I tried out the iconic Henry HVR160 Vacuum Cleaner - a classic for a reason

Price on writing: £130 | Buy now from Argos

Our verdict

• Performance: 11/15

• Quality and durability: 13/15

• Ease of use: 8/15

• Value for money: 14/15

• Suction power: 9/10

• Cleaning reach: 10/10

• Versatility: 8/10

• Ease of emptying: 9/10

• Overall score: 82/100

"We've made over 10 million Henrys and most of them are still in use today," boasts the packaging - and after trying it out, I can see why so many homes swear by this classic red vacuum cleaner.

Our best vacuum cleaner budget buy, Henry is instantly recognisable with his cheeky grin. But don’t be fooled by the cartoonish looks - this is a seriously hardworking machine. With a powerful suction (almost too powerful at times, even guzzling up some loose grouting in my bathroom), it performs well - especially on carpets and pet hair.

There are some performance aspects that could be improved, however. On hard surfaces, the floor head brush can sometimes push large debris forward rather than picking it up. You can work around this with the combi tool, but this does mean switching attachments mid-clean for messes like cereal spills.

Like most cylinder vacuums, it's bulky and cumbersome, but it's a lot more compact than the ancient Henry that came with my uni house many moons ago! Still, it's more difficult to manoeuvre than a cordless vacuum, but the trade-off is a generous six-litre capacity that won’t need emptying for weeks, plus a bagged system that keeps mess to a minimum.

Currently retailing at under £150, Henry remains a proper workhorse - proof that reliable doesn’t always have to mean expensive.

What's in the box?

Inside the Henry HVR160-11 box you'll find:

• Main body of the Henry

• Hose

• Three tubes to connect the hose to the tools

• Combination floor nozzle

• Mattress nozzle

• Crevice nozzle

• Upholstery nozzle

• Dusting brush

• Two Henry bags (one is already in the unit ready to use)

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How easy is the Henry HVR160-11 Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner to set up?

Set-up itself was straightforward, but the instructions could be clearer. They’re mainly diagrams, and a couple weren't particularly intuitive - I ended up turning to YouTube for guidance. It would be much easier if the booklet paired the images with text, but once you know what goes where, it’s simple enough.

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How easy is the Henry HVR160 Vacuum Cleaner to use day-to-day?

Ease of use was one of Henry's weaker areas for me. While it's not difficult to master, it certainly feels less suited to quick clean-up jobs than the cordless models I've tested, like the Gtech AirRAM 3 or Dyson V15 Submarine. Where Henry shines is in a more thorough clean - which makes sense, given how many professional cleaners rely on him.

Switching the vacuum on and off is easy, but you do need to bend down to reach the power button, which isn't ideal if you’re used to the fingertip controls on many cordless models. There's no automatic sensor between floor types either, so this is something you need to flick between manually on the floor head, though you can do this with your foot.

The round unit sits on wheels, which helps with manoeuvrability, but it does have a habit of catching on corners when moving from room to room. The long power cord can also tangle itself around the body or hose if you’re not careful.

My flat has a couple of steps between the hallway and bedrooms, and as Henry's hose reaches up to 2.2m, I didn't have an issue cleaning them. On standard stairs, it'd be a struggle though, and I remember from my student days how awkward it was trying to clean stairs with a Henry.

It's not all bad news though; in terms of weight, it was actually lighter than I expected. At 7.5kg, it's still much heavier than a lightweight vacuum, but I found it fine to pick up and move around. Bear in mind though, it will get heavier as the dust bag fills up.

Manoeuvrability of the main unit aside, Henry is straightforward to use on both carpets and hard floors. Suction can be adjusted easily between two levels by twisting the handle, and on laminate and tiled flooring it glides smoothly. Thick rugs need a bit more effort to push the head along on the highest setting - a testament to its suction power - but switching to the lower setting makes it much easier.

The range of tools included makes it surprisingly versatile for different tasks. A couple were a little stiff to clip on and off, but with five attachments included, I was able to tackle floors, tight spots, sofas and even my mattress during testing.

How is the Henry HVR160's cleaning reach?

Excellent! With a 10m cord, Henry has longer reach than many corded vacuums. For comparison, our top upright vacuum, the Shark Stratos XL, has an 8m cord, while Miele's latest cylinder, the Guard M1 (currently being tested by MNHQ) offers 8.5m. Add in Henry’s 2.2m stretch hose and you’re looking at a pretty impressive cleaning reach.

From a central plug point, I could easily cover every corner of my large two-bedroom flat. Realistically, the only time you’ll need to unplug is when changing floors - unless, of course, you live in a house with a west wing. Even when plugged in at one end of my flat, Henry managed to reach all but one corner - impressive stuff.

