BBC Gardeners World Magazine

Our best mowers to buy at a glance:

Our 3 top-rated cordless mowers

4.9/5 stars: Our best lightweight cordless mower – Husqvarna Aspire LC34 P4A £349
4.8/5 stars: Our best budget cordless mower for larger gardens – Webb Eco WEV20X2LM43B4X 40V cordless mower £279.99
4.8/5 stars: Our best self-propelled cordless mower under £500 – Worx Nitro WG749E 40V 46cm £449.99

Other recommended cordless mowers

4.5/5 stars: Our best budget cordless mower for small gardens – Greenworks GDG24LM33 £199.99
4.5/5 stars: Our best user-friendly self-propelled cordless mower – Ego LM1702E-SP 42cm self-propelled mower (kit) £619
4.5/5 stars: Our best self-propelled cordless mower for stripes – Stihl RMA 448 RV rear roller £829

Our 2 top-rated corded electric mowers

4.8/5 stars: Our best budget electric mower for small gardens, under £100 – Webb WEER33 £119.99
4.5/5 stars: Our best electric mower for large gardens – Mountfield Electress 38 £129

Our 2 top-rated hand-push mowers

4.8/5 stars: Our best budget hand-push mower – Webb 30cm Autoset sidewheel £99.99
4.5/5 stars: Our best hand-push mower all round – Gardena Comfort Hand Cylinder 400C £174.99

Our 3 top-rated robot mowers

5 stars: Our best robot mower for hills – Mammotion Luba Mini AWD £999
4.8/5 stars: Our best robot mower for wire-free mowing – Segway Navimow i105E £749
4.8/5 stars: Our best robot mower for performance – Stihl iMOW 5 £1,729

Best cordless mowers

TOP-RATED: Husqvarna Aspire LC34-P4A

Our best lightweight cordless mower

RRP: £349

Our rating: 4.9 out of 5

Available from: Husqvarna (£349)

Reasons to buy:

Quiet
Cuts long grass with ease
Battery level visible while mowing
Small and compact for easy storage

Reasons to avoid:

Only four cutting heights
95 minutes charge time

This lightweight 34cm mower is part of the new Husqvarna Aspire cordless range, which includes a hedge trimmer, pruner and leaf blower, and it's powered by an 18V POWER FOR ALL ALLIANCE battery and charger. It's useful that these are interchangeable with tools in other leading brands such as Flymo, Gardena and Bosch, so if you also invest in tools in these ranges, you’ll only need to buy the bare tool and won’t have different batteries and chargers taking up space in the shed. Also, the two-year warranty on this mower is a good sign that the investment will last.

I found this mower great for small gardens for several reasons: the mower comes ready to go; there’s no assembly needed or handles to attach, and it folds down to a compact size when you’re finished, with a telescopic handle that folds completely flat over the body of the mower. It can then be stood up against a wall or hung up, and it even comes with a handy hook.

The 30-litre grass bag also flattens down to take up very little room and can be hung on the mower. I liked the fact that the Aspire is so light, with a carry handle so that lifting it up steps or into other areas is easy, and it has an adjustable handle to suit different heights.

It’s comfortable and easy to manoeuvre around the garden and has just four cutting heights to choose from, ranging from 25-65mm, and they were easy to change with a single lever on the body of the mower. It cuts grass quietly and smoothly and has an automatic boost that increases blade speed when you’re mowing in tougher, longer areas, which works well. You can hear it kick in when you push the mower into longer grass, and unlike other cordless mowers that can cut out, it just carries on cutting the grass.

I also really liked being able to see the battery charge level while mowing, so I could gauge how much power there was left, and when the battery needed charging. Kay Maguire

RRP: £349
Cutting width: 34cm
Weight: 11.8kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 95 mins
Run time/Mow area: 500 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 25-65mm
Grass box: 30 litres

Buy the Husqvarna Aspire LC34P4A from Husqvarna (£349)

Webb Eco WEV20X2LM43B4X 40V cordless mower

Our best budget cordless mower for large gardens

RRP: £279.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£297), Marshalls (£279.99) and Wickes (£280)

Reasons to buy:

Quiet, comfortable and smooth to handle
Long run time
Great for storage
Spare parts available

Reasons to avoid:

Battery level not visible when mowing
No safety plug

This mower just needs the handle attached, and the 50-litre fabric grass bag has already been assembled, so I found it easy to put together. There’s a choice of three handle heights, and it double-folds snugly over the mower, so it takes up very little space in storage.

The two 20V 4Ah batteries have a charge indicator on the end, and although I couldn't find a way to see it while the mower’s in use, the approximately 60-minute runtime means there’s time to finish cutting most small to medium lawns. The handle is padded for comfort, and I found this mower smooth and easy to push, even over longer, bumpier grass.

It cut very well in our test and the six heights of cut, from 25-75mm are easy to adjust with a single lever. At 96dB, the mower is reasonably quiet. It also feels durable and sturdy, with spare parts readily available from Webb, and it comes with a three-year warranty. Kay Maguire

RRP: £279.99
Cutting width: 43cm
Weight: 16.1kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 100 mins
Run time/Mow area: 60 mins
Cutting height range: 25-75mm
Grass box: 50 litres

Buy the Webb Eco WEV20X2LM43B4X 40V cordless mower from Amazon (£297), Marshalls (£279.99) and Wickes (£280)

Worx Nitro WG749E 40V 46cm

Our best self-propelled cordless mower under £500

RRP: £449.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Amazon and Donaghy Bros

Reasons to buy:

Battery power is visible when you mow
Cutting power adjusts to grass length

Reasons to avoid:

The collection bag is fiddly to assemble
Heavy

This easy-to-use mower needs no assembly and has a quick-release, collapsible handle, so it’s very simple to store, even in a packed shed. One thing that really helped when I was testing this machine is that it stands up vertically, with the handle folded over and the front wheels in the air – that meant it only took up about a third of the usual floor space in storage.

The Nitro requires two 20V 4Ah PowerShare batteries, which give a 40-minute run time, and it was a relief that the battery power level is clearly visible while you mow – it's such an important thing when you're tackling a large area of grass. The batteries and the charger are also interchangeable with all other Worx PowerShare tools.

It offers seven cutting heights, 20-80mm, which are easy to adjust with a simple lever. It also has a cutting width of 46cm, making it ideal for medium-sized lawns.

I liked the mower's simple speed control, plus it adjusts its cutting power according to grass length and conditions, which helps save on battery. It has a safety key and a 55-litre collection bag, so there's plenty of room for the cuttings, but there's also a mulching option, so you can choose to let the cuttings fall back on the lawn to feed the grass rather than worry about emptying the bag.

Considering the wealth of features this mower offers, this is a great-value option. It also has a three-year warranty, plus two more years if registered. Kay Maguire

RRP: £449.99
Cutting width: 46cm
Weight: 28.7kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Charge time: 120 mins
Run time/Mow area: 40 mins
Cutting height range: 20-80mm
Grass box: 55 litres

Buy the Worx Nitro WG749 from Amazon and Donaghy Bros

Greenworks GDG24LM33

Our best budget cordless mower for small gardens

RRP: £199.99 (with 2Ah battery)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£106.23) and Tooled Up (£119.95)

Reasons to buy:

Easy to assemble and use
Comfortable padded handle
Choice of mulching or collecting clippings
Battery interchangeable with Greenworks 24V family

Reasons to avoid:

Short handle for taller users
Struggles with longer grass

I found this sturdy, great-value cordless mower easy to put together, well thought out, and simple to use – superbly suited to small gardens. Thanks to a padded handle, it's comfortable to push, although this could feel a little short for taller people, and it's light and easy to manoeuvre around trees and lawn edges.

There are five cutting heights to choose from, adjusted with the simple lift of a lever, and you can collect clippings in the 30-litre fabric grass bag or insert the mulching plug and leave them on the lawn to break down and feed the grass.

It mowed well, helped in part by the specification of a long-lasting brushless motor, but it didn't like mowing very long grass. The battery cut out on me occasionally, but the decent runtime of 46 minutes made up for that a bit, and it charged in just two hours.

Plus, as part of the Greenworks 24V family, both the battery and charger are interchangeable with all the other tools in the range, saving you money if you invest in more Greenworks tools in the future. Kay Maguire

RRP: £199.99
Cutting width: 33cm
Weight: 9.5kg
Type: push cordless
Charge time: 120 mins
Run time/Mow area: 280 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 25-70mm
Grass box: 30 litres

Buy the Greenworks-GDG24LM33 from Amazon (£106.23) and Tooled Up (£119.95)

Ego LM1702E-SP 42cm self-propelled mower (kit)

Our best user-friendly self-propelled cordless mower

RRP: £619

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£559) and Mowers Online (£559)

Reasons to buy:

A big range of cutting heights, all adjustable with a single lever
The folding handle makes it easy to get out and put away

Reasons to avoid:

No mulching option
Only available as a kit

This well-thought-through mower requires no assembly out of the box, so I was able to get mowing almost as soon as it arrived. It has a quick-release, telescopic handle, which offers a bespoke handle height and also makes it very easy to fold down and store.

Once folded, it can also be stood up vertically, so it took up even less space in my storage area. It offers a wide choice of cutting heights, 20-80mm, and the wider-than-average 42cm cutting width makes it ideal for mid-sized gardens. It runs on a 56V battery, which can mow 300 sq. metres on a single charge, and is compatible with other Ego Power+ tools. The battery level is also clearly visible whilst you mow.

There's a handy safety key that can be stored away from the mower to ensure only the user can operate it. It's easy to operate and handle, with easy speed control, a 55-litre grass bag, and even headlights. It comes with a five-year warranty. Kay Maguire

RRP: £619
Cutting width: 42cm
Weight: 24kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Run time/Mow area: 30 mins
Cutting height range: 25-80mm
Grass box: 55 litres

Buy the Ego LM1702E-SP from Just Lawnmowers (£559) and Mowers Online (£559)

Stihl RMA 448 RV rear roller cordless mower

Our best self-propelled cordless lawn mower for stripes

RRP: £829

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£759) and Lakeland Power Tools (£797.99)

Reasons to buy:

Energy-saving mode increases run time
Rear roller for stripes
Easy to switch to mulching
Low cutting height for a neat finish

Reasons to avoid:

Large, fiddly plastic grass box
No safety key

This distinctive mower is ready to use straight out of the box; only the grass box needs assembly, and this was pretty tricky. The unusual one-sided mono handle makes it easy to access the grass box, which makes a big difference when you are tackling a large lawn and emptying the clippings often.

The handle also adjusts in height very easily, and it can be folded flat over the mower, making it easier to store. When I folded the mower up, I was able to stand it vertically with its front wheels in the air, so it saved a lot of space – always a good feature.

It lacks a safety key but has other good features, including speed control and a mulching option that's as simple as a flick of a switch. It has a cutting width of 46cm and offers a wide range of five cutting heights, from 15-60mm, so you can get a neat, tight clip. This is particularly useful as this mower also has a rear roller to create beautiful stripes on the lawn.

It requires a 36V 5Ah battery, which gives you enough power to mow a lawn up to 340 sq. metres on a single charge, plus there's space for a spare battery, if you have one. It's also compatible with all Stihl AK cordless tools, saving you money if you invest in the future. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

RRP: £829
Cutting width: 46cm
Weight: 30kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Run time/Mow area: 340 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 15-60mm
Grass box: 52 litres

Buy the Stihl RMA 448 RV rear roller cordless mower from Just Lawnmowers

Best electric corded mowers

TOP-RATED: Webb Weer33 electric lawn mower

Our best budget electric mower for small gardens, under £100

RRP: £99.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£94.48), Robert Dyas (£99.99) and Tool Station (£94.48)

Reasons to buy:

Comfortable, light & easy to use
Five cutting heights & easy to adjust
Cuts efficiently & to the edge

Reasons to avoid:

Black cable hard to see

I was impressed by the superb design of this mower. It’s extremely easy to assemble and folds for storage with a comfortable foam handle that can be adjusted to various heights. There are five cutting heights to choose from, and a single lever enables easy adjustment. The grass collection bag has a generous capacity of 35 litres, and the full indicator lets you know when it needs emptying. The mower is relatively quiet, and it cut well, right up to the edges of my lawn. It’s also lightweight and comfortable to manoeuvre.

My only quibble is the black mower cable, which could be a brighter colour so it'd be easier to see. For just £99.99, this is a great value mower. Kay Maguire

RRP: £99.99
Cutting width: 33cm
Weight: 8.8kg
Noise: 89dB
Type: corded electric
Cable length: 10m
Cutting height range: 25-65mm
Grass box: 35 litres

Read the full Webb Weer 33 review

Buy the Webb Weer 33 from Amazon (£94.48), Robert Dyas (£99.99) and Tool Station (£94.48)

Mountfield Electress 38

Our best electric mower for large gardens

RRP: £159

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£159)

Reasons to buy:

Long cable
Good choice of cutting heights
Choice of handle heights
Wide cutting width

Reasons to avoid:

No cable safety clip

This sturdy electric mower felt really robust out in use on the lawn, and I liked its relatively wide cutting width of 38cm, which made for fewer passes up and down the lawn. I found it simple to put together, with three handle heights to suit different users, and it has a useful six heights of cut, from 25-75mm, which are easy to change with a single lever. It manoeuvred well around the lawn despite its weight, and was pleasingly simple to use, producing a neat cut. It comes with a large grass collection box of 40 litres too, so you're not constantly emptying clippings on the compost heap.

When you've finished mowing, it's easy to store, with a handle that folds flat over the body of the mower, so it takes up very little room, and a detachable cable that can be hung up or stored in a drawer. It has such a long 15m cable that I was able to pack my extension lead away completely. Only its black colour and lack of cable safety clip let it down. Kay Maguire

RRP: £159
Cutting width: 38cm
Weight: 11kg
Noise: 95dB
Type: corded electric
Cable length: 15m
Cutting height range: 25-75mm
Grass box: 40 litres

Buy the Mountfield Electress 38 from Amazon (£159)

Best hand-push mowers

TOP-RATED: Webb 30cm Autoset sidewheel

Our budget push mower

RRP: £89.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£88.99) and Robert Dyas (£89.99)

Reasons to buy:

Comfortable to push and hold
Cuts all grass smoothly and tightly
Front-loading grass bag catches clippings well
Quiet

Reasons to avoid:

Narrow cutting width

I found this simple hand push mower easy to put together and use, thanks to rubber grip handles, even when pushing over longer grass. It has six-cylinder blades with four cutting heights that are easy to change. The mower cuts from 40mm right down to 10mm, so it gave me a precise, neat clip, but it also cut longer grass well. It's quiet, copes with even bumpy ground easily, and the 17-litre front collector was the best at collecting clippings in our test. Kay Maguire

RRP: £89.99
Cutting width: 3ocm
Weight: 9.1kg
Type: push mower
Cutting height range: 10-40mm
Grass box: 17 litres

Buy Webb 30cm Autoset sidewheel push mower from Amazon (£88.99) and Robert Dyas (£89.99)

Gardena Comfort Hand Cylinder 400C

Our best push mower all round

RRP: £174.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£164.99) and Tooled Up (£140.99)

Reasons to buy:

Very easy height-of-cut adjuster
Large grass collector that catches clippings well
Feels sturdy and well designed
Cuts well

Reasons to avoid:

Heavy
The grass collector is sold separately

While there is more to assemble with the Gardena push mower, I found the instructions for putting it together clear to understand. The shaped handle was comfortable to use and folds down simply for easy storage. I was impressed with the four easy-to-adjust cutting heights displayed on a clearly visible scale. The grass collector has a 49-litre capacity but is sold separately. This mower is guaranteed for two years. Kay Maguire

Read the full Gardena push mower review

Buy the Gardena Comfort Hand Cylinder 400C from Amazon (£169.99) and Tooled Up (£140.99)

Best robotic mowers

TOP-RATED: Mammotion Luba Mini AWD 800

Our best robot mower for hills

RRP: £1,499 (now £999)

Our rating: 5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£999) and Mammotion (£999)

Reasons to buy:

Reliable and intelligent navigation
Robust build quality and six cutting blades
Powerful app with a huge range of features
Whisper-quiet at less than 60dB

Reasons to avoid:

Need to be smartphone-savvy to get the most out of the mower
Requires a GPS antenna with plenty of open sky
The tiny safety key is easy to lose

I'd say this mower is quite an astonishing achievement, blending rugged all-wheel drive capability with a powerful app and tons of useful features. Decked out in all white, it looks rather like an off-road F1 car. Setup is as easy as possible, with a detailed paper guide and app support. You just need to attach some components and plant the antennae in the ground. Impressively, it doesn’t need to be close to the charging base. The mower even keeps in touch via WiFi, Bluetooth, and 4G connectivity.

Set up and ease of use: Determining the lawn shapes involved driving the mower around with my phone like a remote-control car. You can demonstrate your no-go areas and channels between up to 20 lawns, and that’s about all you have to do. The Luba Mini AWD takes care of the rest. It can even use AI to map out your garden all on its own, but that takes longer.

Mower statistics: The Luba Mini AWD can tackle lawns up to 800 sq. metres and mow up to 250 sq. metres per charge. Plus, it does it in neat, straight lines and performs a thorough perimeter cut. It makes neat three-point turns at the end of a pass to protect the grass. Another feature, and one that seems to have been missed on other mowers, is “manual mowing mode”. When you’re within Bluetooth range, you can drive the mower with your phone to tackle any awkward tufts of grass or missed spots. You can change mowing heights on the go from 20-65mm. The mower also acts as a mobile security camera, with a live video feed, and if you're feeling playful, you can even draw pictures in the grass.

