I never expected a robot vacuum to be my biggest stress-reliever, but it has been a total game-changer for my sanity.
At first, I called it Bob. Well, my son named it and he is currently going through a phase where he names everything Bob. A week later however, I started calling it by a different name: Killer Robot.
To be fair, it hasn’t tried to kill us or anyone else. How it earned its name is something I will explain later. For now, despite its sinister sounding name, Killer Robot is fast becoming an unexpected welcome addition to the family. In fact, it has become more of a lifesaver, or rather, mental load reliever.
Killer Robot’s real name is Narwal Flow, the latest product by Narwal, a Chinese technology company specialising in AI-powered robotic vacuum and mop cleaners.
Saying yes to the robot
I was initially reluctant when asked to review the Narwal Flow. Living in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom unit, I didn’t think I needed a robot vacuum. For starters, I don’t mind vacuuming. The fact I don’t need to change electrical outlets to vacuum the entire apartment speaks about the size of my home (and also the amazing 10-metre-long cord of my upright Dyson) and why it’s not a chore I thought I needed relieving.
The idea of a robot vacuum that also mopped, however, was highly enticing. Yes, my apartment only had two mop-able surfaces, the kitchen and the bathroom, but I loathe mopping. My kitchen and bathroom floors really needed to be mopped more often, and I thought the Narwal Flow could be the solution.
Narwal Flow-Bob-Killer Robot arrived in a cardboard box that was much larger and heavier than I expected. Carrying it from my car to home proved a little heart-stopping because the box’s inbuilt cardboard handles tore within a few steps. Thankfully, the fact it was bulky and heavy (it needed two of us to carry it) meant it didn’t have far to fall. However, my husband then had to do an awkward hug-carry up the stairs since there were no other working handles.
Safely at home, setting it up was straightforward. It took less than five minutes to map my entire home and I was quite impressed how easily it figured out the floorplan of my apartment.
The wifi conundrum
The main draw (and also drawback) of the Narwal Flow is possibly its app. You can control practically everything to do with the machine with it. Most significantly, you are able to choose between vacuum, mop, vacuum and mop, or vacuum then mop, and instruct it to clean only particular rooms. You can even assign different rooms with different cleaning status and methods and activate its self-lifting capability.
My son and I spent a good hour customising the app and adding details to the floorplan it created from the mapping exercise, adding in the locations of the bed, couch, fridge, toilet and more. We could even add in a piano, which highly impressed my son.
Operating the app however, required a WIFI network, which was a challenge initially as we use our phones’ hotspots for internet connection at home. Since my phone couldn’t connect to its own hotspot and therefore be on the same network as the Narwal, I was restricted to simply pressing the only button on the machine itself, which was limited to “start”, “pause” or “stop”.
When I connected to my husband’s mobile hotspot instead however, the potential of how powerful the machine could be was apparent. One of the most important difference the app made was “telling” the machine to automatically clamber up the ledge into my bathroom and therefore vacuum and mop it.
We’re still on mobile hotspots at home, which means the Narwal isn’t always turned on or plugged in. However, I have installed the app on an old, spare phone to connect to my mobile hotspot instead of husband’s.
How it earned its “killer robot” name
The app had another feature that I was initially excited about. I could set a schedule for it to perform tasks at regular days and times. Unfortunately, since it wasn’t always plugged in, it missed the first few schedules I had set.
At four in the morning one night (day?) however, a low hum and whooshing noises started waking me from my dream state, causing me to enter the sort-of-conscious stage. Not long later, I was startled fully awake by clattering noises followed by louder whooshing. I jumped out of bed in the direction of the sound, only to find what was then still known as Bob, happily vacuuming the bathroom floor.
I had left Bob plugged in before going to bed that night as it was drying its mop after the task I had set it at around 8pm. For some unexplained reason, it woke up at four the next morning trying to fulfil its scheduled task of vacuuming and mopping the bathroom that I had previously set (and missed) for 7 pm the night before.
That night, Bob was renamed Killer Robot. Not only did it sound like a robot army was invading my bathroom, it also killed my sleep.
Despite the grudge I held against Killer Robot for my less-than-peaceful night, I dismissed the incident as an error on my part until the same thing happened two weeks later. This time, it was obvious Killer Robot’s schedule that was set for 7pm Sydney time in-app was in reality, four in the morning. A Google search revealed that 4am in Sydney is 7pm in Western Europe or Central Africa, but why it would think we were there is anybody’s guess.
Perhaps more troubleshooting may solve its scheduling issue, but I was quite happy to simply delete its automated schedule and stick to putting it to work whenever I want it to by pressing the start button in the app.
Life with the robot
Having never thought I needed a robot cleaner before, I have been thoroughly surprised by how it’s made life easier for me. Being able to delegate the vacuuming to Killer Robot has freed me up to tend to other neglected chores around the house—the ones I tell myself I’ll get to when I am free.
I’ve decluttered, organised cupboards, rearranged things during the time when I would normally be vacuuming. Most importantly, I no longer bear the mental load of the floors always being dirty. All it now takes is the push of a button and floors are either vacuumed, mopped or both. My floors have never been cleaner . . . to a certain extent.
Killer Robot does have some impressive features: Side brushes that can reach corners, a mop that’s able to extend to the edges and low enough to fit in under most beds. However, I don’t think I’ll be giving away my Dyson vacuum just yet. Killer Robot is great for quick surface cleans, but I will still need to use a manual vacuum for a better clean at least once a month. Killer Robot will miss spots behind doors, spaces that are too narrow for it to fit through and its suction power is possibly not as strong as my Dyson (it failed to suck up stray talcum powder on the carpet). It can also randomly shed hair balls during its journey from one spot to another.
After a month of using Killer Robot, the all-new Narwal Flow, I can’t imagine living without it. I often talk to it like a child or a pet (especially when it rolls into a wall I’m pretty sure its map knows is there). Discovering how relaxed I am now compared to when the floors simply had to have the potential of getting dirty has made me realise the burden of the invisible load I used to bear.
Today, I love the ease and convenience Killer Robot provides. Whenever I feel like it, I can simply set Killer Robot to clean. At the same time, my kitchen and bathroom floors are getting mopped more regularly than before. Most importantly, I love the stress it has relieved from my life.
Narwal Flow specs
- Revolutionary FlowWash mopping system. Real-time self-cleaning. Unlike traditional mops that may spread dirt, Narwal Flow uses a clean mop every step of the way.
- Reverses and repeats. Visual sensors recognise heavy-duty stains and initiate a reverse and clean action to ensure the stains are all cleaned.
- DualFlow tangle-free system. Stops long hair from tangling.
- Reaches corners, hugs edges. Auto-extend mop and side brushes.
- Climbs over 40mm ledges. Smooth transitions without you needing to do any lifting.
- AI-adaptive maintenance-free base station
- Smart and precise obstacle avoidance. Dual RGB cameras and AI chip.
- The base station has a 120-day dust storage, holds dirty water, and washes and dries the mop.
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The unexpected robot stress-reliever
