trouble free Henry (Henry HVR200)

Member Name: a_m_y

Product:	Henry HVR200
Date:	18/07/09 (57 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Picks up everything, smiles at you, capacity, quiet

Disadvantages: Bulky, heavy

It should be noted that I really didn't want a Henry. I didn't like them. I think this was due to memories from my first job, where we had a Henry and I hated it. I wanted a Dyson, but they were three times the price, my husband didn't want one and during my vacuum replacement research it turned out that his sisters Henry was 20 years old and still worked perfectly. I did tons of research, I wanted to read BAD reviews. I didn't want him. I wanted a bagless vacuum so save money in the long run, and an upright. However, after hearing only good, consulting our bank balance and hoping that buying a Henry would encourage him to use it sometimes too, I bought one.

We got ours from the numatic website - the people who make them in the first place, and it was about £90. I also bought two reuseable bags which you can stick in the wash. It came with five free bags though and we are only on number two now, so i haven't used them yet! The capacity is amazing. Also, Henry arrived really fast - I think it was bout two days.

Well, I was wrong about Henry. He's great. He picks everything up. We have a cat (which I am slightly allergic to) and Henry gets all his hair. We have floorboards in the living room and bedroom, and he even gets the stuff that goes in the gaps between them, he's also great on laminate, and on the thick carpet we've got on the landing and stairs. Including the cat snot (our cat has a virus and sneezes all over the place), cat litter, sawdust and any other bits that end up on the floor.

Henry has two settings - normal, which is the environmentally friendly (economy) setting, and a super setting (hi) for extreme hoovering. These are easy to switch between depending on your needs. I find economy is enough most of the time, the hi setting is really really powerful and you won't need it unless you've got especially messy floors. He picks up everything.

Henry has a lovely long 10metre cable too, which is great for going up stairs and into different rooms, and is so easy to tidy away as you just turn the dial and it's all disappeared inside. Described on the website as "a work of art, trouble free and spring free, and it keeps everything neat and tidy." Yep.

The Hepaflo dust bags, "improve filtration efficiency, cleanliness and capacity". I can't argue with this. I don't know much about filtration, but clean this is, and the capacity is excellent. I binned the first bag coz I thought "I haven't done this yet, it must need emptying" but I honestly think it would still be going now if I hadn't. This was a doddle. Easier than emptying the bagless vacuum I had previously. You don't need to wash filters or cylinders, you just take it out and replace it. Ta dah!

You get lots of tools with this vacuum. Extension tubes, upholstery nozzle, brush, crevice tool. Things you need and actually use! and mine came with a nice red Henry bag to keep all these things in.

The problems I have with Henry are outweighed by his performance, but they are the weight and the storage. An upright would have been a lot easier to store. When you put him in the cupboard the hose gets in the way of everything and you need to spend some time arranging him. Also, he's quite heavy. I believe you can get a Henry with plastic tubes though to decrease the weight a bit.
Not so good when you're doing the stairs. I plug him in at the bottom and due to the length of the hose only need to carry him up a couple, where he has to balance. Lets face it, he's not the slimmest vacuum, so he needs a bit of propping on thin stairs. This isn't an issue when you're on a flat surface though. We live in an upstairs flat and I don't do the stairs all that often, so it's not a big deal.

Henry is also really quiet. I've hoovered quite late at night and on the economy setting in particular, he's pretty quiet. Still loud enough to scare the cat though, but quiet.

All in all, I think Henry's great. I hope he lasts me over 20 years too! That would be amazing value for money. He's so easy to use and gives you a lovely friendly smile when you get him out the cupboard.

Summary: does exactly what you want a vacuum to do

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