What your vacuum cleaner says about you

The world of vacuum cleaners, it seems, is a tribal one, particularly among Telegraph readers, where brand loyalty is key.

Whether it’s a battle-hardened Henry dragged from job to job, a durable, German-engineered machine or a high-tech Dyson, each choice reflects a different philosophy of cleaning and often says as much about your priorities as it does about your floors.

When we recently updated our guide to the best vacuums, the comments were full of varying opinions and recommendations. So, here’s the advice worth considering next time you’re in the market for a new one.

The people’s champion: Henry

Unpretentious, nostalgic and found everywhere from tradesmen’s vans to family homes, Henry is by far the most highly-rated vacuum cleaner among our readers, and for good reason. Made by British brand Numatic, the vacuum is reliable, indestructible, and even fireproof, as one reader explains.

Henry is “the vacuum cleaner of choice” for David Jones, who regards the brand as the best for helping to manage maintenance on various facilities.

While at home, he prefers to use George: “It is basically a Henry with a wet extraction carpet cleaner bolted on. It can be used as a dry vacuum and works well.”

“I like Numatic stuff in general because its cleaners are powerful, robust and cheap. Parts are readily available, not that I seem to need them much,” he explains.

Jones has tried other vacuums in his work, such as a Dyson stick vacuum, which he found “expensive, flimsy, not very powerful and with limited battery life”.