Once I say my younger children are continuously making a large number to problem my robotic vacuum, that is what I imply.
Maria Diaz/ZDNET
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Narwal Freo X Plus is a robotic vacuum and mop out there for $400.
- With millimeter-precision impediment avoidance, a tangle-free design, and robust LiDAR mapping options, the Narwal Freo X Plus hardly ever will get caught. It additionally options distinctive mud compression tech that shops particles for as much as seven weeks earlier than needing to be emptied.
- I want the Narwal Freo X Plus carried out as effectively on carpets as on arduous flooring, as it may go away particles behind on carpets. Its mopping characteristic additionally left me wanting, but it surely’s acceptable for this value vary.
Robotic vacuums are getting more and more costly, so it is uncommon to see a midrange unit carry out in addition to among the flagship robots I’ve examined. I have been testing the Narwal Freo X Plus for over a month now and might actually say it performs method higher than it ought to for a $400 robotic vacuum.
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The Narwal Freo X Plus is likely one of the few robotic vacuums I’ve examined the place the gadget hardly ever will get a brush curler snarled on an object. The vacuum can suck an object up or keep away from it if it is too giant. This is likely one of the most vital options in a robotic vacuum for my dwelling as I’ve three little children and a canine.
As somebody with 14 robotic vacuums of their dwelling, I used to be stumped once I first inspected the Freo X Plus brush curler. It is distinctive, sitting at a 50-degree angle within the robotic, with cone-shaped rubber strips and unequal sides. As a substitute of getting an air opening in the midst of the vacuum, the comb curler is held by one finish within the robotic’s brush enclosure. The air and particles are directed to the opposite finish, the place the suction nozzle is discovered.
Due to this design, the robotic vacuum hardly ever will get tangled on hair, as most hair tangles slide off to the facet as the comb rolls quickly. The design additionally permits the Narwal Freo X Plus to select up bigger particles with out getting tangled, like juice field straw wrappers, which appear to tangle most of my dwelling’s robotic vacuums.
My solely grievance with the vacuum characteristic is that I want it carried out higher on the carpet. The Freo X Plus did effectively on my dwelling’s hardwood and tile flooring however left some particles — particularly small crumbs — on the carpet, I am not sure if the comb curler would not get low sufficient to select up particles successfully, however I can not all the time depend on the Freo X Plus to provide my carpets a freshly vacuumed feeling.
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A standout characteristic of this robotic vacuum is the dustbin’s compression expertise. The Narwal Freo X Plus would not require customers to empty the dustbin after every cleansing session, and it would not have a self-emptying dustbin, as you’ll be able to deduce by the charging station’s compact dimension. As a substitute, the vacuum has a big dustbin that holds as much as one liter of particles and compresses it to permit as much as seven weeks’ price of storage with out emptying.
The Narwal Freo X Plus robotic vacuum’s giant dustbin can maintain as much as seven weeks of particles.
Maria Diaz/ZDNET
For those who suppose seven weeks of particles sounds gross, the robotic makes use of warmth to dry the dustbin, stopping smells and micro organism progress. I used the Freo X Plus for over a month in probably the most disgusting rooms in my dwelling and I by no means as soon as received a whiff of unhealthy odor.
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I did not empty the dustbin till it was time to put in writing this assessment, after which I discovered that the particles it had picked up was bone dry and simple to discard within the trash.
I examined the Freo X Plus in our carpeted TV room, adjoining to our youngsters’ playroom. Right here, we have now household film and pizza nights, and our youngsters take countless snacks to munch on whereas they watch Bluey. The room sees quite a lot of visitors and carpet messes, crumbs, meals particles, paper items, stickers, and extra. On this room, beforehand, I examined the SwitchBot K10, a tiny robotic vacuum with a self-emptying dustbin. Nonetheless, the SwitchBot’s object avoidance wasn’t nice and the vacuum received caught on bigger items of paper or small toys.
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The Freo X Plus has stored our TV room clear, aside from just a few crumbs. I can ship the vacuum to wash, even once I have not picked up each toy off the ground. Its LiDAR 360-degree scanning system creates a complete map and units the robotic on an optimized path to make sure thorough protection.
This robotic vacuum additionally has a detachable mopping pad and some extras within the field, together with one with a scrubbing floor for a deeper clear. The Freo X Plus mopping characteristic is not the most effective robotic mop out there; it would not have a self-washing system and is extra of a bonus characteristic than a real deep-cleaning mop. The mop can go away just a few messes behind, so it’s best for mild cleansing.
One of many mop pads on the Narwal Freo X Plus robotic vacuum and mop.
Maria Diaz/ZDNET
The mop lifts when going over carpets to forestall them from getting moist. Nonetheless, the mop solely lifts about 9 millimeters, sufficient for short-pile carpets however not medium-pile rugs. My TV room has a short-pile carpet, so I have not had a problem with the carpet getting moist.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The Narwal Freo X Plus is finest fitted to properties with largely arduous flooring and pets or for sustaining arduous flooring between deeper cleans. As a robotic vacuum, it performs very effectively on arduous flooring, even on hair, with some room for enchancment over carpets. Its mopping characteristic can hold flooring clear, however I would not depend on it to take away muddy footprints off the ground.
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Total, the Freo X Plus robotic vacuum is surprisingly nice for a $400 price ticket, particularly contemplating how successfully it cleans up with out getting caught on particles. I additionally admire the hands-off cleansing choice with as much as seven weeks of mud assortment.