INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Robot vacuum cleaners may have all but taken the market by storm these past few years but how many of you actually know that they were first introduced in some markets (USA and Japan come to mind) well over 25 years ago? Strangely enough however even though many of us saw them parade from our TV screens in many popular movies of the late 90's i guess none of us actually cared enough to even ask what their purpose was (we were just teenagers after all). As expected, 25+ years later robot vacuums have gone through numerous technological improvements and so unlike early models of that time they can actually perform cleaning tasks such as vacuuming and mopping very effectively. After the very successful crowdfunding campaign for their T10 robot vacuum back in 2019 Narwal decided to further improve it by listening to input from both the media and their customers and the result is the brand new Freo Robot Vacuum and Mop.

   Narwal is known for using its cutting-edge technology to get the top-tier cleaning job done from start to finish, with the objective of bringing flawless floors to users. The company has obtained more than $26.18 million in Series A, B, and C financing to date. Its investors include Sequoia Capital, Hillhouse Capital, Byte Dance and more. Gathering with over 400 researchers and scientists from across the globe, Narwal has made numerous breakthroughs in multiple fields and won a number of international awards, including the Edison Gold Award, honoring innovation, and Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2020.

   Just like with every other top model in the market the Narwal Freo uses LiDAR navigation with LDS laser mapping algorithms and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technologies to move around, avoid obstacles and create a valid 3D map of the area. Narwal has also equipped the Freo with a brushless motor that sports a suction power of 3000Pa, 360 degrees sensors (anti-fall/edge cleaning/TOF/ultrasonic), dual height adjustable triangular shaped mopping pads (spin at 180RPM, deliver 12N downward force and retract when the Freo is not in mop mode), 480ml dustbin, retractable side brushes, retractable roller brush and a 5200mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack which according to Narwal can keep the Freo going for up to 3 and 1/2 hours. Thanks to its sensor array the Narwal Freo can be used in automatic mode (Freo/DirtSense technology) to decide just how many times it needs to clean a room for optimal results. Just like their previous T10 model and even the X1 OMNI by ECOVACS what makes the Narwal Freo truly unique however is its docking station which is not only for charging the robot but also for providing fresh water and washing the mopping pads when needed. To achieve that Narwal uses their exclusive formulated floor cleaner (which is mixed with the clean water) together with dual air tunnels and a drying heat of 40 degrees (which according to them inhibits the growth of bacteria and protects the fabric of the mopping pads). A round LCD touch display located on top of the docking station allows the end user to control the Narwal Freo directly and without the need of the Narwal Freo Android/iOS app. Still via that app you can control modes, schedule cleaning, customize cleaning routines, manage accessories, generate cleaning reports, rename rooms, set no-go zones and much more. So, let's see what the 2nd Robot Vacuum by Narwal brings to the table and whether or not it deserves a place in your home and/or office.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Narwal uses a rather plain cardboard box to ship the Freo the front of which has a product drawing and the company and product names.

 

 

A 2D barcode is located on the left side of the box and probably takes you to the product website (haven't scanned it).

 

 

On the right side we find a sticker with the electrical specifications of the Freo.

 

 

The Freo is placed into 2 separate boxes the first of which contains the robot with two extra mopping pads, two side brushes and the user's manual.

 

 

The second box contains the docking station with its power cord, floor cleaner, two round filters and a quick start guide/paper.

 

 

THE NARWAL FREO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Narwal Freo is available in white color and the robot measures 350mm in width, 351,5mm in length and 106mm in height (although just a tad taller it's actually slightly smaller in diameter compared to the X1 OMNI by ECOVACS).

 

 

As with most robot vacuum models in the market at the top, we find the LiDAR sensor and the on/off/clean button.

 

 

As expected at the front of the robot we find the object avoidance sensor.

 

 

Once you open the top, you'll see the 480ml dustbin surrounded by the water tank, a cut and clean tool and the reset button.

 

 

The 480ml dustbin is not very large but it's not small either so it should easily last for a couple of uses.

 

 

Turning the robot over we find two large rubberized side wheels, two mopping pads, main round wheel, main roller brush, two ports for the side brushes, 4 infra-red laser sensors, TOF sensor and an ultrasonic sensor.

 

 

The roller brush is of very good quality but if you happen to have pets (like myself) Freo has an anti-tangle roller brush available for purchase online.

 

 

Instead of using 3-way side brushes Narwal has opted for 2-way ones.

 

 

The base station is made out of glossy plastic and measures 435mm in height, 415mm in length and 370mm in width (again, smaller compared to that of the X1 OMNI).

 

 

At the top of the base station, we find the dual-tank cover and the LCD display.

 

 

Narwal has placed handles on the sides of the base station making it very easy to move around if needed.

 

 

As expected inside the station we find two water tanks, one for clean water and one for dirty water.

 

 

Each tank is around 4 litres in capacity so they should last for quite a while before you need to empty/fill them up again.

 

 

The lemon & basil cleaning solution needs to be installed inside the base station as seen above and again should last quite a bit (not much is used each time the robot is filled).

 

 

The base station is easy to disassemble and clean, you just need to pull the clear plastic section seen above out.

 

 

Even though in the above picture the robot didn't stay inside it actually goes all the way in the base station thus getting protection for its entire body (unlike the X1 OMNI).