Top features: I think the best thing about this mower is that it can go just about anywhere. It has four powered wheels rather than the standard two that you get on most robot mowers, so it's a solid choice if you have an uneven garden. It can climb steep slopes of up to 38.6° and turn on its own axis thanks to clever front “omni” wheels. I was incredibly impressed by this mower's power and capability, as well as its ability to cut long grass when needed.

The only downside of a feature-rich mower like this is that you've got to be confident with the app to get the most out of it. If you want something that is “set and forget”, you might find the Luba Mini AWD challenging. It comes with a three-year warranty. Harry Duncton

RRP: £1,499 (now £999)
Type: robot mower
Guidance system: GPS & camera (plus AI mapping)
Lawn area up to: 800 sq. metres
Slopes up to: 38.6°
Cutting height range: 20-65mm

Buy the Luba Mini AWD from Amazon (£999) and Mammotion (£999)

Jump to our 3 top-rated cordless lawn mowers

Stihl iMOW 5

Our best robot mower with perimeter wire

RRP: £1,729

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: STIHL-approved dealers

Reasons to buy:

Easy to set up on the app
Wide range of cutting heights and cuts longer grass well
Quiet
Rain sensor, anti-stuck and 22° slope capacity
Long warranty

Reasons to avoid:

Need to be tech/app savvy
No mobile connectivity for the price
Installation kit sold separately

The iMow is the smallest in a new range of six robot mowers from Stihl that cover three sizes of larger garden. Together with the iMow 5, 6, and 7, there's also the iMow EVO range, which covers the same size lawns with the same features but also has mobile connectivity. When you purchase an iMow, you can choose to have it installed by a Stihl-approved dealer or install it yourself and purchase an additional installation kit.

Set up and ease of use: To cut down on waste, different-sized installation kits are available, and you can also buy bio pins, made from 100 per cent biodegradable material that gradually break down in the soil. Like many robot mowers, the iMow requires a boundary wire around the perimeter of the lawn and a guide wire through the middle of the lawn to help it find its way back to the docking station. The mower comes with a clear instruction booklet, plus I found helpful guides on the Stihl website, and laying the wires in our 1,250 sq. metre test garden took 3-4 hours. Once the wires are laid, I'd say it's easy to programme the mower via the My iMow app, as long as you’re comfortable with this kind of tech.

Mower statistics: Like many other robot mowers I've tested, the iMow has three free-swinging blades, and it cuts very well. The lawn was quite long before it was installed but with an impressively wide cutting height range of 20-60mm it didn’t struggle, and after a few days the whole lawn looked good with no tufts of uncut grass. Unlike the Husqvarna Automower, once you’ve laid the boundary wire, you can’t completely alter mowing zones. It cuts close to the edge, and if it comes across an obstacle, it gently bumps into it and then turns away.

Top features: The iMow also has a useful feature that helps it manoeuvre if it gets stuck, and it can cope with slopes of 22°. It also has an anti-theft alarm and a rain sensor feature, which you can adjust to interrupt or not start mowing if it’s raining. You can choose what degree of rain you want it to mow in, and when the sensor on the top of the mower dries, it automatically begins mowing. Not only that, it comes with a five-year warranty, and a host of accessories are available, including spare wire, pins and clips, and upgrade wheels for the EVO range to enable them to cut slopes of up to 31°. For the size of lawn it cuts, it's a reasonably priced mower that’s packed with excellent features and cuts very well. Harry Duncton

RRP: £1,729
Type: robot mower
Guidance system: boundary & guide wires
Lawn area up to: 500 sq. metres
Slopes up to: 22°/31°
Cutting height range: 20-60mm

Buy the Stihl iMOW 5 robot mower from STIHL-approved dealers

Segway Navimow i105E

Our best robot mower without perimeter wire

RRP: £749

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Mowers Online (£749)

Reasons to buy:

Almost silent when cutting
More than enough cable to position the GPS antenna
App offers live help and features
Cuts in straight lines, so fewer tufts are left behind

Reasons to avoid:

The default light settings are far too bright
Need to find a place for a large GPS antenna in your garden
Makes a lot of unnecessary beeping noises until you turn them off

The latest addition to Navimow’s fleet of robot lawn mowers has built on the success of the previous H series. It's pleasing that they’ve listened to criticism and tweaked this new mower to work better in the garden with easy setup and impressive features.

Top features: Not only is the GPS that helps guide it around the garden (the Exact Fusion Location System) the upgraded 2.0 version, but its camera technology can detect and avoid all sorts of obstacles in the garden. It’s a simple addition, but you now get 20m of antenna and power cable, which I found made placement of the GPS receiver so much simpler, and all without the need to buy extra wires. The app also helped me find the ideal place to position both the GPS antenna and the charging station in my garden. They’ve kept my favourite features too, like the brilliant app that lets you drive the mower around like a remote-control car to define the shape of your lawn.

You can watch the mower work in real time, and it lets you know immediately if there are any problems. The mower also checks the weather via the internet and adjusts the mowing program accordingly. The i105E model can happily cut moderate-sized gardens up to 500 sq. metres and, thanks to the large orange wheels with an aggressive tread pattern, it can cope with slopes up to 17°. I'd say the cut quality is just as good as the previous mower, but it now comes with a class-leading 20-60mm cut depth range. It still cuts the lawn in precise straight lines, which helps avoid untouched tufts of grass. Harry Duncton

RRP: £749
Type: robot mower
Guidance system: GPS & camera
Lawn area up to: 500 sq. metres
Slopes up to: 17°
Cutting height range: 20-60mm

Buy the Segway Navimow i105E from Mowers Online (£749)

Mower types explained

Struggling to work out what type of mower you need? Here's our guide to the four main types on offer.

Battery-powered cordless lawn mowers are the newest type and are the most lightweight and manoeuvrable. However, you need to remember to keep the battery charged, and although prices are coming down, they can be more expensive than corded mowers. Self-propelled models are ideal if you have a larger or sloping garden and want to remove the strain from mowing, while push-type cordless mowers are more lightweight, but will need you to do all the work in terms of moving it about. Check out our pick of the best cordless mowers
Corded electric mowers are generally in the mid-price range and are relatively light and quiet. You'll need a charging point and possibly an extension cord, and the electric cable can get in the way. Take a look at our pick of the best electric lawn mowers
Hand-push mowers are cheap and manually powered, so they're the most eco-friendly mowers you can buy. However, they can be hard work for the user, particularly if strength and mobility are an issue. Read our round-up of the best hand-push mowers
Robotic mowers automatically mow your lawn. Set to a regular mowing schedule, a robot mower constantly clips the lawn, saving you the job and keeping it neat and tidy. However, they are the most expensive type of mower on the market – even budget options will set you back about £500. Learn more with our tests of the best robotic mowers

Powerful petrol lawn mowers are also available, but they tend to be loud and heavy and are less environmentally friendly. They also need an annual maintenance check-up and a supply of petrol and oil.

Why you can trust BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviews

As trained gardeners and seasoned users of all sorts of garden tools, Kay Maguire, myself, and the rest of the team at BBC Gardeners' World Magazine have reviewed literally shedloads of lawn mowers over the years, using our trusted testing matrix to make sure we're giving balanced, fair judgements.

We give each mower an at-a-glance list of pros and cons for clarity, and a rating out of five. We also don't share product reviews with manufacturers or retailers before they're published, and we don't accept payment in exchange for positive reviews, either.

Oliver Parsons, gardenersworld.com

How we test the best lawn mowers

When we test lawn mowers, we follow the whole process from start to finish without any shortcuts. We unpack the mower from the box, put it together following the instructions (sometimes these are clear as mud, sometimes not!), and then get started, cutting grass over a wide area.

We mow over rough grass, smoother grass, slopes and bumps – whatever is in our way – just as you would with your own mower. And after that, we also take notes on how easy the mower is to fold down and put away, because if a mower is annoying in that regard, you'll always hate using it.

Then, we score each model against these four criteria, with equal marks attributed to each one:

Set-up and storage. We assess how easy the mower was to put together and fold up or store afterwards
Handling. We also judge the mower for how comfortable it is to use and how easy it is to control. Handle-height adjustment, cut-height adjustment, overall weight, noise levels and (with cordless models) run time on one charge all make a big difference here
Mowing. Also important, we look at the cutting width and the range of cutting heights that can be selected. The capacity of the grass box, AKA collection bag, also makes a big difference here, and can save you from making constant trips over to the compost heap. We also look out for neat extra features such as cutting to the edge, or mulching modes
Value for money. Tricky but super-important: how well does the mower weigh up when you balance the quality, features, warranty and overall package of benefits against the price? For example, the Worx WG779E was awarded Best Buy for the range of features it offered at its low price point

For more on our testing process across all the different gardening product categories, see How we review

Meet our testing panel

Oliver Parsons, Strategic Projects Editor
Oliver is a gardener and magazine journalist of 20 years’ experience. He trained as a professional horticulturalist at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Chelmsford and has also worked for Gardening Which?, as a freelance gardener and with the gardening team at Down House in Kent. He is now Strategic Projects Editor at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and GardenersWorld.com, heading up our reviews desk, Apple News output and weekly newsletter.

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

Harry Duncton, freelance powered tools tester
Harry has a wealth of experience, from being a language teacher to a tree surgeon, and has built this into a career writing about all things DIY and gardening. A passionate believer in self-reliance, his aim is to inspire others to give it a go themselves and not worry about making a few mistakes along the way. A regular contributor to popular DIY blogs and a recent addition to the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine team, he loves tracking down the best new tools and writing about them.

Sue Fisher, freelance garden writer
Sue’s extensive horticultural career spans over 40 years, starting with a decade in the garden centre and nursery industry before developing into an accomplished gardening writer, designer and speaker. Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com, and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening.

Emma Crawforth, Horticulture Editor
Emma holds the Kew Diploma in Horticulture and has been working in horticulture for 18 years, including roles in public gardens, a plant nursery supplying plants for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and a training college for young horticulturists. She looks after an ornamental, fruit and veg garden at home and regularly undertakes trips to see plants growing in their natural habitats. She is the author of the Kew Publications book, Things to Do with Plants.

This review was last updated in February 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

The best cordless lawn mowers in 2026 – as tested and rated by our reviews experts

Kay Maguire — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:53:09 GMT

Cordless mowers, once derided as weak, low-performance novelties, can do it all these days – some covering many hundreds of square metres in one charge, with plenty of power for when things get tough. Best of all, prices have really come within reach of the everyday gardener. Even my allotment association, once cynical about cordless mowers, has invested in two shiny models for hire… and the old petrol mowers have become the temperamental, tricky-to-start, high-maintenance poor relations. But picking the right cordless mower for you can be tricky. That's why my colleagues and I at gardenersworld.com have pulled together this big list of the models available to buy in 2026 that we think really deserve a good look. We've tested them all thoroughly, and in strict accordance with our renowned testing matrix against these four critical factors: set up and storage; handling; mowing; and value for money.

Interested in other types of mower? Don't worry, we've also done thorough reviews of the best lawn mowers in general, the best robotic lawn mowers, the best electric lawn mowers and the best push mowers. We've loved testing these mowers, and we really do want to help you make the right choice for your needs – so read on, and happy shopping. Oliver Parsons

Our best cordless mowers to buy at a glance

Our 3 top-rated cordless mowers

4.9 stars: Our best lightweight cordless mower – Husqvarna Aspire LC34 P4A £349
4.8 stars: Our best budget cordless mower for larger gardens – Webb Eco WEV20X2LM43B4X 40V cordless mower £279.99
4.8 stars: Our best self-propelled cordless mower under £500 – Worx Nitro WG749E 40V 46cm £449.99

Also recommended, under £500

4.5 stars: Our best budget cordless mower for small gardens – Greenworks GDG24LM33 £199.99

Also recommended, £500+

4.5 stars: Our best user-friendly self-propelled cordless mower – Ego LM1702E-SP 42cm self-propelled mower (kit) £619
4.5 stars: Our best self-propelled cordless mower for stripes – Stihl RMA 448 RV rear roller £829

Comparison table: best cordless mowers

Our expertise We reviewed the most popular cordless mowers on the market, putting them through their paces to bring you a list of the best. Each model has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to set up and storage; handling; mowing; and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on cordless mowers that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list.

Jump to best mowers:

Our 3 top-rated cordless lawn mowers
Also recommended, under £500
Also recommended, £500+

Jump to mower-buying advice:

What are the benefits of a cordless lawn mower?
How to choose the best cordless lawn mower
What can I expect to pay for a cordless mower?
How long will the batteries last?
Why you can trust Gardeners' World reviews
How we test cordless mowers
Meet our panel of testers

Our 3 top-rated cordless mowers

1: Husqvarna Aspire LC34-P4A

Our best lightweight cordless mower

RRP: £349

Our rating: 4.9

Available from: Husqvarna (£349)

Reasons to buy:

Quiet
Cuts long grass with ease
Battery level visible while mowing
Small and compact for easy storage

Reasons to avoid:

Only four cutting heights
95 minutes charge time

I also really liked being able to see the battery charge level while mowing, so I could gauge how much power there was left, and when the battery needed charging. Kay Maguire

Buy the Husqvarna Aspire LC34P4A from Husqvarna (£349)

2: Webb Eco WEV20X2LM43B4X 40V cordless mower

Our best budget cordless mower for large gardens

RRP: £279.99

Our rating: 4.8

Available from: Amazon (£297), Marshalls (£279.99) and Wickes (£280)

Reasons to buy:

Quiet, comfortable and smooth to handle
Long run time
Great for storage
Spare parts available

Reasons to avoid:

Battery level not visible when mowing
No safety plug

Buy the Webb Eco WEV20X2LM43B4X 40V cordless mower from Amazon (£297), Marshalls (£279.99) and Wickes (£280)

3: Worx Nitro WG749E 40V 46cm

Our best self-propelled cordless mower under £500

RRP: £449.99

Our rating: 4.8

Available from: Amazon and Donaghy Bros

Reasons to buy:

Battery power is visible when you mow
Cutting power adjusts to grass length

Reasons to avoid:

The collection bag is fiddly to assemble
Heavy

It offers seven cutting heights, 20-80mm, which are easy to adjust with a simple lever. It also has a cutting width of 46cm, making it ideal for medium-sized lawns.

Considering the wealth of features this mower offers, this is a great-value option. It also has a three-year warranty, plus two more years if registered. Kay Maguire

Buy the Worx Nitro WG749 from Amazon and Donaghy Bros

Also recommended, under £500

Greenworks GDG24LM33

Our best budget cordless mower for small gardens

RRP: £199.99 (with 2Ah battery)

Our rating: 4.5

Available from: Amazon (£106.23) and Tooled Up (£119.95)

Reasons to buy:

Easy to assemble and use
Comfortable padded handle
Choice of mulching or collecting clippings
Battery is interchangeable with Greenworks 24V family

Reasons to avoid:

Short handle for taller users
Struggles with longer grass

Buy the Greenworks-GDG24LM33 from Amazon (£106.23) and Tooled Up (£119.95)

Best Buy cordless lawn mowers tested before 2023, under £500

4.8/5 stars: Worx WG779E £199.99
4.8/5 stars: Yard Force LMG37A £259.99
4.5/5 stars: Einhell GE-CM 18/33 Li £206.95
4.5/5 stars: Gardena Handymower £237.80
4.5/5 stars: Husqvarna LC 247iX £499

Also recommended, £500+

Ego LM1702E-SP 42cm self-propelled mower (kit)

Our best user-friendly self-propelled cordless mower

RRP: £619

Our rating: 4.5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£559) and Mowers Online (£559)

Reasons to buy:

A big range of cutting heights, all adjustable with a single lever
The folding handle makes it easy to get out and put away

Reasons to avoid:

No mulching option
Only available as a kit

RRP: £619
Cutting width: 42cm
Weight: 24kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Run time/Mow area: 30 mins
Cutting height range: 25-80mm
Grass box: 55 litres

Buy the Ego LM1702E-SP from Just Lawnmowers (£559) and Mowers Online (£559)

Stihl RMA 448 RV rear roller cordless mower

Our best self-propelled cordless lawn mower for stripes

RRP: £829

Our rating: 4.5

Available from: Just Lawnmowers (£759) and Lakeland Power Tools (£797.99)

Reasons to buy:

Energy-saving mode increases run time
Rear roller for stripes
Easy to switch to mulching
Low cutting height for a neat finish

Reasons to avoid:

Large, fiddly plastic grass box
No safety key

RRP: £829
Cutting width: 46cm
Weight: 30kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Run time/Mow area: 340 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 15-60mm
Grass box: 52 litres

Buy the Stihl RMA 448 RV rear roller cordless mower from Just Lawnmowers

Best Buy cordless lawn mowers tested before 2023, £500+

4.8/5 stars: Ego LM1701E £529
4.5/5 stars: Makita DLM460PT2 £608.95
4.5/5 stars: Stihl RMA 248 £699

The best of the rest

Although some models didn't quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest.

Husqvarna LC 142iS self-propelled cordless lawn mower with battery and charger

RRP: £699

Our rating: 4.3

Available from: Husqvarna

Reasons to buy:

Compact and light to manoeuvre
Energy-saving mode increases run time
Compatible with the Husqvarna 36V system

Reasons to avoid:

No mulching plug included
No speed control
Smaller grass bag

This mower requires assembly on arrival, and I didn't find the instructions very clear. It's powered by a 36V Husqvarna system battery, which provides enough power to mow an area of 500 sq. metres. It has a 42cm cutting width and offers a range of seven heights of cut, from 25-75mm, which are simple to adjust.

