The Narwal brand is not one of the big and well-known players in our robotic vacuum cleaner market. Nevertheless, it offers very interesting robotic vacuum cleaners that have advanced technologies. We tested the novelty Narwal Freo.
In our detailed review, we will look at the equipment of this model, test the quality of vacuuming and mopping, and overall evaluate the performance of the vacuum cleaner, application and other functions.
Where to buy Narwal Freo X Plus?
You can find the technology-packed Narwal Freo X Plus robotic vacuum cleaner at the dealer Geekbuying. He stored it in the EU warehouse, which means very fast delivery within 5 working days without additional fees! The higher model Ultra is available.
When you order the Narwal Freo X Plus vacuum cleaner, you will get as free gift compatible dust bags.
Important: Na Geekbuying never buy through the app or you will lose our VIP support!
Narwal Freo X Plus / Freo X Ultra
Express delivery from a Polish warehouse free of duty and VAT.
This product will be delivered to you expressly from a local Polish warehouse. Delivery from Poland usually takes 7-10 days and is delivered by courier. You do not pay any additional fees, no duties or VAT on delivery.
Express delivery from a Polish warehouse free of duty and VAT.
This product will be delivered to you expressly from a local Polish warehouse. Delivery from Poland usually takes 7-10 days and is delivered by courier. You do not pay any additional fees, no duties or VAT on delivery.
Technical specifications
Dimensions of the vacuum cleaner | 275 x 118 x 137 mm |
Weight | 4.25 kg |
Suction power | 7 Pa |
Max. noise | 58 dB |
Drums | 5000 mAh / 72 Ah |
Duration per charge (max) | 210 minutes |
Main rotary brush | Zero-tangling Floating Brush |
Side brushes | 2 |
Dust storage time without emptying | 49 days / 7 weeks |
Dust compression | Double |
Cleaning the corners | Yes |
Water tank size | 280ml |
Maximum mopping pressure | 6 N |
Mops | Static mop |
Water management | 4-pipe even wetting of the mop |
Automatic mop lifting | 9 mm |
Strengthening of suction power | Yes |
Recognition of carpets | ✓ |
Avoiding obstacles | ✓ |
Tri-Laser sensors | ✓ |
Saving multiple maps | ✓ |
Zone cleaning | ✓ |
Voice control | ✓ |
3D maps | Yes |
Application | Narwhal Freo |
Color | White |
Automatic charging | ✓ |
WiFi | ✓ |
Bluetooth | BLE 4.2 |
Washable dust container | ✓ |
Disposable bag system | ✓ |
HEPA filter | ✓ |
Content and quality of packaging
The Narwal Freo X Plus robotic vacuum cleaner was delivered to us by SPS courier in a relatively compact box with a total weight of 8.13 kg. As we are used to with robotic vacuum cleaners, this model also has the so-called double packing.
The individual components of the package are stored systematically in the box so that the package is as compact as possible. In addition to the vacuum cleaner, we can also find a transparent mat, a power cable, a manual, a pair of side brushes, three mop cloths, a pair of filter bags and a charging station in the shaped cartons.
The packaging is literally exemplary. This is exactly how we envision quality packaging for a robotic vacuum cleaner. Also from the point of view of accessories, the manufacturer pleased us with several bonuses such as the aforementioned bags and mop cloths.
Design and quality of workmanship
Narwal Freo X Plus is a very successful design model. At first glance, it gives a high-quality impression, and it is no different even after a closer examination. The plastics are of high quality and the overall design is completed by shiny stainless steel elements.
At first glance, it is a traditional design with a laser system sticking out in the middle of the upper part. We appreciate the detailed description of the vacuum cleaner and its components in the enclosed user manual.
Apart from the laser system, there are only a couple of buttons on the top side. These serve for returning home and suspending or restarting the vacuum cleaner.
There are bumpers around the perimeter, corner sensors and one large front sensor to help avoid obstacles. On the bottom, the wheels, two side brushes, sensors against falling down the stairs, the main rotating brush and the mopping module have their place.
Separate containers and bags for waste
Most robotic vacuum cleaners these days have combined containers for dust and water, or some Roborocks have a separate water tank in the back.
It is the same with the new model from the Narwal brand, which has separate containers, but both are located under the upper magnetic cover of the entire vacuum cleaner.
The dust container has according to Geekbuyingwith a capacity of up to 1L, which seems a bit much to us. The manufacturer itself does not provide this information on its website. The water tank can hold 280 ml.
The interesting feature of this robotic vacuum cleaner is the possibility of replacing the dust container with disposable bags. There are 2 of them in the package and they also contain a filter that is part of them together with the fragrance. We simply put it in a bag to eliminate unwanted odors, as one bag should be enough for up to 7 weeks.
