Skip Extra And Trident: A Better Sugar-Free Chewing Gum Is From A Nearly 100-Year-Old Company

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Most who actively chew gum have their go-to brands. Some like a fruity flavor, while others prefer an icy blast. Texture matters too, of course, as does bubble-capability and lasting effect. However, one of the biggest divides often lands between sugar-fueled or sugar-free. If you're in the latter camp, you might be an Extra or Trident fan, but there is a lesser-known brand that's worth trying: Choward's.

When an expert from Tasting Table ranked sugar-free gums, this old-school gum blew her away. In fact, it ended up being the most refreshing one on the list, which was unexpected. It makes sense though — C. Howard Company Inc, better known as Choward's, has been making flavored mints and gums for almost 100 years. The retro brand was founded back in the 1930s by Charles Howard, a New Yorker who got his start selling mints on street corners.

The brand still manufactures the original line-up today, though three sugar-free gum flavors have since been added. Our tester sampled the spearmint, which offered an authentic "clean and fresh" flavor that came off as more natural than the Extra offering and punchier than Trident's. According to our tester, the best part was how subtle the Choward's gum was — the flavor built slowly, providing a more balanced experience that made it perfect for a post-meal chew.

Choward's is by no means the most popular chewing gum option out there, but the company has both a domestic and international presence. If reviews are anything to go by, many online seem to feel similar about Choward's to our tester. One Amazon customer has even deemed it the "best tasting sugar free spearmint chewing gum," while another praised the "long lasting" flavor.

"The first time I popped a couple in my mouth, I wasn't overly impressed," explained one reviewer. "The crazy thing, as I kept chewing, the taste got better and better." Of course, if you don't care about the sugar, folks also really seem to like Choward's signature violet scented gum. In fact, many seem to have grown up with that product, as well as the Choward's Violet Mints, which are remembered fondly by folks online.

However, if you're all about simple, minty, modern products, our tester also enjoyed the sugar-free gum they tried from Orbit, which edged ahead of Choward's slightly in terms of flavor and the actual size of the pieces. Ultimately, the title for "best sugar-free gum brand on the market" went to 5 Gum due to its unique flavor profile. If you want to do a taste test for yourself, here is everything you'll ever need to know about chewing gum first — just make sure Choward's is in your line-up.