Which heated tobacco brand is the best?
Internationally, heated tobacco products are categorized as a major segment of next-generation tobacco products, alongside e-cigarettes, oral tobacco, and other alternatives. Heated tobacco products, also known as heat-not-burn or low-temperature cigarett
Globally, heated tobacco products fall under the broader category of new tobacco products, which also includes electronic vaping devices and oral tobacco. Heated tobacco products, also known as low-temperature cigarettes, offer a smoking experience that closely resembles traditional cigarettes. Their main feature is the use of a special heating device to heat the tobacco sticks, producing vapor through low-temperature "cooking". Since the tobacco does not undergo combustion, it significantly reduces the harmful substances generated by the high-temperature burning associated with traditional cigarettes, making it a safer and less harmful tobacco product.
Due to the greatly reduced harm from consumption, combined with an experience that closely mimics traditional cigarettes, and the technological and fashionable appeal of electronic devices, heated tobacco products represented by brands like iQOS and Glo have seen rapid growth in international markets. This category has become a focus for major tobacco groups worldwide, who have high hopes for this rapidly growing market.
IQOS needs no introduction; it is the Apple of heated tobacco devices, featuring a breath-sensing function. However, it still has a high failure rate, with the device frequently showing a red light and issues with oil leakage, making it inconvenient for repairs and purchases in the domestic market.
1. Kecig 4.0
Currently the most compact alternative to IQOS, it features three adjustable temperature settings, vibration feedback, and a heating system similar to IQOS. In practical tests, it can provide about 10 puffs on a full charge, available in black, blue, and gold.
Pros: It's very compact, but the LED light is not bright enough, and the smoking gesture feels a bit awkward, requiring two fingers to hold it, but overall it's decent!
Cons: It's too small, often hard to find in a bag, and the temperature can be a bit high, easily affected by environmental temperatures.
2. iBuddy
A durable and stable device with a needle-type heating system that is not prone to failure. In practical tests, it can provide over 13 puffs on a full charge, available in black, white, and red.
Pros: Moderate size, easy to clean, ready to use whenever you want, good build quality, but the operation can be a bit cumbersome as you need to watch the indicator light.
Cons: No vibration feedback, you have to keep an eye on the green light, which is hard to see in sunlight, and the rubberized finish is not very durable.
3. Modtank
Featuring a ring-type heating system, it eliminates the hassle of burnt puffs, heating from the outside of the tobacco stick, which is different from other devices. It includes vibration feedback and can provide over 16 puffs on a full charge, available in black, white, and gold.
Pros: The metal casing feels premium, and you can reuse IQOS tobacco sticks after using them (for smokers looking to save on tobacco sticks, you can use IQOS sticks first and then switch to Modtank), which is quite similar to GLO in principle.
Cons: While it saves on tobacco sticks, heating from the outside means you will still taste the burnt paper of regular cigarettes.
4. Lambda
This device is quite similar to IQOS in terms of heated tobacco technology, featuring a single heating element with no adjustable temperature and vibration feedback. It allows for one tobacco stick per session, similar to IQOS, available in black, white, and red.
Pros: Smaller than IQOS, good hand feel, and a cool decorative ring that feels more distinctive than IQOS.
The temperature of the tobacco stick is well-controlled, so it doesn't feel hot to the touch, and you don't have to wait for the device to cool down before inserting it back into the charging case.
Compared to IQOS 2.4, it adds a vibration feature to remind you when you can smoke (which is nice).
It lasts about 4 minutes and 20 seconds without limiting the number of puffs (which is great, as it doesn't waste tobacco sticks), and it uses very little tobacco oil, so you generally don't need to clean the device.
The lid-opening mechanism is quite unique, making it feel like a stress-relief tool (you can keep opening and closing it with one hand).
The vapor production is moderate, likely because it doesn't have a breath function, so it continuously heats the tobacco stick.
Durable and resistant to drops; it has survived several falls without damage.
Cons: Personally, I feel the smoking time could be extended, but that might affect flavor and charging time.
It would be better if the price were more affordable.
5. Kungfu
Sichuan Zhongyan has followed this consumer trend by successfully developing the first heated tobacco product solution in China, thanks to its efficient industrial chain integration and innovative achievements in new materials and basic technology.
Kungfu adopts a blade-type central heating design, integrating charging and heating in one device, unlike the separate charging and heating designs of IQOS. This integrated heating design solves the inconvenience of having to charge IQOS after each use, providing a battery life that can support 10 tobacco sticks on a full charge. Each heating session lasts about 3 minutes and 30 seconds, allowing for approximately 15 puffs, comparable to the number of puffs from a regular cigarette.
Big brand, big brand, hard to evaluate... Quite rough... Expensive... The device is pricey, and the tobacco sticks are even more expensive...
6. Fire ECS
From the Hong Kong-listed company Borton Group, Shenzhen Huashang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. brings us Fire ECS.
