How heated tobacco works

Last updated 7 October 2026

Heated tobacco works by warming a specially made stick without setting it alight, so the device produces an inhalable aerosol rather than smoke from burning tobacco. The stick still contains tobacco in many product lines, and tobacco-free alternatives can still contain nicotine.

The main differences between systems are how they apply heat: induction inside IQOS ILUMA, a chamber in glo, outside-heating in Ploom, or ROUNDHEAT around the stick in BONDS by IQOS. That choice affects the stick shape, session and device design. There is no ash because there is no burning, but heated tobacco is not risk free and is for adults 18+ only.

What does heat-not-burn actually mean?

“Heat-not-burn” is a commonly used description for products that heat a tobacco or nicotine stick instead of burning it like a cigarette. The device warms the stick to create an aerosol for inhalation. A cigarette uses combustion: tobacco is set alight and smoke is produced. Heated tobacco uses controlled heating and does not create ash from a lit end.

The distinction matters, but it should not be overstated. Heated tobacco is not harmless, safe or a cessation aid. Some sticks contain real tobacco, while others are tobacco-free materials designed to carry nicotine. The required warning is: “This product is not risk free and contains nicotine, which is addictive.”

Some manufacturer material makes comparative claims about harmful chemicals. For example, Philip Morris publishes a figure of 95% reduction in harmful chemicals compared with cigarette smoke. That is the manufacturer’s claim, not a general safety finding, and it does not make the product risk free.

How is heated tobacco different from vaping?

Heated tobacco uses a solid stick. Depending on the line, that stick contains real tobacco or a tobacco-free processed plant or cellulose-fibre material carrying nicotine. The device heats the stick in a holder or chamber, and the session ends when the stick has been used.

Vaping uses a liquid or other vaping material rather than a heated-tobacco stick. It is therefore a different product category with different hardware, consumables and compatibility rules. A vape cannot use heated-tobacco sticks, and a heated-tobacco device is not a vape.

Do not treat “tobacco-free” as meaning “nicotine-free”. LEVIA, RIVO, VEO, LYO and BEYOND are tobacco-free lines that contain nicotine. The absence of tobacco does not remove the nicotine warning or the need to follow the rules that apply where you live.

What is inside a heated-tobacco stick?

A stick is a purpose-made consumable, not a shortened cigarette and not a universal refill. Its construction depends on the line. TEREA, DELIA, VIRTO, NEO, Kent, EVO, BLENDS and FIIT contain real tobacco. LEVIA, RIVO, VEO, LYO and BEYOND are tobacco-free; the brief identifies LEVIA as processed plant or cellulose fibre carrying nicotine, while the other tobacco-free lines also contain nicotine.

Some lines include a capsule and some do not. TEREA, LEVIA, RIVO, VEO, NEO and LYO have capsule options or capsules as specified for each line. DELIA, VIRTO, Kent, EVO, BLENDS, BEYOND and FIIT do not have a capsule. VEO has a capsule in every stick, while LYO has one in each stick. RIVO mostly carries a “Twist” capsule.

Capsules are a feature of the stick, not a setting on the device. A device cannot make a non-capsule stick into a capsule stick. The line, format and device platform must all match.

Which sticks fit which devices?

Compatibility is the first practical decision. IQOS formats fit IQOS devices in the same platform, glo formats fit the relevant glo platform, and Ploom formats fit Ploom devices. The formats are not interchangeable. No stick in this catalogue works in blade-based IQOS 3 DUO or older devices.

Stick line	Works with	Tobacco content	Capsule
TEREA, DELIA, LEVIA	IQOS ILUMA series only	Real tobacco / tobacco-free	Some / no / some
VIRTO, RIVO	glo Hilo only	Real tobacco / tobacco-free	No / most “Twist”
VEO, NEO, Kent	glo HYPER platform	Tobacco-free / real tobacco / real tobacco	Every stick / some / no
EVO, LYO	All Ploom devices / Ploom AURA	Real tobacco / tobacco-free	No / each stick
BLENDS, BEYOND	BONDS by IQOS	Real tobacco / tobacco-free	No / no
FIIT	lil SOLID family only	Real tobacco	No

For a complete device-by-device check before ordering, use Which Sticks Fit Which Device: Full Compatibility Chart. Buying the wrong format is a straightforward waste of money: the stick will not become compatible through trimming, forcing or adapting it.

