It seems like 2024 is the year of the robot vacuum, with every brand releasing their take on the concept, but few deliver the full experience I achieved with the Narwal Freo Z Ultra. This (not so little) robot vacuum stands at the peak of what you can achieve with the concept—a high-end robot vacuum that combines advanced cleaning capabilities with a sleek, modern design. Narwal’s latest iteration builds upon the success of its predecessor, the Freo X Ultra, offering significant improvements in performance, automation, and user convenience. It could be the cleaning solution you’ve been waiting for.
I reviewed the Narwal Freo X Plus earlier this year and was generally impressed. It delivered a solid all-in-one cleaning solution with some neat tricks that left many other cleaning robots feeling a bit dated. Yet, even with that, the Narwal Freo Z Ultra feels miles ahead of what the Plus brought to the table. Not only does it handle most tasks without you ever needing to touch the robot, but it also does so efficiently and effortlessly, keeping your living space as clean as possible—without the need for bulky machines or complex chemicals.
The Narwal Freo Z Ultra is not a small machine, especially when you take into account all the accessories and the base. The vacuum itself retains the round shape and dual rotating brushes of its predecessor, with a base station that features a softer, semi-rounded design that complements most home décor. The device is available in Galaxy Silver and Space Gray finishes, with the latter being a practical choice for hiding dust accumulation (and the one I got sent for testing).
Beyond the vacuum itself, the base unit is a larger station that keeps your robot ready for cleaning. It stores clean and dirty water, electrolyzes and heats the water to ensure it’s ready to clean your floors, empties the vacuum tank (especially after larger cleaning jobs), and keeps the vacuum charged and clean. While many of these tasks can be done manually with the Freo X Plus (though not the electrolyzing of water), the fact that the base on the Z Ultra automates all of them makes it an incredible convenience that’s hard to deny.
With all these features, the base of the Narwal Freo Z Ultra requires a fair bit of surface area. The station is quite large at 430x462x388mm and weighs a hefty 12.3kg, with the robot safely stored in a compartment at the bottom. The station adjusts the water settings and keeps the robot empty for up to 120 days. While you will need to regularly change and empty the water, I was surprised at how hands-off the whole unit was, even after using it to clean the full CGMagazine office—and let me assure you, it’s not a small space.
Jumping over to the robot itself, the installation is app-led through the Narwal app, though it only supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connections, which might be a drawback for some users. The setup process involves a quick mapping run to determine the layout of your home, a feature that is both fast and accurate.
The Narwal Freo Z Ultra uses dual RGB cameras to map and detect obstacles, allowing it to navigate complex spaces with ease. It also uses LiDAR to build a 3D map of your entire space. While this process can take some time to complete, it enables the Narwal Freo Z Ultra to excel at avoiding obstacles and accurately identifying floor types, creating an efficient cleaning path. This means you’ll have far fewer worries about it getting stuck in the environment—something I’ve experienced frequently with other brands of robot vacuums.
Now that we’ve covered the basic features, it’s worth mentioning what makes this robot stand out from the competition currently flooding Amazon. Even before touching on its more advanced features, let’s start with the suction power. The Narwal Freo Z Ultra is one of the most powerful robot vacuums on the market, boasting 12,000 Pa of suction. This, combined with its Ultra-Quiet Zero Tangling Floating Brush 2.0, ensures efficient and quiet cleaning.
Even after cleaning an area with a conventional upright cordless vacuum, the Freo Z Ultra managed to pick up more dirt than I expected, all without getting tangled by pet hair—a feature I loved in the X Plus and still present in this model. The device even features AI DirtSense, which automatically adjusts its settings to tackle various types of messes, taking much of the annoyance out of cleaning. While you’re welcome to jump into the app and manually push everything to maximum if you prefer, the joy of it is that you don’t need to if you don’t want to.
“The Narwal Freo Z Ultra uses dual RGB cameras to map and detect obstacles, allowing it to navigate complex spaces with ease.”
While I was impressed with the Freo X Plus’s cleaning capabilities when I reviewed that vacuum, the mopping left something to be desired. The Freo Z Ultra doesn’t have that problem—it’s just as impressive at mopping as it is at vacuuming, thanks to its triangular mopping pads and twisting motion that helps reach small crevices. The mops produce up to 12 newtons of downward pressure, making them effective for tackling daily messes such as spills and stains. However, the 12mm mop-lifting clearance might not be ideal for plush carpets.
I also mentioned that the base station keeps the mopping process clean and optimized. It electrolyzes the water and offers a range of heat levels to tackle different types of messes, from room temperature up to 167°F for sanitizing. It handles a variety of spills and messes, even managing to avoid splashing while cleaning bigger spills. While I’ll admit that it’s not always as effective as scrubbing or mopping by hand, it works well to maintain a general level of cleanliness. For more serious dirt, you may still need to break out a dedicated mop or powered mop.
As I mentioned, the Narwal Freo Z Ultra is designed to be self-sufficient, with a large dustbin capable of holding up to 120 days of debris before needing replacement. The device also features a hot washing system for the mop heads, which it activates when it detects that the mop heads are dirty. This ensures a high level of hygiene, though it does increase water usage. It’s remarkable how little you need to do with the Freo Z Ultra, but it’s also fun to jump into the app to adjust settings if you want to give an area more attention or explore the range of sensors and features at your disposal.
“The Narwal Freo Z Ultra is designed to be self-sufficient, with a large dustbin capable of holding up to 120 days of debris before needing replacement.”
As a smart device, the Narwal Freo Z Ultra supports voice commands through Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Apple’s Siri, making it easy to integrate into your smart home setup. The Narwal app provides detailed control over cleaning schedules and maps, allowing users to customize their cleaning experience. I tested these features, and for the most part, the Freo Z Ultra connects seamlessly to the assistants you already use. However, sometimes it’s just easier to open the app and press a button, though it’s great to have multiple options.
That said, while I love everything the vacuum brings to the table, it doesn’t come cheap. The Narwal Freo Z Ultra is a luxury item that offers unparalleled convenience and cleaning performance with a price tag to match. It’s priced at a staggering $1,500, significantly more than the Freo X Plus I reviewed and one of the more expensive robot vacuums I’ve tested. However, it’s clear that the device offers a lot of features and is designed for those who prioritize convenience—though that does come at a cost.
Even so, the Narwal Freo Z Ultra is unquestionably one of the best robot vacuum cleaners/mops I’ve tested, offering one of the most complete packages available. It’s clear this sits in the premium luxury category, but for anyone who needs the level of features this robot provides, few products come close to matching it—so it makes sense you’ll pay for one of the best.
After testing everything this little vacuum can do, I can confidently say the Narwal Freo Z Ultra sits at the pinnacle of smart robot vacuum technology and feels very much like the Rolls-Royce of cleaning solutions. Its powerful performance, advanced automation features, and sleek design make it a standout in the market. While there may be areas for improvement in future models, what Narwal has packed into this robot means you won’t need to upgrade for years to come. If you can afford the premium price tag, few cleaning robots even come close.
- Clean Before You Even Notice – The world’s first robot vacuum with dual 1600×1200 HD cameras and dual chips. Freo Z Ultra sees everything in high-definition color and evaluates its surroundings with groundbreaking AI to enable real-time cleaning decisions.
- Advanced Obstacle Avoidance – Dual cameras and on-board AI recognize over 120 objects to closely avoid obstacles while maximizing cleaning coverage. Hazards like pet accidents are avoided by 150mm, with furniture legs and safe objects cleaned up to within 8mm. It even reacts to and avoids unexpected dangers as they appear.
