This Narwal robot vacuum has an impressive feature list, but just doesn't do as it's told

21 Dec 2025, 16:30 · TechRadar

TechRadar Verdict

The Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra offers solid vacuuming for everyday messes, and mopping performance is equally capable – with especially good edge coverage for hard-to-reach areas. Hot water mop washing and drying on the base station, combined with excellent obstacle avoidance, strengthen the proposition. However, some of its "smart" features are anything but, plus an overly complicated app and failure to reliably execute tasks mean this bot is not without its headaches.

Pros

+Decent everyday vacuuming performance
+Excellent obstacle avoidance
+Great mopping – especially edges
+Feature-rich, self-cleaning base station
+Stylish design

Cons

-Smart features don't work properly
-Overwhelming, impenetrable app
-Unreliable self-empty
-Doesn't always complete tasks
-Mopping uses lots of water

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Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra: two-minute review

The Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra is a feature-packed combination robot vacuum and mop, paired with a comprehensive base station. In theory, it should deliver an almost completely hands-off cleaning experience; everything you could want from one of the best robot vacuums. However, the performance was somewhat mixed during testing.

Narwal Robotics has been around since 2016, with a primary focus on developing innovative robot vacuums. The Freo Z10 Ultra is the latest flagship model of the Z-series lineup. It's an updated version of the Freo Z Ultra, which offered impressive mopping but struggled with carpets. The Z10 Ultra delivers higher suction power (18,000Pa) and adds edge-reaching technology to the mops. For a slightly more affordable option, there's the Freo Z10.

I tested the Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra over a couple of weeks, and when it comes to everyday vacuuming tasks, I was impressed. It did a solid job of clearing most particles – including dog fur, pine needles, and excessive amounts of crumbs – from both hard flooring and carpet in my home. However, edge vacuuming wasn't a strong suit (which was especially apparent under my kitchen cabinets) and it also struggled to clear larger spillages, even when using the highest suction level.

Mopping on the Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra was up there with the best I've seen. There's no water tank on the robot itself; instead, the two triangular, microfiber mops are loaded with hot water and detergent at the base before being sent out to clean. Admittedly, this made the cleaning longer and required the water tank to be refilled more often, but the results were worth it.

Beyond consistently mopping up mud puddles left by my dog and small food spills, the mops successfully cleaned a large, dried ketchup spill when using the wettest mopping level. With the Freo Z10 Ultra's edge-reaching technology, the mops even extended right up against walls, getting into places other robots often miss. The dock's mop maintenance features also worked extremely well.

I was equally impressed with the Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra's navigation and obstacle avoidance. Dual AI cameras and a LiDAR sensor enable it to avoid furniture, cables, shoes, and other clutter.

Unfortunately, the Freo Z10 Ultra is far from the most reliable bot to control. On many occasions, I would send the robot to complete a task, and it would either skip entire selected rooms or roll out of the base and return without doing anything at all. A "smart" AI cleaning mode, which should adjust cleaning settings based on dirt levels and floor type, only exacerbated the problems.

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