IQOS vs cigarettes: what's the difference?
Currently there are several cigarette alternatives on the market, but it is not always clear how they work. So let's explain the difference between smoking and using heated tobacco.
What is the difference?
The main difference between IQOS and cigarettes is combustion. If you smoke, the oxygen in the air mixes with the tobacco creating a constant combustion.
While burning, tobacco in cigarettes reaches high temperatures, and thus produces harmful chemical residues which are then inhaled. The IQOS Heat-not-Burn technology heats tobacco to a controlled temperature without burning it. This means that, instead of producing smoke, IQOS releases a nicotine-containing aerosol.
What are the similarities between IQOS and cigarettes?
Although IQOS is often compared to electronic cigarettes, the experience of using IQOS is much more similar to cigarette smoking.
Nicotine in IQOS
Tobacco sticks used with IQOS contain approximately the same amount of nicotine as a cigarette. That means IQOS is not properly a product to quit smoking, but merely an alternative to cigarettes. Unlike electronic cigarettes, IQOS uses real tobacco rather than nicotine liquids, making the experience of using heated tobacco very similar to smoking cigarettes.
Real tobacco
IQOS is designed to be used with heated tobacco sticks. The user is able to experience the true taste of tobacco, but without the harmful implications of combustion. That has been emphasized by many of the smokers who have started using IQOS, as one of the biggest challenges that electronic cigarettes containing flavours and liquids have not yet overcome.
The ritual
For many adult smokers, an important aspect is to keep the gestures and the ritual of smoking cigarettes, from the feeling in your hand to the time it takes to smoke. IQOS lasts approximately the same time as a cigarette (14 puffs or 6 minutes, whichever comes first). The heated tobacco sticks have a shape very similar to cigarettes, giving the IQOS user a familiar feel when using the device.