Smart Home

The Freo X Ultra Robot Vacuum Evolved Differently from Everyone Else — and I Can’t Wait to See What’s Next

A new era for robot vacuums is here. In my line of work I’ve tried all kinds of robot vacuums — iRobot, ECOVACS, and more — and Freo’s new model is packed with features no other company is doing.

Right now, it’s the robot vacuum I’d recommend most.

Since the previous model, Freo hasn’t had a station that sucks up the dust, but its ability to clean floors (vacuuming and mopping) and how quiet it is are outstanding. I know our home, with a baby, especially benefits from quietness, but not getting woken up by suction noise when it starts on schedule on weekend mornings would be nice in any home, right?

For my articles, I sometimes receive products on loan or as samples from companies, within the bounds of Yahoo! News’ rules. However, if a product doesn’t meet my standards for writing about it after actually using it, or if its downsides significantly outweigh its good points, I return it and don’t write about it. I don’t receive any payment from companies.

No hair tangles, so the tools are gone

This is an idea no other company has. Freo was quick to bring the tangle-free brush design used by Dyson and others to robot vacuums. The old model had a built-in tool for cutting and cleaning hair, which was handy, but the new model doesn’t even need it — which shows real confidence.

The old model had a built-in tool for cutting tangled hair
The old model had a built-in tool for cutting tangled hair
On the new model, the whole thing is a dust bag
On the new model, the whole thing is a dust bag
Switching to a cone-shaped brush means hair gets sucked into the bag without tangling, so no brush maintenance is needed, and the dust bag space got bigger too.

With other robot vacuums all looking alike, I really appreciated these user-focused “save you the hassle” touches.

Changing the brush shape cut down on maintenance a lot
Changing the brush shape cut down on maintenance a lot
## Less dumping, without a self-emptying station

Lately the trend has been robot vacuums that mop and empty into the station, but Freo offers another option here too.

Self-emptying stations are convenient, but they’re really loud when they suck up the dust. SwitchBot’s robots, for example, let you schedule emptying for a set time so you don’t get a blast of noise right after cleaning, but Freo’s approach is completely different.

The dust bag itself compresses, so you can keep going for 7 weeks without emptying it. And since it’s a disposable bag, you toss it, filter and all. There’s a running cost, but no more cleaning filters, so overall I think it’s better.

The dust bag integrates the filter, compresses dust after each clean, and lasts 7 weeks
The dust bag integrates the filter, compresses dust after each clean, and lasts 7 weeks
I used to clean the filter often because suction drops if you don’t, but lots of users never clean their filters at all.

Redesigning it so you skip filter cleaning and get a fresh filter with every bag is a brilliant shift in thinking.

And if you’re worried about running costs, you can still use a regular dust bin. That attention to detail moved me.

A regular dust bin is included too, so use that if cost is a concern
A regular dust bin is included too, so use that if cost is a concern
The whole bottom opens for easy emptying. Bigger capacity than the old model too — nice
The whole bottom opens for easy emptying. Bigger capacity than the old model too — nice
## Big upgrades to radar and AI, with excellent mapping

It looks almost the same, so it’s hard to tell, but feature-wise the radar and AI have improved a lot.

More sensors make cleaning even more efficient
More sensors make cleaning even more efficient
AI features have evolved too, like changing mop moisture based on the weather
AI features have evolved too, like changing mop moisture based on the weather
It knows spots that haven’t been cleaned in a while because something was in the way, and cleans them thoroughly
It knows spots that haven’t been cleaned in a while because something was in the way, and cleans them thoroughly
Old Freo on the right, new one on the left. Huge upgrades from dust box capacity to sensors, suction, and mop shape
Old Freo on the right, new one on the left. Huge upgrades from dust box capacity to sensors, suction, and mop shape
What I noticed right away: **“cleaning is way more efficient!”** I had no complaints about the old one’s cleaning, but the new one is so fast I wondered, “Done already?” So fast I went to check — and it really was clean. Freo’s triangular mops are great too; there’s no unwiped strip down the middle after mopping.
The mop shape leaves no unwiped strip in the middle
The mop shape leaves no unwiped strip in the middle
You can clean specific rooms or just one spot — something the previous model already did well
You can clean specific rooms or just one spot — something the previous model already did well
Mopping pressure can now be adjusted from 7N to 12N, so it can even mop tatami mats. You can also register four sub-maps on top of the main one, so it handles all kinds of cases — cleaning the second floor of a house, the entryway, a tatami room. Maximum practicality!
A mopping robot that can clean tatami — that surprised me
A mopping robot that can clean tatami — that surprised me
## Almost perfect, with a couple of things I’d like improved

The new Freo X Ultra has evolved in ways no other robot vacuum has, but there were two things I’d like improved.

First, edge cleaning. The new model can slide sideways to clean into small gaps under furniture, but in practice it tries not to bump the furniture, so those gaps didn’t get very clean.

The feature promises to clean into gaps under furniture, but given the spacing, it didn’t clean them very well
The feature promises to clean into gaps under furniture, but given the spacing, it didn’t clean them very well
That seems fixable with firmware updates, so I hope a future update improves it.

Second, the station’s display. Before, you could pick your own preset cleaning routines from the display (like vacuuming and then mopping only the kitchen) and start them.

The old display let you choose a preset and start cleaning
The old display let you choose a preset and start cleaning
On the new station, you can start cleaning, but the preset selection was dropped. You can still do it in the app, so it’s fine in a sense, but being able to start your own custom cleaning from the device itself without the app — unlike other brands — was a big advantage. I hope the next model brings it back.

An excellent robot packed with options nobody else offers

Apart from those two points, overall it’s an excellent robot vacuum packed with options other brands don’t offer.

If you’re choosing for practicality, it was the best robot vacuum as of June 2024.

Official site: Freo Japan Product site: Freo X Ultra

This story was originally published (in Japanese) on Yahoo! News Japan Expert.

Related

You might also like