Henry
TypeVacuum cleaner
InventorChris Duncan
Inception2 October 1981 (1981-10-02)
ManufacturerNumatic International
AvailableYes
Models madeHVR-160
HVR-240
HVB-160
HVX-200
HVR-160
HVR-200M
HVA-160
HVW-370
Websitewww.myhenry.co.uk

Henry is the brand name given to a canister vacuum cleaner made and sold by Numatic International, and is the only mass-produced consumer vacuum cleaner still made in Britain.[1] It is most notable for its cartoon eyes and mouth on the body of the vacuum cleaner, making a face, with the hose connector or hose as nose.

The vacuum cleaner has several variations, including different names on the cap (including Hetty, Harry and James) as well as different models designed for different applications.[2] The model was introduced in 1981, continues in production, and sells well, despite the fact that Numatic never advertises Henry and retains no PR agency.[1]

History

Photo of an early Numatic model
An early Numatic model

Chris Duncan launched Numatic in 1969, having seen a need for a rugged and reliable cleaner to clean the inside of boilers. He started with an oil drum, found a washing-up bowl that fitted on top, and ordered 5,000. The prototype is in the Numatic museum. The two-inch oil drum thread is still used for the Henry models' nose.[1]

One evening during a trade show in the mid-1970s, Duncan and a salesman, bored, dressed up one of their current commercial machines with ribbon, a Union Jack badge, and something like a hat, then chalked a crude smile under the hose connector. The next day visitors noticed it and laughed; Duncan then decided to ask his advertising people to design a proper face; they nicknamed the result "Henry". At another trade show a children's hospital was interested in the cleaners to encourage the recovering children to help with the cleaning. Production, still focussed on the commercial market, was increased.

In 1981 "Henry" became the first Numatic International model to have a name on its cap.[3][4] Henry was also one of the first vacuums to use large-capacity microfibre dust bags known as HEPA-FLO bags, made of a material that retains dust and is stronger than the paper usually used, which can tear.[2] Bored office cleaners were talking to Henry in night shifts. From then sales took off. Duncan commented "We turned an inanimate object into an animate object". Since the introduction of Henry in 1981, at least 10 million units had been sold worldwide by 2017.[2][5] In 2021 sales were increasing by a million units per year.[1]

Henry's face was originally printed on the body, but in some markets a face is considered dangerous as it may encourage children to play with the device (although there have been no incidents), so it is now printed on a separate faceplate, installed in the factory for countries without restrictions, otherwise, to be attached by the buyer.[1] The removable faceplate was introduced in late 2012, as well as the introduction of a parking bracket for the floor tool. Mid-2012 models came with the clips on the moulding to attach a 3D face whilst retaining the laminated face.

In 2014, still the company's sole owner, Duncan was listed at #96 on Management Today's Britain's Top 100 Entrepreneurs, and was said to have a worth of £103 million,[6] estimated to have increased to about £150m in 2021.[1]

Numatic International also manufacture spray mops, sold under the Henry and Hetty brands as "Henry Spray Mop" and "Hetty Spray Mop".[7][8]

Henrys were originally manufactured in Beaminster, Dorset, until Numatic moved production in 1990 to Chard, Somerset. Early Numatic and Henry models were all metal, this was later changed to plastic to reduce weight. Originally the components were manufactured by subcontractors and assembled by Numatic, but the company later began to manufacture most of its own components. Numatic now only sources components manufactured in the United Kingdom, which it advertises as part of its marketing.[4][9]

