But the question is, do these features deliver?
Almost all of them do, except probably the most important one: vacuuming.
Mopping on the Narwal Freo was a different story.
(Image credit: Future / Danielle Abraham)
The two oscillating mop heads did an excellent job cleaning up lighter dirt, spots, and grime.
It’s not the best Ive seen but on par with many robot vacuums Ive tested.
However, the omission of an auto-emptying dustbin was shocking given the retail price.
(Image credit: Future / Danielle Abraham)
The Narwal Freo is best for homes with lighter cleaning needs given the poor vacuum pick-up.
you’ve got the option to get it directly from theNarwal websiteor various retailers, includingAmazonandWalmart.
In Australia, its available on theirwebsite.
(Image credit: Future / Danielle Abraham)
Given the price, this robot vacuum sits at the higher end of the market.
Still, the lack of an auto-emptying dust bin is shocking.
Upon opening, I was greeted with a large instruction sheet and began setting up the vacuum.
It was fairly simple and similar to most robot vacuums.
Its the same white as the base, so scuff marks began to show immediately after the initial use.
My favorite part of the actual robot vacuum is the oscillating mops.
You get two large, plush mop heads that rotate and adjust pressure based on the floor jot down.
After mopping, the base station cleans the mops and even dries them to prevent smelly bacteria growth.
The vacuum and mops are both used in this mode.
This process takes about two minutes.
Then, it would go right back out, picking up where it left off cleaning.
Freo Mode left the floors cleaner than before, but the performance wasnt perfect.
There was still debris left in the corners and edges of rooms, especially near the kitchen cabinets.
The rugs also had some debris and dog hair left on them.
I noticed that each suction level performed similarly.
Some sprinkles got crushed in the process, and they were left behind.
The sugar appeared to get vacuumed.
I performed these same tests on medium-pile carpeting, and unfortunately, the Narwal Freos performance was pretty pathetic.
I had to grab a cordless vacuum I was testing to pick up the mess the Freo left behind.
So, if your home consists mostly of carpeting, Id seek another robot vacuum option.
I used all the mop water levels: slightly dry, normal, and wet mopping.
Slightly dry tended to spread the mess around, but normal and wet mopping performed better.
A second pass-through cleaned up the majority of the mess.
I love how great the mops perform.
Theyre perfect for cleaning up lighter spills and messes.
Plus, even after several weeks of use, the mops look almost as good as new.
Its navigation was on par with other vacuums Ive tested.
For the most part, it covered the entire area I had requested the robot vacuum to clean.
The machine would avoid objects like dog bowls and toys.
Ive found this to be a common issue with many robot vacuums.
Wires would also get caught in the main brush from time to timenot a big surprise.
Speaking of the main brush, it has bristles, something many robot vacuums have done away with.
That means its a hair magnet, and I had to clean it on multiple occasions.
I also found the brush difficult to get back in place correctly after cleaning, a minor annoyance.
When it came to detecting debris, it was a hit or miss.
Sometimes, the Narwal Freo would spot larger messes and pick them up immediately.
This was a major disappointment, especially given the price.
In fact, I was truly shocked at just how mediocre the vacuuming performance of the Narwal Freo was.
But I was lucky if the Freo picked up a third of what was on the floor.
Sure, larger crumbs and dirt were left, and thats acceptable and often expected from these devices.
I also believe the vacuums performance declined from when I first began using it.
Still, it failed to have a better pick-up.
Narwal Freo: App
It was simple to start using the Narwal Freo.
Before its first run, the robot vacuum leaves the base and creates a map of your space.
The map isnt as intelligent as some Ive used, but it should suffice for most.
A great feature of the Narwal App is its ability to save up to four maps.
So, beyond the main downstairs map, I created two others.
One map of my sunken family room and another of the upstairs.
It lets you adjust vacuum parameters, check when components need replacing, schedule cleanings, and more.
Using Freo Mode, which includes vacuuming and mopping, the battery lasted over three hours.
That was enough juice to clean almost 700 square feet of space three times.
Its the best battery performance Ive seen in my robot vacuum testing.
When only using the vacuuming function, I found that the battery did deplete quicker.
Still, it lasted long enough for multiple whole home cleanings.
Of course, increasing the suction level did cause the levels to drop even faster.
After the battery dropped below 20%, it returned to the base for charging.
And the battery gets back to 100% percent surprisingly fast, taking less than 4 hours.
Should I buy the Narwal Freo?
Buy it if…
You want top-tier mopping.
You have a multilevel home.
Unlike many robot vacuum apps, the Narwal app allows you to create up to four maps.
You dont always want to use an app.
Don’t buy it if…
You have pets or kids in your home.
The Narwal Freo fails to pick up a good portion of debris when performing average cleaning tasks.
Youll want to grab an option with more suction power.
You have a mostly carpeted home.
If you dont have hard floors, then you’re able to find better-performing vacuum-only options for cheaper.
You want an auto-emptying dustbin.
Unfortunately, the base station of this robot vacuum doesnt include an auto-emptying dust bin.
That means youll need to remove the dust box and empty it.
Its a surprising omission, considering the price of the vacuum.
Narwal Freo: Also consider
Not sold on the prowess of the Narwal Freo?
Below are a couple of alternatives that you’re free to consider.
An intuitive app delivers intelligent mapping as well as easy adjustment of configs.
Read our fullRoborock S8 Pro Ultra review
Eufy Clean X9 ProA solid robot vacuum that vacuums and mops.
Unfortunately, theres no auto-emptying for the dust box.
Theres also an intuitive app that creates an intelligent map and makes it simple to adjust various options.
There are also low-pile rugs throughout.
Read we test
First reviewedDecember 2023
