Narwal aims to conquer the robovac market by offering cutting-edge features that distinguish its models from the competition. A few weeks ago we reviewed the Freo X Ultra, which comes with a few unique features. The new Narwal Freo Z Ultra builds on it, fixing some of its issues while adding new features. These include AI obstacle dection, as well as hot water mop washing. However, its premium price puts it in direct competition with other high-end models like the Roborock Qrevo Master. The latter is one of the best we’ve tested, and beating it is no easy task.
In this detailed review, let’s look at how the Narwal Freo Z Ultra compares to the competition and whether its innovative features justify its price.
Narwal Freo Z Ultra
Vacuuming efficiency
Mopping efficiency
Navigation
Obstacle avoidance
Battery life
Value for money
Design & build quality
Average
The Narwal Freo Z Ultra builds on its predecessor with a few key improvements, including hot water mop washing and advanced obstacle detection. It excels in ease of maintenance, with features like a tangle-free brush, self-emptying dust bin, and hot air drying to prevent bacteria and odors. However, its lack of a built-in water tank and extendable mop pads limits its performance, particularly in edge and corner cleaning. While its strong suction power and quiet operation make it appealing, the premium price puts it in competition with models that offer more advanced features for deep cleaning, such as the Roborock Qrevo Master and Dreame L40 Ultra.
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A futuristic dock design
The Narwal Freo Z Ultra comes in a relatively unique design compared to other models. It’s very similar to the Freo X Ultra, with a few improvements.
Its station has a futuristic, curved design, with a single, large front panel, offering a somewhat bespoke look. The latter hides the dust bag, but also a detergent cartridge, allowing for automatic solution adding.

On top, it features an thick flap with an illuminated control panel. The two large water tanks are located under the top panel, making the overall design easier on the eyes. By looking closely, you can notice a small water level window. The latter lets you see if there’s enough clean water simply by glancing at the dock. What’s more, the base plate is fully removable, making cleaning and maintenance more convenient.

The robot itself has a standard round shape. It comes with a LiDAR dome for navigation and two AI cameras and for obstacle detection. On the underside, it features two triangular mop pads and two side brushes. It also comes with a bristled roller, which Narwal claims is designed to avoid tangles. Also, unlike many other robots, the caster wheel is positioned at the back, between the mop pads.
The Narwal Freo Z comes in a unique grey color, offering different option compared to most robovacs that come in black or white.
Functional but basic app
The Narwal Freo app provides standard features like house mapping, room editing, and no-go zones. However, separating rooms can be tricky and takes some effort. The app also allows you to place furniture, mark carpets, and set floor types on the map.
You can customize various cleaning settings in the app. It lets you adjust plenty of cleaning settings, including the mop washing frequency, suction power, and whether to add detergent automatically. You can also set how often the robot cleans edges. This adjustment can be automatic or configured for each cleaning cycle to improve edge cleaning.

The app gives you control over whether the robot vacuums and mops at the same time or handles them separately. You can manually fine-tune the suction power, mop moisture levels, the number of cleaning passes, and overall precision. Alternatively, Freo mode can automatically adjust these settings. It even changes mop dampness based on room humidity and applies more pressure depending on the floor type.
The app can also show obstacles on the map and even include pictures of them, making it easier to understand what the robot detects during cleaning. Similarly, you can access the live video feed and remotely keep an eye on your home or your pet.
The Freo Z Ultra also works with Google Assistant and Alexa, letting you control it with voice commands. The dock also comes with a control panel for quick actions. Sadly, but it doesn’t offer full control over settings or let you send the robot to specific rooms.
Impressive vacuuming power
The Narwal Freo Z Ultra is equipped with impressive suction power, reaching levels of up to 12,000 Pa. This is the highest we’ve seen, and only the Dreame X40 Ultra packs that much power.
This ensures the robot can pick up even larger debris like cereal or crumbs on both hard floor and carpets. The roller brush helps with deeper cleaning by pulling dust and dirt from cracks and grouts, especially on hard floors. On high-pile carpets, the Freo Z Ultra can reach deep into the fibers to efficiency suck out dirt.

Unfortunately, though, its brush doesn’t seem to work well with carpets. It sometimes misses dirt, requiring a second pass. Also, when using high suction settings, the robot tends to blow dirty away instead of vacuuming it.
However, despite its power, the robot’s not as good as some other premium models at cleaning edges and corners. Indeed, it lacks a robotic side brush, and can’t clean corners and alongside baseboard as well as other models.
Mediocre mopping performance
The mopping capabilities of the Narwal Freo Z Ultra are somewhat underwhelming, particularly for a model at this price point. While it does an adequate job cleaning and everyday spills, it struggles with more stubborn messes.
The mop pads are regularly cleaned during operation, which helps keep them fresh. However, the robot lacks an onboard water tank, meaning it can’t continuously damped the mops while cleaning. Because the mops dry out quickly, the robot frequently needs to return to the dock to re-wet them. This leads to extended cleaning times and high water consumption.

