8 Sugar-Free Chewing Gums, Ranked

If you chew gum regularly as I do, you probably have a pretty strong opinion about what makes a good piece of gum. For sugar-free gums, specifically, I want something that tastes genuinely fresh without that strange artificial sweetness that can sometimes come with sugar-free gum. I also want a piece that stays soft and flavorful for more than a minute. I decided to really put some of the most popular sugar-free gums to the test and see which ones actually held up.

For this taste test, I tried eight spearmint-flavored gums from different brands. While they're all technically sugar-free, I quickly discovered that they can taste very different. Some had an intense burst of mint right away, while others took a little time to develop. Some tasted fresh and natural, while others left behind that unmistakable artificial-sweetener flavor.

When I performed my taste test, I evaluated each gum for about two and a half minutes to see how the texture and flavor changed over time. I focused on the freshness and overall flavor, the consistency and chewiness, how long the flavor lasted, and whether I noticed any unpleasant artificial aftertaste. With all that said, let's get chewing!

Many people get nostalgic when they think of Mentos, mainly because it was a classic candy that was popular in the 1990s. However, its spearmint sugar-free gum counterpart didn't quite satisfy me. The hard shell gives a satisfying crunch with the very first bite, which makes the opening few seconds feel a little more interesting than your standard piece of gum. Unfortunately, that was where the fun ended for me.

It developed a strange flavor as soon as the shell disappeared and I got into the core of the gum. It was very minty, but there was also an odd, almost chemical taste that immediately settled at the back of my tongue. It wasn't quite the typical artificial-sweetener flavor I noticed with some of the other gums; instead, it was distinctly unpleasant and made me question whether I even wanted to keep chewing.

I did stick it out for the full two minutes, and eventually the gum softened, and the strange flavor became more subdued. It had a nice, smooth texture and lightly minty taste. In all honesty, though, who wants to spend two minutes waiting for a piece of gum to become enjoyable? With so many sugar-free gums available, I don't think you should have to fight through an unpleasant first minute to get to a decent piece of gum.

I always chewed Trident gum as a teenager, so I thought that I would hop right back into enjoying it. Funnily enough, I found quite a few flaws. It did have the texture going for it; it stayed consistent the entire time. It was soft, easy to chew, and maintained the same pleasant feeling throughout. 

Unfortunately, the flavor of the gum didn't match the enjoyment of the texture. Instead of giving me a continuous rush of freshness I got from some of the higher-ranked gums, Trident felt relatively flat. It was minty, but the flavor didn't really develop or give me much reason to keep chewing. 

I also noticed a slightly metallic, artificial quality on my tongue that I associate with sugar-free products. Rather than tasting like a refreshing mint, the flavor started to feel a little fake. It's not an awful piece of gum where I'd want to spit it out, but it still didn't offer anything great that would make me choose this brand again.

Pur Sugar-Free Gum has a very recognizable old-school gum texture. If you ever had Chiclets, that's exactly what you can expect from this brand — which immediately makes it seem a little different from some of the softer, more modern gums. The flavor was interesting at first. It tasted almost exactly like a mint candy cane, with a sweet, straightforward mint flavor that I actually enjoyed during the first few seconds of chewing. Unfortunately, that initial enjoyment didn't last. An artificial flavor crept in after about 30 seconds, particularly toward the back of my tongue. It wasn't so terrible that I wanted to spit the gum out immediately, but it definitely took away from the otherwise pleasant mint flavor.

Ultimately, I felt I enjoyed the gum less the longer I chewed. The initial flavor was enjoyable, the texture was perfectly fine, and it did provide some minty freshness. But once that artificial aftertaste started building, I found myself wishing the gum tasted more like it did when I first put it in my mouth.

Ice Breakers were one of the more enjoyable gums that I tried, particularly during the first minute of chewing. I liked the square shape, and the piece felt like a good size in my mouth. It was very soft and pillowy at first, and had a pleasant, refreshing flavor that didn't immediately scream "sugar-free."

I appreciated that this brand didn't leave that strange, coated feeling on my tongue that I noticed with some of the other gums. The flavor felt clean and refreshing, which made for a nice initial chewing experience. The problem with the Ice Breakers gum is that the experience started to decline pretty quickly. After about a minute, the gum became a little harder to chew and noticeably smaller. Then, around the two-minute mark, the flavor really began to disappear.

In general, that loss of flavor and texture can be a major drawback when you're evaluating gum. Part of the appeal is being able to chew something for a while and continue getting flavor from it. With Ice Breakers, I felt like the best part was over before I really had time to enjoy it. Still, those first couple of minutes were pleasant, and the flavor itself was nice. I would happily choose this over some of the gums at the bottom of the ranking, but its short flavor life kept it from climbing any higher.

