Narwal Flow 2 review

Narwal Flow 2: Introduction

• Type: Robot vacuum and mop
• Docking: Self-empty, self-clean
• Navigation system: Cameras and light sensors

The original Narwal Flow arrived with one of the most effective mopping systems I’d tested. Its unusual track mop could scrub away stains that stopped many rivals in their tracks, but the robot wasn’t quite as versatile as the best all-round models.

Narwal is looking to fix that with the Flow 2. The distinctive mopping technology remains, but it is joined by considerably more suction, upgraded obstacle avoidance and a completely redesigned docking station.

Those changes make the Flow 2 a more complete robot vacuum, particularly for homes with a mixture of hard floors and short-pile carpets. It still has a few limitations, but when it comes to mopping, few competitors come close.

Design and features

• Redesigned self-cleaning dock
• 30,000Pa suction power
• Excellent object recognition
• Track-style mopping system

The Narwal Flow 2 is available in black or white, with the chosen colour applied to both the robot and its docking station. There is no difference in features or performance between the two versions.

Narwal has completely redesigned the dock for this generation. The new model has a squarer, more conventional appearance that feels closer to something Roborock might produce, rather than continuing the curved design of the original Flow station.

It also uses a removable ramp that attaches to the front and protrudes slightly into the room. The previous dock enclosed the robot more completely and didn’t require this extra section, so the new design takes up a little more floor space.

A status light on the front indicates when the robot is ready or requires attention. It works well enough, although I would prefer the light to remain off unless there is a problem. A large glowing strip adds little when everything is working normally.

On top of the dock are two removable water tanks. The clean-water tank holds 4.5 litres, while the dirty-water tank has a slightly smaller 4-litre capacity. Some clean water is left on the floor during mopping, so in practice the clean tank usually needs refilling at around the same time the dirty one needs emptying.

The docking station can wash the Flow 2’s mop using water heated to 100°C. It can also automatically mix detergent into the water. The detergent compartment sits underneath the tanks, alongside a sample bottle of Narwal’s hard-floor cleaner.

Unlike some rival stations that use proprietary detergent cartridges, Narwal’s design lets you add your own compatible floor cleaner if you prefer.

A 2.5-litre disposable dust bag is also hidden beneath the water tanks. Narwal claims this can hold up to 120 days’ worth of dirt, although the actual figure will depend on the size of your home, how often the robot runs and how much debris it collects.

The robot itself looks similar to its predecessor. There is no raised LiDAR dome, keeping the Flow 2’s height down to 95mm. That allows it to travel underneath plenty of sofas, cabinets and other low furniture.

Navigation is handled by dual RGB cameras and side-mounted structured-light sensors. Narwal’s Free FlowMove system is designed to recognise obstacles, find a route around them and continue cleaning without getting stuck.

A small removable bin sits inside the robot and includes a washable filter. Most of the time, you won’t need to touch it, as the dock automatically empties the collected dirt into its disposable bag.

Turn the Flow 2 over and you’ll find its standout feature: the FlowWash mopping system. It resembles a roller at first glance, but uses a continuous fabric track to create more contact with the floor.

The cloth is supplied with clean water and pulled across the floor using 12N of downward pressure. This combination of fresh water, movement and pressure gives the Flow 2 considerably more scrubbing power than robots that simply drag static mop pads behind them.

The cameras can also identify particularly dirty areas, allowing the robot to focus more attention on stains that require extra work.

When the Flow 2 detects carpet, the entire mopping system lifts by 10mm to prevent the fabric from dragging across the surface. That is enough clearance for short-pile carpets, but it may not protect deeper flooring.

Robots that can leave their mop pads behind at the dock or close a physical cover around their roller offer greater flexibility in homes with thick or varied carpets.

Threshold handling is strong. The Flow 2 can climb a single threshold up to 3cm high or negotiate a double-layer threshold measuring up to 4cm, which should be enough for most standard transitions between rooms.

