What happens when the iconic Henry cylinder vacuum ditches its cord? I tested it to find out (and spoiler alert: I loved it)

Henry is one of the most recognisable vacuum cleaners around, but can a cordless version really compete with the best cordless vacuums on the market? I’ve been testing the Henry HVB160 Cordless Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner for weeks now, putting it through its paces to see how it compares with the best Henry vacuums we've come to know and love, as well as more modern stick-style rivals.

With its claim of offering up to 10x more capacity than other cordless vacuums, how does it hold up in real-world testing? Pretty well, actually! This is everything you need to know.

In a nutshell

The cordless Henry takes everything we love about the iconic Henry vacuum and adds the freedom of cordless cleaning. It’s instantly recognisable, but more importantly, it delivers seriously impressive pick-up power across both hard floors and carpets.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve used it throughout my home for everyday cleaning and for more targeted jobs with the accessory kit. It's safe to say that I'm a fan: from the suction power, to the large bin capacity, to the dust-free bagged design, there's a lot to like.

It’s not as quick or convenient as a stick-style cordless vacuum, and the user manual could be clearer at times. That said, the dust-free emptying, generous capacity and strong suction make it a pleasure to use once you get going.

If you love the iconic Henry design and want powerful, no-nonsense cleaning without being tied to a plug socket, the cordless Henry could be the perfect pick.

Specifications

• Weight:  6.4 kg
• Dimensions: 320 (D) x 320 (W) x 340 (H)cm
• Max. run time:  30 mins
• Bin volume:  6L
• Charge time:  3.5 hours
• Modes: Regular, High Power
• Noise level:  72.8 - 80.1 dB (tested by us)
• In the box: Main unit, aluminium hose (three parts), nozzle, floorhead, spare bag, four cleaning attachments, battery, charger.
• RRP: £299.99

How I tested

Katie Sims

I'm Katie, a regular freelance contributor here at Ideal Home, and I've tested a variety of home appliances over the past three years, including dehumidifiers, air purifiers, coffee machines, and of course, vacuums.
I tested the Henry HVB160 Cordless Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner for two weeks in my flat in Leeds. As part of how we review vacuum cleaners at Ideal Home, I used this model in place of my regular vacuum on both hard floors and carpets, and on furniture and skirting boards when testing the accessory kit. I also performed the flour test to get a clear visual of the cordless Henry's pick-up capabilities.

Unboxing, set-up, and first impressions

As this was my first time testing a Henry vacuum, I was very excited to get it out of the box. The design is nothing short of iconic in the vacuum world, and I was looking forward to seeing what it looked and felt like in real life.

Fair to say, it didn't disappoint. This sweet little vac is something you can't help but smile at, which is definitely a first for me in my role as a vacuum tester.

First impressions of the packaging were fairly positive. Some effort has clearly been made to reduce waste, with the smaller cleaning attachments arriving neatly stored in a paper bag. There is still some single-use plastic in the box, but thankfully not everything is wrapped in it - something I’ve seen all too often when testing other home appliances.

Inside the box you’ll find the main unit, three aluminium hose pieces, a nozzle, floorhead, a spare bag, four cleaning attachments, the battery and the charger.

I started assembling the vacuum with the help of the user manual, and the process was generally straightforward, if a little clunky at times. For example, it took me longer than I’d like to admit to attach the nozzle to Henry’s “nose”, but I soon realised this was because I was trying to insert the wrong end (my fault entirely). Once I’d figured that out, the aluminium pole connected easily to the nozzle, with the floorhead attaching at the other end.

Before using the vacuum, I popped the battery on charge. It doesn’t slot into the charger with the same satisfying click I’ve come to expect from other cordless models, but a red indicator light assured me it was charging. Once the light turned green, I put the battery into the top of the vacuum and Henry was good to go.

Using the Henry Cordless Vacuum

I'm happy to report that, like most other cordless models I've tested, using the new Henry model couldn't be easier. There's one switch which flicks between off, regular mode, and high power. I've tested a couple of models with touch-screen interfaces now, but there's something I like about the simplicity of Henry's design - just a good old-fashioned switch that's intuitive to use.

For a bit of context around how I tested the Henry cordless vac, I live in a flat with my partner, where all the rooms sit on a single floor. Our bedroom, home office, and living area are covered in short-pile carpet, but the bathroom and kitchen have hard (vinyl) flooring. So, when I test vacuum cleaners, I need them to be able to perform well on both hard and soft flooring.

To kick things off, I took Henry for a spin around the home office, which was in dire need of a vacuum. As someone who's used to testing both stick and upright cordless vacuums, it took me a while to get into a good rhythm here. Henry just isn't as smooth to use as a regular cordless vacuum, because the hose is attached to a nozzle, which is attached to the main unit. As such, it doesn't have the same level of manoeuvrability I've come to expect from cordless vacs, as I have to pull the unit behind me while making sure the nozzle doesn't get in the way.

