Narwal Flow vs Roborock Saros 20 Flow
Researched by Riley Hart · prices checked Oct 31, 2026
As of Oct 31, 2026, the Narwal Flow costs $1,500 and the Roborock Saros 20 Flow costs $1,700, so the Narwal Flow is $200 cheaper. The Roborock Saros 20 Flow has a published review score and ranks #30 in our robot vacuums ranking; the Narwal Flow is not scored yet. Pick the Narwal Flow for hard floor homes that mop often and have pets. Pick the Roborock Saros 20 Flow for hard floor homes with tall thresholds.
- 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 →- Suction
- 36,000 Pa claimed
- Navigation
- Retractable LiDAR
- Mopping
- SpiraFlow 2.0 roller mop
- Runtime
- Not listed in minutes
A top end pick for homes with high thresholds, mostly hard floors and pets, since the roller mop and 3.46 in climbing set it apart. Reviewers praised its mopping and pet hair handling but noted weak corner and edge cleaning. Skip it if you want the cheapest way to get a self cleaning dock.
Full Roborock Saros 20 Flow review →Side by side
| Narwal Flow | Roborock Saros 20 Flow | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,500 | $1,700 |
| 3 year cost | $1,500 | $1,777 |
| Our score | Not scored yet | 6.4/10 |
| Rank in Floors | #83 | #30 |
| Status | on sale | on sale |
| Warranty | n/a | 1 year (Roborock US store) |
| Suction | 22,000 Pa (Narwal); Vacuum Wars measured 1.88 kPa against a 0.96 kPa average | 36,000 Pa claimed (Roborock); House Digest could not verify it but estimated floors came out about 90% clean |
| Navigation | dToF LiDAR inside the body (Narwal); TechRadar saw it push a chair, skip a room and report cleaning 0.0 square meters | Retractable LiDAR (RetractSense) that lowers under furniture, plus VertiBeam side structured light (Roborock) |
| Obstacle avoidance | 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 | Reactive AI with structured light and RGB camera, 300+ object types, objects down to 3 cm wide and 3 cm tall (Roborock); House Digest saw it get lost once |
| Mopping | 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 | SpiraFlow 2.0 roller mop, up to 240 rpm, 15 N pressure, 16 pressurized outlets, extends up to 44 mm for edges and lifts up to 15 mm on carpet (Roborock) |
| Self empty | Yes, 2.5 L dust bag rated for up to 120 days (Narwal US store) | Yes, auto empty into a bag, up to 65 days without manual emptying (Roborock); bag size not listed |
| Dock features | 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) | Roller wash with water up to 212°F, 145°F warm air drying, auto detergent dosing, warm water refill of the robot tank (Roborock) |
| Runtime | Up to 190 min (Narwal); Vacuum Wars estimated 2,068 sq ft per charge | Not listed in minutes; Roborock says up to 200 m² per charge in standard vacuum and mop mode, 6,400 mAh battery, 150 min full charge |
| Dustbin | 2.5 L dock bag; Vacuum Wars describes a large robot bin with a removable section | n/a |
| Height | 95 mm (3.7 in) per Narwal key features and Vacuum Wars; Narwal's spec table lists 107.7 mm | 3.54 in robot height (Roborock landing page); the store page lists 89.8 mm |
| Pet hair | Vacuum Wars measured 89% flattened pet hair pickup and 0% tangles in its 7 inch hair test | House Digest said heavy pet fur left no hair balls on the dual anti tangle brushes |
| App | 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 | Roborock app; works with Alexa, Siri, Google Home and Matter; built in Hello Rocky voice assistant (Roborock) |
| Threshold | 4 cm (1.57 in) (Narwal US store, TechRadar) | Double layer thresholds up to 3.46 in (88 mm) with AdaptiLift Traverse 3.0 (Roborock); House Digest saw it clear a baby gate with a thud |
| Noise | TechRadar measured 58 dB in quiet mode to 76 dB at top suction; Tom's Guide measured 49 to 74 dB depending on floor | No dB figure from Roborock or the reviews we read; House Digest says Carpet Boost is the loudest mode |
| Best for | hard floor homes that mop often and have pets | hard floor homes with tall thresholds |
| Skip if | you want a simple, glitch free app | you are on a budget or need spotless corners |
Specs are maker claims unless a reviewer is named. Prices from the stores we link, checked daily.
What reviewers found
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
Roborock Saros 20 Flow
- House Digest (9/10): Floors came out about 90% clean with some crumbs left in corners. Mopping fully removed ketchup and barbecue sauce and left wood almost dry. It cleared a baby gate but got lost once and had underwhelming edge cleaning. Source
- EFTM (92%): Australian review gave vacuuming 93%, mopping 93%, app 92% and features 93%. It cleaned dried jam and tomato sauce, needed two passes for Vegemite and struggled with crumbs near cabinets. Charging was slow. Source
Pros and cons
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
Roborock Saros 20 Flow
Pros
- Roller mop removed ketchup and sauce in testing
- Climbs double thresholds up to 3.46 in
- Dock washes the roller with near boiling water
- Strong pet hair handling with no hair balls
- Matter, Alexa, Siri and Google Home support
Cons
- High price at $1,699.99
- Corner and edge cleaning was weak in reviews
- App settings are hard to find
- Slow 150 min recharge
- Detergent sold separately
Questions buyers ask
Which is better, the Narwal Flow or the Roborock Saros 20 Flow?
The Roborock Saros 20 Flow has a published review score and ranks #30 in our robot vacuums ranking; the Narwal Flow is not scored yet. Pick the Narwal Flow for hard floor homes that mop often and have pets. Pick the Roborock Saros 20 Flow for hard floor homes with tall thresholds.
Which is cheaper?
The Narwal Flow at $1,500, versus $1,700 for the Roborock Saros 20 Flow, checked Oct 31, 2026. Over 3 years with running costs: $1,500 vs $1,777.
What is the difference between the Flow and the Saros 20 Flow?
Suction: 22,000 Pa (Narwal); Vacuum Wars measured 1.88 kPa against a 0.96 kPa average on the Flow, 36,000 Pa claimed (Roborock); House Digest could not verify it but estimated floors came… on the Saros 20 Flow. Navigation: dToF LiDAR inside the body (Narwal); TechRadar saw it push a chair, skip a room and… on the Flow, Retractable LiDAR (RetractSense) that lowers under furniture, plus VertiBeam side… on the Saros 20 Flow. Obstacle avoidance: Dual RGB cameras, AI chip and tri laser structured light, 200+ objects (Narwal); Vacuum… on the Flow, Reactive AI with structured light and RGB camera, 300+ object types, objects down to 3… on the Saros 20 Flow.
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