How Heated Tobacco Devices Are Different

Updated August 1, 2026

Heated tobacco devices are often grouped with vapes, but they work on a different principle. A vape heats an e-liquid (usually propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and nicotine) into a vapor. A heated tobacco device heats an actual, real tobacco stick to a temperature high enough to release flavor and nicotine, without burning it the way a cigarette does.

What "sticks" are

The tobacco sticks used in these devices look a bit like short cigarettes, but they’re specifically designed for a particular device family (for example, sticks made for one device series generally aren’t interchangeable with a different series). That’s why product pages list which sticks are compatible with which devices.

What to expect if you’re switching from vaping

The sensation is closer to smoking than vaping — there’s real tobacco flavor and a shorter session length, more like a cigarette than a pod system you might puff on throughout the day. Device heat-up time (typically a short warm-up before each stick) is also a bigger part of the experience than with a vape, which is ready instantly.