Narwal Flow 2: home cleaning with a strip mop

The first aspect that stands out in Narwal Flow 2 is the radical change in design compared to other models from the company: the charging base now has less curved shapes, with a more traditional approach that does not lose elegance. The two upper tanks that insert directly, no longer hidden by a lid, and the light strip positioned just above the robot further characterize the style of this home cleaning robot.

Aside from its aesthetic component, Narwal Flow 2 is the most sophisticated and complete vacuum robot that the Asian company currently offers on the market. It is a solution that implements the latest technologies in the field, with a washing system based on a strip mop that can extend laterally to better treat all surfaces in the home.

This system, referred to as FlowWash, operates continuous washing with water heated to 60 degrees, which is directed onto the strip mop that rotates on the floor, exerting a pressure of 12N. The mop glides across the floor removing dirt and is automatically cleaned by the robot with each rotation, thanks to the combined action of hot water and an internal system for collecting dirty water. There is also the possibility to extend the mop on the right side to clean close to walls, furniture, and decorative objects present in the house.

Unlike what has been implemented by other competitors with integrated washing rollers, Narwal has chosen a rotating mop design that is 26.5cm long and 5.5cm wide. This way, the contact surface with the floor significantly increases, about 16 times more with each pass, while maintaining good pressure on the floor. It is the combined action of pressure and friction that ensures floor cleanliness and stain removal.

The dust suction motor reaches a maximum power of 31,000Pa: it operates through the bottom brush, which features an adaptive pressurization plate that adjusts the height of the suction system based on the surface, ensuring the best possible final result. The bottom brush implements a zero-tangle floating design, preventing hair and fur from getting stuck and limiting the suction capacity.

The side brush has an asymmetric design that helps avoid hair and fur tangling: it automatically opens or folds back depending on the type of action the robot needs to perform and the surface being treated. The navigation system is identified by Narwal as NarMind Pro 2.0 and is based on algorithms of artificial intelligence to guide the robot between the walls of the house and potential obstacles on the floor. It uses a dual RGB camera paired with a retractable LiDAR mounted at the back, a technical choice that keeps the height to about 9.5cm. The system is complemented by a front LED, which activates if the ambient light is too low. The cameras take pictures of any obstacles present on the floor, which are made accessible directly from the Narwal APP at the end of the cleaning operation.

When the robot encounters an object not in the database contained in its local memory, a VLM analysis is activated in the cloud for identification through deep learning techniques. This information is then implemented into the robot, thus expanding its local database with each cleaning action.

The mapping operation proceeds quickly, taking only a few minutes for a medium to large-sized apartment. Once completed, we can perform cleanings of all areas or only specific selected ones, setting specific modes for suction and washing according to our preferences or allowing the robot's artificial intelligence to choose the best operation.

The Narwal APP remains the control center for all advanced features of Flow 2, and the preferred way to start cleaning operations. Advanced settings allow for selecting specific operating parameters for the robot as well as the charging base, offering a wide flexibility of configuration. The pet mode, when enabled, configures certain options taking into account the larger quantity of fur that will be collected during cleaning and adjusting some parameters to help maintain the robot's efficiency.

The charging base integrates the two tanks for clean and dirty water, along with a bag for collecting dust. There is a dedicated tank for cleaning liquid: it is refillable and not completely sealed like those provided with other Narwal models, a notably practical modification for daily use of the robot.

The self-cleaning of the robot's mop operates at different water temperature levels: starting from 45 degrees for ordinary use, moving to 60 degrees for oily stains, all the way to a final wash at 100 degrees that ensures complete sterilization. The mop is then dried with a blast of hot air at 60 degrees, restoring it to ideal usage conditions.

Put to the test, Narwal Flow 2 excels in the precision with which it navigates through the walls of the house and moves near walls and obstacles. Its actions in both suction and washing proceed swiftly, leaving no untreated areas. The detection of potential obstacles is equally effective: the two front cameras and the rear LiDAR sensor quickly identify them, ensuring the robot avoids contact but can get as close as possible to maximize the covered surface area.

The strip mop, very similar to the washing rollers we've seen in other competitor robots, performs a highly effective operation on the floor for dirt removal. The integrated self-cleaning action ensures that dirt is immediately removed and the mop does not spread it across the floor. The extension mechanism also allows for treating the home's floors even near walls and objects, leaving as little uncleaned surface as possible.

Overall, the operation is quiet, and the same goes for the charging base during automatic washing and drying operations of the strip mop. The integrated battery has a capacity of 7,000mAh: it is recharged in Turbo mode while stationed at the charging base, so it is immediately ready for use. The amount of energy available allows for a suction and washing operation of a 170-square-meter home without intermediate recharges, making it more than sufficient for most usage scenarios.

-15% NARWAL Flow 2 Robot Vacuum and Floor Washer with Roller, FlowWash Washing at 60 °C, Suction Power of A at 31,000 Pa, CarpetFocus™ Technology, Mop Washing at 100 °C and Drying at 60 °C
1299.00
1099.00
€
Buy now Narwal Flow 2 is available in two different versions: the standard at a price of 1,299 EUR, alongside the compact one at 1,499 EUR. For both, from April 20 to May 10, there is a promotion with a €200 discount on the official price, along with an extension of the warranty from the traditional 2 years to 3 years. Narwal also provides a package of accessories worth 219 EUR as a gift that will be shipped to customers from mid-May. A further discount code of 100 EUR can also be used with the code FLOW2HWUP, applicable on both Amazon and the official Narwal website.