Heated tobacco devices explained: the big IQOS, Ploom and glo comparison

In this article18 chapters 0% read

1. What is a heated tobacco device?
2. How a heated tobacco device works
3. Which stick fits which device?
4. Sticks and intensity: how strong are the varieties?
5. IQOS ILUMA: induction instead of a heating blade
6. Ploom Aura: four heat levels via app
7. glo Hyper: heating chamber with Boost
8. The devices at a glance
9. Devices compared
10. Tobacco-free sticks: LEVIA, veo and LYO
11. What determines the running costs?
12. Cleaning a heated tobacco device
13. Disposing of sticks and devices
14. Tax, warnings, age limit
15. Are heated tobacco devices harmful?
16. Heated tobacco device or e-cigarette?
17. Which system suits you?
18. Frequently asked questions

What is a heated tobacco device?

A heated tobacco device is a small battery-powered device for sticks containing real tobacco. The stick looks like a short cigarette with a filter but is not lit: the device brings the tobacco to a temperature at which it does not burn, producing a nicotine-containing aerosol that you draw through the filter. Common terms for this are heated tobacco device, heat-not-burn or simply the name of the system, above all IQOS. Because they contain tobacco, the sticks are tobacco products: in Germany, subject to tobacco tax and a warning notice, and sold only to people aged 18 and over.

Three systems, three manufacturers

Philip Morris

IQOS

• Heating principle induction in the stick
• Devices ILUMA i, i ONE, i PRIME
• Sticks TEREA, DELIA, LEVIA

IQOS brand page

JTI

Ploom

• Heating principle heating chamber
• Device Ploom Aura
• Sticks EVO, LYO

Ploom brand page

BAT

glo

• Heating principle heating chamber
• Devices glo Hyper Pro, Hyper X2
• Sticks neo, veo, Lucky Strike

glo brand page

How a heated tobacco device works

You put the stick into the device, it preheats, and a vibration gives the start signal. A session lasts three to six minutes depending on the system; shortly before the end the device vibrates once more, after which the stick is used up. How the device warms the tobacco is what sets the systems apart:

All three stay well below the glow of a cigarette. For heating-blade devices, temperatures of up to about 350 °C are known. For the ILUMA and glo Hyper Pro, Philip Morris and BAT state their own figures; JTI gives none for the Ploom Aura. A cigarette smoulders at 400 to 650 °C between puffs and at up to 900 °C while you draw on it.

Sources: Philip Morris (iqos.com), BAT Japan (glo Hyper Pro, 2024); cigarette: specialist literature

Which stick fits which device?

In short: only the sticks of the device's own system. Which device a stick is made for is printed on the front of the pack, for example “for IQOS ILUMA”, “for Ploom” or “designed for glo”.

Many people mix up two cases: HEETS will not even start in an ILUMA because they lack the metal part. And TEREA never belong in an older IQOS with a heating blade – the blade hits the metal part in the stick, which damages the device. You will find all sticks sorted by system under Sticks for heated tobacco devices.

Sticks and intensity: how strong are the varieties?

Because tobacco sticks may no longer have any flavouring, the varieties differ in their tobacco blend. For guidance, the manufacturers state an intensity: IQOS on a scale from 1 to 10, Ploom and glo from 1 to 5. This refers to how strongly the tobacco is perceived – IQOS states the same nicotine content for all TEREA varieties. The manufacturers' scales cannot be converted into one another.

The tobacco lines of the three systems

for IQOS ILUMA

TEREA

• Contents: tobacco
• Intensity: 4 to 10 out of 10
• Pack: 20 or 26 sticks

TEREA varieties

for IQOS ILUMA

DELIA

• Contents: tobacco
• Intensity: 4 to 9 out of 10
• Varieties: Red, Gold, Green

DELIA varieties

for Ploom

EVO

• Contents: tobacco
• Intensity: 2.5 to 4.5 out of 5
• Device: Ploom Aura, Ploom X

EVO varieties

for glo

neo

• Contents: tobacco
• Intensity: 2 to 4 out of 5
• Device: all glo Hyper

neo varieties

For the tobacco-free LEVIA and veo, the manufacturers state no intensity; Ploom rates LYO separately for aroma and coolness. Where the individual TEREA varieties sit on the scale and what lies behind the colour names is explained in TEREA and HEETS: varieties and devices.