That said, it didn't take me long to get used to it. It was simply a new design for me, and it took a full turn around the flat before I felt like I got into a vacuuming flow.

Going around doors was the trickiest part, because Henry often got stuck, and I'd have to walk back to move him slightly so he could be dragged along with me. It's a minor inconvenience, and I imagine the cordless model still offers a much smoother experience than its corded counterpart, given that there's no trailing wire to contend with as well.

Plus, the vacuum unit is super lightweight and easy to pick up thanks to the handy carry handle.

I quickly sensed that cordless Henry packs a powerful punch in terms of suction. All of my carpets and hard floors looked pretty spotless after my first turn around the flat, and that was just using the regular mode.

To begin with, I also hadn't realised that the standard floorhead is actually called a Combi Floorhead, because it's basically a two-in-one. By pushing the lever down on top of the floorhead, you can switch between hard floor and carpet mode - the latter flicks the brushes up so the floorhead can glide more easily over carpets. I'd just assumed I needed to put in a little more effort when using this vacuum on carpets, so I was pretty pleased when I realised it runs just as smoothly on both types of flooring. I do wish the user manual had made this a little bit clearer, though.

To get a clear visual of cordless Henry's pick-up power, I then performed our usual flour test on both the kitchen and living room floors. Unsurprisingly, the vacuum collected all of the flour in a single sweep on the hard floor of my kitchen - I didn’t even need to switch to high power mode to make sure every last trace was gone.

What did surprise me, though, was how well the cordless Henry performed on carpet. I repeated the flour test on my living room floor, and it still managed to pick up all of the flour in one motion, again in standard mode. It was a great result that directly reflects the vacuum’s strong suction.

Needless to say, little Henry has impressed me with its pick-up capabilities. So much so that during testing, I've been looking forward to getting him out and watching him transform the cleanliness of my floors.

As we're in the thick of winter, a lot of mud gets trampled in our hallway, and there are annoying bits of fluff on the bedroom carpet from our thermal socks - but Henry always manages to pick everything up. I've rarely needed to use the high power mode, but it's still nice to know it's there.

I'm a fan of the shape of the floorhead, too, which allowed me to clean easily up to the edges of each room and awkward gaps, like underneath our storage heater. The cordless Henry might not transform into one of the best handheld vacuums - like some of my other favourite cordless models do - but being able to easily clean the edges of each room made me miss this less than I thought I would.

One thing that is missing compared with most cordless models is the LED lights on the floorhead, which come in handy for illuminating dark areas and under furniture. Thankfully, I didn't miss this too much, which made me realise that it's a nice-to-have rather than an essential feature.

In terms of battery life, the cordless Henry can run for a maximum of 30 minutes from a full charge when used in standard mode. Switch to higher power, and this drops to 20 minutes.

I've definitely tested vacuums with a stronger battery life than this, with many new models boasting up to 50 minutes of run time. That said, 30 minutes is still long enough to vacuum my flat in full, and given that standard power mode is strong enough to get the floors to a satisfactory standard, I didn't find the battery life of this vacuum to be an issue.

I do appreciate it when cordless vacuums have a clear indicator of the reminaing battery life, which the Henry models lacks. It does have an LED light which lights up in three stages to reflect the remaining charge, but I'm used to seeing how many minutes the battery has left exactly on my regular vacuum (the Hoover HFX Cordless), which is definitely my preference.

Lastly, I always like to consider a vacuum's noise levels when testing - no one wants a vacuum that makes a din, after all. I have no qualms in this area for the cordless Henry model. It doesn't sound overly loud or unpleasant when in use, and according to the app I use for testing, it reaches 72 dB in regular mode and 80.1 dB in higher power.

That's in line with other cordless vacuums I’ve tested - if anything, it’s on the quieter side. For example, the last model I reviewed, the Beldray Airfinity, hit 76.2 dB in regular mode, which Henry undercuts slightly.

Using the attachments

As I've already touched on, you won't get the same handheld capabilities with this vacuum as with other cordless models on the market, but you can still use it to clean fiddly areas, soft furnishings, and hard-to-reach spots thanks to the included accessory kit.

The attachments are the same as you’d find with the original Henry, and there’s a good selection to cover most cleaning tasks. You get a crevice tool for tight gaps and awkward corners, a dusting tool for more delicate surfaces like shelves and ornaments, an upholstery tool for furniture, stairs and car seats, and a brush and mattress tool for deeper cleaning jobs.

One handy tip worth knowing is that removing the brush from the mattress tool will allow you to vacuum your mattress with ease, as you'll get stronger contact with the surface.

I will say that when I first laid all the tools out, I wasn’t entirely sure which was designed for what. It would have been helpful if the user manual clearly labelled each attachment, just to take a bit of the guesswork out of the process - especially if you’re new to Henry vacuums.

