How Heated Tobacco Devices Work
Discover how heated tobacco devices work and the benefits of switching to IQOS, the heat-not-burn alternative to continued smoking.
Heated tobacco devices heat tobacco instead of burning it. The result is a tobacco experience with none of the fire, ash or smoke that cigarettes produce.
All heated tobacco devices contain a heating source. Some, but not all heated tobacco products are electronic and the exact temperature the tobacco is heated to varies from product to product. What’s important is that heated tobacco products do not reach the high temperatures where tobacco is burnt.
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. After pushing a button to begin the heating process, an IQOS adult user can then start the experience with long and gentle puffs, like cigarettes. Once the experience is over, the used tobacco stick should 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.* Important information: It does not necessarily equal a 95% reduction in risk. IQOS is not risk-free.
The best of IQOS technology
HeatControl™ Technology in IQOS blade devices is the heart of the product. Designed in Switzerland, it is responsible for heating tobacco, without burning it, to a temperature lower than cigarettes.
The ceramic blade inside IQOS, which has gold and platinum tracks, heats the tobacco inside the HEETS. So IQOS adult users get the experience of the real tobacco in the tobacco stick, with no smoke, no ash and with less smell than cigarettes.
The tobacco taste
To provide an IQOS adult users with a high-quality tobacco experience the way we prepare tobacco is makes the difference. The tobacco inside every HEETS is specially prepared using a unique patented processing method called ‘cast leave process,’ necessary to optimize the tobacco for heating. In this process, tobacco leaves are grounded into powder and then reconstituted into tobacco sheets. These sheets are crimped and made into a tobacco plug. When combined with all the other parts, it creates a HEETS stick able to provide taste satisfaction close to a cigarette.**
IQOS and HEETS were designed to provide IQOS adult users with a tobacco experience and duration similar to that of cigarettes. Each HEETS stick can last up to 6 minutes or 14 puffs on average. Longer and gentler puffs extend the duration of your experience.
Find out more about IQOS heated tobacco devices and the technology behind them here.
*”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.
**Source: 3 months clinical studies conducted in US and Japan with 160 adult smokers each under real conditions (ambulatory).