Shopping for a new vacuum can be quite a daunting task, as there are so many options available. Do we want a vacuum that is lightweight? Do we need it to be cordless? How compact does it need to be? Shall we buy one that is bag free? Plus many many more specifications to pick from. In this post we review the Henry Hoover*, to hopefully help you in your research to find the perfect vacuum for you.
Where to Start
For me, the two most important questions are; How well does it work, and how long will it last? I say that these are my two most important questions, because, if I was to get a vacuum that ticked a box in all of the nitty gritty specifications, but didn’t hoover up the thread from my sewing hobby, or the crumbs from my children, well, I wouldn’t be a very happy bunny. And then if it was to only last me a year or two, I can safely say that I wouldn’t buy another vacuum of the same model again!
Why We Bought a Henry Hoover
When we first got married, we had been given a second hand Dyson hoover. I have no idea which model it was, but I think it must have been quite old (otherwise why would it have been given away?). After about a year or so of us owning it, it finally packed in. So, we were then having to decide which hoover we should buy that was going to be most suitable for us.
After lots of research, we decided that a Henry Hoover* would be the most suitable. This was because we were in the middle of renovating our home, so we needed something that was sturdy and substantial enough to suck up a lot of building dust and rubble. We also wanted a hoover that adjusted to different flooring types, and could be easily carried up a flight of stairs.
At the time of buying our Henry Hoover, we had a little dog, so I really appreciated the super suction setting, which meant that it could easily pick up any hairs. Unfortunately, we don’t have our dog anymore, but we do have two young boys, so the super suction setting is just as much appreciated today! Henry was also used to clean up the mess caused from getting our chimney swept, which was pretty horrendous, but Henry saved the day!
How Long Does a Henry Hoover Last?
One of my most important answers to find out before buying a hoover is ‘how long is it likely to last?’. Now, we all know that a decent hoover doesn’t come cheap, so we don’t want to feel that we didn’t get our money’s worth if it broke down a year or two after purchasing it. However, I also know that it is a pretty hard question to answer unless you know somebody that can recommend a good hoover. So, with this in mind, many people feel that taking out a warranty on an item like this is a good idea.
As a proud owner of a Henry Hoover* however, I can safely say that I have had my money’s worth, as it is still up and running after 8 years! We had one hiccup about 2 years ago when I thought it had died, but it turned out that I had damaged the plug from pulling on the cord a bit too much instead of uncoiling it before hand. This was easily fixed with a new plug being fitted and our Henry was back up and running.
Is a Henry Hoover Good Value for Money?
So, do I think that a Henry Hoover is good value for money? Personally, I have to say yes! Not only has it lived up to all manner of heavy duty hoovering, it is great for the day to day jobs too, it is easy stored away, the bags last for quite a while and it is still going strong after 8 years. This all means I can safely say that when he does eventually break, I will be heading straight out to get another. Or, perhaps I may be tempted to go for Henry’s pretty friend the Hetty Hoover* next time.
Update: Sadly after 8 years of service our Henry finally died. 🙁 This did mean that I finally got a Hetty, though. 🙂 If you’d like to see Hetty in action then please check out my YouTube unboxing and review video below.
We bought our Henry in the UK in 1996 for £95. It has emigrated with us to New Zealand and at 21 years old is still going strong. We replaced the head last year.