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EXPERIENCES WITH IQOS

A year with the IQOS ILUMA: strengths and weaknesses in daily use

A hands-on report after twelve months of daily use. The heating works in principle as it did on the predecessors, but only the ILUMA really exploits the potential – here is what has held up in practice and what has not.

7.9.2026 EXPERIENCES WITH IQOS
A year with the IQOS ILUMA: strengths and weaknesses in daily use

We have been writing about this since the first IQOS generations. The IQOS 2.4 was followed by the IQOS 3 and the IQOS 3 DUO: better controls, better design, two sticks in a row – but the principle never changed. Then came the ILUMA.

Why the ILUMA is a genuine break

The design stayed similar, but the heating was rebuilt from scratch. The holder used to contain a blade that pierced the stick. With TEREA sticks the heating element sits inside each stick. The result in one sentence: the vapour is finer and carries no hint of char. How it works technically is covered in our article on induction heating.

What convinces after a year

  • Noticeably milder vapour and an easier draw, with no burn on the tongue.
  • The automatic start when the stick goes in – a detail you will not want to lose after a week. The ILUMA i ONE lacks it.
  • Sticks always slide in cleanly; the old problem of overpacked tobacco is gone.
  • No cleaning of tobacco residue. Wiping out the heating chamber twice a year is enough.
  • Noticeably less odour during use and from spent sticks.
  • No mess – used sticks can go straight into a pocket.
  • The holder charges reliably. On the IQOS 3 DUO, tobacco dust often fell into the charger and disrupted the contact.
  • Practically no failures. The earlier versions had a markedly higher fault rate, quite apart from the heating blade snapping.
  • Shorter charging times for both charger and holder.

And what grates

  • Because the draw is easier and the taste milder, some people think the sticks are weaker. That is an impression only – the nicotine content is identical.
  • If a stick does break off, you have to get it out, for instance with a toothpick. Annoying, but rare.
  • Charger and holder are marginally larger and heavier than the IQOS 3 DUO. In daily use you barely notice.
  • Device and sticks remain the most expensive option on the market.

What about the sticks?

The range consists of TEREA tobacco blends in various intensities and variants with nuances, plus the tobacco-free LEVIA nicotine sticks. Compared with HEETS, induction heating gives a finer note, the perforated filter draws more easily, and the faint bitterness of charred tobacco is gone entirely – something you only notice once you have switched.

Verdict

The ILUMA is the biggest step forward in heated tobacco we have tested so far. We try the competition regularly, but no other system is as thoroughly worked out. That Philip Morris charges accordingly is the flip side.

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