Shark vs Henry vacuum cleaners: which is right for you?

In the Shark vs Henry vacuum cleaner battle, which brand can give you the ultimate clean?

A clean home is a pleasure, but getting to that point can take time and effort if you don’t have the right vacuum cleaner for your needs – which is why the Shark vs Henry battle is such an important one. 

As you’re here, it’s likely you’ve narrowed your search down to these two brands. But with affordable Henry options versus feature-rich Shark choices, which is right for you?

This guide aims to help you make that decision by laying out all the important points, across nine sections, with a clear winner for each one.

Two Shark vacuums alongside two Henry vacuums to illustrate Shark vs HenryCredit: Exceptional
Henry and Shark are both popular makes of vacuum cleaner, but which one is right for you?

Price

Which is better value?

Shark is famously a more affordable high-end brand. Yet even this company offers models cheaper than affordable brand Henry. That said, both do have a wide range of options to suit lots of budgets. Let’s take a look at how this Shark vs Henry round goes…

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Shark

Shark is a premium brand in terms of the wide range of cutting edge features it has on offer. This also applies to the high-end products it offers, yet the company does have vacuums that are some of the most affordable out there too. 

So while the range is great, so too are the features, meaning if you know what you want, then Shark should have a model to match your needs without you having to go over on budget.

Prices start at an impressively low £79.99 for one of its three different handheld models.

There are uprights from £169.99, while cordless vacuums top out at £549.99. Keep an eye out as there are often deals on the company’s website.

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Shark Classic Handheld Pet Vacuum

RRP: £79.99

Shark Classic Handheld Pet Vacuum

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Shark Classic Upright Vacuum NV602UK

RRP: £169.99

Shark Classic Upright Vacuum NV602UK

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Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Pet Pro with double battery

RRP: £549.99

Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Pet Pro with double battery

Henry

Henry is an affordable brand that offers impressively well-built vacuums that are made to last, at relatively low prices. Generally, features are kept to the basics in order to offer an easy to use device with as little to go wrong as possible. 

It is worth noting that the pull-along range all use disposable bags, so you will need to factor in that ongoing cost. There are also cordless models that are bag-free.

Prices start at £130 for the basic Henry and go up to £300 for the cordless stick, Henry Quick.

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Henry HVR160

RRP: £129.99

Henry HVR160

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Henry Quick

RRP: £299.99

Henry Quick

WINNER: Shark wins this round for offering the widest range of pricing options as well as the most varied features, many of them with impressive warranties of up to five years.

Product range

Who has the biggest range?

There are quite a few models in both ranges to pick from, with uprights, cordless, handhelds and even robot vacuums to think about here.

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Shark

Shark has a range of vacuums like no other thanks to such a wide variety of features. It runs across the likes of uprights, handhelds, cordless and robot vacuums. In total there are a huge 59 options available from the brand.

Henry

Henry offers two main types of vacuum in the stick, handheld style range and a pull-along style with a few variants. 

Harry, the pet vacuum cleaner from Henry next to a sofa in a living room to illustrate Shark vs HenryCredit: Henry
Henry vacuum cleaners, which are all adorned with their trademark face, come in different colours and specialities

Helpfully, each model is named with its special feature, like Allergy or Pet, but aside from slightly different heads, storage capacity or filters, there isn’t too much difference between them.

WINNER: Shark wins this round for a massive range of choice, with features that make each model stand out in a way that should help make picking the ideal one a simple task.

Suction power

Which brand has the biggest pull?

Suction power from the vacuum is of paramount importance, both to make sure you suck up all the dirt across varying surfaces and to ensure it has differing power modes to suit your needs and potential battery demands. Here’s how the Shark vs Henry suction battle goes…

Shark

For raw pulling power it is the top end premium model from Shark which offers the most in its Shark Stratos, which is equivalent to even the most top-end Dyson cordless, proving that Dyson isn’t the only manufacturer to make the best cordless vacuum cleaners.

