Henry Quick review: A mixed bag

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

You may 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 occasion he does have a trick, one borrowed from its corded stablemate. The place most stick vacuums are bagless, the Fast just 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 better option than the various bagless choices on the market?

Options & design

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

Total, 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 could possibly as an alternative match the crevice or combi-tool to achieve hard-to get locations, whether or not down low or up excessive.

These three are all of the attachments you get: there’s no separate laborious flooring head or miniature motorised head for cleansing your automotive or sofas that you simply get with the – admittedly dearer – Dysons.

What you can find within the field is an extra deal with which attaches to the built-in one with a quick-release mechanism. The guide 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 offers you extra choices for gripping it in numerous methods and holding the vacuum at completely different angles. However even with out it, the Henry Fast is tall sufficient for even tall individuals to make use of it with out stooping.

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

4 LEDs provide you with a tough concept of how a lot battery energy is left, whereas a protracted LED lights up when the pod is full.

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

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

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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 solely rely on the scale of your private home and the way soiled it will get.

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

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

The corporate says they’re created from 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 somewhat than “at the very least”.

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

Jim Martin / Foundry

In fact, there are advantages to utilizing microfibre luggage. 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 need to use the Fast to wash up positive mud that can block a bagless vacuum. Plus, they received’t tear simply like paper luggage.

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 high of the Henry’s releases the comb bar for cleansing.  That is one thing you’ll be doing repeatedly 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 related issues will wind across the brush and wish eradicating. Not less than there’s a groove which makes it doable to slip scissors underneath hair and lower 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 brilliant sufficient to gentle up your flooring when it’s darkish, however they activate and off with the comb, so there’s no gentle while you flip off the comb. There’s a giant distinction between these white lights and the laser on Dyson’s V15 Detect: they don’t reveal mud and dust just like the laser does.

Jim Martin / Foundry

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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 hooked up 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 turn out to be 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 hooked up, 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. Total, the noise isn’t a lot louder than different stick vacuums we’ve examined, nevertheless 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 increase mode however regardless of this it does a positive job of cleansing carpets and laborious flooring.

There isn’t a lot house for giant items of dust to suit underneath the entrance of the comb head, which suggests it tends to push it across the flooring. You may both decide these issues up your self or swap over to one of many different instruments.

Our confetti check was largely profitable, though a number of items caught to the underside of the housing and fell off after we turned the Fast off.

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

It’s doable to make use of the comb on stairs, however you may desire to take away the stick solely and go along 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 robotically, and you may 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 grew to become troublesome 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 acquired 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 increase mode. And it lasts longer with the comb off, however not a lot.

It’s comparatively fast to cost as properly, going from empty to 100% in 2.5 hours. And, as talked about, you should purchase a spare battery which might 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 exhibiting it had half of its juice left.

Worth & availability

At £299.99, the Henry Fast sits in the course of what you’ll be able to pay for a stick vacuum. On the time of assessment, the Halo Capsule was on sale for £199.99, or £229.99 with a two-year provide of pouches.

You should purchase a Henry Fast direct from Numatic, in addition to from Argos, Amazon and different retailers. For those who’re not eager on crimson, there’s a pink Hetty Fast model or a extra sombre gray with out the smiley face.

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

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

The Fast Scent Pods solely are available in packs of 10 and price £1 every. It’s a disgrace combined packs aren’t out there, 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 after we wrote this assessment.

Within the US, you’ll be able to’t but purchase the Henry Fast, which is a disgrace.

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

Verdict

There’s lots to love concerning the Henry Fast, particularly for those who’re fed up of your bagless vacuum’s filter changing 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 properly with sufficient suction for all the standard 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 flooring and mini motorised brushes.

And for those who’re set on shopping for a bagged cordless vacuum, the Henry Fast is a good alternative. Nevertheless, there are cheaper options, together with the Halo Capsule and Gtech Professional 2, whose luggage are bigger and price the identical because the Henry’s.