# iRobot Roomba Plus 515 Combo vs Narwal Freo X Ultra

As of Nov 12, 2026, the iRobot Roomba Plus 515 Combo costs $430 and the Narwal Freo X Ultra costs $450, so the iRobot Roomba Plus 515 Combo is $20 cheaper. The Narwal Freo X Ultra scores higher in our ranking (8.7 vs 7.0 out of 10). Pick the iRobot Roomba Plus 515 Combo for small homes with low sofas and beds. Pick the Narwal Freo X Ultra for hard floor mopping at a reduced price.

Prices checked Nov 12, 2026. HTML version: https://robotsforthat.com/vs/irobot-roomba-plus-515-combo-vs-narwal-freo-x-ultra/

## Side by side

| | iRobot Roomba Plus 515 Combo | Narwal Freo X Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $430 | $450 |
| 3 year cost | $430 | $450 |
| Our score | 7.0/10 | 8.7/10 |
| Rank in Floors | #26 | #7 |
| Status | on sale | on sale |
| Warranty | n/a | 1 year (Vacuum Wars spec table) |
| Suction | iRobot US says 3x the suction of the Roomba Plus 505 Combo with four levels and gives no Pa figure; Just A Dad Approved lists 22,000 Pa; Lifehacker Japan instead says 3x the Roomba 105 Combo | 8,200 Pa (Narwal); Vacuum Wars measured 1.86 kPa bench suction and 16 CFM airflow |
| Navigation | ClearView LiDAR, up to 3 saved maps for multiple floors, works in the dark (iRobot); Gizmodo Japan reports the LiDAR moved to the front as a 120 degree integrated line laser; Just A Dad Approved found the map slightly off | LiDAR with 3D multi level maps for up to 4 floors (Narwal) |
| Obstacle avoidance | Front line laser recognizes cords, shoes, pet bowls, toys, pets and people (iRobot); no camera (Just A Dad Approved), which scored clutter 7/10 but called avoidance weak | Tri laser structured light, infrared and ultrasonic sensors (Narwal); Vacuum Wars scored obstacle avoidance 1.22 stars |
| Mopping | Yes, two DualClean spinning pads at 180 RPM that lift 10 mm on carpet, with PerfectEdge extension for 18% more edge coverage and a SmartScrub mode (iRobot) | Dual triangular spinning pads at 180 rpm, 12 N pressure on tile, 12 mm lift on carpet (Narwal, nextpit) |
| Self empty | Yes, bagged auto empty into the dock; iRobot says up to 3 months hands free | No dock emptying; the robot compresses dust into a 1 L bag, claimed up to 7 weeks (Narwal, TechRadar) |
| Dock features | Empties debris, washes pads with hot water, dries pads at 113 F, refills clean water and takes in dirty water (iRobot). iRobot's page lists the wash as 167 F in one place and 140 F in another; Just A Dad Approved lists 140 F. No cleaning solution tank (Just A Dad Approved) | Mop washing, auto detergent, 40 C hot air drying (Narwal) |
| Runtime | Up to 295 min or 2,000 sq ft per charge with a 5,200 mAh battery (iRobot); one iRobot footnote cites 1,000 sq ft instead | 210 min claimed (Narwal); nextpit saw about 2 hours before it returned at 20% |
| Height | 3.29 in; robot is 11.73 x 11.93 in and 6.44 lb, 46% smaller by volume than the Roomba Plus 505 Combo (iRobot) | 4.2 in (Vacuum Wars spec table) |
| Pet hair | Single brush roll with a comb; Just A Dad Approved scored its hair tangle test 5/10 with long hair wrapping, while Gizmodo Japan saw cat and dog hair picked up well | Vacuum Wars measured 76% pet hair pickup; TUV and SGS certified for zero tangling (Narwal) |
| App | Roomba Home app with schedules; works with Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant (iRobot); Just A Dad Approved reported repeated Wi-Fi drops and app freezes | Narwal app with no go zones; works with Siri (Narwal) |
| Threshold | 0.98 in (24 mm) per Just A Dad Approved; iRobot does not list a figure | 20 mm (Vacuum Wars spec table) |
| Dustbin | n/a | 1 L onboard bag (Narwal, TechRadar); Vacuum Wars lists 480 ml |
| Noise | n/a | TechRadar measured 53 dB; nextpit found it loud at max suction |
| Best for | small homes with low sofas and beds | hard floor mopping at a reduced price |
| Skip if | you need strong obstacle avoidance or have long hair at home | you want a dock that empties dust for you |

