Ultimate Mopping Robot Challenge - Narwal T10 vs Braava Jet M6 vs iLife W450

[@unbaked_potato]

Thanks for the review. Surprisingly enough, there doesn't seem to be any other in-depth reviews that directly compare these three robots.

[@MrRoombato]

That appears to be my job here on KZbin. :P That and saying things no one else will say and getting hate from the manufacturers.

[@ashwanijain2867]

One of the most unbiased way of reviewing the products I have come across. Very well done.

[@MrRoombato]

Thanks!

[@user-rx8qq8sk9ydv1ce5ib]

Thanks for sharing. Does these avoid carpets and mop around it ? in 2024, are there better mop only robots out there ? Thanks

[@PFMcCaffrey]

I really enjoyed this robot battle challenge. Getting a Mopping Robot is on the list, but kinda low on the list currently. But this definitely is making me think about the compromise between convenience and efficient cleaning.

[@123Osaka456]

Boy am I glad you posted this video, haven't seen anything comparing the w450 with the narwhal!

[@MrRoombato]

Glad to be of service.

[@MrRoombato]

@@atravellerinthedunya.4007 I don't know. I don't see how this design can be much more than it already is. It can't cross room dividers even a few millimeters tall.

[@123Osaka456]

@@MrRoombato isn't that the m6 you're referring to? He/she was asking about the w450

[@jacksonmin2058]

Finally someone does a comparison. I’ve been thinking about the w400 and I’ve seen next to nothing.

[@SmartRobotReviews]

I do feel the same way. The ILIFE does the best job as a mop but is not very convenient to use. The Narwal has all those no-go zones and zoned cleaning so as start-and-let-it-go, the Narwal is best. So when people keep asking which one is the best it kinda leaves me frustrated :)

[@MrRoombato]

I definitely think it's the Narwal. Because you can always tell it to clean the same area 10x, but you can't make an M6 climb a tall floor divider or make a W450 into a real navigating robot.

[@coltonsvacuumcollection]

What music did you use in this video?

[@jorode6245]

would you suggest the ilife w400 instead of the w450 since you said the app is useless anyways

[@MrRoombato]

Sorry I missed this comment, KZbin's notification system sucks. At this point, I would suggest spending more money on something like the Dreame W10. But the app isn't useless, you can use it to slow the robot down, which is what makes it clean so well.

[@yellowsnowman9157]

Thoughts on Ecovacs Deebot T8 with the addon mopping attachment?

[@MrRoombato]

It's okay, but not on par with any of these robots. A dedicated mop (and the Narwal is a dedicated mop regardless of what they claim) is a far better solution.

[@JGantoss]

Great review, well needed since you can find hundreds of vacuum reviews but not many mopping head to head. As a dog & cat owner, I'm using vacuum & mopping robots for the past 6 years since the earlu dumb robots with no navigation at all & changing every 2 years :) Agree with you picking the iLife 450 as the best mopping robot, I have the older version W400 for 2 years & it makes a great job mopping after I used my Ecovac combo vacuum that was great vacuum but bad mopping. The W400 is really mopping & you can tell from the dirty water in the tank. The real cons that makes me still looking for a new mopping is the navigation, hard to do the whole house & if you need a small area you have to make borders or watch it... it good mop but dumb for sure The 2nd con is the need to clean the brush that got dirty every time & the water container vs the braava using disposable but it's more money. The T10 is too expensive as a mop that do great navigation but not cleaning well & need 2 or 3 times, so makes no sense to pay over $1000 for it. So I will stick with my w400 till iLife makes its new model with navigation, and let my new Ecovacs with the auto-empty to vacume & clean the hair before the mopping starts!

[@yayahbarakwan6849]

Which ecovac vaccuumer do you have as I'm thinking to have the same combo

[@de_stroyed]

Nice video. :) I bought the Neabot Q11 based on your suggestion and should be here soon. It's my first ever robotic vacuum and I'm really excited for it. If I really end up liking it, I'll probably swing for 2 more Neabot Q11's.

[@golflane2]

did you use any chemicals in the Narwal....it would seem to me that the chemicals would do a better job than just plain water

[@MrRoombato]

I wanted to keep it fair, so I didn't use chemicals in any of them.

[@arevee9429]

Good review. I'd venture to guess that the M6 would get less good the more area it has to clean because the pad gets dirty. I own an M6 and change the pad every 30 minutes when I use it. Roomba products don't navigate well. I also have the i7 vacuum and a Roborock S4. The Roborocks has far superior navigation when compared to the Roomba.

[@MrRoombato]

From your mouth to iRobot's ears! Enough with the VSLAM already.

[@pablou1304]

What is the manual mopping that you have there? Can you recommend it?

[@MrRoombato]

It's a steam mop. This one here: amzn.to/3iyukjU Works really well!

[@quinch110508]

I know it's two diff tech item altogether but if can only pick one, which is much useful and ideal do u think for a mop replacement - an ilife w400/450 or a dreame h11 max?

[@MrRoombato]

The h11 max. The iLife robots aren't mop replacements. Neither is a Narwal. They are for maintenance, not spot cleaning. Unless you mean a mop replacement for periodic moping whether you spilled something or not. Then...I don't know. Personal preference.

