REVIEW: Lay’s Poppables (White Cheddar and Sea Salt)

Lay's Poppables

In between its flavor experiments (long live the cappuccino chip!), Lay’s has decided to try switching up the form factor on the beloved potato chip for its next innovation. The results are named Poppables for their popped up 3D shape that can easily be popped into your mouth.

Before you read any further please take note, though, that these are high class potato snacks.

Exhibit A – the eye catching design on the top of the bags as Harper’s Bazaar tells me that polka dots are recently back on trend.

Exhibit B – the o in Poppables needs a dot below it, which the internet tells me is a diacritic mark, whatever that is. Do you pronounce it differently? No clue.

Exhibit C (and if you weren’t already convinced this is the dead giveaway) – notice that the two featured flavors are not just cheddar but white cheddar and not just original but sea salt.

Lay's Poppables 2

I’m surprised they didn’t go further with possibly aged white cheddar or pink Himalayan salt or something. I, myself, alternate between drip coffee and espresso, so I do like to think of myself as highbrow every now and then meaning I was very, very excited to try out these bite-sized snacks.

Lay's Poppables 3

Their shape looks like a lattice cut potato chip and an M&M had a beautiful snack baby. A very hollow but starchy one. Each is about the size of a quarter and significantly puffed out towards the center. The crunchiness is definitely a highlight as there are so many layers to bite through from the unique shape.

After the crunching gives way, the flavors definitely make their arrival. The sea salt ones have a tiny bit too much saltiness to them as it increases the more you chew. The white cheddar, though, have a nice crunch followed by intense cheesy flavor that then transforms into your classic potato chip profile. I found myself continually popping these into my mouth as they are a lot lighter than expected and not heavy at all (until you have eaten half the bag, though).

Lay's Poppables 4

To wrap up on these Poppables, out of the two eatable flavors available, and while this could be debatable, I did think that the white cheddar was more desirable and capable of tingling my excitable taste buds even though both, while perishable and potentially breakable, were portable, delectable, and very satiable potato snacks.

(Nutrition Facts – White Cheddar – about 28 pieces – 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Sea Salt – about 30 pieces – 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.)

Purchased Price: $3.49 each
Size: 5 oz. bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10 (White Cheddar)
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Sea Salt)
Pros: On trend packaging design. Potato chips and M&M’s falling in love and procreating. Crunchiness and lightness all in one.
Cons: Overuse of the suffix -able. Aged White Cheddar and Pink Himalayan Salt getting the shaft.

80 thoughts to “REVIEW: Lay’s Poppables (White Cheddar and Sea Salt)”

    1. This was my idea! I entered this idea with the sea salt flavor in the Lays Flavor challenge months ago! I called them Lays Folds! Nasty company! You’re welcome Frito Lay!!! ? Thanks for stealing my concept!

  1. love these poppables. could you make more flavors, like honey mustard or barbque. that would be great. thank you

  2. I love these.. too bad they will only be around a short time.. I say this because anything I love never last long in the stores.. I heard you can freeze chips.. well that is what the Lay’s worker told me.. ummm

  3. I was attracted to them by the design of the bag. I tried the White Cheddar. I must say I like them a lot and will try the Sea Salt next. I would like to see other flavors and will be saddened if the rumor is true that these delectable Poppables are only around for a limited time.

  4. tried the Sea Salt today. Can’t eat just one. Half a bag later soooooooooooo good I think I will pop another one in my grocery cart next time I am at the store. You did good on this one Lays.

  5. Just picked up a bag of the Lay’s poppables sea salt flavor OMG!!! delicious! please keep them a part of the frito-lay family love love them will try lthe cheddar flavor next.

  6. am i the only one who finds these kind of painful to eat? they hurt the roof of my mouth. it’s a similar experience to eating cap’n crunch cereal. :-/ delicious but…ow.

    1. JAN I love them but me too!! the inside of my mouth isn’t as in love as my taste buds!

  7. Yummy. Addictive. Love these chips (sea salt). Am looking forward to trying the White Cheddar. They are very “poppable.” And hard to eat “just one.”

  8. love the new style chips. i have no teeth and they do me just fine they melt in your mouth a little as u eat them i hope that they are coming out with some diff. kind of flavors. GOOD JOB LAYS CHIPS.

  9. That taste exactly like Munchos (which I like), dried potato. Just fancier iv the 3d format.

    1. I love them addictive. Bought a bag today there gone!!! Sea salt I going to buy more

  10. I love, love, love these!!!!! I am having a hard time finding them in my area anymore. Please do not get rid of them!