## What reviewers found

### iRobot Roomba Plus 515 Combo

- Just A Dad Approved (6.5/10): 3 month real world test: subscores Hassle Free 6.7/10, Mop Performance 7.2/10, Carpet Cleaning 6.4/10, Hair Tangle 5/10, Obstacle Avoidance 7/10. Reported repeated Wi-Fi disconnects that needed hard reboots, hair wrap on the single brush roll, a slightly off map and a filter that can only be replaced. Says the Amazon only 515X is the same robot. [Source](https://justadadapproved.com/product/irobot-roomba-plus-515-combo-review/)
- Lifehacker Japan: Hands on with the Japanese model: measured 8.4 cm tall, cleaned under low sofas and cabinet toe kicks earlier Roombas missed, and avoided a camera placed as an obstacle. The review lists no drawbacks and carries affiliate links. [Source](https://www.lifehacker.jp/article/2606-roomba-plus-515-report/)
- Gizmodo Japan: Reports 8.4 cm height against 10.6 cm for the 505 Combo, a front 120 degree line laser, and good cat and dog hair pickup with less long hair wrap. Figures come from iRobot's launch event, and the article is labeled PR. [Source](https://www.gizmodo.jp/article/roomba-plus-515-combo/)

### Narwal Freo X Ultra

- Vacuum Wars (2.26 Vacuum Wars stars): Measured 1.86 kPa suction, 16 CFM airflow and 76% pet hair pickup. Estimated 1,103 sq ft per charge. Obstacle avoidance scored 1.22 stars. [Source](https://vacuumwars.com/compare/robot-vacuums/narwal_freo_x_ultra/)
- TechRadar (Performance 4.5/5): Measured 53 dB. Picked up Cheerios in one pass and handled a soy sauce spill in about two. The app could not split an open plan floor into rooms. [Source](https://www.techradar.com/home/robot-vacuums/narwal-freo-x-ultra)
- nextpit: Picked up 99% of oat flakes and 98% of sand on tile and 96% of sand on carpet. Ran about 2 hours before returning at 20%. A dust bag burst after six hours of use. [Source](https://nextpit.com/narwal-freo-x-ultra-review)

## Questions buyers ask

### Which is better, the iRobot Roomba Plus 515 Combo or the Narwal Freo X Ultra?

The Narwal Freo X Ultra scores higher in our ranking (8.7 vs 7.0 out of 10). Pick the iRobot Roomba Plus 515 Combo for small homes with low sofas and beds. Pick the Narwal Freo X Ultra for hard floor mopping at a reduced price.

### Which is cheaper?

The iRobot Roomba Plus 515 Combo at $430, versus $450 for the Narwal Freo X Ultra, checked Nov 12, 2026. Over 3 years with running costs: $430 vs $450.

### What is the difference between the Roomba Plus 515 Combo and the Freo X Ultra?

Suction: iRobot US says 3x the suction of the Roomba Plus 505 Combo with four levels and gives no… on the Roomba Plus 515 Combo, 8,200 Pa (Narwal); Vacuum Wars measured 1.86 kPa bench suction and 16 CFM airflow on the Freo X Ultra. Navigation: ClearView LiDAR, up to 3 saved maps for multiple floors, works in the dark (iRobot)… on the Roomba Plus 515 Combo, LiDAR with 3D multi level maps for up to 4 floors (Narwal) on the Freo X Ultra. Obstacle avoidance: Front line laser recognizes cords, shoes, pet bowls, toys, pets and people (iRobot); no… on the Roomba Plus 515 Combo, Tri laser structured light, infrared and ultrasonic sensors (Narwal); Vacuum Wars scored… on the Freo X Ultra.

Full reviews: [iRobot Roomba Plus 515 Combo](https://robotsforthat.com/robot/irobot-roomba-plus-515-combo/index.md), [Narwal Freo X Ultra](https://robotsforthat.com/robot/narwal-freo-x-ultra/index.md)