Matic Matic vs Narwal Flow
Researched by Riley Hart · prices checked Oct 31, 2026
As of Oct 31, 2026, the Matic Matic costs $1,495 and the Narwal Flow costs $1,500, so the Matic Matic is $5 cheaper. Pick the Matic Matic for privacy minded homes with pets and hard floors. Pick the Narwal Flow for hard floor homes that mop often and have pets.
- Navigation
- Five RGB-IR cameras
- Mopping
- Self cleaning roller mop
- Runtime
- Up to 2.5 hours
Matic is a different kind of robot: tall, camera guided, with a self cleaning roller mop, record suction in Vacuum Wars testing and maps kept on the device. It is slow, too tall for most furniture and needs a new bag about every two weeks. Buy it if you value privacy and deep cleaning over speed; skip it if you want a hands off dock.
Full Matic Matic review →- Suction
- 22,000 Pa
- Navigation
- dToF LiDAR inside
- Mopping
- FlowWash track mop
- Runtime
- Up to 190 min
One of the best mopping robots tested, with strong measured suction, zero hair tangles and a dock that washes and dries the track mop. Testers at TechRadar and Tom's Guide found the software and navigation quirky. Skip it if you want a simple app, and compare it against the Flow 2 since the Narwal store showed the Flow out of stock.
Full Narwal Flow review →Side by side
| Matic Matic | Narwal Flow | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,495 | $1,500 |
| 3 year cost | $2,035 | $1,500 |
| Our score | Not scored yet | Not scored yet |
| Rank in Floors | #82 | #83 |
| Status | on sale | on sale |
| Warranty | 1 year limited (Matic store) | n/a |
| Suction | Not stated by Matic; Vacuum Wars measured 8.11 kPa at max power against a 0.86 kPa average, the highest it has recorded, with 35 CFM airflow | 22,000 Pa (Narwal); Vacuum Wars measured 1.88 kPa against a 0.96 kPa average |
| Navigation | Five RGB-IR cameras build 3D maps on the device, with no LiDAR (Vacuum Wars); maps multiple floors (Matic); Vacuum Wars measured slow coverage at 0.52 sq m per minute against a 0.75 average | dToF LiDAR inside the body (Narwal); TechRadar saw it push a chair, skip a room and report cleaning 0.0 square meters |
| Obstacle avoidance | Matic says it sees and avoids toys, cords and clutter; Vacuum Wars counted 14 of 24 objects avoided against a 17 average | Dual RGB cameras, AI chip and tri laser structured light, 200+ objects (Narwal); Vacuum Wars scored 18 of 24, and TechRadar saw it avoid a shoe, sock and USB cable |
| Mopping | Self cleaning roller mop with a 600 ml tank, about 700 sq ft per run (Matic); switches between vacuum and mop by floor type (Domino); Vacuum Wars mopping score 263 against a 184 average | FlowWash track mop with warm water at 113F, 7 to 12 N pressure and 12 mm lift (Narwal); Vacuum Wars combined mopping score 268 against a 184 average |
| Self empty | No; debris and dirty water go into a disposable HEPA bag in the robot that typically lasts about 2 weeks (Matic) | Yes, 2.5 L dust bag rated for up to 120 days (Narwal US store) |
| Dock features | Small charging dock only, 7.1 x 4.9 x 5.1 in (Matic) | Auto empty, mop washing at 113 to 176F, warm air drying, self cleaning; optional auto refill and drain version (Narwal US store); no auto detergent dispenser (TechRadar) |
| Runtime | Up to 2.5 hours vacuuming and 3 hours mopping (Matic); Vacuum Wars estimated about 755 sq ft per charge | Up to 190 min (Narwal); Vacuum Wars estimated 2,068 sq ft per charge |
| Dustbin | 1,000 ml disposable bag (Vacuum Wars) | 2.5 L dock bag; Vacuum Wars describes a large robot bin with a removable section |
| Height | 7.8 in tall body with a 3.0 in tall cleaning head that reaches under some furniture (Matic) | 95 mm (3.7 in) per Narwal key features and Vacuum Wars; Narwal's spec table lists 107.7 mm |
| Pet hair | Vacuum Wars measured 100% flattened pet hair pickup against an 81% average and 7% long hair wrap against a 28% average | Vacuum Wars measured 89% flattened pet hair pickup and 0% tangles in its 7 inch hair test |
| App | App for iPhone, iPad and Android; "Hey Matic" voice cues sent to Google Gemini (Matic); maps and camera data processed locally by default (Domino) | Narwal app with up to 4 saved maps, schedules and voice assistant; works with Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant (Narwal US store); TechRadar found it overwhelming with some mistranslations |
| Threshold | Crosses thresholds up to 0.9 in; cannot climb stairs (Matic) | 4 cm (1.57 in) (Narwal US store, TechRadar) |
| Noise | About 55 dB vacuuming, 52 dB mopping (Matic) | TechRadar measured 58 dB in quiet mode to 76 dB at top suction; Tom's Guide measured 49 to 74 dB depending on floor |
| Best for | privacy minded homes with pets and hard floors | hard floor homes that mop often and have pets |
| Skip if | you want a self emptying dock or fast cleaning | you want a simple, glitch free app |
Specs are maker claims unless a reviewer is named. Prices from the stores we link, checked daily.
