Halo Capsule X vacuum review: Lightweight Dyson rival cleans with ease, but battery life could be better

What We Love

From the moment it emerges from its box, the Halo Capsule X looks sleek and modern. The design of this vacuum drops any unnecessary bulk for a lightweight chassis.

This ensures cleaning your home is less like a gym workout, and more like a routine task. The thickest area of the model is the canister at the top, which holds the dust bag for sucking up all the dirt in your space.

In terms of its colour, this specific model only ships in a bright blue and black combination.

Given the shoebox-sized flat this was tested in, the Capsule X did tend to stick out as an eyesore compared to the rest of the muted living space. A previous model from Halo shipped in black and dark grey with a splash of colour from the orange buttons. If the Capsule X only had a touch of blue on the buttons like its predecessor, it might not have taken centre-stage in quite the same way.

Storage is refreshingly simple with the Capsule X. The design means this cordless cleaner can be tucked away easily without taking up excessive space, which is a real advantage for those living in smaller homes or apartments. It also comes with a wall mount, so it can easily be stored against the wall.

Plus, you can use the wall mount to charge the battery while it's still attached to the vacuum. All you have to do is place the plug directly into the top of the battery and then connect it to a wall outlet.

It's worth noting this isn't specific to Dyson, with the flagship Jet series from Samsung also offering a 2-in-1 stand for charging and storage for attachments in the box with the vacuum too.

On the topic of attachments, out of the box, you'll find several useful attachments to make cleaning as simple as possible. These snap to the vacuum to adapt its suction for various cleaning tasks around the home, whether you're tackling hardwood floors, upholstery, or hard-to-reach corners.

We tested this vacuum in a pretty small space, and so having the different attachments, such as the crevice tool, proved to be ideal when working around furniture or tight corners.

Overall, the cleaning performance is genuinely exceptional across multiple surface types. If you're a baker or enjoy getting crafty, this vacuum may be a great pick for you.

When we accidentally spilt baking soda across the kitchen floor and all over the front of the kitchen cabinets (it was quite an episode), the Capsule X made light work of it, completely removing every trace without multiple passes.

A few weeks later, we experienced a similar issue when the salt went flying across the kitchen while trying to quickly make dinner. The Capsule X was able to repeat the same high performance and suck it up in no time.

The suction power proves equally effective whether you're working on hardwood, tile, or carpet, delivering consistently impressive results every time. We were able to switch between rugs and hardwood with ease.

There are three different suction modes:

• Eco Mode: Designed for extended battery life, this mode is ideal for light cleaning tasks on hard floors
• Performance Mode: Provides balanced suction suitable for everyday cleaning on both carpets and hard floors
• Boost Mode: Delivers maximum suction power for tackling stubborn dirt and debris, particularly effective on high-pile carpets

Battery life on lower settings is another major plus point. The Capsule X offers an impressively long runtime when you're doing general maintenance cleaning, allowing you to cover substantial areas without needing to stop and recharge.

This makes it ideal for quick daily clean-ups or tackling entire floors in one go.

Finally, the generous dust capacity means fewer interruptions during your cleaning sessions. You can work through larger areas without constantly stopping to empty the bin, which significantly speeds up the overall cleaning process and makes the experience far less frustrating.

When it comes to the dust bags specifically, they're super sturdy and are easy to insert and remove from the canister. There have been one too many occasions where a dust bag was too flimsy or got stuck in the canal of the vacuum, causing enough secondary messes for a lifetime.

To remove the dust bag, simply press the button to open the canister, then use the specially designed finger divots to easily grip and pull out the bag.

What We Don't Love

While the Halo Capsule X managed a decent run on a single charge in Eco mode, the same cannot be said for the more powerful modes, such as Performance and Boost mode.

The Capsule X's runtime drops sharply when using higher power settings. Battery life takes a noticeable hit as you increase the suction, which requires more frequent recharging during larger cleaning sessions. We noticed this especially during our weekend deep cleans, where we had to switch out power banks during a session.

Thankfully, it ships with two battery packs, so you'll never be without a battery while the other one is charging. However, if given the option, we'd rather have one big battery that offers a much longer runtime than having to find space to store a secondary one.

The battery is located at the top of the vacuum and can be easily lifted out to be plugged in and charged. The battery is a bit heavy and clunky, but it doesn't take up any more space than if you were to charge your phone on the counter. You can also set it up on its side so it's even more out of the way.

In other user reviews, we noticed that this seemed to be a consensus among others who had the vacuum running in this mode. While the vacuum does come with two power banks, we find it would be most efficient if it only needed to rely on just one and ran for a bit longer on the higher power mode.

Unlike other vacuums, where a dust bag isn't required, this vacuum needs one for it to suck up all the dust and dirt. The box came with an initial 25 duster bags. If you have a larger household, though, we can foresee them needing a restock a bit faster. A pack of 13 currently costs £14.99 on Amazon.

There's an ongoing cost and effort associated with replacing disposable dust bags. Unlike bagless models, you'll need to continuously purchase replacement bags, adding to the long-term expense and maintenance requirements of owning this vacuum.

Finally, the Capsule X does not feature anti-hair wrap technology. In the earlier days of testing, we noticed that long, thicker hair started to wrap around the hard floor roller. This absence could be problematic for households dealing with long hair, as hair may become tangled around the brush roll and require manual removal.

Several competitors have this type of anti-hair wrap technology built into their vacuums. These include Hoover's WindTunnel tangle guard upright vacuum, Shark's PowerPro cordless stick vacuum cleaner, and the Dyson v16 Piston cordless vacuum cleaner.

In the past, this has been the downfall of many other vacuums because it begins to wear down the attachment so much faster. If it's not maintained and cleaned out periodically, this particular type of attachment has stopped working altogether on other vacuum models.

However, as a remedy, we used other attachments, such as the mini power brush, in areas such as the bathroom. This attachment in a higher power setting did just the trick, but it did take substantially longer than if we were to use the hard floor roller.

Final Verdict

The Halo Capsule X impresses with its powerful suction, lightweight design, and generous dust capacity, making everyday cleaning feel effortless. It tackled everything from daily debris to tougher messes (like our baking soda spill) across multiple surfaces with ease. We also loved how compact and easy to store it is, and the long battery life on lower settings makes it ideal for regular use.

That said, performance on max power is short-lived, and the need to regularly buy and replace dust bags can add ongoing cost. We'd also love to see anti-hair-wrap technology in future versions for those who may have longer hair.

If you're looking for a lightweight, high-performance vacuum that delivers on suction and simplicity, the Halo Capsule X is a top choice — just be mindful of bag replacements and boost-mode battery life.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter