How We Rate
A score is only useful if you know what produced it. This page sets out exactly how SnusMarket turns a completed test into a number: the scale we use, the five dimensions that feed into it, how much each one counts, and what a given score actually means in practice.
For the process that happens before a score exists, what we buy, how long we use it, how each dimension is assessed, see ourHow We Test page. This page covers the arithmetic and the judgement that sits on top of it.
The Scale
The Five Dimensions
Each product is scored independently on five dimensions before any overall figure is calculated. The definitions below match those used during testing.
| Dimension | What it measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Taste | Flavour on placement, how it develops, where it settles, how it finishes, and accuracy against the claimed flavour | 35% |
| Longevity | How long flavour and effect last, and total usable time before the portion is spent | 20% |
| Texture & fit | Pouch material, moisture release, drip, swell, comfort and stability under the lip | 20% |
| Value | Price per can and per portion against comparable products in the same category and strength tier | 15% |
| Aroma | Intensity on opening, accuracy against the claimed flavour, and whether it reads natural or synthetic | 10% |
Taste carries the largest share because it is the dimension readers care most about and the one most likely to determine whether a product gets bought again. Aroma carries the least because it sets expectation rather than delivering the experience, a product that smells extraordinary and tastes ordinary should not score well.
What Each Score Means
How the Final Score Is Calculated
Each dimension is scored out of 5.0, then combined using the weightings above. The result is rounded to one decimal place.
A worked example, a mid-range mint pouch:
Worked Example: a Mid-Range Mint Pouch
- Taste 4.0 × 35%. = 1.40
- Longevity 3.5 × 20%. = 0.70
- Texture & fit 4.5 × 20%. = 0.90
- Value 3.0 × 15%. = 0.45
- Aroma 4.0 × 10%. = 0.40
Total: 3.85, published as 3.9
The calculation is mechanical, and we publish the individual dimension scores on every review so you can see where a number came from. If value matters more to you than texture does, the breakdown lets you weight it your own way rather than taking ours.
When We Override the Calculation
Editorial Scores and Community Scores
Two separate numbers appear on this site, and they are never merged.
Neither is corrected against the other. Where they diverge by a wide margin, that gap is itself informative, it usually means a product divides opinion, or that our tester’s tolerance sits away from the average for that strength tier. We flag significant divergence on the review rather than smoothing it out.
How Rankings Work
Positions in our toplists and buying guides are determined by editorial score first, community score second, and category fit third, whether the product genuinely suits the reader the list is written for.
A “best for beginners” list is not simply our highest-scoring products in descending order, because the highest-scoring product in a category may be a 20mg extreme pouch that would be a poor first purchase. The list explains its own criteria at the top.
What Does Not Affect a Score
- Affiliate commission: Rates are not an input into any dimension, the final score, or ranking position. Products we earn nothing from are ranked on the same basis as products we do.
- Brand relationships: No brand can purchase a score, a position, or inclusion in a list. No brand sees a score before publication or can request it be changed after.
- Sample supply: Products supplied by a brand are scored identically to products we buy, and the supply is disclosed on the review.
- Stock availability: A product we rate highly keeps its score whether or not any partner retailer carries it.
- Popularity: A best-seller does not receive a floor on its score for selling well.
Full detail on our commercial arrangements is in ourEditorial Policy.
Scores are calibrated within a category. A 4.2 nicotine pouch and a 4.2 loose snus are both very good examples of what they are, they are not equivalent products, and the score is not a claim that you would enjoy them equally.
The same applies across strength tiers. A 4.5 at 4mg and a 4.5 at 20mg are each excellent for the user that strength is intended for. Neither score says the product is right for you.
When Scores Change
Scores are revised when a product is reformulated, when packaging indicates a recipe change, when the format or strength is altered, or when a retest produces a materially different result.
Where a score changes, the review states the previous figure, the new figure, the date, and what prompted the revision. We do not overwrite scores silently, an unexplained score change is indistinguishable from a commercially motivated one, and we would rather show our working.
Market movement also affects value. A product whose price rises substantially against its competitors can lose value points on review without anything about the product itself having changed. Where that happens, the review says so.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest score you have given?
Scores are absolute rather than curved, so the top of the scale is available to any product that earns it. Individual dimension scores are published on every review so you can see how a figure was reached.
Why do so many products score between 3 and 4?
Because most products in this category are competent rather than exceptional. A scale where everything scores above 4.5 would not help anyone choose.
Can I see how a score was calculated?
Yes. Every review publishes the five dimension scores alongside the overall figure, and the weightings are listed on this page.
Why does the community score differ from your score?
An editorial score is one tester working to a fixed framework. A community score is many users with different tolerances and preferences. Divergence between them is normal and often the most useful signal on the page.
Do higher-commission products get better scores?
No. Commission rates are not an input into any part of the scoring process, and we score and rank products we earn nothing from on exactly the same basis.
Do you ever change a published score?
Yes, when a product is reformulated or a retest produces a different result. Changes are dated, explained, and shown alongside the previous score.