Design and build quality of ILUMA
The IQOS ILUMA really looks great. It comes in several colors, so almost anyone can find one to their liking. What I like is that it's all elegant and well-made. You just get a good feeling from it. The lineup includes the elongated ILUMA ONE, as well as the quite pricey PRIME, which is heavy as lead. In the end, I went with the flip-top ILUMA because it's the same shape as the DUO.
Induction heating
The biggest change with the IQOS ILUMA is the SMARTCORE INDUCTION SYSTEM™ heating. Unlike my previous DUO 3, which heated the tobacco with a blade, the ILUMA uses induction heating. That means the new TEREA™ sticks have a metal insert inside that gets heated by an electromagnetic field. Thanks to that, the tobacco heats more evenly and doesn't have that bitter taste.
TEREA sticks with a filter plug
The IQOS ILUMA only works with the new TEREA sticks. They come in lots of flavors — I read that there are supposedly 10 variants, take a look), from classic tobacco to menthol. What I like is that thanks to induction they taste much better than HEETS.
Although, I have to admit that at first I thought they were also weaker. In the end I figured out that's not the case, it's just that they draw very easily. Once you get used to it, HEETS will feel clogged to you.
TEREA sticks are sealed at the bottom with a filter, so no tobacco comes out, no mess at all — I'm absolutely thrilled about that. Not having to fiddle with it and clean things out all the time is priceless.
How I find using the ILUMA
Using the ILUMA is really easy. The sticks slide in completely freely, no need to push them, and I love that it starts heating on its own right away. Of course, it's again good for two uses, then you put the holder into the charger and in two minutes you're ready to go again — it's faster.
What's better than on older IQOS models
- It tastes cleaner and more intense
- The tobacco heats more evenly
- It heats up faster
- No cleaning needed
- Lots of TEREA flavors available
What if you break a TEREA stick?
My clumsy hands broke a TEREA stick inside the holder right at the start. I was annoyed because I'd just thrown away a few bucks, but getting it out was a real hassle. Then I figured out you just need to poke it a few times from the inside and it comes right out. So don't go sticking screws or other nonsense in there, as I read on the IQOS CZ/SK Facebook group.
Gadgets and accessories
Yeah, I admit I'm a bit of a tinkerer. So I used to occasionally buy a new side cover for my DUO. Those are useless to me now, because the ILUMA is slightly bigger, so I'll be buying them again. Also, the holder no longer has replaceable caps but rings instead. That seems pretty pricey to me for a piece of aluminum, but oh well.
My verdict? I should have bought it sooner
I really like the IQOS ILUMA and I honestly don't know why I didn't get one earlier. The induction heating really makes a difference, the taste is much better. They occasionally run promotions on the sticks, which they hadn't done for HEETS in a long time.
Yours, Kuba K.