Narwal is a new player in the robot vacuum cleaner market. A year ago, Narwal crowdfunded its first robot vacuum and mop, the Narwal T10. It was probably the first robot equipped with an auto-washing base that washed the robot's mopping pads during and after cleaning. The T10 was not perfect, as it was the first Narwal product. Recently, the company presented its new robot vacuum and mop, the Narwal Freo, which is supposed to fix most of the T10 issues and got some new promising features. Let's see what is new in the Narwal Freo and what's the difference compared to its predecessor.
New Design
The robot itself was completely redesigned. Unlike the T10, it's now round-shaped. It uses Lidar to build a map and navigate around. The robot delivers 3000Pa of suction and is pretty quiet, especially when working in mop-only mode.
Vacuuming and mopping simultaneously
When we tested the Narwal T10, our main complaint was that it can't vacuum and mop simultaneously and you would need to change between the mopping and vacuuming modules every time.
Another con of the T10 was the lack of a roller brush that helps a lot on carpets. Luckily, the Narwal Freo can vacuum and mop at the same time, and the robot is equipped with a roller brush which is supposed to improve its cleaning performance on carpets.
Auto mopping pads lifting
One of the best improvements is the ability to automatically lift the mopping pads on carpets. It also keeps the mopping pads raised when running in vacuum-only mode.
Moreover, the robot can lift the roller brush so it will not touch the floor when the robot running in mopping-only mode. I've never seen such a feature in other robot vacuum cleaners.
New DirtSense technology and better corner cleaning
Narwal boasts of its new DirtSense technology, which allows the robot to detect how dirty your room is and decide to clean it one more time when needed. The Narwal Freo can recognize the type of your floor and increase or decrease mopping pads' pressure on the floor depending on the floor type. According to Narwal, it helps to prevent damage to hardwood floors. It seems like the robot has an ultrasonic sensor underneath, which is supposed to detect carpets and avoid them when mopping.
The new Corner-Traps feature periodically activates "Smart Swing" which helps to clean corners and along the walls more thoroughly.
Improved auto-washing base
The auto-washing base got a few improvements as well. A touchscreen allows you to set network settings, enable automatic cleaning solution adding, activate child lock and smart dry.
The auto-washing base now has a special container for a Narwal cleaning solution. It automatically gets the necessary amount of cleaning solution and mixes it with clean water when washing the mopping pads.
Unlike the T10, the Narwal Freo now dries the mopping pads with hot air, so they dry much faster after washing preventing the growth of bacteria.
Narwal T10 vs. Freo: what are the differences?
| Features | Narwal T10 | Narwal Freo |
|---|---|---|
| Vacuum and mop simultaneously | no | yes |
| Roller brush for better carpet cleaning | no | yes |
| Auto mop-raising | no | yes |
| Ultrasonic sensor for carpet recognition | no | yes |
| Floor type recognition | no | yes |
| Touchscreen display | no | yes |
| Container for a cleaning solution | no | yes |
| DirtSense technology | no | yes |
| 40°C Heat Air Drying | no | yes |
| Better corner cleaning | no | yes |
Looks like a lot of improvements, isn't it? The robot is already available to buy on the official Narwal website for $1099 (limited time offer).