Narwal Flow Vacuum & Mop
The Narwal Flow robot vacuum and mop combo is Narwal’s flagship robot vacuum, which comes with a power suction of 22,000Pa. FlowWash Real-Time Self-Cleaning Rolling Track Mop, CarpetFocus Carpet Cleaning, AI-Powered Obstacle Avoidance, and DualFlow Tangle-Free System. This robot vacuum also features 1.6″ Threshold Crossing, EdgeReach Extendable Mop, and Reverse Side Brush for Corner Cleaning.
PROS:
- Strong suction power of 22,000Pa
- Real-Time Self-Cleaning Rolling Track Mop
- 3.7″ Ultra-Slim
CONS:
- Expensive price point.
Narwal Flow Features
The Narwal Flow is one of those robot vacuums that actually feels like a step forward. It’s a vacuum and mop combo that does both jobs well, with its FlowWash Real-Time Self-Cleaning Rolling Track Mop keeping the pads clean as it goes so it doesn’t just spread dirty water around. The 22,000 Pa suction gives it plenty of power to pick up dust, crumbs, and pet hair, and the CarpetFocus mode helps it switch seamlessly between hard floors and rugs.
It’s compact too, just 3.7 inches tall and able to climb over 1.6-inch thresholds, so it gets under furniture and over small bumps easily. The EdgeReach extendable mop and reverse side brush do a surprisingly good job at cleaning corners, and once it’s done, it automatically self-washes and empties with warm water. It’s quiet, easy to control from the app, and works with Alexa if you want voice commands.
Design & Build
Design-wise, the base station for the Flow is not that different from other Narwal robot vacuums I’ve reviewed in the past. They are like a rounded edge as opposed to a squared-off one, but the Flow is still a fairly big, bulky unit with the predictable two containers for water, one dirty and one clean.
The one big design difference for this model is that you won’t find an automatic detergent dispenser. They do provide you with a little bottle of detergent, but you actually have to manually add it yourself.
The robot itself looks a bit different because it doesn’t have that central LIDAR turret you see on most smart robot vacuum cleaners. Instead, the LIDAR is located around the back, which gives it a really low profile. Most of my furniture isn’t low enough to need that, but if you do have low-hanging furniture that other robot vacuums can’t reach, this one probably can.
Vacuuming & Mopping Performance
In terms of vacuuming performance, the Narwal Flow managed reasonably well. These devices work best when run every day so you maintain a regular clean cycle.
The real star feature, though, is the FlowWash mopping system. And the mop is easily the best part of the Narwal Flow. And I’ll be honest, those old-style robot mops basically just dragged a cloth around the floor. They were rubbish. They really did not work well. And this does, or at least it did a very good job during my review period, cleaning across most hard floor surfaces.
My only mopping issue came on one tile section with deep grout lines, where it didn’t always pick up all the moisture even on multiple passes. For smaller tiles and smoother floors, it worked excellently. It uses warm water, which supposedly has biological benefits; I can’t measure that, but it definitely helps with drying and cleaning effectiveness.
It’s quite a thirsty mop, though, meaning I had to refill the water more often than I’d like. Adding detergent manually can also be tricky; as you top up partially filled water, you risk getting the soap ratio wrong, and it can froth up. Some international models have automatic detergent dispensers, but not this one.
App, Mapping & Navigation
In terms of mapping, the Flow did a good job figuring out my space and breaking it into logical zones, especially in an open-plan layout. The robot itself maps pretty intelligently and usually sticks to clean, efficient routes once it learns the layout. That said, the Narwal app can be a bit hit or miss; it offers plenty of customization, but sometimes marks random carpet zones or gets confused about certain areas, which can mess with how it cleans. It’s good at avoiding obstacles like cables and pet toys, but once in a while it moves in odd patterns as it tries to reorient itself.
One thing that did impress me, though, was how well it handled small inclines. my raised floor area didn’t slow it down at all. It can lift itself over up to 40mm, which is fun to watch, though it does get a bit louder when doing so.
Battery Life
Narwal rates the Flow for up to 190 minutes of runtime, and I never ran out of battery during a normal cleaning session. It does take a while to recharge, but for most homes, you’ll likely only need to run it once a day.
The issue of the manual detergent thing does come up again when you’re doing longer runs. If you’re running it intensively within a single day, you could eventually reach the battery limit. Still, for most cleaning routines, it has ample power to get things done before returning to charge.
Drawbacks
The machine itself is actually really solid, suction is strong, mopping works great, and it looks premium. The main issue I’ve had is with the software. The app feels buggy and sometimes marks random areas as carpets even when there aren’t any, which throws off the cleaning pattern. You end up sending it out a few times until it finally figures out the layout. I really wish there was a way to properly edit or remap those spots, because it makes a big difference in how it cleans. The no-go zones also don’t always register; mine even went near the stairs a couple of times despite the boundaries being set.
Overall, the hardware is impressive, but the app still needs some serious improvement to match it.
Final Thoughts
So, should you buy the Narwal Flow? A robot vacuum and mop is always a luxury purchase, especially in this $1200+ price range. In that space, the Flow competes well, particularly for its mopping performance, which is genuinely excellent. The vacuuming is fine, not mind-blowing, but solid.
Overall, my floors have never been cleaner. These machines aren’t flawless; none of them are, but the Narwal Flow delivers an impressively premium mopping experience in a sleek, well-built package.
