2014 Numatic Lewis NVR200 special edition

Well what a little cracker Numatic has for us here!
This is one of two special edition Numatics made for John Lewis stores to celebrate their 150th Anniversary. A range of british design icons were commissioned especially for John Lewis, the classic 'Henry' vacuum being one of them.
What makes John and Lewis really special is the fact that they are the first in the Numatic range to feature a new 580w motor to bring their vacuums in line with new EU Legislation which will see an end to inefficient, cheaply made mega-wattage cleaners that seem to plague the market these days. So how does the new eco friendly motor perform?
Very well indeed actually, For a start it's exceptionally quiet unlike the 2000+ watt rice-burners we've become accustomed to these days. In terms of suction power, although slightly noticeably less compared to the old 1200w Henry, it's by no means underpowered. To most general consumers I really don't think they would notice the drop in power. To me it feels similar in power to an older 1000w Henry. It's still capable of turning an air driven power head on thick shag rug which is impressive!
The new Miele style standard floor tool is an absolute pleasure to use on all surfaces and gives good performance on carpets. The standard Numatic tool set is of good quality and comprehensive with everything you need for most cleaning tasks. I'm glad Numatic have done away with the unreliable Autosave system as the PCB's were prone to failure, in its place is a nice big power on LED like the Electrolux from the 70s had. The tool dock on the rear of Lewis is a handy addition.
For a £130 vacuum you won't be disappointed, it has all the traditional Henry values of robustness, reliability, ease of use and easy maintenance. Don't let the low wattage motor put you off, it's just as good as Henrys have always been and more than sufficient for most tasks. It just goes to show that big wattage really isn't the key to making a good vacuum. Numatic have proved that you can make a fantastic good quality little eco friendly cylinder for a reasonable price. Well done Numatic!