Heated Tobacco vs Vaping: Which is Right for You?

Some of the information in the following blog is based on external, third party sources and is for educational/informational purposes only. Such content is not intended to be representative of the products sold on this website.

Those looking for better alternatives to continued smoking, there are a variety of choices available in the UK - two of these being vaping and heated tobacco products (also referred to as heat-not-burn). Find out more about these two products as alternatives to continued smoking, and the differences between them.Heated Tobacco

Heated Tobacco vs Vaping

While both heated tobacco and vaping are smoke-free alternatives to continued smoking, they offer different experiences, and are made of different components. 

Here are just a few of the main features to compare in the heated tobacco vs vaping debate.

• How they work – heat-not-burn products can heat tobacco sticks to create an aerosol. In comparison, vapes heat an e-liquid to produce vapour instead. 
• What they contain - Vapes use an e-liquid that’s often made up of PG, VG, nicotine, flavourings and more. Heat-not-burn products can use tobacco sticks which contain tobacco.
• Addictiveness - both vapes and heated tobacco can provide nicotine, which is addictive. If you are not currently an adult nicotine user, you should not start. 
• Smell - heated tobacco vapour will have a distinct smell, however this will typically differ from the smell of cigarette smoke. In comparison, the vapour from vapes can often smell like the flavour of the e-liquid it’s using.  
• Reduced risk - both heated tobacco and vapes may provide fewer harmful chemicals compared to smoking cigarettes. Although this should be substantiated on a product-by-product basis. 

When exploring smoke-free alternatives to switch to, it’s helpful to learn about what each option could offer. 

Explore a more in-depth look into both heated tobacco and vaping below. 

Heated Tobacco

Heated tobacco (heat-not-burn) offers an alternative to smoking which still uses tobacco. This is a smoke-free alternative that can heat tobacco instead of burning it. By heating the tobacco instead of burning it, heated tobacco users could avoid some of the harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke. However, exactly what adult users are exposed to will depend on the specific product.

IQOS products can be used with compatible tobacco sticks for a heated tobacco experience. IQOS ILUMA, our latest IQOS device, can be used with TEREA sticks for a heated tobacco experience.

When used with TEREA, IQOS ILUMA Smartcore Induction Technology heats tobacco instead of burning it to deliver the taste of real tobacco.

Older, bladed generations of IQOS are heated tobacco products, and are compatible with HEETS tobacco sticks.

Here are a few qualities adult smokers may experience when switching to heated tobacco instead of continuing to smoke.

Cost Savings

Heated tobacco products could cost less than smoking cigarettes, although this will depend on the device and tobacco sticks you opt for. For example, a pack of TEREA tobacco sticks cost £7 RRP, which is less than half the average price for a pack of 20 cigarettes.* 

If you smoke 10 cigarettes a day, you’ll save on average over £1,500 per year if you switch completely to TEREA.1 Find out exactly how much you could save by switching via our cost savings calculator. You can also find out more about the affordability of heated tobacco here. A 20 pack of HEETS are also priced at £7 RRP.

* Claim compares (i) the cost of smoking an average priced pack of cigarettes (with king size filter) per day, and (ii) the cost of buying an IQOS ILUMA ONE Starter Kit (RRP £29), and then consuming one pack of TEREA daily (RRP £7). In February 2024, the average price for a pack of cigarettes with king size filter was £15.45 (ONS data). Savings will vary depending on IQOS ILUMA model and Starter Kit selected. For further information, visit www.iqos.com/legal.  IQOS ILUMA™ is only compatible with TEREA™ sticks. Using TEREA™ sticks with previous IQOS™ generations may cause damage to your device. TEREA™ sticks contain a metal part; do not disassemble. Keep out of reach of children.

Heating vs burning

A heated tobacco product should heat the tobacco rather than burning it. As a result, it shouldn’t produce smoke or ash. 

For example, when used with TEREA, IQOS ILUMA produces no smoke or ash. What’s more, IQOS ILUMA generates no cigarette smoke smell. Unlike cigarettes, IQOS ILUMA has no risk of burning others around you, pets, clothes, and furniture as there is no lit end.

Less smell

Heated tobacco could also leave less smell than smoking cigarettes. A lot of the smell you get from cigarettes is the aroma of tobacco being burnt. As heated tobacco generally doesn’t burn the tobacco, the smell will differ to that of smoking a cigarette.
 

When used with TEREA, IQOS ILUMA produces less smell than cigarettes.* This IQOS device also leaves less lingering smell than cigarettes.** As IQOS ILUMA produces less smell than cigarettes, it is less likely to bother people around you*** too.

