What is a tobacco heating system?

IQOS is an electronic device that uses sophisticated electronics to heat tobacco instead of burning it. Also referred to as a heat-not-burn product, it uses HeatControl™ Technology to control and regulate the temperature to which the tobacco product is subject in order to prevent it from combusting.

IQOS has a tobacco heating system that is meant to be used with specially designed tobacco sticks, heating the tobacco heats just enough to release a nicotine-containing tobacco vapor but without burning the tobacco.

IQOS has a tobacco heating system available in three versions. IQOS 2.4 PLUS and IQOS 3 have two main components, an IQOS holder and a charger. IQOS 3 Multi is an integrated product that combines the holder and charger and allows multiple uses without recharging the battery.

Both work in the same way: a consumer inserts the heated tobacco unit into the IQOS holder, which contains an electronically controlled heater. The consumer pushes a button to turn on the heater, and then draws on the heated tobacco unit.

Tobacco is heated electronically through a controlled heating blade which avoids burning the tobacco. It also has an over-heating protection mechanism, which turns itself off if necessary. The holder supplies heat to the heated tobacco unit via the heating blade for approximately six minutes or 14 puffs, whichever comes first. Once the heated tobacco unit is finished, the consumer removes it from the holder, and then it can be disposed of safely in a waste bin. After each use, the consumer recharges the holder by inserting it into the charger.

After each use with the original three component heating system (IQOS 2.4 PLUS and IQOS 3), the small battery in the holder needs to be recharged by inserting it into the charger. The charger itself can be recharged from household power sockets. The integrated version (IQOS 3 Multi) must be charged after ten consecutive uses.