Model

Various Henry models on display in Currys, Harrogate in 2022
A Henry HVR200 and Hetty HET200
  • Henry Professional (HVR240) - A slightly larger version of the standard (9-litre) model for professional and retail applications.[10]
  • Henry (and Hetty) Compact (HVR160 and HET160) - Smaller and more compact versions of the standard Henry models, 6-litre capacity.[11]
  • Henry Cordless (HVB160) - A more compact version of the standard Henry model running off two 36-volt batteries, 6-litre capacity.[12]
  • Henry Xtra (HVX200 and HVX160) - A version of the standard (9-litre) Henry model designed for carpet care and cleaning pet hairs. A smaller and more compact version of this model (which, like all the other "compact" Henry models, has a 6-litre capacity) also exists.[13][14]
  • Henry Allergy (HVA160) - A smaller, light blue version of the standard Henry model for capturing allergens, 6-litre capacity. The successor to the Henry Micro.[15]
  • Henry Wash (HVW370) - A larger, dark blue version unlike any one of the standard Henry models, carpet cleaner, 15-litre capacity.[16]
  • Henry Plus HVR200P - A John Lewis exclusive Henry, with a bigger tub and longer cable.

Old Models

Numatic

  • NV200 - Red, originally released without cord storage (rewind and cable hook). It was fully red with black latches, later changed to a red hat with a black furniture guard, then to a black hat with a red drum. NV200 would later have two new additions, a cable hook and a PTO port. Ran from ~1982 and was discontinued ~2008, with little change to the design.
  • NV250

Henry

  • Henry HVC200 - Red, original released without cord storage. HVC200 has a black motor hat and a red base. Early HVC200s did not have a PTO port and customers used a straight suction floor head or air drive turbine brush. HVC200 ran from 1981–1987.
  • Henry HVR200 - Launched in 1987, HVR200 is the successor to the popular HVC200, it incorporated a new way to store the cable, using a manual driven reel on the top of his hat. In 1988 Numatic did away with the 800W motor and introduced their 2-years-long-development' 1000W motor. HVR200 was also now available in a new colour, beige / brown until 1991. In 1991 or 1992 Numatic mass-produced Henry HVR200 in "Technicolour" (red, green, blue, and yellow) Henry "HVR200" ran from 1987 to 2004. From 1981 to 1988, Henry's name was stuck on with adhesive, in bold red and beige letters however this changed in late 1988 as Numatic started to print the names onto the hats which remains the current process. In late 1997 Henry's name would be outlined in Technicolour however this was changed in mid to late 1998 as his name would be outline in white (1998–present). This was so Numatic didn't have four production lines, it also combated an issue which would occur when refurbishes didn't have a matching drum for Henry's hat. In late 1994 Numatic added a stabiliser to the back of Henry's drum so he wouldn't topple over when being pulled by the hose. In 1999, Henry no longer shipped with a PTO socket, thus eliminating the option to use a new Henry with a 100W Power Nozzle.
  • Henry Plus HVR200P - The '90s equivalent to the Henry Micro, discontinued in 1999. The name is now used on John Lewis exclusives.
  • Henry HVR200-22 - The successor to the HVR200, this iteration of Henry came equipped with a two-speed PCB. Having the "Hi" setting enabled allowed the user to run Henry at 1200W, "Lo" would cut Henry's speed by 200W. By September 2006, Numatic updated the overall design of Henry's hat by adding two rocker switches to a power bank located on the top rear (oppose to the foot operated push button with a Hi-Lo rocker switch on the back above the furniture guard as seen with the Revision 1 Henry HVR200-22). Henry HVR200-22 ran from 2004 - 2009/10. NVR200-22 machines were produced until 2015.
  • Henry HVR200A (AutoSave) - Launched in mid 2008 to replace the 200-22 cleaners, Henry vacuums with the new "AutoSave Low Energy System" boasted reduced energy usage compared to its predecessors. The machines used a form of soft start system, where they would always start the motor on low power. The user would then have the option to switch to high power using the spring loaded "Hi" switch. The PCB fitted to enable the soft start system was problematic, suffering from failure due to carbon dust exposure, causing the vacuum to not start or run intermittently. The AutoSave model was the first to debut the clip-on face and parking bracket for the floor tool in late 2012. They were discontinued in 2014.
  • Henry HVR200-A2 - This iteration of Henry was introduced to comply with the EU Vacuum Regulations released in September 2014. These models used a twin fan motor setup similar to the previous 200A and 200-22 models, but were rated at a much lower 520W. As well as this, these models were single speed, ending a 10 year streak of Henry having a dual speed motor. They were discontinued in 2015.
  • Henry HVR200-12 (HiFlo) - Released in 2015 to replace the short lived 200-A2 models, the 200-12 used a single fan 620W motor, and unlike its predecessor, reintroduced the twin speed settings for the vacuum. They were discontinued in 2016.
  • Sir Henry HVR200 - A limited edition Henry sold from the 1990s until the early 2000s.
  • Mr Henry HVR200 - The same as 'Sir Henry'.
  • Henry Micro HVR200M - Launched at a similar time as 'Henry Xtra', Henry Micro featured a state-of-the-art filter, which retained allergens better than the standard Henry model. Ran from 2002 - 2022.
  • Henry Hound HHR200 - A Henry with an electric rotating brush, specialised for pet owners with a carbon filter. It came in green and was partially succeeded by Harry, which has an air-driven turbine head.
  • Henry Turbo HVR200T - The same as Henry Hound, just in red and without a carbon filter.

