What is heated tobacco?

Heated tobacco is an alternative to smoking. It's real tobacco, just heated instead of burnt. That's why heated tobacco doesn't produce smoke, cigarette smoke smell or ash. Instead it delivers real tobacco taste and satisfaction.
How does IQOS heated tobacco work?
IQOS heated tobacco devices use advanced technology to heat specially designed tobacco sticks at a lower temperature than cigarettes, avoiding combustion. Since the tobacco doesn’t burn, IQOS releases 95% less harmful chemicals* than cigarettes.
To discover TEREA Tobacco Sticks
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: It does not necessarily equal a 95% reduction in risk. IQOS is not risk-free. 
* Reductions in levels of the 9 harmful chemicals the World Health Organization recommends to reduce in cigarette smoke, which do not include nicotine. See Important Information Section.
How to use our heated tobacco technology
When you insert a SMARTCORE tobacco stick into your IQOS ILUMA i, the SMARTCORE technology inside your device cleverly heats the stick from its core without burning it. A controlled process, it unlocks the taste of real tobacco and delivers a cigarette-like satisfaction* for up to 6 minutes, or 14 puffs (whichever comes first).
* 3-month clinical study conducted in US and Japan with 160 adult smokers each, under near real-world conditions.
Learn more about the technology behind the IQOS ILUMA
SMARTCORE INDUCTION
The IQOS ILUMA i range brings the latest advancements in Heat Not Burn technology, powered by an innovative SMARTCORE INDUCTION system.
This technology allows IQOS ILUMA devices to deliver a satisfying heated tobacco experience through the expertly crafted SMARTCORE INDUCTION SYSTEM, featuring a central metal heating element within the SMARTCORE STICK. The innovative setup ensures effortless insertion and removal of the stick, leaving no tobacco residue and eliminating the need to clean the heating chamber. With its advanced design, the induction heating system simplifies the heated tobacco experience like never before.
To explore the IQOS ILUMA i range.
IQOS ILUMA i PRIME
Aspen Green
Our most refined and advanced.
IQOS ILUMA i
Breeze Blue
For a flexible and effortless experience.​
IQOS ILUMA i ONE
Digital Violet
Compact device. Seamless experience.​

A better alternative to continued smoking.

Interested?

To unlock the benefits of IQOS heated tobacco
Real tobacco taste
By heating the tobacco, instead of burning it like conventional cigarettes, you get to enjoy the real taste of tobacco, without smoke, cigarette smoke smell or ash.
Less harmful chemicals than conventional cigarettes
By heating tobacco, instead of burning it, IQOS creates 95%* less harmful chemicals than conventional cigarettes.
No smoke. No cigarette smoke smell. No ash.
IQOS creates less staining on your fingers, less smell on clothes, hands and hair compared to cigarettes.
To shop IQOS ILUMA i Devices
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: It does not necessarily equal a 95% reduction in risk. IQOS is not risk-free. 
* Reductions in levels of the 9 harmful chemicals the World Health Organization recommends to reduce in cigarette smoke, which do not include nicotine. See Important Information Section.
Heated tobacco experience
Wondering why IQOS heated tobacco is a better alternative to cigarettes?
IQOS is a better choice than continued smoking as it produces 95%* less harmful chemicals than cigarettes, while delivering smoke-free tobacco experience.
IQOS heated tobacco vs vaping
IQOS devices gently heat real tobacco, without combustion, to release a nicotine-containing vapour, preserving the authentic taste of tobacco. In contrast, vaping involves the vaporisation of e-liquids, which may contain nicotine but do not contain tobacco.

Wide variety of TEREA flavours.

Sienna Selection - Toasted tobacco blend matched with woody and light tea aroma notes.
Amber selection - Toasted tobacco blend layered with lightly-scented woody and nutty aroma notes.
Yellow Selection - Mellow and aromatic tobacco blend coupled with zesty aroma notes.
Silver Selection - Balanced, toasted tobacco blend mixed with light aroma notes of spicy herbs.
Turquoise Selection - Crisp menthol cooling coupled with a lightly toasted tobacco blend and zesty aroma notes.
Purple Wave - A tobacco blend with cooling menthol and forest fruit aroma notes.
To see all flavours
Frequently asked questions
Heated tobacco is an alternative to smoking. It's real tobacco, just heated instead of burnt. That's why heated tobacco doesn't produce smoke, cigarette smoke smell or ash. Instead it delivers real tobacco taste and satisfaction. In a study of 674 adult consumers in Japan and Italy (2020–2021), 93% agreed that IQOS ILUMA produces less smell than regular cigarettes.
No. IQOS is not a smoking cessation device or intended as a device to quit smoking. If you are concerned about the health effects of smoking, your best option is to quit tobacco use altogether.
No, IQOS does not produce smoke because it does not burn tobacco. It generates a tobacco vapor, that is what you see when using IQOS.
IQOS is a better alternative to smoking because it heats tobacco instead of burning it. It provides real tobacco taste without fire, ash or cigarette smoke, and a less sticky smell. IQOS emits on average 95%* lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes. Switching to IQOS completely presents less risk to your health than continuing to smoke.

Important information: IQOS is not risk-free. It delivers nicotine, which is addictive.

*Compared to the smoke of a reference cigarette (3R4F). It does not necessarily equal a 95% reduction in risk. If you are concerned about the health effects of smoking, your best option is to quit tobacco and nicotine use altogether.

No you should not. IQOS device has been designed to work exclusively with tobacco sticks, and vice versa. It is only by using both together that you can take advantage of the benefits that the system provides and that have been proven by PMI science.

All PMI studies are based on the use of IQOS with tobacco heatsticks.

The totality of evidence includes PMI’s clinical data (we conducted 10 clinical studies with thousands of participants in the US, UK, Japan and Poland), aerosol chemistry, and data from 18 nonclinical studies. The totality of evidence demonstrates that switching completely to IQOS, while not risk-free, presents less risk of harm compared with continuing to smoke cigarettes.
We use PMI Financials or estimates, IQOS user panels and PMI Market Research. The number of total users we report refers to IQOS users for whom PMI HeatSticks represent at least 5% of their daily tobacco consumption over the past 7 days, while the number of people we estimate have completely quit cigarette smoking refers to IQOS users who have completely quit cigarettes and for whom PMI HeatSticks represent at least 70% of their past 7-day heated tobacco consumption.
Nicotine is addictive. However, it is not the main cause of smoking related diseases. IQOS delivers nicotine in a comparable way to cigarettes. Our clinical studies show that the amount and rate of nicotine absorbed when using one tobacco stick with IQOS is comparable to that of smoking one cigarette.

Recent blogs

Explore all
This product is not risk free and provides nicotine, which is addictive. Only for use by adults.