How to Use IQOS: Tips, Experience, and Precautions

I’d say I’m a longtime smoker. I started smoking in high school, and later I was basically going through more than two packs a day. Over the past two years, I started feeling physically uncomfortable, and it seemed like even my breath smelled like smoke. My nose was full of yellowish tobacco residue. To spend a few more years with my wife and kids, I figured it was time to quit.

　　IQOS is actually a healthier alternative. I can’t say exactly how good its figures or indicators are, but from my personal experience, if it satisfies cravings while reducing harm to the body, then it’s a good product. Right now, I can already go two or three hours without touching IQOS, and I’m thinking about whether to quit completely.

　　Using IQOS isn’t cheap either, so you need to think it through and make sure it’s within your budget. At the moment, I’m basically using less than one pack a day, but no extra expense can really be compared with health. 　　During use, a lot of people will tell you to stop using it, saying e-cigarettes can easily cause cancer, sexual dysfunction, and so on. At first I would explain the difference between IQOS and other e-cigarettes, but now I basically don’t bother anymore. Let people say what they want—only you know whether it works well for you or not. Anyway, today I want to talk about how to use IQOS, along with some user tips and precautions. Proper use and appropriate maintenance can also extend the life of the device.

　　How to Use IQOS: Tips, Experience, and Precautions

　　There are a few things to pay attention to during use. First, when inserting a tobacco stick, make sure to insert it straight vertically. Don’t twist it in, otherwise you may snap the heating blade. Some people also say you should turn on the power first and then insert the tobacco stick. I tried it, and it does go in more smoothly, but it seems to skip part of the preheating process, so the taste changes a bit. I’ve seen many people break their heating blades, so I’ve always been careful about this. Even when letting someone else try it, I insert the tobacco stick for them myself. So far, my device has had no issues.

　　One tobacco stick lasts for about 14–16 puffs or 6 minutes. IQOS counts the puffs, and after around 16 puffs or when the 6 minutes are up, it stops automatically and vibrates to indicate the end. That’s the life of one tobacco stick. Then push up the cap (the holder cap—make sure you do this, otherwise tobacco will remain around the heating blade) and remove the used tobacco stick (and don’t litter!).

　　Then just put the holder back into the charging case to recharge. It takes about 5 minutes. A fully charged case can recharge the holder around 20–25 times. The most distinctive thing about IQOS is that it must be recharged after each use—you can’t use it continuously. That also gives people trying to quit smoking a bit of a buffer, so they won’t keep going stick after stick.
　　Cleaning IQOS actually isn’t complicated. Usually two cotton swabs are enough. There are also some things to be careful about when cleaning, especially when cleaning the heating blade. In short, whenever caution is needed, be careful.

　　When using IQOS, you need to take small puffs. If you draw too hard, it gets very hot, and sometimes it can even burn your mouth. I generally find it hard to keep puffing for 4–6 minutes; if the session feels too short, then I clean the device.

　　IQOS Tobacco Stick Prices 　　As for tobacco stick flavors, a light mint is more than enough—it’s already quite cooling. The nut flavor is awful! The original flavor is okay too. I haven’t really tried the other flavors much. Japanese duty-free tobacco sticks are around 300 RMB, and if a purchasing agent charges around 330 RMB, that’s actually a pretty fair price.

　　One more thing: during promotions I’ve seen Japanese purchasing agents selling them for 675 RMB, and Korean purchasing agents for around 730 RMB. It’s best to find a reliable seller, because counterfeit products have already appeared in China!!!

　　There’s no problem bringing IQOS on a plane or through airport security. I flew out of Beijing with it and got through security smoothly; security staff generally don’t even check it. But I still wouldn’t use it in public places. Although it’s said to be allowed in Japanese airports, I don’t know if that’s true, and I don’t want to draw attention over a bit of nicotine craving.