The Extra gum surprised me because it reminded me quite a bit of the brand that I ended up ranking No. 1 — just with a few details slightly askew. The flavor wasn't particularly explosive when I first bit into it, but after I chewed for about 20 to 30 seconds, it really started to come alive. It had a pleasant sweet mint flavor that developed and remained strong even after several minutes.

The one thing holding this brand back is a slight artificial-sweetener taste. It's not overwhelming like some other brands, and it didn't ruin the gum for me, but it became a bit too prominent for me when assessing the flavor profile. In the end, it gave the gum a slightly less natural finish than some of the higher-ranked options. Still, the flavor and texture held up pretty strongly, and the overall chewing experience was satisfying.

Choward's was one of the biggest surprises of this taste test, mainly because it didn't really behave like the other gums. The first five seconds were almost completely flavorless, and my hopes started to plummet. Then suddenly, an authentically minty flavor began to build. That beginning experience might sound like a negative, especially when compared with gums designed to hit you with a huge burst of mint immediately — but I actually loved how subtle it was. The mint tasted incredibly real and refreshing without being overwhelmed by sweetness.

All in all, this was the most refreshing gum I tasted. Rather than feeling like I was chewing a piece of candy with a mint flavor added, Choward's genuinely made my mouth feel clean and fresh. I could see myself reaching for this after a meal when I wanted to freshen up without having a huge blast of flavor.

The texture for this gum was also wonderfully smooth, which added to that clean feeling. It's definitely not the gum for someone looking for an intense, sweet flavor explosion. Instead, it lands much more understated and gradual, which I think makes it work. This was one of the gum packets that I decided to throw in my purse, knowing it'll come in handy after a big lunch.

Orbit gum was one of the most consistently enjoyable brands that I tried. From the very first bite, it had that unmistakable minty-fresh quality that I love — however, what really impressed me was how long that freshness lasted. The piece of gum itself is the perfect size in my opinion. It feels substantial enough to chew without becoming overwhelming, and the texture stays pleasantly soft during the first several minutes.

But the real star here was the flavor. As I chewed, I noticed little bursts of freshness that kept appearing throughout, almost recreating the energy of that very first bite. At one minute in, the gum was still soft and flavorful, and the cooling sensation was just as enjoyable as when I started. Then I hit the two-minute mark and was shocked to find it basically tasted the same. That's a huge win in a gum taste test. So many of the gums I tried started losing their flavor after a minute or two, while Orbit seemed to keep going.

I also didn't get that unpleasant sugar-free aftertaste that showed up with other brands. Instead, it stayed clean, minty, and cooling. It narrowly missed the top spot simply because the winner had a flavor profile I personally enjoyed even more. But if we're talking about consistency and staying power, Orbit may actually be the strongest gum in this entire lineup.

5 Gum was my favorite sugar-free gum, and it wasn't close. The unique spearmint flavor made it immediately stand out; it was noticeably different from the standard mint flavor found in so many other gums. The first few seconds were pleasant, but then something really interesting happened: around 15 seconds in, a natural cooling sensation started to build. Instead of giving you one huge blast of mint and then fading away, the flavor developed gradually and enjoyably.

The taste itself actually reminded me of chocolate chip mint ice cream, which sounds strange for gum — but trust me, it makes perfect sense once you try it. There was a sweet, creamy quality to the mint that made it feel more interesting amongst this gum lineup. And importantly, that sweetness didn't have the artificial quality I noticed in several other brands.

The size and texture of this brand were also excellent. The gum felt substantial without being too big, and it stayed smooth and consistent as I chewed. What really sealed the deal for me was the longevity. Even after several minutes, 5 Gum had plenty of flavor, so I was not left chewing a flavorless piece of rubber after the initial burst wore off. For me, this was the perfect combination of flavor, texture, freshness, and stamina.

When conducting a taste test for sugar-free gum, I wanted to be able to compare each brand as accurately as possible. To do that, I chose one flavor to stick with for the entire taste test: Spearmint. Once I acquired eight different brands, I chewed each piece of gum for two and a half minutes. This allowed me to see how the experience of the gum changed with different time stamps — focusing on things like initial flavor taste, the wave of flavor throughout, the longevity, and the aftertaste. I also focused on qualities like texture and size, flavor profiles, and any unenjoyable chemical flavoring due to the artificial sweeteners in most of these brands. Once I considered all of these factors, I was able to easily order these from worst to best.