How to Switch From Smoking to an IQOS Device: A UAE Starter Guide

By TEREA 365 Editorial · 11 July 2025 · updated 19 July 2025 · 8 min read

Switching from cigarettes to an IQOS device changes your daily routine, not just your pack, and most of the friction is practical rather than personal. This guide walks through picking a device, choosing a TEREA or HEETS flavour, and getting through the first few days without giving up.

How to Switch From Smoking to an IQOS Device: A UAE Starter Guide

What Actually Changes When You Swap an IQOS Device for a Cigarette

An IQOS device heats a specially made tobacco stick instead of setting it alight, and that single difference is what everything else in this guide comes back to. Load a TEREA or HEETS stick into the holder, and the device warms the tobacco to release a vapour and a tobacco taste, with no flame and nothing inside the stick actually burning.

The device runs at roughly 350°C, well below the temperature of a lit cigarette at around 800°C. That gap is why the stick produces a vapour rather than smoke, and it is also why it does not leave the same lingering smell on your hands, clothes or breath - it removes the ash, the lighter and the ashtray from the routine entirely.

None of this is a claim about health or safety, and we are not going to make one here. It is a different way of consuming tobacco, and the rest of this guide is about the practical side of getting used to it.

Which IQOS Device Suits a First-Time Switcher

For TEREA sticks, IQOS currently runs six devices across two lines: the newer ILUMA i range, and the earlier ILUMA range still in circulation. All six take TEREA sticks only, so device choice comes down to size, finish and battery life rather than the stick itself.

IQOS ILUMA i Standard - built around the Smartcore Induction System, with no blade to clean
IQOS ILUMA i One - a small, all-in-one unit aimed at first-timers and travellers
IQOS ILUMA i Prime - the higher-end option, with a more finished design and stronger battery life
IQOS ILUMA One - simple and compact, built for everyday convenient use
IQOS ILUMA - Auto ON with consistent day-to-day performance for everyday smokers
IQOS ILUMA Prime - a premium metallic device with an upgraded design and longer battery life for more experienced users

What If You Already Use HEETS Sticks Instead of TEREA

TEREA and HEETS sticks are not interchangeable, and each works with its own set of devices. If HEETS is what you already smoke, the ILUMA range above is not built for you - look instead at the IQOS 3 DUO, IQOS Lil Solid, or Lambda i8 and Lambda CC, both available in Dubai.

Check which stick your current pack says before ordering a device, because pairing the wrong device with the wrong stick simply will not heat it properly. If you are switching from cigarettes rather than moving between IQOS stick types, we generally point first-timers toward the IQOS ILUMA One: it is affordable, has no blade to clean, and does not ask much of a new user in the first week.

How to Choose a HEETS or TEREA Flavour When You Are Coming From Cigarettes

The flavour range is the main thing people notice once they start comparing HEETS and TEREA sticks to their old cigarette brand, and it breaks into three broad groups.

Classic tobacco - Bronze, Sienna and Russet, for a familiar tobacco taste without the burnt smell
Menthol and minty - Turquoise, Green Zing and TEREA Mint, for a cooler, cleaner draw
Fruity and aromatic - Yellow Selection, TEREA Purple Wave and TEREA Fusion, for a lighter, more contemporary taste

Beginner-Friendly Flavours and Where Nicotine Fits In

For a first pack, we usually suggest starting narrow rather than buying one of everything: Turquoise Label for a light menthol that is not overpowering, Yellow Selection for a fairly balanced flavour that a lot of new switchers settle on, or Bronze Selection for a smoother, toasted tobacco taste closer to a familiar cigarette.

IQOS is not labelled with a nicotine percentage because of regional rules, but HEETS and TEREA sticks do contain naturally occurring nicotine from real tobacco. Which flavour actually suits you is a matter of trial rather than guesswork - what one smoker calls light, another calls thin - so treat the first pack as a starting point, not a final answer.

First-Time Use: What to Expect With Your First IQOS Session

The first session follows a fixed routine, and it is worth doing slowly the first couple of times rather than rushing it.

The draw feels different from a cigarette from the start - many switchers notice the pull on the throat is not the same, and the smell around them is far lighter, since nothing is actually burning. The ritual of holding something and taking a break stays intact; it is the sensation and the smell that change, and that difference tends to stop feeling unfamiliar after a session or two.

