Freo X Ultra
4 independent reviewsRead the findings →Narwal's former flagship, which bags its dust inside the robot rather than emptying it into the dock. It mops hard floors well. It's slow, though, weak on carpet, and you empty the dust yourself.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in Narwal’s range
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What reviewers found
Four tests: Vacuum Wars and RTINGS in controlled conditions, and home tests by TechRadar and AppleInsider. Three of them liked the mopping, but RTINGS found it only marginally effective. All four found it fine on hard floors, and the lab tests found it weak on carpet. The sharpest split is obstacle avoidance: the home testers were happy, while Vacuum Wars and RTINGS rated it among the worst they'd tested. Everyone noticed how long it takes.
Vacuum Wars, lab test, Sept 2024 · RTINGS, lab test · TechRadar, hands-on, Jul 2024 · AppleInsider, hands-on, Jun 2024
Hard floors
Reviewers rate it highlyTechRadar found it picked up big and small debris in one pass and reached edges well with its two side brushes. Vacuum Wars rated surface pickup very good, and AppleInsider found floors clean right to the walls.
Carpet and rugs
Reviewers found problemsVacuum Wars measured below-average sand removal from carpet, and RTINGS found it couldn't lift fine debris from low-pile rugs. TechRadar had no complaints on its carpets, but if rugs matter, look elsewhere.
Pet hair
Not enough evidenceOnly RTINGS tested pet hair, finding it couldn't lift it from low-pile rugs. No second qualifying review measured hair pickup.
Mopping
Mixed resultsVacuum Wars put it third on its list of best robot mops and AppleInsider found floors clean to the walls, but RTINGS called the mopping only marginally effective with mediocre stain removal. TechRadar saw soy sauce gone in two passes.
Navigation and obstacles
Mixed resultsAt home, TechRadar saw it avoid everything except cables and AppleInsider rated it better than most. The controlled tests were far harsher: Vacuum Wars and RTINGS rated its obstacle avoidance among the worst they'd tested, hitting shoes, socks and cables.
Dock and upkeep
Mixed resultsThe dock washes and dries the pads, but doesn't empty dust. AppleInsider was happy emptying the robot's compressed bag about every seven weeks; TechRadar and RTINGS expect much more frequent emptying in dirty or hairy homes.
App and software
Mixed resultsTechRadar found the app intuitive for settings and schedules, but its line tool couldn't split an open-plan floor into rooms. AppleInsider hit the same limit with a loop-shaped layout, and Narwal's fix was a virtual wall.
Noise
Not enough evidenceOnly AppleInsider measured it: about 59dB on quiet, 65dB in normal use and 70dB on maximum, among the quieter robots it has tested, with dust compression peaking around 73dB.
Reliability and support
Not enough evidenceNo qualifying review has run it long-term or judged Narwal's support yet.
Value
Mixed resultsTechRadar found it very pricey, with cheaper rivals getting most of the way there, though its edge cleaning is worth something. AppleInsider says you get what you pay for, but suggests first-time owners try a cheaper robot.
Verdicts come from independent, hands-on, finished reviews. An area needs at least two of them before we say more than “Not enough evidence”. We don't score robots ourselves. How this works
Mostly strong mopping
Vacuum Wars, AppleInsider and TechRadar all got good mopping results, though TechRadar needed two passes for soy sauce and found it didn't reach far into edges. RTINGS measured much weaker stain removal, and nobody has explained the gap. The dock washes the pads in unheated water, but every tester had that same dock, so it can't account for the split on its own. Expect good everyday mopping and check stubborn marks yourself.
Obstacle avoidance: testers split
TechRadar found it avoided everything except cables and even steered round its dogs, and AppleInsider thought it better than most it had tried. The controlled tests were far harsher. Vacuum Wars scored it 5 out of 12 in its standard test and 3 out of 12 in its hardest one, and RTINGS found it hit almost every small object, including shoes, socks and cables. Real homes vary, so pick things up before a run.
Fine on hard floors, weak on carpet
TechRadar and Vacuum Wars reported good pickup of surface debris. Dirt and hair trodden into carpet were harder: Vacuum Wars measured below-average sand removal, and RTINGS left fine debris and pet hair in low-pile rugs. So the problem is deep cleaning, not just thick pile, and even low rugs suffer. If you have a lot of carpet, you may still want a separate vacuum for the ground-in stuff.