Thankfully, though, the dock can automatically add detergent using the built-in cartridge. This being said, it would have been more convenient to use a refillable tank. This way, you could have use third-party cleaning solutions without using single-use plastics.
When it comes to cleaning, the Narwal Freo Z can handle most stains well enough. As it uses hot water and cleaning solution, its cleaning results are good enough. It can also intelligently detect areas that need thorough cleaning and automatically adjust its cleaning strategy and water temperature.

However, it’s far behind the competition when it comes to edge cleaning. The robot is designed to wiggle and get closer to edges to clean them. This approach doesn’t work as well as an extending mop, which is able to actually clean alongside baseboards. This is particularly noticeable under kitchen cabinets or along tight corners, where some stains are clearly missed.
Overall, though, the results aren’t too bad. However, the lack of built-in water tank leads to inconsistent results, as the mops start to dry during cleaning. Also, the edge cleaning feature isn’t as good as other models, especially in the kitchen or along furniture and corners.
Good navigation but some low-light issues
The Narwal Freo Z Ultra’s navigation system is quite accurate and works well, at least during the day. It uses a combination of dual cameras and laser sensors to map out your home and avoid obstacles. This obstacle avoidance system works well in well-lit environments. It can can navigate around items like cables, furniture, and even smaller objects like pet toys. However, it has some trouble in darker settings, where it may miss obstacles or even get lost or stuck.

Besides that, the robot does a good job at positioning itself in multi-room environments. It can handle more complex layouts without too much difficulty, but struggles when used at night.
Quiet operation and long battery life
The Narwal Freo Z Ultra operates at a relatively noise level. Whether vacuuming or mopping, the noise rarely exceeds 60 dB. This makes it unobtrusive enough for use during the day without disrupting conversations or TV watching. Even the mop washing process at the dock remains fairly quiet, making this robot suitable for use at night. However, the mop drying process noise is slightly noticeable, but not lough enough to actually be annoying.

Its battery life is also strong, offering up to 2.5 hours of operation on a full charge. This is enough to clean large homes without requiring a mid-cleaning recharge. However, the frequent trips to the dock for mop re-wetting mean that it takes longer to complete a cleaning cycle. This may man the battery life can sometimes feel less efficient than expected.
Easy to maintain but a hefty price tag
One area where the Narwal Freo Z Ultra excels is in ease of maintenance. The base station includes a fully removable baseplate, which can be cleaned under the sink. Also, the brush roller is truly tangle-free, which reduces the need to remove and clean it up.

Also, the station’s drying feature ensures that the dust bag remains hygienic, preventing bacteria from forming inside of it. It also uses hot air to dry the mops, preventing mildew and bad odors. The dock also supports dynamic electrolyzed water sterilization to eradicate bacteria. All these features ensure a highly hygienic cleaning process, and reduce the need for maintenance.
Is the Narwal Freo Z Ultra the right robovac for you?
The Narwal Freo Z Ultra offers strong suction power, reliable obstacle avoidance, and good battery life. However, its lack of an onboard water tank and extending mop make it difficult to recommend for the price.

If you prioritize ease of maintenance, it could be a solid choice for a quieter, premium robot. However, if deep cleaning or high efficiency is your priority, you may want to explore other options. For the same price, the Roborock Qrevo Master and Dreame L40 Ultra offer better results overall. They both come with an extending side mop, as well as an extending side brush. Also, with two brush rollers, the Qrevo Master is better at tackling carpets. The Dreame, on the other hand, comes with a refillable solution dispenser. Lastly, both models comes with self-cleaning docks, making them easier to maintain.
Pros | Cons |
Strong vacuuming power | Poor edge cleaning |
Tangle-free brush | No built-in water tank |
Solution dispensing and hot water mopping | Expensive for the features offered |
Q&A
Yes, the Narwal Freo Z Ultra uses hot water for mop washing. It automatically adjusts the water temperature between 45°C and 75°C, depending on the type of dirt detected.
The Narwal Freo Z Ultra twists its body for the mop pads to reach corners. However, it lacks extendable mop pads that most competitors now use to reach deeper into corners and along baseboards.
Yes, the Narwal Freo Z Ultra has an automatic detergent dispenser. It mixes cleaning solution with water directly in the dock, ensuring optimal cleaning results during mopping.
Yes, the Narwal Freo Z Ultra does come with a self-emptying feature. The station automatically empties the robot’s dust bin, reducing the need for frequent manual emptying.
Yes, the Freo Z Ultra can store multiple floor maps. This feature is useful for multi-story homes or spaces with different layouts.
Kyle Lakewood
Based in New York, Kyle combines his passion for smart home products with a commitment to honest, unbiased reviews. As the founder of Smart Home Critic, he guides readers in choosing the right products for their needs. Living with his partner and dog, Kyle brings a personal touch to his work, involving his whole family in the review process to ensure each product is thoroughly tested and family-approved.