Charge the device fully before you start
Open the holder and insert a HEETS or TEREA stick
Hold the power button until it vibrates once
Wait for the second vibration - that is your signal the stick is ready to draw on
Take gentle, slow puffs rather than the longer, forceful drags you would use on a cigarette
Expect a further vibration when the session ends, then remove and dispose of the stick

Common Problems When Switching, and What Actually Helps

Four issues come up most often with people switching, and none of them are unusual.

Cravings or dual use - most people mix IQOS and cigarettes for a while at first, and gradually lean more on the device as the habit settles; keeping it charged and within reach makes that easier
Flavour dissatisfaction - not every flavour suits every smoker on the first try; rotate between a menthol and a classic tobacco option until one sticks, rather than judging the whole switch on a single pack
Device or battery issues - always head out fully charged, check for dirt or debris if a stick is not heating properly, and use original parts and chargers rather than third-party ones to avoid short-circuiting
Losing momentum - tracking how many fewer cigarettes you are smoking week to week, and staying in touch with others who have already switched, tends to keep people consistent

How to Keep Your IQOS Device Running Properly

Upkeep is minimal, and what it involves depends mostly on which device family you have.

Cleaning - older, non-ILUMA devices need the heating blade cleaned every few uses with the tool supplied in the box; ILUMA and ILUMA i devices need no blade cleaning at all
Charging - recharge daily, or after every one to two sticks, and use original IQOS charging cables to protect the battery
Replacing parts - TEREA and HEETS sticks are single-use and get discarded after every session; blades on older, non-ILUMA devices may eventually need replacing if a device stops heating properly
Support - IQOS runs its own support in the UAE through official service centres and a support hotline for anything beyond routine cleaning and charging

Where to Buy IQOS Devices, TEREA and HEETS Sticks in the UAE

TEREA 365 is an independent UAE retailer stocking IQOS ILUMA devices, TEREA sticks, HEETS and RELX pods. Delivery runs 1 to 2 hours across Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, and within 24 hours to the rest of the UAE, with payment by cash or card on delivery - nothing to enter online, no account needed.

Orders are placed directly over WhatsApp on +971561652004: send us the device or flavour you want, and we will confirm stock and price before anything goes out. If you are still deciding between devices or flavours, tell us what you currently smoke and we will point you toward the closer match rather than the most expensive option.

Frequently asked questions

How do you switch from smoking to vaping compared with switching to an IQOS device?

Vaping usually means an e-liquid device such as RELX, while an IQOS device heats a real TEREA or HEETS tobacco stick rather than a nicotine liquid. If you want the vapour and flavour range of vaping, TEREA 365 stocks RELX pods; if you want a tobacco taste without combustion, an IQOS device is the closer match. Trying both is the only real way to tell.

Can you switch from smoking to Zyn instead of IQOS?

Zyn is a nicotine pouch placed under the lip, with no device, vapour or tobacco stick involved, so it sits in a different category from IQOS altogether. TEREA 365 does not stock pouches - only IQOS devices, TEREA and HEETS sticks, and RELX pods. If pouches are specifically what you want, you will need a dedicated pouch retailer instead.

How do you switch from cigarettes to cigars instead of IQOS?

Cigars are rolled, combusted tobacco leaf with no device involved, while an IQOS device heats a manufactured tobacco stick and never burns it, so the two formats do not really overlap. TEREA 365 stocks the IQOS side of that choice - devices plus TEREA and HEETS sticks - not cigars, so we cannot advise on that particular switch.

How do you switch from cigarettes to snus rather than IQOS?

Snus is a moist tobacco product held in the mouth with no heating, device or vapour at all, which makes it a different category from IQOS. TEREA 365 does not carry snus. If your goal is to stop lighting cigarettes and try heat-not-burn instead, an IQOS ILUMA i One or IQOS ILUMA One is the simpler device to start with.

Is using an IQOS device considered smoking?

An IQOS device heats a TEREA or HEETS stick to release a tobacco vapour rather than burning tobacco the way a lit cigarette does, so the two use different methods to produce a similar tobacco taste. Whether that counts as smoking depends on the definition being applied, and venue rules vary, so check local signage rather than assuming either way.

How much better is an IQOS device than smoking?

We do not make health or safety comparisons between IQOS and cigarettes, and would encourage you to look into that separately or ask a medical professional rather than a stick retailer. What we can describe from handling both daily are the practical differences: no ash, less lingering smell on clothes, and a wider flavour range across TEREA and HEETS sticks.