Why Is Henry Hoover So Popular: 7 Great (and Some Unexpected) Reasons
Henry hoover can sometimes appear to be way more than just your regular vacuum cleaner. In fact, if you live in the United Kingdom, Henry hoover is more of an institution; something you’ve always seen but never taken much time to consider unless you now own one yourself. In fact, since being launched in 1981, Henry has sold over 7 million units.
So why is Henry hoover so popular?
In this post, we’ll be taking a look at just that and uncovering 7 reasons, some weird and quintessentially British, as to why our beloved Henry is such a hit.
Why Is Henry Hoover So Popular?
Let’s delve into why Henry hoover seems to occupy its own space in the vacuum-cleaning world.
To give you an idea of the popularity of Henry here are a few facts:
- Numatic, Henry’s mum & dad shall we say, produce an estimated 4,500 products a day, many of which are Henry vacuums (including Henry’s siblings – more on them later)
- Around 40% of Henry models produced in the UK are shipped to overseas markets
- Henry was released in 1981 but the first prototype was developed in 1968
- Numatic have produced more than 14 million Henrys and Hettys (more on her later)
So how did we get to a point where Henry the vacuum cleaner became so popular?
1 – Henry’s Very Good At His Job
First and foremost one of the main reasons Henry has been able to endure and sell so many units for over 40 years is Henry’s very good at his job.
We have a Henry hoover and it has been the most reliable vacuum cleaner we’ve owned and has managed to outlast several others.
Henry delivers power suction which can handle both carpets as well as hard floors. The 10-metre cable comes in very handy as you can get around a large part of the home without having to constantly switch plug sockets.
Henry has a 6 litre dust bin bag capacity which is brilliant as it means you rarely every have to replace the bag – unless of course you pick up some smelly stuff along the way in which case you’ll want to change his nappy asap. But seriously, this large capacity is unlike a lot of newer vacuum cleaner models and certainly miles ahead of cordless vacuums (we have a cordless which has less than a litre capacity!).
2 – Henry’s Extremely Reliable
Henry has consistently come up with top marks in terms of reliability from UK consumers. It may not have the razzmatazz of newer and more stylish models but it keeps working away in whatever environment it finds itself in.
There are countless stories of Henry models that people have owned for more than a decade and you’ll be hard pressed to find other vacuum cleaners with so many operating units all out at the same time.
This robustness is down to Henry’s origins. Creator Chris Duncan originally designed Henry for commercial use meaning it was built to be tough from the very beginning. Over time Henry became a popular choice in the home as well as people got to understand how dependable it was.
3 – Henry’s Always Happy To See You
Perhaps Henry’s defining design feature is his constantly smiling face. Henry’s inventor Chris Duncan wanted to create a friendly face to accompany cleaning staff on early morning and late night cleaning shifts.
As Henry started to work in hospitals and schools many were taken with the little chap and his smiling face.
As well as being unique in a market crowded with fairly routine designs, Henry’s smiling face appeals to children as well as non-grumpy adults (there are many out there I’m told).
4 – Henry’s Very Versatile
Right next to Henry’s reliability comes his versatility. It is hard to think of many vacuum cleaners that are beloved and used by:
- People at home
- Cleaners in both domestic and commercial settings
- Builders on a construction site
Henry though manages to tick all these boxes and more. Given his power suction and his large round belly as well as his sturdiness, Henry can handle various types of environments with relative ease.
- This makes Henry a great choice if you need a vacuum cleaner that can serve multiple purposes.
- Henry also has a host of attachments which means he can also help you on the stairs as well as cleaning areas such as curtains and sofas.
5 – Henrys Are Made In the UK
In a world where most appliances are made in far-flung locations and shipped to their markets, Henry still manages to hold the badge of being ‘British Made’.
Though consumers are quite used to buying products made in places such as China, there is still an attachment to brands that produce locally. Just look at how a certain other vacuum cleaner brand (rhymes with Tyson) got a lot of heat for shifting its activities from the UK to Singapore.
Henry still occupies a special place in British hearts and minds partly because it is still locally produced.
6 – Cultural Icon
As you may have seen by now Henry is not simply a vacuum cleaner (sorry – ‘hoover’) but more of a cultural icon.
For example in 2015, Henry went viral when a local electrical store set up a Henry and family nativity scene.
More recently and much more comically back in 2021 the UK government spent millions on a new press briefing room only to have the focus of attention bestowed on the Henry hoover that was loitering in one of the first publically released images.
That’s just what Henry does.
Perhaps his status also comes from his name – is there a name quintessentially more British than Henry? Derived from the German name ‘Heimrich’ which itself combines heim – “home” and ric – “power, ruler”, Henry conjures up images of royalty yet it is a name used across all parts of British society. Thus Henry manages to appeal to a broad spectrum of people and is used in stately settings as well as ordinary family homes and offices.
7 – Affordable
Despite its quirky and wonderful history as well as its effectiveness, Henry would not have sold so many units had the price not been appealing to a broad spectrum of the market. Despite its popularity, Numatic have made an effort to keep the Henry models at an affordable price range of the years.
Even now looking at some of the options people have when choosing a new vacuum cleaner, Henry still works out at the lower end of the market but provides far more value in terms of longevity and robustness.
When you buy a Henry you don’t need to worry about having to replace it within a few years which is not always the case with other trendy models.
Let’s Meet Henry’s Family
It would be rude of us to not give you a proper introduction into some of Henry’s family before letting you go.
Henry (HVR-160-11)
Firstly let’s a take a quick look at what most people mean when they refer to ‘Henry hoover’ these days as there’s a few variations. The Henry HVR-160-11 os the standard Henry model that comes with:
- 620W motor
- 6 Litre Dust Bag Capacity
- 10 Metre Cable
Henry NRV 240-11
The Henry NRV 240-11 is a larger version of the standard model which comes with:
- 9 Litre Dust Bag Capacity
- 580W
- 10 Metre Cable
Hetty
Henrietta (Hetty to you and I), is Henry’s sister – perhaps even non-identical twin as she can pretty much do what Henry can. Hetty though comes in a dashing pink and yellow rather than red:
- 6 Litre Capacity
- 620 W
- 10 Metre Cable
James
Think of James as Henry’s little brother. Decked out in all blue James comes with:
- 6 Litre Capacity
- EcoTwin long-life motor to save energy and keep the noise down
- Cable tidy system
Charles
Charles doesn’t mess around – he can handle both wet and dry cleaning. He comes with:
- 9 Litre Capacity for Dry Waste
- 15 Litre Capacity for Wet Use
- Powerful 1060 W motor
Conclusion: Why Is Henry Hoover So Popular?
So, why is Henry hoover so popular? As we’ve seen unlike Henry hoover is not your run-of-the-mill vacuum cleaner. He appeals to a large consumer base with both domestic and professional cleaning users favouring his skillset. Henry’s loveable smile has turned him into a cultural icon whilst his affordable price has made him accessible to millions. To enhance his storyline appeal, Henry even has brothers and sisters to share the limelight with.
