The Narwal Freo X Ultra aims to combine innovation and ease of use. It comes in a unique design and combines innovative features that set it apart from the competition. These include an illuminated control panel on the station for easier control. It also boasts a Freo AI mode that automatically adjusts most cleaning settings.

In this detailed review, let’s see whether these are enough to differentiate it from the competition. It It’s a relatively expensive product, and at this price it aims to rivals models like the new Roborock Qrevo Master, while lacking some of the latest cleaning tech.

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Unique dock design, but no self-emptying

The Narwal Freo X Ultra has a unique form factor compared to other products. Its station has no front openings and features a curved, modern design. Unlike most docks with ramp extensions, the Freo X Ultra fully covers the robot for a discreet look. The top of the station includes an illuminated control panel, allowing you to control it without using the app. Underneath it are two large water tanks and a hidden compartment for the detergent cartridge. The base plate is fully removable for easier cleaning, simplifying overall maintenance and care. Surprisingly, the Freo X Ultra doesn’t come with a dust bag in the station, and instead requires you to manually empty the robot’s dust bins.

The robot itself has a standard round shape with a LiDAR dome on the top. For navigation, the robot uses 3D structured light and laser beams to detect obstacles. Under the top panel, you can access the dust bin or bag. The Freo X Ultra offers a choice between a traditional dust bin or disposable bags. These must be replaced when full, which requires buying new ones frequently. Although this sounds easy, it’s neither economical nor sustainable.

On the underside, the robot has two triangular mop pads and two side brushes with only two arms to reduce hair entanglements. The main brush is a bristled roller, which Narwal says is zero hair tangle certified. The caster wheel is located at the back, between the mop pads, unlike most robots where the pads extend to the center for better coverage.

Basic and clunky app

The Narwal Freo app isn’t the most intuitive. It offers standard robovac features like mapping your house, editing rooms, and creating no-go zones. Separating rooms isn’t the easier thing, though, and requires a bit of fiddling. You can also use the map to place furniture, mark carpets, and adjust floor types.

Cleaning settings are customizable, with options to adjust mop drying intensity, washing frequency, and enable automatic detergent dispensing. The app also allows you to adjust the edge cleaning frequency. This can be done automatically or during every cleaning cycle, making the robot wiggle for better edge cleaning.

You can choose between simultaneous vacuuming and mopping, one after the other, or handle them separately. You can adjust the cleaning settings manually, such as the suction power, mop dampness, number of passes, and cleaning precision. Alternatively, the Freo mode uses AI to automatically adjust settings and re-mop dirty areas. It even tweaks mop dampness based on room humidity and applies extra pressure depending on the floor type.

While the app shows where the robot has cleaned, it disappointingly doesn’t display obstacles on the map, unlike many competitors.

The Freo X Ultra also works with Google Assistant and Alexa, allowing you to control it using your smart speakers. Additionally, it comes with an innovative control panel on the station, which lets you perform basic actions. Unfortunately, it’s not advanced enough to let you adjust settings or send the robot to a specific room.

Adequate vacuuming, but lacks deep cleaning finesse

The Narwal Freo X Ultra comes with a 8,200 Pa suction power, which is within the industry average. It uses a bristled brush roller to capture dust, which is usually better at reaching into grouts, but also tends to be more prone to hair entanglements. However, Narwal says its brush is designed to prevent this from happening, helping ensure dirt is effectivement capture, without the hassle of dealing with hair tangles. Two side brushes help catch dust from corners and along baseboards. Unfortunately, they’re not motorized to properly clean corners like the Roborock Qrevo Master‘s or Dreame X40 Ultra.

The overall cleaning results aren’t perfect, which is disappointing for a robot at this price. On normal settings, the Freo X Ultra tends miss dirt and dust, especially in corners, which isn’t what you’d expect. Also, it doesn’t automatically boost its suction power on carpets and tends to clean them a bit too superficially, often requiring several passes to remove dirt and dust.

Overall, it does a decent job for daily cleaning, but it’s not the best to give your floor a proper deep clean.

