Oreck Halo Vacuum – Review & Giveaway (closed)

March 2, 2010 By admin 1,949 Comments

Oreck Halo Vacuum
This last month was rough to say the least. Between all of us sharing colds and Rowan being hospitalized for RSV and his asthma problems, I’m happy to report that we are all finally feeling well. I think in part that has to do with a clean home and especially clean carpets. After Rowan was released from the hospital, we bought a carpet cleaner, and I started using my new Halo vacuum that Oreck sent me. The Oreck Halo actually has a UV-C light that kills bacteria, mold, and dust mites in just a few seconds. I’m sure that dust mites and bacteria make Rowan’s asthma worse, so I’m excited to see a product that does that.

Pros: I think the biggest pro about this vacuum is that it has the ability to kill mold, viruses and bacteria. Because the flu has been going around so rapidly this year, I was glad to see that it kills influenza. Both my boys are vaccinated, but I feel like you can never be too careful.
I know it seems funny that a light can kill bacteria and I was a bit of a skeptic until I researched it more.
As taken from Oreck’s website:

Laboratory testing shows that exposure to UV-C light at the power generated by the patented Oreck Halo Light Chamber killed up to 99.9% of E-coli and viruses like the flu in less than one second. Many dust mite and flea eggs that can trigger allergies and asthma are also killed. The Oreck Halo’s UV-C light also kills the superbug MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant bacteria that causes staph infections.

The light is great of course, but what about the rest of the vacuum? I like that you have options with this vacuum. For example, there is an option to turn the roller brush on and off, with a click of a button. That way, it vacuums carpets as well as hard surfaces.
You can also control the height on the side of the vacuum, which makes it easy to transition from carpeted to hard floors.

The Halo is fairly light at 17 lbs, and is competitive with other upright vacuums in this sense. It sure makes it easier to lug around 2 flights of stairs when it isn’t over 20 lbs like vacuums I have had in the past.
Oreck also uses hepa filter bags for ultimate filtration and does a great job in trapping dust and germs.

This particular vacuum has a 5 year warranty on the UV bulb, with 3 years on the vacuum. That 3 years includes 3 annual tune-ups, which is nice.
Overall, it’s a wonderful vacuum. I am interested to see if it plays a role in Rowan’s asthma getting better over the months to come. Watch the video below to see more features.

Cons: This is a bagged vacuum which means you have to buy and change bags. You can get them at the Oreck store for $25 for an 8 pack. I also have a bagless vacuum and I like the convenience of a bagless. I’m not sure if I like the zipper around the bag either. It’s easy for dust to accumulate inside the bag and is harder to wipe out than other bagged vacuums with a plastic cover, where you can just wipe them down.
I am also used to the hose attachment being built right into the vacuum. With the Oreck Halo, there is a separate compartment that you have to attach the vacuum into as shown below.

I am pretty particular about reading about warranties on products. I’ve felt cheated on a few warranties on the past and felt like I didn’t take the time to read them through well enough before I made the purchase. The vacuum has a 3 year warranty, however there is a lot it doesn’t cover. Here is a part of the warranty I took from the instruction booklet that came with the vacuum:

“This limited warranty does not cover the replacement of expendable or consumable parts such as carbon motor brushes, edge brushes, drive belts, brushes, disposable bags, wheels, lights and light bulbs (other than the ultraviolet bulb) and other parts subject to normal wear unless they are defective in material or workmanship.”

Because of this statement, it makes me wonder how Oreck would handle a repair on a vacuum that is still under warranty. Would they consider a part defective and fix it, or would they say it has broken down from normal wear and tear and is not covered in the warranty. I don’t have any experience with this, but just wanted to say that while warranties are awesome most of the time, take time to ask questions and investigate the warranty before you buy. I would hope that Oreck would be generous in their warranty if buyers had problems.

Price: $599.95

Where to Buy: Oreck

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Tell me your favorite feature of this vacuum cleaner.

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The product reviewed in this article was a sample provided to me by the company or PR representative. These views and opinions are my own and I was not compensated by this review.

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