What reviewers found
Matic Matic
- Vacuum Wars (2.93 Vacuum Wars stars): Measured 8.11 kPa suction and 35 CFM airflow, 100% flattened pet hair pickup and 7% hair wrap, but only 14 of 24 obstacles avoided and 227 minutes on a floor plan that took average robots about an hour. Source
- Domino: About three months of use: simple setup, smooth obstacle avoidance and automatic vacuum or mop switching by floor type, but the boxy body does not fit under all furniture and 55 dB felt too loud for night runs. Source
Narwal Flow
- Vacuum Wars (3.58 Vacuum Wars stars): Measured 1.88 kPa suction, 83% sand removal, 89% flattened pet hair pickup and 0% hair tangle. Combined mopping score was 268 against a 184 average, obstacle avoidance 18 of 24 and estimated coverage 2,068 sq ft per charge. Source
- TechRadar: Called the cleaning superb, especially on carpet, and hot water mopping excellent. Noise was 58 dB in quiet mode and 76 dB at top suction. It pushed a chair, failed to enter a room and once reported 0.0 square meters cleaned. Subscores: Value 4/5, Design 4.5/5, Performance 3.5/5, App 3.5/5. Source
- Tom's Guide: Pickup was 83% overall on tile and 77% on carpet, with 70% to 75% hair pickup. Noise ranged from 49 to 74 dB depending on floor and power. Faults were a tricky app, random cleaning incidents and so so edge vacuuming. Source
Pros and cons
Matic Matic
Pros
- Highest suction Vacuum Wars has measured
- Excellent pet hair pickup and low hair wrap
- Strong roller mop stain removal
- Maps and camera data kept on the device
- 6 month risk free trial
Cons
- No self emptying or self washing dock
- 7.8 in tall body
- Slow navigation and long runs
- Bag fills often and can smell from wet debris
- Expensive
Narwal Flow
Pros
- Excellent mopping, 268 combined score at Vacuum Wars
- No hair tangles in Vacuum Wars test
- Strong measured suction
- Long runtime, about 2,068 sq ft per charge
- Climbs 4 cm thresholds
Cons
- Navigation bugs reported by TechRadar and Tom's Guide
- Complex app with mistranslations
- No auto detergent dispenser
- High price
- Out of stock at Narwal US store on 2026-10-30
Questions buyers ask
Which is better, the Matic Matic or the Narwal Flow?
Pick the Matic Matic for privacy minded homes with pets and hard floors. Pick the Narwal Flow for hard floor homes that mop often and have pets.
Which is cheaper?
The Matic Matic at $1,495, versus $1,500 for the Narwal Flow, checked Oct 31, 2026. Over 3 years with running costs: $2,035 vs $1,500.
What is the difference between the Matic and the Flow?
Suction: Not stated by Matic; Vacuum Wars measured 8.11 kPa at max power against a 0.86 kPa… on the Matic, 22,000 Pa (Narwal); Vacuum Wars measured 1.88 kPa against a 0.96 kPa average on the Flow. Navigation: Five RGB-IR cameras build 3D maps on the device, with no LiDAR (Vacuum Wars); maps… on the Matic, dToF LiDAR inside the body (Narwal); TechRadar saw it push a chair, skip a room and… on the Flow. Obstacle avoidance: Matic says it sees and avoids toys, cords and clutter; Vacuum Wars counted 14 of 24… on the Matic, Dual RGB cameras, AI chip and tri laser structured light, 200+ objects (Narwal); Vacuum… on the Flow.
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