Quick answer: HEETS were discontinued globally in 2025. TEREA is the direct replacement on the IQOS ILUMA family. The flavour profiles transferred almost directly — Amber to Amber, Yellow to Yellow, and so on. Browse our TEREA collection for current stock from £6.95 a pack.
If you used HEETS with an older IQOS Originals or Duo, the move to TEREA is straightforward — but the two are not interchangeable. HEETS were designed for the ceramic blade in the older devices. TEREA uses an induction system inside the IQOS ILUMA range, with a metal element built into the stick itself. Drop a HEETS into an ILUMA and nothing happens; the device won't even start.
This guide covers the practical differences between the two formats — design, daily use, flavour delivery, cleaning — and the switching path from HEETS to TEREA now that the older line is gone.
How heat-not-burn evolved from blade to induction
The original IQOS devices used a ceramic blade to heat the tobacco from inside. You inserted a HEETS stick, the blade pushed into it, and the tobacco warmed to around 350°C — well below combustion temperature. It worked. It also meant the blade got dirty, occasionally snapped, and needed cleaning every couple of packs.
The fix was induction. By moving the heating element into the stick itself — a small stainless-steel core inside every TEREA — the device no longer needs to physically pierce the tobacco. Drop a TEREA into an ILUMA holder and a magnetic field heats the metal core from outside. No blade, no contact with raw tobacco, no residue. Same temperature, same flavour ceiling, much less maintenance.
Design differences and physical construction
Side by side, the two stick formats look similar in size and shape. The internals are completely different.
HEETS had an open tobacco end at the bottom. That gap was deliberate — it let the ceramic blade slide into the tobacco plug. Above the tobacco sat a series of cellulose acetate and polylactic acid filters that cooled the vapour before it reached the mouthpiece. The design was effective but exposed.
TEREA sticks are sealed on both ends. You cannot see the tobacco when you inspect the bottom of a stick. The crucial difference is hidden in the centre: a stainless-steel coated heating element runs through the tobacco plug, and that's what the ILUMA's induction system reacts to. The result is the same vapour from the user end, but a fundamentally different mechanical interaction with the device.
The open-ended HEETS design
The open-ended HEETS were a real engineering achievement when they launched. Packing the tobacco precisely at the base meant the blade could enter cleanly without crushing the stick, and the heat radiated outward through the tobacco evenly. Filters then cooled the vapour to the right temperature.
The tradeoff was fragility. Twisting a HEETS during insertion could snap the ceramic blade — a known issue for new users. Many of us remember the learning curve of getting the angle right. They worked well for years and shipped in millions of packs across UK and Europe, but the format had hard limits as a long-term standard.
The sealed TEREA design
TEREA's sealed-both-ends design solves most of the HEETS pain points. There's no blade to align, no risk of twist damage, and no specific insertion technique to learn. Drop the stick in, the device detects it, the heating cycle starts. That's it.
The cleaning side is where the difference shows up over time. With no tobacco contact, the inside of an ILUMA holder stays clean indefinitely. No cotton buds, no cleaning sticks, no scraping out residue. Hundredth use looks the same as first.
Flavour delivery — does TEREA taste different?
This is the question every former HEETS user asks. The honest answer: very close, but not identical.
Philip Morris kept the cast-leaf tobacco preparation the same across both formats, so the underlying blends are designed to match. Amber HEETS to Amber TEREA, Yellow to Yellow, and so on. What changes is the heating profile. Induction warms the tobacco from inside through a steel core, which delivers a slightly cleaner draw than the older blade-from-outside approach. We've heard the difference described as "smoother on the throat" and "less of a burnt edge towards the end of a session".
If your favourite HEETS flavour was Turquoise menthol, the equivalent TEREA Turquoise should land you very close. The big switching surprise is usually positive — most former HEETS users report flavour parity within a few sessions of getting used to the new device.
Vapour consistency
One genuine improvement with TEREA: vapour volume stays constant across the life of an ILUMA holder. With the old blade system, residue buildup could insulate the heating element over time, weakening draws and visible aerosol output. ILUMA holders don't accumulate residue, so the temperature curve stays the same on session 100 as on session 1.
Indoor smell and discretion
Both HEETS and TEREA produce far less lingering smell than cigarettes — that's the headline benefit of heat-not-burn over combustion. TEREA is marginally cleaner again, mostly because the sealed design means no toasted-tobacco aroma escapes during the preheating phase. Whether you'll notice depends on the room and your sensitivity, but in most settings the difference is small.
Maintenance and daily use
The day-to-day difference is bigger than the flavour difference. HEETS users carried cleaning sticks. TEREA users do not.
