Henry Quick Review: A Mixed Bag

Worth When Reviewed

Not accessible in the USA

Henry is a reputation that’s synonymous with Hoover, which in fact is one other model completely. Henry’s smiling face will be discovered in lots of houses, and now it’s on a cordless stick vacuum for the primary time.

You would possibly assume the Fast is Henry’s reply to the cordless Dyson, however look nearer and also you’ll realise there are extra similarities with the Halo Capsule than, say, Dyson’s V11.

Battery-powered ‘stick’ Henry may be late to the social gathering he does have a trick, one borrowed from its corded stablemate. The place most stick vacuums are bagless, the Fast isn’t.

However because the Halo Capsule has confirmed, whereas the bagged method does have some drawbacks, it additionally brings a very good few advantages together with the truth that mud and muck doesn’t spray out every time you empty the bin.

However does this make Henry Fast a more sensible choice than the various bagless choices on the market?

Options & design

• 1 litre pods
• LEDs in ground brush
• Detachable battery

General, Henry Fast is lots like most different stick vacuums. The mud bin and motor are constructed into the primary unit onto which you connect the “stick”. You’ll often connect the ground brush to the opposite finish of the stick, however you might as an alternative match the crevice or combi-tool to succeed in hard-to get locations, whether or not down low or up excessive.

Jim Martin / Foundry

These three are all of the attachments you get: there’s no separate laborious ground head or miniature motorised head for cleansing your automobile or sofas that you just get with the – admittedly costlier – Dysons.

What you’ll find within the field is a further deal with which attaches to the built-in one with a quick-release mechanism. The handbook calls it an extension deal with, however says nothing else about it.

You’ll discover out quickly sufficient, although, that the built-in deal with is uncomfortable to make use of and the extension provides you extra choices for gripping it in numerous methods and holding the vacuum at totally different angles. However even with out it, the Henry Fast is tall sufficient for even tall folks to make use of it with out stooping.

Jim Martin / Foundry

On the entrance is a panel with an influence button (there’s no set off, which is nice), a lift button and a 3rd one to begin and cease the comb rotating, which is helpful on long-pile rugs or carpet.

4 LEDs offer you a tough concept of how a lot battery energy is left, whereas an extended LED lights up when the pod is full.

That’s an necessary level as a result of, in contrast to a bagless system, you possibly can’t simply look and see whether or not or not you’ll want to empty the bin.

The short-release mechanism on the bin may be very simple to make use of. Whenever you level and shoot into your dustbin, the pod slides into it with no mess.

Jim Martin / Foundry

There are 26 pods within the field. It feels like a wierd quantity, however Henry says it’s a yr’s provide, which might imply altering a pod each fortnight. Whether or not or not that’s sensible will completely rely on the scale of your property and the way soiled it will get.

Jim Martin / Foundry

And, for context, Halo gives 52 pouches with the Capsule, which it says is 2 years’ value.

The issue, in fact, is that pods are a consumable which value cash – as soon as these preliminary 26 are used. On the time of evaluate a field of 10 was £12.99.

The corporate says they’re comprised of recycled materials and are “local weather constructive”, which suggests it’s carbon offsetting the pods. Nevertheless, it’s a disgrace that the phrase used is “as much as” 65% recycled quite than “no less than”.

And because the baggage are usually not biodegradable or compostable like, say, the Halo Capsule’s paper and cardboard baggage, they’re nonetheless going to landfill.

Jim Martin / Foundry

In fact, there are advantages to utilizing microfibre baggage. For one factor, it means you’re successfully altering the vacuum’s filter every time you match a brand new pod, and it additionally means you should use the Fast to scrub up advantageous mud that may block a bagless vacuum. Plus, they gained’t tear simply like paper baggage.

Jim Martin / Foundry

The comb head has an uncanny resemblance to the Halo Capsule’s and has two giant wheels on the again and smaller rollers on the entrance which assist it transfer easily throughout laborious flooring.

In contrast to the Halo’s brush, a button on prime of the Henry’s releases the comb bar for cleansing.  That is one thing you’ll be doing recurrently if anybody in your house has lengthy hair. The design, in contrast to the most recent brushes from Dyson and Shark, isn’t anti-tangle, so hair and different comparable issues will wind across the brush and want eradicating. At the least there’s a groove which makes it attainable to slip scissors below hair and minimize it away simply.

Jim Martin / Foundry

One other fast launch permits the versatile hose to be disconnected at one finish for unblocking.

LEDs constructed into the top are shiny sufficient to mild up your ground when it’s darkish, however they activate and off with the comb, so there’s no mild once you flip off the comb. There’s an enormous distinction between these white lights and the laser on Dyson’s V15 Detect: they don’t reveal mud and grime just like the laser does.