Crucially, it will adapt automatically to the amount of dirt and surface variations so as to ensure it’s always sucking at the most efficient level. You can monitor this as its variations are shown on the screen, allowing you to judge muckier areas as well as battery life.

Five Shark Stratos vacuum cleaners are lined up in a kitchen to illustrate Shark vs HenryCredit: Shark
The Shark Stratos range adapts automatically to the amount of dirt making sure it picks up everything in its path

Henry

Henry does offer enough power for most jobs and, as such, is often used in professional situations. But that is also due to its longevity.

The reality is that while its suction power is enough, it could have more but is hindered by that long pipe. That said, the Quick cordless models do offer lots of power while remaining mobile.

WINNER: Shark wins this, both for its suction power and its ability to adapt so as to get the most dirt up no matter where you are.

Battery life

Which brand goes the distance?

For battery life it’s worth considering if you want a model that lasts longest or has the option to change out batteries, or perhaps both.

Shark

Shark has a wide range of battery powered models, which can top out at a full hour of use before needing a charge. This is up from 40 minutes at the lower end, which is still plenty for most needs. There are models that allow you to swap out spare batteries, so you can conceivably extend the range for as far as is needed in your property.

For additional batteries you’ll pay £79.99, so – if you need more longevity – it’s worth looking out for deals when first buying your vacuum, to get a multi-battery setup at the outset.

Henry

Henry does well on battery life, with its Quick cordless vacuums topping out at nearly an hour on a charge. What lets it down is that you need to plug in a fiddly charger each time, rather than simply dropping the vacuum into its dock as you would with the Shark.

A man fitting a battery to a cordless Henry quick vacuum cleanerCredit: Henry
Henry batteries are easy to attach and have an average run-time of approximately one hour

WINNER: Henry offers cheaper spare batteries and can run longer across two batteries versus most of Shark’s efforts.

Capacity

Who can suck up the most?

How much dust and dirt your vacuum can hold will determine how often you need to empty it and – in the case of bagged vacuums – how much you need to spend on them.

Shark

The Shark XL Anti Hair Wrap Upright Pet Vacuum offers a capacity of 1.6 litres. This is the company’s largest. It does need a cord, and if you go cordless, the capacity tops out at 0.7 litres – about enough for a single floor (or two at a push) of a three-bed home.

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Shark XL Anti Hair Wrap Upright Pet Vacuum PZ1000UKT

RRP: £399.99

Shark XL Anti Hair Wrap Upright Pet Vacuum PZ1000UKT

Henry

Henry uses bags for its larger models but that does mean you get more capacity and also less dust and allergens back into the room when you empty the machine. Henry offers a standard six litres (11 pints) of capacity, which is way more than most.

If you go for the XL Plus model, it can store a whopping 15 litres (26 pints) before it needs to be emptied.

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Henry XL Plus

RRP: £179.99

Henry XL Plus

WINNER: Henry wins this round for sheer capacity options at the higher end, and also for using bags when it’s desirable to keep allergens contained.

Filtration

Which is better at containing allergens?

Allergen capture can be an important part of keeping your home’s air clean as well as its floors.

Shark

Shark uses HEPA filters and can capture up to 99.9% of dust and allergens. Crucially, it will trap these in the vacuum and then the air that gets expelled back into your room is cleaner than the air that went in. Filters are washable and replaceable, allowing you to make them last or replace as you need. If you’re not sure how to clean a Shark vacuum, it’s very simple. Rinse the filter and the cylinder out monthly to ensure suction keeps to a premium. 

Henry

Henry filters on most of its models but it is the Henry Allergy that comes with a HEPA filtration system, which can offer relief from pet allergies and more. Since Henry uses bags that are closed, they can be disposed of without releasing the allergens back into the room – something that makes this company stand out.