Underwhelming mopping performance

The Freo X Ultra washes the mop before, during, and after each cleaning cycle. Thanks to the detergent cartridge you place in the dock, it automatically dispenses and mixes cleaning solution with the water to improve the cleaning results. Unfortunately, it doesn’t use hot water to wash the mops, unlike most high-end models from the competition, affecting cleaning performance.

Worse, the robot has no built-in water tank, so the mops are only dampened when washed in the dock, leading them to dry out quickly. This requires re-dampening every 12 square meters, limiting effectiveness and wasting water and time compared to other models.

The Freo X Ultra comes with an edge cleaning feature to wiggle so its mop pads reach corners. While this is appreciable, it’s not as effective as a proper extending side mop like the ones found on competing models, which can clean under kitchen baseboards properly.

As a result, mopping performance isn’t perfect. It’s adequate for light messes and some stains. However, the Freo X Ultra struggles with tough stains like dried tomato sauce, even with cleaning solution. For everyday cleaning, it’s fine, but for deeper cleaning, manual mopping is still necessary.

The Freo mode is also a bit of a mixed bag. While it adjusts cleaning settings automatically and adapts to the dirt levels, it tends to trigger too many cleaning passes. This lead to extended cleaning times, but also high water usage. If you have a large house, you may need to replenish water, as they may become depleted during the cleaning cycle.

Good navigation and obstacle avoidance

The Freo X Ultra uses a standard LiDAR dome for navigation, allowing it to properly locate itself and move from room to room seamlessly. It does a good job positioning itself, even when dealing with several maps and floors, and can autonomously return to its dock when needed.

Its obstacle detection tech is fair, sensing most obstacles left on the floor. Unlike some models that tend to push shoes, toys and other objects around, the Freo X Ultra is able to avoid them. It also continuously checks for obstacles, meaning it’s able to avoid ones that are placed in front it it while it cleans. However, it struggles with thin furniture legs and often bumps into them. When dealing with cables, it doesn’t see thin ones and ignores them, so it’s best to ensure they’re not left on the floor.

Overall, though, it comes with a relatively good navigation algorithm and properly detects obstacles, even on the sides, which is pretty good.

Noise and battery life

The Narwal Freo X Ultra isn’t the quietest around, producing around 60 dB both in normal mode and quiet modes. It’s still quiet enough to work or have a conversation or watch TV, though, helping ensure it’s not too noticeable. The mop washing and drying aren’t very loud, allowing you to use it at night when you’re sleeping.

As for the battery life, it’s relatively good, reaching up to 210 minutes. It’s enough to clean large surfaces, without the need to pause and recharge before it resumes working.

Very easy to maintain

Caring for the Narwal Freo X Ultra is a bit of a mixed bag. First, the fact that the base station doesn’t have a dust bag means you need to manually empty the robot’s dust bin or throw away the dust bag. To avoid doing this too often, it comes with an innovative air compression feature, which helps maximize space.

The robot is easy to clean, and Narwal’s zero hair tangle claim is actually true. Despite using a bristled roller, hair doesn’t get tangled around it, making it easy to clean and care for.

Cleaning the washboard is also very easy. The baseplate is fully removable, making it easy to clean under the sink. Sadly, the washboard and baseplate tend to become particularly filthy, so you need to clean them often. Also, the mop pads aren’t perfectly cleaned by the dock, so it’s best to throw them in the washer to keep them clean.

To maximize hygiene, the dock can also dry the mop pads and the dust bin, helping reduce bacteria and prevent bad odors.

Is the Narwal Freo X Ultra the right robovac for you?

The Narwal Freo X Ultra is a good choice if you value design and ease of use. Its innovative features, like the Freo AI mode, make cleaning simpler. However, if deep cleaning and advanced features are your priority, other models might be a better fit. At this price point, you may want to consider better options from other brands. If you’re looking for an affordable robot that offers excellent cleaning results, you may want to consider the Roborock Qrevo Pro. It’s probably the robovac with the best value for money on the market, offering excellent cleaning results.

Pros	Cons
Easy to maintain	No self-emptying
Good battery life	Disappointing cleaning results
Unique design	No advanced cleaning features (extending mop, hot water)

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