Although Narwal is still young, the company is not just starting out. It has been working in the field of robot vacuum cleaners and, more broadly, floor care since 2016. It has also formed a partnership with Rowenta, the two brands having jointly developed the X-Clean 10 vacuum cleaner and washer. It is in this context that Narwal launched its robot vacuum cleaners in France following the last IFA. Today we are testing its high-end Freo Z Ultra model, which will soon be joined (and even surpassed) by other models announced at CES.
An unusual design for a complete base
At first glance, its aesthetic is surprising. Its station is quite wide and seems a bit massive (especially next to that of the Dreame X50, which has a rather vertical format and seems more "slender"). This impression is undoubtedly accentuated by the dark gray color (matte at the front, glossy on the sides), in harmony with the robot. Dust and animal hair are quite visible. Nevertheless, the whole is well finished and the plastics are of good quality. Note that there is another finish, white and gray. Good idea: the clip-on platform at the front of the station, to allow the robot to climb on it, is transparent, therefore discreet.
When the robot is charging, it is almost completely invisible, as if "swallowed" by the base; it is thus partly protected from dust. This is a bit reminiscent of the shape of the Roborock Qrevo Curv. If you don't want to pull out the application, the robot's buttons are not accessible when it is charging, Narwal has provided a control panel on the top side of the station to start a cycle, stop it, recall the robot... The controls also include a child safety lock. They are customizable in the application – particularly for the type of cycle that is launched (wash, vacuum, both at the same time, etc.).
The base provides all the functions that one would expect from a current high-end robot vacuum cleaner – and even more than some more expensive competitors: automatic emptying of dust into a 2.5 L bag, refilling the robot with water with automatic mixing of the detergent, automated washing of the mop pads with recovery of the dirty water, followed by their drying. The clean water and dirty water tanks, of a classic size and capacity (respectively 5 L and 4.5 L), are hidden under a hatch and accessible from the top of the station. As for the detergent and the dust bag, they are accessed from the front. They are hidden behind a magnetic hatch. Good idea because it is more practical to remove and especially to put back in place than a clipped hatch (like that of the Dreame X40). We also appreciated the presence of handles on both sides of the station. It makes it easier to move when you want to clean behind it, for example.
Some original functions too
The Freo Z Ultra also stands out for some unusual features or accessories that are rarely found elsewhere, if at all. First of all, a very soft plush accessory, to be attached to the right side of the robot, to clean baseboards as it runs along them. During our tests, this module was unable to demonstrate its capabilities, as our baseboards were too high. But it can be very useful in certain homes. Another peculiarity: while many models use round mop pads, those of the Freo Z Ultra are rather triangular. At first, the way they turn gives a strange impression when you look at them since they literally "do not turn round." But you quickly realize that this has a definite advantage: it leaves no uncleaned space between the two pads. Finally, this robot offers two special hygiene functions. First, the water is sterilized by electrolysis before washing the rooms and before the mops self-clean (in this case, it is also heated). On the side of the station, a window lights up while this solution is being prepared (you can see bubbles forming in the water). Narwal has also provided a hot air drying system for the collector and the dust bag (to be activated in the app). The goal: if moisture has been vacuumed up along with the waste, this prevents the development of odors and bacteria. We think it's a wise idea.
Eagle Eye
The Freo Z Ultra uses two cameras (the brand mentions wide viewing angles) and obstacle avoidance technology using AI (called TwinAI Dodge). It is said to be able to detect and identify more than 120 objects. But more importantly, it can detect even the smallest ones and navigate around them. These promises are kept. Better still: we were pleasantly surprised by the Freo Z Ultra's navigation accuracy. Objects aren't always correctly identified—the device doesn't recognize them all and sometimes makes mistakes. For example, it mistook some of our cat's toys for droppings. But the really good thing is that even when it doesn't recognize an obstacle, it still sees it and avoids it. During our tests, we never found it at fault. If you allow it, it also takes photos of the objects. They can be consulted at the end of the cycle, but not afterwards, in the history, where we only find the icons corresponding to recognized objects (or construction cones for unidentified obstacles).
Where the Freo Z Ultra is most astonishing is in its vision of very small objects, which it always spots – even small toys that much more expensive robots ignore (like the Roborock Saros 10 for example). It then goes around them by approaching them closely, without jostling them or grabbing onto them. The same goes for shoes, fabrics (like socks) or cables, which it sees very well and negotiates perfectly.
On the other hand, in very complex areas, like our round table surrounded by four chairs, it is more hesitant. We feel it fumbling, slowing down, and hesitating, as if it were "afraid" of getting stuck—in fact, it won't venture under the table unless the chairs are removed before starting the cycle. Like most robots, it can go under our coffee table and sideboard, but it doesn't dare slip under our sofa.
A Freo smart mode that managed to impress us
The first mapping is lightning fast: only 4 minutes for our entire home. From this first step, the application asks questions to help the robot understand the environment (animals, carpets, stairs, etc.), which will also simplify the user's manipulations to customize the map and settings. The initial map offers a fairly realistic division of the rooms, which already includes some identified and unidentified obstacles, including cables. We then have a sort of small interactive guide to understand how to use the application.
