Swedish snus brands you will hear about
The nine snus names that come up most, who owns them, what each is known for, and which ones have a tobacco-free relative you can buy in the UK.
Quick answer: The Swedish snus brands you will hear most are General, Göteborgs Rapé, Ettan and Grov (all Swedish Match), Siberia and Odens (GN Tobacco), Thunder (Danish, now Swedish Match), Lundgrens (BAT) and Skruf (Imperial Brands). None can be sold in the UK as tobacco snus, but several makers sell tobacco-free pouches here, Siberia being the clearest example.
This page is a who's who, not a shop. Every brand below is tobacco and cannot legally be sold in the UK, a position explained on our snus and UK law page. The reason to know them anyway is that they shape the pouch market: the makers, the formats and even the flavour names on our nicotine pouches hub trace back to these lines. Our snus hub has the wider background.
The Swedish Match classics
Swedish Match grew out of Sweden's state tobacco monopoly and was bought by Philip Morris International in 2022. It owns the four oldest and most recognised snus lines.
General (1866) is the best-selling Swedish snus and the one most people picture. The flavour is tobacco with bergamot, a citrus note, and a touch of salt. The regular lines are 8mg of nicotine per gram; strong and extra strong versions go higher. General comes in every format, from loose to white dry, and in mini, slim and large portions.
Göteborgs Rapé (1919) is the lighter, greener cousin: tobacco with juniper and lavender. It is the usual recommendation for someone who finds General too heavy, and the white portion is a Swedish bestseller.
Ettan (1822) is the oldest brand still on sale. The taste is plain tobacco, lightly smoky, with no bergamot. Traditionalists buy the loose version.
Grov dates from the 1870s and uses a coarser grind (grov means coarse). It is darker and earthier than General, with a smoky edge, and sits in the "regular" strength band.
These four are the reference points. When a pouch brand describes a flavour as "tobacco" or "classic", it is usually aiming for General or Ettan.
The extra strong makers: Siberia and Odens
GN Tobacco, a smaller Swedish company, built its name on strength.
Siberia is the brand people search for when they want the strongest snus. Siberia -80 Degrees is 43mg of nicotine per gram, more than five times General Original, with a sharp spearmint flavour and a white dry format. It is sold in slim and large portions and in a loose version. Siberia also makes tobacco-free pouches under the same name, with the same cold, strong character and no tobacco, and those are legal in the UK. We stock them on our Siberia nicotine pouches page; the strongest sit in the extra strong band and are not where anyone should start.
Odens is GN Tobacco's broader range: cold dry, extreme and regular lines across mint, tobacco and liquorice. The extreme white dry portions are around 22mg per gram. Odens is popular with online buyers in Europe because it is cheap and strong, which is precisely why so much of it ends up being sold illegally into countries where tobacco snus is banned.
Thunder
Thunder is Danish rather than Swedish, made by V2 Tobacco, which Swedish Match bought in 2017. The brand is built around strong and extra strong portions, often in the 16mg to 22mg per gram range, with Frosted (mint) as its flagship. Thunder's white dry format is a close relative of the slim dry pouch that dominates the UK market, and the brand's parent group is the same one behind ZYN.
Lundgrens
Lundgrens comes from Fiedler & Lundgren, a Malmö maker owned by BAT. The line is known for named regional flavours and for coming in white portions with a soft, rounded tobacco taste at regular to strong nicotine. Fiedler & Lundgren's parent is also the company behind VELO, the pouch brand first sold as LYFT, so Lundgrens and VELO share a corporate family even though one is tobacco and one is not. Our VELO nicotine pouches page has the UK range.
Skruf
Skruf Snus AB was founded in 2002 and is now part of Imperial Brands. Skruf made its name with white portions and a fresh, slightly sweet profile, and runs a clear strength ladder from regular to super strong. Skruf also sells tobacco-free pouches in Scandinavia under the Skruf Super White name. Those are not currently on our shelves, so if you see Skruf sold in the UK check the tin carefully for the words tobacco-free before buying.
The brands at a glance
| Brand | Maker | Known for | Typical nicotine | Tobacco-free relative sold in the UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Swedish Match (PMI) | Bergamot classic, every format | 8mg/g regular, higher in strong lines | ZYN, same parent group |
| Göteborgs Rapé | Swedish Match (PMI) | Juniper and lavender, lighter | 8mg/g | ZYN, same parent group |
| Ettan | Swedish Match (PMI) | Oldest brand, plain tobacco | 8mg/g | ZYN, same parent group |
| Grov | Swedish Match (PMI) | Coarse grind, smoky | 8mg/g | ZYN, same parent group |
| Siberia | GN Tobacco | Strongest on the market, spearmint | Up to 43mg/g | Siberia tobacco-free pouches |
| Odens | GN Tobacco | Cheap, strong, cold dry | Up to about 22mg/g | None under the Odens name |
| Thunder | V2 Tobacco (Swedish Match) | Danish, strong, Frosted mint | 16mg to 22mg/g | ZYN, same parent group |
| Lundgrens | Fiedler & Lundgren (BAT) | Regional flavours, soft white portions | Regular to strong | VELO, same parent group |
| Skruf | Imperial Brands | Fresh white portions, clear strength ladder | Regular to super strong | Skruf Super White (not stocked here) |
Per-gram figures are for the regular lines unless stated. Remember that snus is labelled per gram and pouches per pouch, so a Thunder at 16mg per gram and a pouch at 16mg per pouch are not the same strength; our guide on mg per pouch vs mg per gram walks through the maths.
Why this matters if you only buy pouches
Three practical reasons. First, parentage tells you something about quality: ZYN, VELO and the Siberia pouches are made by companies with decades of snus production behind them, in factories that also make the brands above. Second, format: the slim white dry portion that Thunder and Siberia pushed is the shape most UK pouches now use. Third, strength expectations: someone coming from Siberia snus will not be satisfied by a 6mg pouch, and someone coming from Göteborgs Rapé will find a 20mg pouch far too much. Our strongest nicotine pouches guide covers the top end honestly, including who should avoid it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular snus brand in Sweden?
General, from Swedish Match, is the best-selling Swedish snus and has been for decades. Göteborgs Rapé and Ettan are the other two names you will hear most, and all three date from before 1920.
Can I buy General or Siberia snus in the UK?
Not legally. Both are tobacco snus, and the sale of tobacco for oral use has been banned in the UK since 1992. Siberia's tobacco-free pouches are a different product with no tobacco and are legal to sell to adults 18 and over.
Is Siberia snus the same as Siberia nicotine pouches?
No. The snus contains tobacco at up to 43mg per gram and cannot be sold in the UK. The pouches use the same name and a similar cold mint profile but are tobacco-free. They are still extra strong and are not a beginner product.
Who makes ZYN and VELO?
ZYN is made by Swedish Match, part of Philip Morris International since 2022 and the maker of General and Ettan. VELO is made by BAT, which also owns the Lundgrens snus maker Fiedler & Lundgren. Both ZYN and VELO are tobacco-free nicotine pouches, not snus.