In August, Narwal launched the J4, a new robot that can sweep and mop. It has better suction power, going from 3000Pa to 7800Pa. It also has improved features like dust collection, tangle-free operation, obstacle avoidance, and Narwal Hosting 2.0. Plus, it’s competitively priced at 3,999 yuan (about $549).
The author was lucky to be one of the first users to try out Narwal’s J4 robot, which can both sweep and mop. They received a package that included a base station, the main unit, brushes, a power cord, a dust collection box, sterilization components, instructions, and more. Narwal also provides two dust collection bags for convenience.
Design
The Narwal intelligent sweeping and mopping all-in-one robot J4 maintains the consistent style of the Narwal family in terms of appearance design. Its rounded shape imparts a warm feeling to the sweeping robot. Additionally, it seamlessly fits into various settings, be it the bathroom or the living room. It is relatively compact, making it user-friendly.
Transitioning to the operation interface of the base station, it remains situated on the lower right side. The four buttons, namely up, down, left, and right, offer a simple and responsive user experience. Meanwhile, the host part comprises only the switch and home button, which serve to control power, initiate, pause, and return the robot to the base station.
Cyclone Diversion Zero-Winding Roller Brush + 7800Pa High Suction
Most friends who have pets at home often encounter the issue of pet hair shedding, which can be quite a headache. While traditional sweeping robots effectively clean up scattered hair on the floor, they tend to experience hair entanglement issues after some use. When the roller brush gets entangled, users have to resort to scissors for cleaning from time to time. This has led some netizens to humorously remark, “The sweeping robot serves pets, and I serve the sweeping robot.” Narwal has been pondering how to reduce hair entanglement and enable users to have a hands-free cleaning experience.
To tackle tangled hair, we redesigned the roller brush and air duct for better hair collection in the Narwal J4 robot. It now features a zero-tangle roller brush that efficiently gathers and vacuums hair for thorough cleaning. In everyday scenarios, debris like hair, rice, and coffee grounds often litter the floor. When a robot lacks strong suction, it can blow this debris around. Cleaning tight L-shaped corners is also a challenge.
To test how well it cleans, we used three kinds of debris: hair, grains, and coffee powder. Hair and lint are common allergens, especially for those with allergies. We used the Narwal J4 robot, which has strong suction power (7800Pa) to quickly capture hair and lint. The roller brush’s design helps gather hair and direct it into the dust collection box. The single-arm design of the roller brush swiftly moves hair and lint into the dust bag through the air duct.
There are two main ways robots collect dust: base station and robot collection. Each has pros and cons, and the choice depends on user needs. Base station collection is convenient because it avoids manual garbage disposal and reduces robot disassembly. However, it can lead to odor and noise issues. The Narwal J4 robot is smartly designed for dust collection, avoiding the base station method. It uses a lightweight approach, making it quieter, healthier, and easier to maintain. Narwal aims to satisfy users’ needs for less frequent and hygienic waste disposal. The J4 model has a 1L dust bag and unique compression tech, reducing garbage disposal to just once a month.
The Narwal intelligent robot J4 has a clever “filter dust bag” design that combines the dust bag and filter for easy disposal, reducing costs. It also prevents mold and odor by evaporating moisture within the dust bag. We tested the Narwal intelligent robot J4 on dry cereal grains. It effectively cleaned up over 98% of the grains using its strong suction power and rotating side brush. As a coffee lover, I deal with coffee grounds on the floor daily. Can the Narwal robot make this cleaning task easier?
We also evenly sprinkled coffee grounds on the floor tiles to test the Narwal intelligent sweeping and mopping robot J4’s ability to clean dry powdery objects. Once the cleaning area was demarcated, the Narwal intelligent sweeping and mopping robot J4 initiated its official cleaning. Notably, after the first cleaning, the strong suction collected over 99% of the coffee grounds on the ground into the dust bag. Meanwhile, the remaining scattered coffee grounds were thoroughly wiped clean by the rotating mop at the rear.