Overall, I found this mower easy to use, and it felt smooth and efficient when cutting; however, I'd have liked a speed control option as it feels a little slow, particularly on slopes. It comes with a two-year warranty. Kay Maguire

RRP: £699
Cutting width: 42cm
Weight: 22.5kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Run time/Mow area: 100 mins
Cutting height range: 25-75mm
Grass box: 50 litres

Buy the Husqvarna LC 142iS from Husqvarna

Stiga Collector 48 S AE self-propelled cordless lawn mower kit

RRP: £445

Our rating: 4.3

Available from: Just Lawnmowers

Reasons to buy:

Anti-scalping feature
Long warranty

Reasons to avoid:

Long 220-minute charge time
No speed control
No mulching option

This mower was really simple to assemble, apart from the large 60-litre grass box, which needed a screwdriver and was fiddly. It has an impressively long-lasting steel deck, a cutting width of 46cm, and six cutting heights, from 22-65mm. It runs on a 48V battery, which is part of the Stiga ePower 48V System, and can cut 400 sq. metres in one charge.

Unfortunately, it takes a lengthy 220 minutes to charge. But I liked the fact that there's space on the mower for a spare battery if you have one, which is handy when you're stuck down the end of a long lawn with a flat battery in the main slot.

It has an anti-scalping feature to help prevent lawn damage, but no speed control, so I found it a little slow. It comes with a generous five-year warranty. Kay Maguire

RRP: £445
Cutting width: 46cm
Weight: 25kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Charge time: 220 mins
Run time/Mow area: 550 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 22-65mm
Grass box: 60 litres

Buy the Stiga Collector 48 S AE Kit from Just Lawnmowers

Greenworks 24V+24V 46cm SP self-propelled cordless lawn mower

RRP: £479.99

Our rating: 4

Available from: Amazon and On Buy

Reasons to buy:

Comfortable and quiet
Long run time
Good value for the features
Compatible with the Greenworks 24V battery system

Reasons to avoid:

Feels heavy, especially when changing the cutting height
Slow speed control
Fiddly to build and store

This mower took me a while to put together and is not as easy as some to store, as in order to fold the handle flat, you need to unscrew it almost completely. It also felt heavy and lacked a carry handle, making it difficult to get up steps or in and out of the shed.

It has a cutting width of 46cm and offers seven cutting heights, from 25-80mm, which are easy to change, and a 55-litre collection bag. There's also the option to mulch the clippings or choose side discharge, which I found useful.

It requires two Greenworks 24V system batteries, which give enough power to cover an area of 480 sq. metres. It has a speed control, and, although it's slow, it felt comfortable to handle and was quiet to use. It's definitely good value for the features, and comes with a three-year warranty. Kay Maguire

RRP: £479.99
Cutting width: 46cm
Weight: 27.5kg
Type: self-propelled cordless
Charge time: 53 mins
Run time/Mow area: 480 sq. metres
Cutting height range: 25-80mm
Grass box: 55 litres

Buy the Greenworks 24V+24V cordless lawn mower from Amazon and On Buy

Other best of the rest cordless lawn mowers, tested before 2025

4.3 stars: Mountfield Electress 30 Li Kit £179
4.3 stars: Cobra MX3440V £232.99
4.3 stars: Worx WG737E £259.99
4.3 stars: Greenworks 48V 36cm £299.99
4.3 stars: Kärcher LMO 18-36 Battery Set £299.99
4.3 stars: Honda IZY-ON 416XB £540

What are the benefits of a cordless lawn mower?

There are a variety of benefits to buying a cordless lawn mower in comparison to the more traditional petrol or electric models, including:

Easy to manoeuvre: Without a cord, these mowers are typically easy to move around the lawn and can get to parts of the garden a cord may not reach. Without an engine, they're lightweight, and there are a wide variety of models to choose from, so you can be particular about weight, handle size and ease of storage
Quiet: Powered by lithium-ion batteries, they're much quieter than petrol-engine mowers. It's worth noting that the bigger the mower, the more noise it will likely make, so if you're looking for a very quiet mower, keep this in mind
No emissions: Cordless mowers don't use petrol, so they don't emit emissions. Being battery-powered, cordless mowers are also better for the environment, as they use electricity rather than fuel
Minimal maintenance: Cordless mowers don't need the typical upkeep of petrol mowers. You don't need to refill cordless mowers or worry about engine problems. They are typically easier to start up as well, requiring just the push of a button

How to choose the best cordless lawn mower

Your budget and the size of your lawn will be pivotal in deciding which brand and model of cordless lawn mower best suits your needs. Think about the following points before you buy:

Where are you cutting? The type of lawn you’re cutting will dictate the mower features you’ll need. Push mowers require you to provide momentum, so manoeuvrability is key, particularly if your lawn slopes or you have play equipment, beds and trees to navigate. A mower that cuts to the edge gives a neat finish and saves time with the shears or trimmer later. For a sharp, neat look, opt for a low cut height, but if you lack time to mow regularly, a higher cut will tackle longer grass. A rear roller gives neat stripes, while a mulching plug lets you choose between collecting clippings or mulching them. It saves you from emptying the collection box, but mulching only works if the lawn is cut regularly
What’s the battery charge and run time? Lithium-ion batteries vary in size, from 18V to 40V and from 2Ah to 5Ah in our test, and this determines the cutting power and run time on a single charge. Match the run time to the size of your lawn. Most mowers have a recommended maximum lawn size or run time (although this depends on the conditions on the day), and, ideally, a fully charged battery will last long enough for you to finish the job. Some models use two batteries at the same time, so you can mow for longer, and most brands also sell batteries separately. Fast charge times allow you to get mowing again quicker
Is it easy to use? Most mowers should just need the handles attached and the grass box assembled, with fabric bags simpler to construct than plastic box-style collectors. Switching between cutting heights should be easy. Some mowers need to be turned over, and the entire axle moved, but a single lever that simply moves through the range is ideal
Is storage space limited? If you don’t have much room, check how far the handle folds down and how easily. Most can be partly unscrewed to fold over the body of the mower; others are designed to unclip and double fold completely flat or can be hung or stood up vertically. Fabric bags also collapse, while plastic grass boxes are tricky to take apart. If you need to lift the mower up steps into storage or onto a shelf, check its weight and whether there are carry handles to make this easier
What do you get for your money? The quality of materials often relates to the price. Budget models made from lightweight plastic, as opposed to higher-end machines with metal decks, are unlikely to last long. Brushless motors are powerful, efficient and longer lasting, and buying another mower later rather than one robust model now is bad for your wallet and the environment. Warranty length can vary – some brands require the mower to be registered to get the longest warranty period, and some differ between the mower, battery and charger

How long will the batteries last?

How long the battery lasts on a single charge depends on the model, the terrain and mowing conditions on the day and some mowers have an eco or power saving mode to help extend the battery life. A battery can take anywhere from 45 minutes to over two hours to charge, although lithium-ion batteries can be used when partly charged if you're in a rush. Always check the charge time, too, as these can also vary widely. Many brands have fast chargers, which are usually available separately but can cut the waiting time down considerably and are useful if you need to get back to the job quickly.

Lithium-ion batteries typically last between three and five years (or 500 charges) before they need replacing. Always check with the manufacturer if they will take back their batteries for recycling rather than putting them into landfill.

How does the weather affect your lawn’s growth rate?

Different weather conditions will speed, slow, or even stop grass growth, and therefore, how often you need to mow. Find out how it works here:

Hot, dry weather
During hot and dry spells, in which the daytime temperature is consistently at 25°C or above, grass growth tends to slow down significantly. The lack of moisture and high temperatures dry out the soil, making it difficult for grass to absorb the water it needs. Lawns may turn brown and become dormant, conserving energy until conditions improve. Don’t worry, though. The roots will still be perfectly healthy and will put on strong growth as soon as the rain comes back and temperatures decline. Mowing is required less often during these periods; you may find that this period of time extends to several weeks.

Warm, wet weather
When the weather is warm and wet, with daytime temperatures around 18 to 24°C, grass can grow very quickly. Warm temperatures combined with regular rainfall create ideal conditions for rapid growth. Lawns often need to be mown more frequently, sometimes as often as twice a week, to keep them looking neat and healthy. Don’t try to cut more off each time with infrequent mowing – this will stress the machine and your lawn, and lead to clumpier, patchier growth.

Dry, cold weather
In dry, cold conditions, with daytime temperatures lower than 8 °C, grass growth slows dramatically. Low temperatures put grass into a state of dormancy, and the lack of rain means the soil is often too dry to support new growth. Lawns will require little to no mowing during these periods.

Wet, cold weather
Wet, cold weather also slows grass growth. While the soil remains moist, low temperatures prevent the grass from actively growing. The ground may become waterlogged, making mowing difficult and risking damage to the lawn and your mower. If you do need to mow during a period such as this, wait until a dry afternoon when the grass is dry enough to be cut and collected without clogging up the mower.

Top tips for mowing your lawn

Mow when it’s dry. If you mow when the ground is sodden it can lead to compaction, the mower will smear and rut the soil and wet grass clippings will clump and smother your lawn
Remove any obstacles. Make sure furniture is moved off the lawn to make it easier to mow, and check for any items in the lawn that could damage the blades
Adjust the cutting height of your mower and aim to only reduce the lawn height one-third every time you mow
Start around the edge so you can clearly see how much lawn needs mowing. Then mow up and down in straight lines, overlapping slightly, to achieve a neat finish
Empty the clippings bag regularly so material doesn’t build up around the mower blades. You can compost them or deposit them in small piles around the garden, such as at the back of borders, to help earthworms. To compost your grass clippings, see our review of the best compost bins
For a neat finish, re-cut your lawn edges each spring with a half-moon tool and trim overhanging grass after mowing with edging shears. To keep edges looking neat, browse our pick of the best strimmers, garden shears, and lawn edging

If your lawn needs a bit more attention, our experts have tested a range of the best manual and powered aerators and scarifiers. And if you're thinking about somewhere to store your new mower, our comprehensive guide to choosing the best garden shed will be helpful.

Why you can trust Gardeners' World reviews

As trained gardeners and seasoned users of all sorts of garden tools, Kay Maguire, myself, and the rest of the team at BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviewed literally shedloads of lawn mowers over the years, using our trusted testing matrix to make sure we're giving balanced, fair judgements.

We test lawn mowers in varied, real-world conditions, cutting the sort of grass most of us actually have in our gardens. Because we're real-world gardeners with lots of experience, we know what to look out for and the sorts of things that will make all the difference once you're using a mower week in and week out. We don't share product reviews with manufacturers or retailers before they're published, and we don't accept payment in exchange for positive reviews, either.
Oliver Parsons, gardenersworld.com

How we test the best cordless lawn mowers

When we test cordless mowers, we follow the whole process from start to finish without any shortcuts. We unpack the mower from the box, put it together following the instructions (sometimes these are clear as mud, sometimes not!), and then get started, cutting grass over a wide area.

Then, we score each model against these four criteria, with equal marks attributed to each one:

Set-up and storage. We assess how easy the mower was to put together, fold up, or store afterwards. We also look at how long the battery takes to charge. This makes a big difference when you want to get the job done but realise the battery's flat from last time
Handling. We also judge the mower for how comfortable it is to use and how easy it is to control. Handle-height adjustment, cut-height adjustment, overall weight, noise levels and run time on one charge all make a big difference here
Mowing. Also important, we look at the cutting width and the range of cutting heights that can be selected. The capacity of the grass box, AKA collection bag, also makes a big difference here, and can save you from making constant trips over to the compost heap. We also look out for neat extra features such as cutting to the edge, or mulching modes
Value for money. Tricky but super-important: how well does the mower weigh up when you balance the quality, features, warranty and overall package of benefits against the price?

For more on our testing process across all the different gardening product categories, see How we review

Meet our testing panel

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners' World for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

This review was last updated in February 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

The best grass trimmers in 2026 - as tested by our experts

Kay Maguire — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 20:35:09 GMT

Grass trimmers are a great tool for tidying up straggly grass, as well as areas a lawn mower can’t reach, such as path and flowerbed edges, and around the base of trees. They can also help clear overgrowth if you’re starting a new garden, and trim vegetation on steep slopes.

Kate’s wildlife care

Our wildlife editor, Kate Bradbury, has some advice on using a grass trimmer responsibly. “Always check before you trim. Use a broom or rake to sweep the grass before you start, taking care to look out for small critters like frogs and slow worms, but also larger animals like hedgehogs. Hedgehogs frequently sleep in long grass during the day and can suffer terribly from trimmer injuries, so it pays to check before you trim.”

Grass trimmers - Buyer's Guide

The best grass trimmers to buy at a glance

Best lightweight grass trimmer: Stihl FSA 30 grass trimmer
Best budget grass trimmer: Powerbase 550W Electric Grass Trimmer, 30cm
Best grass trimmer for performance: Stiga GT 500e Cordless Grass Trimmer
Best grass trimmer for ease of use: Gtech Grass Trimmer GT50
Best grass trimmer for large areas: Husqvarna Aspire T28-P4A

Our expertise Getting the best grass trimmer means ensuring it has the right features, weight and price for you. We've tested a range of cordless and corded grass trimmers, putting them through their paces across arange of grass and terrains, to help you find the right one for your garden. Each grass trimmer has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to assembly and storage, handling, performance and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on grass trimmers that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list.

Jump to:

Best Buy grass trimmers
The best of the rest

What's a grass trimmer used for?
What are the different types of grass trimmer?
Can I use a grass trimmer to mow the lawn or trim hedges?
What are the key features to look out for?
How we tested grass trimmers

In every review, we award outstanding products our coveted Best Buy award. To see these and the others we recommend, browse our pick of the best grass trimmers below.

Best Buy grass trimmers

Stihl FSA 30 Grass Trimmer

RRP: £149 (incl. battery and charger)

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from Just Lawnmowers

Pros

Very light and easy to use
Adjustable shaft, handle and head
Battery level indicator
Spare blade storage
Interchangeable battery with AS system

Cons

Only 19-minute run time
Lacks a wheel for edge trimming

This little grass trimmer is powered by the tiny Stihl AS battery, which charges in 70 minutes and has a run time of 19 minutes. It’s very easy to set up and use – just the handle and spacer bar need screwing on, and it has an adjustable handle and a telescopic shaft, so it’s simple to ensure this trimmer is comfortable to use for all users. The head can also be adjusted to four different angles, plus it rotates 90 degrees for trimming edges, although unlike other trimmers, it doesn’t have a lever to enable this with ease. This is a blade trimmer, so it cuts with two plastic polycut blades that are easy to click into place, but you can also use a line cartridge or feed cut length of line into the trimmer if you wish instead. Six spare blades are included with the trimmer and are stored neatly on the trimmer for when you need them.

Thanks to the small battery, this trimmer is really light, and although it doesn’t have the power that bigger, more substantial grass trimmers do, it performs surprisingly well. We think it’s ideal for trimming around trees and boundaries, and along the edges of beds and borders in small gardens. Once you’re finished trimming, it has an eyelet in the handle for hanging the trimmer up for storage.
The battery is interchangeable with other Stihl AS tools, including a hedge trimmer, powered pruners and a mini chainsaw, and it comes with a two-year warranty. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best grass trimmer for those who lack strength.

Buy the Stihl FSA from Just Lawnmowers

Powerbase 550W Electric Grass Trimmer

RRP: £59

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Homebase

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Pros

Great cut
Both trimming and edging function
Wheels to help with edging
Comfortable, soft-grip handle
Spare spool and storage on the machine
30cm cutting width
Good value

Cons

The short 10m black power cable is hard to see in the grass
Heavy to use
Stiff to switch between trimming and edging modes

This corded trimmer won a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best budget grass trimmer. A double line trimmer, it gives a fantastic cut, and thanks to its generous 30cm cutting width, tackles the job quickly and efficiently. It’s particularly good when edging due to wheels that help take the strain, so you can achieve a precise cut. The soft-grip loop handles on its telescopic shaft are comfortable, and there’s a helpful loop for tucking the cable away when you’re moving around. It has an automatic feed, and we love that there’s a storage compartment on the shaft for the spare spool, so it’s close at hand when it needs replacing.

However, gardeners with limited mobility should note that this grass trimmer weighs 3.1kg, which is over a kilo more than the lightest machine on test, the Gtech GT50, and it doesn’t come with a strap to help take the weight. The black power cable is only 10m, so you’ll need an extension cord if you plan to trim further from a power source, and it’s tricky to see it in the grass. It also requires some heft to move between the trimming and edging modes as the mechanism is stiff. That said, it’s good value, gives a great cut, and comes with a generous three-year warranty.

Buy the Powerbase 550W Electric Grass Trimmer from Homebase, The Range and Wilko

Stiga GT 500e Cordless Grass Trimmer

RRP: £321 (incl. battery and charger)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Mower Magic

Best Buy for performance: Stiga GT 500e Battery Lawn TrimmerPros

Telescopic shaft, which separates in two for storage
Both trimming and edging function
Support wheels for vertical edge cut
50-minute fast charge
Battery level indicator lights
Powerful performance
Part of the Stiga ePower cordless range

Cons

Heavy to use
The guard is awkward to attach
The battery and charger must be bought separately
Comparatively expensive

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for performance, this trimmer has a generous 30cm cutting width, and the durable nylon double line automatic feed keeps working, so you don’t have to bump the line out. The head is easy to rotate for use as an edge trimmer, and the wheels help to support the weight of the body, ensuring it cuts at a consistent height. However, as it doesn’t come with a support strap, it’s eventually tiring to use. It’s powered by a large 2Ah 48V lithium-ion battery, which, along with the charger, is sold separately, making this significantly more expensive than other models in the test. That said, after a fast 50-minute charge, it runs for 20 minutes, cutting powerfully and efficiently. It copes well with large patches of long grass, as well as hard-to-reach areas, and cuts lawn edges cleanly. Light indicators on the battery let you know how much time you have left to finish the job, the telescopic shaft separates into two for easy storage, and it comes with a two-year warranty.

