Numatic James Vacuum Review – Henry’s Little Brother

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Numatic vacuums have been around for a long time, and as such they have made a number of different variants on the classic Henry design. One of those variants is James the vacuum cleaner. James is very similar to Henry in a lot of ways, but is really aimed at the entry-level section of the market, and generally comes in a bit cheaper than some of the other Henry models.

The cheeky smiling face and tub-like design will be familiar to you if you’ve used a Henry before, but James does have some differences. Not least is the fact that he’s the “yellow Henry hoover” as some have put it – he doesn’t have the same red glow as his brother Henry. Some later models of the James come in blue – so if you see James in blue, it’s the same hoover, it’s just that Numatic decided to change the colour for whatever reason.

In this article we’re going to go through all the pros and cons of buying a James, where you might actually want to skip James and buy a Henry or a Henry Xtra, and where James performs best.

Numatic James Review Summary – Pros and Cons

In a hurry? Check out our summary of the full review below.

Pros

• James is lighter than Henry – so he’s great for people with reduced mobility
• James is cheaper than Henry, which is great if you want to get into Numatic vacuums on a budget
• James is very capable, more so than most vacuums at this price point

Cons

• James isn’t as capable as some of his bigger brothers like Henry, Charles or George. If you have pets or children, he’s not right for you
• James’ cable doesn’t auto retract with a handle as Henry’s does – so you’ll need to manually wind the cable up, which can be annoying.
• James seems to struggle with extreme dirt on vinyl and hard floors – he tends to snowplough

Our verdict

Our rating – 4.5 stars

James is a great vacuum if you want an introduction to the Numatic range. You may find that as your family grows, or you get a pet, that you’ve outgrown James and need something bigger and better. However, for couples and small families in apartments or smaller houses, James is perfect.

Check out some of our reviews of other Numatic vacuums!

Henry

Hetty

Specifications

Let’s look at the specifications of the James hoover. This has come from Numatic’s official Henry website, myhenry.com.

Specifications for all Numatic models are available in each one of our reviews. Alternatively you can go to myhenry.com and search for specifications for your desired model.

Tools and Attachments

Let’s look at the tools and attachments you get with the James. This is basically the same set of attachments you get with a standard Henry or Hetty cleaner. 

James comes with the following:

Mattress and Upholstery Nozzle

As the name would suggest, this is for cleaning bedding, mattresses, sofas and more. Specifically designed in such a way that your James won’t choke on bed linen and delicate upholstery, this tool is fantastic for keeping your bedding, cushions and other soft furnishings spotlessly clean.

The upholstery nozzle with brushes allows you to clean up debris and dust from soft furnishings, curtains and furniture. The soft bristles ensure your surfaces aren’t damaged while leaving them pristine.

Crevice nozzle

A standard with most hoovers nowadays, James’s crevice nozzle allows you to get deep into areas where crumbs and debris have fallen – it’s great for DIY projects, for cleaning your car and for cleaning up after pets.

Dusting brush

The standard dusting brush is great for those hard-to-reach areas where other tools can’t reach. 

Combination floor nozzle

The combination floor nozzle is the classic floorhead included with every Numatic hoover, except the Xtra which comes with rotating brush attachments. It allows you to quickly switch between having the brushes down for hard floors, and the brushes up for carpets and rugs. While the brushes don’t rotate, James has more than enough suction power to get the dirt out of your floors.

Are James’s attachments good quality?

Generally, yes. They are made of plastic and they can feel quite flimsy, but generally the only wear and tear they get is having them clipped on and off James. There are Henrys and Jameses that have been around for years and years with the original attachments, and one of Numatic’s key selling points is that their vacuums last a long time. Even if any of the attachments were to break, spares are very readily available.

James also comes with a series of extension tubes, meaning you can reach areas further away than you otherwise could. These are all made of aluminium and they are of excellent quality – so you should not worry about these causing you any kind of problems.

Use Cases

So why would you buy a James over any of the other models in the Numatic range? What sets James apart from his brother Henry, or his sister Hetty, for example?

