It’s obvious when you turn on a vacuum cleaner that it will use a considerable amount of electricity. It’s even worse when it comes to vacuum cleaners manufactured before 2017 (before the EU’s intervention), which are likely to add a hefty amount to your monthly energy bills if you use them regularly. The sensible solution to keeping energy bills down in these times has to be switching to a cordless product that offers enough to meet your requirements. Replaceable parts: If you’ve broken the floor head or damaged the charger, you can get replacements without having to buy a whole new device.

It’s also excellent at dealing with hard-to-reach places, such as the corner of ceilings, thanks to its long pole, light weight, and extension handle. It did the job better compared to some similar devices, but it also didn’t perform quite as well in other respects. The suction head is small enough to fit into most spaces, although it only turns slightly so it’s not as good at reaching into tight corners as other cordless vacuum cleaners I’ve tested in the past.The battery life ranges from 14 minutes in high power with the brush on, to 70 minutes in low power with the brush off, which is about the best you can expect from a cordless vacuum of this size. Long battery life: With the suction on normal and the brush off, this device will run for approximately 70 minutes. Most cordless vacuum cleaners will only last for 30 minutes. However, in boosted mode with the brush on, it lasts for just 14 minutes, which is a bit less than some competitors.

The brush was able to really dig into the piles to bring up hair and other fluff. And on rugs, it did this without lifting it off the floor, which is definitely a bonus. The battery takes 150 minutes to recharge, which again is up there with the best. You can buy an extra battery if you want to double up on cleaning time, but considering we never ran out of juice, we don’t believe it’s necessary for any home with four-five bedrooms or less. That means it’s more costly to run in the long run, and there’s more waste, but it does significantly reduce day-to-day maintenance on the device.Unlike its competitors, there’s no emptying the caddy after every clean, or cleaning out the filter every two weeks.

The scent pod feature is unusual. Admittedly, it isn’t absolutely necessary, but it does add a welcome touch of luxe to household chores. Pop a scent pod (scent-infused disk) under the rubber cover on the top of the motor unit, and the air from the motor will push through the pod, emitting fragrance into the room you’re cleaning. The pods are available in vanilla, passionfruit and rose fragrances, and the one we tested (vanilla) was delicately scented and didn’t overpower. Pricing for replacement scent pods was unavailable at time of writing. I adore the smooth springy action of this bin. Just press a button and the lid pops open. There is zero dust with this system because the entire bag – which is sealed with a one-way rubber gasket – simply falls out into the rubbish bin. I’d hazard a guess that it would take several single-room clean ups or one entire house-worth of vacuuming before the bag is full. Powerful Cleaning Pop in a pod for factory-fresh performance and powerful suction, time after time. Rotating suction head: The main suction head is equipped with LED lights to help you spot dust, but these only work when you have the brushes switched on. And unlike some of its competitors, there are no blades to stop hair from getting caught in the brush head, which makes maintenance a bit of a hassle.Scent pods: You have the option of inserting a scented capsule that helps to fragrance your home as you clean. The final feature we’ll discuss is the scent pod system, something we’ve not encountered with other vacuums. At the top of the cylinder is a flexible seal that lifts off; here, you can place a Polo-shaped scent pod, making the vacuuming task somewhat more fragrant. According to the manufacturers, you can get three weeks of use from each filter pod but this obviously depends on how big your home is, how dusty it gets and of course how often you vacuum. The vacuum comes with 26 pods, which is sufficient to last roughly a year, and they’re made from 60% recycled material. Numatic also says it has put carbon offsetting measures in place to ensure its pods are climate-positive, reducing its carbon impact globally. However, the dirt-filled pods will go in your normal household waste and, ultimately, to landfill – so there is a moral conundrum of convenience versus clear eco-conscience to consider. Carbon offsetting is admirable, but not creating pollution in the first place is better. Although it worked well on hard floors, I found it worked best on carpets, especially compared to competitors.

For those looking for a cordless vacuum cleaner that’s minimal fuss, this is one of the few devices with a traditional vacuum bag. The Henry hoovers were the brainchild of Chris Duncan, who, in 1969, decided to build a product capable of cleaning the inside of boilers. While attending a trade show to promote his range, a bored salesperson decided to dress up the rather bland-looking oil drum-shaped vacuum, popping a hat on it and chalking a smile underneath its hose connector.

How well does the Henry Quick cope with pet hair?

Fast charging: A full charge takes approximately 150 minutes, which is quite a lot less time than some competitors, which can require three or four hours. We found we could easily vacuum a four-bedroom home from top to bottom in a single charge, with power to spare (there are four power levels indicated by LEDs and we never bled out before we were done). Admittedly, this was achieved by using low power on the hard floors (wood and tile) and low-pile bedroom carpets, switching up to high power only for a couple of rugs and the odd dog-hair strewn sofa. Recycled Pods Henry Pods are climate positive and made from recycled material. We're carbon offsetting all of our pods globally, reducing our carbon impact.