[@quinch110508]

@@MrRoombato thanks.. This helps a lot.. I have a dreame z10 pro and i was looking for a separate mopping option to deal with stains that cant be handled by the z10 pro in like a weekly basis.. I guess the h11 max is still the better option here.. Thnx again :)

[@MrRoombato]

@@quinch110508 No problem. Dreame sent me a W10, which is like the Narwal but with a real vacuum in front of the mopping pads. I love it. But it's something to keep your floors clean (like all of these robots) not something to clean up something you spilled. I mean it can do it, but something like an H11 would be quicker and better and less hassle.

[@jacksonmin2058]

By the way, other than navigation does the 450 have anything over the 400? You said you can run it slower is that not possible with the 400?

[@MrRoombato]

It doesn't really have navigation. iLife didn't really do anything useful with that camera. Its only real advantage is app control and being able to slow it down, and control how much water was used.

[@jacksonmin2058]

@@MrRoombato I commented on a previous video, but it probably makes more sense here. Do you need wifi at all to run this? Like will it work without wifi or just using the remote? I'd rather not have a camera based robot that I can't lock down. I'm also not opposed to having it only run on my local wifi and locking it's ability to send data out, but I'm not sure that it's possible with this one. Do you know?

[@MrRoombato]

@@jacksonmin2058 You can run it without the app, but it won't have its best feature (the ability to control robot speed, brush speed and water usage). Also, if you're going to do that, the camera is useless. Get the W400, it's much cheaper.

[@MrRoombato]

@@jacksonmin2058 Actually the camera is essentially useless anyway. iLife did a "fire and forget" with this model, not really using it to its full potential. It's still a great robot because it's the best actual mop on the market. But the setup and cleaning makes it so it's almost easier to grab a steam mop and do it yourself.

[@jacksonmin2058]

Interesting. I’m mostly thinking of the fact that the remote can control flow and brush speed (according to a manual I found). Idk if it gives you the max, but maybe I can test it. Looks like the only thing it doesn’t do is have the actual robot speed, which I’m probably fine sacrificing. Maybe I’ll also cover the camera, throw it on WiFi and see if it really is ignored.

[@alesynkin]

Thank you for honest review. Guess, W450 will be my next purchase.

[@MrRoombato]

I strongly recommend the Dreame W10. The W450 mops well but it's been abandoned by iLife and it's barely above a handheld electric mop in terms of utility.

[@alesynkin]

@@MrRoombato oh, I have Dreame Bot L10 Pro and Roborock T7 pro. Looking for a adequate mopping robot for elderly relative. irobot Scooba 5800 cleans good but navigation is absent and it is super slow...

[@MrRoombato]

@@alesynkin Is this elderly relative going to clean up the tanks and carry the W450 to where it needs to mop and then understand its navigation limitations enough to not be frustrated by it?

[@alesynkin]

@@MrRoombato I though that W450 cleans the whole apt and returns back to the start place. Emptying/cleaning tank and adding clean water is not that complicated, she is able to do that to Scooba. And I am a cheap ass and will search mop on Craigslist or on sale, under $300 (with tax)

[@MrRoombato]

@@alesynkin No, it does not. You have to put in place and start it, then put it back on its charger. If you have a small space to clean, it works well. Just don't expect it to do anything by itself other than mop.

[@richardsmith1161]

Have you tried the Samsung jet bot? I've been using it for a month. Seems to clean deeper than my M6, once I figured out the difference between the pads. Definitly not as smart, though.

[@MrRoombato]

Nope, never tried it. Maybe one day they will make a smart mopping robot that puts weight onto rotating pads.

[@richardsmith1161]

@@MrRoombatoThe Yeedi Mop station that is coming out claims it puts downward pressure. We will see

[@MrRoombato]

@@richardsmith1161 That would be cool! But doesn't Yeedi use VSLAM? VSLAM is a non-starter for me at this point.

[@richardsmith1161]

@@MrRoombato Yeah VSLAM and floor tracking. At least someone thought of putting downward pressure.

[@darkredvan]

Great comparison for sure. My old W400 (~4yo) stopped working, so I got a W450. I only can support your findings: the W450 is - mechanically and underlying system- a very good mopping robot. However - one thing I can not understand - the app, navigating by app, defining a zone for zone cleaning and map itself are crap! This mopping robot could be first class if they had given it a better app. Even my 5 year old Xiaomi vacuum robot (1. generation) has a much better app! 1. the map should be better (you should be able to actually see something on the screen), 2. maps for different rooms should be saveable and chooseable, 3. you should be able to choose a map, define a zone on that map exactly and give detailed instructions how to clean. It would not have been much more expensive developing a good app, why make a bad one in the first place? But you are right, a good mopping robot. Why didn‘t they make it (nearly) perfect, at least a lot better?

[@MrRoombato]

Because if the app were good, the robot would have to do what the app told it, and it can't do that. It gets lost easily. Its sensors suite and implementation is not good enough. It's a great product, for what it is. But the camera is useless. About the only thing the app is good for is making it move slowly and clean better.