  11. We have only tried the white cheddar so far. My adult daughter hates them & I really do like them. I am trying the sea salt next. Maybe my picky daughter will like them a bit better. Cool idea for Lays. I hope they add more bold flavors to this line.

  12. I was out with my best friend and she told me about these Poppables. I’m so glad she did. They are so light and yummy tasting. I plan on making this my go to snack! Delicious!!

  13. Tried these today for the first time. They are very light and delicious. I hope to find them in the grocery stores. I love them.

  14. Wow I was told about them and finally found them. My snack now has a new name Poppables
    Bonnie

  15. I love these poppables, please don’t change anything about them, they are perfect the way are right now. The sea salt flavor, wow, don’t change a thing. LOVE them.

  16. it’s Munchos with flavors, same thing, people seem to have no memory, It’s not “exciting” or “new” If you liked Munchos, you will like these “Puffs” blown full of air so that Frito-Lay can make even more money

    1. Never tried Munchos…..but these are SPECTACULAR! They’re light and tasty and I can have 30 oft hem for a tasty snack. So who care if lay’s make money. That’s the American way!

  17. I love them so much I can just live on them hope they stay around for along time I buy 5 to 6 bags in case you don’t have them anymore love what you are doing keep up the good work and thanks for making these keep them

  18. I love these poppables sea salt we buy all that they have when we go to store I wish they would stock more hillsboro texas 76645

  19. My husband loves the White Cheddar, I love the Sea Salt! Will you be coming out with any new flavors?

  20. I ran across these popables chips in a store once a couple of months ago, loved them and have not been able to find them anywhere since then. I live in Richmond, va. Are they sold anywhere here anymore?

  21. I love white Cheddar poppables can’t stop eating them. Have not tried the others yet keep going back to buy more.

  22. I usually hate regular lays chips, but bought the sea salt poppables on a whim to try. Although they still have the base lays flavor that I truly don’t care for, the texture and crunch from the chip’s shape really made them a lot more enjoyable for me. I found myself wanting to put another in my mouth after swallowing the previous. Thumbs up for the new shape and would like to see other flavors with this same poppable chip.

  23. I just love them. Sea salt is so delicious! Please do not change this new chip it is perfect!

  24. Just tried the white cheddar and love them. I would like to suggest adding a salt and vinegar flavor to the poppable’s lineup

  25. The Lays Popables are great. You need to come out with more flavors and keep them out longer.

  26. Got to be one of the best chips in a long time. Passed them around at the ball game got great reviews and an empty bag back. Great chip!

  27. The sea salt flavor taste EXACTLY like McDonald’s French fries! Seriously, when you eat them, stop and think about it. I crave French fries but can’t eat them because I am dieting, but I can eat 30 of these for only 150 calories! They are SO good and I will never ever stop eating them! Please do NOT discontinue them, I love everything about them. If you are trying to watch your weight, these are perfect and delicious!

  28. I hope you NEVER stop making these …. they are AWESOME. We love both flavors. I can’t buy these fast enough ….. my teenage boys eat them by the bag full. Put them in bigger bags !!!!! Love Love Love Them !!!

  29. I couldn’t decide which to buy. I bought both. Love them both..

    What kills me are the reviews I see on half of these telling you (the website) to make more flavors. Guys, this isn’t Lay’s site. Lays has nothing to do with the impulsive buy…

  30. I think there should be more flavors. I love the texture, little bite size pieces.I would love to be able to buy flavors like, bb’q, sour cream and onion.Just think ,all the flavors that we love in regular and wave chips in a poppales bite.Think outside the box people .MORE FLAVORS PLEASE…

  31. Need big national sale at cheap price to encourage trials. But greedy Frito-Lay Lay doesn’t ever do that! Good product but should be priced at same price as Munchos cause they taste the same. Just like Munchos… too few flavors.

  32. At over $11 a pound, I suppose calling them high class is justified. But you bought them at Walmart — about the farthest from high class you can get.

  33. Please have rep to deliver in retailers in Albany Louisiana. If you introduce a product please continue stocking. Can’t find anywhere even in Hammond Louisiana. Love the white cheddar. Carters is our local grocery store and have a Family Dollar and I bought in both places. No where to be found now. WTH. Love be Poppables and no longer being delivered!!!

  34. OMG my husband and I are enjoying a nice adult beverage and the I brought out the white cheddar poppables! We are in heaven. Best snack by far and I got the last bag at meijer today!!!