A session runs for up to six minutes or 14 puffs, and preheating takes about 20 seconds. The device starts by itself as soon as you insert a stick and switches itself off at the end. TEREA, DELIA and LEVIA belong with the ILUMA.

There are currently three models: the ILUMA i ONE is a one-piece device for around 20 sticks in a row. ILUMA i and ILUMA i PRIME consist of a holder and charging case and have a touchscreen and pause mode; the i PRIME differs in its case with a fabric cover and metal frame. With FlexPuff the device allows up to four extra puffs if you draw faster; the six minutes stay the same. You will find all models and colours under IQOS devices.

Ploom Aura: four heat levels via app

The Ploom Aura is JTI's current device and has replaced the Ploom X, which JTI has no longer sold since October 2025. It works with a heating chamber that surrounds the stick all the way round. You choose the heat level before the session in the Ploom app:

Standard

Balanced

• Session: 5 min., puffs unrestricted
• Sticks per charge: up to 20

Strong

• Session: 3 min.
• Sticks per charge: up to 25

Delicate

• Session: 6 min.
• Sticks per charge: up to 19

Energy-saving mode

• Session: 3 min.
• Sticks per charge: up to 27

Preheating takes around 25 seconds, and after a maximum of three sessions in a row the Aura needs a break. It is fully charged after about three hours. EVO with tobacco and LYO without tobacco belong with the Aura. Colours and scope of delivery are listed on the Ploom Aura page, the whole brand under Ploom.

Newer glo devices such as the glo Hilo use their own sticks and are not yet sold in Germany. Systems from other manufacturers, such as pulze from Imperial, are not officially available in Germany either. Third-party devices that work with HEETS are not approved by IQOS.

The devices at a glance

IQOS ILUMA i

Holder and charging case, touchscreen, pause mode and FlexPuff. More under IQOS.

IQOS ILUMA i PRIME

Same technology as the ILUMA i, charging case with fabric cover and metal frame.

Ploom Aura

Heating chamber, four heat levels via app, EVO and LYO sticks.

glo Hyper X2

Boost button, twist cap over the opening, neo, veo and Lucky Strike for glo sticks.

Devices compared

The figures apply to standard mode; how long a session lasts for you also depends on how often and how hard you draw.

Tobacco-free sticks: LEVIA, veo and LYO

Each of the three systems now has sticks without tobacco. Instead of tobacco they contain a plant-based carrier material: cellulose for LEVIA, rooibos for veo and neutralised star anise for LYO. Tobacco-free does not mean nicotine-free, though: all three contain nicotine and are available only to over-18s. They likewise run only in their own system – LEVIA in the ILUMA, veo in the glo Hyper, LYO in the Ploom.

One difference concerns flavour: since 23 October 2023, heated tobacco sticks may no longer have a characteristic flavour, so no menthol and no fruit. This ban does not apply to tobacco-free sticks such as LEVIA, which is why they are available with mint or berry.

What determines the running costs?

The device is the smaller item; the sticks make up the running costs.

Cleaning a heated tobacco device: how to go about it

1. 01

   Let the device cool down

   After the last session, wait a few minutes, about ten minutes for the glo. The heating blade and chamber are hot straight afterwards.

2. 02

   Wipe the ILUMA dry

   The ILUMA needs no internal cleaning. Wipe the contacts and housing with a dry cloth and keep the USB-C port free of dust.

3. 03

   Brush out the glo chamber

   About every five sessions, open the flap and wipe away moisture; every 20 sessions, clean the chamber from both sides with the brush supplied.

4. 04

   Ploom Aura with a cleaning stick

   About once a month, or when the stick slides in with difficulty: insert a moistened cleaning stick and then run one session without a stick.

5. 05

   Heating blade after every pack

   Clean older IQOS devices with a blade after 20 sticks, using the cleaning pen and cleaning sticks. The blade is delicate, so work without pressure.

