Who wants to be mowing the lawn when you could be lollygagging in a hammock with a cold drink, watching a robot mower do it for you? That’s right: No one does. Lawn care is a monotonous, thankless task. Robot lawn mowers were once the preserve of the wealthy, and they can still be on the pricey side, but they’re getting cheaper and better all the time.
I’ve tested a handful of the best robot lawn mowers over the past three years, and after comparing a fresh crop this mowing season, I'm delighted to tell you that robot mowers are actually good now. I've got some recommendations, honorable mentions, and robot mowers you should avoid. Read on for everything you need to know about lawn-tending bots.
Updated June 2026: I've added mowers from TerraMow and Mammotion, thoughts on mowers from Mova and Husqvarna, removed some older devices, added what I’m currently testing, and updated prices.
The TerraMow V1000 is a little more compact than some of the other robot mowers I’ve tested, and it comes with a covered charging station (something that often costs extra with rivals). There’s no need for wire or even an RTK antenna, because it works with a triple AI camera system, GPS, and 4G. The setup is a breeze, with impressive automatic mapping that quickly marks out your lawn in the app. You often have to remotely control mowers to map out your lawn, but I didn’t even have to edit the map, and this is the best automatic mapping I’ve seen from a robot mower.
Mowing performance is impressive with the TerraMow V1000 doing a neat and tidy job of mowing in lines up and down my lawn. It cut all the way to the edge where there was a path border but left the customary strip on the sides with walls, plants, and other obstacles. The obstacle avoidance is excellent, and it had no issues avoiding a football and the thin legs of a badminton net. It followed the schedule I set and always successfully returned to the charging station. This mower is perfect for a modest, flat rectangular lawn. It can deal with gradients up to 18 degrees, and you can set up multiple mowing zones with routes between and no-go zones. It’s surprisingly good at navigating regular paths and moving between zones.
On the downside, the app has some messy translation and grammar, and I encountered some oddities, such as when creating my lawn map, it named it “map 3” for some reason, even after I renamed it manually. It could use a touch of polish, but functionally, I had no issues starting or stopping a mow manually. Firmware updates took a long time but completed successfully. The mower doesn’t work at night, because it relies on cameras and AI for navigation, and the front wheel isn’t great on gravel or very uneven ground. You get one year of 4G service free, and it costs $19 a year after that.
The Mammotion Luba 3 AWD can handle relatively rough terrain and steep slopes, and it combines three technologies (GPS, lidar, and AI vision) to ensure it can cut larger lawns even where there might be tree cover or other awkward spots. It’s big and heavy and requires some putting together, so it’s not the easiest to set up, but there’s no need for wire or an antenna (an RTK antenna is an optional extra for folks who lack Wi-Fi or 4G coverage in their backyard). Mammotion provides a generous three years of 4G service, and each additional year costs $50.
This mower boasts quiet operation and efficient pathfinding. Because it’s wide, with two spinning discs underneath, you can get wide strips, and the finish is perhaps the best I’ve seen. The obstacle avoidance is solid, and it does a decent job around the edges. I also appreciate the manual mowing option, enabling you to cut any problem areas with remote app control. You can set multiple zones and tweak sensitivity for obstacles, which is handy if you’re a dog owner worried about mess. It also has a cool “drop mow” feature that lets you drop it on an unmapped area; handy if you want to loan it to a neighbor. It works well, but you can expect a bit of a border. The all-wheel drive ensures it can handle bumpy terrain and inclines. The wheel design is also great at avoiding ripping up grass, which can happen with mowers sporting big spiky wheels.
Aside from the high price, I found the wheels can get mucky and need regular cleaning. The app can also be glitchy, and occasionally connectivity drops out or takes a while. The cheapest 1500 model covers up to 0.37 acres but doesn’t include RTK. The 3000 ($2,799) covers 0.75 acres, the 5000 ($3,299) covers 1.25 acres, and both have RTK. This mower is overkill for the average yard, but it can conquer a challenging lawn.
Maybe you’re not ready to give up control of your mowing, but you’re sick of pushing that machine around. The Mowrator S1 is a slightly crazy remote-control mower that just might be what you need. I thought the S1 sounded like a daft idea, but it turned out to be far more fun than I expected. If you loved playing with RC cars in your youth, you’ll get some nostalgic joy from cutting grass with this beast of a mower, and it is oddly satisfying to cut the lawn this way. I tested the four-wheel-drive model, which can handle varied terrain, but there are also cheaper two-wheel-drive models available for smaller, less challenging lawns.
The S1 is incredibly heavy. Seriously, get some help lifting it out of the box. Setup is quick and easy, just screw the wheels on, plug in the battery, and fire up the remote-control console. I expected the Mowrator to be slow, but this thing has some serious va-va-voom. It’s fast and responsive, handling much like a giant RC car, and that’s exactly how the control console feels, too, with two joysticks for easy maneuvering and a small touchscreen to tweak settings. With plenty of cutting width and a gear stick to choose your preferred height, it’s quick and easy to mow a lawn. I'm able to drive it through my side gate and along the path to mow my front lawn too.
