The Lowdown
The Narwal Freo 20 is another great robot vacuum from Narwal’s lineup. We’ve been using it consistently for a few weeks now, and it just works; I highly recommend it!
Overall
Pros
- The water tanks hold a lot of water, decreasing the number of refills required
- Heated drying of the mop pads prevents bacterial growth and increases product lifecycle
- The vacuum dustbin is easy to empty
- The app is easy to run and configure
Cons
- It would be nice to know what non-Narwal cleaning products can be used with the system
Robot vacuums have been around for a while, but the underlying technology keeps improving. I was first introduced to one of Narwal‘s robot vacuums a little over a year ago and was incredibly impressed by its quality and features, so I was immediately interested to see how their latest offering, the Narwal Freo 20, held up in comparison. Read on to see how it did!
What Is It?
The Narwal Freo 20 is a robot vacuum with both vacuum and mopping capabilities. It has a robust mobile app interface and a docking system with two separate tanks for clean and dirty water.
What’s Included?
- Robot Vacuum
- Track Mopping Module
- Dustbin
- Multifunctional Dock
- Dust Bag
- Cleaning Dock
- Replaceable Cleaning Filter
- Clean Water Tank
- Dirty Water Tank
- Power Cord
- Anti-tangle Side Brush
- Dust Bin Filter
- Cleaning Solution
- Dust Bag
- Scale Inhibitor
Tech Specs
Dimensions:
- Robot: 13.8 × 14.3 × 3.7 in (351.2 × 363.5 × 95 mm)
- Base Station: 17.0 × 15.8 × 18.1 in (431 × 402 × 461 mm)
Additional Specs
- Item Weight: 11 pounds
- Battery Life: 210 minutes
- Cleaning Path Width: 10.47 inches
- Battery Type: Lithium-ion
- Voltage: 230 volts
- Capacity: 5 liters
- Noise Level: 56 dB
- Surface Recommendation: Hard Floor, Carpet, Wood, Tile, Laminate, Linoleum, Marble
Design and Features
The Narwal Freo 20, at first glance, is very similar to many other robot vacuums that you see on the market. That said, there are a few key differentiators that I see with it. One is that it has a mopping module underneath on a track that can travel from side to side to clean in areas that the robot might not be able to fit into normally. Another differentiator is the large clean and dirty water tanks combined with a heated drying system that runs after each cleaning cycle.
Installation
Installation is very straightforward: follow the Quick Guide! It will definitely save you from backtracking and figuring out what you’re missing.
The robot vacuum comes with plenty of packing material and tape covering the sensors and other critical pieces. It all comes off easily; follow the instructions.
Foam pieces also keep things from moving around in transit.
Install the sweeper for hard-floor vacuuming along edges.
The dirt catcher in the base is inside the main chamber behind a little door next to the water tanks and slides into place. To keep dirt from getting everywhere, the opening has a cover that slides into place when you remove it. It’s folded up in the picture below, but expands once the system runs and transfers dust and debris after each cycle.
The vacuum has its own catch that is easily accessible on top and can be cleaned out with minimal effort.
The clean and dirty water tanks.
The clean water tank also has an anti-scale module to reduce hard water buildup, prolong the robot’s life, and cut down on cleaning.
The App! The Narwal app is available on both Apple and Android. It comprehensively analyzes your floors and surface types, and lets you update and configure settings for your home.
Mapping is easy to do. You just let it run, and it builds and updates your floor plan on the fly. You can also adjust and modify your spaces the way you like.
Narwal is pretty consistent in ensuring that the app and systems are up to date. They have a very full set of options that can be configured in the app to adjust and manage the operation of the Narwal Freo 20 and all of their products.
See It In Action
Final Thoughts
A couple of days into testing, an error popped up. It had something to do with the base draining after it finished mopping, and I couldn’t see what was going on, so I contacted customer support. They were able to diagnose and provide troubleshooting steps quickly, and it turned out that the seal on the dirty water tank was not quite seated correctly. With a minor adjustment and restart, and it was back up and working flawlessly.
The Narwal Freo 20 is another great robot vacuum from Narwal’s lineup. We’ve been using it consistently for a few weeks now, and it just works; I highly recommend it!
The Narwal Freo 20 retails for $1099.99 (currently on sale for $849.99); it is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers, including Amazon.
Source: Manufacturer-supplied review sample.
What I Like: The water tanks hold a lot of water, decreasing the number of refills required; Heated drying of the mop pads prevents bacterial growth and increases product lifecycle; The vacuum dustbin is easy to empty; The app is easy to run and configure
What Needs Improvement: It would be nice to know what non-Narwal cleaning products can be used with the system