Caffeine Pouches Gain Popularity Among Young Adults

Caffeine pouches are small, flavored products placed between the gum and lip that deliver between 50 and 225 milligrams of caffeine per serving. The items are sold in plastic canisters and marketed as a discreet option compared with coffee or energy drinks.

On an April evening at Othership Flatiron in New York, nearly 100 attendees at a wellness event used pouches from the brand Wip while rotating between cold plunges and a sauna. The event featured house music and product displays on the counter.

Rob van Dam, a professor at George Washington University, said pouches are absorbed faster than beverages and that consumers may find it harder to track total intake. He noted that some users double up on pouches, reaching 400 milligrams in a single use.

Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University, said she has received questions from educators and parents about teenagers using the products. She expressed concern that young people could become dependent on caffeine.

The modern caffeine pouch category began in 2009 with Grinds coffee-filled pouches. Additional brands entered the market in 2024 and 2025, and by 2026 dozens of products were available. Wip CEO Richard Mumby previously served as chief marketing officer at Juul.

Wip director of nutrition Nora Minno said the products are not intended for nicotine cessation and that slang overlap with nicotine pouches is only a reference to the form factor.

Fitness influencer Danielle Byrd said she previously consumed more than 1,000 milligrams of caffeine daily from energy drinks and pre-workout powders. She reported using pouches to keep daily intake near 600 milligrams with steadier energy. University of Miami student Sophia Renard said she promotes Wip pouches on TikTok and tracks her own intake.

She noted that her younger brother in high school has asked about the products after seeing influencer content.