All of the attachments can also be used either at the end of the long aluminium pole or directly on the flexible hose, thanks to the additional tube attachment. This flexibility is really useful, and the hose itself also adjusts in height, which makes different cleaning tasks feel even more comfortable.

Attaching and removing the cleaning heads does require a fairly firm grip, and you’ll need to apply a bit of effort to get them securely in place. It’s not difficult, but it’s not quite as slick or seamless as other cordless designs I’ve tested.

Overall, I was pleased with how much I could do using the attachments. I was able to clean skirting boards, freshen up furniture and tackle awkward corners without too much hassle.

While a small handheld vacuum is undoubtedly more convenient than a pull-along model like Henry, you don't need to invest in one if you don't want one - Henry does a good enough job on his own.

Cleaning and maintenance

When it comes to bagged vs bagless vacuum cleaners, one of the biggest pros of a bagged model is that they're easier to clean. Anything and everything that gets hoovered up will stay in a sealed bag, which means we're less exposed to pathogens, bacteria, and dust. Ultimately, they're the more hygienic choice.

Knowing this, I anticipated an easy ride when it came to cleaning and maintaining the cordless Henry vacuum, and it didn't disappoint. It was a nice change not to have to empty the bin manually and risk the contents spilling onto the floor. The top of the vacuum unit lifts away to reveal the bag compartment, with the bag attached securely to the end of the nozzle.

I detached this to see how easy it would be, and it was probably my fault that minor traces of flour and dust escaped into the empty vacuum bin in the process. If you hold the bag firmly, it shouldn't let anything loose.

Needless to say, it's definitely much easier to pop a bag straight into the bin than emptying (and cleaning) a dust container after every few uses. You also get a whopping 6-litre bin capacity with the Henry cordless vac, so one bag should last you a while. There's a spare bag included in the box, but after that, you'll need to commit to ongoing costs - a pack of 3 bags costs £4.49 on the Henry website, which feels reasonable enough to me.

Something that does need cleaning fairly regularly is the floor head. As you can see, it's easy for matted dust and hair to collect here, and even one run of the vacuum over my living room floor meant I needed to clean this out.

I just did this with my hands, but you might prefer to have a small cleaning tool handy for the job.

How does it compare to similar models?

If you’re considering the cordless Henry, it’s worth looking at how it stacks up against other models in the Numatic lineup.

Firstly, there’s the Numatic Henry Quick, which is the brand’s cordless stick vacuum and comes in at the same RRP of £299.99. The Henry Quick is undoubtedly more convenient thanks to its stick design, making it easier to manoeuvre and quicker to grab for everyday cleans. But this convenience comes with compromises. The bin capacity is much smaller at just 1 litre, compared to the Cordless Henry’s generous 6-litre capacity, and you’ll still need to factor in the ongoing cost of replacement bags.

Then there's the classic Henry corded, which shares the same iconic design and large bin capacity but comes with a much lower price tag of £169.99. The trade-off here is flexibility: the corded model only offers one suction level and lacks the freedom of cordless cleaning. If you don’t mind being tethered to a plug socket, the classic Henry offers excellent value - but if you prioritise convenience and mobility (and have a little more budget to play with), the cordless version is the better fit.

Numatic offers plenty of other vacuum cleaners beyond these three: some have an even larger bin capacity, and others are designed with pet hair and heavy-duty cleaning in mind. I think the cordless Henry offers a great middle ground between the traditional corded model and the Henry Quick - it's got the familiar design with the added convenience of cordless cleaning.

Verdict: should you buy the Henry Cordless Vacuum?

If you’re drawn to the classic Henry design but want the freedom of cordless cleaning, the cordless Henry vacuum could be a top choice. Its pick-up capabilities are seriously impressive across both hard floors and carpets, and the high power mode is on hand for a welcome boost if you're tackling more stubborn debris.

It’s also lightweight and easy to carry, which makes manoeuvring it less effortful than I anticipated for a pull-along vacuum. The bagged design allows for dust-free emptying, and the generous bin capacity means you won’t need to change bags frequently. Add in the range of attachments, and it’s well equipped for cleaning awkward corners, skirting boards and soft furnishings.

That said, it’s simply not as convenient as modern stick or upright cordless models, particularly for quick, grab-and-go cleans. The user manual could also be clearer when it comes to identifying which attachment is best suited to each task, which may take a bit of trial and error at first.

Price-wise, the cordless Henry sits somewhere in the middle of the cordless vacuum market. You can spend considerably more with brands like Dyson and Shark, but there are also cheaper cordless options available, such as the Lakeland 2-in-1.

Ultimately, this model will appeal most to those who love the traditional Henry design and want powerful, no-nonsense cleaning with a large capacity - without the restriction of a power cord. It's not one to overlook.