James

  • James JVC225 - released in 1985, James had the top half of a Henry HVR200 and the bottom half of an NV250. Only available in grey, James JVC225 had a cable hook to store the cable. Because of his robust nature, he was tailored to the commercial market. Production ran from 1985 to 1988.
  • James JVR225 - released in 1988, based on the original 1985 James JVC225 model with the addition of a manual driven cord storage system, this iteration of James was also decked out with a new 1000W motor. James JVR225 can also be found in red. James JVR225 ran from 1987 to 1989.

Charles

  • Charles CVC375 - (1983 - 1989, succeeded by Charles CVC370)
  • Charles CVC370 - (1989 - 2004, succeeded by Charles CVC370-2)

Nuvac

  • Nuvac NVE3 -
  • Nuvac NNV200
  • Nuvac NVNR200
  • Nuvac VNP180

George

  • George GVE370 - George replaced Nuvac NVE3, the All in One Carpet Cleaner. Originally released with a plastic toolkit in 1989 and in green up until 1992, it was later changed to stainless steel.

David

  • David DVR200 - David is essentially a cheaper Henry HVR200, his toolkit incorporated plastic wands oppose to stainless steel. David DVR200 ran from 1989–1992.

William

  • William WVC370 - William is essentially a cheaper Charles, his toolkit incorporated plastic wands oppose to stainless steel.

Edward

  • Edward EVR370 - Edward is essentially a Henry HVR200 hat on a Charles CVC370 Bucket. Originally released in red, Edward was later produced in yellow.

Names

The vacuums are also available with different names, which are shown on their caps. All the original series are based on English names. Vacuums with different names are generally of different colours and for different applications. Their faces remain identical on all models, except for Hetty, which has long eyelashes. Depending on the size of the head or body, the distance between the eyes and mouth can vary (excluding earlier models, as the faces were originally three stickers applied to the vacuums by hand).

  • Basil NB200 - 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 re-released as a Halloween special edition on 10 July 2005, discontinued by the end of the year.
  • Edward EVR370 - Larger red vacuum with a 15-litre capacity that was also available in blue, green and yellow, now discontinued.
  • Charles CVC370 - 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 in cream-and-brown.[17][18]
  • George GVE370 - Larger green "all-in-one" vacuum with a 15-litre dry and a 9-litre wet capacity which was also available in red, blue and yellow at one time. On 14 August 2015 the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, helped to make several blue instances of this model when he visited the Numatic International factory.[19][20]
  • David DVR200 - Green, introduced alongside George and another green vacuum with a 15-litre capacity called "William" on 5 February 1990 as model DVR200, now discontinued. William was a lower-cost version of Charles, discontinued after a short time.[21]
  • Wendy NV250 - Numatic's first "female" vacuum cleaner. Green, introduced on 3 January 1997 as a Machine Mart exclusive, now discontinued on 4 December 2020.[22]
  • James JVP180 - Yellow, professional high performance vacuum with a caddy top and an 8-litre capacity. Originally introduced on 13 March 2002 as model NNV200 and coloured purple, it was re-released at a later date, and its colour was changed from yellow to blue on 7 April 2019.[23]
  • Harry HHR200 - Green, originally released under the name of "Henry Hound" on 7 May 2003 and designed specifically for pet owners.[24]
  • Hetty HET200 - Short for Henrietta, pink "feminine" version of Henry, introduced on 7 July 2007 to be marketed towards women. Her face is different from all the other models' in having long eyelashes.[25][26]
  • B&Q Bertie and ScrewFix Bertie (PSP200A) - Orange and Blue, introduced on 7 July 2013 as a B&Q and Screwfix limited edition with a caddy top like that of James, now discontinued on 14 November 2021.[27]
  • John and Lewis (JL150) - Green and Purple, introduced on 7 July 2014 as a John Lewis & Partners limited edition, now discontinued on 10 February 2022.
  • Jack (PSP200-11) - Blue, introduced on 20 October 2015 as a Tesco limited edition with a caddy top like that of James, now discontinued on 14 March 2022.