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How well does the Henry HVR160-11 Vacuum Cleaner perform on hard floors?

It performs well - in terms of suction, it’s hard to fault. However, I did dock a few performance points here as I had some quibbles about the floor head design. On the hard floor setting, the brush at the front sometimes pushes larger debris forward rather than sucking it up, so for particularly messy spots you either need to switch tools or hover the head directly over the mess.

For everyday cleaning - dust, dander and crumbs - this isn’t a problem. But when it came to cereal, it tended to gather and push cornflakes across the floor rather than collect them. To be fair, this was a case of using the wrong attachment, but I haven’t had this issue with the floor head on some of the other vacuums I’ve tested.

Occasionally the floor head also makes a squeaking sound on laminate, but this is a very minor grumble!

How well does the Henry HVR160-11 perform on carpets?

On carpets, Henry performs splendidly. Because the carpet setting lifts the floor head brush, the problem I found on hard floors disappears, and it does a great job. My large area rug was left looking clean and refreshed after just one pass.

I even repeated the cereal spill test on the rug, and this time Henry had no trouble, hoovering up most of the cornflakes directly in its path. With two passes, they were all gone.

How well does the Henry HVR160 Cylinder Vacuum perform on pet hair?

Very well. I don’t have a pet myself, but I devised a test by scattering hair from my brush across the sofa, and Henry picked it up no problem. A few strands did catch in the attachment, so you’ll need to keep on top of maintenance, but overall it handled the task easily.

This isn’t the first time Mumsnet has tested the HVR160, so I also looked back at notes from our previous tester, Alison, who does have pets. She found the Henry was an absolute lifesaver when it came to cleaning up pet hair. The upholstery brush made vacuuming her sofas super easy, and all the hairs were lifted quickly, while the crevice nozzle dealt with dog hair and dirt tucked into the corners.

Pet bedding also came up clean and fresh, and Henry performed well carpets and hard floors, lifting clumps of hair from corners and pulling strands out of carpet fibres.

If pet hair is a constant battle in your house, it's also worth taking a look at the Henry Pet model we've tested, which is designed specifically with four-legged friends in mind.

How easy is it to empty the Henry HVR160-11?

Unlike cordless and stick vacuums that need emptying after almost every clean, Henry has a huge six-litre capacity (for context, the Dyson V15 holds just 0.76L). That means you can go weeks (and maybe months!) without changing the bag; after a week of use in my flat, it was barely full, and when Alison tested it every day for three weeks, she still didn’t need to empty it.

When the time does come, I found the process simple and mess-free. Two side clips release the top, giving you access to the filter and HepaFlo bag. Swapping the bag is easy too. A self-seal tab locks the dust in place so disposal is clean and minimal dust is released - great news for allergy sufferers.

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Does the Henry HVR160 Vacuum Cleaner offer good value for money?

Yes! There's a reason why it's our best value vacuum. At around £130 (RRP £160), Henry is relatively affordable, yet delivers excellent suction, a huge capacity and impressive cleaning reach. He’s also built to last - plenty of Mumsnetters report their Henrys are still going strong after years, even decades - and comes with a generous three-year guarantee for extra peace of mind.

The only downside is the ongoing cost of replacement bags. They’re very reasonably priced (£11 for 10) and don’t need changing often thanks to the six-litre capacity, but it’s still an expense to factor in.

How we tested

I put the Henry HVR160-11 through its paces in my two-bedroom flat in Hertfordshire over a week, using it every day. Testing included a mix of floor types - laminate, tiles and a thick-pile rug - and covered both everyday cleaning jobs and our more specific tests, like cereal spills.

The Henry was then scored against MNHQ’s core home review criteria (each marked out of 15):

• Performance

• Quality and durability

• Ease of use

• Value for money

I also rated it out of 10 for these product-specific measures:

• Suction power

• Cleaning reach

• Versatility

• Ease of emptying

These results were then combined to give an overall score out of 100.

About the author

Natasha Gregson is Mumsnet’s in-house expert on all things home, with a particular focus on vacuum cleaners, steam mops and floor care. As Senior Content Editor, she leads our coverage of the best cleaning appliances for busy homes - from cordless sticks to the latest smart floor-cleaning tech.

With years of editorial experience and a knack for assessing performance, ease of use and value for money, Natasha makes sure every recommendation is grounded in both rigorous research and real-life insight. Her work has also been featured in national titles including The i Paper and Stylist.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real people after extensive research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

All prices correct at time of publication