Buy the Stiga GT 500e Cordless Grass Trimmer from Mower Magic

Gtech Grass Trimmer GT50

RRP: £149.99 (incl. battery and charger)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Gtech

Pros

Lightweight
Both trimming and edging function
Adjustable loop handle
Ergonomic harness
Battery level indicator
Safety switch
Good value

Cons

Long four-hour charge
Battery only compatible with two other Gtech tools

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for ease of use, the Gtech grass trimmer GT50 is a well-designed tool. It includes a safety switch, an ergonomic harness, an adjustable loop handle, a swivel head to change from trimmer to edger, and easy-to-fit plastic blades. Weighing just 1.8kg, it’s the lightest in the group we tested, but has a relatively narrow 23cm cutting width, so it takes longer to cover ground than the Worx, with its generous 33cm head. On test it tackled long grass and thin woody weeds on uneven terrain, as well as leaving lawn edges looking neat.

However, you’ll need to plan ahead for trimming sessions as the 18V lithium-ion battery takes a lengthy four hours to charge to give 30 minutes of power, though there are helpful indicator lights on the battery to keep track of how much time you have left. As it includes a battery and charger, it’s comparatively cheaper than some other cordless trimmers, but the battery is only compatible with two other Gtech cordless tools, the HT50 hedge trimmer and SLM50 lawn mower , which doesn’t represent the best value for money. Other cordless systems have more battery-sharing tools available. It comes with a two-year warranty.

Buy the Gtech GT50 from Amazon, Gtech and Homebase

Husqvarna Aspire T28-P4A

RRP: £199.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Husqvarna

Pros

Incredibly lightweight and portable
Long run time
Low noise level at just 78dB
Power button and charge level indicator on the handle
Metal plant guard to protect delicate flowers and shrubs
Batteries are compatible across many cordless brands

Cons

No wheel attachment for easy edging
No adjustable cutting head
Smaller cut capacity of 28cm

This is a lightweight and powerful cordless grass trimmer with a telescopic shaft. Even with the large 4.0Ah battery installed, it weighs just 3kg, which earns it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for large areas. It comes in all cardboard packaging, and it’s easy to assemble too - a couple of screws attach the blade guard, and you’re ready to go. The battery charge time is a respectable 60 minutes and the run time a generous 50 minutes, which is almost the longest in our test. An auto-feed double line trimmer, it cuts beautifully through even thick grass, and with minimal vibration transmitted through to your hands. You can brace the end of the trimmer against your elbow on a rubberised section as well, which makes it particularly comfortable, even without a shoulder strap.

The loop handle is comfy enough to hold on to, but it’s a bit small, so you get less leverage for angled cutting. It comes with a handy storage hook that can be directly screwed into a shed wall or hung on the Husqvarna’s Storage Rail system, which is a great way to get it up off the floor and save some space. Both the battery and charger are compatible not only across the Husqvarna Aspire range but with the Power For All Alliance of cordless tools, which includes Flymo, Gardena and Bosch and will save you money if you invest in any of those tools in the future. It comes with a two-year warranty.

Buy the Husqvarna Aspire T28-P4A from Husqvarna

The best of the rest

Although some models didn't quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have great features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest on test.

Makita DUR181 18V String Trimmer

RRP: £161.99 (incl. battery and charger)

Our rating: 4.25 out of 5

Available from B&Q

Pros

Quietest on test at 88.5dB
Both trimming and edging function
Adjustable bump guard
Charges quickly
Includes a shoulder strap
Rotating head
Battery compatible with more than 100 other Makita tools

Cons

Loud charger, which can be annoying
No spare line included
No charge indicator on the battery

This single-line cordless model from Makita is easy to set up thanks to clear instructions. It has several adjustable features, so you can alter the length of the shaft from 115-133cm, change the angle of the trimmer head, and rotate this head to trim the edges of the lawn. Even the bump guard is adjustable with a screwdriver, so if you have a variety of obstacles to trim around you can get the distance exactly right. There’s a safety button, which must be pressed to turn it on, and at 88.5dB this was the quietest trimmer on test, compared to the Powerbase trimmer, which was the loudest at 95dB. It cuts quickly and efficiently despite a small cutting width of 26cm, and comes with a shoulder strap, so it feels light and manoeuvrable despite weighing nearly 3kg.

However, the charger for the 18V, 5.0Ah lithium-ion battery emits a high-pitched whine, which would be annoying if you have to charge it in the house, rather than in the garage or shed. It also doesn't come with any spare line, and unlike some of the other battery-powered grass trimmers, there is no indication of the battery level as you work. As with all Makita tools, it comes with a generous three-year warranty, and the battery is compatible with a wide range of other Makita garden and power tools.

Buy the Makita DUR181 from B&Q

Erbauer Brushless Cordless Grass Trimmer EGT18-Li - KIT

Price: £179.99

Our rating: 4/5

Available from Screwfix

Pros

Solid build quality
Large 5.0Ah battery lasts for ages
The battery features a charge level indicator
Powerful brushless motor
Weighs just over 3.5kg

Cons

No edging attachment included
You can’t adjust the length of the shaft
No support strap for longer use

Lightweight, capable, and built for big gardens, the Erbauer EGT18 is a useful piece of kit. It didn’t take long to get up and running, and there are just a few screws to attach the shaft and blade guard. Supplied with a big 5.0Ah battery and a wide cutting capacity of 30cm, this double string auto-feed trimmer is well-suited to large patches of grass or awkward garden areas. You can comfortably trim a garden on a single charge, and you can charge it back to full within an hour as well, which is very efficient. The large loop handle is comfortable and gives you extra leverage in tight corners, but it’s not designed for edging work. There’s a fair bit of vibration during use, and you’ll definitely need ear protection as it’s rather loud at 96dB. You can fold the shaft in half for storage, but you need to undo a bolt and not lose it in between jobs. It comes with a two-year warranty.

Buy the Erbauer Brushless Cordless Grass Trimmer EGT18-Li - KIT from Screwfix

Vonhaus F-Series Cordless Grass Trimmer

RRP: £34.99

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from B&Q

Pros

Cuts well and quickly
Great value
Blade storage

Cons

Uncomfortable handles
No edging function
Loudest machine on test
Battery is compatible with only three other tools

Despite its narrow 21cm cutting width, this grass trimmer gives a good cut. The plastic blades tackle grass and slightly woody material well, and the 30-minute run time is one of the longest in our test. We like the storage feature under the handle for the included spare plastic blades, which are bright pink and easy to spot if they snap off into the grass. However, while it's efficient, this machine is the loudest on the test at 98dB, and the handles are uncomfortable too. It also takes an hour and a half to charge, which, though less than the four hours of the Gtech model, is much longer than the 45 minutes of the Makita DUR181RT and Mac Allister 18V LI 18V 280mm.

The 12V, 2.0Ah F-Series lithium-ion battery is compatible with just three other Vonhaus tools - a hedge trimmer, garden saw, and handheld hedge and grass trimmer - which can save you money if you buy these in the future, but is limited compared to other cordless systems, such as the dozens of compatible tools in the Worx PowerShare cordless system. Crucially, this trimmer also has no edging function, so if you’re after neat lawn edge,s you should look elsewhere. Because it’s just 12V, the battery is less powerful than others on test, but if you need to tidy up a small garden on a budget, it will do the job well, and comes with a two-year warranty.

Buy the Vonhaus F-Series Grass Trimmer from B&Q, Robert Dyas and Tesco

What's a grass trimmer used for?

Trimmers cut the long grass and weeds that a mower can’t reach. They’re great for cutting in tricky places, such as around the base of a tree, the corner of a lawn, or on steep slopes. Depending on their power and their blade material, they can also tackle woodier growth like ivy, brambles, and stinging nettles. Many grass trimmers can also be used to tidy up along the edges of a lawn by adjusting the angle of the cutting head.

For more lawn tool reviews, check out our reviews of the best lawn mowers, particularly our tests of the best cordless lawn mowers. For more cutting, trimming, or pruning help, see our reviews of the best garden shears, the best hedge trimmers, the best secateurs and the best loppers.

What are the different types of grass trimmer?

Line (or string) trimmers. These trimmers cut by spinning a plastic or nylon cord at high speed. This cord wears down gradually over time, and is either replaced automatically (automatic feed) or has a button on the bottom of the trimmer you can bump on the ground to reel out more cord (bump feed). They are either single-line, using one line of cord, or double-line, which uses two lines of cord. Generally, the line is designed to wear down gradually rather than completely break, but if the cord catches a rock and snaps, just reel out more cord. However, these fragments of plastic aren’t good for the environment, and once you run out of cord, the spools can be fiddly to replace. Although powerful enough to cut long grass and weeds, line trimmers aren’t as strong as blade trimmers and are therefore less effective on tough, woody material
Blade trimmers. These trimmers cut using two blades, which on domestic models are usually plastic. This makes them more effective on woodier material than some line alternatives, but if they catch on a rock or tough bark, the blades can snap and get lost in the grass, which can damage the mower next time you cut the grass. Trimmers with metal blades avoid this problem, but they’re more expensive and not as widely available
Petrol trimmers. Powered by petro,l these typically have steer handles - explained in more detail below - and a curved, angled shaft. Because they use fuel, they’re often more powerful than corded and cordless trimmers, but petrol is polluting and messy to store and use. They’re also heavy, noisy and need regular servicing. Thanks to the rise of cordless batteries, they’re less common nowadays, particularly for home use
Electric corded trimmers. Corded trimmers use a power cable connected to mains electricity. Depending on the length of the cable, these trimmers are more suitable for smaller gardens, but you can expand their reach with an extension lead. They’re also more dangerous than cordless trimmers because you run the risk of accidentally cutting the cable
Electric cordless trimmers. Cordless trimmers are powered by lithium-ion batteries rather than mains electricity. Because of this, you can use them anywhere in the garden, but you’re restricted by run time and how long the battery takes to charge. They also tend to be less powerful and more expensive than corded trimmers, but they can be excellent value if their batteries are part of a cordless system and can be used in other power tools

Can I use a trimmer to mow the lawn or trim hedges?

Hypothetically, you could use a trimmer to cut a lawn, but it would take a long time. Trimmers are much less efficient at this task than lawn mowers, and it’s more difficult to get an even cut. Trimmers aren’t designed to trim hedges, as their woody growth is too thick to be cut with plastic blades or nylon cord, and it would be very dangerous. Instead, use a hedge trimmer, or for more precise work, shears, a pruning saw, or pair of secateurs.

What are the key features to look out for?

Before you buy, think about the following :

Cutting head. The cutting head is the most important feature on a trimmer. It should be adjustable, so you can change the angle of the cut to cope with inclines and fiddly jobs. In most models, the head turns 90°, so you can trim along the edges of paths and flowerbeds. In the very best models, the cutting head also has wheels to help guide along edges and support the weight of the trimmer
Adjustable shaft. The best trimmers have a telescopic shaft, so you can change the height to suit you. In some models, the shaft is angled rather than straight to help you manoeuvre into tricky spots. If space is an issue, it’s also helpful if you can break down the shaft and cutting head after use for storage
Line feed and blade replacements. It’s useful if a blade trimmer comes with spare blades, so you don’t run out if one breaks in the middle of a job. You should be able to get a new spool of line for a line trimmer or replace the whole head. With both types, it's helpful if the spare blades or line can be stored on the tool
Handle types. There are two types of trimmer handles. The most common is a round, circular handle on the shaft of the trimmer, called a loop handle. It makes the trimmer easy and comfortable to control, and on the best models, it can be slid up and down the shaft, so you can adjust it to your height. Alternatively, there are ‘steer’ handles - two handles rather than a loop. These offer more control and let you use a comfortable scything motion when you cut, but they take up room and can be a little more expensive. They’re also far more common on brush cutters and petrol trimmers than electric or cordless trimmers, so you might not find steer handles on many domestic models
Straps and safety harnesses. A shoulder strap or safety harness is an excellent bonus feature. It takes some of the weight of the tool, making it more comfortable to use, and also helps balance it, for better manoeuvrability and a more precise cut
Bump guard. Some trimmers have metal guards on the head, called bump guards, which prevent the trimmer from cutting beyond a certain point. This protects your garden, as it stops you from nicking a tree or garden furniture, but it also protects your trimmer line or blades by preventing them from catching on a fence or wall and breaking. The best bump guards can be adjusted, so you can control how closely you cut

How we tested grass trimmers

We tested a range of grass trimmers, putting them through their paces on lawn edges, sloped areas and big and small gardens. They were assessed according to the following criteria, with equal marks attributed to each:

Preparation. Assessed how easy the grass trimmers were to assemble, how long this took and if any extra tools were needed, and how easy the instructions are to use. We also looked at how easy and quick it was to charge the batteries and store the trimmers.
Handling. Looked at comfort, weight, balance and grip, including features like a safety button, the runtime, and noise
Performance. Focused on blade shape and material, cutting width and efficiency, and smoothness and precision of cut. We also assessed power and any extra functionality
Value for Money. Considered all of the above, plus any special features, RRP and warranty

For more information on our testing process, see How we review

Meet our testing panel

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine , responsible for all print output.

This review was last updated in January 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

The best hand push mowers in 2026, as tested by our reviews experts

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:45:53 GMT

If you're looking for a straightforward lawn trim, then a traditional hand push mower could be the garden tool for you. With no battery, fuel or electricity to worry about, manual lawn mowers are also a more environmentally-friendly option.

These pedestrian-powered machines are pushed along the lawn, and the cylinder blades rotate to trim the grass as you move. They do require a little more push power than automatic mowers, and walking briskly will give a better cut, so you’ll get a workout and burn calories each time you mow. So, although a push mower isn’t for every garden, they’re best for small to medium-sized (up to 250m²) lawns on flat ground with few bumps. The exercise will help keep you fit, and they're generally much more of a budget option compared to their high-tech counterparts. They’re also kind to your neighbours, as they’re much quieter than powered mowers.

Cylinder mowers generally give a smoother, sharper finish than rotary mowers, and their rear roller creates elegant stripes. Usually small, they’re easy to store and light enough to manoeuvre around the garden.

Best Buy hand push lawn mowers at a glance

Best budget hand push mower: Webb 30cm Autoset sidewheel
Best hand push mower all round: Gardena Comfort Hand Cylinder 400C
Best value hand push mower: Cobra HM381
Best hand push mower for performance: Webb WEH18

Jump to:

Best Buy hand push mowers
The best of the rest
How to choose a push mower
How we tested push mowers

Our expertise

To help you find the right hand push mower, we tested a range of these traditional machines. Everymower has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to setting up and storage, ease of handling, performance and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on push lawn mowers that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list.

In every review, we award outstanding products our coveted Best Buy award. To see these and the others we recommend, browse our pick of the best cordless lawn mowers, below.

Best Buy hand push lawn mowers

Webb 30cm Autoset sidewheel

RRP: £99.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros

Comfortable to push and hold
Cuts all grass smoothly and tightly
Front-loading grass bag catches clippings well
Quiet

Cons

Narrow cutting width

Easy to put together and use, this simple hand push mower is comfortable, thanks to rubber grip handles, even when pushing over longer grass. It has six cylinder blades offering four cutting heights that are easy to change. The mower cuts from 40mm right down to 10mm, so it gives a precise, neat clip but also cuts longer grass well. It's quiet, copes with even bumpy ground easily, and the 17-litre front collector was the best at collecting clippings in our test. We gave it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best budget push mower in 2023.

Buy Webb 30cm Autoset sidewheel push mower from Amazon, B&Q and Robert Dyas

Gardena Comfort Hand Cylinder 400C

RRP: £174.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros

Very easy height-of-cut adjuster
Large grass collector that catches clippings well
Feels sturdy and well designed
Cuts well

Cons

Heavy
Grass collector is sold separately

While there is more to assemble with the Gardena push mower, our tests found the instructions for putting it together clear to understand. The shaped handle was comfortable to use and folds down simply for easy storage. Our experts were impressed with the four easy-to-adjust cutting heights displayed on a clearly visible scale. The grass collector has a 49-litre capacity but is sold separately. This mower is guaranteed for two years, and we gave this a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best push mower all round in 2022.

Read the full Gardena push mower review

Buy the Gardena Comfort Hand Cylinder 400C from Amazon and Tooled Up

Cobra HM381

RRP: £65.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros

Compact and light
Quiet
Comfortable
Easy to adjust the height of the cut
Good value

Cons

Some parts feel flimsy

We awarded this a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best value push mower in 2022, and found it easy to put together with clear instructions. It's compact and lightweight, making it easy to push and operate, and the handle is padded for extra comfort. There are four cutting heights ranging from 13-38mm, which can be simply adjusted, and a 26-litre grass collector is included. It comes with a two-year warranty.

Read the full Cobra HM381 push mower review

Buy Cobra HM381 from Amazon and Ebay

Webb WEH18

RRP: £159.99

Our rating: 4.5 out 5

Available from B&Q

Pros

Quiet
Nine heights of cut
Wide cut
Very simple height-of-cut adjustment
Tackles long grass
Effective front grass collector

Cons

Heavy and not so easy to manoeuvre
Doesn’t cut grass short (minimum 25mm)

Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy as the best for performance, this traditional cylinder mower design has a solid, heavy rear roller and a 22-litre collection box. The instructions for assembling it are clear, and it's light, easy to manoeuvre and quiet to use. There’s a generous choice of nine cutting heights, which are easily adjusted and range from 25-76mm, which is the highest in our test and ensures it handles long grass well. The front-loading grass collector on this model collects clippings well, and it comes with a warranty of two years.