[@darkredvan]

@@MrRoombato Right you are. A LIDAR system would be much better, but the additional height probably forbids it. Therefore, to be of any use, the maps have to be saveable and chooseable in advance. (Or the robot would have to map with the camera in a fast drive around first.) But you are of course right, selecting a zone for mopping (as it is now) is next to useless. Thanks for your kind answer.

[@MrRoombato]

@@darkredvan The dome isn't an issue, most vacuum robots have them, but some are coming without a dome with lasers up front. I strongly recommend you check out at least a budget lidar robot. You'll be amazed at how well they map and navigate.

[@theattorney6072]

@@darkredvan Hi, are you still Happy with the robot ?

[@darkredvan]

@@theattorney6072 Yes, indeed I am. The W450 is working just fine, mechanically and design in general is great. The app is where I see the real lack. Generally the control features just work nicely (speed, amount of water, brush speed, amount of cleaning / drying). The real downside is the map, lack of choosing / saving maps and the kind of „zone cleaning“. It is not possible to choose a zone in a map, you can only choose a smaller or larger area, but do not know exactly where the robot will clean. IMHO this could be corrected quite easily by software improvements. (My 6+ years old vacuum robot has a much better map and zone cleaning app). Ok, would I buy the W450 again? Of course, any time, ist works well and good. Could Ilife provide a better suited app? For sure, and they should do so.

[@cactusapril22]

Nice video that focusing on capabilty

[@richardsmith1161]

Did you use solution on any of those?

[@MrRoombato]

No, and sorry for not mentioning it in the video. I wanted to make it about the robots, not the solutions. But I’ve never found any noticeable difference between just water and the solutions they want you to use. It think it’s mostly for smell.

[@Zcahm]

I like the bissell crooswave solution in my braava. it is a very gental formula.

[@richardsmith1161]

@@Zcahm That's a good idea. I just spray the floor first with an all purpose cleaner

[@MrRoombato]

@@Zcahm Have you done a direct comparison to see if makes a difference? I'm curious.

[@faithcarandang3404]

What steam mop do you use?

[@MrRoombato]

This one: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L3QLQ98/ It's great!

[@faithcarandang3404]

@@MrRoombato Thanks so much! Appreciated your practical review of these robot mops.

[@MrRoombato]

@@faithcarandang3404 You're very welcome.

[@massiegeorge]

I’m amazed at how bad they are. I have an old scooba and it runs circles around these. Eventually it can’t navigate though

[@MrRoombato]

Why do you say they are bad? They clean extremely stubborn stains. Even a steam mop requires a bunch of back and forth to clean those stains.

[@tajanwisdom7743]

I love it stress test

[@meggi8048]

did a better job, not by lot, but significantly ... wait what now :D

[@omegaroyal]

How about dog poop?

[@MrRoombato]

Keep them far, far away from it, or you will have the worst day of your life.

[@headerahelix]

I'm not seeing the benefit of these expensive ones over the Jet 240/250.

[@MrRoombato]

In the case of the T10 and M6, it's navigation and scheduled cleaning. I have my M6 mop my kitchen every morning and it goes several days before I need to change the pad or fill the tank. In the case of the W450, it cleans better.

[@alanoveseika261]

would have been better if you used the cleaning solution/sheet each of them offer… 😐😐

[@MrRoombato]

It wouldn't be a fair test. You can add any cleaning solution to any robot (at your own risk). This way you get to see what the robot can do, not how good the solution is.

[@stacydiebold9199]

Narwal T10 blows those away. This video is not a good review. Watch full videos of these comparisons.

[@MrRoombato]

Narwal T10 owner? Let me give you a taste of your own medicine. :) The Dreame W10 blows the Narwal away. It's exactly the same, mop wise, but is also a real vacuum with a main brush and can vacuum and mop at the same time. As for this video, you are free to say that my vides suck. I mean, I think they do also! But I subjected these to the same task and the T10 was the worst mop of the bunch. I'd still much rather have a T10 than either or both of the other two though.

[@stacydiebold9199]

@@MrRoombato Your mostly right on. My complaint is the Narwal T10 makes a mistake by saying mop & vacuum. But if you look at the description it says hardwood floors. It should say “mop & sweep” You can’t beat the water tanks and navigation. I guess I also don’t like those mop pads on other machines. If you have animals those just won’t clean a large house. Sorry my review came out so harsh, I was trying to focus on the reviews of the items that you put on the floor- I’ve never really had spills. I need for country life. Haha

[@stacydiebold9199]

@@MrRoombato you still earned a like and a new subscriber 😁

[@MrRoombato]

@@stacydiebold9199 No worries. I don't mind. I too live in the country, and for me it's also not about cleaning up spills. The T10 is a great machine. The Braava Jet M6 is a better mop, but it's an inferior robot. As is the iLife W450 (the best mop of the bunch). I don't use either of them anymore now that I have the Dreame W10. If your T10 ever breaks you may want to look into the W10 (unless something better comes out). It's really nice having a real vacuum in the front of your mop. In all other respects, it's the same as the Narwal.

[@albertotartarini7939]

I7