The Henry range of vacuum cleaners are renowned as well-built machines that will last for years (and even decades), providing no-nonsense vacuuming for people who want a machine that will perform well, consistently, with little maintenance, and for a price that doesn’t break the bank. Whether you are a professional cleaner, a tradesperson, or a homeowner, you are sure to be pleased with a vacuum from the Henry range.
All of the machines in the Henry range are still built in the UK, which is an incredibly rare accolade in 2024. The cheeky, smiling face of the original red Henry has been a staple of homes, offices and vans since the 1980s. However, over the years we’ve seen his siblings emerge onto the market, each offering a unique cleaning function and it can be a little confusing figuring out what the differences are. So lets dig into those distinctions, so you can discover the true differences between the Henry, Hetty, Henry Xtra, Henry Pet, James, Charles, George, Henry Cordless, HenryQuick and other names in the Henry vacuum family.
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Unsurprisingly, Henry is the best selling vacuum cleaner in the range, with at least 20,000 machines sold each and every week. He is a cannister vacuum that works by sucking up dust and dirt through a hose, directly into a large 6 litre capacity dust bag, which you then discard into your outside bin and replace with a new one. He comes with three strong, sturdy attachments (upholstery brush, crevice tool and soft dusting brush) which cover all of your vacuuming needs. Additionally, you get a metal vacuuming wand that connects into a floor head (combi floor tool) which can switch between hard and soft floors using a foot pedal.
Henry is the perfect all-rounder and the ideal choice for regular homeowners, who want a vacuum cleaner that can tackle everyday dust and dirt in the home and car. His attachments will grant you access to those really tight gaps down the side of your sofa, as well as allow you to vacuum delicate items such as lamps and picture frames. Lastly, your upholstery such as armchairs and sofa cushions will also get a really good clean.
All of the vacuum’s in the Henry range come with Henry‘s three attachments and floor tool as standard.
He has a long 10m cable, which means you can vacuum an entire floor of your home without relocating to a new socket, which is a fantastic practical feature. The dust bags are very cheap to replace, costing roughly £1 each and they will take a couple of months (or more) to fill up.
Impressive Cable Reach
Henry is the stalwart of this range: tough, durable and easy to use. However, he is heavier than the more expensive vacuum cleaners, which means he isn’t very good for stair cleaning. He also isn’t great on pet hair, because he doesn’t have a rotating brush roll. So if you have a dog in particular, you are going to want either a Henry Xtra, Henry Pet or Harry (more on those below).
Read our full, detailed performance review of Henryhere.
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The Henry XL Plus is best suited for professional cleaners in commercial settings, where a vacuum with such a huge capacity such as this means that you will be changing the dust bag a lot less frequently. I would still recommend the James vacuum over the Henry XL Plus for tradesman in particular, because James is so much smaller and therefore easier to store in a van.
James Cook - Product Tester at The Henry Range
There is a larger version of Henry and his name is Henry XL Plus. He is essentially just a regular Henry, offering the same level of suction power, but he has a much larger dust capacity (15 litres instead of 6 litres) and a greater cleaning range (the cable is 2.5 metres longer).
This machine comes with extra attachments that Henry does not have, including an Airobrush 140 floor tool for pet hair, a dedicated hard floor tool and a flexible crevice tool that is really handy for car cleaning.
Henry XL Plus is really best suited for commercial or professional cleaners, who want to reduce the number of times they have to relocate to a new socket, as well as the frequency that they have to change the dust bags. The main downside of this machine is that it is heavy and bulky, so it is not best suited for a normal sized house.
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If you like the idea of performing quick, regular cleans and if you aren’t too keen on lugging a heavy machine around your home, this is a great fit for you. From what I can tell, you really aren’t sacracificing anything in terms of vacuuming ability. The price tag, however, is still double that of the original, cannister Henry, so if cost is an issue, I would opt for that machine instead.
James Cook - Product Tester at The Henry Range
Henry Quick is the latest in the range, offering cordless vacuuming in the form of a stick vacuum, that you have to charge up. Each charge will give you roughly an hour of running time, which should be more than enough to cover a regular-sized family home. The major benefit of the HenryQuick is that you don’t have to trail a power cord around and if you don’t have any access to mains power, it is a fantastic choice. The dust and dirt is sucked up into small 1 litre capacitypods and the cost a little over £1 each. Most of these stick vacuums need you to empty the detritis into your bin and the process is always very messy. However, you don’t have this concern with the HenryQuick because everything shoots straight into the pod and then you just have to discard it into your outside bin.
Henry Quick has a rotating brush roll, so it is a good option for pet hair. It also comes with a combination tool, which transforms at the click of a switch to cover all of the cleaning ability of the upholstery brush, crevice tool and soft dusting brush, that you get with the Henry.
