James Vacuum Cleaner Review
The Numatic James vacuum cleaner proves itself to be a far more lightweight but still robust version of its older brother Henry (HVR160-11). It comes with the original Henry’s professional feel as well as the same level of motor power and suction.
Where the James vacuum cleaner has a distinctive advantage over the Henry is it’s much lighter weight 6kg compared to Henry’s 7.5kg. The James vacuum cleaner is an excellent cleaning machine in its own right. It leaves carpets, hard floors as well as stairs and skirting and the like looking renewed.
Although smaller than its original Henry, it still can feel a bit bulky when compared to other models on the market and as ever with Numatic machines you may feel this more on the stairs. But there’s a reason why so many professional cleaners and builders love Numatic machines and the James vacuum cleaner is no different in that regard; it has all the appeal of the best of Numatic but comes in much lighter and at a more affordable price.
One thing to note, the James vacuum cleaner was previously available in yellow colour however, the current model marketed as “James” is provided in blue. The yellow James had an 800W motor rather than the current 620W and it weighed 5.2kg rather the current 6kg.
| Pros |
|---|
| + Excellent cleaning performance across carpets and hard floors with dedicated brushed settings for both |
| + Same cleaning power as the original Henry model but at a much lighter weight |
| + Great handle for easy lifting around the home and getting up higher |
| Cons |
|---|
| – Although lighter than the original Henry, as with most Numatic models the James vacuum cleaner can still feel a bit cumbersome comapred to other brands |
| – The tubes are not telescopic meaning its not so easy to adjust the height/length of the cleaning tube |
James Vacuum Cleaner Review
Let’s now get into the details of our testing of the James vacuum cleaner. I use the James vacuum cleaner regularly around our home alongside a Henry (HVR160-11) which we also have for our cleaning business so I have a great feel for how the James handles. In testing our vacuum cleaners on different services we apply what we term as the cous cous test – a tablespoon full of cous cous is spread on the floor and then we see how much of it is swept up after the first pass and then how easy it is to clean the rest off. Why cous cous? Because we tend to find it’s one of the trickiest things to sweep up whether is on our carpets or hard floors.
Cleaning Performance – Carpet
The James vacuum cleaner performs brilliantly on carpet. It is specifically designed to be effective on both carpets and hard floors and you can tell when using it around your home. Whilst it provides excellent suction on carpets its not too overbearing so it means it doesn’t pull up carpet that’s not too well fitted as can be the case with some other vacuum cleaners that are too overpowered.
Cleaning Performance – Hardfloors
When it comes to cleaning hard floors, the James hoover does an excellent job. Its full-throttled suction can go right to work and with the adjustable brush head to handle hard floors it makes light work of picking up dust and crumbs.
In our cous cous test, the James managed to pick up the majority of the cous cous with ease on its first pass and it didn’t take too much effort to get rid of the rest.
You feel like you have a highly capable cleaning assistant when moving around the home with the James and its performance on hard floors is a particular delight.
Cleaning Performance – Stairs
The James vacuum does a stellar job of cleaning the stairs. For this task, I tend to rely on its upholstery tool which provides a very close clean on carpets. When you need to get into the corners of the stairs, you can easily switch to the crevice tool which does a good job of getting into hard-to-reach spots.
With the James placed at the bottom of the stairs and one of the cleaning attachments in place connected to two of the hoses, we can comfortably reach the 8th step on our stairs. From there you have the option of carrying the James with you for the rest of the stairs (assuming like most homes you have around 13 steps or so) or moving it to the top of the stairs to do the rest. At only 6kg we find it easy enough to carry it and the handle makes that job much more comfortable.
There definitely lighter and easier vacuum cleaners out there for the stairs than the James and as it has the distinctive round shape of the Numatic Henry range it’s definitely not the easiest to try hold on the stairs.
Cleaning Performance – Skirting Boards
When it comes to getting rid of dust and dirt on skirting boards, the James is a real asset. The dusting brush that it comes with makes an excellent companion for dusting skirting boards. The brush does an effective job of disrupting the dust whilst James’ powerful suction takes care of lifting it away from your skirting boards.
Cleaning Performance – Fixtures and Fittings
The dusting brush also does a great job of getting to work on cleaning fixtures and fittings around the home. As the James has very good reach you can easily get to lights and fittings that are higher up by using the two extension hoses.
The dusting brush is delicate enough to handle fixtures and fittings whilst the suction gets rid of any lingering dirt.
Just be careful not to try to vacuum items that are too delicate as the suction on the James vacuum is substantial.
