Vacuum cleaners: Compare features & prices Numatic Henry Micro HVR200M-22 review http://www.which.co.uk/home-and-garden/laundry-and-cleaning/reviews/vacuum-cleaners/numatic-henry-micro-hvr200m-22/review/

We have had many machines in our time, but the Henry is far and away the best which is why many professional cleaners use it,The large dust bag , powerful motor and ease of use make it the top ranking machine for us. We can never understand why it gets low scores in your tests. It is easy to get round furniture and underneath and the head gets into awkward places which is more that can be said for many uprights. We have tried others like Hoover and Electrolux and they simply do not compare with the Henry. We now use the Micro version and the extra fine dust filters take out all the fine dust particles effectively. This is important when you have a dust allergy like me. It is a professional machine.

My Numatic is in fact a HVR200-22 and I have had two Henrys over the past 15 years plus (the motor failed on the first one but from experience with the cleaning staff at work I don't think this is a common fault). Like other users I don't understand why the machine comes out so badly in Which? tests. During that time the upper floor of my house (which is entirely carpeted) has only been cleaned by a Henry and shows no build up of dirt, dust, cobwebs or whatever which might be expected if the machine was not doing its job properly. Note that I have a Miele S5210 which is used on the ground floor which is mainly marble tile with carpet in two rooms. We never us a dust-cloth (which merely spreads dust around) but use the dust brushes of both machines and there is no accumulation of dust on picture frame of our extensive library shelves. I will therefor compare the two cleaners here.The Henry is quiet on the lower power setting which I find perfectly adequate. The Miele is noisy on the higher settings though I hardly ever use them, again finding a lower setting works fine. The Henry only has a floor tool and a dust brush which does have a clip for storage on the body of the cleaner. The Miele in addition has a crevice tool and an upholstery tool with a compartment built into the body to house them. The hose on the Henry is long enough to reach the ceiling with the machine on the floor, the Miele has to be lifted or stood on a chair to obtain the same reach. The hose of the Henry almost never kinks whereas that of the Miele does so incessantly which is infuriating. The Henry cable will reach any part of the upper floor from a cental outlet and unspools easily when the machine is moved. The Miele's cable is shorter, though I've not found that a problem as there are plenty of outlets, but in order to extend the cable you have to brace you foot against the back of the machine and drag the cable out. The bag of the Henry is much larger and cheaper to replace but there is no "bag-full" indicator. The Miele bag is smaller though very tough and with a shutter to close the aperture for disposal, it also comes with a secondary exhaust dust filter, as you might expect it is quite pricey though. The machine has a "bag-full" indicator. Both machines are robust and seem adequate for the job though I note that professional cleaners and people like handymen who need a machine to clean up after work seem to favour Henrys and I've seen some extremely battered ones still working perfectly.One comment I would make about both cleaners is that they tend to damage walls, skirtings and furniture if you are careless enough to let them bang into them. Why can't the manufacturers provide a soft, non-marking buffer strip around their machines?My final conclusion is that both machines have good and bad points but in view of the price difference the Henry probably wins.

I have beenusing Henry cleaners for over 17 years in my B&B often for quite inappropriate uses during building work and renovations. Robust and effective without too many frills. The rewind mechanism can cause problems with the lead end being pulled from the contact and it is a bit of a job getting at it to rewire. But in domestic use i can't imagine you would ever need to repair this.