It is not that light (3.2kg) compared with the likes of the Dyson V12 (2.2 kg) but then again, it is half the price.
Read our full review of the Henry Quick, which includes a direct vacuuming comparison with Henry.
Henry Quick Pet
Henry Quick Pet is exactly the same as HenryQuick, except that it comes in blue and with an additional attachment with a rotating brush bar, which is more effective at picking up stubborn pet hair. It offers portable, quick cleaning for dog owners in particular.
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HenryQuick Pet includes an extra motorised tool, which does have its benefits for both stair cleaning and car cleaning. However, if you are primarily concerned with benefits for dog and cat owners, stick with the cheaper Henry Quick, which already does a great job on pet hair. Lastly, if you want to save even more cash and don’t mind a heavier machine, opt for Henry Pet instead
James Cook - Product Tester at The Henry Range
Henry Xtra (great for dog hair)
The Henry Xtra comes with two additional floor tools for hard floors and pet hair.
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Is Henry Xtra worth the extra money? It really depends on the price difference at the time of you reading this. It is quite common for that difference to only be £20, and if that is currently the case, it is worth paying a little extra for the Henry Xtra. Those few additional pounds will get you a very powerful and useful AiroBrush, which is not only much better than the standard floor head at removing pet hair in particular, it is just a better floor tool.
James Cook - Product Tester at The Henry Range
As the name suggests, the Henry Xtra is just like the regular Henry but a little bit more. He comes with two additional floor tools (one dedicated for hard floors and one with a rotating brush roll).
A unique Airobrush is great if you have pets in the house. It provides an outstanding level of cleaning with carpets and is the perfect tool for cleaning up pet hairs, thanks to the fact that it has a rotating brush roll powered by a fan. This brush roll is much better at gripping stubborn pet hair and thus removing it from your carpet, compared with the standard combi floor tool.
The brush roll spins to pick up stubbornpet hair.
It also comes with a dedicated hard floor tool, which is only very marginally better than the standard combi floor tool (which has a brush bar that is lowered or raised for hard floors/ carpets) and isn’t really necessary. However, if you like the idea of the AiroBrush then I would still opt for the Henry Xtra, the dedicated hard floor tool is just a bonus but not a unique selling point.
Henry Xtra has a larger dust capacity (9 litres) than Henry (6 litres) so you will be changing your bag less often, which is ideal for those with very large homes. However, this means that he does weigh a little more (8 kg) compared with Henry (7.5kg), although that difference is marginal. Lastly, he is slightly larger (340 x 360 x 370mm) compared with Henry (320 x 340 x 345mm).
As with the other Henrys in this range it provides unbeatable suction power which will not deteriorate in the same way as other cyclone vacuum cleaners. Its robust shell gives it plenty of staying power, meaning it can go on giving you reliable service for years. But, is it worth the extra money? Only if you have pets, otherwise the regular Henry is more than adequate.
Henry Pet (great for dog hair and pet owners in general)
The EcoBrush is great for stubborn pet hair.
The Henry Pet has a larger capacity than Henry (9 litres compared to 6 litres) and it has a special charcoal filter that reduces pet odours. However, the main advantage of this model is the EcoBrush, which has a rotating brush bar that is much better at removing stubborn pet hair, than the regular combi floor tool. Henry Pet is also slightly larger (340 x 360 x 370mm) than Henry (320 x 340 x 345mm) and he weighs 0.5 kg more.
The EboBrush that comes with the Henry Pet is very similar to the AiroBrush that comes with the Henry Xtra, except that the EcoBrush is smaller. They both perform about the same on pet hair. However, the charcoal filter in this machine means that it is the best option for dog owners.
It has a similar brush roll to the Henry Xtra, just a little narrower (better for upholstery).
We have a performance comparison in our full review of the Henry Pet.
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If you have a dog in particular, then you should definitely consider opting for the Henry Pet. The Ecobrush floor head is definitely better at removing pet hair, compared with the regular combi floor tool. The added charcoal filter will help with pet odours, and the increased capacity is a welcome bonus.
James Cook - Product Tester at The Henry Range
Harry (exactly the same as Henry Pet)
There is no difference between Harry and Henry Pet.
Harry is exacty the same as Henry Pet in everyway. He was actually the original pet vacuum in the Henry range, with the Henry Pet being a relatively recent release. I think the reason for this duplication is that the name “Harry” does not immediately convey its purpose as a pet vacuum cleaner and I imagine that one day this model will be retired. However, this does mean that you can opt for either the Henry Pet or Harry, depending upon which one is cheaper at the time.
