Numatic Henry HVR200 > Reviews (135)

I've been through a variety of vacuum cleaners in the last ten years. Uprights, cylinders, bag less etc. None of them have ever lasted more than about a year before the suction goes, or they just don't want to cope with being mistreated anymore as they are bumped up the stairs or thrown over by the children.
I've never had enough of a budget to buy a really expensive model, but two years ago I spotted an offer for a Henry Hoover and decided to try it out for myself.

I've only ever heard good reviews about Henry's, but they have usually been associated with commercial cleaning in my experience with them. At under £100, the price fit so it had to be better than some of the cheaper models I had been using through the years.

Henry comes all ready for first use. Inside the box you get all the attachments which include a crevice tool, dusting brush, upholstery nozzle and a slide on brush for fabrics such as curtains or your sofas. These attachments are stored in a handy bag that can be hung up out of the way, but you will always know where your attachments are. Be honest how many times do you buy a new vacuum cleaner and never see the attachments again as they scatter about the house.

Henry himself looks nice and bright in his vibrant red shade, and happy smiling face. I have never understood the faces on Henry's but the design has worked for many years and almost gives Henry his own identity within the home.
Henry may not be suitable for you if you can't life heavy items. He's not the lightest of cleaners at six and a half kilos. I find his handle is thick enough on top of his head to be able to hold him comfortably, yet you have to realise you will also have to hold the suction nozzle as well.
Luckily for you if you're tall however, Henry will fit in with your height as the suction poles are a decent length. I never feel as though I am stooping when using the vacuum.

Once you're acquainted with Henry and all his attachments, you'll want to be able to change him. Thankfully his bag doesn't need changing too often, although I guess if you have a large house and vacuum a lot, then you may be taking him apart quite a lot more than me.
To find Henry's insides is an easy task. Two clips, one each side of his body pull out and his top half will happily come away from the bottom. Once you take out the easily removable filter, you'll see his bag waiting to be taken out. It's easy to see if he needs changing, as the bag sits nicely into the space provided. It's not recommended to use Henry without a bag as you'll clog everything up.
The bag is placed back on by just sliding over the nozzle at the front of the vacuum area. There are no fiddly aspects to this thankfully. I remember using an older version of Henry when I worked in an office years ago and changing the bag wasn't the easiest thing to accomplish. Each bag will take a whopping nine litres of household dust and grime.

As Henry is fresh and ready to use, you'll be happy to see he has a super long lead at twenty six metres in length.

I don't think I've ever owned a vacuum cleaner with such a wide range of cleaning area. I can actually plug Henry into a socket downstairs and take him all the way upstairs in my house. This will obviously depend on where your sockets are and how your house is laid out etc, but for me Henry fits in well with our layout.

We have a variety of different floors in our house. Some are wooden and some carpeted. I have learnt how to gain the best from Henry each time I use him by taking advantage of his hi / lo control on the brush head. The high setting is good for laminate floors and the kitchen tiles as the brush area raises the head away from the floor slightly. By using the low setting, I find Henry and the carpet piles get up close and personal and stick together quite nicely.

Suction wise, Henry's 1200 watt suction power on his highest setting is plenty to be able to get maximum suction. I have never found him to glide over an area and refuse to pick even the dirtiest of items up. The only time he refuses to work properly is when one of the children have managed to wedge an item too large into the poles.
Henry also cares about the environment and has an auto save energy saving mode. He will automatically use this mode when you turn him on at the start of use. This basically means he is using 50% less energy, 30% improved air quality and 20% less noise. This setting is perfectly ample for household vacuuming. To enable a higher quality of suction or deeper carpet pile cleaning then you have the option of putting into high mode by pressing a button on the side of the vacuum. I have never needed to use this option and think it would be more suited to commercial use.

Once you have finished with his super long lead, it can be wound back into his head by turning the handle. I actually really like the fact that he doesn't have a retractable motorised rewind as these can clog very easily on other makes of cleaners. I have never had a problem winding the cord back inside the head of Henry.

Storing your Henry could be a challenge in a small property. Our Henry lives under the stairs and we have to put him in backwards to ensure he'll fit, but he never moans about his smaller living space and we make sure he gets out often.

Overall, even after two years of almost daily use, Henry is still looking as fresh as when he first arrived with us. We find the bags need changing every few months within our house, and we buy replacement bags online which work out cheaper than buying in a store. I can usually get around five bags for a fiver, but as these last months then it doesn't work out too expensive.
Despite the fact that Henry doesn't have any special qualities in terms of being great for pet users etc, I think he truly is a great all rounder and you could do worse than inviting him to be a guest in your home.