Halo is essentially the new kid on the block when it comes to the vacuum market, popping up in 2020 right in time for the pandemic. The idea behind the Halo Capsule and now the Halo Capsule X, reviewed here, is to take all the experience of the founders and design a new vacuum from the ground up.
While the Halo Capsule X doesn’t actually reinvent the wheel, it is certainly a very well-designed vacuum and one that I think belongs among the best cordless vacuums on the market. Like the best vacuum cleaners, this model executes on just about every one of its promises and helps keep those floors in pristine condition.
It has pretty great suction on both carpet and hard flooring, can engage and disengage the floorhead brushroll with the press of a button, and has the kind of modular design that you expect from a quality stick vacuum. It even takes it one step further with a removable, rechargeable battery – you could order an extra battery and just switch them out when one is getting low. Just as notable are its large capacity dust pouches that removes any mess from emptying the dustbin.
Of course, it comes with a few flaws. That removable battery, for instance, sits at the top of the unit, so if you decide to pick it up to clean cobwebs off the wall or ceiling, it’s a bit more unbalanced than other stick vacuums I’ve tested. The best word to describe it in this situation is cumbersome. You also have to switch out floorheads when switching from carpeting to hard floors (and the floorhead for hard floors isn’t included in the most basic bundle).
If Halo can solve those two issues, the company may have come up with the perfect stick vacuum. As it is, they’ve come pretty close.
Halo Capsule X: Price and availability
Though the company is based in the UK, you don’t have to be part of the Commonwealth to buy the Halo Capsule X. Of course, if you do want to buy direct, you will have to be in Great Britain. At least shipping is free on any of the Halo Capsule X bundles, of which there are three.
The cheapest “value bundle” is available for £399.99 on their website and includes three accessories, the wall dock, battery, and five dust pouches. The next step up is the “extra accessories bundle,” which adds the hard floor brush, mini power brush, and stretch hose for a price of £499.99 direct. And, for £599.99, the “ultimate 2-battery bundle” keeps all those additional accessories and tacks on a second battery.
The model reviewed here, aka the “extra accessories bundle,” is available stateside at Amazon and Walmart for $499.99. And, it will be available in Australia in July 2024.
As far as how those price tags fit into the market, the Halo Capsule X is certainly not cheap, but is far from the lavish prices attached to some vacuum cleaners out there (ahem… Dyson). This model is decidedly an upper mid-range product in terms of pricing. And, while you can save a bit on the most basic bundle, I would suggest going for the one reviewed here to get the additional accessories – most importantly, that hard floor brush.
Score: 4 out of 5
Halo Capsule X: First impressions
When first opening the box for the Halo Capsule X, I must admit that it felt a bit overwhelming. Having received the mid-tier bundle, I was daunted by the number of pieces included. However, once everything was out of the box, it’s clear that it’s really not that bad. You just end up with an extra accessory compared to other stick vacuums thanks to the additional floorhead, known as the hard floor brush, for use on hard flooring, as well as a collection of the dust pouches used for collecting everything that gets sucked up.
Once I went through the actual setup, which took about five minutes, I found it to be on par with other stick vacuums. Other than charging the removable battery (which did have some charge when it arrived), collecting the necessary pieces into a working stick vacuum takes a very short amount of time – less than five minutes.
It does come with a wall dock, which can add some time for setup if you need to use the included wood anchors. Other than that and waiting for the battery to charge, the Halo Capsule X is quick and easy to assemble.
Halo Capsule X: Design
The Halo Capsule X stays true to its name. Just like most stick vacuums, everything outside of the core body is an attachment that can be removed and replaced without affecting the vacuum’s ability to function. And, in this case, that core portion, which holds the motor as well as the sizable dustbin, indeed looks like a capsule.
Probably the most striking thing about the Halo Capsule X before using it is its unique look with that cylindrical or capsule-like body and black / baby blue colorway. Since that capsule houses a larger dustbin than most, it almost looks oversized compared to the rest of the vacuum. While I wouldn’t call the Halo Capsule X elegant in its styling, it is a good looking and unusual model.
More interestingly from a design perspective, this is about as modular as I’ve seen with a stick vacuum. And, while they’re all fairly modular to the point where you can insert an attachment directly into the body of the vacuum for what is essentially a handheld vacuum, the Halo Capsule X takes it a few steps further in a couple particular ways.
