Review of the Harry Vacuum

I am a cat owner and like many cats, Scamp has his favourite spots around the house where he likes to take his cat naps. These are obvious to anyone, by the circular patch of black hair that clings to the upholstery and carpet. Over time, it is really quite difficult to remove his hair from these surfaces, using a regular vacuum cleaner, without exerting quite a bit of effort. The original red Henry vacuum cleaner is a great all-rounder, but I found it lacking on pet hair. I was therefore excited to try out Henry‘s green brother Harry, which has been designed specifically to tackle pet hair such as Scamp’s, as well as much more stubborn dog hair, in particular.

Harry Vacuum

£179.99

Pros:

• It comes with an EcoBrush that is better at removing pet hair than the standard floor tool.
• It has a special filter for reducing pet odours.

Cons:

• Quite heavy.
• Awkward for stair cleaning.

Get for £180 Direct

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Who is Harry for?

Harry is a canister vacuum that you pull along behind you as you go. He is of the original design that Henry is known so well for, but he has been tweaked slightly so that he is better at tackling pet hair. He stores all of the dust and dirt that he sucks up in a dust bag, which you dispose of once it is full. He has a basic but very versatile and sturdy set of attachments that allow him to tackle every cleaning job you could think of. However, Harry is an uncomplicated machine that stays true to a tried and tested design. He lacks modern technological features and is really built for durability and longevity. If you are looking for something fancy, he won’t be the vacuum cleaner for you. However, if you love the idea of a tough, cute-looking machine that is highly practical and will last for years, read on.

What is the difference between Harry and Henry?

These two machines both come with the same set of attachments, including the main floor head (Combi Floor Tool), crevice tool, soft dusting brush and upholstery brush. However, Harry comes with an EcoBrush 190 floor tool, which has a rotating brush roll that picks up stubborn pet hair much better than the standard Combi Floor Tool. Furthermore, Harry has a microfresh activated charcoal filter, which reduces pet odours.

Regarding the size difference, Harry is a little larger (340 x 360 x 370mm), than Henry (320 x 340 x 345mm) and he weighs 0.5kg more. This is down to Harry’s larger dust capacity (9 litres) compared Henry (6 litres).

The suction power and cleaning range are both identical for these two machines.

What is the difference between Harry and Henry Pet?

There is no difference whatsoever between Harry and Henry Pet. Harry was released first and Henry Pet second. I believe that Henry Pet was released because it can initially be a little confusing as to the purpose of Harry and his name makes it crystal clear. As to why Harry has been kept in production, it is likely because many people enjoy the different names that the vacuums in the Henry range have, so they decided that they wanted to keep it as an option as well.

Both machines include the EcoBrush 190.

Unboxing and assembling

Harry comes in quite a compact box and inside you will find a black crush-proof hose (that connects on to Harry’s nose), the metal extension wand (made up of three tubes that stick together), combi floor tool, EcoBrush floor tool (for pet hair), crevice tool, soft dusting brush, upholstery brush and the adapter that connects these attachments to the end of the wand or hose. Lastly, you also get the charcoal-infused filter and a dust bag.

Assembling Harry was very intuitive, and I did not even have to look at the instructions. All I had to do was slot the three metal tubes together (to form the wand) and then slide one end of the hose onto one end of the wand. Next, I screwed the other end of the hose onto Harry’s nose. The bag was easy to install, slotting easily onto an interior nozzle and then the filter sits just above it, underneath the motor. Lastly, I pushed the combi floor tool onto the end of the wand, plugged Harry in and I was ready to go.

Cord Length

The length of the cord is an important feature in my opinion, as it really impacts how quickly you can dash around your home with a vacuum cleaner. A short cord means that you have to constantly relocate to a new plug, winding in the cord and trailing it behind you. Thankfully, Harry has an impressively long 10-metre cord, which is enough length to allow me to vacuum an entire floor of my 3-bed home without switching to a new plug. All I had to do was plug in to a socket in my downstairs hallway, and I could reach all the way into the kitchen, toilet and front room. I could even reach all the way up the stairs, across the landing and into my study.

Dust Capacity

Harry vacuum has a huge dust capacity of 9 litres, which is quite a bit of an increase over the 6 litre capacity that you get with the standard Henry, Hetty and James vacuum’s. Unfortunatley, I could not get my hands on one of these larger capacity dust bags, but I was pleased to discover that some of the spare bags that I had for my Henry fitted in just fine.

To install a dust bag, first you have to release two clips that are located on the side of the machine, on the rim. Once released outwards, which it exposes the filter that sits underneath. Then, simply lift out the filter and slot an empty bag onto the interior nozzle.

