Knowledgeable’s Score
Professionals
- Good cleansing efficiency
- Nice battery life
- Scent capsules scent good
Cons
- Disposable luggage aren’t nice for the atmosphere and are comparatively small
- Can’t see how a lot filth you’ve vacuumed up
- Brush jams on long-pile rugs
Our Verdict
Numatic’s first cordless stick vacuum is a certified success, and is sensibly priced. The pods will divide opinion, however having no filter to wash and no mess when emptying are real advantages.
Worth When Reviewed
Not obtainable in the USA
Henry is a reputation that’s synonymous with Hoover, which in fact is one other model solely. Henry’s smiling face will be discovered in lots of properties, 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 is likely to 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 shouldn’t be.
However as the Halo Capsule has confirmed, whereas the bagged method does have some drawbacks, it additionally brings an excellent 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 ground brush
- Detachable battery
General, Henry Fast is rather a lot like most different stick vacuums. The mud bin and motor are constructed into the principle unit onto which you connect the “stick”. You’ll normally connect the ground brush to the opposite finish of the stick, however you possibly can as a substitute 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 simply get with the – admittedly costlier – Dysons.
What you will discover within the field is a further 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 totally 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.
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 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, not like a bagless system, you’ll be able to’t simply look and see whether or not or not you must empty the bin.
The fast-release mechanism on the bin may be very straightforward 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 appears like a wierd quantity, however Henry says it’s a 12 months’s provide, which might imply altering a pod each fortnight. Whether or not or not that’s lifelike will solely depend on the dimensions of your property and the way soiled it will get.
Jim Martin / Foundry
And, for context, Halo offers 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 evaluate a field of 10 was £12.99.
The corporate says they’re produced 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 “no less than”.
And for the reason that luggage will not be biodegradable or compostable like, say, the Halo Capsule’s paper and cardboard luggage, they’re nonetheless going to landfill.
Jim Martin / Foundry
After all, 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 should utilize the Fast to wash up nice mud that may block a bagless vacuum. Plus, they gained’t tear simply like paper luggage.
Jim Martin / Foundry
The comb head has an uncanny resemblance to the Halo Capsule’s and has two massive 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 commonly if anybody in your house has lengthy hair. The design, not like the most recent brushes from Dyson and Shark, isn’t anti-tangle, so hair and different comparable 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 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 vibrant 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 a giant distinction between these white lights and the laser on Dyson’s V15 Detect: they don’t reveal mud and filth 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 needs to 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 durations, 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 in regards to 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 increase mode however regardless of this it does a nice job of cleansing carpets and laborious flooring.
There isn’t a lot area for giant items of filth to suit underneath the entrance of the comb head, which suggests it tends to push it across the ground. You possibly can both decide these issues up your self or swap over to one of many different instruments.
Our confetti take a look at was largely profitable, though just a few items caught to the underside of the housing and fell off once we turned the Fast off.
There’s sufficient suction to tug 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 doable to make use of the comb on stairs, however you would possibly want to take away the stick solely 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 routinely, 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 explicit room, it grew to become tough or unattainable 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 cut 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.
Probably the most spectacular factor in regards to 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 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’ll be able to 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 purchase a Henry Fast direct from Numatic, in addition to from Argos, Amazon and different retailers. Should 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 need a Dyson as a substitute, you’ll pay significantly extra. A Dyson V11 Absolute was £399 once 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 obtainable, and just one is included within the field, not a pattern of every.
Costs might 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’ll be able to’t but purchase the Henry Fast, which is a disgrace.
To see alternate options, and extra suggestions, learn our roundup of the greatest vacuum cleaners.
Verdict
There’s rather a lot to love in regards to the Henry Fast, particularly if you happen to’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 excellent and it cleans properly with sufficient suction for all the same old family muck.
It’s laborious to complain in regards to the lack of additional attachments since you’d pay much more for a Dyson with its laborious ground and mini motorised brushes.
And if you happen to’re set on shopping for a bagged cordless vacuum, the Henry Fast is an honest alternative. Nevertheless, there are cheaper alternate options, together with the Halo Capsule and Gtech Professional 2, whose luggage are bigger and price the identical because the Henry’s.