So, going from real cigarettes to a “healthier” option is a jungle, zoo have so many different options from electronics with liquids to different pods or in the case of IQOS the heating sticks.
I have tried the X-Smoke before, looking like a cigarette but a bit heavier and thicker which at the beginning don+t give a realistic feeling. But over all a good smell free and for people around not even noticing that you vape.
But moving to France IQOS is, beside the liquid options, the most popular option so I decided to try IQOS out and bought 2 devices and one of each flavor of heating sticks to find the taste most reminding of real tobacco. In tis blog post I will talk only about the devices and tomorrow lets talk taste.
The downside with electronics is the fact that you need to charge them so my reason for buying two devices is to have one more practical (IQOS 3.0) and one more for daily use and most important going out having a drink, you don’t want to end up with a non charges tobacco device when you are out with friends have a glass of most likely alcoholic beverages.
IQOS 3.0 – A amazing piece of design, looks amazing and feel light in your hand a master piece really when it comes to design of different electronic tobacco devices. But its only charged for around 10 “smokes” before you need a re-charge. So its really not a practical option for a night out. Its also a puzzle to add the heating stick cause the devices place for the heating stick is not as deep so you cannot push the stick down to the mark on the stick and if you force it the device malfunction. But when you learned from you mistakes and know when to stop the IQOS 3.0 works like a clock and again, it looks amazing.
IQOS 3 Multi – The more powerful option, made to have in your pocket and manage around 20 smokes before the need of recharging. But its also more fragile than the IQOS 3.0 cause by the “cap” you need to push up when taking the heating stick out after use. Taking the cap off you can see a small button on the inside which must be pushed in to “close” the lid on the device. This button do not always work and you notice this cause the small lid is not closing automatically. Its a easy fix (but really cumbersome to need to carry around a little stick to push it) and when poked it with a tooth stick or similar it works again until next time it get stuck.
This problem might be cause my device might have a problem and not happen to anyone else but its worth mention. Over all the lid is loose and don’t stay firmly in place. Something not happening to the IQOS 3.0 device.
Hopefully the IQOS Partner (service places) can change the lid to a new one and this will solve this problem. But I not have any service place close so I might never go there and fix it since the device work most of times.
I also wish the heating sticks was a tad longer cause you really need to use more than one when you are out having a beer and socialize. The IQOS Multi can be charged with a new stick directly but not the more expensive IQOS 3.0 which is strange.
Judging from my own, now 2 week experience, IQOS works out well as a non smoking option if you like to go from real cigarettes to a “healthier” option (NOTE: I say healthier, not healthy, cause its never good to inhale anything else than oxygen). But I also all the time have one package of real cigarettes with me if I cannot find a charge place or if my power bank already used for charging IQOS or the mobile. But so far I have not needed to open that package of real cigarettes which is a plus.
And I might change my opinion on the IQOS 3 Multi if the lid problem is solved but for now if I need to recommend something I would go for two IQOS 3.0 instead and bring them both fully charged at the beginning of the day or when going out and use number two when charging the main device or be able to switch and use two heating sticks in a row. But I do hope the Multi will work better after being checked.
But the fact is you need the device, heating sticks, charger, power bank, packeting of real cigarettes if the device malfunction or need charging and cleaning tools with you, most of them all the time (cleaning tools can be left at home). And for me with the multi problem I also need tooth sticks to be able to fix the problem with the closing button in the lid. So its a lot of thing to carry around if you cannot trust the device to work 100% a complete day or night out.
But over all I think IQOS is a good device but it takes a while to change your mindset on how to smoke.
NOTE: This is not advertise I do not have any links to the manufactures of IQOS or X-Smoke, I am a consumer
You can read more about the IQOS here Its the French IQOS site but you can easy find your country version if you look for it.
Björn