I tried five sugar-free chewing gums from Trident to Extra – an iconic brand delivered
CHEWING sugar-free gum is a great, low-calorie way to pass the time - yet with so many options, picking the right pack can be a pain.
That's why I decided to try five different brands of common sugar-free chewing gum.
To make sure I was comparing apples to apples, I picked all spearmint flavors and roughly the same size.
I rated the gum on value as well as flavor strength and longevity.
For each brand, I chewed a single piece for at least three minutes to see how long it could sustain its flavor.
Keep in mind, prices and availability of the chewing gums will vary by location.
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The brands included were: 5, Eclipse, Extra, Trident, and Orbit.
Here is how they scored from worst to best.
5. ECLIPSE
- Price: $2.50
- Score: 15 out of 30
Eclipse is aptly named because the flavor was eclipsed soon after I began chewing it.
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Its hard, tacky shell broke soon after chewing, unleashing a cool, minty burst.
But that burst quickly faded as I kept chewing.
While the flavor was initially very minty, it was not very sweet and quickly became rather tasteless after continued chewing.
The standard Eclipse pack comes with 18 pieces - more than the other packs I picked.
But each piece is quite small, and for the $2.50 I paid at a local newsstand, I did not feel satisfied.
Eclipse isn't a horrible sugar-free gum, but you can do better.
4. EXTRA
- Price: $1.99
- Score: 18 out of 30
Extra eclipses Eclipse in a few key areas.
Firstly, its blast of mint has a sweeter mix, making it taste less like a breath mint and more like a sweet treat.
And, unlike Eclipse, Extra lasts longer.
After chewing for about three minutes, I could still taste the flavor.
While Extra has 15 pieces compared to Eclipse's 18, each Extra piece is much bigger.
And, at $2 a pack from Walgreens, you save a couple of quarters.
Yet, the flavor is not mind-blowing and did not last much longer than my three minute threshold.
Extra is better than Eclipse, but that is not saying much.
3. ORBIT
- Price: $1.99
- Score: 20 out of 30
Orbit was a slight improvement on Extra.
It had a solid, sweet-to-minty ratio, and the texture was soft yet chewy enough to keep you chomping.
Yet, like Extra, the flavor faded pretty quickly after my three minute test.
An Orbit pack cost me $1.99 from Walgreens.
At 14 pieces, it gives you a little less gum to chew.
Yet, its flavor had a slight edge, which gave it a small boost in its overall rating.
2. 5
- Price: $2.49
- Score: 21 out of 30
The chewing gum known as "5" was a clear step up from the other options.
While the piece starts a little stiff and bland, after a few chews you got a solid blast of both mint and sweetness.
The sweetness seemed to increase as you chewed it for the first 30 seconds.
And unlike the first three, 5 had a flavor that lasts.
I enjoyed my piece for up to five minutes before it faded.
And 5 gives you 15 large pieces.
At $2.49, it's slightly pricey, but it's largely worth it, especially if you are only an occasional gum chewer.
1. TRIDENT
- $2
- Score: 24 out of 30
Trident took the top spot.
Despite not having the snazzy packaging of some of its competitors, the old favorite delivers.
The small, yet thick pieces are easily chewable and combine mintiness and sweetness in equal measure.
You only get 14 pieces, but each stick packs a punch.
Best of all, the flavor lasted well beyond three minutes.
While, it's a toss-up between 5 and Trident, Trident's lower price point gives it the crown.
The U.S. Sun reached out to the gum brands for comment.
BOTTOM LINE
Sugar-free gums may blend at the drugstore or vending machine, yet there are important differences.
A gum like Eclipse is fine if you're given a piece for free from a friend, but it's not worth your money.
Extra and Orbit are solid options if you are craving a pack and do not have other options.
Yet, if you want to invest in a good pack over the long haul, pick 5 or Trident.
And if money is a factor, pick the less pricey Trident.
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