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There is absolutely no difference between Henry Pet and Harry - they are the same machine with a different name. So if you are a pet owner, opt for whichever is cheapest at the time.
James Cook - Product Tester at The Henry Range
Henry Cordless (best for those with mobility issues)
The battery lasts just 20 minutes on the high setting.
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If you are one of the unlucky people that have no access to your car with an extension cord, or if you worry about tripping over a lead, then the Henry Cordless is a great fit for you. However, if this doesn’t sound like much of an issue, I would go for the traditional corded Henry instead as the limited 20 minute run-time of the battery is quite a large downside and this machine is double the price.
James Cook - Product Tester at The Henry Range
Henry Cordless is powered by a large, bulky battery that clips in to the top of the machine. Surprisingly, given the size of the battery, it will last for only 20 minutes on the high setting before it runs out of juice. This is a major disadvantage of this model, as 20 minutes is pretty tight when it comes to cleaning an entire house. However, the suction power is actually very good, performing only slightly worse than the corded Henry. The main reason to purchase this cordless vacuum cleaner is if you have to clean in a location with no access to mains power. Additionally, if you have any mobility issues are are worried about tripping over a trailing cord, this is a great fit for you.
The attachments and floor tool that you get with the Henry Cordless are exactly the same as the standard, corded Henry.
Is the Henry Cordless worth double the price of the standard Henry? No, it isn’t. However, if you’d like more information (including a performance comparison) read our full review of the Henry Cordless.
Hetty (great all-rounder)
There is no difference between the Hetty and Henry.
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Hetty is a solid model with loads of great attachments. From strong suction strength to versatility and great car cleaning, she has it all. If you are looking for a vacuum cleaner at a reasonable price with a slightly feminine twist, she is the girl for you.
James Cook - Product Tester at The Henry Range
Henry’s little sister is Hetty. She comes with all the same features as Henry and is in fact exactly the same. There is no difference between the Hetty and Henry, other than her appearance.
We are not going to comment on which gender Hetty is aimed at. All I will say is that my daughter’s favourite colour is pink and she absolutely loves the Hetty, over the Henry.
James Cook is an expert of the range of Numatic Henry vacuum cleaners from the UK. Having reviewed all of the Numatic vacuum cleaners over the course of the last 6 years, James is highly experienced at helping you choose the right model for your specific needs. His work has been featured in major publications such as Helping.co.uk, TheWhoot.com and Simplemost.com. Visit our About Us page for more information regarding James. Alternatively, you can contact him on Linkedin.
It’s a very convenient stick vacuum for quick cleans Helen – much more powerful than you would think. The only difference between the pro and the regular Quick is the extra mini motorised floor tool that you get. I would say that the Quick is more than adequate though, check out our review here https://www.thehenryrange.co.uk/henry-quick/
THIS isn’t all of the models. there is the henry reach which is sold by argos (not sure if it is an exclusive to them) and there is the henry plus which is exclusive to john lewis.
im still deciding
the xtra or the plus
what is the difference please
i need one with the new brush head but the larger head notthe smaller one that comes with pet –
airo for carpet brush
Hello Lisa, you should go for Henry Xtra as it comes with the wider AiroBrush. Henry XL Plus has a much larger dust capacity, but you only really need it if you are a commercial cleaner and the additional floor tool that it comes with is quite narrow and best suited for vacuuming upholstery. Henry Xtra still has a larger dust capacity that the regular Henry.
What is the henry quick pro like
It’s a very convenient stick vacuum for quick cleans Helen – much more powerful than you would think. The only difference between the pro and the regular Quick is the extra mini motorised floor tool that you get. I would say that the Quick is more than adequate though, check out our review here https://www.thehenryrange.co.uk/henry-quick/
My Hetty tote bsg has ripped.
Can i buy another?
Hello Meriel yes you can, they are available on both Amazon and Myhenry.com
I think There used to be a Basil, and I have an Edward which we’ve owned for nearly 30 years and still going strong!
good info
THIS isn’t all of the models. there is the henry reach which is sold by argos (not sure if it is an exclusive to them) and there is the henry plus which is exclusive to john lewis.
A good point Dave! I will look to include those.
im still deciding
the xtra or the plus
what is the difference please
i need one with the new brush head but the larger head notthe smaller one that comes with pet –
airo for carpet brush
Hello Lisa, you should go for Henry Xtra as it comes with the wider AiroBrush. Henry XL Plus has a much larger dust capacity, but you only really need it if you are a commercial cleaner and the additional floor tool that it comes with is quite narrow and best suited for vacuuming upholstery. Henry Xtra still has a larger dust capacity that the regular Henry.