REVIEW – Robot Vacuums Are still not as prevalent as other home appliances. However, as features and sophistication improve and people spend more time at home, I expect this segment to grow. I have a Narwal Freo X plus robot vacuum to review. This review of this model should be interesting, given all the new features and performance enhancements. Read on to see what I think!
What is it?
The Narwal Freo X plus robot vacuum is the base entry of the Narwal robot vacuum line. The top-of-the-line Narwal Freo X Ultra Robot Vacuum & Mop has advanced mopping capabilities, a self-cleaning mop, and 8200Pa suction versus 7800Pa, but they are equal in about every other way. The Narwal Freo X plus robot vacuum uses multiple laser sensors to ensure that the area to be cleaned is covered. Sensors detect the difference between hard and carpeted areas and adjust the cleaning accordingly. Floors and carpets are swept with brushes rotating parallel to the floor directing dirt towards the center suction area. The central brush is only connected to one side of the robot vacuum and does not wind hairs and filament-like dirt around the brush head. The dirt is optionally collected into a disposable bag. The airflow in the bag compresses the dirt away from the suction filter to enable the bag to fill for up to 7 weeks. Using a bag isolates the dust and allergens from the user while emptying the vacuum. The Narwal Freo X Plus also has a water reservoir to wet a mop pad. On solid surfaces the robot vacuums and mops on one pass. On the carpet, the mop is raised to keep the carpet dry. The robot is controlled by an app so that a schedule and cleaning zones can be defined. The app is also integrated into Siri and Alexa.
What’s included?
- Robot (dust bin x1, water tank x1, roller brush x1, mopping module x1 included
- Side brush x2
- Power cord x1
- Moisture-proof pad x1
- Disposable dust bag & Dust bag guardian x2
- Base station x1
- Washable mop pad x1
- Disposable mop pad x2
- User manual x1
Tech specs
Click to expand
Robot Dimensions: 350*355*107 mm
Color: White
Robot Weight: ~4.25kg
Wi-Fi Protocol: IEEE 802.11b/g/n
Frequency Range: 2412~2472MHz
Base station Dimensions: 275*118*137 mm
Base Station Weight: ~0.86kg
Rated input: 100-240V
Rated output: 20V 1.8A
Rated frequency: 50-60Hz
Bluetooth: BLE 4.2
Design and features
Unboxing
The Narwal Freo X Plus comes in a full-color retail box. There is a convenient handle installed on the top and the other sides of the box describe the benefits and features of this model.
The inside features more information and instructions on the cardboard inserts included to keep the moisture barrier protected while in transit.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
The Narwal Freo X Plus does have some setup required before it is used. The robot vacuum and charging base does require some assembly. The side brushes must be installed. Each of the side Brushes only go on in one way. The Brushes are color coded to indicate what side each brush should be installed on and the post that the brush is installed onto is trapezoidal. Maybe the Narwal is programmed to not let the brushes show while stowed, or maybe there is some sequencing that provides enhanced cleaning. While setting up the robot there is also a piece of foam that keeps the bumper motionless while in transport that needs to be removed.
The robot can charge itself by returning to the base station and backing itself into the charging contacts. The base station should therefore be placed in the area that is accessible where charging will most often be required. This could be a certain floor if the robot is used on different floors. If the robot is used to clean a living room more than a laundry room, the base station can still be placed in the laundry room as long as there is a path to travel to the base station. The station needs one meter (about 3 ft) in front of the station for the robot to turn around and back into the charging contacts.
Once the robot is fully assembled and powered on for the first time there is a full spectrum start tone followed by a synthesized voice prompt. The speaker is very loud but there is a do not disturb feature that reduces disturbances. This is in contrast to the beeps and tones that I am familiar with from the other vacuums I have reviewed.
Once the app is connected to the vacuum, the vacuum is connected to the internet, and new firmware is installed, the Narwal Freo X Plus is ready to learn the area. The voice prompt says ready to start mapping which sounds a lot like ready to start mopping, but the vacuum will not clean during this step. The Narwal moves around the rooms and builds a map using the LIDAR system installed on top of the vacuum.
As the LIDAR is working you can see the map being built in real time on the app. The robot is also mapping the type of floor that it is traveling over by using an ultrasonic sensor. If the robot mistakes the type of flooring, then a zone can be set up in the map with the type of cleaning that you would like performed in that area. There is no official way to add carpet to a solid floor. The app has stencils of furniture that can be placed on the built maps to help aid locating the robot.
The app allows the user to identify different areas and wash steps as routines. The routines can be started by asking Narwal to perform them using Alexa, Siri or Google Home. The app also allows editing of the maps, including defining different rooms, floors, and specifying no-go areas such as where electrical cables and table legs may become obstacles for the vacuum. The product comes with four built-in cleaning modes: Vacuum, Mop, Vacuum and Mop, and Vacuum then Mop. The app also has a lot of customization for the thoroughness of the cleaning. There are four levels of vacuum power, three levels of mop wetness, two levels of cleaning path density, and an option to clean the area once or twice.
