Modified on: 03/10/2023
Here is who comes out on top when comparing the two tobacco warmers
IQOS and GLO are the two main tobacco heater models on the market, manufactured respectively by Philip Morris and British American Tobacco, two tobacco industry giants. One aspect that these two devices have in common – and it could not be otherwise – is the technology used to allow smokers to savour the taste of tobacco and inhale the nicotine, namely heat-not-burn.
With IQOS and GLO, the tobacco is not burnt as regular cigarettes but heated by an electric resistor. However, although the tobacco heating system is the same, IQOS and GLO differ in some respects. Let us see which ones.
Technical differences between IQOS and GLO
Let’s start with GLO: this heater has a simple and compact design and heats tobacco cartridges from the outside to the inside, bringing them to a temperature of approximately 260° C. The GLO cartridges look similar to cigarettes but are thinner, and their average duration is about 3-4 minutes (of course, they vary depending on the intensity and frequency of puffs).
The IQOS, on the other hand, consists of two elements: the holder, i.e. the device you put in your mouth to smoke, and the charger, a body into which you insert the holder to refill it. The cartridges (called Heets) are heated from the inside out using a resistive foil, and the temperature reached is higher than GLO (350° C). Another difference: the cartridges for IQOS are shorter than GLO (about one-third of a traditional cigarette) but have the same thickness as classic blondes. In addition, their average duration is slightly longer than that of GLO (about 5-6 minutes).
A final substantial difference we cannot help but bring to your attention is that of price: GLO is significantly cheaper than IQOS. The device produced by British American Tobacco can be sold for around €10, whereas for IQOS, you can spend up to €50.
But now let’s see what changes between the two devices in terms of usability.
Read also: What are the lightest cigarettes for health? They don’t exist!
What changes between GLO and IQOS in terms of usability
We have already mentioned that although IQOS and GLO adopt the same technology, they differ in the induction of heat, which in the former is from the inside and in the latter from the outside of the cartridge. But beyond this and other differences, what does one heater and the other change in smoking? Essentially little, apart from the shorter duration of GLO and the much higher temperature of IQOS.
In both devices, you have to press a button to start the heating element, after which you insert the cartridge into the holder. A light and a slight vibration indicate that the heater is switched on, while a second vibration warns that the proper temperature has been reached to start smoking. All that remains now is to pull to inhale the vapours produced by heating the tobacco.
There is a big difference between GLO and IQOS: with GLO, it is possible to heat a second cartridge immediately. At the same time, with IQOS, it is necessary to insert the holder into the charger and wait for a refill.
Which one hurts less, GLO and IQOS? Of the two quarrels, the third enjoys
OK, all good, all interesting. But one of the most frequently asked questions among smokers looking for an alternative to smoking remains unanswered, and if you are part of this category of people, chances are you know what that question is.
“Do GLO and IQOS have the same contraindications, or does one do less harm than the other?”
According to doctors, tobacco warmers are less harmful than analogue cigarettes because fewer toxic substances are released without combustion. However, neither GLO nor IQOS rules out the potential damage to health, although logically, the former should be slightly safer by its lower heating temperature of almost 100° C.
One thing is sure: neither of these devices reduces health risks as much as the most classic alternative to the analogue cigarette, the e-cig. This device involves neither the combustion nor the heating of tobacco but the vaporisation of vaping liquids. These liquids have a composition that reduces smoking-related risks by 95%. In addition, the possibility of dosing liquid nicotine in the mix of e-liquid base and vaping flavours allows smokers to take in less and less of this substance and free themselves from addiction.
In short, one can argue about which tobacco heater is less harmful, but it is a fact that neither GLO nor IQOS can compete with e-cigs in terms of health safety.
Read also: The evolution of the electronic cigarette: how the world of vaping has changed over time
In conclusion
It cannot be ruled out that you might be considering the purchase of a tobacco heater so that you can continue smoking in the knowledge that you are limiting the damage to your body. However, by smoking with these devices, not only will you continue to inhale toxic substances, but you will not get rid of nicotine, the substance responsible for addiction. By vaping tobacco liquids, on the other hand, you will be able to quit smoking once and for all without having to give up an established habit and the taste of tobacco.
With the e-cig, you can also enjoy tastes other than tobacco. At Terpy, you can find a wide range of creamy liquids, fruity liquids and special liquids. There is something for everyone.
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