How heated tobacco devices work.

What is the difference in heat-not-burn devices?

Heated tobacco devices are also called heat-not-burn devices because of the fact that they heat tobacco instead of burning it. Essentially, the two terms - heated tobacco and heat-not-burn - are interchangeable.

At the heart of our IQOS heated tobacco devices are sophisticated electronics that heat specially designed tobacco sticks called HEETS. Since IQOS heat-not-burn devices are battery-powered, they need to be charged regularly, just like you would charge a smartphone. Once the IQOS heated tobacco device is ready, a HEETS tobacco stick is inserted into the device. By pushing a button to begin the heating process, an IQOS legal age user can then inhale the vapor that is released. The HEETS tobacco stick heats up to a significantly lower temperature than a cigarette, which is being burned. Once the experience is over, the used tobacco stick can be removed from the device and disposed of in a bin.

Since the tobacco is heated and not burned, IQOS emits 95% less harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.¹ Important information: It does not necessarily equal a 95% reduction in risk. IQOS is not risk-free.

The IQOS heat-not-burn technology

From thought to reality, each element of IQOS is carefully crafted.

IQOS HeatControlTM Technology is the heart of the product. Designed in Switzerland, it is responsible for heating tobacco, without burning it.

The ceramic blade inside IQOS, which has gold and platinum tracks, heats the tobacco inside the HEETS to a specific temperature. So IQOS adult users get the experience of the real tobacco in the tobacco stick, with no cigarette smoke, no ash and with less smell than cigarettes, which get burned by a significantly higher temperature.

IQOS and HEETS were designed to provide IQOS legal age users with a tobacco experience and duration similar to that of cigarettes. Each HEETS stick can last up to 6 minutes. All you really need to know is that longer and gentler puffs would extend the duration of your HEETS experience.

HEETS tobacco sticks for IQOS heat-not-burn devices come in many different tobacco flavors ranging from rich to refined, including tobacco with new aromatic blends. We’re sure that among our HEETS selection each IQOS adult user will discover the HEETS flavor that matches their taste.

Find out more about IQOS heated tobacco devices and the technology behind them.

More about IQOS

¹ "95% less" represents the average reductions in levels of a range of harmful chemicals (excluding nicotine) compared to the smoke of a reference cigarette (3R4F). See Important Information.

² Source: 3 month clinical studies conducted in US and Japan with 160 adult smokers each under real conditions (ambulatory).