Capacity
Look high and low you will be very hard-pressed to find a vacuum cleaner with this much cleaning capacity (8 litres) that’s also this light.
At 8 litres the James offers near unrivalled cleaning capacity at this sort of weight and price range.
With such a large cleaning capacity you will rarely have to change out the cleaning bag saving you both time and money.
Weight
The James vacuum weighs 6kg which is far lighter than the original Henry (HVR160-11) which weighs 7.5kg. However, there are certainly lighter cylinder vacuum models available out there that still offer fantastic cleaning performance e.g. Miele C1. But you may struggle to find vacuum cleaners that are as robust as the James whilst offering the cleaning capacity that it does.
Often you will find that although they may be lighter, they don’t have anywhere near the same capacity.
We believe the trade-off between James’ weight, which is the lighest in the whole Henry range, and its cleaning performance as well as robustness is a very good one given the options on the market.
Despite this, 6kg may still be quite heavy for some especially those with mobility issues, so worth considering other lighter vacuum cleaners if you’re not confident you could get the James up and down your stairs easily.
Design
The James vacuum cleaner has the typical robustness of a Numatic hoover. Aside from the top of the head, everything else looks and feels modelled on the original Henry vacuum cleaner.
James’ rich blue colour does give it a distinctive look of its own and alongside its big eyes and welcoming smile provides it with the iconic Henry look many of us have grown accustomed to even if we don’t own a Numatic model.
Around the edges, it has a bumper that helps to protect it and your belongings as it works its way around your home.
Bags and Filters
The Numatic James hoover comes with HEPA-standard dust bags which are paired very effectively with the same filter as you get with the Henry resulting in a highly effective dust and smell-trapping system. For the most part, unless something particularly foul invades your dust bag, the James’ filtration and bag system retains the worst of any bad odours and reduces the smell of the vacuum exhaust.
The bags used for James are the same that go into the Henry except James has far more room for the bag to fill up inside its container than Henry does. James comes pre-fitted with a dust bag and there’s also a spare that’s provided. Replacement bags aren’t very expensive and a pack of 10 should last you quite some time.
When it comes to changing the bag, it’s easy enough to do once you know how but it can feel like a bit of a process:
- Step 1: Remove the latches on the side of James’ head
- Step 2: Remove the head holding the motor and place on the side
- Step 3: Remove the filter
- Step 4: Remove the bag and cover the opening with the dust free seal to avoid dirt escaping
- Step 5: Fit a new bag, place the filter, replace the top of the James and clip it in.
Cleaning Attachments
The James vacuum cleaner comes with a number of handy cleaning attachments.
- Dusting Tool: This works perfectly for dusting delicate areas like skirting boards and light fixtures.
- Crevice Tool: This is designed to help you get into those nooks and crannies that slowly build up with dirt and dust – think in between sofas and corners on stairs. We couldn’t clean without ours!
- Upholstery Tool: This is designed to provide close and effective cleaning for areas such as carpets, sofas, curtains and the car. It does a great job with firm bristles that can get deep into carpets and other surfaces.
Cable Length and Storage
The length of the cable is a real plus point from the James vacuum cleaner. When cleaning around our home we find we rarely have to switch cables as the 10m length provides plenty of depth especially when combined with the hose and tubes.
The cable storage system is surprisingly neat given that it does not have a rewind mechanism like the classic Henry does. Instead, you manually wrap the cable around the middle part of James’ head and then clip the last section in to hold it in place. Where this does get sometimes annoying is when you need to shorten the length of the cable as you are moving around the home and cannot quickly and conveniently reel it in like you can with the original Henry and many other models these days.
Pricing
The RRP price for the James (at the time of writing) is £139.
Conclusion: James Vacuum Cleaner Review
Overall, the Numatic James vacuum cleaner (JVP180-11) is an excellent and effective vacuum cleaner. It also quite conveniently offers a lightweight alternative to the famous Henry (HVR160-11) vacuum cleaner that has been so loved over the years.
The James hoover provides fantastic cleaning capability across hard floors and carpets alike whilst its attachments all serve specific and very useful purposes.
From our experience, we find the James vacuum cleaner leaves our floors especially the carpets looking noticeably cleaner each time and we seldom have to worry about replacing the bags given its large capacity.
It does have some drawbacks such as the lack of a rewind mechanism for its cable and a somewhat bulky feel compared to competitors but none that are clear deal-breakers.
When all is considered and given its price, you’re unlikely to find better value elsewhere in terms of performance, robustness and solid brand reputation all in one package.
