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