Narwal unveiled the Flow 2 at CES, a top-end robovac-and-mop that leans heavily on AI vision, higher suction and hot-water mopping to chase a deeper clean with less babysitting. The company touts the Flow 2 as its smartest mop yet, complete with twin RGB 1080p cameras for “full HD maps,” real-time self-cleaning and a dual-dock ecosystem meant to scale from apartments to larger homes.
Key upgrades and specs for the Narwal Flow 2 robot
The headline figure is suction: Narwal claims 30,000Pa, an increase on the original Flow’s 22,000Pa. To put it in perspective, some of the most powerful robovacs peak at around 10,000Pa, so if the claim holds up in real-world use, it’ll be a big leap in airflow. The Verge also discussed the Flow 2’s hot-water mopping (158°F, or about 70°C), for sticky spills and oily messes that cold water simply doesn’t cut.
Flow 2 features two forward-facing RGB cameras at 1080p for obstacle identification and intelligent pathing. Narwal claims the robot can avoid and identify common household hazards such as pet toys, cables, and even smaller items including jewelry. Real-time self-cleaning is designed to rinse mop parts while in running mode, which can help slash cross-contamination and stop mop pads from smearing dirt from one room to another.
AI vision and obstacle avoidance in the Flow 2
That’s because dual-camera setups are now a differentiator for premium models, as they assist with depth perception and low-light detection — areas where LiDAR-only systems can trip up on socks or phone cords. Narwal’s approach is emblematic of a broader shift in the category: use onboard AI to classify objects and reroute automatically, with no need for the user’s involvement. Narwal is advertising smarter avoidance, but when we do see objects and where we see them isn’t clear; potential buyers are encouraged to scour the product page for technical tidbits about image processing and data management to get a sense of what’s stored where.
“In practicality, what really speaks to you are pet owners and families,” he said. A robovac that reliably avoids a water bowl, sniffs out a LEGO minefield, and zigzags around a fallen charging cable will make for fewer rescue missions and manually marked no-go zones. The cameras also enable better edge detection, so the robot can get even closer to baseboards without scraping them.
Mopping system and docking options for Flow 2
Hot-water mopping at 158°F is outstanding. Heat hastens the breakdown of grease and other soils, and a number of tests in the cleaning industry indicate that warmer water can lift stains even better than room-temperature passes. It’s no replacement for disinfectant, but for kitchen splatters and dried coffee rings, hotter water usually means fewer repeat passes.
Narwal is providing two docking stations: one with automatic refill and drainage for set-it-and-forget-it use, the other utilizing an onboard water tank.
The former will appeal to households that crave maximum independence and are willing to sacrifice space and plumbing access; the latter keeps the footprint relatively small for condos or mixed-use rooms. Both these approaches address a new emerging trend of premium robots – the dock doubles as a service hub where the robot can be automatically washed/filled/reset for its next run.
How Narwal’s Flow 2 stacks up against competitors
On paper, the Flow 2’s suction number makes most competition seem puny. Roborock’s recent flagships, for instance, have claimed as high as around 10,000Pa, but Ecovacs’ top-end models tend to be beneath that. Suction ratings aren’t standardized across brands, either; vendors measure the level of suction at different points in the airflow pathway, so a direct comparison is not totally fair. What matters most is how a vacuum performs on carpet and at picking up off of the floor, since generally more airflow there helps — especially with pet hair or big dust balls in crevices.
Narwal’s dual-camera vision system puts Narwal in the same conversation as camera-forward bots from iRobot and Roborock, whose models have shown that reliable object avoidance has real-life benefits in everyday use. And if Narwal’s system of true self-cleaning keeps pads fresh in real time, and its hot-water method maintains temp through long runs, then it stands to almost eliminate the common “great on day one; smeary by day three” problem that dogs lesser mop-first hybrids.
Price and availability details for Narwal Flow 2
Pricing and preorder timing aren’t available from Narwal yet. For perspective, the original Flow is listed on the company’s site for $2,049.98, and top-of-the-line all-in-one robots from competitors typically fall in that $1,200 to $2,000 range depending on the docking features. Deliveries are planned for the spring, says Narwal, with full specifications and regional bundles to come.
Bottom line: With Flow 2, it’s as if Narwal took a confident swing for the fences at the ultra-premium segment. If the AI shroud ends up being reliable and the hot-water mop plus self-cleaning dock offer day-to-day ease of use, Narwal’s latest could raise a high bar for hybrid floor care in 2025.