How do the heating methods differ?

Induction: IQOS ILUMA. ILUMA places a metal susceptor inside the stick itself. The holder creates an induction field that heats the susceptor, so there is no blade inside the device. This is why ILUMA sticks, including TEREA, are different from HEETS. HEETS and TEREA are not interchangeable. With no blade, there is no blade to break and nothing to clean inside the holder; there is also no burnt residue carried between sticks.

ROUNDHEAT: BONDS by IQOS. This system applies heat around the stick rather than through a blade. Its sticks have no metal susceptor and are built more simply. BONDS by IQOS is positioned as an entry-level price point.

Chamber heating: glo. glo heats the stick in a chamber. The current Hilo platform reaches temperature faster and runs a shorter, more concentrated session than Hyper. glo chambers are wider and shorter than ILUMA’s, which is why glo sticks have a different shape. VIRTO and RIVO are for Hilo; VEO, NEO and Kent are for the glo HYPER platform.

Outside-heating: Ploom. Ploom heats the stick from the outside at a lower temperature than IQOS or glo. The stated result is a softer draw, noticeably less smell in the room and gentler nicotine delivery. Heavy smokers may find it too mild. EVO works with Ploom devices, while LYO is for Ploom AURA.

Why is there no ash and usually less smell?

Ash is the solid residue left by combustion. Heated-tobacco devices do not set the stick alight, so there is no burning tip and no ash to tap off. The used stick still needs to be removed and discarded, but it is not a cigarette ash residue.

Because there is no burning tobacco, the smell is different from cigarette smoke and can be less persistent. It is not accurate to call heated tobacco odourless. The amount and character of the smell depend on the stick and device. Ploom’s outside-heating method is described as producing noticeably less smell in the room, but that should not be assumed to describe every system.

No ash does not mean no residue or no maintenance in every design. ILUMA has no blade to clean inside the holder. Other devices still have their own construction and cleaning requirements. lil SOLID Ez has a cap that twists off for cleaning; it is a one-body device with one button, no pocket charger, no pairing and no modes.

What should you expect in the first week?

The first adjustment is the format. You use one purpose-made stick for one session, then remove it. It is not interchangeable with sticks for another platform, and it is not used in a blade-based IQOS 3 DUO or older device. Check the platform before opening a carton.

The second adjustment is the draw. Heated tobacco does not recreate every part of a cigarette session. The draw and nicotine delivery vary by heating method. Ploom is deliberately softer and gentler than IQOS or glo, and heavy smokers may find it too mild. glo Hilo is described as shorter and more concentrated than Hyper. Device design also changes the routine: an ILUMA holder is topped up by a pocket charger, while ILUMA ONE has the battery in the body and stops when that battery is empty.

Expect to learn a small amount of handling: charging the device, inserting the stick correctly, starting the session and disposing of the used stick. Taste and intensity may take several sessions to judge. Do not solve an unsatisfactory result by forcing a stick into the wrong device or assuming that a tobacco-free stick contains no nicotine.

For the wider device trade-offs, including the differences between IQOS, glo, Ploom and lil, see IQOS vs glo vs Ploom vs lil: How to Choose a Device. The most suitable system is the one whose stick format, session style and charging routine you will actually use.

What heated tobacco does not change

Heated tobacco does not remove nicotine. Nicotine is addictive, and tobacco-free is not the same as nicotine-free. It also does not turn a heated-tobacco product into a medical product or a quitting treatment. These products are for adults 18+ only.

It also does not remove the need to check local rules. EU Directive 2022/2100, applicable from 23 October 2023, bans characterising flavours in heated tobacco products across the EU. The directive covers heated tobacco products. Tobacco-free nicotine sticks sit under different national rules, which vary by member state.

Rules can matter when carrying sticks across borders, as can the platform you use at your destination. Before travelling, check Travelling With Heated Tobacco in the EU: Rules and Limits. Do not assume that a line available in one EU country is treated identically everywhere.

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