Choosing a heated tobacco device

Last updated 7 October 2026

The best heated tobacco device depends mainly on the sticks you can use, your preferred heating style, how much you want to carry and what you will spend on consumables each year. IQOS ILUMA uses induction, glo Hilo heats in a chamber, Ploom heats from outside at a lower temperature, BONDS uses ROUNDHEAT, and lil SOLID Ez keeps the hardware simple.

At one carton per week, consumables cost far more than the device. Using the lowest-priced compatible stick line in this catalogue, the yearly total ranges from EUR 3,368 for lil with FIIT to EUR 4,042 for IQOS ILUMA with TEREA. The comparison below shows the arithmetic, compatibility limits and the trade-offs behind each choice.

Start with the sticks, not the device

Heated tobacco systems are closed-format ecosystems. IQOS ILUMA sticks do not fit glo, Ploom or lil devices, and those formats are not interchangeable either. Choosing a device before checking the stick line can leave you with the wrong consumables.

IQOS ILUMA works with TEREA, DELIA and LEVIA. TEREA and DELIA contain real tobacco. LEVIA is tobacco-free but contains nicotine: tobacco-free does not mean nicotine-free. The ILUMA range includes the standard ILUMA, ILUMA PRIME, ILUMA ONE and ILUMA i models.

glo Hilo works with VIRTO and RIVO only. VIRTO contains real tobacco, while RIVO is tobacco-free and contains nicotine. The older glo HYPER platform uses different sticks, including NEO, VEO and Kent, and is not the same platform as Hilo.

Ploom AURA works with EVO and LYO. EVO contains real tobacco. LYO is tobacco-free and contains nicotine. BONDS by IQOS uses BLENDS and BEYOND; BLENDS contains real tobacco, while BEYOND is tobacco-free and contains nicotine. lil SOLID Ez works with FIIT, which contains real tobacco.

For the full format-by-format check, see Which Sticks Fit Which Device: Full Compatibility Chart. No stick in this catalogue works in blade-based IQOS 3 DUO or older IQOS devices.

How the five platforms heat the stick

Platform	Heating method	What that means in practice
IQOS ILUMA	Induction	A metal susceptor is inside the stick. The holder has no blade, and there is no blade to clean or break.
glo Hilo	Chamber heating	Hilo reaches temperature faster than Hyper and runs a shorter, more concentrated session.
Ploom	External heating at a lower temperature	A softer draw, less smell in the room and gentler nicotine delivery than IQOS or glo.
BONDS by IQOS	ROUNDHEAT	Heat is applied around the stick rather than through a blade. The sticks have no metal susceptor.
lil SOLID Ez	Chamber heating	A simple one-body device with one button and a cap that twists off for cleaning.

These are different heating approaches, not interchangeable settings. IQOS ILUMA replaced HEETS with TEREA when the induction system arrived; HEETS and TEREA are not interchangeable. glo chambers are wider and shorter than ILUMA’s, so glo sticks have a different shape.

Ploom is the clearest choice if room smell and a softer draw matter most. The trade-off is intensity: heavy smokers may find its gentler nicotine delivery too mild. glo Hilo is the option with the shorter, more concentrated session described in the brief. There is no verified basis here for ranking the other platforms by session duration or overall strength.

What will you carry every day?

IQOS ILUMA is a two-part system. You draw on the holder, then return it to the pocket charger between sticks. The holder wears out first. The standard ILUMA holder is EUR 45, the pocket charger is approximately EUR 45, and a kit containing both is EUR 90. ILUMA i models cost EUR 70 in the current catalogue.

IQOS ILUMA ONE puts the battery into the body you draw on. It charges by cable and has no separate pocket charger. That means one object to carry, but when its battery is empty, you stop until it has charged. ILUMA ONE costs EUR 50-60.

glo Hilo is a single device priced at EUR 80. glo Hilo Plus costs EUR 115 and has a bigger battery, but it uses the same heating platform, heat-up, session and sticks as Hilo. The finishes on Hilo differ only in colour; the hardware, battery and heating profile are identical across the range.

Ploom AURA costs EUR 35 and is a single device. BONDS by IQOS also costs EUR 35. lil SOLID Ez costs EUR 40 and keeps the simplest format: one body, one button, no separate charger, no pairing and no modes. Its cap twists off for cleaning.

For model-by-model detail, the IQOS ILUMA Guide: ILUMA, PRIME, ONE and ILUMA i covers the IQOS options. The glo Hilo and Hilo Plus: Device Guide explains the battery trade-off between those two models.

Device price is the small part of the bill

A cheaper device does not automatically make a cheaper system. The stick line normally determines the larger share of what you spend, especially if you use the device every day.