Read the full Webb push mower review

Buy Webb WEH18 push mower from Amazon, B&Q and Robert Dyas

The best of the rest

Although some models didn't quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest on test.

Bosch AHM 38 G

RRP: £74.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Argos

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Pros

Easy to carry and store
Cuts all grass well
Wide cutting width

Cons

Assembly a little tricky
Collection box spills

This push mower cuts very well, but is a little fiddly to put together. With five cylinder blades, a choice of three cutting heights across a broad range of 15-50mm, and a cutting width of 38cm, it tackled all the grass in our test, even cutting longer grass to a neat, clipped finish. The upturned handle design is comfortable and easy to push, although we would prefer a padded grip to ease the stress of pushing. It folds in half, or you can hang it up for storage. It’s also easy to change the height of cut, with a simple blade adjustment. Like most of the others in our test, the grass collector spilt clippings, but if you cut often enough, you could leave these on the lawn to break down as a mulch. It comes with a two-year warranty, three if registered.

Buy Bosch AHM 38G from Amazon, Argos and Currys

Flymo H400

RRP: £134.99 (without grass bag)

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros

Wide cutting width
Comfortable to push and hold
Cuts all grass smoothly

Cons

Awkward to carry
Additional grass bag lets it down

Easy to put together with just the handle needing attaching, this push mower is comfortable to push and hold, with rubber grip, bike-style handles, and large wheels to help it manoeuvre around the lawn. However, it’s awkward to lift up steps and into the shed if you need to, and is best hung up out of the way in storage as the handle won’t fold down. It has a wide 40cm cutting width, five cylinder blades and a choice of four easy-to-change cutting heights from 12-38mm, and it cut all the grass in our test smoothly and well. Our main criticism with this mower is the grass bag, which isn't included like all the other mowers in our test. Also, despite the grass bag having a large collection capacity of 45 litres, it is hard to assemble and then fails to work, collecting hardly any clippings. The mower comes with a two-year warranty.

Buy Flymo H400 from Amazon, Ebay and OnBuy

Husqvarna HiCut 64

RRP: £139.99

Our rating: 4.25 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros

Comfortable handle and adjustable heights
Light and easy to manoeuvre
Good, efficient cut, and tackles longer grass

Cons

Height of cut adjustment is difficult
Roller doesn’t touch the ground
Grass collector sold separately

This Husqvarna hand mower requires more assembly than most, and tools are required. In addition, our testers found that the instructions could have been clearer. However, the mower is comfortable to use with a handy, flexible handle height, and it's a quick and efficient mower. Testers weren’t keen on the height-of-cut adjuster. The grass collector has a large capacity of 45 litres, but it's sold separately and doesn’t collect all the clippings, especially when it's windy. It comes with a one-year warranty, but if you register, this is extended to two years.

Buy Husqvarna HiCut 64 push from Amazon and Ebay

Einhell GE-HM 38 S-F

RRP: £79.95

Our rating: 4.25 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros

Lightweight
Quiet
Simple to change the height of cut
Adjustable handle height

Cons

Grass collector doesn’t catch all the clippings, and they fall out when emptying
Not as smooth a mow as some

Our expert testers liked that the handle on this manual lawn mower had a choice of two heights and that it was padded for extra comfort while in use. Clear instructions are included, and assembling the model is relatively simple. There are four cutting heights to choose from, which can be easily swapped using a lever. The grass collector is included and has a 26-litre capacity. It's guaranteed for two years.

Buy Einhell GE-HM 38 S-F from Amazon and B&Q

If you're not sure which type of lawn mower is best for you, take a look at our reviews of the best electric lawn mowers and the best cordless lawn mowers.

How to choose a push mower

Before you choose a push mower, think about the following:

Have you got the right lawn?
Cylinder mowers need an even surface for the scissor action of the blades to work well, so your lawn must be fairly bump-free and 250m² or below. Simpler shapes are easier, unless you opt for a compact model with a smaller cutting width that can be manoeuvred more easily around trees, island beds and under shrubs.

Do you like mowing the lawn?
Hand push mowers take more effort than powered mowers, but they are easier to push if the grass isn’t too long. Cylinder mowers work best on fairly short grass and will struggle or not cut long grass at all. So you need to cut regularly or choose a mower with a high height of cut to let you catch up if you miss a mow now and then.

Can you look after your mower?
Cylinder blades need regular checking and adjusting to ensure a precise cut and prevent the mower chewing the grass rather than cutting it. Adjustment isn’t difficult, but it’s worth bearing in mind if you’re not mechanically minded.

Do you need a grass collector?
Most mowers come with one, but some are sold separately, and nearly all the grass collectors in our test failed to catch clippings well, particularly when windy. Although front collectors work best, they block your view. If you’re happy to mow regularly (twice a week in the growing season), you may not need one at all and can simply let the short clippings fall down onto the grass and act as a mulch.

Do you have storage?
These mowers must be kept indoors to prevent the blades from rusting, so if storage space is tight, choose a model that's light enough to hang up or has folding handles.

Tips on using a push mower

Cut in long straight lines, walking briskly – the faster you walk, the better the mower will cut
To create stripes, mow around the edge of the lawn first, then start in one corner, mowing up and down. When you finish a stripe, turn and line up the mower with the completed stripe, as a guide for the next one
When adjusting or cleaning the mower, stand it on a flat surface with a block in front of the wheels to prevent ir rolling forwards

How we tested push mowers

All the mowers in our test are cylinder-type, with blades and a rear roller. Each mower was unpacked, assembled and tested on a flat, circular lawn and on a sloping, less even, shaped lawn to see how well they performed. They were assessed according to the following criteria, with equal marks attributed to each:

Setup and Storage. Assessed the ease of assembly and clarity of instructions, and how easy the mower is to store
Handling. Focused on comfort and ease of use, handle height adjustment and how to change the height of cut, its weight, the effort needed and manoeuvrability
Cutting performance. Looked at cutting width, the range of cutting heights, collection capacity and the quality of cut
Value for Money. Considered all the above, as well as quality and design, warranty and price

For more information on our testing process, see How We review

Push mowers explained

Handle Ideally adjustable to suit your height. Padding makes it more comfortable when pushing the mower.

Cutting width The greater the cutting width, the more grass it will cut in one go. But wider mowers can also be heavy.

Grass collector A mesh bag or solid plastic container, attached to either the front or rear. A higher capacity means fewer trips to the compost heap.

Cutting bar Works together with the cylinder blades to trap and slice the grass. Can be adjusted to ensure an even cut.

Cylinder blades Usually five sharp carbon steel blades that pass across the cutting bar to slice through the grass with a precise scissor action.

Rear roller Flattens the grass as you mow to give a professional, striped finish to the lawn.

Height-of-cut adjuster Determines the grass cutting height, usually according to set heights on a defined scale or infinitely by eye.

Adjusting the blades

The gap, or clearance, between the blades and the cutting bar must be right – too wide and the cut will be rough and uneven, too narrow and it will be noisy and hard to push the mower. To check, turn the mower over, insert a strip of paper between the bar and blades and slowly turn the cylinder wheel. Check both sides and if the paper hasn’t cut evenly, adjust the clearance bolts with a spanner or Allen key.

Meet our testing panel

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine , responsible for all print output.

This review was last updated in January 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

The best lawn aerators in 2026, as tested by our expert team

Kay Maguire — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:12:06 GMT

A lush, green lawn is a source of pride and joy for many gardeners, but as the focal point for gatherings with friends and family, it can suffer from overuse and too much wear and tear. Terrific turf needs a good lawn care regime to achieve it, and while regular mowing and watering will take you so far, there are a couple of additional tasks for you to do on your to-do list, which will help keep your lawn in tip-top condition.

Regardless of how often you cut your lawn, over time the soil underneath the turf becomes compacted, while above ground a thick, impenetrable layer of thatch and organic debris develops around the roots. This undesirable combination prevents air, water, and nutrients from reaching the root system, ultimately weakening its growth and leaving the plant susceptible to pests and diseases.

Scarifying your lawn will help remove thatch and debris, but if you need to relieve compacted soil underneath the turf, it's best to aerate it. Aeration is the process of making air holes in the lawn to create ventilation. In small lawns, a simple garden fork can be used to push holes into the ground, but you can also buy manual aerators, either solid or hollow-tined, which require the same effort as a fork. However, if you have a lot of lawn and not much time, other types of aerators are probably the best option. Whether you’re pushing a roller covered in spikes or using a powered machine, these aerators are a labour-saving version of the trusty garden fork, mechanically making a series of holes in the lawn.

The best lawn aerators to buy at a glance

Best aerator for manual hollow-tined aerating: Kent & Stowe 4 Prong Lawn Aerator
Best aerator for manual aerating: Greenkey Lawn Aerator
Best combination aerator for safety: Stihl RLA 240 Cordless Lawn Scarifier

Our expertise We reviewed the most popular aerators on the market, putting them through their paces to bring you a list of the best aerators, both manual and powered. Each model has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to ease of use, handling, performance, and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on lawn aerators that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list.

Jump to:

Best Buy lawn aerators in 2026
The best of the rest
What is a lawn aerator, and what does it do?
Types of lawn aerator
How to choose the best lawn aerator

In every review, we award the outstanding products our coveted Best Buy award. To see these and the others we recommend, browse our pick of the best hedge trimmers below:

Best lawn aerators

Kent & Stowe stainless steel 4 prong lawn aerator

RRP: £39.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: Marshalls Garden

Pros

Lightweight
Comfortable
Removes good whole soil plugs

Cons

Needs strong treading to work

Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for manual hollow tined aerating, this simple aerator from Kent & Stowe works well. The smooth, FSC-grade ash handle is comfortable, lightweight and doesn’t rub, even after using it for a while. The handle runs into a single-riveted steel socket above wide steel treads, and these treads are great for striking and pushing into soil. However, the 9cm stainless steel tines don't go in smoothly every time, despite being pointed. Its best feature is that it produces good, solid plugs of soil that are great for breaking down and reusing as topsoil.

Buy Kent & Stowe Lawn Aerator 4 Prong from Marshalls Garden, Amazon and ManoMano

Read the full Greenkey Rolling Lawn Aerator review

Greenkey Rolling lawn aerator

RRP: £49.99

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Amazon

Pros

Adjustable height
Easy to use
Lightweight
Good for storage
Plastic caps to cover the spikes when not in use

Cons

Needs assembling – though it’s straightforward
Hard work, so best suited to small gardens

Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for manual aerating, the Greenkey Rolling lawn aerator is basic but does the job well. Lightweight with sturdy spikes, it’s just the tool if your small lawn needs aeration. Made from aluminium and plastic, it’s lightweight but feels substantial and features a T-bar grip as well as an adjustable shaft to suit different height users. The drum is 30cm wide, which covers a lawn quickly and easily, and there are 30 x 4.5cm spikes to ensure deep, even aeration. It comes with a two-year warranty.

Buy Greenkey Manual Lawn Aerator from Amazon, B&Q and Crocus

Stihl RLA 240 cordless lawn scarifier

RRP: £224 (without battery and charger)

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from Just Lawnmowers

Pros

Excellent safety features
Easy to use
Comfortable

Cons

Struggles with inclines

Awarded a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for safety, this combination machine is powered by a 36V, 4.8Ah battery. It takes 205 minutes to charge, but is easy to plug in and has a helpful charge indicator, although this is faint in daylight. The battery also has great safety features – it won’t work without a safety key, and there’s a lock on the powerbar for an effective dead-man switch. It lasts long enough to cover a 250m2 lawn, about the size of a tennis court. Thanks to smooth, high-quality wheels, it feels lightweight and easy to manoeuvre, which is surprising given that it weighs 15kg.

Powerful aerating blades cut through the top layer of soil well, to help improve lawn health, rather than relieve compacted soil or open the structure of heavy clay and, in doing so, also tackle most of the thatch and moss in the lawn. The scarifying drum attachment was effective on moss, too, though not as efficiently with thatch. Although this machine struggles with inclines, catching on the surface and shutting itself off if your lawn isn't level, this isn’t too much of a problem, because you can easily adjust the heights from +7.5mm to -9.5mm to avoid this problem. The automatic shutdown is also a great safety feature.

Buy Stihl RLA 240 Cordless Lawn Scarifier and Aerator from Just Lawnmowers

Best of the rest

Although this model didn’t quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, it still had features that made it worth recommending.

Cobra S3840V Cordless Scarifier

RRP: £360.99

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from Just Lawnmowers

Pros

Comfortable to use
Very effective
Quick to charge

Cons

Scalps the lawn
Very poor instructions

The Cobra S3840V Cordless Scarifier handles well. It’s big, and the wheels are prone to being a little stiff, but it’s lightweight and has a soft-grip handle, which makes it comfortable to use. At 92dB, it’s relatively quiet, too. The 40V 5Ah battery charges quickly in just 90 minutes and lasts for 40 minutes. The machine itself is easy to use, and we loved being able to see the charge indicator through the transparent window. The aeration blades and spring tine scarifying drum can be set at five heights, which range from -10mm to +5mm. Unfortunately, the instructions are poor, so it takes a while to get this machine up and running. On the plus side, at 38cm wide, it covers a large area of lawn, reducing how long you spend on the job, but its size makes this combination machine very bulky and difficult to store.

Buy the Cobra S3840V Cordless Scarifier from Just Lawnmowers

Time to show your lawn some TLC? Check out our round-up of the best lawn scarifiers and expert tips on how to improve your lawn in 12 weeks. You can also keep edges looking neat with our pick of the best lawn edging.

In addition to aerators and scarifiers, we've tested a range of lawn mowers, including the best cordless lawn mowers, the best robotic lawn mowers and the best electric lawn mowers and the best grass trimmers. For those with small lawns, our guide to the best hand push mowers will be helpful.

What is a lawn aerator, and what does it do?

Aerating your lawn is part of a spring and autumn lawn care regime, and there are two different methods of aerating your lawn:

Spiking – this involves using solid spikes to create holes in the lawn, which are a couple of millimetres in width and several centimetres deep, to help relieve compacted soil
Hollow tining – as it sounds, hollow tines are pushed into the ground to remove cylindrical plugs of turf, around a centimetre wide and a few centimetres deep. Depending on the soil type, you may wish to fill these holes with a sandy mix or leave them to let the soil expand and close the holes, which helps with waterlogged clay soil

Types of lawn aerators: the different ways to aerate your lawn

There are four types of aerators, each with their own pros and cons:

Spike shoes - these are cheap and easy to use and most effective on soft – but not soggy - ground in small gardens
Manual aerators - although these are useful tools, which can do specific jobs (see above), using them requires a lot of effort, as it gets tiring, even on a small lawn. But they’re cheap, and a great idea if you’re after a workout
Manual Rolling Drum Aerators – these are time and labour saving, as you simply walk across the lawn pushing the roller
Powered Aerators – the obvious advantage of using these is that they’re labour-saving. They're also almost always available as part of a 2-in-1 combination machine that scarifies as well, so you get two jobs done for the price of one. However, it’s important to note these mechanical aerators don’t aerate in the same way that a manual aerator does - they use metal blades rather than spikes or tines. These blades create shallow slits rather than deep holes, and although they will help maintain a healthy lawn by allowing air and water to move through this top layer of soil, they won’t improve your lawn if it’s compacted or you have heavy clay. Mechanical aerators are quite an investment too, as you’re using them twice a year at the most – even if they’re a 2-in-1 combination of aerator and scarifier – and they require more space to store than the other alternatives

Which type of powered machine is best? When it comes to choosing whether you go for an electric, cordless or petrol aerator, consider the pros and cons that are associated with each type:

Electric corded aerators: Lightweight, quiet and often at the budget-end, these are best suited to small and medium-sized gardens with a power supply. Most come with a collection box, which is a useful, time-saving feature, but the cord length can be restrictive as well as potentially hazardous
Cordless aerators: Lightweight, quiet and an environmentally-friendly alternative to petrol types, the downside to buying cordless tools is that they can cost more, and the batteries and chargers are sometimes an additional cost. While they don’t have a restrictive cable and are therefore ideal for accessing all areas of the garden, it’s important to be aware of their charge and run times, as this could limit their effectiveness if you have a larger garden
Petrol aerators: Often the most powerful models, this comes with the inconvenience of using messy, expensive petrol. Like cordless, they do mean you’re free to roam wherever needed, but they’re noisier than the battery-powered alternative, not as good for the environment and will need more in the way of general maintenance, with regular servicing to keep them in tip-top working order

How to choose the best lawn aerator

Depending on the type of aerator you’re going to choose, there are several key features to look for:

Manual hollow tine – look out for strong, solid tines that will cope with compacted turf, a decent tread to prevent your foot from slipping, and a soft-grip handle for comfort
Manual rolling drum – ideally, you want a good number of metal spikes on the drum to create plenty of holes – as a guide, 27 spikes will give you about 180 spikes per square metre. The spikes should also be at least 5cm long to ensure they penetrate the ground deeply
Mechanical aerator – go for strong, good-sized blades and a collection box. If storage space is an issue, look for handles that fold down and a collapsible collection box rather than a solid one

How to get the perfect lawn

It’s not just aerating that will improve the quality of your lawn; look at our other tips below:

Always rake up clippings when mowing at the start of the year, so they don’t smother younger, emerging shoots
Neaten edges with a lawn edger
Dig up small weeds like plantain and dandelions with a hand trowel
Use a spring-tined lawn rake to rake out dead grass and moss in areas where there is poor growth
Once the lawn is established, and later in the year, leave the clippings in place to act as a nutrient-rich mulch that will feed the grass
If you notice bare patches, break up the soil, scatter grass seeds then sprinkle with potting compost. Cover newly sown seeded areas with netting
When mowing on hot, dry days, raise the mower’s cutting height and make sure newly sown areas are watered

How we tested lawn aerators

To see how well lawn aerators perform, the GW reviews team tested a range of models across a range of garden situations – creating holes and slits in different turf and ground conditions. Before we started, we checked for any wildlife in the grass and organic debris on the lawn surface. The lawn aerators were compared, and the following criteria used to calculate the scores, with equal weight given to each:

Set-up & storage: We looked at the assembly needed, ease and clarity of instructions, any storage features and, where relevant, the cable length
Handling: We assessed ease of use, weight, noise levels, comfort and safety features
Performance: Considered the strength of the tines or blades, as well as how well they created holes and slits in the lawn. For the 2-in-1 machines, we also evaluated how well the spring tines removed moss and thatch in the scarifying mode
Value for money: We reviewed all of the above, plus quality and design, the RRP and the length of warranty

For more information on our testing process, see How we review

Meet our testing panel

Oliver Parsons, Strategic Projects Editor
Oliver is a gardener and magazine journalist of 20 years’ experience. He trained as a professional horticulturalist at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Chelmsford and has also worked for Gardening Which?, as a freelance gardener and with the gardening team at Down House in Kent. He is now Strategic Projects Editor at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and GardenersWorld.com, heading up our reviews desk, Apple News output and weekly newsletter.

