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What Is ExpressVPN Aircove Router & How Does It Work in 2024?

On Sept. 22, 2022, ExpressVPN announced its launch of Aircove, the first WiFi 6 router with built-in VPN protection. So what is ExpressVPN Aircove and how does it work? Learn the basics of this new ExpressVPN router for your home.

Jackie LeavittSamuel Chapman

Written by Jackie Leavitt (Chief Editor)

Reviewed by Samuel Chapman (Editor)

Last Updated: 2024-03-04T17:00:00+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

ExpressVPN just announced its new WiFi 6 router device, Aircove. So what is ExpressVPN Aircove actually, and why is this a big deal? The quick answer is that this router, which uses WiFi 6 technology, has built-in VPN protection from ExpressVPN. It is designed to protect all home devices while still providing a fast, secure connection.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Aircove router is ExpressVPN’s first foray into hardware devices, protecting all devices in your home, from your laptop and computer, to your smart TV and IoT devices.
  • WiFi 6 allows for faster and more reliable wireless connections, with Aircove permitting speeds of up to 1,200 Mbps on 5GHz and 600 Mbps for 2.4GHz.
  • Aircove has a limited-time launch price of $169 on Amazon; the normal price will be $189.90.

Aircove takes ExpressVPN’s excellent VPN protection to the next level. ExpressVPN is already known to be the best VPN for routers, but now the VPN is diving into hardware for the first time by creating the WiFi 6 router. This will allow for incredible speeds, plus the ability to protect every internet-capable device under one roof. 

Additionally, the Aircove router setup will be incredibly easy, providing out-of-the-box protection and eliminating any manual setup. Stick with us as we explain more about Aircove.

  • 10/05/2022

    Added information about connecting Aircove to an existing router in the FAQ section.

ExpressVPN Aircove

Aircove is a WiFi 6 VPN router designed by ExpressVPN to protect all your devices within your house.

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Decent pricing
  • Unlimited device protection

Cons:

  • Additional VPN subscription

What Is ExpressVPN Aircove?

Aircove is the first WiFi 6 router that comes with built-in VPN protection. Its user interface allows you to protect all internet-capable devices in your home within minutes of setup. 

ExpressVPN Aircove
Aircove is ExpressVPN’s first hardware device, designed to protect the entire household of WiFi devices.

In a press release, ExpressVPN Vice President Harold Li explained the motivation behind creating Aircove.

“We are reinventing digital home protection with Aircove’s plug-and-play simplicity,” Li said. “It delivers our award-winning software in an easy-to-use router device, and we’re excited to provide users with another way to leverage the best of ExpressVPN for their entire home.”

Aircove will be able to cover up to 1,600 square feet within a home, and it is available for sale now in the U.S. (more on pricing later). Data shows that the average U.S. home has around 25 devices connected to WiFi, including laptops, mobile phones, tablets, smart watches, smart TVs and more.

“That’s why we built Aircove, to provide users with simple, flexible VPN-protected internet connection across every room, on every device, for every household member,” Li said. 

How Does ExpressVPN Aircove Router Work?

Aircove replaces your existing router. It provides a WiFi 6 internet connection, as well as built-in VPN protection from the get-go — though you can also set some internet-capable devices to not connect to the VPN. Aircove’s interface is designed to make it easy to customize your protection.

What Is WiFi 6?

WiFi 6 is the next generation of WiFi, providing a faster and more reliable connection between devices. Theoretically, WiFi 6 can provide download speeds up to 9.6 Gbps, which can be split between multiple devices on a single connection. 

Of course, VPN encryption slows down every internet connection. However, Aircove’s potential speeds are impressive. Even with ExpressVPN encryption active, Aircove permits speeds of up to 1,200 Mbps for 5GHz and 600 Mbps for 2.4GHz connections. We will test the reality of those speeds in our upcoming Aircove review.

Device Groups

Aircove offers a unique feature called “device groups,” which allows users to group devices together and give each group its own VPN “location.” 

For example, you can have your smart TVs set to a U.K. server so you can stream your favorite British shows with a U.K. IP address, while your mobile phone set to France for mobile banking, and your home printer is set to a group that bypasses the VPN. 

You can have up to five groups for your devices, and there is no limit for the total number of devices you can connect. Aircove’s potential is only limited by your maximum home connection speed.

Is ExpressVPN Aircove Safe?

Yes, Aircove is safe. In June and July of 2022, ExpressVPN had cybersecurity firm Cure53 conduct a penetration test and source-code audit to ensure Aircove was safe to launch. 

“Cure53 is pleased to report that the ExpressVPN team has established a first-rate security level for the components in focus following the completion of this audit,” said Cure53. “Overall, the code organization and quality garnered a positive impression, indicating that security was a high priority during development and a substantial aspect of the software’s life cycle.”

Aircove also has a couple of security features worth noting. The router has an auto-update feature so the device always has the latest features and security updates.

Additionally, users can share the WiFi network with visitors via a QR code scan, rather than using a password. We will evaluate the full extent of Aircove’s features in our upcoming Aircove review.

However, you can read more about ExpressVPN in our full ExpressVPN review, including why we rank it as the best VPN option available.

How Much Is ExpressVPN Aircove?

Aircove is available for purchase on Amazon. It will normally cost $189.90, but there is a limited-time launch deal price of $169. This deal will end when the initial stocks for the launch are sold out.

Note, though, that this in addition to an ExpressVPN subscription. The annual ExpressVPN subscription costs $99.95.

That’s a cheaper start-up price than the VPN router Vilfo. In comparison, Vilfo costs $399 for the hardware, then $59 for an annual subscription of the Home plan, or $99 per year for Home Pro.

Aircove Tech Specifications

  • 1 x WAN Ethernet port, 4 x LAN Ethernet ports, 1 x LED, 1 x Reset Button, 1 x 12V/1.5A DC Input
  • Quad-core 64-bit processor @ 1.2GHz
  • DDR3L 512MB / NAND-FLASH 128MB
  • IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac/ax, MU-MIMO
  • Wi-Fi speed up to 600 Mbps (2.4GHz), up to 1,200 Mbps (5GHz)
  • Wi-Fi coverage up to 1,600 sq. ft.
  • 12V/1.5A DC Input
  • 5 x 10/100/1,000 Mbps, LED, power and internet
  • 210 x 120 x 36.8mm, 445g
  • No limit on number of devices, 100+ simultaneous connections tested
  • WPA2/3 Wi-Fi security
  • Automatic security updates
  • One-year warranty, 30-day return to Amazon
  • ExpressVPN subscription sold separately

Final Thoughts: Aircove VPN Router

ExpressVPN’s first hardware launch of Aircove is certainly exciting — not only for the router’s potential, but also for a new chapter in ExpressVPN’s security future — though an ExpressVPN representative said they had no news to share about more hardware releases in the future. 

Cloudwards.net will conduct a thorough Aircove review once the device is ready for testing, so stay tuned for our report.

What do you think of Aircove? How does it compare to other VPN routers? Will you test it out with Amazon’s 30-day refund window? Let us know your thoughts, and thanks for reading.

FAQ

  • Yes, ExpressVPN is one of the safest VPNs on the market. You can trust their no-logs policy and strong security.

  • You should be able to connect your existing router to the Aircove. However, if an ExpressVPN router is placed between your modem and mesh network, the devices connected to the mesh network will not be able to use the device groups feature. You can learn more in the troubleshooting guide.

  • You can order ExpressVPN’s Aircove router via Amazon for $169 for a limited time after the launch. Its normal price is $189.90.

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