Some Henry models with faces, such as the NBV190, are marked "Numatic" instead of "Henry" on the cap. Some Numatic cleaners, such as the WV370, while of similar appearance to the Henrys have no face and no personal name on their caps. A very few models have other words on their caps, such as "Micro-filter" on the MFQ370.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Usborne, Simon (24 July 2021). "Sucks to be him! How Henry the vacuum cleaner became an accidental design icon". The Guardian.
  2. 1 2 3 Goodhart, Maud (3 February 2017). "Design classic: Numatic's Henry vacuum cleaner". Financial Times.
  3. ↑ Gantz, Carroll (26 September 2012). The Vacuum Cleaner: A History. McFarland. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-7864-9321-0.
  4. 1 2 "The History of Henry: From humble beginnings to household name". Henry. Numatic International. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  5. ↑ "The fascinating story behind Henry the Hoover". The Telegraph. 11 November 2016. ISSN 0307-1235.
  6. ↑ Beresford, Philip (24 October 2014). "Britain's Top 100 Entrepreneurs 2014: No. 96 - Christopher Duncan, Numatic". Management Today.
  7. ↑ "Numatic International Ltd. | Henry Spray Mop HM40". www.numatic.co.uk. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  8. ↑ "Numatic International Ltd. | Hetty Spray Mop HM40". www.numatic.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  9. ↑ "BBC - West Country Cash: Made in Chard: The Somerset factory keeping it local". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "Numatic International Ltd. | Henry Professional HVR240". www.numatic.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  11. ↑ "Numatic International Ltd. | Henry Compact HVR160". www.numatic.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  12. ↑ "Numatic International Ltd. | Henry Cordless HVB160". www.numatic.co.uk. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  13. ↑ "Numatic International Ltd. | Henry Xtra HVX200". www.numatic.co.uk. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  14. ↑ "Numatic International Ltd. | Henry Xtra HVX160". www.numatic.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  15. ↑ "Numatic International Ltd. | Henry Allergy HVA160". www.numatic.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  16. ↑ "Numatic International Ltd. | Henry Wash HVW370". www.numatic.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  17. ↑ "Numatic International Ltd. | Charles CVC370". www.numatic.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  18. ↑ "Numatic Cream and brown Charles!". www.vacuumland.org. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  19. ↑ "George GVE370". Numatic International Ltd. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  20. ↑ "Chancellor lends a hand to build conveniently named 'George' vacuum cleaner". ITV. 9 April 2015.
  21. ↑ Ultimatevacman (26 November 2012). "Numatic William". Vacuumland.
  22. ↑ Ultimatevacman (25 November 2012). "Numatic Wendy". Vacuumland.
  23. ↑ "Numatic International Ltd. | James JVP180". www.numatic.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  24. ↑ "Numatic International Ltd. | Harry HHR200". www.numatic.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  25. ↑ "Hetty HET200". Numatic International Ltd. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  26. ↑ "Christopher Duncan | The Sunday Times". www.thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  27. ↑ "I Just Had To Treat Myself...Again - Numatic Bertie". www.vacuumland.org. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
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