  35. Love both the sea salt and white cheddar poppables! I’m hoping Lay’s gets enough good feedback to keep selling them.

  36. Can’t find them at Randall’s, Foodarama, HEB or Wal-Mart. Where are they sold?

  37. Yess!! finally a snack that adults can enjoy with their cocktails. Being someone that has implants, the soft yet still crunchy texture is perfect. Love the white cheddar. Found them at Costco please continue to make the. Unable to have potatoe chips or popcorn.

  38. Love the Sea salt popables…..but sometimes they are hard to find…Lay’s please keep making them!!!!!!!!!

    1. Around here all I could find was the sea salt ones finally went to store in next town south of me and found the cheddar ones.

  39. Love these white cheddar ones for me the sea salt ones are way to salty. Wish I could find them more often though. Please keep making them One of the best chips out in a very long time.

  40. The world could have done without these “snacks”. I originally purchased these as a potato chip alternative.
    They are terrible, tasteless and if you keep them too long, they become either rubbery, soggy and not even fit for your dog to eat. I knew they were another “gotcha” when I tried them. “White Cheddar” and “Sea Salt” — come on, they are so bad they need to be removed from the grocery shelves as soon as possible. Frito-Lay has made a mistake. Where was the “test area” ? I don’t usually have such a strong reaction, but this really registered with me as too many trying to come up with some “new & different.”

    Who in the world thinks these

  41. I give them a 5 out of 10, Dry, not much falvour. Good and crunchy though. It was the White Cheddar that I tried…..probably will not try the others, sorry.

  42. I am heart broke. I can not find any Sea Salt Popables in the Battle Creek MI. area. Every thing is White Cheddar. I prefer Sea Salt.

  43. Best deal I’ve found is at Costco… when or if they have them in stock 🙁

    As a diabetic I watch my carbs pretty close. Being able to enjoy 28 of these for 17carbs is a win, I can enjoy 14 at lunch and stay within my desired carbs.

    Variety would be nice the White Cheddar is my preference, the Sea Salt were rather blah IMHO.

  44. Love the sea salt. Am going to try the white cheddar next. Wishes for flavours are salt and pepper and salt and vinegar

  45. My wife and I and friends all LOVE both the Seal Salt & Cheddar varieties. Am looking forward
    to some Salt & Vinegar and other flavors which I’m sure will soon be with us. Lays has really
    hit the jackpot with this product! I’LL BET YOU CAN’T EAT JUST ONE! YUM YUM DOWN THEY GO!
    OH WHAT A TASTE TO KNOW!!

  46. Love the sea salt ones. The entire bag is only 750 calories. A guilty pleasure.

    I would love sea salt and black pepper flavor.

  47. Myself and many other would love to have more flavors to choose from and be a permanent of the lays potato chip family.

  48. I jsut wanted to say that i loved the cheddar and sea salt poppables…i am hoping u will be making more of them.

  49. The sea salt flavor is a lot like Munchos. The lighter texture is much better. What’s the difference between Muchos and Poppables?

  50. I love the sea salt poppables!!!!!:my husband saw them and brought a bag to me. Best thing I have had next to regular lays chips !!! Thanks for making them?

  51. I am not a chip lover, but these sea salt Lay’s chips are the best I have ever had and I hope you never stop making them. I only wish I could work in your company so I know I would never be out of then anytime. The only problem I have is only a few store where I live in Newfoundland sell them and I can’t get enough in stock at home to keep me satafied. Please don’t stop making them. And make them available in every grocery store around. Love Love Love them Good jobs Yays on a job well done

  52. My wife and I love the White Cheddar Poppables! However, in the last few weeks we have purchased 5 bags of the White Cheddar Poppables at the Dierberg’s Store in Wildwood, Mo. and 3 of the 5 bags have NO, I repeat NO white cheddar or salt added. We have 3 bags of tasteless styrofoam!! Quality control is apparently an issue!! SAD!

  53. I am so addicted to the Creamy Jalapeno and Sea Salt Poppables, for some reason I cannot find the Jalapeno ones. Everyone I’ve introduced them to love them also. Please don’t stop selling them…they are GREAT!!!

  54. My wife and Itried them today–wonderful!
    I volunteer reading tutoring (first grade) at the local elementary school (Steven F. Austin Elementary-Richmond, TX). Could you send me coupons or such for my classes (4 classes of 18, including teacher).

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