James is around 20% lighter than Henry. He even has an increased capacity in the dust chamber, allowing James to hold more dust before he needs to be emptied. James is also a little bit better than Henry at cleaning further away from the plug, because even though the cable is a bit longer, James’s cord is actually exposed while Henry’s is enclosed within the lid. This means that James can reach a little bit further, and if you find yourself plugging and unplugging your current vacuum quite a lot, this might help you.

The main reason you’d buy James, however, is that James is an entry level cleaner, and is priced as such. He is cheaper than Henry and is designed for those on a budget.

Why you’d buy a James

• If you have reduced mobility and can’t lift heavy objects
• If you’re on a budget and want to save on bags and on the purchase price
• If you have a larger home, because James can go slightly further on the cable than Henry can

Performance and quality

First off, let’s look at James’s build quality, as well as the quality of his bags. Then we’ll look at how James performs in specific areas. 

As is standard with Numatic vacuums, James is made to a very high standard. There is a reason that Numatic vacuums are used commercially by cleaners, builders, plumbers and more, and that’s because they provide excellent performance, great value and exceptional build quality. James is no exception.

James’ construction is quite simple – he’s effectively just a tub with a motor and a bag to catch all the dust. Due to this simplicity, James has very little on him that can break, and as we’ve mentioned, Numatic makes their products to a very high standard, so it’s extremely rare that the motor will give out. I have seen hoses split, however – although this is generally down to misuse. I can say with confidence that James will last for many years if you look after him.

James comes with very strong HEPA-Flo filtered dust bags. In my opinion you should always stick with the Numatic branded dust bags, because they are stronger and last longer than cheaper bags. Because James is large, you shouldn’t need to change the bags very often unless they start to smell.

How does James do on carpets?

James’s very powerful single speed motor allows you to clean carpets with ease. In every test we’ve done with James, he performed excellently – in all honesty, no different from a standard Henry. There isn’t much to say here really in that as long as you don’t have lots of pets or children, any mess on your carpet, James will be able to tackle.

What you might find in some situations is that James’s suction is so powerful it actually starts to pull your flooring up – and this can be the case on both carpet and hard flooring. Even if your floor is stuck down, this can happen – which I suppose is a result of James working a little too well. 

How does James do on hard floors?

James’ performance on hard floors is as excellent as performance on carpets – powerful suction and a decent sized head means that you can pick up dirt from your hard floors with ease. James is particularly good on tiled and wood floors, but sometimes struggles with vinyl floors, as we’ll demonstrate.

We’ve alluded to the fact that James can pull flooring up as his suction is so powerful. This is more prevalent on vinyl or linoleum floors that may only be stuck down around the edges. What you’ll find in this case is that when James pulls up the flooring, it can make any dirt or debris avoid the suction channel on the head of the vacuum. It might look like James has done a good job when you push the head forward, but when you pull it back, you might find that a lot of the dirt has not been picked up.

One of the problems with the standard Numatic nozzle is that it suffers from what’s called snowploughing – what this means is that rather than being picked up by the head, the larger particles of dirt and dust get pushed along the front of the nozzle. To remove this you should angle the head backwards and James should get all the dirt on your floor. This should also only really be an issue if your floors are very, very dirty – and shouldn’t really impact your day to day cleaning.

Ease of use

This, unfortunately, is where all vacuums in the Numatic range (except the Henry and Hetty Quick) start to have issues. See, James is lighter than Henry, and he’s designed for people with reduced mobility – maybe older people who can’t bend down and can’t lift as much as they used to be able to. This is why James is lighter and can go further than Henry.

That being said, James contains bags, and he isn’t cordless. It’s entirely possible to go and buy a good cordless and bagless cleaner for the same money you’d pay as a James, and it would likely be far, far easier to use, store and maintain. James is a bit bulky, and you will need to find somewhere with enough space to store him. The hose does clip on at the back, but sticks up in the air, which means you need to find somewhere vertically large enough to store James.