Then you simply remove the full bag and throw it in the trash. This variant will probably be appreciated especially by dust allergy sufferers, who will not come into contact with dust this way, as you do not have to empty the bag, unlike the container. Currently, a package of six original bags costs Geekbuyingat almost 20 EUR. You can also find better offers on Aliexpress.
First turn on and pairing with smartphone
The Narwal Freo X Plus robotic vacuum cleaner works with the Narwal Freo application, which you can find in the Google Play or AppStore. However, we had problems with this app (version 2.5.1) as after opening it, we only saw the splash screen with the brand logo. It didn't work on other smartphones either, so we reached for the older version 2.4.39 from APK Pure. This already worked without problems.
We started the pairing process by choosing a model from among the three available. Then the smartphone searched for the vacuum cleaner, we chose our home WiFi network and the rest happened automatically.
The following are a few steps with the settings, when the application asks us if we have stairs in our home, if we have installed a mat under the vacuum cleaner for the docking station, or if we have carpets at home.
The first step before the actual vacuuming is the mapping of the premises. This process is very fast, as the vacuum cleaner only looks into each room to create an initial map. In our case, it took 6 minutes in a three-room apartment.
Application environment
In the app, the Narwal Freo X Plus is labeled BX1 and its home screen is similar to other manufacturers. The largest part is the room map, which the application automatically divides into rooms. This distribution is not exactly ideal, so it required some minor adjustments.
The map also shows the percentage of the battery, the current status and several buttons. Here we can find, for example, switching to 3D view, map editing mode and several cleaning options.
These options include:
- vacuuming and mopping at the same time
- vacuuming and subsequent mopping
- vacuuming
- mopping
- own
In custom mode, we can choose from several options for each room separately. Here we choose one of the modes mentioned above, the number of repetitions (1 or 2), the suction power, the water level and the type of vacuum cleaner route.
Furthermore, there is also a button for starting cleaning, history, scheduler and general settings. There are really many options here, but the application is intuitive and the design is very well managed.
High suction power and sophisticated rotary brush
The Narwal Freo X Plus has an extremely high suction power of up to 7800 Pa, which is a brutal performance in its price category. The manufacturer claims up to 99% dirt removal with a performance 260% higher compared to other entry-level vacuum cleaners.
Another gem is the unique rotating brush that does not catch hair. With many vacuum cleaners, the hair simply wraps around it and to remove it, we simply have to use scissors or the supplied knife.
The Narwal Freo X Plus, unlike most vacuum cleaners, has a rotating brush attached to one end only, which should allow tangled hair to slide off the other end and into the dirt container.
This system really works and we found absolutely no hair on the rotating brush, unlike other vacuums we've tested recently.
In addition, we highly appreciate the low noise level of this vacuum cleaner. Even at the highest performance, it is not excessively noisy. We measured 53 dB in quiet mode, about the same in normal, 56-57 dB in strong mode and 60 dB at the highest.
Vacuuming quality and available modes
The Narwal Freo X Plus offers a function called Freo Advice, which takes care of automatically adjusting the suction power. If we turn off this function, we can choose from four levels - Quiet, Normal, Strong and Super Powerful.
We also have a choice of the number of cycles (1 or 2) and a choice between the standard route of the vacuum cleaner or a more thorough one. In it are the so-called small particles that make the vacuum cleaner denser, so it vacuums more thoroughly. Other settings include the so-called Edge mode, in which the vacuum cleaner rotates in the corners of rooms to clean them better.
Based on the parameters, we have high expectations for the quality of vacuuming, so let's see how it turned out in our test. In this case too, we spilled coffee, red lentils and oatmeal on the kitchen floor.
We chose to vacuum the room in the highest mode with a more thorough route and Edge mode turned on. For the first time, he was able to vacuum almost all the dirt, except for 2-3 pieces of lentils, which the side brushes blew to the already vacuumed place. However, we could see this phenomenon in almost all vacuum cleaners. The second time he was already vacuuming the remaining pieces.
Pressure mop and quality of mopping
A pressure mop with a force of 6 N is also a good signal, which is equivalent to approximately 0.6 kg of weight acting on the floor. The automatic lifting of the mop for carpets and the trio of cloths in the package will also please you.
The application also offers automatic Freo Advice mode when mopping, or three levels of wetting of the mop cloth in manual mode - Low, Normal, Wet mopping. As with vacuuming, here too we can choose 1 or 2 cycles and the type of routes or Edge mode.
We also personally tested the quality of mopping. In the evening, we spilled water with cocoa and food coloring on the kitchen floor. In the morning, when the liquids dried, we sent the vacuum cleaner to wash the stains in the highest mode with more thorough lines and Edge mode, similar to vacuuming.
Since this is an extremely difficult task for robot vacuum cleaners, we did not expect it to remove these stains. That's what happened, and after the first cycle it more or less just rubbed off the stains. By the second to third cycle, the smaller spots have already disappeared and the larger ones have slightly shrunk.
