Discover how heated tobacco devices work, their benefits over traditional smoking, and how they differ from vaping. Find out what will suit you best.
With a growing number of alternatives to traditional smoking emerging, heated tobacco is becoming a popular option alongside vaping. Both are less harmful than cigarettes, but they work differently and appeal to different tastes and needs.
What is Heated Tobacco?
Heated tobacco products, also known as “heat-not-burn” devices, are designed to warm tobacco to a temperature below combustion (usually around 350°C) without burning it. Unlike traditional cigarettes that burn at around 800°C, heated tobacco devices release a nicotine-containing aerosol without producing smoke, tar, or ash. These devices typically use specially designed tobacco sticks or capsules inserted into the device and heated.
How Does Heated Tobacco Compare to Vaping?
The Mechanism
Heated Tobacco: Uses real tobacco that’s heated to release a flavoured nicotine aerosol. Due to the taste and feel of real tobacco, the experience is often described as being closer to smoking.
Vaping: Involves heating an e-liquid containing nicotine, propylene glycol, and flavourings to create vapour. No tobacco is involved, and you can choose from a wide range of flavours and nicotine strengths.
Chemical Exposure
Compared to smoking both options reduce exposure to harmful chemicals compared to smoking.
Heated Tobacco: Reduces harmful chemicals by around 90-95% compared to cigarettes. However, as it still uses tobacco, it may contain some harmful compounds absent in vaping.
Vaping: Vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking because it avoids tobacco entirely and doesn’t produce tar or carbon monoxide.
User Experience
Heated Tobacco: Appeals to smokers seeking a similar sensory experience to cigarettes, including the familiar taste and ritual of handling tobacco.
Vaping: Offers more customisation with a variety of devices, flavours, and nicotine strengths. It’s appealing for anyone looking for flexibility and options beyond the traditional tobacco experience.
Which Option Is Best for You?
Heated tobacco and vaping both offer compelling alternatives to traditional smoking, but they cater to different preferences.
Heated Tobacco is best for smokers who want to maintain the feel, taste, and ritual of smoking but with reduced health risks. It’s also particularly appealing to those who dislike the sweeter or synthetic flavours often found in vaping products.
In contrast, vaping is ideal for those seeking flexibility in flavours and nicotine levels. It’s also the better choice if you want to avoid tobacco entirely.
Neither produces smoke, ash, or the lingering odour of cigarettes, making them more socially acceptable alternatives.
Plus, both options can help you transition away from traditional cigarettes. If you need assistance with this, Freesmo not only stocks a wide range of heated tobacco and vaping products, they also offer support and guidance to make the switch successfully.
Ultimately, the best choice depends on your priorities, whether it’s preserving the feel of smoking or exploring a modern, versatile alternative.