Debris and garbage often gather in the corners of our homes due to natural airflow and human activity. We tested the Narwal J4 robot’s cleaning capabilities by placing coffee grounds in a corner and planning its cleaning path. Impressively, the Narwal J4 effectively removed all the coffee stains in one cleaning cycle, thanks to its Smart-Swing edge cleaning technology. This design boosts cleaning coverage by 40% and addresses corner dust and garbage accumulation. The Narwal J4 robot’s strong 7800Pa suction power enhances its cleaning performance, a crucial factor for effective cleaning despite other considerations.
Can a Rotary Mop Really Clean the Floor?
In recent years, the author has frequently faced this question: Is it preferable to purchase a sweeping robot with a flat mop or a rotating one? Furthermore, does the rotating mop possess any cleaning blind spots? In fact, I have previously addressed inquiries from online users. Determining cleaning efficacy isn’t solely contingent on whether it’s a flat mop or a rotary model, as numerous factors come into play. These factors encompass pressure, amplitude, humidity levels, and even the nature of the contaminants, such as their size and composition. If compelled to draw a conclusion, the most reasonable response would be: “Both are equally effective; there’s no definitive superiority of one over the other.”
The Narwal intelligent sweeping and mopping all-in-one robot J4 adopts the rotating mop design seen in the Narwal self-cleaning sweeping robot J3. It employs a high-rotation dynamic pressurized mopping technique to effectively tackle stubborn stains. The central unit features a clean water tank, a wastewater tank, and an automated water supply and drainage module. If your home has pre-installed pipelines, connecting the Narwal intelligent sweeping and mopping all-in-one robot J4 becomes a convenient task. Notably, the clean water tank holds 4500ml, while the sewage tank accommodates 4050ml, indicating different capacities for these two modules. Therefore, extra attention is warranted when replenishing water daily. For our assessment, we selected two common everyday stains: air-dried dark soy sauce (dry) and tomato sauce (half-dry and half-wet). We conducted the cleaning tests in area cleaning mode, with repetitions.
In the ketchup test for the Narwal J4 robot, there were initial concerns about the roller brush spreading ketchup, but our test proved otherwise. The J4 uses a special roller brush that relies on high-suction airflow, not direct contact with the floor like traditional robots. As a result, the brush stayed mostly clean during the test. Additionally, the rotating mop did an excellent job cleaning the floor tiles with its high-speed rotation and pressure adjustments. After two cycles of sweeping and mopping, the floor looked pristine again, confirming the success of the ketchup test.
Dark soy sauce, notorious for its stubbornness, especially when dried, poses a formidable cleaning challenge akin to coffee stains. Even with a wet mop, stubborn areas require repeated attention for thorough cleaning. Can the Narwal intelligent sweeping and mopping robot J4 rise to the occasion? We subjected the J4 to dried dark soy sauce, elevating it to the status of a stubborn stain, and designated a specific area for cleaning. During the initial cleaning, the J4 impressively dissolved and removed over 70% of the stains. In the subsequent cleaning cycle, the rotating mop removed 90% of the stains. With focused cleaning sessions to follow, the dark soy sauce stains were essentially eradicated. Thus, the dark soy sauce test was also a resounding success.
For many households with robotic cleaners, the most vexing task is carpet cleaning. Ordinary sweeping robots struggle to identify carpeted areas and, even if they do, tend to use conventional methods that can result in secondary pollution when applied to carpets. In reality, all a robot needs to clean carpets effectively is robust suction to remove trapped dust and debris. The Narwal intelligent sweeping and mopping all-in-one robot J4 boasts an intelligent carpet cleaning strategy capable of automatically detecting carpet types, including long and short fibers, floor mats, and spanning areas. When a carpet is detected, it raises the mop to avoid contact with the carpet, thus achieving a carpet-friendly approach.
It’s noteworthy that the Narwal intelligent sweeping and mopping all-in-one robot J4 features the innovative Dirt Sense dirt recognition system, establishing a comprehensive closed loop of “scanning, mopping, and washing.” It automatically re-sweeps, mops, and washes stained areas, supporting up to 6 consecutive cleaning cycles. If a stain persists even after 6 rounds, other cleaning methods such as scraping may be necessary, especially for stubborn stains that the J4 can’t tackle.