First, the lithium battery is completely removable so that you can easily replace it with another one to keep vacuuming instead of waiting for it to recharge. And, the dustbin is made to house dust pouches that you can easily toss for easier cleanup when full. On a similar note, Halo separated carpet and hard floor vacuuming into two different floorheads, though I would have preferred it to be just one.
On a similar note, you can engage and disengage the brushroll in those floorheads during use with the press of a button. Though this doesn’t necessarily fit into the modularity I’ve been talking about, it’s a great feature to have and is relevant insofar that you have independent control over it. And, if you have sensitive flooring that can easily get scuffed, you’ll truly appreciate this ability.
As far as controls go, there are really just three near the handle: a power button, the brushroll on/off button, and a button to select between three power modes. There’s also a lever on the far end of the core unit to open up the dustbin for access to the dust pouch, which is advertised as having a 2 litre capacity.
This particular bundle comes with the basic floor head, hard floor head, the mini power brush, a stretch hose, a crevice tool, a combo tool for use on upholstery, a wall dock which can hold two of the accessories, battery, and five dust pouches. Of course, you’ll have to get more down the road from Halo, though they’re not that pricey.
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Halo Capsule X: Key specs
Halo Capsule X: Performance
The Halo Capsule X is a powerful vacuum. Even though it has three modes, it does a wonderful job suctioning up whatever needs to be cleaned up even on the lower modes. I was able to use it in a number of different ways including general carpet and hard flooring cleaning, vacuuming out a car – specifically the mat where a handful of pretzels had been pulverized, and cleaning up large amounts of debris and dirt from where someone in the household had just built ten terrariums.
While I do prefer using the Halo Capsule X on its highest setting – it can get loud, however, as it’s about 77 dB – it still sucked everything up in its path on the lowest. When it comes to performance, this vacuum really can do it all. The only area where I’m not a fan of using this vacuum is when reaching for higher areas like vacuuming cobwebs. That’s because of the fact that despite its relative lightweight, a lot of that weight is on the back where the battery sits, so holding this vacuum up feels heavier and more cumbersome than it should.
Outside of that, I also noticed that the floorheads don’t employ anti-tangling technology (whatever that means) that other vacuums do so I’ve found strands wrapped around the brushroll that will need to be cut off with scissors. While this isn’t a huge point against it, it is something missing that I find in other similarly priced vacuums.
On a more positive note, the battery life is pretty great. I was able to get just over 49 minutes of use on low with the brushroll on, so you can certainly reach the advertised 60 minutes of use if you turn off the brushroll. And, since it will still do a decent job sucking up debris on the lowest setting, you can make the battery life last if you have a lot of floor space to cover.
As far as all the accessories go, they all have their uses though I gravitate towards the main floorheads for most of my needs. If you get the basic bundle, you can still use that floorhead on hard flooring. While that sounds like I’m contradicting myself a little, it’s not as wide as the hard floor head and utilizes a different style brushroll with a diagonal line of bristles compared to the soft brush roll of the hard floor head that keeps complete contact with the floor across its entire width.
Lastly, the dustbin capacity is pretty surprisingly large. In fact, when taking on this review, I was a bit skeptical about its 2 liter capacity. But, it really can hold two liters of dust, debris, and whatever else you can suck up. More specifically, the dust pouch, easily accessible via the lever button, can hold that amount. But, that’s also what gives the Halo Capsule X its capsule-like look and, therefore, its name.
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Should you buy the Halo Capsule X?
Buy it if...
Don’t buy it if…
How does the Halo Capsule X compare?
As Dyson has proven with more than a few models, you can spend much more than the cost of the Halo Capsule X on a stick vacuum. The Dyson Gen5detect Absolute, for instance, earns top marks from us for its large capacity filter and 70 minute run time. However, it also costs an arm and leg – well, $949.99 / £849.99.
Of course, there are some wonderful options that go for a similar price as the Halo Capsule X. The Shark Stratos Cordless with Clean Sense IQ is easy to use and set up (and doesn’t require you to switch out floorheads) while offering up the ability to leave your floors smelling fresh. That said, there’s only one scent available and not everyone will like it. However, its list price of $499.99/£429.99 is competitive.
How I tested the Halo Capsule X
To test the Halo Capsule X, I cleaned up carpets, hard flooring, a car, a couch, and even the wall. I used the various accessories as well as settings to put the Halo Capsule X through its paces. I ran the vacuum until it ran out of juice and even measured the dust pouch to confirm its size.
See more about how we test.
