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Narwal Freo X Plus: what the reviews say
By S. Dahani and the RealDigitalTech editorial team
Narwal's $399.99 Freo X Plus robot vacuum and mop packs 7,800 Pa suction and a bin said to hold seven weeks of dust. Reviewers like its cleaning but not its erratic software.
© Narwal
Quick Take
Key figures
Launch details
The Narwal Freo X Plus launched in March 2024 at $399.99 in the US and AU$899 in Australia; TechRadar notes it is not sold in the UK. It has 7,800 Pa of suction, a 5,200 mAh battery with up to 254 minutes of runtime, LiDAR navigation with tri-laser obstacle avoidance and a flat mop pad that lifts 8 mm, according to Pocketables. Rather than a large self-emptying base, it uses a small charging dock and an 800 ml bin that compresses debris.
What reviewers agree on
- Hard floors: TechRadar found vacuuming excellent on hardwood and tile, and GeekDad saw strong results on tile and laminate.
- Quiet running: Pocketables and GeekDad both note how quiet it is; GeekDad says it did not bother their pets.
- Compact dock: TechRadar likes how little space the charging dock takes, but misses an auto-empty function.
- Software quirks: TechRadar reports erratic route-planning, Pocketables calls the software buggy, and GeekDad found setup and mapping cumbersome.
- Thin obstacles: Pocketables saw it tangle with power cords and struggle with chair legs; TechRadar says it brushes up against objects.
Where opinions differ
| Topic | Favourable view | Reserved view |
|---|---|---|
| Carpet | TechRadar found it cleaned rugs and carpet well. | GeekDad says it lacks the suction for carpet and struggled with a Ruggable rug. |
| Mopping | GeekDad could see the effect of its mopping clearly. | TechRadar found mopping streaky unless set to the highest water level. |
| App control | GeekDad likes per-room suction and water settings and no-go zones. | Pocketables saw every area set to "do not vacuum" by default and a failed first firmware update. |
| Smart home | TechRadar notes Alexa support. | Pocketables regrets the lack of Google Home support. |
Scores: 4/5 for price, 4/5 for design, 3.5/5 for performance, 4/5 for the app and 5/5 for battery from TechRadar.
Verdict
TechRadar sums it up as a budget-friendly robot that "doesn't always do as it's told". It suits homes with mostly hard floors that want strong, quiet vacuuming without a bulky base station. Buyers with lots of carpet, or who want a robot that empties itself and washes its own mop, should look at a model with a full station, such as the Xiaomi X20+. For other options, see our robot mower and vacuum review roundup.
This article analyses reviews published by other outlets, in our own words. RealDigitalTech did not test the Narwal Freo X Plus itself.
Sources
How this article was made: our editorial team selected and read the reviews listed above, compared their results and wrote this synthesis, with AI tools assisting the research and drafting. Every figure was checked against the sources, and the article was approved by the publication director. Our AI Disclosure · Our methodology · Report an error: editorial@realdigitaltech.com