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

This review was last updated in January 2026.

The best lawn scarifiers to buy in 2026, as tested by our reviews experts

Kay Maguire — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 21:17:30 GMT

A soft, springy lawn might seem ideal when it comes to lounging around on hot, summer days or walking barefoot in the cool morning dew, but it’s also a sign that your lawn needs a bit of attention. A build-up of moss and lawn thatch in the grass is often the cause of this spongy feeling, which not only makes turf look patchy, but prevents water, nutrients and air from reaching the grass's root system. The result can be an unhealthy lawn, which has lost its vigour and struggles to withstand year-round wear and tear. However, all is not lost as the problem is easily tackled by a process called scarification, which means getting rid of the unwanted moss and thatch. This job is carried out in spring or autumn, and can be done manually with a rake or mechanically with a powered machine.

Best lawn scarifiers to buy at a glance

Best for manual performance: Darlac DP888 lawn scarifier
Wolf Garten Multi-Change Roller Moss Removal Rake
Vonhaus 1800W 2-in-1 Aerator and Scarifier
Cobra S3840V Cordless Lawn Scarifier and Aerator

Read the full Darlac DP888 Scarifier review

Jump to:

Best buy lawn scarifiers
Best of the rest
What is a lawn scarifier, and what does it do?
Types of lawn scarifiers
How to choose the best lawn scarifier
How we tested lawn scarifiers
Lawn care tips

Our expertise We reviewed a range of both manual and powered scarifiers, putting them through their paces to bring you a list of the best. Each review has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to ease of use, handling, performance, and value for money. Each scarifier has scored a minimum of 3.5 out of 5 stars, so you can buy with confidence. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on scarifiers that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list.

In every review, we award outstanding products our coveted Best Buy award. To see these, and the others we recommend, browse our pick of the best lawn scarifiers, below.

Best lawn scarifiers in 2026

Darlac DP888 Lawn Scarifier

RRP: £44.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from Crocus

Pros

Adjustable handle
Smooth pulling action
Easy to control how deep or shallow the blades cut into the turf
Lightweight
Good for storage

Cons

Hard work and tiring – not suitable for larger gardens
No safety cover for blade tips
Less suitable for large gardens

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for manual performance, the Darlac DP888 Scarifier is an excellent choice if you’re up for scarifying your lawn by hand. Its adjustable handle is a great feature, extending from 97cm to 1.5m, and made from high-quality steel treated with anti-corrosion protection, so it’s lightweight but durable, and feels sturdy to use. The head is 32cm wide and features 11 sharp blades, which you can push into the turf at varying depths by raising or lowering the angle of the handle. It also has two wheels to help it move smoothly along the lawn. It comes with a 35-year guarantee.

Buy the Darlac DP888 Scarifier from Amazon, Crocus and Mr Fothergills

Read the full Wolf Garten Multi-Change Roller Moss Removal Rake review

Wolf Garten Multi-Change Roller Moss Removal Rake

RRP: £74.99

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from B&Q

Pros

Super easy to attach hthe andle
Smooth pulling action
Easy to use
Lightweight
Good for storage

Cons

Hard work and tiring
No safety cover for blade tips
Not ideal for large gardens

Part of the Wolf Garten Multi-Change tool system, this manual scarifier is made from high-quality plastic and rust-proof aluminium, so it’s lightweight and easy to use. The blades are made from hardened steel, so they’ll stay sharp over their lifetime, and the head is 30cm wide. It’s a really effective tool with a smooth action, but it's best suited to small gardens because it doesn’t have a soft-grip handle, which can make it uncomfortable to use after a while, especially given that it's hard work to remove moss and thatch in this way. It comes with a 35-year warranty.

Buy the Wolf Garten Multi-Change Roller Moss Removal Rake from B&Q and Amazon

Review the full Vonhaus 2-in-1 Electric Scarifier review

Vonhaus 1800W 2 in 1 scarifier

RRP: £169.99

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from Vonhaus

Pros

Easy to manoeuvre
Lightweight
Folding handles and a removable collection box for storage
Interchangeable drums are easy to remove and install
Dual start system for safety
Five depth settings

Cons

The collection box doesn’t pick up all the debris
Noisy - 104dB

The Vonhaus 2-in-1 scarifier is a sturdy machine with a robust but lightweight plastic body, and it weighs 16.1kg. Powered with a 1800W motor, it’s a little noisy at 104dB, but it removes moss, thatch and other organic lawn debris very efficiently. It has two interchangeable drums to switch between aerating and scarifying modes and has a working width of 38cm. It has folding handles for easy storage, a dual start system for safety, and a built-in thermal cutout if it overheats. There are five depth settings, ranging from -12mm, -9mm, -3mm and +6mm, although we found the lowest setting made the lawn look quite ravaged. At 60cm wide, it's one of the largest machines we tested, but it's still easy to manoeuvre and comes with a 10m cable. The generously-sized 55L collection bag is moderately efficient, but misses some debris as there is a gap between the box and the blades. It has a two-year warranty.

Buy the Vonhaus 2-in-1 scarifier from Amazon, B&Q and Vonhaus

Cobra S3840V Cordless Lawn Scarifier

RRP: £360.99

Our score: 4 out of 5

Available from Just Lawnmowers

Pros

Comfortable to use
Very effective
Quick to charge

Cons

Scalps the lawn
Very poor instructions

The Cobra S3840V Cordless Lawn Scarifier is big, and the wheels are a little stiff, but it handles well and, at 92dB, it’s relatively quiet too. The 40V 5Ah battery charges quickly in just 90 minutes and offers 40 minutes of use. It's easy to use, with a comfortable, soft handle, and we love being able to see the charge indicator through the transparent window. The aerating blades slit well, neatly cutting through the soil and getting most moss and thatch. However, the spring tine scarifying drum lifts moss and thatch, but catches a lot of living grass, no matter which of the five heights from -10mm to +5mm you choose. The instructions are also poor, so it took a while to get this tool working. At 38cm wide, it covers a large area, but its size makes this scarifier very bulky and difficult to store.

Buy the Cobra S3840V Cordless Lawn Scarifier from Just Lawnmowers

Jump to our 4 top-rated corded electric lawn mowers

Need to show your lawn some TLC? Take a look at our round-up of the best lawn aerators and expert tips on how to improve your lawn in 12 weeks. Looking for the best lawn mowers? Read our guides to the best cordless lawn mowers, the best robotic lawn mowers and the best electric lawn mowers. If you have a small lawn, our round-up of the best hand push mowers may prove helpful, and why not keep edges looking neat with our pick of the best lawn edging.

What is a lawn scarifier, and what does it do?

A scarifier is essentially a comb for your lawn – strong tines, on either a manual spring-tine rake or a rotating drum, pull through the grass, removing moss and organic debris, also known as lawn thatch. Scarifying is worth doing at least once a year – twice if you’re having to deal with a lot of moss, and the best scarifiers have different settings so you can adjust their height to avoid tearing up your lawn. However, depending on the extent of the moss invasion and debris, you may have to put up with seeing a bit of soil where larger clumps have been removed. If this is the case, simply sow some lawn seed in any areas of the lawn you’re concerned about.

Types of lawn scarifiers: ways to scarify your lawn

There are four types of scarifiers, including manual and powered versions, and each has its own pros and cons. Some brands refer to their powered range as lawn rakers, which simply means a powered lawn rake with a plastic cylinder, lined with metal tines. 2-in-1 powered scarifiers, on the other hand, feature two interchangeable drums: one with scarifying tines to rake through the grass and remove thatch as well as organic debris, while the other has metal blades, which cut into the turf, creating shallow slits to aerate the soil surface. This helps air and water to move through this top layer of the soil and is also helpful if you’re feeding or sowing seed into your lawn.

However, if your lawn is struggling due to compaction or you have heavy clay soil, your lawn will benefit from deeper aeration, which is the process of opening up the soil by spiking it with long metal tines.

Manual scarifiers. Best for small lawns, or if you just have a few patches of moss to tackle, they’re also handy if you don’t have lots of storage space. A spring-tine rake is one option, as the sharp, hard tines will pull away moss and thatch, but it’s hard work and tiring, even on a small lawn. A manual lawn scarifier is the other alternative, which is similar to a rake, but has stronger blades, rather than tines, and often features wheels, which help to drag it over the lawn. Neither of these options come with a collection box, so once you’ve finished raking the lawn, you’ll have to collect the moss and thatch using a mower with a collection box, or scoop it up by hand and put it on the compost heap or in your green waste bin. Although these scarifiers are very hands-on, they’re a quieter alternative to mechanical machines, will keep you fit and are better for the environment too
Powered lawn rakers. These are ideal if you have a small or medium-sized garden. Choose from corded, if you have a nearby power supply, or cordless. They feature a cylinder lined with sprung metal tines that’s capable of combing through the lawn and pulling out moss, thatch, and horizontal grass stalks. They also come with a collection box, so there’s no need to get out the mower or rake to gather up the cuttings
Powered scarifiers. Available as either corded, where you’ll need a power supply, or cordless, these have knife blades attached to their cylinders rather than tines, making them effective at removing moss and thatch. Used on the lowest setting, they create slits in the turf, which helps aerate it
Powered 2-in-1 aerators and scarifiers. Either corded, where you’ll need a power supply, or cordless, these save buying both types of machine, which is great in terms of money and storage, and feature interchangeable drums with spring tines for scarification and blades for aeration

Which type of powered machine is best?

When it comes to choosing whether you go for an electric, cordless or petrol scarifier, consider the pros and cons associated with each type:

Electric corded scarifiers: Lightweight, quiet and often at the budget-end, this type of scarifier is best suited to small and medium-sized gardens with a power supply. Most models come with a collection box, which is a useful, time-saving feature, but the cord length can be restrictive as well as potentially hazardous
Petrol scarifiers: Often the most powerful models, this comes with the inconvenience of using messy, expensive petrol, which, as we have seen in recent times, can be in short supply. Like cordless, they do mean you’re free to roam wherever needed, but they’re noisier than the battery-powered alternative, not as good for the environment and will need more in the way of general maintenance, with regular servicing to keep them in tip top working order
Cordless scarifiers: Lightweight, quiet and an environmentally-friendly alternative to electric and petrol types, the downside to buying cordless tools is that they can cost more, and the batteries and chargers are sometimes an additional cost. While they don’t have a restrictive cable and are therefore ideal for accessing all areas of the garden, it’s important to be aware of their charge and run times, as this could limit their effectiveness if you have a larger garden

How to choose the best lawn scarifier

Once you’ve worked out which type of lawn scarifier will suit your needs, there are several key features to look out for:

Manual scarifiers – in addition to strong, good-sized blades, a telescopic handle is a useful feature to make it as comfortable as possible to use – a soft-grip is also a bonus. Some types are designed so you can adjust how deeply the blades rake through the grass and thatch, which is extremely useful
Powered lawn rakers and mechanical scarifiers – strong, good-sized blades and a collection box are worth looking for. If storage is an issue, check whether the handles collapse down so it takes up less space
2 in 1 combination aerator and scarifiers – check that it’s easy to remove and install each drum

How we tested lawn scarifiers

To see how well lawn scarifiers perform, the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Reviews team tested a range of models across a range of garden situations – removing moss, lawn thatch and other organic debris. Before we started, we checked for any wildlife in the grass and organic debris on the lawn surface. The lawn scarifiers were compared, and the following criteria used to calculate the scores, with equal weight given to each:

Set-up & storage: We looked at the assembly needed, ease and clarity of instructions, any storage features and, where relevant, the cable length
Handling: We assessed ease of use, weight, noise levels, comfort and safety features
Performance: This considered the strength of the blades, as well as how well the spring tines removed moss and thatch in the scarifying mode. For the 2-in-1 machines, we also evaluated how well the blades created slits in the lawn to aerate it
Value for money: We reviewed all of the above, plus quality and design, the RRP and the length of warranty

For more information on our testing process, see How we Review

Lawn care tips

Scarifying your lawn is one of many jobs you can do to keep your lawn looking at its best. But what else can you do to keep your lawn in tip-top condition?

Keep your lawn clear of fallen leaves, either shred them with a mower and compost, rake them up and make leaf mould, or leave them in a pile for wildlife. Leaves left on a lawn can trap a layer of moisture and risk fungal diseases developing
If you have holes in your lawn, sow new seeds to fill gaps. If doing so in the summer, the seeds will germinate quickly. Protect the seed from birds with netting, and water well
If your lawn is newly sown, wait a year before carrying out vigorous raking and aerating tasks
Use an aerator or garden fork to make holes to relieve compaction and get air to the roots of the grass. This is particularly important on areas that are frequently walked across
Clip the grass along border edges, and life out any grass that has started growing in the border itself. Use a half-moon tool to reshape the edge

Meet our testing panel

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners' World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

Harry Duncton, freelance powered tools tester
Harry has a wealth of experience, from being a language teacher to a tree surgeon, and has built this into a career writing about all things DIY and gardening. A passionate believer in self-reliance, his aim is to inspire others to give it a go themselves and not worry about making a few mistakes along the way. A regular contributor to popular DIY blogs and a recent addition to the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine team, he loves tracking down the best new tools and writing about them.

Sue Fisher, freelance garden writer
Sue’s extensive horticultural career spans over 40 years, starting with a decade in the garden centre and nursery industry before developing into an accomplished gardening writer, designer and speaker. Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening.

This review was last updated in January 2026. We apologise if any information has changed since then.

Best electric lawn mowers in 2026, as tested by our expert team

Kay Maguire — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 19:22:10 GMT

Lawn mowers – if you've got a garden, chances are you need one, even if you don't really like gardening at all. So it's a big market, with a lot of different products in different categories available, from basic hand-push mowers all the way up to modern cordless lawn mowers and robotic lawn mowers.

Despite all this, bang in the middle of the market still lies the classic lawn mower type that perhaps most sheds still house an example of – the corded electric lawn mower. And no wonder – corded mowers are cheap, lightweight and easy to use, so they're absolutely perfect if you want to stay within budget and keep things simple.

But even though this category is not as big as it used to be, there's still a ton of choice, and ample opportunity to get this purchase wrong. So that's why we have created this rundown of the best corded electric lawn mowers available to buy today.

From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on corded electric lawn mowers that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list. Oliver Parsons

Jump to:

Best electric mowers
Best of the rest
How to choose an electric mower
How we tested electric mowers

Our best electric mowers to buy at a glance

4.8/5 stars: Our best budget electric mower for small gardens, under £100 – Webb WEER33 £99.99
4.5/5 stars: Our best electric mower for large gardens – Mountfield Electress 38 £159
4.5/5 stars: Our best electric mower for a stripy lawn – Cobra GTRM34 £122.99
4.5/5 stars: Our best electric mower for small gardens, £100+ – Ryobi RLM13E 33S £119.95

Comparison table: best electric lawn mowers

In every review, we award outstanding products our coveted Best Buy award. To see these and the others we recommend, browse our pick of the best corded electric lawn mowers, below:

Our 4 best corded electric lawn mowers

TOP RATED: Webb Weer33 electric lawn mower

Our best budget electric mower for small gardens, under £100

RRP: £99.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon (£94.48), Robert Dyas (£99.99) and Tool Station (£94.48)

Reasons to buy:

Comfortable, light & easy to use
Five cutting heights & easy to adjust
Cuts efficiently & to the edge

Reasons to avoid:

Black cable hard to see

My only quibble is the black mower cable, which could be a brighter colour so it'd be easier to see. For just £99.99, this is a great value mower. Kay Maguire

RRP: £99.99
Cutting width: 33cm
Weight: 8.8kg
Noise: 89dB
Type: corded electric
Cable length: 10m
Cutting height range: 25-65mm
Grass box: 35 litres

Read the full Webb Weer 33 review

Buy the Webb Weer 33 from Amazon (£94.48), Robert Dyas (£99.99) and Tool Station (£94.48)

Mountfield Electress 38

Our best electric mower for large gardens

RRP: £159

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£159)

Reasons to buy:

Long cable
Good choice of cutting heights
Choice of handle heights
Wide cutting width

Reasons to avoid:

No cable safety clip

RRP: £159
Cutting width: 38cm
Weight: 11kg
Noise: 95dB
Type: corded electric
Cable length: 15m
Cutting height range: 25-75mm
Grass box: 40 litres

Buy the Mountfield Electress 38 from Amazon (£159)

Cobra GTRM34 electric mower with rear roller

Our best electric mower for a stripy lawn

RRP: £122.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon (£114.99) and Just Lawnmowers (£106.99)

Reasons to buy:

Simple to assemble
Comfortable & easy to use
Cuts efficiently
Cable relief clip for safety
Rear roller
Folds for easy storage

Reasons to avoid:

Doesn't cut to the edge
Heavier than some

It's always a good start when a mower is as easy to put together as this one. It's got a 34cm cutting width and a rear roller if you're on the lookout for those ever-desirable stripes. Although it's reasonably heavy and may be harder to lift and carry than some of the mowers in our test, I found it well-balanced, and it cuts and collects long grass very well. There's a choice of seven cutting heights, and it's easy to change them with a single lever on the deck.

