No battery. No coil. No liquid. No nicotine. And nothing comes out when you breathe out.
So what exactly are you tasting? Here's the whole thing, explained in plain words, with every ingredient listed.
Short answer
A flavoured air device is a small, unpowered tube you draw air through. Inside sits a fibre core holding a few drops of plant oils or natural aromas, so the air picks up a light taste. Nothing is heated or burned, so there's no smoke and no vapour, and there's no nicotine. People use them to keep the ritual of a break without vaping.
Here's how it works, in 10 seconds
A flavoured air device is a short tube. In the middle sits a small fibre core holding a few drops of plant oil. When you draw, outside air passes over the core and picks up the scent on its way to your mouth.
That's it. Your breath is the only power source.1 Nothing is heated, nothing is burned, so there's no smoke and no vapour.
On a Lio it takes three moves: click a flavour core into the wood, set the airflow with the FlowDots dial, take a slow draw.3
Here's everything that's inside a Lio core
One to three ingredients, on a fibre carrier.2 That's the whole list. No mystery “flavourings”, no e-liquid base.
| Flavour | What's in it, besides the fibre carrier |
|---|---|
| Spearmint | Spearmint essential oil |
| Minty Magic | Peppermint essential oil |
| Peppery Mint | Peppermint, black pepper and eucalyptus essential oils |
| Star Anise | Peppermint and star anise essential oils |
| Lemongrass | Peppermint and lemongrass essential oils |
| Cinnamon Spice | Peppermint essential oil and a natural cinnamon aroma |
| Razzy Berry | Natural raspberry and lime aromas |
| Mango Passion | Natural mango and passion fruit aromas |
Other brands work the same way. FÜM, for example, says its cores are made of medical-grade polyester holding plant extracts.4
What it actually feels like
Here's the part most brands skip. Flavoured air is light. Think a good herbal tea, not a can of energy drink.
You taste it on the draw, mostly at the front of your mouth. Mint flavours add a cool, fresh feeling at the back of the throat. The menthol-free fruit flavours are softer, with no throat feel at all.2 And the flavour gets stronger when the wood is warm, so a Lio that's been in your pocket tastes better than one from a cold car.2
At first I also had to close my eyes and imagine smoke/vapor coming out of my mouth, but that went away. Also I liked the mint flavors more, because the freshness gave me the feeling of “something happening in my mouth”.
Flavoured air vs everything else called an “air vape”
The one question that matters: is anything heated?
| Type | How it works | Heated | Comes out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flavoured air (Lio, FÜM) | Air drawn over a scented core | No | Nothing |
| Pressurised air (CAPNOS) | A valve gives a firmer pull of air | No | Nothing |
| Aromatherapy vape pens | A battery heats a liquid | Yes | Vapour |
| Nicotine-free e-cigarettes | A battery heats e-liquid | Yes | Vapour |
The full breakdown is in Air vapes explained.
Who flavoured air is for
- You miss the ritual more than the nicotine: the break, something in the hand, a taste on the draw.
- You've already cut nicotine, but your hand still goes to your pocket.
- You want something you never have to charge.
Who it isn't for
- You want nicotine.
- You want clouds.
- You need it to feel exactly like a vape.
Is it safe?
Flavoured air skips burning and heating, the two things behind most of the harm in smoking and the open questions in vaping. But breathing small amounts of essential oils every day hasn't been studied much, and independent researchers have said so publicly.5 We cover what was tested, and what nobody knows yet, in Is flavoured air safe?
Remember this
Frequently asked questions
Does flavoured air contain nicotine?
No. Flavoured air devices like Lio and FÜM contain no nicotine and no tobacco.
Is flavoured air the same as a vape?
No. A vape heats liquid into vapour with a battery. Flavoured air devices heat nothing and produce no vapour.
Can I take a flavoured air device on a plane?
There is no liquid, battery or vapour, so it is generally fine to carry. Check your airline's rules, and be considerate about using anything that looks like a vape on board.
Sources
- Lio. Science and safety. breathelio.com
- Lio. Ingredients, flavour by flavour. breathelio.com
- Lio. Starterpack, how to use. breathelio.com
- FÜM Support. Your FÜM: materials and use. fum-support.gorgias.help
- Tackett AP, Rebuli ME. Alternative flavored inhalable products: a new respiratory hazard? Toxicological Sciences. 2022;187(1):1 to 2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Founder of Lio. Writes about habits and the products Lio makes. Has a commercial interest in this topic, which is why every claim here is sourced.
Lio is not a medical device, a smoking cessation aid or a treatment, and makes no health claims. This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you want help with nicotine dependence, speak to a pharmacist, GP or your national quit service.
