The Halo capsule burst onto the market in January 2020 and immediately stood out from other cordless vacuum cleaners, due to its bagged design and huge dustbin.

For the past four years, it’s sold well in the UK, with many impressed by the number of features it offers for a price tag of less than £200. As well as the unique dustbin technology, which Dyson doesn’t have, it charges relatively quickly, weighs just 2.6kg and has a massive 185AW (air watts) of suction, which is better than most other cordless vacuum cleaners and on par with bulky, heavy uprights.

However, Halo has decided it’s time for an upgrade, and several new features and the result is the Halo capsule X. Priced from £249.99 or £499.99 if you choose to buy it with more attachments, it’s more expensive than the original version but it also has more components.

If these components can make cleaning faster, help pick up more dirt and keep both your floor and the air in your home free from dust, you might find the price tag is worth it. After all, there’s something about a freshly vacuumed house that smells and looks so satisfying, especially if achieving it has been a breeze.

So, I put the Halo capsule X through its paces to test its suction power and try out the new features, such as the LED headlamps and HEPA filter, to make sure the appliance is worth the extra money. And to actually see if it beats my trusty Dyson V15 in terms of performance.

How I tested the Halo capsule X cordless vacuum cleaner

I tested the Halo Capsule X on wood, laminate and carpeted floors (Zoe Griffin)

I put the Halo capsule X to the test over more than a month. It saw daily use in a busy three-bedroom family home occupied by four children under the age of eight. I tested it on wood, laminate and carpeted floors, using it for smaller jobs such as clearing the floor after dinner and sucking up mud walked in from the garden, as well as trying it out on tricky areas such as stairs. I also made sure to use it for as long as possible, to get an idea of maximum battery life.

I used all the accessories included – the crevice tool for picking up from tight corners and around radiators; the soft bristle brush for dusting all surfaces and collecting cobwebs in hard-to-reach corners; the power brush for carpets and rugs, and the roller for hard floors. Similarly, I considered how it compares to the Dyson V15 – the cordless vacuum I usually use at home.

Halo Capsule X cordless vacuum cleaner

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Weight: 2.6kg

Dustbin capacity: 2l

Battery life: Up to 60 minutes

Battery charging time: 3 hours

Accessories included: Dusting brush, crevice tool, power brush, mini pet-hair brush, hard floor roller

Why we love it

Hepa filter

LED headlamps

Take note

Battery drains quickly on highest setting

Halo capsule X design and features

After putting the pieces of the Halo capsule X together, the first thing I noticed was its weight or, rather, the lack of it. At 2.6kg, the entire thing could be lifted with one hand. It’s a full-size vacuum cleaner and no smaller than any other cordless models I’ve tested, so I was pleasantly surprised by how light it is. Compared to the Dyson V15, it’s 500g lighter and you can tell.

Made from carbon fibre, it’s incredibly smooth to the touch. The capsule X has a blue hose, compared with the original’s silver, which makes it look a little more stylish, too. This does not look like your average cordless vacuum cleaner, however, as the Halo X has a generous 2l dustbin at the top of the hose, integrated into the design, which makes the handle easier to use and saves space when storing the vacuum. The dust capsule is completely hollow, except for the bag, with no tubes running through it, so dirt can’t escape and block any tubes or motors (both problems we’ve experienced with other brands of cordless vacuum cleaners). The original Halo has a 1.6l capacity, so, you’re getting 400ml more with the X, helping to bring down the cost of replacing bags in the process.

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Handy for spotting dirt lurking under pieces of furniture, headlights built into the brush are an upgrade on the original capsule, which doesn’t have any illumination features. Most Dyson vacuums have these, including the V15, so we’re happy it has the same feature.

Hepa filtration is another component that the original capsule doesn’t have. It’s hard to physically see how much of a difference this made to the home, but knowing it was there reassured us that dust was being captured and filtered away, making the air cleaner. In theory, it’s better for allergy sufferers and those with eczema, as it offers another layer of protection from dust and allergens. Plus, the bags in both the capsule and the capsule X mean you don’t come into contact with as much dust as other cordless vacuums.

Halo capsule X accessories

The new motorised floor head was a joy to use. It thoroughly cleaned a deep-pile carpet, which is something that relatively few cordless stick vacuums can do convincingly.

The updated soft roller made quick work of cleaning hardwood floors, without scattering larger debris. It also made my floor look shinier, meaning I didn’t need to mop it as frequently. And this is a definite upgrade on the V15 which isn’t as good on hard floor.

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The upholstery tool was especially good at removing hair and biscuit crumbs from sofas – although, this feature is also included on the original capsule vacuum. The dusting tool hasn’t been updated since its inclusion in the original capsule.

Halo capsule X suction power

The capsule X has three settings, so you can adjust it to your needs, whether you’re tackling deep cleans or light pick-ups. I loved to really blitz the dirt, so, I most often used the vacuum on the highest setting for carpets and the medium one for hard floors.

During testing, there was literally nothing it missed. It picked up so much more than my day-to-day vacuum cleaner that the carpet changed to a lighter colour, making us now want to swap to the capsule X permanently.

While wattage is a measurement of how much power (or electricity) will be consumed – a 1,000W vacuum cleaner will use 1kW of electricity in an hour – air watts refer to the maximum amount of energy present in the airflow per second during test conditions. This helps you measure if a vacuum cleaner has enough air to dislodge dirt and dust from different areas of your home

The capsule X has 185AW of suction power, which is more than most other cordless cleaners. The Dyson V15 delivers more (210AW) but it’s more than double the price of the capsule X. The actual difference between 185 AW and 210 AW is not that evident, so I’d take the price saving any time.

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Halo capsule X battery life

The capsule X is touted as having a battery that lasts for up to 60 minutes on a single charge. In reality, I found it lasted 50 minutes on the lowest setting. If I used it on boost mode for the entire clean, it only lasted around 20 minutes, but this is around the same as the Dyson V15.

However, the capsule X has interchangeable batteries, so, you can swap one in after another, to increase the length of your cleaning sessions. With the original capsule, you have to charge up the entire unit when the battery dies. This is another reason why the capsule X is an improvement on the older design.

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The verdict: Halo capsule X cordless vacuum

If you don’t have space to store a cordless vacuum cleaner for quick clean-ups alongside a larger upright model for your deep-clean sessions, the Halo capsule X cordless vacuum could be the answer to all your hoovering needs. For less than £300, I haven’t used a cordless vacuum that compares in terms of performance, including the Dyson v15. When used in boost mode, I found it’s better on deep carpets than on some uprights. Having bags rather than an emptiable dust compartment makes it a game-changer for anyone sensitive to dirt and allergens, too. Meanwhile, the motorised brush tool with LED headlights makes it a worthwhile upgrade on the original, in my opinion, as does the interchangeable battery pack.

Looking for an even lighter vacuum cleaner? Read our review of the best handheld vacuum cleaners