Platform	Example stocked device	Device price	Compatible stick line used for comparison	Carton price
IQOS ILUMA	IQOS ILUMA Kit	EUR 90	TEREA	EUR 76
glo Hilo	glo Hilo	EUR 80	VIRTO	EUR 76
Ploom	Ploom AURA	EUR 35	EVO	EUR 65
BONDS by IQOS	BONDS	EUR 35	BLENDS	EUR 65
lil SOLID	lil SOLID Ez	EUR 40	FIIT	EUR 64

This table uses one representative real-tobacco line per platform and the stocked device most relevant to the comparison. Other compatible lines can change the result. For example, IQOS ILUMA also works with DELIA at EUR 74 per carton and LEVIA at EUR 73 per carton. Ploom also works with LYO at EUR 65 per carton. Tobacco-free lines contain nicotine, so the label describes the material carrying the nicotine, not an absence of nicotine.

Yearly cost at one carton per week

To make the comparison reproducible, assume one carton per week for 52 weeks. This is a spending model, not a recommendation about consumption. It excludes shipping, replacement devices and any change in your usage.

Platform	Arithmetic for sticks	Annual sticks cost	Device used	First-year total
IQOS ILUMA with TEREA	EUR 76 x 52	EUR 3,952	EUR 90	EUR 4,042
glo Hilo with VIRTO	EUR 76 x 52	EUR 3,952	EUR 80	EUR 4,032
Ploom AURA with EVO	EUR 65 x 52	EUR 3,380	EUR 35	EUR 3,415
BONDS with BLENDS	EUR 65 x 52	EUR 3,380	EUR 35	EUR 3,415
lil SOLID Ez with FIIT	EUR 64 x 52	EUR 3,328	EUR 40	EUR 3,368

To redo the calculation, multiply your chosen carton price by the number of cartons you expect to use in a year, then add the device price. At one carton every two weeks, use 26 cartons instead of 52. At two cartons per week, use 104. The device-price difference is quickly overtaken by the consumables bill.

The lowest total in this worked example is lil SOLID Ez with FIIT, but the saving against Ploom or BONDS is only EUR 47 in the first year under these assumptions. That is not enough to ignore compatibility, the Ploom smell trade-off or the simpler hardware of lil.

Which platform suits which priority?

• Choose IQOS ILUMA if induction heating and a blade-free holder are your main priorities, or if you want access to TEREA, DELIA and LEVIA. Standard ILUMA and ILUMA i differ in model features and price; ILUMA PRIME has identical heating to standard ILUMA, so its higher price pays for the housing rather than different performance.
• Choose glo Hilo if you want the current glo platform and a shorter, more concentrated session than Hyper. Hilo Plus gives you a bigger battery, not a different heating profile. It costs EUR 35 more than Hilo in this catalogue.
• Choose Ploom AURA if a softer draw, lower-temperature external heating and less smell in the room matter more than maximum intensity. Heavy smokers may find the gentler nicotine delivery too mild. Read the Ploom AURA Guide: Low-Temperature Heated Tobacco for the platform-specific trade-off.
• Choose BONDS if you want a EUR 35 entry-level device and the ROUNDHEAT system. Its BLENDS and BEYOND sticks are for BONDS only, and the device is not a substitute for an IQOS ILUMA holder.
• Choose lil SOLID Ez if carrying one simple device matters most. It has one button, no pocket charger, no pairing and no modes. The cost advantage is modest, so this one is not worth it for you if you want a two-part charging system or more device controls. The BONDS by IQOS and lil SOLID Ez: Budget Devices Compared covers both entry-level options.

Compatibility, capsules and flavour rules

Capsules are a property of the stick line, not the device. TEREA, LEVIA, RIVO, VEO, NEO and LYO have capsule options according to the catalogue, while DELIA, VIRTO, EVO, BLENDS, BEYOND and FIIT do not. Kent has no capsule and no fruit profiles. A device does not add or remove a capsule.

LEVIA, RIVO, VEO, LYO and BEYOND are tobacco-free but contain nicotine. They use processed plant or cellulose fibre, depending on the line, to carry nicotine. The correct reading is tobacco-free, not nicotine-free. These products are for adults 18+ only.

EU Directive 2022/2100 applies from 23 October 2023 and bans characterising flavours in heated tobacco products across the EU. That is why flavoured heated tobacco is not available in ordinary retail in EU countries. The directive covers heated tobacco products; tobacco-free nicotine sticks sit under different national rules, which vary by member state.

These products are not risk free and contain nicotine, which is addictive. No device described here is safe, healthy, harmless or a cessation aid. This page does not provide medical advice.

This product is not risk free and contains nicotine, which is addictive. For adults 18+ only.