There’s no shortage of great robot vacuums on the market, but two of the most popular models are the Narwal Freo X Ultra and Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. Both are high-end products capable of mopping and vacuuming your home in a single run, making them great companions for hassle-free floor cleaning. They’re also remarkably expensive, clocking in at over $1,000. That means you’ll want to carefully weigh your options before making a purchase — it’s hard to go wrong with either robot, but there are some key differences between the two.
Here’s a comprehensive look at the Narwal Freo X Ultra and Roborock S8 Pro Ultra to help you decide which is best for your home.
Pricing and availability
The Narwal Freo X Ultra is readily available for $1,400. Folks who preordered a unit ahead of launch saved $400 on their purchase, though that promotion has since expired (and it’s unclear if another major discount is on the horizon). The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra costs $1,600, though it’s regularly discounted to around $1,400. In other words, you can typically find both products for about the same price. They also rarely go out of stock, so you won’t have to jump on a waitlist to get one into your home.
Winner: Tie
Vacuuming
Narwal designed the Freo X Ultra with 8,200 Pa of suction, which allows it to pull out all sorts of debris that might be trapped in your carpets. It also features a “zero hair tangling” design that prevents objects from getting trapped in its roller or hindering its airflow. We were impressed with its performance in our Freo X Ultra review, and found that it did a great job of cleaning all sorts of gunk from both hard floors and carpets.
It’s a similar story for the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, though it maxes out at just 6,000 Pa of suction. Despite its lower suction power, its dual-roller brush does an excellent job of loosening up hair and other debris trapped in carpets without getting tangled. The dual roller brush seems to make up for its diminished suction power, as it left floors just as clean as the Freo X Ultra.
Winner: Tie
Mopping
The Narwal Freo X Ultra uses two rotating mopheads to clean hard floors. It also comes with an optional cleaning solution, which can be added to your clean water reservoir to help tackle difficult stains and eliminate odors. Those mopheads can retract 12mm when not in use, allowing the robot to travel over carpet without getting it wet. This works well on low-pile carpets, but it did leave thicker carpets slightly damp, as the large mopheads tend to droop downward when saturated and graze the tops of plush carpets.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra uses a singular vibrating mophead to clean hard floors. It applies pressure as it moves, allowing it to tackle tough stains with ease. It can only lift its mophead 5mm, which makes it less than ideal for traveling across thick carpets. It cleans well enough, but the dual rotating mopheads of the Narwal are hard to beat.
Winner: Narwal Freo X Ultra
Additional features
The Freo X Ultra makes a few unique changes to the standard robot vacuum formula, including the lack of a dustbin within its charging station. Instead, it uses a dust bag built directly into the robot, which can be replaced every seven weeks. This makes maintenance incredibly easy, as it reduces the number of filters you need to clean. Alternatively, you can use a standard, washable dustbin — though this fills up faster and needs to be cleaned.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra uses a traditional dustbin design, which can hold dirt for months before needing to be replaced.
Many features are shared across the two devices. This includes a charging station that cleans and dries the robot’s mops, support for a mobile companion app, and decent navigational skills. We found the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra slightly better at navigating than the Freo X Ultra, but both are capable robots that will avoid most obstacles scattered throughout your home.
Winner: Tie
Which is the best robot vacuum and mop combo?
The Narwal Freo X Ultra and Roborock S8 Pro Ultra are evenly matched. You truly can’t go wrong with either, but homes primarily composed of hard floors will likely find the Narwal Freo X Ultra to be the better option. Its dual rotating mopheads are great at cleaning all sorts of floors, and it’s nice that the unit comes bundled with an optional cleaning solution. Narwal’s unique dustbin design is also great for carpets, allowing you to choose between disposable dustbins or its reusable one.
However, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is arguably just as great for carpets. And since it’s a bit better at navigating than the Narwal, it’s a great option for homes with pets or young children. Many users will also find the Roborock app slightly more intuitive and powerful than the Narwal app.
If you’re still torn between the two, consider picking up whichever one is on sale for the lower price. Both are great additions to any smart home, and there’s not much separating one from the other aside from their unique designs.