The fabric grass bag has a capacity of 35 litres, which folds flat for easy storage. The mower itself also took up little storage space in the shed, double-folding down nicely, thanks to the two sets of easy-clip levers on the handle. Kay Maguire

RRP: £122.99
Cutting width: 34cm
Weight: 13kg
Noise: 96dB
Type: corded electric
Cable length: 10m
Cutting height range: 20-75mm
Grass box: 35 litres

Read the full Cobra GTRM34 electric corded mower review

Buy the Cobra GTRM34 electric corded mower from Amazon (£114.99) and Just Lawnmowers (£106.99)

Ryobi RLM13E 33S

Our best electric mower for small gardens, £100+

RRP: £119.95

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: OnBuy (£119.95) and B&Q (£119.95)

Reasons to buy:

Comfortable foam handle
Light & easy to move
Cuts to the edge
Best cable relief clip
Orange cable is easy to see

Reasons to avoid:

Noise high-pitched

I found this mower simple to assemble and simple to use. Its handle folds for storage, the blade can be adjusted to a choice of heights, and, best of all, it was light and comfortable to use. There are five cutting heights to choose from, ranging from 20-60mm, and these are easy to change with a simple lever. But I was most impressed by the convenient, effective cable relief clip, which keeps the cable tucked out of the way while you mow. Kay Maguire

RRP: £119.95
Cutting width: 33cm
Weight: 9.9kg
Noise: 89dB
Type: corded electric
Cable length: 8m
Cutting height range: 20-60mm
Grass box: 35 litres

Read the full Ryobi RLM13E 33S review

Buy the Ryobi RLM13E 33S from OnBuy (£119.95) and B&Q (£119.95)

The best of the rest

Although this model didn't quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, it still has features that make it worth recommending.

Stihl RME 235 electric lawn mower

RRP: £179

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon (£196) and Just Lawnmowers (£159)

Reasons to buy:

Sturdy & robust
Quick-empty grass box
Long warranty

Reasons to avoid:

Long assembly time
Drive lever is very stiff
The black cable is hard to see

If you're after a solid, no-frills mower, this Stihl electric lawn mower does the basics very well. I found its design well thought-out with an adjustable, folding handle for storage and a handy cable relief clip. It has five cutting heights from 25-65mm, which are simple to change with a single lever. The grass box opens right up for easy emptying, and there's an indicator that lets you know when it's full. It felt sturdy and moved smoothly across my grass, but I found the drive lever a bit uncomfortable and stiff. It also took me the longest to assemble out of all the mowers I tested. Kay Maguire

RRP: £179
Cutting width: 33cm
Weight: 13kg
Noise: 93dB
Type: corded electric
Cable length: 17m
Cutting height range: 25-65mm
Grass box: 30 litres

Buy the Stihl RME235 from Amazon (£196) and Just Lawnmowers (£159)

View Green Video on the source website

How to choose an electric lawn mower

Not all budget electric mowers are basic machines. Consider the following points to help you choose the right electric mower for you:

Where are you mowing? A convenient power socket is essential for an electric mower, but you may need an extension lead too. Check that the cable is long enough to reach all parts of your lawn. If your lawn runs right up to walls, fences, or raised beds, look for a model that cuts to the edge, or you’ll need to invest in a grass trimmer to neaten them up afterwards. Mowers typically offer between three and seven different cutting heights to choose from, depending on where you're mowing and the time of year. Changing height should be easy, preferably with a simple lever
What size mower do you need? The wider the cutting width, the quicker the mower will cut your lawn. However, there is a trade-off. Mowers with a wider width have a bigger deck and are heavier and less easy to manoeuvre around trees or furniture. A wider cutting width is therefore best for large expanses of grass, while smaller models are ideal for nipping up and down little lawns and negotiating beds and borders. Bigger mowers typically have larger grass collectors, which will save you time going back and forth to the compost to empty the clippings. Either plastic or fabric, many have a window or indicator that lets you know when they’re full. Plastic boxes can be tricky to assemble, and even less easy to dismantle; fabric collection bags take up less room in storage
Is it safe? Electric mowers have a two-stage start for safety – pressing a push button and grasping the drive lever, but the electric cable is an obvious safety hazard. If you’re concerned about tripping over the cable or cutting it accidentally when you’re mowing, look for a model with a brightly coloured lead that’s easy to spot. A cable relief clip will help to keep it tucked out of the way of the blade and will also prevent it from being snagged and ripped out. For safety, always use an RCD (Residual Current Device) plugged into the electric socket before plugging in your mower
Where will you store it? No matter the model, these are fairly bulky machines. However, the handles of most mowers can be partly unscrewed to fold over the body of the mower; others are designed to unclip and double fold completely flat. If you need to lift the mower up steps into storage or onto a shelf, make a note of its weight and whether there are carry handles to make this easier
What do you get for your money? The quality of materials is often relative to the price. Lightweight plastic is unlikely to last as long as a metal deck, and brushless motors are more powerful, efficient, and longer-lasting. Warranty length also varies, with some brands offering a longer warranty if the mower is registered

Budget Mowers Buyer's Guide - video

Follow our tips on choosing a budget mower to find the right one for your garden.

How we test the best lawn mowers

Then, we score each model against these four criteria, with equal marks attributed to each one:

Set-up and storage. We assess how easy the mower was to put together and fold up, or store afterwards
Handling. We also judge the mower for how comfortable it is to use and how easy it is to control. Handle-height adjustment, cut-height adjustment, overall weight and noise levels all make a big difference here
Mowing. Also important, we look at the cutting width and the range of cutting heights that can be selected. The capacity of the grass box, AKA collection bag, also makes a big difference here, and can save you from making constant trips over to the compost heap. We also look out for neat extra features such as cutting to the edge, or mulching modes
Value for money. Tricky but super-important: how well does the mower weigh up when you balance the quality, features, warranty and overall package of benefits against the price?

For more on our testing process across all the different gardening product categories, see How we review

Why you can trust BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviews

As trained gardeners and seasoned users of all sorts of garden tools, Kay Maguire, I, and the rest of the team at BBC Gardeners' World Magazine have reviewed shedloads of lawn mowers literally over the years, using our trusted testing matrix to make sure we're giving balanced, fair judgments.

Meet our testing panel

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

Sue Fisher, freelance garden writer
Sue’s extensive horticultural career spans over 40 years, starting with a decade in the garden centre and nursery industry before developing into an accomplished gardening writer, designer and speaker. Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com, and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening.

This review was last updated in February 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

The best robot lawn mowers for 2026, as tested and reviewed by our experts

Harry Duncton — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 17:27:15 GMT

Jump to our 3 top-rated robot lawn mowers

Increasingly popular with UK gardeners, robot lawn mowers are a welcome, hands-free alternative to traditional petrol and electric lawn mowers. Because a robot lawn mower is fully automatic, it can be a brilliant option for gardeners with mobility concerns, those away from home a lot, or those who simply find mowing a chore. Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries, most mowers are guided by a boundary cable laid around the edge of the lawn, which helps the robotic lawn mower identify where to mow and to avoid flower beds, trees and other obstacles.

While we tested models from several different brands, note that all of them offer mowers of varying sizes, capabilities and features.

Our best robot mowers to buy at a glance

Our 3 top-rated robot mowers

5/5 stars: Our best robot mower for hills – Mammotion Luba Mini AWD £999
4.8/5 stars: Our best robot mower without perimeter wire – Segway Navimow i105E £749
4.8/5 stars: Our best robot mower with perimeter wire – Stihl iMOW 5 £1,729

Also recommended

4.3/5 stars: Our best budget robot mower for small gardens – Flymo EasiLife Go 500 £689

Comparison table: best robot mowers

Our expertise

To help you find a robot lawn mower suitable for your garden, we tested a range of mowers for different size gardens, including gardens with slopes and a complex shape. Each mower is in use for weeks at a time to allow us to assess its battery capacity and cutting proficiency as well as ease of use. Each mower in our review has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to set up and ease of use, cutting performance, extra features and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on robotic mowers that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ lists.

Jump to robot mower advice:

How does a robot lawn mower work?
What are the benefits of a robot lawn mower?
How to choose the best robot lawn mower
How to clean a robot lawn mower
How we tested robot lawn mowers
Top tips for lawn care

Our 3 top-rated robot mowers

TOP-RATED: Mammotion Luba Mini AWD 800

Our best robot mower for hills

RRP: £1,499 (now £999)

Our rating: 5 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£999) and Mammotion (£999)

Reasons to buy:

Reliable and intelligent navigation
Robust build quality and six cutting blades
Powerful app with a huge range of features
Whisper-quiet at less than 60dB

Reasons to avoid:

Need to be smartphone-savvy to get the most out of the mower
Requires a GPS antenna with plenty of open sky
The tiny safety key is easy to lose

RRP: £1,499 (now £999)
Type: robot mower
Guidance system: GPS & camera (plus AI mapping)
Lawn area up to: 800 sq. metres
Slopes up to: 38.6°
Cutting height range: 20-65mm

Buy the Luba Mini AWD from Amazon (£999) and Mammotion (£999)

Segway Navimow i105E

Our best robot mower without perimeter wire

RRP: £749

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: Mowers Online (£749)

Reasons to buy:

Almost silent when cutting
More than enough cable to position the GPS antenna
App offers live help and features
Cuts in straight lines, so fewer tufts are left behind

Reasons to avoid:

The default light settings are far too bright
Need to find a place for a large GPS antenna in your garden
Makes a lot of unnecessary beeping noises until you turn them off

RRP: £749
Type: robot mower
Guidance system: GPS & camera
Lawn area up to: 500 sq. metres
Slopes up to: 17°
Cutting height range: 20-60mm

Buy the Segway Navimow i105E from Mowers Online (£749)

Stihl iMOW 5

Our best robot mower with perimeter wire

RRP: £1,729

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

Available from: STIHL-approved dealers

Reasons to buy:

Easy to set up on the app
Wide range of cutting heights and cuts longer grass well
Quiet
Rain sensor, anti-stuck and 22° slope capacity
Long warranty

Reasons to avoid:

Need to be tech/app savvy
No mobile connectivity for the price
Installation kit sold separately

RRP: £1,729
Type: robot mower
Guidance system: boundary & guide wires
Lawn area up to: 500 sq. metres
Slopes up to: 22°/31°
Cutting height range: 20-60mm

Buy the Stihl iMOW 5 robot mower from STIHL-approved dealers

Also recommended

Flymo EasiLife Go 500

Our best budget robot mower for small gardens

RRP: £689

Our rating: 4.3 out of 5

Available from: Amazon (£784.99), AO (£477) and Currys (£649)

Reasons to buy:

Incredibly quiet
Small and easy to move around
Plenty of boundary cable and spare connectors
Spot mowing function for problem areas
Affordable robot mower for smaller gardens

Reasons to avoid:

Installing the guide wire correctly can be tricky
Lacks screen
Changing mowing height isn’t quick
Setting multiple mowing zones takes a while

Set up and ease of use: In my opinion, this compact yet capable little robot lawnmower is an ideal choice for small to medium-sized gardens. With more than half a century of experience in the garden, Flymo know a thing or two about mowing, and their EasiLife Go 500 is marvellously small and lightweight. It uses three pivoting blades for an even cut, and there's an online video to help with installation. You should watch it before you start, as the mower needs both a boundary wire and a guide wire pegged down. I found this a bit tricky, but it's easier if you plan ahead.

Mower statistics: The cutting height ranges from 20-50mm, and the wheels can cope with slopes up to 14° and a slightly bumpy terrain, but I found it much happier on flat lawns. Due to the small cutting width of just 16cm, it’s only really suitable for small gardens up to 500 sq. metres.

Top features: Unlike some mowers, instead of an LED screen, you get five buttons on the top of the mower that control all the basic functions. For everything else, there’s the Flymo EasiLife app. It’s simple enough to programme and cuts regular-shaped lawns with ease. It mows in a random pattern, so every patch of grass is cut eventually, but there’s a handy spot-mowing function if any are missed. You can also set the mower to cut different sections of your garden, including narrow passageways, although this is a bit fiddly to master. It’s one of the more affordable mowers that I tested and comes with a two-year warranty.

RRP: £689
Type: robot mower
Guidance system: boundary & guide wires
Lawn area up to: 500 sq. metres
Slopes up to: 14°
Cutting height range: 20-50mm

Buy the Flymo EasiLife Go 500 from Amazon (£784.99), AO (£477) and Currys (£649)

Best of the rest

Although some models didn’t quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have great features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest.

Stiga A4 Automatic Robot Lawn Mower

RRP: £999

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from: Stiga (£899)

Reasons to buy:

Reasonably priced mower
Very quiet operation
Intuitive in-app setup

Reasons to avoid:

No camera technology for obstacle avoidance
Lots of open space is required directly above the garage
Short power cable

Set up and ease of use: During setup, the app instructed me, via email, to begin digital mapping. Rather than via the app, it asked me to use my laptop to define the lawn area. Overall, I found the Stiga Go app easy to use and quite intuitive, so it was a surprise to be asked to use a laptop instead. The trick that Stiga have up their sleeve though, is that you can use Google Maps’ satellite view to pre-draw the perimeter of your garden. If you have a large space to mow, it works well.

To define lawn shapes, channels and no-go areas, I drove the mower around like a remote-controlled car. The robot then attempted the same path on its own. I liked this feature because it provided a trial run before agreeing to a mowing pattern. It’s just a shame that you can only set two different zones. Tucked inside the garage is the GPS receiver that guides the A4 around the lawn. And because Stiga have developed a clever guidance system that uses multiple satellites to map out the garden space, it should work even when there are overhanging trees.

However, the garage needs 120° of open air above it to work correctly, which I found tricky as it only comes with a 5m power cable. You can remove the GPS module and attach it to a wall or fence, but you'll need to buy an extra 15m extension cable and another power supply. Even though the test garden I used had a tricky shape, the mower still installed itself and cut the lawn well. It could find itself on the lawn, get back to the charging station and cope with reasonable undulations without getting stuck.

Top features: The mower features a pair of wheels at the back for the drive and another pair of shopping-trolley-type omnidirectional casters at the front. Four cutting blades, the height of which can be adjusted from 20-60mm via the app, are included. The mower can tackle lawns up to 400 sq. metres and slopes up to 24°. Once it gets mowing, it's incredibly quiet at just 57dB. It mows in 18cm-wide parallel lines across the grass, then finishes things up with a neat perimeter cut.

Several controls are under a flap on top of the mower body, and, for security, a tiny key needs to be in place before mowing. Lacking cameras to keep out of the way of obstacles, it gently bumps into objects left on the lawn and then mows around them. Overall, though, I'd say this is a solid robot mower. It doesn't have some of the advanced features of other mowers, but it's simple to install and leaves the grass well cut. It comes with a three-year warranty.

RRP: £999
Type: robot mower
Guidance system: GPS
Lawn area up to: 400 sq. metres
Slopes up to: 24°
Cutting height range: 20-60mm

Buy the Stiga A4 Automatic Robot Lawn Mower from Stiga (£899)

Husqvarna Automower 405XE NERA

RRP: £999

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from: Mow With Us (£1,395), Radmore & Tucker (£999) and Winchester Garden Machinery (£1,359)

Reasons to buy:

Cuts close to borders
Impressive level of height- and lawn-pattern customisation

Reasons to avoid:

Slightly confusing map setup
No cameras for obstacle avoidance
High price

I'd say the Husqvarna Automower 405XE NERA is a grown-up’s idea of what a robot mower should look like. Staying away from gaudy colours and concepts, this looks more like a sports car – with LED headlights and a price tag to match. It’s not just good-looking, though; it’s robust and solidly built, and it cuts lawns up to 600 sq. metres.

Set up and ease of use: It works in two ways: either with a boundary wire that you sink into the ground around the edges of the lawn or with a clever satellite-guided module that eliminates wires altogether. The version I tested was the updated boundary wire-free offering. The sat-nav module comes in a separate box; all you need to do is pop the top of the mower and screw it on. This upgraded ‘brain’ also uses 4G coverage to help track it should someone steal it. The best thing is that you don’t need to install a fiddly antenna in your garden.

I found setting up the map a bit trickier. Rather than simply driving around the edges of the lawn, the 405XE NERA wants you to leave waypoints instead. They’re a bit of a fiddle, and I didn't find them intuitive. A nice feature on the 405XE NERA is the second cutting deck slung underneath the mower. Positioned at the very rear, it gets as close to the edge as possible, which solves the robot mower problem of leaving the borders of the lawn ragged and untidy.

Mower statistics: The drive comes from a pair of large wheels with deep treads on the front of the mower. The rear ones are a pair of shopping trolley-like castors that move in all directions. It can climb slopes of up to 30° and, running at just 60dB, it’s a very quiet mower. It can fully charge in around 90 minutes before giving around 100 minutes of mowing time. There's a handy little screen on the top of the mower that you navigate with a little wheel. It's an intuitive control, if you don't mind bending down to use it.