The app allows the cleaning to be scheduled.
The app also has an option for Freo Advise. This is Narwal’s intelligent cleaning assistant. When the Freo Advise mode is on, the robot can intelligently set cleaning parameters. You can enable Freo Advise after selecting the cleaning mode in the App.
Design
The base station is a simple design with two charge tabs and a while power LED. It has cord storage tabs on the back. It does not seem to have an IR beacon like many other base stations for vacuums on the market. Perhaps, the robot uses the LIDAR to know where it is when it is being charged and returns to that location accordingly. The base station can be used in combination with the moisture pad to prevent a wet spot from lingering on carpet or a wood floor.
The Narwal Freo X Plus does not have a built-in mop cleaner in the base. The mop pad will return to the base wet if it is used. To ensure that a wet pad does not damage a floor or carpet, the base station comes with a plastic sheet that can be installed under the base station. If you are not planning on using the mop, then the moisture-proof pad does not need to be used.
The top cover of the robot is removed to access the dust bin, and water supply. Narwal has a dust bag and filter assembly that can be installed in place of the dust bin. Narwal says that the dust bag can last for up to seven weeks and using it will limit the user’s exposure to allergens and other items the vacuum may have captured. Note that the top cover is a bit of a fingerprint magnet.
The water tank is 280 mL which is smaller than the 5 L reservoir that lives in the charging base of the Narwal’s siblings. However, the mopping performance is good for what a mopping pad can provide. However, for serious mopping performance the Narwal Freo X Ultra should be considered.
If using the bag style dust container, remove the rigid plastic container and install the bag. The bag comes with a desiccant to keep the dust bag dry.
The vacuum must be paired with a mobile phone so that it can be paired with the Wi-Fi in the area to permit advanced setup and control. The process is easy and a familiar one to anyone who has used a device controlled by Google Home or Amazon Alexa. The app also permits firmware updates to the robot.
The LIDAR has a laser emitter and a sensor on a rotating stand. The laser should not be looked at. I’m surprised that I do not see warnings advising against this activity.
In addition to the LIDAR the vacuum has a Laser TOF scanner on the front port and the side for obstacle avoidance and proximity determination.
The whole thing is powered by a battery with a lot of capacity. The vacuum can run for up to 4 hours before it needs to be recharged.
Performance
The setup and programming of the robot vacuum went well but the app does have a lot of settings. It would be helpful if the app had a tutorial built int o show the users what to press and the features that are available. For instance, finding the map storage area on the app was not immediately obvious to me when setting up the vacuum.
I am very impressed with the navigation. The ability of the vacuum to reference the map and determine the overall shortest path to clean a room is demonstrated by the way the vacuum plans the overall path used to clean a room. it is also impressive how the vacuum adapts to obstacles on the floor. I did observe that when the vacuum mapped the room it was being tested in that it marked the carpet as an area to just cross over. Therefore, when I tried to vacuum the carpet, it only skirted the perimeter. Editing the map did alleviate the issue.
The mop performance is impressive because of the volume of water that the mop can put down. The fact that the vacuum picks up the mop while it is not used is great for being able to vacuum and mop in quick succession. The mop feature also benefits from the weight that the vacuum applies while the mop feature is being used.
The suction performance is set to normal power on a wide coverage setting by default. The performance at this level is good but can be improved by operating at the narrow path width and high suction power.
The vacuum beater brush is designed with a taper and with only one fixed end so that it is extremely resistant to coiling up hair. This not only helps the vacuum performance but reduces the amount of maintenance that needs to be performed on the vacuum. One other thing that reduces the amount of maintenance required is the completely disposable dust bag. It is interesting that almost all vacuums used to have bags and now the Narwal is bringing this item back into popular use. If the vacuum is using a filter instead of a cyclone, then having a disposable bag makes sense. Dyson and UBPET are two manufacturers of cyclonic dust removal.
What I like about the Narwal Freo X Plus
- great navigation
- no-tangle brush
- dust bag option
- Smart assistant integration
What needs to be improved?
- app tutorial
- standard cleaning effectiveness
Final thoughts
A lot of attention has been placed on the Narwal Freo X Ultra and the mopping and base station cleaning. For homes that do not have a lot of mopping required, the Narwal Freo X Plus offers many of the same vacuuming and navigational benefits of its more famous cousin. For those interested in excellent hardwood vacuuming, great carpet cleaning, fantastic navigation, and a slew of other benefits, the Narwal Freo X Plus is an excellent option.
Price: $399.99
Where to buy: Amazon, Narwal
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Narwal. Narwal did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