Older IQOS devices needed a cleaning cycle every pack or two — alcohol-soaked cotton buds, a small tool, two minutes of fiddling. The blade had to stay free of burnt residue or the next session would taste off. ILUMA users get none of this. The chamber stays clean because nothing goes into it except the sealed stick. You can leave the cleaning kit at home.
For most former HEETS users, this is the moment the upgrade clicks — about a week in, when you realise you haven't reached for cleaning supplies once. Our IQOS ILUMA practical guide covers cleaning details and troubleshooting if anything does go wrong.
Environmental impact in 2026
Both formats produce far less waste than cigarette butts, but neither is zero-impact. HEETS were straightforward — paper tubes and cellulose filters that needed to go in a bin, not on the street. TEREA add the wrinkle of a small steel core in every stick.
Philip Morris runs a return-and-recycle programme for used TEREA in many regions. The metal cores get processed properly rather than going to general waste. If you care about the disposal side, it's worth checking whether your area participates. Either way, never bin a stick in the street — the metal core makes that worse than littering a cigarette butt, and it's easily avoided.
Feature comparison
| Feature | HEETS (discontinued) | TEREA (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Heating method | Internal ceramic blade | SmartCore Induction |
| Compatible devices | IQOS Originals, Duo, 3 DUO (all retired) | IQOS ILUMA family (incl. ILUMA i ONE) |
| Stick construction | Open at the tobacco end | Fully sealed both ends |
| Daily maintenance | Cleaning every 1–2 packs | Zero cleaning |
| Internal heating core | None | Stainless-steel core in each stick |
| UK availability (2026) | Discontinued — no new stock | In stock from £6.95 / pack |
Switching from HEETS to TEREA — the practical bit
HEETS were discontinued globally in 2025 alongside the older Originals and Duo devices. If you've still got an old IQOS Originals or Duo working at home, you can keep using it until you run out of HEETS or the device breaks — but there's no replacement supply coming. The roadmap is ILUMA-only.
For most users, the practical move is upgrading to an ILUMA device and switching to TEREA sticks. All TEREA flavours are in stock at Grey Haze from £6.95 a pack, with multi-buy 10 packs for £66. Flavour mapping is straightforward: Amber to Amber, Yellow to Yellow, Russet to Russet, Sienna to Sienna, Mauve Wave to Mauve. Turquoise menthol matches the old HEETS Turquoise. Sienna Caps doesn't have a direct TEREA equivalent — try Sienna instead.
On the device side, the next-generation IQOS ILUMA i ONE is rolling out shortly. Sign up on our IQOS collection page for restock alerts. If you want full background on the device family before deciding, our heated tobacco explained guide covers the broader category.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still buy HEETS in the UK?
No. HEETS were discontinued globally in 2025. Any HEETS you find on grey-market sites are either old stock, mislabelled, or counterfeit. The IQOS roadmap is ILUMA-only, with TEREA as the supported tobacco stick.
Can I use TEREA in my older IQOS Originals or Duo?
No. TEREA needs the ILUMA's induction heating system. Originals and Duo use a ceramic blade. Insert a TEREA into an older device and the system won't recognise it, so nothing happens. The two formats are not cross-compatible by design.
Are the TEREA sticks safer than HEETS were?
Both formats heat tobacco rather than burn it, which substantially reduces the harmful chemicals you're exposed to compared with cigarettes. TEREA's sealed-stick design is more hygienic in daily use because no residue builds up in the device, but neither product is risk-free. Cancer Research UK and the NHS still position complete cessation as the clearest health outcome.
Is the nicotine content the same?
Yes — TEREA delivers a comparable nicotine hit to HEETS per session. The throat sensation is slightly smoother on the induction system, but the dose is matched.
How does a TEREA stick differ physically from a HEETS?
TEREA is sealed on both ends and has a small stainless-steel coated heating element running through the tobacco plug in the centre. HEETS had an open tobacco end at the bottom for the ceramic blade to enter, and no internal heating core. The exteriors look similar; the internals are different products.
Why does my old device need cleaning when the new one doesn't?
The blade in older devices physically entered the tobacco, dragging out loose flakes and natural oils that built up inside the heating chamber. TEREA sticks are sealed, so nothing organic ever touches the inside of the ILUMA holder. The result: cleaning becomes optional, not mandatory.
Heat-not-burn has moved on from blade to induction, and HEETS have ended their UK run. If you used to buy them, TEREA is your replacement on the ILUMA range — flavour-mapped, in stock, and with none of the cleaning routine the old system needed. Shop TEREA at Grey Haze from £6.95 a pack, or save with multi-buy 10 for £66.
By Farhan Ramzan. Updated 1 May 2026.
