On our Facebook page, IQOS users who have tried GLO from British American Tobacco are gradually sharing their experiences. In spring, we published the first comparison of GLO with IQOS, and now we are the first to bring you our hands-on experience from a week-long comparative review. We will gradually add experiences from other members to the article. At the end of the article, you will also find additional information gained from longer-term testing.
GLO went on sale at the end of September 2018, just like IQOS, through sales representatives and at Valmont, Geco, and Relay stores. It maintains the exact same pricing policy. The standard price of GLO is 2700 CZK.
Neo consumables for GLO
The consumables are called Neo stick designed for GLO, priced at 100 CZK, with a carton of 200 sticks available for 900 CZK. They are standard length, resembling super slim cigarettes filled with real cut tobacco from the Dunhill blend. Abroad, they can even be lit and smoked like a regular cigarette (though they burn like paper in just two puffs), but here they are wrapped in aluminum foil to prevent lighting.
4 Neo flavors for GLO:
- Navy Blue - pure tobacco taste
- Electric Yellow - intense citrus flavor
- Electric Green - menthol and mint flavor
- Electric Purple - forest fruits (similar to HEETS Purple)
The Electric Purple flavor appeared on the market a week later and sparked heated online discussions about the unavailability of the same flavor for IQOS, offered in Russia and Ukraine, which Philip Morris did not want to use to provoke the EU. Although the directive banning flavored cigarettes does not directly apply to HEETS, BAT evidently was not afraid of a conflict and used it as a competitive advantage. A more intense tobacco variant should arrive during the fall, likely as a response to the launch of HEETS Sienna Label.
Our FB member Bronislav Kuban says about the taste of GLO: I tried the tobacco - good, but the menthol is better for me with IQOS. Cleaning is great, no blade, the cigarette is heated around the entire circumference from the outside, so there is no fouling. I think everyone should try it.
How GLO works
The term smoking is again not quite accurate; it is also about heating, but the method and temperature differ. Neo sticks are loosely inserted directly into the GLO base, which is held in your hand the entire time. It is slightly smaller than the IQOS base and comes in four metallic colors: Gold, Silver, Black, and Pink. It charges directly via a mains charger with a very short microUSB cable.
GLO does not have a heating blade; inside the base is a heating chamber with two elements that activate in two waves at a temperature of approx. 250°C. This means the chamber gets less dirty and doesn't need cleaning as often as the IQOS at 350°C. However, it is not true that it doesn't get dirty at all; the package includes a brush that the manufacturer recommends using to clean the opening chamber from the bottom. Unlike IQOS, the stick is heated from the outside. On international forums, this is said to release more harmful substances from the paper, which the manufacturer denies, but no study is available. The fact is that the vapor taste is marred by a strange aftertaste of burnt paper from the stick, which is significantly singed along its entire length after use.
How to use GLO
The stick in GLO is not fixed in any way and is inserted very loosely. It is very easy to pull out; you feel like it will fall out if you turn GLO upside down, and it often stuck to our lips and came out. It was also unpleasant that it wasn't entirely clear how far to insert the stick into GLO; with more pressure, it could be pushed all the way in.
After pressing the stylish button and a vibration, heating the stick takes about 35 seconds, with indicator lights appearing on the button and a slight vibration when it reaches operating temperature. To an IQOS user, this time feels endless; we impatiently started puffing too early on an empty stick. You can puff on the stick an unlimited number of times for 3.5 minutes, which is relatively short compared to IQOS's 6 minutes or 14 puffs. We felt it wasn't finished, which is certainly not pleasant, considering many IQOS users already complain that a regular cigarette is "more substantial."
Personally, I don't find using GLO pleasant. Although it almost fits in a man's palm, it has an irregular shape and is relatively heavy compared to the pleasantly small "cigarillo" of IQOS. It may not seem like much, but it's simply cumbersome to carry. However, the fact is that GLO eliminates all the handling—returning it to the charger—there are fewer operations, which is appreciated with daily use. I never really liked slim cigarettes because the filter felt too thin in my mouth, and I find NeoSticks similarly unpleasant. Overall, using it feels like smoking a large electronic cigarette.
Battery life: GLO vs. IQOS
IQOS is supposed to last for about 20 sticks; in practice, we have tested it for much more, maybe 30. The holder itself charges for 4 minutes after each cigarette, and every tenth one takes 6 minutes with automatic blade cleaning. That can be annoying sometimes.
In contrast to IQOS, with GLO you only charge one device; you don't wait for anything, you can smoke one after another. It needs recharging after about a pack and a half, which was too little for me for a whole day, so I would still need two units per day, just like with IQOS.
How Neo sticks taste
The density of the smoke is probably the most significant difference between Neo and HEETS. The vapor drawn is about the same temperature, maybe slightly cooler, but during the test, it didn't provide the same enjoyment. The first three puffs or so taste great, with a slightly lower intensity but good flavor. After that, the tobacco seems to lose strength. After about a minute, the second heating element in the upper part activates; you can tell because the taste changes and the sensation that the vapor contains burnt paper intensifies.
That this isn't just a feeling is confirmed by users themselves, but primarily by the visibly scorched used sticks; the wrapping paper is brownish, sometimes outright burnt. The lower intensity of the puff and the diminishing, initially quite good tobacco taste might not bother many people, but the distinct burnt aftertaste would personally prevent me from switching to GLO.
I usually like menthol cigarettes; Neo Electric Green has a hint of mint and probably peppermint, they are not the same as HEETS Turquoise, and combined with the strange taste I call burnt paper, they didn't suit me. Electric Yellow is distinctly citrusy, which isn't really my cup of tea, but some might prefer it over HEETS, as the citrus is mostly just in the manufacturer's description and you only slightly taste acidity towards the end of the puff. In the end, I was most impressed by Navy Blue; it smells strongly of good tobacco and tastes that way at first, but soon the described aftertaste appears.
Conclusion: Which is better, GLO or IQOS?
I am an enthusiastic IQOS user, so I expected to dismiss GLO outright. Nevertheless, I tried to approach the testing without prejudice and gave it a week to convince me. We tested three units in the editorial office; the first didn't even make it to the second day and ended up back in the box, while the other two are still bravely trying to convince us. My colleague hasn't ruled out switching to GLO, but for me, there are several reasons not to switch to the competition; IQOS simply seems significantly better.
Advantages of GLO vs. IQOS
- Modern look, attractive colors
- Single device without the need for handling
- Seems well-made at first impression
- Less fouling, almost no need for cleaning
Disadvantages of GLO vs. IQOS
- Significantly weaker vapor and smoking enjoyment
- The second half of the stick seems "burnt"
- Larger and heavier device to hold while smoking
- Sticks as long as cigarettes are cumbersome
From the list, it is clear that GLO will have a hard time appealing to current IQOS users. This is confirmed by global figures; in Japan, where the electronic cigarette has the strongest position, it has a very small market share of around 5% after two years; in South Korea, it is about 10% compared to IQOS's 45%. Romania launched about a month ahead of us and has so far attracted an estimated 2% of IQOS users. GLO will be available in Poland starting next week; there is no information yet about its launch in the Slovak market.
Update after another week with GLO
Through comparison with IQOS, I have come to the opinion that the unpleasant aftertaste, especially towards the end of the heating cycle, may not be from burnt paper, but also from insufficiently heated tobacco, as I get a similar feeling from HEETS if I puff too early before it is fully heated. This would mean that 240°C in GLO is not entirely sufficient and would explain why IQOS heats more, even at the cost of needing more cooling.