Halo Vacuums

Founded by parents of triplets, Halo markets its products as the premier vacuums for allergy sufferers and promises a Halo vacuum "cleans what you see, kills what you can't." The company's promotional literature focuses on the viruses, bacteria, mold and dust mites that live and reproduce in the typical American household each day, triggering allergies and other respiratory problems. Halo vacuums look like standard uprights, but on the underside is the secret weapon: an ultraviolet light in the C spectrum that has long been used in the healthcare industry to obliterate microorganisms. The premise is that as you use the Halo, the UV-C light kills the nasties and their eggs almost instantaneously, and then they're all vacuumed up.

R & D:

In developing this vacuum, Halo enlisted experts. To understand mites, the company worked with one of the country's leading authorities, Glen Needham, associate professor of entomology and acarology (the study of mites and ticks) at Ohio State University. His extensive research, combined with the work and knowledge of James Bolton, one of the world's foremost researchers in the field of ultraviolet light, helped Halo imagine a vacuum that would not only clean the dust, debris and hair from your carpets but also kill the microorganisms that fester in carpet fibers.

What they came up with is a powerful cleaning tool, with a UV-C bulb on the bottom that, to protect consumers from the potentially harmful light, engages only when the unit is on a flat surface and in use. Needham's Ohio State group studied the bulb and described the results in a report to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. The report, "Ultraviolet C Exposure Is Fatal to House Dust Mite Eggs," maintained that just one second of UV-C light from the Halo bulb was enough to start killing dust mite eggs, "and five seconds resulted in nearly 100 percent mortality."

The vacuum functions like other bagged uprights, with suction that rivals that of its high-end competitors, but with the added benefit of getting rid of allergens that might be living in your mattresses, carpets, area rugs and other surfaces. Though many vacuums today are bagless, Halo holds fast to its HEPA filter bags, because they completely contain the allergens and evils you have sucked up. The company maintains that no matter how sleek a bagless unit appears, it will still release some debris back into the air when emptied.

Available Products:

Halo has two models on the market. Its first, the Halo 3280 UVX, offers just the ultraviolet light with powerful suction. Its telescoping handle stows neatly for storage in a coat closet, and you can set the handle height for your comfort. Much of the body is made of plastic, and while that may not appeal to some in terms of ruggedness, it does keep the weight down to a nicely maneuverable 15 pounds.

Halo's second release, the Halo 3290 UV-ST, incorporates all the features of the first vacuum, but includes an above-floor cleaning package, with a 13-foot hose, crevice tool and dusting brush attachment, all of which store securely on board. Although it boasts a wider unit and a separate motor for the brush bar, this vacuum, too, is light at just under 17 pounds. It's important to note, however, that you can't use the ultraviolet light in combination with the hose and attachments, so while you can clean narrow, carpeted stairs and draperies with the hose and brush, you won't be able to kill any organisms lurking in those places, which is really the Halo's selling point.

Price tags for Halos are comparable to those of their formidable competitor, the Dyson brand, although Dyson doesn't offer the ultraviolet innovation. The more "basic" Halo model, the 3280 UVX, has an MSRP of $399, while the model with a hose and attachments, the 3290 UV-ST, sells for $499. Each vacuum comes with four bags; replacements are about $8 for a pack of three.