You empty the dust yourself
There's no dust emptying in the dock. The robot compresses dust into its own 1-litre bag. AppleInsider was happy emptying it about every seven weeks, but TechRadar suspects that's optimistic with lots of dirt or hair, and RTINGS expects more frequent emptying than a self-emptying robot. AppleInsider measured the compression at about 73dB, the loudest thing it does.
Slow runs and mapping quirks
Vacuum Wars found it slow, especially when mopping, and TechRadar said frequent trips back to wash the pads made runs long. A deep clean of about 700 square feet took AppleInsider three hours and one water refill. Both home testers also hit mapping trouble. TechRadar couldn't divide an open-plan floor into rooms, and AppleInsider had to block off part of a loop-shaped layout before the app would split it.
This covers the Freo X Ultra only. The Freo Z Ultra, which empties its dust into the dock, is a different robot with its own page.
Our take
Should you buy the Freo X Ultra?
Best for: Homes where washing hard floors is the main job. Skip it if: Pet hair embedded in carpet is your main cleaning problem.
The Freo X Ultra is mainly worth comparing for hard-floor mopping if you accept manual dust emptying. Its slower runs, inconsistent obstacle results and carpet-hair weakness are the main compromises. The Freo Z Ultra adds automatic dust emptying and stronger reported avoidance; compare current offers before deciding whether the older model saves enough to justify those differences.
The Freo X Ultra was Narwal's top robot in 2024. It mops with two triangular spinning pads, and its dock washes and dries them, refills the water and adds Narwal's floor cleaner for you. The unusual part is the dust. Instead of sucking the bin empty into a bag in the dock, the robot squashes dust into its own bag, which Narwal says lasts around seven weeks. It has since been replaced by the Freo Z Ultra, which does empty itself, and it isn't widely sold new any more.
The main compromises are manual dust emptying, long cleaning runs and inconsistent obstacle avoidance. The dock washes the pads without heating the water, and frequent rinsing extends the job. Reviewers also found limits when dividing some open-plan rooms in the app. At about 10.7cm tall, it needs more furniture clearance than slimmer models.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
How often do I have to empty or refill anything?
Narwal says the robot's compressed dust bag lasts about seven weeks, per the specifications. TechRadar doubts that in homes with lots of dirt or hair. Water is the bigger job: AppleInsider needed a refill halfway through a deep clean with the smart cleaning mode on.
Will it avoid cables and pet mess?
Don't count on it. Vacuum Wars and RTINGS both found its obstacle avoidance among the worst they'd tested, even though TechRadar had few problems at home. Clear cables, socks and anything a pet leaves behind before you start it.
Can it cross rugs and raised thresholds between rooms?
The pads lift by a claimed 12mm, but thick pile may still touch them, so set it to avoid deep rugs. Thresholds were a worry too: AppleInsider’s unit couldn't get over a shallow cable cover. Measure the raised strips between your rooms rather than assuming it'll cope.
Does it fit under low furniture?
Not the lowest. TechRadar lists the robot at 107mm tall, and AppleInsider notes the turret stops it fitting under some furniture. Measure any gap you want it to clean; you'll need a bit more than 11cm.
How much room does the dock need, and how noisy is it?
TechRadar lists dock dimensions of 41.5 × 37 × 43.4cm, and you'll need space around it to get at the tanks. AppleInsider measured roughly 59–65dB while the robot cleaned and about 73dB during dust compression. Those figures don't cover the dock washing or drying the pads.
Alternatives
Other robot vacuums to compare.
Freo Z Ultra
Why consider it: It mops hard floors very well, and its camera-based obstacle avoidance won praise in testing.
The compromise: Deep carpet cleaning is weak, water use is high and mopping runs are slow.
Qrevo S5V
Why consider it: Testers agree it mops well, and its dock empties the dust for you.
The compromise: It also misses small objects, and testers split on pet hair.
DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI
Why consider it: A self-washing roller mop with strong hard-floor cleaning.
The compromise: Published tests disagree on how well it handles carpet hair and dried stains.
Freo X Ultra head to head
Head to head
Narwal Freo Z Ultra vs Freo X Ultra
Our verdict: Get the Z Ultra if you can. It empties its own dust into the dock and had the best obstacle score Vacuum Wars had seen, where the X Ultra was among the worst. Both mop well, and both struggled with deep carpet cleaning.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the Freo X Ultra?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Editorial reviews
Sources
- Narwal: Freo X Ultra product page ↗Manufacturer
Videos
- Search YouTube for Narwal Freo X Ultra ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.