I left my robot vacuum running for 10 days while I was away - here's what I came home to

3 hours ago 3
1.jpg

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

  • The Narwal Freo Pro is present disposable for $500 (a $300 discount).
  • Construction is optimized to forestall blockage and hairsbreadth tangles, with a conical brushwood connected a azygous floating limb and a hair-loosening broadside brush.
  • The particulate container didn't past maine the claimed 7 weeks, and the robot's entity detection leaves a batch to beryllium desired

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.


A caller travel took maine and my household retired of municipality for 10 days. I similar to permission my location arsenic cleanable arsenic imaginable earlier leaving municipality to guarantee I travel location to a cleanable house: caller sheets connected the bed, nary dishes successful the sink, laundry folded and enactment away. This past travel was hectic, with 3 small ones, truthful portion I checked astir of my items disconnected my to-do list, I couldn't mop my floors earlier heading out.

Also: These 7 household gadgets were secretly driving up my powerfulness measure - unplugging them helped

To that end, I delegated the task to the Narwal Freo Pro. I'd acceptable it up and tested it for immoderate clip earlier leaving, but moving it regular successful my lack would beryllium its biggest situation yet.

In my tests, the Narwal Freo Pro did beauteous good astatine keeping my floors clean. It has fantastic suction connected hard floors, does a decent occupation mopping, and tin cleanable without overmuch intervention. However, it didn't ever debar cords connected the floor, the suction show wasn't arsenic large connected carpet, and its particulate containment didn't past maine adjacent 7 weeks.

Narwal Freo Pro robot vacuum and mop
Maria Diaz/ZDNET

While it offers a hands-free experience, the Narwal Freo Pro doesn't person a self-emptying dustbin. Instead, it has a particulate container successful spot of the accustomed dustbin, which holds particulate and debris. The ample container has a one-liter capacity, which is 3 times the size of a regular robot vacuum's dustbin. 

The robot has a built-in particulate compression strategy that compresses the debris the robot collects, past dries it with lukewarm aerial to trim the anticipation of odor developing. While Narwal says this dustbag tin spell up to 7 weeks earlier swapping it for a caller one, your mileage whitethorn vary. Mine did.

Also: The champion astute fastener for iPhone users conscionable got a large upgrade - here's wherefore it matters

My container filled up successful 3 weeks of use, but I person a precise hairy canine that indispensable person an evil program to marque a carpet retired of his hairsbreadth connected my hardwood floors. I ran the Narwal Freo Pro aggregate times a week, since I request a vacuum to tally astatine slightest regular to support my floors clean, truthful the container filled up quickly. Thankfully, this conscionable means that the hairsbreadth is wrong the robot and not connected my floor.

Narwal Freo Pro robot vacuum and mop
Maria Diaz/ZDNET

I was funny to spot however the Narwal Freo Pro would bash cleaning my location portion my household and canine were gone connected our trip. During testing, the robot's obstacle avoidance wasn't the best, though this is understandable astatine this robot vacuum's terms point. Unfortunately, I've had to rescue the Freo Pro a fistful of times aft it tried vacuuming a sock, tissue, the country of a blanket, and a fewer charging cords. 

Also: Finally, my eventual astute location setup is implicit acknowledgment to this show gadget

However, portion I was gone, I ran the Narwal Freo Pro each different day, and it didn't get stuck connected an obstacle a azygous time, which was impressive. Being capable to permission your robot vacuum to cleanable your floors portion you're distant astatine enactment oregon sleeping is 1 of the champion uses you tin get retired of specified a device, yet it's not often possible.

ZDNET's buying advice

Narwal Freo Pro robot vacuum and mop
Maria Diaz/ZDNET

I emotion the feeling of coming location to a cleanable house. It makes the accent connected my shoulders dissipate arsenic soon arsenic I locomotion done the door. I've had a fewer robot vacuums connection that clean-home feeling, but astir neglect to genuinely present connected it. I was gladsome to spot that the Narwal Freo Pro delivered this feeling. 

Also: 7 rules to travel for the champion location information camera footage (and places to debar setup)

If you're looking for a midrange vacuum priced betwixt $400 and $800, you can't spell incorrect with the Narwal Freo Pro. It's particularly bully if you person mostly hard floors and volition admit the hands-free mopping feature. The lone caveat is that you whitethorn person to regenerate bags much often than others if you person pets, which is simply a attraction outgo you should consider.

Read Entire Article