Most high-end robots now offer an intelligent mode that relies on AI, in which the user can delegate everything to the device. In the case of the Freo Z Ultra, this mode, called Freo (from the name of the app), can be activated with all functions (it is activated by default and appears first), whether cleaning a room or the entire home, vacuuming only, mopping only, both together or one after the other... In addition, in this Freo mode, which is presented as a sort of "super intelligent option", all the parameters can be further refined: intensive cleaning of the dirtiest areas, how to clean the edges or use the mop.... Finally, Narwal goes further by actually promising real-time cleaning adjustment. We were pleasantly surprised by the results. Indeed, we can clearly see that in this intelligent mode, it doesn't behave the same way; if the floor is really dirty, the cycle lasts much longer. We can notably hear the suction power increase in dirty areas, like in front of our cats' litter box. But the robot also adjusts the humidity level of its mop pads, the pressure applied, and the number of passes depending on the condition of the floors. All this information appears in real time on the application. The end result is always impeccable. We can also see that the robot recognizes the types of floors, clearly identifying rugs and carpets. The difference between tiles and parquet, on the other hand, is not always perceived.
Vacuuming and washing: effective, except in corners and a little less so on rugs
Unlike some more expensive robots, the Freo Z Ultra doesn't have a brush or extendable pads. It's equipped with two brushes, one on each side. They allow it to properly sweep away dust along walls, baseboards, and quite well in corners. For room corners and nooks, it's in the mopping mode that things are more complicated. Indeed, the two mop pads can't reach them. However, unlike some robots with the same architecture (two pads without extension technology on one of them), it manages to clean edges very satisfactorily, and that's already good news. In fact, in the app, you can activate a "smart" or "always" edge cleaning mode. The robot then makes small rotating movements on itself to clean along baseboards or furniture. It works very well, even though we were only able to activate it in Freo mode in the app; with the classic functions, we didn't find this option very practical (in this case, without activating Freo mode, you can only choose between "meticulous" and "standard") - a shame. Regarding the washing function, we appreciated the possibility of using detergent, which is also mixed automatically, something that some more expensive models don't offer. The only regret: the detergent is packaged in a cartridge - we would have preferred a more environmentally friendly tank to fill. Another advantage of this washing function: used alone, it is really quiet.
On hard floors, the power of 12000 Pa is enough for the Freo Z Ultra to vacuum fine waste as well as thick dirt. Especially since the automatic adaptation of parameters in real time that we mentioned earlier works very well. When there is more litter or dust, for example, the robot vacuums harder. The same goes for floor cleaning, where the automatic adjustment provides very good results. The robot's paths overlap perfectly, it doesn't miss any areas and it identifies the dirtiest spots on which it increases the water flow, the pressure of the pads and the number of passes in one direction then the other. We most often preferred the "vacuum then mop" function by activating the Freo option; this is how we obtained the best results.
For cleaning carpets or vacuuming only, the Freo Z Ultra has lifting pads that can be raised up to 12 mm (note that if it comes across liquids, it is the central brush that lifts). On carpets, it can activate a higher power (to be activated in the application) and also adapt its cleaning strategy when there is a lot of waste. But it sometimes struggled a little to get onto our test carpet, pushed it and moved it. And above all, we feel that its suction power and its simple central brush do not allow for optimal dust removal. To obtain a visually clean carpet, you have to pass the robot over it several times.
Regarding carpets and rugs, we noticed a small curiosity in the application. In the general settings, there is nothing to adjust the robot's behavior when it comes across such a covering. To access these settings, you have to go to the mapping customization tab, under "carpets", as if you wanted to add a piece of furniture.
An ultra-complete application that still has room for improvement
At first glance, with its pastel colors and its well-defined mapping, the Narwal Freo application may seem a little outdated. But we immediately appreciate being guided step-by-step to understand how to use it. Furthermore, most of the functions are accessible from the home page, in a rather intuitive way – at first, given the number of functions, you have to dig a little and learn to familiarize yourself, but it's quite easy to find your way around. Once you have it in hand, it turns out to be ultra-complete, offering very fine cleaning customization possibilities. We do, however, deplore a few translation errors (even if some disappear over the course of updates).
As we have already mentioned throughout this test, we also noticed the somewhat surprising ranking of certain features (such as the robot's behavior on carpets) or their surprising absence (edge cleaning outside of Freo mode).
A little more maintenance than promised
As for the robot, most of the maintenance tasks are standard: wiping the sensors, cleaning the filter, the brushes (only clipped on, so they're easy to dislodge), and the main brush, around which hair doesn't get particularly tangled, but whose bristles do retain a bit of dust, lint, and pet hair. There is, however, one very unusual task: a plastic part at the collector level that needs to be changed regularly (about every three months), called "replaceable insert bin" in the app and therefore disposable - it's neither practical, nor ecological, nor economical.
Nothing to report regarding the self-cleaning of the mop pads. This is done with hot water, knowing that the washing temperature, variable (from 45 to 60°C), adapts according to their level of dirt. Cleaning is followed by a disinfection phase at 75°C applied before drying with hot air (40°C). The pads remained impeccable even after our tests.
Then there's the station's maintenance. Besides changing the dust bag and filling/emptying the bins, Narwal promises that the station self-cleans when washing the mops and requires no maintenance. That would be a bit of a hasty decision. Indeed, the removable wash board retains a lot of dust, dirt, hair, and pet hair, which really needs to be removed regularly, without forgetting to wash it, as well as the location in which it is housed.
0 Comments