IQOS Originals Duo Review

DISCLAIMER: Unlike the products I normally review, the IQOS Originals Duo is used directly with tobacco. If you do not already smoke cigarettes, then do not use this product. This product is an aid for quitting smoking. Studies show that whilst safer than smoking traditional cigarettes, heated tobacco still causes harm.

As someone who has smoked for over 20 years, it’s an understatement to say that I’ve found it difficult to quit smoking. I’ve tried patches, gum, lozenges and going cold turkey to no avail. The only thing that has gotten me close is vaping.

I love vaping. It’s allowed me to half the number of cigarettes I smoke each day. This in turn has made me feel fitter and healthier. I have, however, been struggling with the final hurdle of putting cigarettes out for good. There are a number of reason’s for this, but ultimately it all adds up to a lack of willpower on my own part. So when a colleague of mine told me about IQOS and how similar the experience is to smoking a traditional cigarette, I decided to give it a go.

How The IQOS Works

IQOS is a type of electronic tobacco heating system. It is designed to heat tobacco instead of burning it. Studies claim this method produces fewer harmful chemicals compared to traditional cigarettes. Furthermore, as the tobacco isn’t being burned, it does not produce tar.

IQOS consists of a device that heats tobacco-filled sticks, called HEETS, at a temperature lower than that required for combustion. This releases a vapor that can be inhaled. The device works by using an electronically controlled heating element to heat the tobacco inside the HEETS, without burning it. This process is known as heat-not-burn (HNB) technology.

It is important to note that using IQOS still involves inhaling nicotine and other potentially harmful chemicals. Its long-term health effects are not yet fully understood.

What’s In The IQOS Originals Duo Box

I went ahead and bought myself an IQOS Duo Original from SMKD (They are available elsewhere, but their free same day delivery service suits my impatience perfectly!). The box was a little bigger than I expected but is a similar style to the boxes that new phones come in – with compartments for each of the contents.

The box itself contains the following items:

• IQOS Originals DUO Pocket Charger
• IQOS Originals DUO Holder
• IQOS Cleaner
• IQOS Cleaning Sticks
• USB-C Cable
• AC Power Adaptor

As it stands, you also get two packs of HEETS tobacco sticks when you buy the kit, however I don’t know if this is a permanent part of the bundle, or if it will eventually be separate.

IQOS Originals Duo Review

Look and Feel

The IQOS Kit is available in four colours; Slate, Silver, Scarlet and Turquoise. I opted to go for a scarlet IQOS Kit as that deep shade of red and the metallic finish really appealed to me.

The Pocket Charger is rectangular in shape with rounded edges and corners. It is a similar size and weight to many vape kits and fits comfortably in your pocket, so long as you’re not wearing skinny jeans!

The Holder is a little bit longer than a traditional cigarette and is a little narrower as a Clipper lighter. It has a cylindrical profile which makes it easy and comfortable to hold whilst you use it.

The LED power indicators are on the top of the Pocket Charger along with a button that shows the current level of charge when pressed. Not only does this show you the power available in the Pocket Charger, but it also has 2 LED’s that indicate the charge of the IQOS Holder inside.

I love how the kit looks and feels, it looks classy, but is subtle enough to be inconspicuous. I find the smooth rounded surfaces make it feel comfortable to hold and to carry in my pocket. The only thing I don’t like is that the buttons are turquoise regardless of which kit you have. In my case this clashes with the red in what is otherwise a great aesthetic.

Charging Time and Battery Life

The IQOS kit has two elements that require charging up. The Holder is charged up by placing it inside the Pocket Charger, which in turn is charged via the USB C cable.

The IQOS Originals Duo Holder has enough power to get through two HEETS sticks before you need to charge it inside of the pocket charger. I’ll be honest, I never even noticed how long it took to charge. The convenience of using the pocket charger meant that I just popped the Holder back in after each use. By the time I wanted another, it was fully charged.

Charging the IQOS Originals Duo Pocket Charger from flat takes around 90 minutes. I found that it easily lasted me over 2 days before I had to re-charge it again. Conveniently, the power lights will indicate how much charge you have left every time you place the Holder inside, so it’s easy to keep track of when to plug it in.

Overall, the use of a pocket charger is a huge advantage over devices that have to be plugged into the wall. It makes the overall experience effortless and means I never have to wait to use it, which could easily drag me back to cigarettes if the delay is too long.

HEETS Flavours

For this review, I was trying to get an experience as close as possible to the cigarettes I usually smoke. As such I tried out three of the HEETS tobacco flavours; Teak, Sienna and Russet.

In terms of strength of flavour, the Teak HEETS supposedly sit somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Sienna is meant to be slightly stronger and Russet carries the strongest flavour.

I found the Teak HEETS to be mild but enjoyable, with a mellow tobacco taste. Looking for a stronger flavour I moved onto Sienna. Despite being billed as a slightly stronger flavour, the Sienna HEETS came across as bland to me and didn’t seem to provide much of a hit. Finally, I found the Russet HEETS to be my favourite of the three. The rich toasted tobacco blend proved to be the closest to smoking a cigarette and had a bold flavour that I rather enjoyed.

Does the IQOS Originals Duo Help You Quit Smoking

It has done for me. At the time of writing this I’ve gone longer without a cigarette than any time in the past six years. Admittedly, I’ve only been using it for a few days (Update: now at two weeks!), and technically, I am still using a tobacco product.

I won’t lie, I do still crave a traditional cigarette. And that has lead me to use the IQOS a little more often than I used to smoke.

That being said, the cravings are now no more than a slight desire, the same way you might crave a cold pint on a warm day. That’s in comparison to cravings that make you want to tear the house apart looking for any possible way to smoke. If you have ever had a cigarette, but no way to light it, you will know what I mean.

Ultimately, I’m no longer setting fire to the tobacco I consume, which is better for my health. I still vape alongside using the IQOS, and intend to get to a point were I exclusively vape, but that’s a battle for another day.

I hope you found my IQOS Originals Duo Review helpful. Discover more articles like this and support me to quit smoking by following @VapeGeezer on Twitter.