These dust bags feel thick to the touch and they have a clever flap that prevents any dust and debris from falling out when the time comes for you to dispose of the bag. This kind of capacity means a single bag will likely last you many weeks, if not months. Lastly, these bags are inexpensive to purchase, with a pack of 10 costing approximately £10-12.

I have owned a vacuum cleaner in the past that did not use bags and instead, you had to manually empty a compartment and then clean all of the filters. I found this process to be very messy and it would always make me sneeze, so I am a big fan of these dust bags.

Attachments and their use

Harry comes with two floor head tools and three additional attachments and all feel strong, tough and well built. There is only one additional floor tool that comes with Harry, compared with Henry, and the rest are all included with the classic machine as standard.

Combi Floor Tool

The Combi Floor Tool is the standard floor head that comes with almost every vacuum cleaner in the Henry range and it is suitable for both hard and soft floors. It has two litter pickers above and below the hole, as well as a brush bar that is lowered or raised using a handy foot pedal (depending on your floor type). This is the main tool that you will be using for 80% of your vacuuming, and I found it to be very effective on my thick carpets, as well as laminate floors in my kitchen and tile in the bathroom.

Ecobrush

Now this is really what sets Harry apart from Henry and the other machines in the range. The Ecobrush has a rotating brush bar, which is intended to be much more effective at lifting up pet hair. It is not as wide as the Combi Floor Tool, because it is assumed that you will be vacuuming smaller patches of carpet or upholstery and this also means that the suction power is more concentrated. But, does it actually perform better than the Combi Floor Tool? See below for a comparison..

EcoBrush vs. Combi Floor Tool Performance Comparison on Pet Hair

This experiment was originally carried out on the Henry Pet vs Henry but because Harry is identical to Henry Pet and the Ecobrush is also identical, it is relevant to include the test results here:

Before

The EcoBrush is on the left, and the Combi Floor Tool is on the right.

After (four strokes total, up and down)

This test shows quite a clear winner, with the Ecobrush coming out on top on this sample of pet hair and other detritus. It is evident that the rotating brush bar really makes a difference, and this is a worthy addition to this machine and a real, clear reason for pet owners to opt for Harry, instead of Henry.

Upholstery Brush

The Upholstery brush is one of the tools intended for handheld use, which can be attached to either the hose or on the end of the wand (for reaching high up). It is small and rectangular in shape, with a circumference of firm bristles that can slide on or off. It is intended to be used for any flat surface that is too small for the larger Combi Floor Tool to handle, such as sofas, stair treads, chairs and floor mats in your car. I found that the bristles were really effective at agitating the hair and dirt that had built up on my stair treads in particular.

Furthermore, I recently replaced an old chest of drawers in my house with a new Ikea version, and the upholstery brush came in handy for giving the neglected carpet that was underneath it a deep clean, producing better results than the Combi Floor Tool mainly because it concentrated all of the suction power on a much smaller surface area.

Great marks from me for the upholstery brush, which it occurs to me will likely be used on every vacuuming session in the home.

Soft Dusting Brush

The soft dusting brush is circular in shape, with much finer bristles around its circumference (similar to horse hair consistency). It is intended to be used to vacuum delicate objects, which the upholstery brush would risk scratching or damaging in some way. For example, vacuuming picture frames, ceiling fans, lamp shades, blinds, clocks and more. I found this attachment particularly useful for my ceiling fan blades, which are flimsy and liable to be scratched if I were to use any other attachment.

Crevice Tool

Lastly, the crevice tool is long and thin in shape and is designed to reach those crevices or tight gaps that are often impossible to vacuum with a regular attachment or floor tool, as well as the spots surrounding items of furniture or along skirting boards. I also found this attachment to be really useful for the car, reaching down the sides of the car seats to access those old bits of biscuit and god knows what else. It also doubles up as a way to super-charge the suction power of the machine (because it funnels all of the suction power through a very small gap), for lifting up really stubborn dirt on all kinds of upholstered surfaces.

Car Cleaning with Harry

With two young children in our family, our car is often very far from what you would describe as “clean”. I was therefore interested to see how useful Harry was as a car vacuum cleaner, and I was not disappointed. Firstly, the long cord provided me with enough length to reach my car without having to use an extension cable. I found myself gravitating towards the upholstery brush to begin with, which was really useful as agitating the hard mud on my floor mats, as well as the floor in the boot. The shape of the upholstery brush also made it perfect for this (flat and rectangular).

I also found the crevice tool useful for reaching down the side of the car seats, and the upholstery brush was excellent on a number of areas, including the seats and the entire dashboard. The soft bristles on the dusting brush were really effective at agitating all of that fine dust that gathers on the wheels and knobs.

