Numatic International Charles (CVC370)

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Overall

#240 in

Vacuum Cleaners

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Sentiment score75% positive
6
1
1
Last updated: May 17, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit IconAppropriate_Try_7672
6 months ago

Spend an extra £50 and you can get a Charles - twice the power and can drink 10 pints of fluids.

Reddit IconDBT85
10 months ago

Miele Cat and dog v3 here. Got it 11 years ago to replace the £40 asda special my new gf had which had died. Previously had Dyson and wouldn't buy another so we dropped £250 on this which she thought was mad. Still going strong. Getting a new brush head a few months back also made a world of difference as they do wear out. For brick dust and grot work the Numatic Charles gets the call as it can also handle water.

10 months ago

I get that, I have a workshop full of expensive tools to stand behind it too. My point is more along the lines of if all they need is a wet and dry and don't happen to have £600 notes just sitting on the mantle for one, but didn't want a Parkside then something like a Numatic Charles will likely last a lifetime for them, do everything they need and only be £150. When you're doing a lot of trade or DIY it does of course pay to spend more. Unquestionably. That was all.

8 months ago

A Numatic charles a has been my goto for a decade because it can also handle water. They don't get a carpet as clean as a proper vac with a beater brush but they get the very worst of it up. Use a Dyson at your peril.

Reddit IconEunosLuke
6 months ago

If you're planning on going for a Henry, push the extra for a Charles instead, they're higher wattage as they don't have to abide by the wattage limitation for vacuum cleaners because they're a wet vac.1000w rather than 500 something .

Reddit Iconiwaterboardheathens
12 months ago

If you're going to buy from an English hoover manufacturer, go with Numatic and get a Hetty, Henry or Charles

Reddit IconMandolele
9 months ago

Have you taken Henry to a vacuum repair shop? My Charles stopped working - his cable came loose and a repair cost a whopping £17.50

Reddit IconPracticeNo8733
6 months ago

Or, as per my other comment, get a Charles. Then you can vacuum fluids and it has a more powerful motor.

6 months ago

Not quite either, I'd go for a Numatic Charles (same manufacturer as the Henry). It's a basic wet and dry but more importantly IMO it has a more powerful motor than the Henry due to not being caught by the power limit for normal vacuums. (And I'm aware it's claimed that the modern lower powered ones are "just as good", quoting "air watts" etc, but that's completely at odds with my real world experience.) To be fair I haven't had a Shark but I did have a vaguely similar Dyson and I wasn't impressed.

5 months ago

Or a Charles from the same manufacturer. Because it's a wet/dry it's not subject to the same power limit and so has more power than the modern Henry.

4 months ago

Suggest George or Charles from the same manufacturer if buying new. They're more powerful as (because they're wet/dry) they're not subject to the lower power limit that modern Henry units are. Or get an older reconditioned Henry with 1kW or more.

4 months ago

Suggest George or Charles from the same manufacturer if buying new. They're more powerful as (because they're wet/dry) they're not subject to the lower power limit that modern Henry units are.

Reddit IconSea_Statistician_983
6 months ago

We had a Charles which was basically just a Henry that could suck up water/glass in the bar I used to work at.

Reddit IconSumGai7
10 months ago

Just to compare, what vacuum brand and model are you using now? I'd totally buy a Numatic Charles £179 if I were in the UK. It's a very durable vacuum and the Chares is a wet/dry version of Henry. They use large hepa bags and can do wet pickup. Honestly I though I've never used the wet pickup on my wet/dry vacuums in years. So if you never plan on doing any wet pickup you can also choose from all the other Henry models. Karcher has also makes some great wet/dry vacuums like the WD2 through WD6. I prefer Henrys because they use standard 32 mm tools while Karcher uses slightly wider tools so adding additional tools to Karchers is more limited.

End of reviews

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