That being said, any hoover you buy is a compromise. Clearly Numatic have not chosen to compromise on the quality of materials and the suction and cleaning ability – but have chosen to compromise on the ease of use a little bit – and while most people will have absolutely no issue using James, he isn’t really going to be suitable if you struggle with day-to-day tasks. In this case, you may want to consider the Henry or Hetty Quick, which is far easier to use and provides similar suction power.

Cost

James usually comes in at roughly 15% cheaper than his bigger brother, Henry. At retail price, he is the cheapest vacuum that Numatic produce. He isn’t the biggest, nor is he the best, but actually I feel he is of excellent value when you consider what else is on the market for the same money.

Of course, there are some trade-offs, and if you can’t accept them and you have a little more money, you may want to consider some of the other models in the Henry range.

How James compares to other Numatic models

For homes with pets – Henry Pet

The Henry Pet comes with the powerful Airobrush attachments, allowing you to get deeper into your carpets to remove pet hair and debris. Henry Pet also comes with MicroTex filtration, reducing pet-related allergens in your home.

For homes with children – Henry Xtra

Henry Xtra is very similar to Henry Pet in that it comes with the same Airobrush attachment, but with standard filtration. 

For those who struggle with movement – Henry Quick

The Henry Quick is a revolution in Numatic’s vacuum design – it’s the only product they produce that isn’t based on the familiar plastic tub design. It’s still bagged, but it’s cordless, allowing you to move around your home and clean with ease. The Henry Quick also has a sister – the Hetty Quick!

For those who need more than a hoover – Henry Wash

If you want to refresh and revive your carpets and not just clean them, opt for the Henry Wash. I’ve been testing carpet cleaners for years and this is by far the best one I have used. I’d actually recommend you have one of these alongside your James.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does James need a bag?

Yes, James needs a bag. You should not use him without a bag as it will cause damage to the internals. James uses the same bags as Henry does and they are readily available everywhere James and Henry are sold.

What colour is James?

James used to be yellow, but now he is blue. This is a little confusing, as Charles is blue – but Charles is also a slightly different shape to James so you shouldn’t mix them up. I have heard that James was once produced in a limited edition called “Basil” which was orange but I’ve never seen one – they certainly aren’t available for sale any more.

Will James suck up water?

James is a dry vac only. If you suck up water with James you will ruin him. If you want a wet and dry vac, you should go for either Charles, the Henry Wet & Dry or George – all of which are designed to pick up both wet and dry messes.

Does James lose suction?

Bagged vacuums don’t lose suction the same way cylinder vacuums might. James won’t lose suction unless his tubes are blocked or his motor is not working properly. If your James isn’t sucking up the way he should, you should inspect the tubes for blockages, inspect the filtration system and check that the bag isn’t full. These are 99% of the cause of loss of suction issues on Numatic vacuums. 

So, should you buy a James?

In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with any of the Numatic vacuum cleaners – they’re all excellent. James is no exception to this, and while he has specific use cases whereby you’d go for James over Henry, I would say that James would be a useful cleaning companion in any home.

If you need extra power, you might be disappointed by James’s average suction. If you need specific tools and attachments for pet messes, you will want to go for the Henry Pet. However, if you have a small to medium size home, James will keep your carpets and hard floors squeaky clean, and he’s built to last!

Final verdict on the Numatic James

Our rating – 4.5 stars

James is a great vacuum if you want an introduction to the Numatic range. You may find that as your family grows, or you get a pet, that you’ve outgrown James and need something bigger and better. However, for couples and small families in apartments or smaller houses, James is perfect.

If you want to see more reviews on the Numatic range, including Henry, Hetty, George, Charles, Henry Wash, Henry Pet, Henry Allergy and more, check out some of our other content below.

Susie Greene

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Susan Greene is a busy mother of two who has worked in the cleaning and vacuum industry for twenty years. Having used Henry hoovers for almost all that time, she's a passionate advocate of Numatic products and this is what led her to start henryhooversonline.com. While she's not seeing which Numatic model picks up dirt the best, she can be found travelling the country with her children and two dogs.

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