Despite the pressure mop, this force is weak for the vacuum cleaner to remove dried stains. It is enough for normal mopping after vacuuming, but for more demanding tasks you will have to pull out the hand mop.
Avoidance of obstacles and fluidity of vacuuming
Thanks to three sensors, the Narwal Freo X Plus can effectively avoid unexpected obstacles. For example, if we suddenly stand in the path of the vacuum cleaner, it will bypass us beautifully without any stopping or hesitation. It works perfectly, exactly as we imagine.
Some other vacuum cleaners with a similar function first stop, turn around and even bypass us, while the Narwal Freo X Plus does not even hesitate.
Its overall operation is beautifully smooth, it does not get stuck and does not wander unnecessarily. The algorithm and route planning work excellently. It also handles carpets without any problems, on which it will automatically increase performance. In terms of vacuuming quality and overall impression, it is definitely one of the top vacuum cleaners.
During our testing, it got stuck only once in a narrow place between the built-in wardrobe and the bed, where we also had a children's toy with a stand, on which it got stuck and could not continue.
Map customization options and settings
As we mentioned above, in the Narwal Freo application we also find map customization. A monochrome or color map is available with carpets, room names and furniture highlighted.
There are also standard adaptations such as dividing or connecting rooms, naming them including diacritics or creating prohibited zones for mopping and vacuuming or for both activities separately.
We can also insert furniture into the map and choose the type of floor covering. From the furniture, you can choose a bed of various types, dining tables, coffee tables, a cabinet under the TV, a bedside table, various wardrobes, sofas and an armchair, chairs, a sink, a toilet or even a beanbag, a bed for a cat and a dog or a piano.
The furniture is divided into categories and there is really enough of it. Compared to the Roborock application, which also offers such an option for higher models, the range of furniture here is much richer.
With carpets, we can choose what the vacuum cleaner should do when it encounters them. It can increase performance, avoid carpet, go over it without vacuuming, or clean it just like a regular floor.
There is also a history of vacuuming with a weekly, monthly or annual graph, turning on protection against falling down the stairs, do not disturb mode, child lock or increasing the fan speed when vacuuming at a higher altitude, and more.
The app is really sophisticated and offers a lot of different settings and customizations.
Vacuum scheduling and quick tasks
The planning of vacuuming is also refined. Here we can schedule vacuuming or mopping for a specific date and time, or automatically recurring cleaning daily or weekly at the selected time.
It goes without saying that the activity and suction power can be adapted for each room separately.
Quick predefined tasks are also interesting. Here we can define a specific task, for example vacuuming and mopping the kitchen, which we save under a selected name. Subsequently, if we want to vacuum and wash the kitchen, just run this task.
The mentioned function is especially useful if you repeatedly use the same settings when cleaning. So that you don't have to constantly define them on the main screen of the vacuum cleaner, you simply define the settings and save them under your name, from where you can start the task easily and quickly.
Endurance per charge
The battery in this vacuum cleaner has 5000 mAh and, according to the manufacturer, should be enough for 210 minutes of vacuuming. When vacuuming our 3-room apartment in automatic mode with a standard route, only 7% of the battery was used and the vacuum lasted 36 minutes.
In strong mode and on a standard route, the battery dropped by 16% and it took 39 minutes. In the highest mode, the battery capacity was reduced by 26% and vacuuming took 42 minutes. In the same mode, but with a more thorough route, it was already 40% battery and 48 minutes.
Recharging from 20% to 100% takes only about 2 hours.
Narwal Freo X Plus: Final review
The Narwal Freo X Plus was an unknown model for us, but it caught our attention at first glance not only with its high-quality workmanship and elegant appearance, but also with its parameters. It offers an extremely high suction power of up to 7800 Pa and advanced technologies that ensure trouble-free operation and avoidance of obstacles.
The innovative technology of the main rotating brush ensures that the hair does not get wrapped around it. The possibility of using disposable bags instead of a plastic container for dust is also interesting. The application, which offers a modern design and is very clear and intuitive, is also great.
Narwal Freo X Plus is really a very successful model. Negatives are hard to find, but the only weak point is the classic mop, which does not surprise in any way.
If our review convinced you to buy this great robotic vacuum cleaner, take advantage of our partner's offer Geekbuying, where you can also find advantageous discount coupons.
Narwal Freo X Plus / Freo X Ultra
Express delivery from a Polish warehouse free of duty and VAT.
This product will be delivered to you expressly from a local Polish warehouse. Delivery from Poland usually takes 7-10 days and is delivered by courier. You do not pay any additional fees, no duties or VAT on delivery.
Express delivery from a Polish warehouse free of duty and VAT.
This product will be delivered to you expressly from a local Polish warehouse. Delivery from Poland usually takes 7-10 days and is delivered by courier. You do not pay any additional fees, no duties or VAT on delivery.