Dec 15, 2020

At first glance, IQOS may seem like an electronic cigarette - but it is not. Below we will provide you with a clear, concise explanation of everything you need to know about how IOQS works (keyword: Heat-not-Burn technology) and why IQOS is a better alternative to smoking cigarettes.

What are electronic cigarettes?

Electronic cigarettes or “vaporizers” are electronic inhalation systems. They work with a small battery and a heating unit (atomizer), which heats a liquid solution that is then converted into vapor. They were originally designed to simulate and/or replace the consumption of traditional cigarettes.

What is IQOS?

IQOS is a different alternative, an electronic device that heats tobacco instead of burning it. Designed with rounded lines and featuring advanced Heat-Not-Burn Technology, it is an elegant, intuitive, very much user-friendly device. Here at Philip Morris International, we have launched this revolutionary device for adult smokers looking for an alternative to the traditional cigarette.

Not liquids, but sticks: What distinguishes IQOS from the electronic cigarette.

The main difference as compared with electronic cigarettes is that IQOS does not heat a liquid solution; rather it was conceived to be used with a specially designed, heated tobacco stick.

What are the liquids used with electronic cigarettes?

Electronic cigarettes are filled with liquids, which are responsible for generating the vapor inhaled by its consumers. The operating procedure is simple: by heating the liquid, it is transformed into vapor, hence the term “vape” or “vaping”. Many people ask if electronic cigarettes contain tobacco and the answer is no: instead of tobacco, they use liquids that, although not containing tobacco may contain nicotine, depending on the liquid chosen.

The main components of these liquids are:

• propanethiol and ethanol
• vegetable glycerine
• optional nicotine, at different percentages, depending on the liquid
• food-type flavorings.

The liquids are available in a wide range of different flavors and in some the percentage of desired nicotine can also be chosen.

No smoke, no fire, no ash & co.: about IQOS.

IQOS has many advantages, including the fact that it does not produce smoke nor a large cloud of vapor, but rather a tobacco aerosol that disperses quickly. Another major difference between electronic cigarettes and IQOS is the Heat-Not-Burn Technology. Following years of research and development, at Philip Morris International we have finally managed to replace tobacco combustion with its heating.
IQOS Heat-Not-Burn Technology has been designed to control the temperature of the device heating plate so that tobacco is heated to an optimum temperature of up to 350°C, with no need to burn the tobacco, which is what instead happens in traditional cigarettes. One of the major differences between traditional cigarettes and IQOS is that with IQOS there is no combustion, meaning that there is no risk of burning people, pets, clothes or furniture around you. It also generates no smoke or ash and has a less persistent odor than traditional cigarettes.
In short, it’s a better alternative to continuing to smoke cigarettes.

You wish to try IQOS?

No problem, you can test IQOS for 14 days for free before buying. Request your free trial here.

Where to buy IQOS.

The best way to buy an IQOS device is via the Online Shop, where you can see all the options made available by IQOS to adult smokers. Another alternative is to visit our selected IQOS Retail Partners. You can use our Store Finder to find an IQOS Retail Partner nearby.

 

Please note: Neither IQOS nor electronic cigarettes are risk-free. But both electronic cigarettes and IQOS are better alternatives to smoking traditional cigarettes. The heating, whether of liquids like with electronic cigarettes or of tobacco sticks like with IQOS, is always better than the combustion process which creates amongst others smoke and ash.