Top features: I thought the depth of customisation was impressive. For example, you can choose a different mowing pattern, height and schedule for each zone. The app also lets you choose a security geofence that alerts you if the mower has been stolen. Overall, I found this a premium-priced mower that does a great job of cutting the lawn. It might lack a camera to help avoid objects like trees and discarded toys, but once it gets going, it leaves the grass looking neat and well-trimmed. The Husqvarna Automower 405XE NERA comes with a two-year warranty that can be extended to three years.

RRP: £999
Type: robot mower
Guidance system: boundary wire or GPS module
Lawn area up to: 600 sq. metres
Slopes up to: 30°
Cutting height range: 20-55mm

Buy the Husqvarna Automower 405XE NERA from Mow With Us (£1,359), Radmore & Tucker (£999) and Winchester Garden Machinery (£1,359)

Segway Navimow X350e

RRP: £3,199

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from: Mowers Online (£2,699)

Reasons to buy:

Mows lawns up to 5,000 sq. metres
Six cutting blades and a 21cm-wide cut
Easy setup with lots of customisation available
Mowing performance improves over time

Reasons to avoid:

Expensive investment
No first-person video option
Struggles with some all-terrain challenges
The orange plastic bumper is easily marked

Segway Navimow is no stranger to the robot lawnmower market, and the latest addition to its fleet is the X3 series. This one, the X350e, is a heavy-duty machine designed to replace a ride-on lawnmower, as it can tackle huge lawns up to 5,000 sq. metres. Bristling with cameras on three sides and finding its precise location with an antenna, the X350e uses AI to map out your lawn and avoid various garden obstructions. It's an impressive-looking beast, a large grey and orange robot with a large screen on the top that shows the mowing status in animations.

Set up and ease of use: I thought the setup with the Segway Navimow was easy. After finding a place for the antenna to stick in the ground and connecting to WiFi, the rest can be done almost without user input. The AI-assisted mapping feature drives the mower about on its own to define lawn shapes, but I found it more fun driving it like a remote-control car instead. The drive comes from two large orange wheels with an aggressive tread pattern. Unlike the Mammotion Luba AWD, the front two wheels are casters, similar to those found on a shopping trolley. This is common to most robot mowers, meaning that all the power is in the back, resulting in some wheel slip.

Mower statistics: Navimow has employed a traction control system to help this mower tackle slopes of up to 24°. It works pretty well, but the mower still wasn’t happy on slippery surfaces like wet paving stones and slope edges. Choosing mowing heights from 20-60mm, adding zones and paths between them, and even drawing pictures on your lawn are all controlled by the powerful app. It gives you plenty of options, such as changing the direction of mowing and even changing the cut height of each zone. And it’s incredibly quiet at just 54dB. I found the mower worked best on large, flat areas of grass. The wide cut and increased mowing speed made for fast work, but it avoided some weeds and patches of taller grass for some reason. The good thing is that you can use the manual mow feature to tidy up areas the robot misses.

Unfortunately for a mower that boasts an AI-enhanced camera, you can’t dial into a live feed on your phone. It’s a missed opportunity to double the X350e up as a mobile home security system. Overall, though, Navimow have made another highly capable mower that does a great job on the lawn. However, for this price, I'd expect it to handle uneven gardens better without getting stuck. The Navimow X350e comes with a three-year warranty.

RRP: £3,199
Type: robot mower
Guidance system: GPS & camera (plus AI mapping)
Lawn area up to: 5,000 sq. metres
Slopes up to: 24°
Cutting height range: 20-60mm

Buy the Segway Navimow X350e from Mowers Online (£2,699)

Segway Navimow H1500E

RRP: £1,849

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from: Mowers Online (1,849)

Reasons to buy:

The quality of the cut is excellent
It mows in pleasing straight lines rather than in random directions
The app is powerful and fun to use
No boundary wires to install

Reasons to avoid:

Setting up the GPS receiver can be tricky
Need a clear space for the antennae to work properly
The charging station needs to be within Wi-Fi range
Power cord and antenna leads are both too short

Coming from a company famous for its two-wheeled vehicles, the Navimow H1500E cuts lawns up to 1,500 sq. metres, and the best thing for me about this mower is the app. Not only could I drive the mower around like a remote-control car to define the garden’s boundaries, but it also showed me exactly where it was in real time via the onboard GPS system.

Once I got past the fiddly setup, the mower cut the lawn in strips rather than a random pattern and offered spot-cutting and boundary-cutting modes. It cuts grass from 30-60mm, the onboard camera helps to detect obstacles before it hits them, and it can tackle slopes up to 24°. It comes with a four-year warranty.

RRP: £1,849
Type: robot mower
Guidance system: GPS
Lawn area up to: 1,500 sq. metres
Slopes up to: 24°
Cutting height range: 30-60mm

Buy the Segway Navimow H1500E from Mowers Online (£1,849)

Cobra Mowbot 800

RRP: £663.99

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Available from: Mowers Online (£749.99)

Reasons to buy:

Simple install with minimal tools
Basic but easy-to-use app
A generous amount of boundary wire is included
Wide range of cutting heights

Reasons to avoid:

Only two cutting blades
Multi-area lawn is complicated to set up
No spot mowing feature for trouble spots

A straightforward robot mower that can tackle decent-sized lawns, the Cobra Mowbot 800 is ideal for low-effort lawncare. All you need to do is install the boundary wire and press go — either on the machine or via the basic “Robot Mower” app. It can maintain a lawn up to 800 sq. metres, has a cutting width of 18cm, cuts grass from 20-60mm high, and the wheels can deal with slopes up to 20°.

One of the best things about this mower, in my opinion, is that it’s nice and quiet, running at just 66dB maximum. It won’t wake you up if you set the mowing schedule earlier than your alarm clock, and if you want to add some flair to your robot, there are several fun covers that you can purchase separately. It comes with a two-year warranty.

RRP: £663.99
Type: robot mower
Guidance system: boundary wire
Lawn area up to: 800 sq. metres
Slopes up to: 20°
Cutting height range: 20-60mm

Buy the Cobra Mowbot 800 from Mowers Online (£749.99)

To compare these robot models against other types of mowers, see our reviews of the best cordless lawn mowers, the best electric mowers and the best push mowers.

How does a robot lawn mower work?

Robot lawn mowers are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and designed to cut the grass regularly, little and often, so the lawn always looks neat. Clippings are mulched back onto the grass, feeding the lawn, and there are no grass piles to deal with or collection bags to empty.

Most robot lawn mowers operate by detecting the perimeter via sensors or a boundary wire. The latter is laid out around the edge of the lawn — as well as any obstacles such as trees or island flower beds — to tell the lawn mower to stay within that area. When the mower senses the boundary wire, it will change direction to avoid leaving the lawn. Many robotic lawn mowers have collision sensors, so if they bump into an object, they will automatically turn around and head off in another direction.

Some models mow randomly, eventually covering the entire lawn before returning to the docking station. Others use a more sophisticated GPS system that allows you to programme specific paths. Robot mowers are programmed with a pin pad on the front of the mower, but many models can also be controlled via an app, which allows you to monitor the mower's progress, schedule cutting times and let you know when servicing, etc, is required, easily and remotely. Once the mower has finished mowing, or if the battery is running low, the lawn mower will automatically return to its docking station, connect, and recharge.

These fully automatic mowers can save you hours of mowing time throughout the spring and summer, are great fun to watch and are emission-free. However, they are expensive, require an outside power source and careful installation, may not be appropriate for every style of garden and will not create stripes.

What are the benefits of a robot lawn mower?

Buying a robot lawn mower has several benefits over more traditional petrol or electric models.

These benefits include:

Less work for you: Once installed and programmed, the robot mower will automatically cut the grass according to your specific schedule. The lawn will always look tidy, and the mower will return to its dock on its own when it needs recharging

Zero emissions: Unlike petrol mowers, they emit no emissions because they’re powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Quiet: The lack of an engine also makes the mowers incredibly quiet

How to choose the best robot lawn mower

Price and size ranges for robot lawn mowers

Robot lawn mowers are expensive, especially when compared to cordless or electric lawn mowers. Prices start around £600 with premium models for large gardens costing anything from £3,000 up.

Most brands include a range of mowers to suit gardens of different sizes, from small 400m² lawns up to large gardens and estates up to 5,000m² in size and beyond.

Robot lawn mower features

Beyond being fully automatic, the additional features on the best robot lawn mowers vary depending on the model. They can include weather sensors, GPS navigation and smart connectivity, which is increasingly popular and useful for making the mower easier to programme wherever you are. Readily available as an app on your mobile phone, you can adjust the schedule and set up your phone without having to bend over the mower’s PIN board, but you can also check on your robot lawn mower while you’re away, track it if it’s stolen and see when it needs servicing. Good security is essential when paying for a machine in this price range, and all mowers have security features as standard. Some simply require a PIN code to start the mower, while others have lift sensors, alarms and a GPS tracker.

The latest innovation in the robot mower world is the arrival of a number of mowers that cut without the need for a boundary wire. Although some mowers could already do this, they were primarily for very large open lawns or small gardens with particular types of boundary, such as paving or raised beds. Now there are mowers that can identify exactly where they are, with the help of pinpoint positioning via GPS or are able to identify grass as well as other obstacles to work out where to mow. We are currently testing some of these new mowers, so keep checking this page for updates and our latest reviews.

Robot lawn mower requirements

Although they're fully automatic, once set up, robot lawn mowers are more complex initially than traditional petrol, electric or cordless mowers. A robot lawn mower requires an outside power source to connect to the docking station, and this ideally needs to be positioned out of direct sunlight and level. Most also need a clear area around them — typically two metres to the front and a metre each side, which can limit where you place the docking station, especially in a small garden. Accessing the layout is also essential before purchasing a robot lawn mower. Some models can struggle with narrow passages, uneven ground and steep slopes.

Finally, they need installation, and the boundary wire and sometimes a guide wire too, laid. You can either do this yourself, which takes time or get a dealer to do it for you, which is usually an additional cost, although some models include installation by a dealer in the price. They will assess your lawn, lay your boundary wire for you and show you how to programme and operate the keypad. If you're installing the mower yourself, take care to follow the instructions precisely for the robot lawn mower to run correctly.

How to clean a robot lawn mower

Despite being fully automated, a robot lawn mower should still be checked, cleaned and serviced regularly.

To clean, make sure the machine is switched off and turn it over to check the blades for damage. Clean the chassis and blades with a brush or a garden hose if the dirt is more stubborn
Grass may need removing from the wheels, and give the body a wipe down with a damp cloth
Blades should be able to pivot freely, and damaged blades should be replaced. All blades should be replaced at the same time to ensure a balanced cut
A service each year is encouraged so that dealers can update software. They will also clean and replace any worn parts, including batteries

How we tested robot lawn mowers

The BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviews team tested a range of robot lawn mowers for several weeks in different gardens. Some were installed for us by dealers, while we installed the smaller mowers ourselves. They were programmed and left to work and were assessed according to the following criteria, with equal marks attributed to each:

Set up and ease of use: Looked at installation and programming, including the need for a guide wire as well as a boundary wire, smart connectivity capacity and how easy it is to connect to the app.
Cutting performance: Assessed how well it cuts the grass: the efficiency of cut and the neatness of the finish, its ability to evenly spread the cuttings and its ability to handle rough and damp grass. Also looked at run time, charge time, and noise
Features: Focused on how well the mower could cope with obstacles or handle slopes, the number of zones you can programme it to mow, rain or temperature sensors, security features, etc.
Value for money: Considered all of the above, along with the length of warranty and price, including installation cost where applicable

For more information on our testing process, see How we review

Top tips for lawn care

Here are some top tips for keeping your lawn looking fresh and healthy:

If your lawn is young, ensure it’s well-watered, but be careful not to overwater as this will cause the grass to root shallowly. Use rainwater if possible, or grey water from your bath or washing-up bowl. Sprinklers are effective but use lots of mains water. Don’t worry if your lawn is established and goes brown; it will green up again after some rain.

Weed your lawn – keep an eye out for plantains and dandelions, which have wide, flat leaves, and can smother large areas. Remove with a hand trowel or daisy grubber. Avoid weedkiller if possible. Find out more about weeds.

Compacted ground can prevent grass from growing well and lead to bare patches or muddy spots. Relieve compaction and aerate the soil with a garden fork, pushing it about 10cm deep every 10cm, and gently rocking back and forth on the fork handle. Take a look at our pick of the best lawn aerators and the best scarifiers.

Edge your lawn for a neat finish; this satisfying job can be carried out with long-handled shears. It will also stop grass from growing in your borders. See our review of edging shears. You might also like to keep edges neat with a physical border. Take a look at our picks.

For more tips on keeping your lawn looking good, see our article on top lawn care tips.

Meet our testing panel

Oliver Parsons, Strategic Projects Editor
Oliver is a gardener and magazine journalist of 20 years’ experience. He trained as a professional horticulturalist at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Chelmsford and has also worked for Gardening Which?, as a freelance gardener and with the gardening team at Down House in Kent. He is now Strategic Projects Editor at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and GardenersWorld.com, heading up our reviews desk, Apple News output and weekly newsletter.

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners' World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

Sue Fisher, freelance garden writer
Sue’s extensive horticultural career spans over 40 years, starting with a decade in the garden centre and nursery industry before developing into an accomplished gardening writer, designer and speaker. Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com, and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening.

This review was last updated in February 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability

Flymo EasiLife Go 500 review

Harry Duncton — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 14:23:08 GMT

Buy the EasiLife Go 500 from Currys

How is the EasiLife Go 500 robotic mower installed?

You either peg in or dig in a boundary wire to define the lawn size and shape, leaving a gap on the edges where there are hard borders or walls. Make sure to watch the installation videos online before you start as although there’s plenty of useful information in the manual, some important points feel a bit buried in the fine print. The EasiLife Go uses a separate guide wire that sends the mower to distant lawn areas and helps it get back to the docking station once it’s finished mowing. This guide wire needs to connect to the boundary wire at some point, so you need to leave some slack where you want to make the connection. You’ll need to cut the boundary wire to splice in the guide wire, and unless you plan ahead, it’s a tight fit. Connecting the couplers to rejoin the boundary cable can be a bit tricky and requires a decent set of pliers to avoid making a mess. It’s annoying, but if you plan ahead when laying your wires, it shouldn’t be an issue.
Securing the boundary cables to the rear of the charging base uses small plastic connectors that also require the use of a decent pair of pliers. You need to judge the cable lengths correctly to avoid loose wires on the outside of the base. Again, if you take your time during the cable installation phase, it’s not too bad.

Is the EasiLife Go 500 robotic mower easy to programme?

There are five buttons arranged on the top of the mower that can control most of the basic functions. The LED lights display the status of the mower, but it’s not immediately obvious. You need to consult the manual to work out what the flashing and solid lights mean.
The app is basic but easy to understand. You can programme schedules and read error data, but don’t expect advanced functions like edge cutting or an easy way to define multiple lawn areas.
You can program multiple start points along the boundary cable as well. It takes a bit of fiddling around with percentages, but you can set the mower to cut different sections of your garden, including narrow passageways that might otherwise be missed out.

How well does the EasiLife Go 500 robotic mower cut?

Something that stood out during testing was how quiet the mower runs. It operates at just 58dB when cutting, so you won’t wake up your neighbours if you set it to cut early in the morning.
The mowing program is random. Once the robot hits a boundary, it performs a turn and mows at a right angle. This should ensure that every piece of grass is cut, eventually, and at different angles to avoid lines and streaks.

Buy the EasiLife Go 500 from Currys

What features does the EasiLife Go 500 robotic mower have?

For the price the mower has a number of features. You can change the cutting height on this mower, but it’s not as simple as some others. Instead of turning a dial or pressing a button in the app, you need to remove the blade disc and reinstall it using a hex key. It’s not a big job, but it’s a lot of effort for a simple adjustment. There's a spot cutting mode for troublesome areas - you just pick up the mower and place it in the area that needs attention, then activate spot cutting mode. The mower spirals out from where you put it down. You can also set the mower to cut in multiple zones as well with the 'Lawn Coverage' function. Using the guide wire to reach the far corners of your garden, you can tell the mower to stop and work on a particular section using percentages. For example, tell the mower to stop at 50% and it will travel halfway along the guide wire before spot cutting there. It takes a bit of trial and error but it’s a useful function. The mower is also capable of measuring outside conditions and changing the automatic mowing schedule to suit seasonal grass growth, and a 'FrostSense' setting ensures the mower stays in the charging dock when the temperatures drop too low. Finally, it also comes with some useful spare connectors, should you damage the boundary cable or want to install another guide wire.

Is the EasiLife Go 500 robotic mower good value for money?

The EasiLife Go is one of the more affordable robotic mowers on the market, but it still cuts the grass well. It’s small, doesn’t weigh much, but can still tackle light slopes and slightly uneven terrain. If you have a smaller garden and you don’t mind installing a guide cable alongside boundary cables, it’s an excellent choice.

Buy the EasiLife Go 500 from Currys

Are there other models available?

The range of EasiLife Go mowers include:
EasiLife Go 200 - Cuts up to 200 m²
EasiLife Go 250 - Cuts up to 250 m²

There’s also a range of EasiLife mowers that have a small LED screen on them for more complex “in mower” controls. They also still use an app:

EasiLife 200 - Cuts up to 200 m²
EasiLife 350 - Cuts up to 350 m²
EasiLife 500 - Cuts up to 500 m²
EasiLife 800 - Cuts up to 800 m²

This review was last updated in November 2023. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

Powerbase 40V Cordless Lawnmower review

Kay Maguire — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 16:54:11 GMT

Buy the Powerbase 40V Cordless Lawnmower from Homebase