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Henry Allergy

RRP: £199.99

Henry Allergy

WINNER: Shark wins this for the range of filters, the containment and its self-emptying option, plus those washable and replaceable filters are helpful. Henry, however, deserves a nod for those bags that keep everything trapped.

Pets

Which brand can handle the hair?

Shark and Henry tackled pet hair well with specific heads built to task.

Shark

The heads Shark uses are designed to tackle pet hair without it getting tangled or trapped. In fact the anti-wrap design means that hair is pulled away from the roller as you work, self-cleaning itself.

You also have the option of a motorised pet tool specifically designed to dislodge hair, making it ideal for homes with pets.

Someone replacing the anti-odour technology on the Shark vacuum cleaner to illustrate Shark vs DysonCredit: Shark
The anti-odour technology in some of Shark’s vacuum cleaners helps to combat nasty pet smells

A few models even offer anti odour with fragrances, like Ocean Breeze, to help with pet hair smell.

Henry

The Henry Pet, aka Harry, is specifically built to task, with a mighty nine litre (16 pint) capacity, a capture bag that can be emptied without mess, plus odour-reducing filtration. Like most other brands the heads do still suffer hair blockages.

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Henry Harry

RRP: £179.99

Henry Harry

WINNER: Henry does well to capture mess – but the self-cleaning of the Shark models makes it the winner for the pet round.

Ease of use

How easy are they to use?

Features versus ease of use can be an issue here, as well as build type, making this a tough battle.

Shark

When it comes to lightweight ease of use, Shark offers a 3kg (6lb 6oz) vacuum that’s super easy to hold. It also incorporates Lift-Away technology to make stairs easier. You simply leave the machine at the bottom while extending the head of the vacuum up stairs with you as you clean.

Some of the handheld models bend in the middle for easier access under lower areas without the need to bend over.

A woman using a shark vacuum cleaner in flexible mode cleaning underneath a sofa to illustrate Shark vs HenryCredit: Shark
Some of Shark’s cordless models bend in the middle meaning you can get to those harder to reach places with ease

Henry

Henry is certainly simple to use from the outset, and they’re sturdy enough to take all types of work.

Most are the pull along type, though, which can be a little more effort than cordless. They generally shouldn’t cause much strain as the wheels let it float along lightly behind you. Also its long hose makes getting to lower or higher areas simple without pressure on the user. 

For ease of use and lots of dirt collection, plus no need to hold down a trigger, the Henry range is very straightforward to use.

WINNER: Shark takes this round for the sheer variety of features that help anyone with limited movements or accessibility challenges.

Warranty

Which brand has the best warranty?

Shark offers a superb warranty but Henry also has you covered, albeit for a shorter period.

Shark

Shark has an impressive five-year warranty once you have registered the product within 28 days of buying. This is important to take care of as if you don’t, you’re limited to a basic 12-month warranty period. The warranty covers free parts and labour, presuming damage isn’t a result of accidents or blockages.

Henry

Henry vacuum cleaners don’t have the best coverage but they do still come with a two-year warranty and Henry Tech support, should you need them. Henry is well known for its hardiness so you’re unlikely to need help. Issues are few and far between for this little vacuum powerhouse.

WINNER: In the Shark vs Henry battle, Shark wins this round thanks to a far longer warranty period. Just remember to register that warranty early.

Verdict

Which vacuum is best for you?

When it comes to a wide range of features, ease of use, plenty of pricing options, extensive warranty period and broad selection of vacuum types, it’s the Shark vacuums that really clean up.

If you want a vacuum that’s hardy and uses bags, so you can really seal in allergens longer term, then the Henry range, which is also quite affordable, can be a good pick.

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Luke Edwards

Written by Luke Edwards

Updated:

Luke is a veteran journalist of over 15 years where he has written for most of the national newspapers, all the big tech publications and plenty more besides.

He specialises in technology and science with a particular interest in health, home and adventure developments.

He’s also a father of two, enjoys surfing, reading and exploring nature with his dog.

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