For a tobacco product to taste like a real cigarette, it must achieve several points: first, it must have a tar-like flavor; second, the draw resistance must closely resemble that of a real cigarette; third, the flavor must be very similar to that of a real cigarette, with an appropriate throat hit. This product (Fire ECS) achieves all of this, providing a pure tobacco flavor that can satisfy cravings and closely mimicking the taste of real tobacco.
Due to the greatly reduced harm from consumption, combined with an experience that closely mimics traditional cigarettes, and the technological and fashionable appeal of electronic devices, heated tobacco products represented by brands like iQOS and Glo have seen rapid growth in international markets. This category has become a focus for major tobacco groups worldwide, who have high hopes for this rapidly growing market.
IQOS needs no introduction; it is the Apple of heated tobacco devices, featuring a breath-sensing function. However, it still has a high failure rate, with the device frequently showing a red light and issues with oil leakage, making it inconvenient for repairs and purchases in the domestic market.
1. Kecig 4.0
Currently the most compact alternative to IQOS, it features three adjustable temperature settings, vibration feedback, and a heating system similar to IQOS. In practical tests, it can provide about 10 puffs on a full charge, available in black, blue, and gold.
Pros: It's very compact, but the LED light is not bright enough, and the smoking gesture feels a bit awkward, requiring two fingers to hold it, but overall it's decent!
Cons: It's too small, often hard to find in a bag, and the temperature can be a bit high, easily affected by environmental temperatures.
2. iBuddy
A durable and stable device with a needle-type heating system that is not prone to failure. In practical tests, it can provide over 13 puffs on a full charge, available in black, white, and red.
Pros: Moderate size, easy to clean, ready to use whenever you want, good build quality, but the operation can be a bit cumbersome as you need to watch the indicator light.
Cons: No vibration feedback, you have to keep an eye on the green light, which is hard to see in sunlight, and the rubberized finish is not very durable.
3. Modtank
Featuring a ring-type heating system, it eliminates the hassle of burnt puffs, heating from the outside of the tobacco stick, which is different from other devices. It includes vibration feedback and can provide over 16 puffs on a full charge, available in black, white, and gold.
Pros: The metal casing feels premium, and you can reuse IQOS tobacco sticks after using them (for smokers looking to save on tobacco sticks, you can use IQOS sticks first and then switch to Modtank), which is quite similar to GLO in principle.
Cons: While it saves on tobacco sticks, heating from the outside means you will still taste the burnt paper of regular cigarettes.
4. Lambda
This device is quite similar to IQOS in terms of heated tobacco technology, featuring a single heating element with no adjustable temperature and vibration feedback. It allows for one tobacco stick per session, similar to IQOS, available in black, white, and red.
Pros: Smaller than IQOS, good hand feel, and a cool decorative ring that feels more distinctive than IQOS.
The temperature of the tobacco stick is well-controlled, so it doesn't feel hot to the touch, and you don't have to wait for the device to cool down before inserting it back into the charging case.
Compared to IQOS 2.4, it adds a vibration feature to remind you when you can smoke (which is nice).
It lasts about 4 minutes and 20 seconds without limiting the number of puffs (which is great, as it doesn't waste tobacco sticks), and it uses very little tobacco oil, so you generally don't need to clean the device.
The lid-opening mechanism is quite unique, making it feel like a stress-relief tool (you can keep opening and closing it with one hand).
The vapor production is moderate, likely because it doesn't have a breath function, so it continuously heats the tobacco stick.
Durable and resistant to drops; it has survived several falls without damage.
Cons: Personally, I feel the smoking time could be extended, but that might affect flavor and charging time.
It would be better if the price were more affordable.
5. Kungfu
Sichuan Zhongyan has followed this consumer trend by successfully developing the first heated tobacco product solution in China, thanks to its efficient industrial chain integration and innovative achievements in new materials and basic technology.
Kungfu adopts a blade-type central heating design, integrating charging and heating in one device, unlike the separate charging and heating designs of IQOS. This integrated heating design solves the inconvenience of having to charge IQOS after each use, providing a battery life that can support 10 tobacco sticks on a full charge. Each heating session lasts about 3 minutes and 30 seconds, allowing for approximately 15 puffs, comparable to the number of puffs from a regular cigarette.Big brand, big brand, hard to evaluate... Quite rough... Expensive... The device is pricey, and the tobacco sticks are even more expensive...
6. Fire ECS
From the Hong Kong-listed company Borton Group, Shenzhen Huashang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. brings us Fire ECS.
For a tobacco product to taste like a real cigarette, it must achieve several points: first, it must have a tar-like flavor; second, the draw resistance must closely resemble that of a real cigarette; third, the flavor must be very similar to that of a real cigarette, with an appropriate throat hit. This product (Fire ECS) achieves all of this, providing a pure tobacco flavor that can satisfy cravings and closely mimicking the taste of real tobacco.