Disposing of sticks and devices

In Germany, stick, box and device belong in three different bins:

after cooling down

Used stick

Not in organic waste or the yellow recycling bag. TEREA, DELIA and LEVIA contain a sharp-edged metal part, so keep them away from children and pets.

• Where: general waste

Empty box

• Where: paper recycling

since 1 July 2026

Old device

Electronic waste with a lithium battery. In Germany, every retailer that sells heated tobacco devices takes old devices back free of charge, even without a new purchase.

• Where: return to retailer

How returns work for battery-powered devices is explained in Disposing of vapes.

Tax, warnings, age limit: what applies in Germany

The same basic rules apply to sticks containing tobacco as to other tobacco products; tobacco-free nicotine sticks are partly subject to their own rules:

since 2022

Tobacco tax

In Germany, sticks containing tobacco count as heated tobacco. The tax is around 80 percent of the cigarette tax, which is why heatsticks are priced close to cigarettes.

since 23.10.2023

Flavour ban

Characteristic flavours are banned in heated tobacco products. The basis is an EU directive, implemented in the German Tobacco Products Act.

on every pack

Warning notice

Tobacco sticks carry the notice that the product harms health and is addictive. Tobacco-free nicotine sticks have their own nicotine notice.

also for shipping

Over 18s only

Sticks are only available to adults. Anyone ordering online goes through an age check.

In Germany, discounts on the pack price and free extras with tobacco are not permitted, and advertising for heated tobacco devices is largely prohibited. That is why you will find information here, but no offers.

Are heated tobacco devices harmful?

Yes, even though the question of how much remains open. Measurements by Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment show that individual harmful substances occur in smaller amounts in the aerosol than in cigarette smoke. Fewer harmful substances do not automatically mean a lower risk, however: the aerosol is not free of harmful substances, long-term studies are lacking, and nicotine is addictive. The US authority FDA, too, has only certified for older IQOS devices with a heating blade that users are exposed to certain substances less, not that they cause less illness. There is no such decision for the ILUMA.

For you, this means: a heated tobacco device is not a harmless product and not an aid to quitting. The German Cancer Research Center and the WHO assess heated tobacco devices as harmful to health and addictive.

Heated tobacco device or e-cigarette?

Both run on a battery, but they are different products with their own rules:

How nicotine works in e-liquids is explained in Nicotine salt or freebase.

Which system suits you?

The devices differ above all in how they are operated: the IQOS ILUMA needs no internal cleaning, and the i ONE needs no case. With the Ploom Aura you set the intensity via four heat levels, and with the glo Hyper you choose between Standard and Boost. If you still use an IQOS with a heating blade: HEETS are hardly available any more, and the ILUMA needs different sticks.

Above all, it matters that the sticks fit your device. If you do not smoke, you should not start with any of these products. An overview of all devices and sticks can be found under IQOS and heated tobacco devices.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a stick twice?

No. A stick lasts exactly one session. After that the tobacco is spent, a second start gives no more flavour and can dirty the chamber.

Are there sticks with no nicotine at all?

Not among the major systems. The tobacco-free sticks LEVIA, veo and LYO all contain nicotine. Tobacco-free describes only the carrier material.

Why is TEREA no longer available with menthol?

Because heated tobacco sticks have no longer been allowed to have a characteristic flavour in the EU since 23 October 2023. Since then the varieties have differed in their tobacco blend.

Why do sticks cost the same everywhere?

In Germany, because the price is printed on the tax stamp of the pack and may not be undercut. Price discounts and free extras are not permitted for tobacco; differences exist only between brands and pack sizes.

Are HEETS still available?

Hardly. HEETS have no longer been available in the IQOS online shop since September 2026, and at retailers there are at most remaining stocks. They run only in the older IQOS with a heating blade.

How long does a heated tobacco device take to charge?

Between 90 minutes and three hours, depending on the device. The ILUMA i ONE and the glo Hyper Pro take about 90 minutes, the case of the ILUMA i around 135 minutes, and the Ploom Aura about three hours.