Henry is the brand name given to a canister vacuum cleaner made and sold by Numatic International. It is most notable for its human-like face on the body of the vacuum cleaner. The vacuum has several variations, including different names on the cap as well as different models designed for different applications. Henry vacuum cleaners are manufactured and mainly sold in the United Kingdom, but it is also possible to acquire them in the United States and all other countries through the use of online shopping. Henry has most notably been popular among children for its look. The vacuum is available in 9-litre and 6-litre sizes, while the James model is only available in an 8-litre size, and certain other ones in a 15-litre size.
History
Numatic International vacuum cleaners with faces on the body or canister were originally invented in 1979, 123 years after the invention of the first vacuum, but they did not actually feature names on their caps until 1981. In 1981, the first Numatic International model to have a name on its cap was created. The first model of Henry started as something of a toy, with the functionality of a vacuum. The vacuum's lovable face appealed to children and adults alike, and was very popular for it. Henry was also one of the first vacuums to use Microfiber dust bags, which are large capacity dust bags known as HEPA-FLO bags, and are made of a strong material that carries dust and other unwanted materials into them and retains them unlike any paper bags which tend to rip and leak dust. Since the introduction of Henry in 1981, it has sold 7-8 million units worldwide, with around 20,000 more units sold each week, roughly 2857 per day. In 2017, the European Union introduced a new law that gave vacuum cleaners a limit to their wattage, making 900W the maximum. Generic Henrys can be found on online shopping websites and in electronics stores. It is uncommon to come across a generic Charles, George, James, Harry or Jack. They are most common in the United Kingdom where they are manufactured, but can also be found in other countries like the United States. In 2014, Chris Duncan got #96 on Management Today's Britain's Top 100 Entrepreneurs list and was said to have a worth of £103 million. Numatic International also manufacture spray mops, sold under the Henry and Hetty brands as "Henry Spray Mop" and "Hetty Spray Mop".
Model
Henry Professional - A slightly larger version of the standard model for professional and retail applications.
Henry Compact - Smaller and more compact versions of the standard Henry models, 6-litre capacity.
Henry Cordless - A more compact version of the standard Henry model running off two 36-volt batteries, 6-litre capacity.
Henry Xtra - A version of the standard Henry model designed for carpet care and cleaning pet hairs. A smaller and more compact version of this model also exists.
Henry Micro - A version of the standard Henry model designed for reducing exposure to dust-related allergens.
Henry Allergy - A smaller, light blue version of the standard Henry model for capturing allergens, 6-litre capacity.
Henry Wash - A larger, dark blue version unlike any one of the standard Henry models, carpet cleaner, 15-litre capacity.
Names
The vacuums are also available with different names. All the original series are based on British names. The names of the vacuums are on their caps. Vacuums with different names are generally of different colours and applications. Their faces remain identical on all models, but depending on the size of the head or body, the distancebetween the eyes and mouth can vary.
Henry - Red, base model. Originally released without rewinding cable as model HVC200, but one was added at a later date. Also available in blue, green and yellow at one time. The "Allergy" and "Wash" models are only in light blue and dark blue respectively.
Basil - Yellow, lower-cost version of Henry which was also available in red, blue and green. Its colour was later changed to lime green when it was rereleased as a Halloweenspecial edition in 2005, but it had become discontinued by the end of that year.
Edward - Larger red vacuum with a 15-litre capacity that was also available in blue, green and yellow, now discontinued.
Charles - Larger blue wet-and-dry vacuum with a 15-litre dry and a 9-litre wet capacity which was also available in red, green and yellow at one time. In the late 1980s, this model and some others were also manufactured with a cream-and-brown colour scheme.
George - Larger green "" vacuum with a 15-litre dry and a 9-litre wet capacity which was also available in red, blue and yellow at one time. In 2015 the then-Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, was called on to help make several blue instances of this model when he visited Numatic International's manufacturing plant in Chard, Somerset.
David - Green, introduced alongside George and another green vacuum with a 15-litre capacity called "William" in 1990 as model DVR200, now discontinued. William was a lower-cost version of Charles that did not last very long before it was also discontinued.
Wendy - Numatic's first "female" vacuum cleaner. Green, introduced in 1997 as a Machine Mart exclusive, now discontinued.
James - Yellow, professional vacuum and high performance with a caddy top and an 8-litre capacity. Originally introduced in 2002 as model NNV200 and coloured purple, it was rereleased at a later date.
Harry - Green, originally released under the name of "Henry Hound" in 2003 and designed specifically for pet owners.
Hetty - Short for Henrietta, pink "feminine" version of Henry, introduced in 2007 to be marketed towards females. As mentioned above, its face is different from all the other models' because it has long eyelashes.
B&Q Bertie and ScrewFix Bertie - Orange and Blue, introduced in 2013 as a B&Q and Screwfixlimited edition with a caddy top like that of James, now discontinued.
Jack - Blue, introduced in 2015 as a Tesco limited edition with a caddy top like that of James, now discontinued.
Some Henry models opt to instead say "Numatic" on the cap, such as the NBV190. Some do not even have anything on their caps and provide a more standard look, like the WV370, but these are mostly not considered Henrys because models that have nothing on their caps do not have a face. A very small amount of other models feature other words on their caps, such as the MFQ370 which features the word "Micro-filter".
