Heated Tobacco Varieties & Comparisons

^{Published Mar 23, 2021
Updated Apr 7, 2023}

Heated tobacco products are an innovative alternative for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke or use other nicotine products. Heat-not-burn products heat tobacco instead of burning it to release the true taste of real tobacco. Our heat-not-burn product IQOS delivers a high-quality tobacco experience for IQOS legal age users (18+) with no fire, no ash and with less smell than cigarettes. However, IQOS is not risk-free and is addictive. 

Heated tobacco products come in over a dozen different varieties. Read on to find out what some of these are and how they compare to one another.

What are the different types of heated tobacco products?

Amongst the heated tobacco variety, IQOS is the brand with the number one heat-not-burn product in the world*. At the heart of our most advanced smoke-free product are sophisticated electronics that heat specially designed tobacco sticks called HEETS™ (or Heatsticks in Japan). Thanks to its patented HeatControl™ Technology, IQOS heats the tobacco just enough to release a nicotine-containing non-smoke aerosol, but without burning the tobacco.  

^{*PMI global estimate of total In-Market Sales of Heated Tobacco Units as of December 2022 (excluding Russia and Ukraine).}

What are the different variants of heated tobacco?

The specially designed tobacco sticks for heating used exclusively with IQOS devices are called HEETS™. Carefully crafted for IQOS legal age users’ (18+) experience, each HEETS™ stick requires diligent care, attention and expertise.  

The journey to offering IQOS legal age users (18+) this experience has a lot of tiny steps. It begins with farmers from all around the world who care deeply for their crop. Next, our master blenders sample the tobacco, selecting the best tobacco origins and qualities and paying special attention to aroma and taste profiles (e.g. richness, ripeness, strength). Finally, our tobacco blenders create the blends of HEETS™ for IQOS legal age users (18+).

A modern twist on tobacco classics, HEETS™ offer a range of taste experiences from rich to refined, including tobacco with menthol and new aromatic blends to suit every taste palate. Thus, IQOS legal age users (18+) can try out and compare heated tobacco tastes to find their perfect match. It should also be noted that HEETS™ are not risk-free and are addictive. 

We know that IQOS legal age users (18+) love to explore new tastes. That’s why with HEETS™ we are building a universe where there is always another heated tobacco variant, another taste experience to discover and where many unexplored dimensions of taste are waiting for IQOS legal age users (18+).

But what is the difference between heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes?

Although both heat-not-burn devices and e-cigarettes are smoke-free alternatives to smoking, there are important differences when it comes to comparing heated tobacco products with e-cigarettes. 

Heated Tobacco Products & E-cigarettes

E-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco. Instead, they heat an e-liquid containing nicotine and flavors to produce an aerosol, what people usually call a vapor – hence the term “vaping”.

In heated tobacco products, nicotine is naturally present in the tobacco used in the product. In comparison, e-cigarettes use e-liquid with nicotine derived from tobacco added in the product.  

What is the difference between heated tobacco and vaping?

Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the aerosol, often referred to as vapor, which is produced by an e-cigarette or similar device. The term is used because these devices do not produce tobacco smoke, but rather an aerosol. 

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Important Information: This product is not risk free and provides nicotine, which is addictive. Only for use by adults who would otherwise continue to smoke or use other nicotine products.

_{IQOS are only for adult smokers who otherwise wish to continue to use tobacco or nicotine containing products.}

_{This article is for general information and educational purposes. Some of the information in this article is based on external, third-party sources and we make no representations or warranties of any kind regarding the accuracy, validity or completeness of such information.}