British American Tobacco Japan, LLC launched the latest heated cigarette device “glo™ Hilo Plus” equipped with the innovative TurboStart™ heating technology on September 1 (Monday) in Japan. The “glo™ Hilo” and the exclusive “virto™” cigarette sticks will also go on sale nationwide on the same day.
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'glo™ Hilo Plus' has many new features!glo™'s first 2-way design that can be enjoyed as both a pen and an integrated charging case! Heating time is one of the fastest at less than 10 seconds.
The glo™ Hilo Plus, like the glo™ Hilo, uses TurboStart™ technology to achieve the fastest heating time in its class*1 of less than 10 seconds. It also features the EasySwitch™ pen, a 2-way specification that can be enjoyed as a pen or integrated with the charging case, and the EasyView™ touchscreen, which allows users to switch between modes via the touchscreen, and several other new features.
Check out the official glo™ website
The devices in all four colors (Ruby, Onyx, Sapphire, and Amber) will be available at the official onlinestore*2, while the glo™ Hilo Plus in Ruby, and the glo™ Hilo in Ruby and Onyx will be available at convenience stores*3 nationwide. In addition, glo™ Hilo, glo™ Hilo Plus, and virto™ are on sale at the hands-on pop-up store “glo™ Hilo│Yoichi Ochiai Pop-Up Store Omotesando” at OMOTESANDO CROSSING PARK from August 23 (Sat).
1 The glo™ Hilo Plus device’s heating time to start a session is shorter than that of other heated products sold in Japan that use tobacco sticks. (As of May 2025, based on third-party retail data)
*2 Also available at official glo™ Yahoo! stores, official glo™ Rakuten Ichiba stores, and Amazon.
3 Some stores may not carry the product.
glo™ Hilo Plus is the latest device in the glo™ Hilo series based on the concept of “Love at First” (Love in a Sip, Love in a Moment, Love at a Glance) and is now available in Sendai. The device will go on sale nationwide on September 1, 2025, along with the glo™ Hilo, which was first sold in Sendai. The glo™ Hilo Plus Fabric Sleeve, a premium accessory that further enhances the device’s texture, the Charging Dock, a dock for charging the EasySwitch™ Pen, and a replacement EasySwitch™ Pen will be available at a later date through the official online store. The EasySwitch™ pen will be released at a later date.
“One Bite and You’ll Fall in Love”
glo™ Hilo Plus features Turbostart™ technology, which uses both infrared and heat-transferring quartz The technology heats the stick twice, using both infrared rays and heat-transmitting quartz. This technology enables the stick to be heated to completion in less than 10 seconds, one of the fastest heating times*4. The new virto™ stick, exclusively for the glo™ Hilo series, is designed to ensure that heat is evenly distributed throughout the entire stick for a comfortable smoking experience. virto™ is available in a total of eight flavors, including regular, menthol, and flavored menthol, and is also available in a variety of other flavors, including menthol, menthol, and flavored menthol, It also features StickSeal™ technology that prevents tobacco leaves from falling into the device. Like the glo™ Hilo that was pre-sold in Sendai, the glo™ Hilo Plus offers a choice of two modes, Standard Mode and Boost Mode. The session length in Standard Mode is 5 minutes and 10 seconds, while in Boost Mode it is 4 minutes and 10 seconds, longer than that of previous glo™ devices. The session length has been extended*5 and with a full charge, the Standard mode allows for 20 sessions and the Boost mode allows for 25 sessions*6.
“Fall in love in an instant”
glo™ Hilo Plus is equipped with the EasySwitch™ pen, which can be used as a pen or integrated with the charging case. The 2-way design allows users to enjoy it both as a pen and as an integrated charging case, enabling them to use it in a way that suits their needs. In addition, the pen can be fully charged in 90 minutes, and the charging case can be charged to 80% of its original capacity in 50 minutes*7 with a fast charge. The new application also allows users to manage device usage, personalize the display, check the location of the device in case it is lost*8, and lock the device.
At a glance, you’ll fall in love with it.
glo™ Hilo Plus is available in four luxurious colors: ruby, onyx, sapphire, and amber. It is also equipped with an EasyView™ touch screen, which allows users to switch heating modes via touch screen.
4 Compared to other heated products sold in Japan that use tobacco sticks, the glo™ Hilo Plus device has a shorter heating time to start a session. (As of May 2025, based on third-party retail data)
*5 Session time increased by 15% and 39% in standard and boost mode, respectively, compared to glo™ HYPER.
6 Session times are based on in-house testing of a fully charged Hilo Plus charging case and may vary based on individual usage.
7 Based on in-house testing of devices immediately after manufacture. Refers to the time required to go from no charge remaining to a full charge or 80% charge level. The time required may vary depending on the battery’s age and temperature environment.
8 If the Hilo Plus charging case is paired with a smartphone, charged, and within Bluetooth® range, these approximate locations will be displayed. Otherwise, they will display the most recent location at the time they are synced with the smartphone and the app is launched. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and use of these trademarks by British American Tobacco (Holdings) Ltd. British American Tobacco (Holdings) Limited is under license. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
A brief description of each of these products follows.
Product Overview of the “glo™ Hilo Plus” Heated Tobacco Device
9 Based on in-house testing of devices immediately after manufacture. Refers to the time required to reach a full charge or 80% charge level from no remaining charge. The time required may vary depending on the years of battery use and temperature environment.
10 Session times are based on in-house testing of a fully charged Hilo Plus charging case and may vary depending on individual usage.
Product Overview of the “glo™ Hilo Plus Fabric Sleeve” Heated Tobacco Device
Product overview of the “glo™ Hilo Plus Charging Dock” and “glo™ Hilo Plus EasySwitch™ Pen” heated tobacco devices
Product Overview of the “glo™ Hilo” Heated Cigarette Device
11 Based on in-house testing of devices immediately after manufacture. Refers to the time required to go from no remaining charge to a full charge or to 80% charge level, and the time required may vary depending on the years of battery use and temperature environment.
12 The number of sessions is based on in-house testing of fully charged devices and may vary depending on individual usage.
Product Overview of “virto™” Cigarette Stick for glo™ Hilo
13 No fruit or fruit juice is contained in this product.
Check the official glo™ website.
August 23 (Sat) – September 7 (Sun) atAugust 23 (Sat) at OMOTESANDO CROSSING PARK! The “glo™ Hilo│Yoichi Ochiai Pop-Up Store Omotesando” is a hands-on pop-up store where “glo™ Hilo”, “glo™ Hilo Plus” and “virto™” will be on sale and available for trial. At the entrance of the venue is an art installation, ‘ Sokujin Kagamon,’ created by Mr. Ochiai, which offers a magical experience with a moving mirror membrane. Also inside the venue is a sound installation created by m-flo’s ⭐︎Taku Takahashi. Visitors can experience a world in which sound and color correspond to each other, created based on the color of each device.
Outline of “glo™ Hilo│Yoichi Ochiai Pop-up Store Omotesando
Name: glo™ Hilo│Yoichi Ochiai Pop-up Store Omotesando
Period: August 23, 2025 (Sat) – September 7, 2025 (Sun)
Opening hours: Monday – Thursday 11:00 – 20:00 (last entry 19:30), Friday – Sunday 11:00 – 21:00 (last entry 20:30)
Location: 5-1-1, Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo OMOTESANDO CROSSING PARK (Map)
