Lines in South Africa?

The XQS lines are the fruit and cooling cans and the mint cans that carry The in their names. The first line covers eight flavours that run from fruit pairings to cooling citrus, and the second covers three mint flavours: Spearmint, Peppermint and Menthol. Together they give a South African shopper two clear places to start before any flavour is chosen.

A line is a way of reading the shelf, much like the way a Gauteng commuter reads a minibus taxi by its destination rather than its paintwork. The destination, here, is the complete product name with its mg per pouch. Two cans from the same line can sit at different numbers, and the same flavour can appear at two numbers, so the name and the figure always travel together.

For the numbers in more depth, the guide to What Are XQS Strengths and mg Levels in South Africa? lays out each figure on our scale. For the brand itself, the page on What is XQS? covers who stands behind the name and what a can contains.

How Do the Fruit and Cooling Cans Differ From the Mint Cans?

The two lines differ in pouch weight, can weight and the look of the lid. The fruit and cooling cans use a lighter pouch, while the three mint cans use a heavier slim pouch of 0.75g, packed 20 to a can at 15g. For the Berrynana Twist and Black Cherry cans the pouch weighs 0.5g, packed 20 to a can at 10g.

That weight difference is a useful reminder that nicotine per pouch is a product of two things. The mg/g figure measures nicotine per gram, and multiplying it by the weight of one pouch in grams gives the mg per pouch. The mint cans show how this works in practice: The Spearmint carries 8mg/g, and 8mg/g multiplied by 0.75g gives 6mg per pouch. The Peppermint and The Menthol 11mg use the same 0.75g pouch with a higher mg/g figure each, which brings them to 10mg and 11mg per pouch. The Berrynana Twist and Black Cherry cans carry 16mg/g at 0.5g, which gives 8mg per pouch.

The lid carries a row of six small bars with some filled in to show the level, beside the mg figure. The Spearmint shows three of six filled, and The Menthol 11mg shows five of six. Those bars are a quick visual guide, and the mg figure is the exact one to compare.

The pouches are all white, and an XQS can is kept at room temperature with the lid tightly closed when not in use. That applies to both lines alike.

How Much Nicotine Does Each XQS Line Contain?

The fruit and cooling line sits at 8mg and 10mg per pouch, and the mint line spans 6mg, 10mg, 11mg and 17mg per pouch. Across the whole XQS shelf for South Africa, the lowest figure is 6mg and the highest is 17mg.

Our own scale, per pouch, reads Light from 1 to 8mg, Medium from 8 to 16mg, Strong from 16 to 25mg and Extreme at 25mg and over. On that scale the 6mg and 8mg cans fall in Light, the 10mg and 11mg cans fall in Medium, and the 17mg can falls in Strong. Because 8mg is the point where Light ends and Medium begins, the scale is a guide to where a can sits, and the printed figure remains the exact reference.

Which Cans Sit at Each Number?

Six mg is held by one can, The Spearmint. Eight mg is held by Berrynana Twist, Black Cherry and Tropical. Ten mg is held by Blueberry Mint, Citrus Cooling, Raspberry Blackcurrant, Strawberry Kiwi and The Peppermint. Eleven mg is held by The Menthol, and 17mg is also held by The Menthol, which is why its full name needs the number beside it.

Does a Shared Number Mean a Shared Flavour?

A shared number says nothing about taste. Five cans share 10mg, and they span fruit, citrus with cooling and peppermint. The number measures nicotine in one pouch, so choosing between those cans comes down to the flavour name.

How Long Does a Pouch From Each Line Stay In?

A pouch from either line is kept in for 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the user's preference. That is time in use, and it applies to the fruit and cooling cans and the mint cans alike.

It helps to keep time in use separate from flavour. The mg figure describes the nicotine in a pouch, the line describes the pouch style, and the flavour name describes the taste reference. None of these three sets a separate timetable, which is why the 30 to 60 minute window is the one figure to carry across the whole range.

The guide to How Long Does a XQS Last in South Africa? goes further into the question of time in use, for readers who want to plan around a working day in Durban or a long commute across the Western Cape.

How Are XQS Pouches Used, and Where Can You Buy Them?

Both lines are used in the same way, as a small tobacco free pouch that sits discreetly between the gum and the lip. The step by step version, including how to start, is in the guide to How to Use XQS in South Africa, and it applies to every can in the table above.

On the buying side, the page on Where can you buy XQS in South Africa? covers the shelf and the delivery line. We deliver to South Africa, and the product pages show the mg per pouch before you add a can, so the line and the number are both visible at the moment of choosing.

With 20 pouches in every can, the pouch is the sensible unit to compare. A can of the mint line and a can of the fruit line look different on the shelf, but 20 pouches to a can means a figure per pouch compares cleanly between them.

Which Flavours Sit in Each XQS Line?

The fruit and cooling line holds eight flavours and the mint line holds three. Which flavour suits a reader is covered in the page on Which XQS flavour is best?, and the notes below describe where each can sits.

What Is in the Mint Line?

XQS The Spearmint 6mg is the lowest figure on the entire XQS shelf at 6mg per pouch, and it gives the spearmint reference. XQS The Peppermint 10mg holds 10mg per pouch, and XQS The Menthol 11mg holds 11mg per pouch. XQS The Menthol 17mg holds 17mg per pouch, which makes Menthol the one flavour that appears at two numbers. Every one of these four cans uses the printed name with The in front of it, so the label is easy to spot on a shelf.

What Is in the 8mg Fruit Group?

XQS Berrynana Twist 8mg and XQS Black Cherry 8mg each hold 8mg per pouch at a pouch weight of 0.5g. XQS Tropical 8mg also holds 8mg per pouch. Because the three share a number, the decision between them is about whether banana and berry, cherry or a tropical blend sounds best. Searches for xqs tropical and xqs black cherry are common among South African readers, and this group is where both live.

What Is in the 10mg Fruit and Cooling Group?

XQS Blueberry Mint 10mg brings fruit and mint into one name. XQS Citrus Cooling 10mg pairs citrus with a cooling reference, XQS Raspberry Blackcurrant 10mg gives a berry pairing, and XQS Strawberry Kiwi 10mg gives a strawberry and kiwi pairing. All four hold 10mg per pouch, so the same nicotine is on offer across four different flavour directions, and each is a tobacco free pouch packed 20 to a can.

How Can You Choose Between the XQS Lines?

Start with the mg per pouch you already choose, then pick the line that holds the flavour you want. A reader who prefers 8mg has three fruit cans to compare. A reader who prefers 10mg has four fruit and cooling cans and a peppermint can. A reader who prefers 11mg or 17mg has The Menthol, and a reader who prefers 6mg has The Spearmint.

In that sense the lines work like the sections of a butcher's counter before a braai: the section narrows the choice, and the cut and weight settle it. Here, the flavour name and the mg per pouch settle it.

When the choice is made, you can buy nicotine pouches from our wider range, or browse nicotine pouches to compare XQS against other brands at the same mg per pouch. Open the can whose full name and number match what you already use, and the line takes care of the rest.