Our reviewer did find this vacuum a little more difficult to push around than the other Henry vacuums she tested, something she put down to the intensity of the suction power. The Beko Powerclean has a similar design to some of the best Shark vacuum cleaners, with a hinged design for reaching under furniture. It's immensely powerful, too. There are three strength modes, but we found that we hardly needed to use the stronger settings in most settings thanks to the sheer power at play here. It's also got a supremely handy stand to keep things organised in flats or larger homes. 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. If you have a big home, messy occupants, or want to save time, this is the Henry model to go for in our opinion. Its design features will keep you cleaning without pause, and it’ll cope admirably with all the dust, debris, and fur you need to remove from your home or car. In our review Lindsey gave it top marks for cleaning power and versatility, but bear in mind that it's heavy to lug up the stairs. 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.

If you love Henry (the vacuum) and you have pets, then the Henry Pet 200 would be an excellent shout for you since it has all the great features of a Henry with the added bonus of extra pet-friendly features. Our tester Jen found that it excelled as collecting hair left behind by her adorable guinea pigs. It's for sure one of the best vacuums for pet hair.

Henry vacuums are many things: nostalgic, iconic and reliable. That's why you'll find them in homes up and down the country, as well as in the arsenal of many a professional cleaner. The Henry HV160 is the original Henry, and it's also the most affordable model you can buy from the brand.

The Henry Pet200 is a standout choice for anyone who needs a reliable vacuum, especially if you've got pets running around. It has a range of attachments to help combat pet hair and dirt, and in our review, we found it was really easy to switch between tools, especially as they are all stored on board. If you need a no-frills, all functionality vacuum with a friendly face, then Henry won't let you down. As our reviewer Helen says 'In an age where most vacuums now seem to have screens, lasers, and tiny bagless dust canisters, Henry reminds us that you don’t need to spend a fortune on all this tech to get the job done'. So, this vacuum cleaner’s full name is: ‘Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum (Single Battery)’. Slightly wordy, but don’t be put off. Shark is the favourite brand of celebrity cleanfluencer Mrs Hinch. So, if you want a home as clean as hers, it appears this Shark is the way to get it. Even better, with the Vax Blade 5 you get access to two batteries, which means you should get up to 90 minutes of charge, and you'll never be without your sturdy Vax vac when you need it.The Blade 5 is admittedly a little heavier than its predecessor, but it is brimming with great accessories and comes with a wall mount too, so that storage is straightforward. It performed exceptionally well on hard floors and carpets alike, and it has a handy illuminated floor head and hardy brush mode that made light work of leeching dust and debris from my rugs. At 3.1kg, it’s a touch heavier than some of the other models on this list, but still plenty light enough to use for cleaning surfaces and corners as a handheld device.

The suction. Hands down. It lifted up the biggest, heaviest rug Jen has in her house. That means it can get deep into carpet pile, which is reassuring and satisfying at the same time. It's a really flexible model, with a great reach to get to every corner of your home and 60 minutes of runtime, so that you can adequately cover all the ground that you need to. It's also got an auto-adjustment feature, which means that it'll sense the kind of ground it's covering, and amp up the power accordingly. After taking it for a test vacuum at home, our reviewer Helen can only agree that Henry is a dependable workhorse, with a low-maintenance design. It doesn't have the sophisticated features that brand-new cordless vacuums do, but it also doesn't need to be charged or regularly emptied, with its six litre capacity. Our reviewer Jen was impressed with the plentiful battery life of this vacuum which was more than sufficient for whipping around a 2-bed terraced home. She also found it was great to be able to adjust the cleaning modes which can make a difference to the battery life and noise level.

The Dyson V11 Outsize is a re-engineered version of the Absolute to include a 150% larger bin, 25% bigger cleaner head, with up to 60 minutes of runtime. It also offers 20% more suction compared to the V10, which was a popular model just a couple of years ago. When it comes to battery life, the Henry HVB is equipped with two batteries that have 30 minutes of charge respectively. Sarah found that those 60 minutes of cleaning time were more than enough for dealing with all of the messes her home threw at her. If you have a mainly carpeted home, then listen up, as Millie found that this cordless vacuum really proved its worth in those high-traffic carpet areas. When vacuuming around her dog's bed, she was wowed by the visible line of clean carpet it left in its wake. 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.

Could bagged vacuuming be the future of clean homes?

This cordless vacuum cleaner has lots to offer – I was hugely impressed with its 45 minute battery life (and the fact that it comes with an extra battery to double runtime), powerful suction, easy-empty bin and extra features. Put simply, it rivals more expensive models for a far better price. This Shark vacuum really blew us away when we put it to the test at home. Highlights included the PowerFins, which reached deep into carpets with every pass to make them look as good as new. On hard floors there was serious power too, and toggling between those modes was painless thanks to the smart display panel. You can buy the Shark IZ300UKT for an added pet attachment (which will cost you more) or the IZ320UK for two batteries. For all the bells and whistles, try the IZ320UKT. It has a pet attachment and two batteries, but other than that it's the same vacuum as the IZ300UK. I was surprised how much the weight distribution affected the ease of use. With the dust bin at the bottom of the vacuum, manoeuvring was light and easy. It also stood up on its own, a rarity among cordless vacuums. Fitted to the top, it felt bulky and awkward, which unfortunately extended to the handheld mode. This is not a light machine. Millie also found switching out the tools to be easy enough, though you do need to twist a little screw attachment to remove the brush rolls and toggle between hard floor and carpet, which was a bit of a pain.

Although it isn't the biggest Henry vacuum, the 6-litre capacity was more than enough for Jen's family home too, even with ongoing DIY projects.

in-1 upright vacuum cleanerslook more like traditional upright vacuum cleaners. The weight is fairly low down, but the middle section pops out and doubles as a handheld cleaner for small stuff. Often the upright’s handle also pops off and doubles as a wand, giving the handheld extra reach for high-up stuff like cobwebs. Another pricier option from Shark - but if you're looking for maximum power because you're just going to have one vacuum in the house, then it's worth stretching to the extra expense. At Ideal Home, we know how important it is to have hands-on experience with the products we recommend to you in our buying guides. That's why, as part of our testing protocol, we've tested every vacuum in this guide for at least two weeks (and at times up to two months) before coming to a decision on why you should buy it for your home. To get to that verdict, we put these vacuums up against various challenges, from everyday dirt and debris to scattered cereals and pet hair, so you know exactly what you will be getting from the model you choose.