I was so impressed with the original Narwal Flow that I gave it four and a half stars when I reviewed it late last year. It was the mopping that did it for me, offering a near-flawless performance in an area where others have lagged.
After testing numerous robot vacuums across a broad range of prices, I considered it one of the best I’d used. Its mopping system was especially impressive, solving some of the more frustrating issues I’d encountered with competing models.
So Narwal has given itself a difficult act to follow with the Flow 2. The original was already an expensive, highly sophisticated machine, and I was curious to see whether the company could find enough room for improvement to justify a successor so soon.
I’ve been testing the Flow 2 around my two-floor apartment, which has a great variety of flooring. Some rooms have also been newly carpeted, meaning the fibres haven’t had time to compress through regular foot traffic. That makes them more stubborn to move across, something I’ve noticed when using conventional vacuum cleaners.
Yet the Flow 2 glides across them seamlessly. It’s one of the first things I noticed about the new model, and a good indication that Narwal has been paying attention to an area where the original occasionally struggled.
Design
I appreciated the original Flow’s understated design, although it was fairly obvious that Narwal had prioritised function over aesthetics. The Flow 2 is a more attractive machine, with a redesigned docking station that looks better suited to sitting out in the open.
The new semi-enclosed dock has a cleaner, more contemporary appearance, complete with a subtle lighting system. Considering how much space these docking stations can occupy, I’m glad Narwal has given more thought to how the unit fits into a home.
The robot itself remains impressively slim at 95mm, allowing it to reach underneath furniture without the bulky navigation towers found on some competitors. Narwal has also introduced a status light bar, which gives you a quick indication of what the robot is doing without having to check your phone.
The docking station remains a major part of the appeal. It automatically empties the dustbin and takes care of washing the mop, with the Flow 2 now using water heated to as much as 100°C during its cleaning cycle.
That’s a substantial improvement over the original’s docking system, which used water heated to around 60°C. Narwal has also increased the drying temperature, helping the mop dry more thoroughly between cleaning sessions.
Specs
- Suction power: 31,000Pa, up from 22,000Pa
- Mopping: FlowWash continuous roller system
- Mopping pressure: Up to 12N
- Mopping water temperature: Up to 60°C
- Dock washing temperature: Up to 100°C
- Navigation: NarMind Pro AI with dual 1080p cameras
- Battery: 7,000mAh, up from 6,400mAh
- Robot height: 95mm
- Threshold climbing: Up to 40mm
- Dust collection: Up to 120 days between dust bag changes
Performance
The Flow 2 has made one of its most noticeable improvements here. Narwal has increased maximum suction power from 22,000Pa to 31,000Pa, representing a jump of around 41 per cent. That’s a substantial increase for a single generation, especially when the original was already more powerful than many competing robot vacuums.
My newly carpeted rooms have provided a good test. Fresh carpet fibres create more resistance, yet the Flow 2 moves across these surfaces with remarkable confidence. It’s satisfying to watch a robot vacuum handle flooring that can make a conventional cleaner feel unnecessarily cumbersome.
The CarpetFocus system also helps concentrate suction when the robot detects carpet. Narwal has retained the original’s ability to raise itself over small thresholds, which I previously found useful for navigating the slightly raised legs of my dining room table.
Navigation has received an even more substantial upgrade. The original Flow used dual RGB cameras to identify obstacles, but the Flow 2 introduces NarMind Pro, an AI system that uses a vision-language model to interpret objects beyond a fixed recognition library.
In theory, this should make the robot better equipped to deal with unfamiliar clutter. It’s a welcome development given how often robot vacuums still manage to become confused by everyday objects left on the floor.
Mopping & Features
Mopping was the original Flow’s greatest strength, and I still consider its FlowWash system one of the most effective approaches to wet cleaning I’ve encountered. Rather than dragging a dirty pad across the floor, the system continuously refreshes a wide roller mop with clean water. Dirty water is collected separately, reducing the chance of spreading grime around the room.
Narwal has retained that technology for the Flow 2, although the water can now reach 60°C during mopping. That’s an improvement over the original’s approximately 40°C system and should be useful when dealing with greasy residue or stubborn kitchen spills.
The Flow 2 can also identify areas requiring additional attention and adjust its cleaning behaviour accordingly. Combined with the existing 12N of downward pressure, the upgraded system gives Narwal more flexibility when tackling difficult marks.
There’s also a greater emphasis on specialised cleaning modes. Baby Care is designed to reduce cleaning noise around sleeping children, while AI Floor Tag can identify potentially valuable objects left on the floor and alert you to them.
These additions won’t be equally useful to everyone. For my apartment, the biggest benefits remain the improved movement across carpet and the refinements to a mopping system I already rated very highly.
Verdict & Value
I had high expectations for the Narwal Flow 2, largely because I enjoyed using the original so much. Even after testing several models since, it’s the one I’ve been using until this came along and replaced it.
When a product is already among the best in its category, there’s a risk that the next generation will offer little beyond a handful of specification upgrades.
Narwal has made some worthwhile changes here. The increase to 31,000Pa suction is impressive, and the improved navigation system gives the robot more scope to handle the unpredictable nature of a lived-in home.
I’m especially pleased with how confidently it moves across my newly carpeted rooms. Having previously watched the original Flow slow down on thicker flooring, it’s encouraging to see Narwal making progress in an area that could genuinely affect someone’s decision to buy.
The improved hot-water mopping is another welcome development, although I’d argue the original Flow was already so effective that the difference will be less noticeable during routine cleaning. Owners of the first model certainly shouldn’t feel that their machine has suddenly become outdated.
There’s still the question of price. The Flow 2 occupies the premium end of the robot vacuum market, and that makes it difficult to recommend to anyone who only needs occasional assistance with cleaning. Circa $2,000 is still a lot of to pay for a robot vacuum cleaner, but like a good coffee machine, choose right and it’ll save you both money and time – it’ll pay for itself in the long run.
The issue is, most robot vacuums take a long time before the investment starts to feel worthwhile. By that time, improvements have already been made in the space and you’re left eyeing an upgrade already. Yet like the Narwal Flow, this one has got some longevity to it. I’d see myself using this as my primary cleaning model two years down the track.
For households with mixed flooring, however, Narwal has put together a compelling package. The Flow 2 builds on the qualities that made its predecessor one of my favourite robot vacuums, while addressing some of the areas where I felt there was still room to improve.
I’d happily recommend the original Flow today, especially at a discount. But if you’re buying a new premium robot vacuum and want the best technology Narwal currently offers, the Flow 2 makes a convincing case for spending the extra money.
Is it worth the upgrade over the Flow? Nope. But if you’re yet to own a Narwal product, this is the one to go for.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Excellent performance on thick carpet; stronger suction than the original; improved hot-water mopping.
Lowlights: Premium pricing; existing Flow owners may not need to upgrade.
Price: $2,099