Harry gets top marks from me for car cleaning. The soft dusting brush, crevice tool and upholstery brush allow you to vacuum all of the different surface types and the suction power is really quite impressive. Typically, I have used handheld battery-operated vacuums to clean my car, and this is a big step up in terms of the cleaning results you can achieve.

Filter

All of the dry vacuum cleaners in the Henry range use a filter, but Harry’s is slightly different. He uses a charcoal-activated filter that is better at trapping pet odours. This filter has three layers (the charcoal makes up one of them). I found it hard to review this feature, but it is worth noting in this review as a nice additional design feature, that is unique to only this machine and the Henry Pet.

Storing Harry

Even though Harry is a little larger than Henry (our regular vacuum cleaner), he is still just as easy to store away inside a wardrobe, under the stairs or in a chest. However, I did need to unscrew the hose and unattach the wand in order to do this, because with everything assembled you are going to struggle to find a suitable place in your home. This is a minor convenience, however, as the process of reattaching the hose and wand is very fast and effortless.

In my experience, it was much easier to find multiple suitable areas for storing Harry away, out of sight, compared to upright stick vacuum cleaners that I have owned in the past, which are harder to disassemble. I settled on keeping him under our stairs, with the wand fully assembled and the Combi Floor Tool attached.

In terms of accessory/ tool storage, Harry has a convenient caddy on his back, which allows you to clip on two attachments as you move around your home, as well as a floor head (with wand attached) whilst stored away. I found it really useful being able to reach down and grab an attachment, instead of having to keep one in my pocket or simply stop vacuuming and walk to where I had left them. The trick to fast, effective cleaning with this machine is to keep swapping the attachments around, so this is a well-thought-out and practical design feature that I really like.

Stair Cleaning with Harry

I found Harry to be a little awkward for stair cleaning, because he is too large to rest on a stair tread. This means that you really have to hold Harry in one hand, as you vacuum with the other. Now, if Harry was a super lightweight machine, this wouldn’t be much of an issue, but this is not the case. Indeed, Harry is actually quite heavy, so I would not recommend him for anyone of a certain age, or those with strength or mobility issues.

There is one workaround, where you place him at the top of the stairs and then reach down with the hose, and then repeat this from the bottom. However, this could be a little dangerous, with the prospect of the machine being tugged down the staircase.

All in all, Harry is not the best vacuum for stair cleaning and this is a disadvantage worth noting in this review. The attachments themselves are great at cleaning the stairs (mostly the upholstery brush), it is just the effort required that makes it difficult.

Moving Around

Harry sits on two rear wheels and two front casters and he trundles along behind you as you move through your home. I found that I tugged him along using his hose, which I did not worry about because the hose is so thick and strong, so I was confident that it would not damage it. He is quite easy to pull along, and it does not require any particular strength. However, on a few occassions, he did bump into door frames, a coffee table and other objects, so I was a little concerned that his side would either become damaged, or my furniture. I was therefore reassured that this would not happen when I spotted a strip of rubber that runs around the circumference of the machine, which will soften any blows and prevent such damage from happening.

I almost didn’t notice that there is even more rubber coating on the rear wheels and front casters, which I presume will protect hard floors from scratches.

Your Review Would Mean the World to Us!

Did you find this content useful? If you have time, your review on Facebook would really help us out!

Review us

Final Verdict

Harry is a fine example of a vacuum cleaner that is extremely well built, with a small but still significant number of sturdy, practical attachments that have been well thought out, providing you with all of the tools you need to tackle every vacuuming job in your home. The Ecobrush really does separate this from the regular Combi Floor Tool that you get with Henry, as it appears to have much better results on stubborn pet hair in particular. This, combined with the added filtration specifically for pet odours, is a solid reason for why you should consider Harry if you are a dog owner in particular.

It is true that this machine is quite heavy and is not particularly well suited for stair cleaning, so if you have any strength issues or you like the idea of a lightweight vacuum cleaner, this may not be the vacuum cleaner for you. However, if you like the idea of a vacuum that has been specifically designed for pet owners, which will most likely last for many years, I would really recommend Harry to you.

Lastly, if you already own a Henry or any of the other machines in the range but you want better results on pet hair, you can always buy the Ecobrush separately, as it will attach to any of these machines.

Where to buy Harry

Harry Vacuum

£179.99

Pros:

• It comes with an EcoBrush that is better at removing pet hair than the standard floor tool.
• It has a special filter for reducing pet odours.

Cons:

• Quite heavy.
• Awkward for stair cleaning.

Get for £180 Direct

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

• Author
• Recent Posts

James Cook

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.

Latest posts by James Cook (see all)

• Henry Home Review - October 28, 2024
• The Henry Vacuum Range – What are the Differences in 2024? - September 2, 2024
• Review of the Harry Vacuum - September 1, 2024