Jim Martin / Foundry

We like that the battery is detachable because it means you should purchase a second one for longer run time. The charger attaches to the battery itself so it may be charged whether or not or not it’s connected to the Fast.

There’s a wall mount within the field, however the charging cable doesn’t combine like a Dyson, so nonetheless must be plugged into the battery individually if you wish to cost whereas it’s in your wall.

At 3.2kg (round 7lbs) with the stick and brush head, we didn’t discover the Henry Fast too heavy for brief intervals, however when utilizing it for a full hour the heft did change into noticeable. If weight is a priority, the Halo Capsule is a good bit lighter at 2.6kg (5.7lbs) due to its carbon fibre development.

With the stick and brush head connected, it measures 270 x 240 x 1220 mm.

Efficiency

The primary belongings you’ll discover concerning the Henry Fast is the high-pitched sound that comes from the comb motor. General, the noise isn’t a lot louder than different stick vacuums we’ve examined, however it’s a lot simpler on the ears when the comb is turned off.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Suction isn’t as much as the extent of a Dyson stick vacuum in both the usual mode or enhance mode however regardless of this it does a advantageous job of cleansing carpets and laborious flooring.

There isn’t a lot house for giant items of grime to suit below the entrance of the comb head, which suggests it tends to push it across the ground. You’ll be able to both choose these issues up your self or swap over to one of many different instruments.

Our confetti take a look at was largely profitable, though a number of items caught to the underside of the housing and fell off once we turned the Fast off.

There’s sufficient suction to drag most particles from edges when utilizing the comb so that you gained’t at all times have to make use of the crevice instrument for these bits.

It’s attainable to make use of the comb on stairs, however you would possibly favor to take away the stick completely and go together with the crevice or combi-tool.

One of many issues with the comb head is that it can’t deal with long-pile rugs, which trigger the comb to jam. The motor stops mechanically, and you’ll proceed to hoover. However different vacuums, together with the Dyson V11 and V15 don’t have any such issues with their motorised brushes.

We additionally discovered the top didn’t glide easily over all carpets. In a single specific room, it turned tough or not possible to push the Henry in sure instructions, seemingly as a result of the carpet had a deeper pile than others in the home.

There’s a slider which opens a vent to scale back suction, however that didn’t assist. The one time it proved helpful was when vacuuming skinny mats which in any other case obtained sucked up into the comb.

Essentially the most spectacular factor concerning the Henry Fast is its battery life. In its regular mode with the comb on it lasted longer than the claimed 60 minutes, and over quarter-hour in enhance mode. And it lasts longer with the comb off, however not a lot.

It’s comparatively fast to cost as nicely, going from empty to 100% in 2.5 hours. And, as talked about, you should purchase a spare battery which will be charged and able to go.

I discovered that the Dyson V15 Detect’s battery ran out earlier than managing to hoover the entire home. However the Henry Fast did the lot and was nonetheless displaying it had half of its juice left.

Worth & availability

At £299.99, the Henry Fast sits in the midst of what you possibly can pay for a stick vacuum. On the time of evaluate, the Halo Capsule was on sale for £199.99, or £229.99 with a two-year provide of pouches.

You should buy a Henry Fast direct from Numatic, in addition to from Argos, Amazon and different retailers. In the event you’re not eager on purple, there’s a pink Hetty Fast model or a extra sombre gray with out the smiley face.

However if you would like a Dyson as an alternative, you’ll pay significantly extra. A Dyson V11 Absolute was £399 once we checked, however some fashions value as a lot as £600.

For the worth, it’s good you’re getting 26 pods, however at £1.30 per pod after that when purchased in packing containers of 10, they’re not low cost in the long term.

The Fast Scent Pods solely are available packs of 10 and price £1 every. It’s a disgrace blended packs aren’t accessible, and just one is included within the field, not a pattern of every.

Costs could fall sooner or later, however with the Fast and pods being model new, there have been no reductions to be discovered once we wrote this evaluate.

Within the US, you possibly can’t but purchase the Henry Fast, which is a disgrace.

To see alternate options, and extra suggestions, learn our roundup of the very best vacuum cleaners.

Verdict

There’s lots to love concerning the Henry Fast, particularly in case you’re fed up of your bagless vacuum’s filter turning into clogged up. The bag is the filter, so that you’re getting the identical efficiency each time you match a brand new one.

Battery life is superb and it cleans nicely with sufficient suction for all the same old family muck.

It’s laborious to complain concerning the lack of additional attachments since you’d pay much more for a Dyson with its laborious ground and mini motorised brushes.

And in case you’re set on shopping for a bagged cordless vacuum, the Henry Fast is an honest selection. Nevertheless, there are cheaper alternate options, together with the Halo Capsule and Gtech Professional 2, whose baggage are bigger and price the identical because the Henry’s.