The Narwal Flow 2 is the latest 2-in-1 flagship robot vacuum from the company. As a successor to 2025’s original Flow, the company aimed to refresh and upgrade its autonomous cleaner’s vacuum and mopping systems. With new AI-powered navigation and obstacle avoidance, the already well-rounded robot vacuum is even better, albeit with some frustrating quirks.
The Flow 2’s AI-powered Adaptive Obstacle Avoidance and Adaptive Smart Cleaning features are implemented so well that after two weeks of use, I’m certain the robot vacuum is smarter and better than it was out of the box. It can target dust and debris for vacuuming and provide mopping capabilities on surfaces other than carpet. It can provide reliable cleaning in a far more sophisticated package than the Narwal Freo, which I also tested years ago.
The $2,099.99 robot vacuum has a ton of customizable settings and 3D mapping features within the Narwal app. Frustratingly, as good as the cleaning experience is, the scheduling settings in the app are unreliable, causing headaches for those who want Narwal to clean around their schedules and lifestyles each day.
Narwal has made some very drastic design changes for Flow 2. For instance, the company has ditched that pseudo-futuristic glossy white colourway, replacing it with a much better, darker black case. The robot vacuum itself is more elegant, with a slight concave top. Underneath is a small sweeper attachment that spins and helps collect dust to feed into the central vacuum system. There’s also the built-in FlowWash Self-Cleaning Track Mop, which is used during mopping cycles.
The device still sports the light built into the top, which certainly helps see the unit if it’s doing a cleanup at night when the lights are off. On the side is a dual 1080p camera system with 136-degree FOV. The cameras are paired with an RGB laser array and infrared sensors for navigation. The robot vacuum also includes a built-in debris canister, which can be easily emptied.
The Flow 2 has some notable upgrades to flaunt. For instance, it now supports 31,000Pa of suction pressure, ensuring that even small crumbs, dust, and other debris are properly removed. Narwal also includes 12N of mopping force, applied during its mopping cycles. With auto-detergent use and heated water, I had to double-check at times whether the unit was actually mopping, given the lack of residue or moisture on the floor. Lo and behold, the Flow 2 mops and dries the floor quickly during its automated clean.
Narwal has also redesigned the base station. Matching the colour of the Flow 2, it arrives in a darker design and is far more compact. The new base station is home to the top-mounted clean- and dirty-water tanks. Both canisters are large enough to store ample water, so you won’t have to empty or refill them daily (or weekly). In the clean tank is a separate canister for storing Narwal’s proprietary mopping detergent. Unfortunately, Narwal doesn’t recommend using another brand of detergent; instead, it offers its own $40 floor-cleaning solution.
The Flow 2 is fairly easy to set up. Aside from setting up the robot vacuum and prepping the base station, most of the setup is done through the Narwal app, available on iOS and Android. During the setup, Flow 2 does an introductory sweep of the space and begins mapping tables, chairs, counters, and other furniture, as well as carpets.
After the initial mapping is complete, you can go in and fine-tune the results. You can label rooms as you see fit, set boundaries if you don’t want the Flow 2 to go into a certain corner, and more. I was a bit surprised by how much agency and customization Narwal includes in the app. I set Flow 2 to perform a thorough, heavy vacuuming of my living room with each pass. Afterwards, the robot vacuum is set to vacuum and mop my kitchen.
Then, I was able to begin building out my schedule. Here’s where I think some of the cracks lie within the software. I had set the Flow 2 to do the aforementioned cleaning circuit on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 4 PM, right as I finish up my work day. Much to my surprise, and despite the in-app schedule reading 4 PM (per my time zone and phone’s clock), the Flow 2 began cleaning the following morning at 4 AM. Thinking it was an error on my part, I deleted the schedule and remade a new one, only this time at 7 AM, just in time for me to wake up. To my suspicions, there’s some sort of software error that, despite operating on a 24-hour clock, the Flow 2’s software gets confused and swaps AM to PM, as my device now goes off at 7 PM, just in time for dinner. Is this a make-or-break for me? No. It can certainly be an annoying error, especially for those who want to tailor that in-app experience to their lifestyle.
The device sports a 7,000mAh battery. Granted, I live in a two-story condo, so the space in which the Flow 2 operates is fairly small. So, naturally, I haven’t run into any issues where it hasn’t had enough battery to complete a full vacuum and mop in a single cycle. To complete a 400-square-foot clean, the Flow 2 typically takes around 45 minutes. This includes a full vacuum, a transition from hardwood in my living room to carpet, and a combination vacuum-and-mop in my kitchen.
The first time I let the Flow 2 loose within my home, I was genuinely worried. I noticed that during the first pass, the Flow 2 missed some areas, didn’t hit the desired corners and skipped an entire section in my living room. However, upon subsequent uses, I noticed that the Flow 2 was learning the lay of the land and doing a better job covering the surfaces and hitting all desired areas. By the end of week one, I was pretty impressed with how well it transitioned between the hardwood and my rug, increasing suction for a better clean.
With its AI-powered Adaptive Obstacle Avoidance, Flow 2 knows how to avoid miscellaneous objects like cords, socks, or a loose LEGO piece. Theoretically, the Flow 2 should also be able to detect pet droppings and avoid those, targeting minor spills when mopping.
I haven’t experienced any major issues with the clean’s performance. There may be occasional bits that the Flow 2 can’t gather, like a hard-to-reach dust bunny or a piece of paper. Out of curiosity, I took my Dyson PencilVac out after a recent clean, using the vacuum’s green light to see if there were any missed dust particles. The Flow 2 does a pretty good job of removing dust and debris visible to the naked eye. Though smaller particles of duster and allergens are left behind. So, if you are worried about those small particles on your floor, you may still want to vacuum regularly once a week or so.
Narwal’s new Flow 2 is a thoughtful 2-in-1 robot vacuum, perfect for spaces like a condo or a smaller home. It can effortlessly tackle everyday spot cleanings on hardwood, tile and rugs, freeing up your days from maintenance cleaning. With AI-based Adaptive Obstacle Avoidance and Adaptive Smart Cleaning, the Flow 2 only gets better and smarter the more it’s used. Although it may be an anomaly, there are some frustrating quirks to setting schedules and automation within the Narwal app. If you’re able to look past some software quirks and can stomach the $2,000 price tag (it’s on sale right now for $1499 on Amazon.ca), the Flow 2 is a fantastic robot vacuum for your smart home.
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