On the downside, it is not autonomous. To fire it up, you hold down both shoulder triggers and tap the start button onscreen. Let go of the triggers, and it stops automatically. I had to turn the sonar alerts off, as it was refusing to mow the edges of my lawn, but it does detect obstacles reliably and cuts off for safety. The S1 warns you to be safe every time you start it up, but I have concerns about it being dangerous in the wrong hands. It always stopped when it detected an obstacle during my testing, but sometimes only after it collided with something. It's heavy, too, so drivers will need to concentrate. While the Mowrator doesn’t allow for the laziness of an automatic mower, I was pleasantly surprised by how fun it was to use, and even felt a little disappointed when the job was done. It’s an odd device, and it’s pricey, but for the first time in forever, I’m looking forward to mowing my lawn again.
I just started testing the Anthbot M9 ($899), which is newer and cheaper than the Genie 3000 below, but it has been a mixed bag so far. I’ll update this guide with more detailed impressions once I’ve had more time with it. After that I have the Stiga A6V and the Sunseeker X7 Gen 2 to test.
With a sleek design and a mixture of 360-degree lidar for 3D mapping and a camera with AI vision, this mower proved very effective. Setup was straightforward, and there’s no need for wires or an antenna, though I did have to adjust the map manually. You can set multiple areas, and its navigation is generally very good. It mowed in neat lines, successfully avoided thin posts for the badminton net and other obstacles, and completed an excellent edge pass at the end. With some of the closest edge mowing I’ve seen, I was all set to recommend this mower, but then it got stuck. A couple of times, it seemed to be stuck, then managed to free itself, but an uneven problem spot proved to be its nemesis, and it chewed up a patch of grass trying to get free. Eventually, I had to make that spot a no-go zone. This mower is still worth considering, particularly if you see it on sale; just be prepared to tweak the map. The 2000 covers up to half an acre. If you have a quarter of an acre or less, the Mova Lidax 1000 ($1,299) is much cheaper but has the same features.
Husqvarna Aspire R6V for £999: While the reliable Husqvarna 410XE Nera was my top pick for a long time, you can get more affordable mowers now, without the hassle of RTK antennas. The Husqvarna Aspire R6V is just such a mower. It uses a combination of GPS and AI vision with a camera on the front. It was easy to set up and map the lawn in the app, but you will need a good Wi-Fi signal across your yard for it to work effectively. I was a little disappointed in the sensitive obstacle avoidance, as it left large uncut strips around the edges of my lawn. I was able to reduce the verge a little with some tinkering, but it was still larger than the recommendations above. Note: This model is currently not available in the US.
Anthbot Genie 3000 for $1,589: This often-discounted mower was my budget pick for a while, but mowers have moved on, so you can get better performance without the satellite antenna now. It offers auto-mapping, but the remote-control option works better. The mower cut my lawn effectively, but even after repeated map updates, it left an uncut verge. The obstacle avoidance works well, and it cuts in neat lines. It had no issues returning to charge or following a schedule. The voice that says it has connected or started mowing began to annoy me, but thankfully, it can be turned off. There were some glitches with rain alerts that prevented it from mowing, even long after the rain had stopped. I also experienced some flaky connection issues with the GPS, and it occasionally got stuck. While there is support for multiple areas, the mower often struggled picking up a signal in my front yard. Ultimately, this is still a decent mower when discounted, provided you have a modest-sized, straightforward lawn.
Eufy Robot Lawn Mower E15 for $1,799: This is another wire-free mower, but instead of relying on satellite navigation, it uses a camera system to automatically map lawns and avoid obstacles. It can cover up to 0.2 acres (8,700 square feet), cut from 1 to 3 inches, and handle up to 18-degree slopes. It is also fairly quiet and has GPS tracking, but you must have Wi-Fi coverage in your backyard, or you'll need a 4G data subscription. I found the setup lengthy due to a firmware download, but the mapping and the first cut were decent. The E15 can only run during the day, and it doesn't cope very well with inclines. I also found it frequently failed to cut the edges of the lawn and doesn't perform well if the grass is damp. I wouldn't recommend it at full price, but it seems to get frequent deep discounts.
EcoFlow Blade: While it was easy to set up and cut my lawn nicely without the need for any boundary wire, the EcoFlow Blade sometimes struggled with GPS navigation and ended up stuck in a flower bed. It also left an untouched strip around the edge of my lawn. The object avoidance was solid, and it can be automated in the app, though it occasionally failed to start a scheduled cut for me. EcoFlow seems to have discontinued this model, though it is still on sale in Europe. Probably best to avoid.