* 93% agreement amongst 674 adult consumers in Japan and Italy, 2020 – 2021.

** 90% agreement amongst 674 adult consumers in Japan and Italy, 2020 – 2021.

*** 85% agreement amongst 674 adult consumers in Japan and Italy, 2020 – 2021.

No Negative Impact on Indoor Air Quality

The way cigarettes negatively affect the air around adult smokers might not apply when using heated tobacco products. Take IQOS ILUMA as an example. While cigarettes negatively affect the air around you and others – IQOS ILUMA doesn’t.*

IQOS ILUMA doesn’t produce smoke or second-hand smoke. Because IQOS ILUMA heats tobacco instead of burning it (when used with TEREA), it emits significantly less harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes** for you and those around you.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: IQOS ILUMA is not risk-free for you or others around you.

* PMI study conducted under ISO standards simulating real-world scenarios and based on threshold limits established by existing air quality guidelines, when used in a setting where regulatory norms of adequate ventilation are respected.

** 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 on IQOS.com.

With no smoke and less smell*, IQOS ILUMA has significantly less effect on the air around you and others than cigarettes.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: IQOS ILUMA is not risk-free for you or others around you.

* 93% agreement amongst 674 adult consumers in Japan and Italy, 2020 – 2021.

A Better Alternative than Continuing to Smoke

By heating tobacco rather than burning it, heated tobacco is generally a better alternative than continuing to smoke. Of course, whether heated tobacco is truly a better alternative to smoking will depend on the product you’re looking at. For example, when using TEREA for a heated tobacco experience, IQOS ILUMA is a better choice than continued smoking. 

Important information: IQOS ILUMA is not risk-free.

Cigarettes produce high amounts of carbon monoxide - using TEREA in IQOS ILUMA doesn’t. Cigarettes burn tobacco, which produces high amounts of carbon monoxide.

IQOS ILUMA doesn’t burn the tobacco in TEREA, producing on average 98% less carbon monoxide (CO) and significantly lower levels of other harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.*

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This does not mean a 98% reduction in risk, and carbon monoxide is only one of many harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke. IQOS ILUMA is not risk free, and provides nicotine which is addictive.

* We measured the levels of the 9 harmful chemicals the World Health Organization recommends to reduce in cigarette smoke, which do not include nicotine, and these are reduced on average by 95%. See Important Information on IQOS.com. 

Vaping

Unlike cigarettes and heated tobacco, vaping uses liquids known as e-liquid, e-juice or vape juice. This liquid is made up of ingredients such as VG (vegetable glycerine) and PG (propylene glycol) as well as flavourings and often nicotine. 

E-liquids used with vaping devices don’t contain tobacco, because of this the taste and ritual are different to smoking. 

Here are a few of the features vaping can offer over continuing to smoke.

Cost Savings

Vaping may cost less than continuing to smoke. However, exactly how much vaping costs will depend on your consumption patterns as well as how much the device and any compatible parts cost you. 

In general, the e-liquid used with vaping devices is cheaper to purchase compared to the cost of cigarettes in the UK.

Different Smell

Whilst e-cigarettes don’t produce smoke, the vapour produced can have a strong smell depending on the e-liquid used. Typically, the smell dissipates far quicker than the lingering smell of burnt tobacco from cigarettes.

Less Risk than Continuing to Smoke

Vaping presents less risk than continuing to smoke and is a better alternative to continued smoking. This is why our pod-based vape VEEV ONE is a better choice than continuing to smoke cigarettes.

Important information: VEEV ONE is not risk-free.

In fact, VEEV ONE emits on average 99% lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.*

Important information: this does not necessarily equal a 99% reduction in risk. VEEV ONE is not risk-free.

* 99% less” represents the average reductions in levels of a range of harmful chemicals (excluding nicotine) compared to the smoke of a reference cigarette. See Important Information on IQOS.com. 

Heated Tobacco vs Vape – Which to Choose?

Both products are smoke-free alternatives to smoking - so the best option for you will depend on your personal preferences. Explore the features of both options to help you decide which one better suits your preferences.

Explore more on how IQOS is a better alternative to cigarettes, and the benefits of vaping instead of smoking.

If you’re interested in trying heated tobacco, we offer a 14-day IQOS trial. For £10 upfront you can try IQOS ILUMA and TEREA for yourself.

Smoke-free products are not risk-free and provide nicotine, which is addictive. Smoke-free products are not an alternative to quitting and are not designed as cessation aids. The best decision any adult smoker can make is to quit tobacco and nicotine use altogether.

This article is for general information and educational purposes. Some of the information in this article is based on external, third-party sources and we make no representations or warranties of any kind regarding the accuracy, validity or completeness of such information.