The Narwal J4 robot uses an antibacterial design to keep the mop at a constant temperature and prevent bacterial growth. It also has a waterway antibacterial system with sterilizing cleaner and silver ion technology to ensure a clean living environment, even on wooden floors. Additionally, for targeted cleaning in specific areas like kitchens and bathrooms, the Narwal intelligent sweeping and mopping robot J4 offers user customization for deep cleaning. It can also identify high-traffic or dirty zones and autonomously perform double cleaning passes to achieve a thorough clean.
Newly Upgraded Structured Light Obstacle Avoidance Function
The Narwal J4 robot is a big improvement over the J3. It has the Narwal IPS 4.0 whale spirit sensing system and triple laser technology for better cleaning. It also has structured light obstacle avoidance technology for improved obstacle detection, like top-tier models from other brands. Structured light technology is popular in flagship robots because it can accurately spot obstacles. It works by projecting structured light onto obstacles and using the reflections to create obstacle avoidance plans. Unlike infrared detection, it offers a 3D view of obstacles, making it easier to assess navigable areas and avoid collisions.
The Narwal intelligent sweeping and mopping all-in-one robot J4 is equipped with the latest Narwal IPS 4.0 Whale Perception System, featuring dual structured light recognition on the front and right sides of the unit. This dual recognition system constructs a 3D representation of obstacles, enhancing the robot’s perception and obstacle avoidance capabilities. Moreover, its precise obstacle detection empowers the J4 with superior path-planning abilities and broader cleaning coverage.
Narwal Hosting 2.0
Many old users of Narwal highly praise Narwal Hosting as a standout feature. This is evident from the comprehensive evaluations by users on the e-commerce platform. Notably, one of its key attributes is the peace of mind it provides. It’s crucial to understand that automatic cleaning upon leaving home is of paramount importance to most young families. After all, no one desires the hassle of configuring intricate settings for the Narwal intelligent sweeping and mopping integrated robot J4 when they return home, necessitating extra physical effort. Indeed, Narwal brings simplicity and peace of mind to its users.
The Narwal intelligent sweeping and mopping all-in-one robot J4 has introduced Narwal Hosting 2.0 in its latest product release. In addition to retaining the sweeping-first-then-dragging and dragging-first-then-sweeping functions, it has introduced a customizable mode. For instance, users can configure different rooms, opting to thoroughly clean heavily oily kitchen areas multiple times while only mopping bathroom floors. Furthermore, Narwal Hosting 2.0 supports the adjustment of suction power and dryness/wetness levels, besides the number of cleaning cycles. Of course, for those who prefer not to tinker with parameters, a single click can initiate the cleaning process. Thanks to the Narwal Hosting 2.0 professional algorithm and extensive research experience in floor cleaning, it can automatically identify dirt and adapt cleaning strategies, simplifying household cleaning tasks.
The Narwal J4 robot offers voice control through smart speakers and works with Xiaodu and Xiaoai speakers. If homeowners set up smart home automation in advance, the Narwal J4 can easily become part of the automated system, offering peace of mind.
Read Also: Narwal Robot J4: The Vacuum with 7800Pa Suction and 30 Days
Verdict
The Narwal J4 robot offers powerful suction, a tangle-free roller brush, pressurized mopping, and effective dust collection, making it a dream robot for cleaning. What’s impressive is that it’s affordable, priced below 4,000 yuan, while still outperforming competitors. This shows Narwal’s commitment to excellence and improving users’ lives.
Nevertheless, a review that only highlights strengths without acknowledging weaknesses would be incomplete and may invite criticism from users. We understand that perfection is elusive in the world of products. Therefore, the author also addresses some constructive criticism towards the end of the review. This includes challenges encountered during the evaluation process and opportunities for improvement and optimization.
One concern is the regular maintenance of the Narwal intelligent sweeping and mopping robot J4’s base station. Despite its advanced features like automatic cleaning and drying, users need to periodically clean the base station module. In contrast, some competing robot products have integrated modules, saving users time and effort in maintenance, and potentially reducing costs. Narwal’s commitment to annual updates is commendable but faces challenges in a competitive robot industry. Others are innovating with high-speed motors and advanced technologies like Ecovacs’ chips, dToF, and AI vision. Narwal may need a stronger public identity. Product quality is crucial, but a compelling narrative is also vital.