I am on day 19 of using these patches and have been very satisfied. I have one successful quit for 6 months in the past and several unsuccessful quit attempts. Most recently I went the Chantix route and luckily I am not in prison (LOL) because Chantix really made me a terrible person the whole time I was on it. I have used patches in the past but always got the generic Habitrol patches from Walgreens and the like. I had issues with those patches that I did not experience with these. Here is why you buy these and not go with the Habitrol (based only on MY experiences):1. Stickiness: The Habitrol patches are not that sticky. When you start with Step 1 the patch looks like a big round band-aid but the center part isn't sticky. (just the edges) I had problems with the Habitrol patches staying on and it always caused me waste another patch on a day when the first one would not stay on. These Nicoderm CQ clear patches stick great even on parts of the upper arm that get quite a bit of movement during the day.2. Waterproof: My biggest trouble with patches in the past was that I am a "first moment out of bed craver" and that is my biggest trigger and toughest time to deal with during the day. (followed by after a meal) When using the Habitrol patches I found that taking a shower with one on almost guarantees it is coming off within the hour. Habitrols just do not handle water well. Being that I am up and out of bed usually an hour or so before I get in the shower it was a very tough time since I would have to wait until after the shower for the Habitrol patch. Not an issue with Nicoderm CQ clear patches. I put one just a soon as I wakeup.3. Effectiveness: With the Habitrol patches I always seem to be craving and I was always feeling like it wasn't delivering as it should. The Nicoderm CQ clear patches do not leave me in that state. In my mind, they work better. I don't have an scientific data on this but maybe it is just because the application (stickiness) is better and thus contact is maintained.Some hints:1. Like anything, these are not miracle cures. You have to be determined to quit.2. Even with the patch you are going to have some cravings. This will be the worst in the first 3 days. This time out I bought the 4mg Nicorette gum http://amzn.com/B001IAEO1M and used it in the first 3-5 days. I probably used 4 pieces the first couple of days and then used it twice in a day on days 3-5. I haven't used it since then but I keep some in my pocket to have available. Bottom line though is: you are going to have cravings but they will go away shortly whether you do anything about them or not.3. I sleep with the patch on the weekends but not during the week as you can get some crazy dreams and need to sleep longer when wearing them to bed.4. Keep your hands and mind busy if possible. I played PS3 games a lot during the first week. Helped keep my hands and mind going and was a lot of fun.Good luck to anyone trying to quit. I highly recommend this brand and type of patch.-------------------UPDATE 1/25/2015Happy to report that today is my 1-YEAR anniversary of quitting smoking. So glad to have made it this far and could not have done it without the patches. I followed the 10 week program that included Step 2 and Step 3 patches. You can do it too!!!-------------------UPDATE 8/7/2018I have an app that tracks the amount of money I have saved and how long it has been since I quit. An update caused the date to be lost so I searched for my review here to find it. I am happy to report that I have been smoke free for 4 years 6 months and 2 weeks now. Like many of you I was a slave to smoking for decades and I am so glad that I quit. You can do it to!