Yardcare E400: Curious about the budget end of the robot mower market, I agreed to try the Yardcare E400, but this mower was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish. It’s a boundary wire model, so you must run wire around the area you want mowed. Yardcare suggests it can cover up to 4,300 square feet and cut grass between 0.8 and 2.4 inches. The problem is that it gets stuck frequently and struggles to even get on and off its charging station reliably. After trying multiple fixes to no avail and going through customer support, I had to conclude that this model has a serious design flaw.
How Do Robot Lawn Mowers Work?
Perhaps counterintuitively, the setup instructions for your robot lawn mower will likely tell you to start by cutting the grass. Robot mowers mostly can’t deal with long grass. Unlike traditional mowers, these robots don’t collect grass cuttings; they mulch instead, and they are designed to cut frequently, keeping your lawn short and simply leaving the cuttings on the ground, which can also improve lawn health. Most robot mowers are designed to run two or three times a week during the growing season (from late spring to early fall).
They have rechargeable batteries onboard and can last from half an hour to several hours on a full charge. They return to the charging base and recharge automatically when their power runs low. Most mowers have simple controls, a small display, and an emergency stop button. You can generally start and stop mowing, set schedules, and create or edit mapped areas using the onboard controls or the companion mobile app, very much like a robot vacuum.
What Features Should I Look for in a Robot Mower?
There are many factors to consider in choosing a robot mower, and the best choice for you often depends on your yard.
Robot lawn mowers are generally rated to cover a specific square footage, with wider coverage requiring models with larger batteries. Alongside yard size, you should consider the shape and topography of your lawn, as most robot mowers will struggle with steep inclines. While you can often map out separate areas so your robot mower can mow front and back lawns, for example, it will generally need you to lift and carry it between those areas. If you have an uneven garden or steep slopes, look for a four-wheel-drive (4WD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD) mower and check the manufacturer's rating for inclines.
There are a few types of navigation that robot mowers employ. We’ve tested five different approaches, though some mowers combine multiple technologies for better performance.
Robot mowers generally come with large charging docks, and you’ll need to earmark a suitable spot for yours. They usually have extensive weatherproof cabling, but you will have to find a route to an outdoor socket.
To connect to your mower and schedule a mow, update the firmware, or remote control it where supported, you need a decent Wi-Fi signal or a Bluetooth connection. It’s best to set up your mower’s charging station within range of your Wi-Fi network. Some mowers also need a strong Wi-Fi signal to operate effectively, so you might consider adding an outdoor mesh router. If you want to connect your phone via Bluetooth, you will have to get quite close.
How Noisy Are Robot Mowers?
Most robot mowers are far quieter than their traditional counterparts. You can expect them to operate at around 55 decibels, though they may go as high as 75 decibels. We only tested battery-powered mowers, but expect gas mowers to be louder. While the operation is often quiet, I did find that several mowers made annoying beeping sounds when backing up or had a loud recorded voice during setup or upon receiving a command.
Do Robot Mowers Work in Any Weather?
Robot mowers and their charging stations usually have IP ratings and can cope with rain, but you should pack up and bring your mower indoors during the winter months. Many robot mowers have some kind of rain sensor and will pause mowing when it gets too wet. Some mowers may need to be paused manually. The wheels can churn up your lawn and get caked in mud if mowers continue to labor in the rain, especially with larger and heavier models.
How Well Do Robot Mowers Cut?
Mowers of different sizes will have varying cutting widths, denoting the width of the strip they can cut on each pass. Most also have floating cutting decks that enable you to choose the length of grass you want (typically 1 to 3 inches). Many robot mowers seem to struggle with cutting around the edges of a lawn, especially if there’s a wall or fence that prevents them from getting close enough.
It’s common to find an uncut verge around the edge of your lawn, so you might need to occasionally get the string trimmer out. Every robot mower I’ve tested has also struggled to cut the area around the charging station, so I recommend placing the unit on a deck or pavement if possible.
Can I Install a Robot Mower Myself?
Yes, most robot mowers can be installed by anyone, but you might want to set aside an afternoon to work out any snags. Finding the best spot for the receiver for a satellite mower can be tricky. The mapping process can also take a while; usually, the mower will prompt you to remote-control it around the border you want to set. After the first mow, you should review its performance and make tweaks to ensure it’s covering the entire area you want to cut.
How I Test Robot Lawn Mowers
I test each robot lawn mower for at least a month, on at least two different lawn areas, assessing the ease of setup, the mapping process, automatic scheduling (where available), navigation, obstacle avoidance, and the quality of the final cut, looking for length, uniformity, and any missed patches. Where applicable, I try extra features, tweak settings in the app, and check how the mower handles different weather conditions. I also keep an eye on battery performance and charging time to ensure it aligns with the manufacturer's claims.
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Source: Wired