Features

• Flexible cleaning options
• Advanced settings for targeted cleaning

Setup and control are handled through the Narwal app. Connecting the robot to Wi-Fi is quick, after which it completes an initial mapping run.

Once mapping is complete, the app suggests a room layout. Rooms can be merged or divided to create a map that accurately reflects your home, while no-go zones keep the robot away from delicate or problematic areas.

There are some useful advanced options, too. Room Character settings let you mark spaces as high-soil or low-noise areas, helping the Flow 2 adapt its cleaning strategy.

Furniture can also be placed on the map and selected as a quick-cleaning zone. This is particularly handy around dining tables, where crumbs and other debris tend to accumulate.

Cleaning can be started by room, manually drawn zone or the whole mapped area. There are separate modes for vacuuming and mopping together, vacuuming before mopping, vacuuming only and mopping only.

An automatic mode can choose settings based on the room and detected dirt level. Alternatively, you can take full control. Vacuuming offers four power levels, two coverage options and up to three passes. Mopping has similar coverage controls, along with three moisture levels.

I particularly like that the vacuum-then-mop mode lets you choose different numbers of passes for each stage. You might vacuum a room once, for example, but mop it three times to deal with stubborn marks.

Performance

• Powerful carpet and hard-floor cleaning
• Class-leading stain removal
• Excellent obstacle avoidance

I tested the Narwal Flow 2 around the The Ambient’s Home Technology Lab, starting with a teaspoon of flour spread across the carpet.

With 30,000Pa of suction, the Flow 2 is one of the most powerful robot vacuums available, and that performance shows. After two passes, the flour had been removed and the carpet was back to its original condition.

The hard-floor test produced similarly strong results. Dust placed in the middle of the floor disappeared completely during a vacuum-only run.

Edge performance was less convincing when vacuuming alone. The side brushes struggled to pull every trace of dust away from the kitchen plinth, leaving some debris behind.

Adding mopping transformed the result. The Flow 2 travelled neatly along the edge of the plinth, with the track mop collecting almost everything the brushes had missed. Only a faint trace remained, putting the performance up there with the best robot vacuums I’ve tested.

Mopping is where the Flow 2 really shines. A dried coffee stain disappeared during the first pass, even though the robot had been configured to make three.

A dried red-wine stain was removed just as quickly, leaving behind a clean, streak-free surface.

For the mud test, the Flow 2 first vacuumed up the loose debris before switching to mopping. Two passes were enough to remove the remaining stain completely.

Ketchup provided the toughest challenge. Hot weather had caused the stain to dry firmly onto the floor, and although three passes dramatically reduced it, a visible mark remained.

After spraying the area with kitchen cleaner and leaving it for five minutes, I sent the Flow 2 back. This time it removed the stain entirely. The ketchup needed some pretreatment, but the result still demonstrated just how effective the track mop can be.

Obstacle avoidance is also excellent. The Flow 2 successfully identified and steered around shoes, cables and fake pet mess without making contact or becoming trapped. That makes it well suited to busy homes where floors aren’t always perfectly clear before cleaning starts.

Battery life proved equally dependable. Even when configured to make three passes, the Flow 2 cleaned the entire lab on a single charge.

Final thoughts

A summary of all the above, combined with the verdict but more succinct. Also reiterate why it is better or worse than alternatives.

How we test

When we publish our reviews, you can rest assured that they are the result of “living with” long term tests.

Robot cleaners usually live within an ecosystem, or a range of products that – supposedly – all work in harmony. And they are designed to offer a range of different cleaning options. Therefore, it’s impossible to use a robo cleaner for a week and deliver a verdict.

Because we’re testing smart home kit all day, everyday, we know what matters and how a particular smart cleaning machine compares to alternatives that you might also be considering.

Our reviews are comprehensive, objective and fair and, of course, we are never paid directly to review a device.

Read our guide on how we test robot vacuum cleaners to learn more.

FAQs

Full product name: Specifications