 

 

FREO LCD DISPLAY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The touch LCD display allows the end user to control the Freo without the need of the Android/iOS app.

As expected, the main tab allows you to choose between auto (Freo) and manual cleaning modes.

 

 

You can also enter the settings menu by pulling it down using your finger and from here you can adjust the LCD display brightness level, set the volume for the Freo's audio feedback, check the current network connection or connect the Freo to your local network, enable/disable using the cleaning solution, check the lifespan of the accessories, enable/disable child lock and DND, set the drying mode (3 available ones), change the language, rebuild the 3D map, pair a new device (robot) with the station, check the system version, access the help center and adjust the standby mode.

 

 

NARWAL FREO APP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For complete control over the Freo i do suggest downloading the Narwal Freo android/iOS app (even though the LCD display does offer most of the same settings).

Once you pair the Freo with the app it will appear on the main tab.

 

 

Selecting the Freo will take you to the room screen from where you can see the 3D map (after the Freo has cleaned the area 2-3 times) along with the two available modes (Freo and Customize) and 4 cleaning modes.

 

 

By expanding the screen, you gain access to the vacuum suction level, water delivery level and the how many times you'd like the Freo to clean each room (1-3).

 

 

The area tab allows you select entire areas for cleaning instead of rooms.

 

 

Moving to the plan tab from here you can choose where the Freo should clean first.

 

 

Once you start cleaning the screen will have a time counter and the percentage of the area cleaned.

 

 

From the record tab you can see all the finished tasks (unfinished tasks don't appear here) and recorded errors.

 

 

Inside the map management tab, you'll find tools like no-go zones and floor planning.

 

 

Within the device management tab Narwal has placed various general settings for the end user to adjust and also to check the state of the accessories, define how the Freo should behave when it comes up to a carpet, set the desired washing plan for the mopping pads, share the robot with other people and check for firmware updates (unfortunately i was unable to use the latest update for my review).

 

 

TEST RESULTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robot Vacuums may be home appliances but they are very advanced ones so I thought about running some tests like I do with most electronic devices. So here you can see the maximum cleaned area during all tests (single pass, start to finish), total battery life (in quiet - standard/balanced - strong/max modes) and noise levels again in quiet - standard/balanced - strong/max suction modes (mopping oriented models like the ECOVACS X1 OMNI and the Narwal Freo will be tested with the vacuum and mop mode).

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Ever since Narwal announced their T10 model back in 2019 i had my eyes set on them and even though in the end my T10 sample never made it to the lab i did get their brand new Freo. The good news is that after using it for almost 2 months the Freo left a mostly positive impression, not only to me but also others who happened to be here when I was using it. Not only does it feature good suction power (not the greatest however) but noise levels are lower than competing products and as for battery life at low suction and water intensity modes you are getting over 3 full hours (all three are obviously connected). Now since Narwal states that you can get up to 3 and ½ hours of battery life from the Freo out of pure curiosity i decided to check using low suction and vacuum mode only. The result was just over 3 hours and 20 minutes so Narwal is right on the spot here (2 hours and 51 minutes at strong suction for those interested). Even though I’d like to see a larger LCD display on top (which would also be easier to use by older people – could also showcase the 3D map and allow for customized cleaning like via the app) it’s certainly a welcome addition which we don’t see in this industry as an alternative to Android/iOS apps. Still just like with the X1 OMNI by ECOVACS when the base station of the Freo starts drying the mopping pads it consumes quite a bit of electricity (upwards to 80W) and since drying time even in power mode is 3 hours that could drive away some people. I also liked the fact that every cleaning part of the robot retracts when not used, from the mopping pads to the main roller brush and the side brushes. Of course, I have no way of knowing whether or not that puts more stress on the robots’ various components (probable durability issues in time) but it’s a feature that certainly stands out. For some people the fact that the base station of the Freo doesn’t feature dust collection will be a thing so I do hope Narwal eventually makes a model with that function. Last but not least I had quite a few network related issues with the Freo during the 2 months I ended up using it. Most were resolved by firmware updates but as you can tell from my screenshots, I was unable to load the latest firmware (Narwal is well aware of this so I do hope they can quickly resolve all issues).

   The Freo Robot Vacuum & Mop by Narwal was officially released late last year and currently retails for USD1299 inside the USA (Narwal.com – USD50 price cut when you register) a price tag which puts it right next to other similar models like the X1 OMNI by ECOVACS and the S7 MaxV series by Roborock. The good news right now is that not many manufacturers have such models in their catalogues so my guess is that whichever you end up getting it will almost certainly satisfy your needs. As for the Narwal Freo, well it might not be the best out there but it’s quite innovative and it does deliver in almost every area that counts and for that it deserves the Platinum Award.

PROS

- Very Good Build Quality
- Cleaning Results
- Suction Power (3000Pa)
- Dual Mopping Pads / 180 rotations per minute
- Base Station (Mop Cleaning / Complete Robot Protection)
- Retractable Mopping Pads, Roller Brush & Side Brushes
- LCD Touch Display
- Clean & Dirty Water Tanks (4L Each)
- Battery Life (5200mAh)
- Cleaning Solution
- Narwal Freo App

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Power Consumption (Hot Air Drying)
- Base Station (Lacks Dust Collection)
- Occasional App Connectivity Issues