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What do people mean by an IQOS stick or refill?
An IQOS stick is the short tobacco unit that has to be inserted into a device before it can be used. The manufacturer calls them heated tobacco units. Informally, people also say refill, stick or insert, and in Thai the everyday word literally means the core or filling. All of these terms describe the same thing.
Other pages on this site mostly say stick, for example what is TEREA.
Every type is single use: one stick per heating cycle, removed when the cycle ends. How a cycle runs is explained on using a TEREA stick.
Whatever word you use, the stick must match the device family.
How many kinds of IQOS stick exist today?
PMI's 2025 annual report names five heated tobacco units, BLENDS, DELIA, HEETS, SENTIA and TEREA, plus LEVIA, which the company groups as a zero-tobacco consumable. That makes six names in total, and each one is linked to a different device heating system or device family.
Not every name exists in every country. SENTIA, for instance, was launched in Japan and is described on what is SENTIA.
Each name also splits into several variants; TEREA has Blue, Purple, Mint and Regular among others. The naming system is on TEREA flavours.
Which sticks are made for blade devices?
Blade devices such as IQOS 3 DUO and ORIGINALS use HEETS. Their HeatControl system pushes a ceramic blade into the middle of the stick to heat it. HEETS are therefore built to accept a blade and have no metal piece inside them, unlike the sticks designed for the ILUMA family.
More about that device family is on IQOS 3 DUO.
A detailed structural comparison of the two main stick types is on HEETS vs TEREA. Blade devices also need their blade cleaned from time to time, which ILUMA devices do not.
HEETS remain the only stick name tied to the blade family.
Which sticks are made for ILUMA devices?
ILUMA and ILUMA i devices use the SMARTCORE STICKS group: TEREA, SENTIA, DELIA and LEVIA. Each has a metal heating piece embedded in the stick. When inserted, the SmartCore Induction system heats that piece from within, and no blade ever touches the stick at any point.
The manufacturer states that TEREA works only in the ILUMA family, covering ILUMA PRIME, ILUMA ONE, ILUMA i, ILUMA i PRIME and ILUMA i ONE.
All models are listed on IQOS devices, with a closer look at ILUMA ONE.
Four names share one heating method, so any of them fits these devices.
Why should TEREA never go into a device with a blade?
The IQOS FAQ says TEREA should not be used with blade devices because it may damage them. The reason is structural: TEREA carries a metal heating piece inside, while a blade device drives its blade into the centre of the stick. The two designs were never meant to work together.
It works the other way too. HEETS lack the metal piece that induction needs, so they are not designed for ILUMA.
The manufacturer's DELIA page likewise warns that using DELIA in a blade device will damage it. The full explanation is on the IQOS 3 DUO page.
How is LEVIA different from TEREA?
IQOS UK describes LEVIA as a flavoured zero-tobacco nicotine stick for ILUMA devices, whereas every TEREA stick contains processed tobacco leaf. LEVIA is therefore not nicotine-free: it has no tobacco leaf but still contains nicotine, and the manufacturer's report lists it separately as a zero-tobacco product.
DELIA is described as a classic heated tobacco stick for ILUMA and ILUMA i only.
Neither LEVIA nor DELIA is found in every market; both descriptions come from the UK official site. How TEREA relates to its sister line is on the SENTIA page.
What are BLENDS, and which device uses them?
BLENDS are tobacco sticks for BONDS by IQOS. The manufacturer's annual report says BONDS uses external heating with a resistance coil, which is different from both the blade system and the induction system. BLENDS therefore form a separate group that cannot be used with HEETS devices or TEREA devices.
The same report says BLENDS launched in 2022 in only five markets, so BONDS is not a device most users come across.
We do not yet have a separate BONDS page. If a stick name is unfamiliar, start by asking which device family you own, then check the table here or the TEREA overview.
How can you check whether a stick matches your device?
Start with the device name. ILUMA or ILUMA i takes sticks marked SMARTCORE STICKS, such as TEREA. IQOS 3 DUO or ORIGINALS takes HEETS. BONDS takes BLENDS. Never insert a stick from another family just to test it, because the manufacturer warns that doing so may damage the device.
Unsure of your model? The general usage guide shows ILUMA features that help identify it.
Pack labels also differ by country; compare Malaysia and Indonesia. Sticks share the device's legal status in Thailand, where official advice says both are prohibited.
If in doubt, leave the stick out of the device.
| Stick name | Type | Device family | Heating system |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEETS | Tobacco stick | Blade (IQOS 3 DUO / ORIGINALS) | HeatControl blade |
| TEREA | Tobacco stick | ILUMA / ILUMA i | SmartCore Induction |
| SENTIA | Tobacco stick | ILUMA (launched in Japan) | SmartCore Induction |
| DELIA | Tobacco stick | ILUMA / ILUMA i | SmartCore Induction |
| LEVIA | Zero tobacco, contains nicotine | ILUMA | SmartCore Induction |
| BLENDS | Tobacco stick | BONDS by IQOS | External heating |
Frequently asked questions
Can HEETS be used in an ILUMA device?
Can IQOS sticks be reused?
Are Japanese and Korean IQOS sticks different?
Are IQOS sticks legal in Thailand?
Is LEVIA nicotine-free?
Can IQOS sticks be used in another brand's device?
Sources
- PMI 2025 Annual Report (heated tobacco units and zero-tobacco consumables)
- Differences between HEETS and TEREA — IQOS UK
- TEREA sticks FAQ — IQOS Iraq
- DELIA flavours — IQOS UK
- Discover LEVIA — IQOS UK
- SENTIA regional release — IQOS Japan
- IQOS ILUMA launch in Japan (18 Aug 2021) — Philip Morris International
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