Best Cheap Robot Lawn Mowers (2023). Robotic lawn mower gps

Best Robot Lawn Mowers on the Cheap (2023)

There aren’t a ton of cheap robot lawn mowers out there… yet.

The main reason why these robot lawn mowers are cheaper is that they are specifically designed for smaller lawns (-500 m²). And that means, as you can imagine, in contrast to a large lawn, it takes less effort for these little gardeners with wheels to handle a smaller and usually less complex of a lawn in terms of their requirements for performance, computing and battery power.

Regardless, there are quite a few gems out there on the cheap even for the bigger lawns. They just needed to be found.

Along with this Robot Lawn Mower Buying Guide (which I really suggest you quickly skim through), let’s have a closer look at those cheaper ones I’ve come across. See which you fancy more and check out the corresponding review.

Top 10 Actually Cheap Robot Lawn Mowers

Before you go any further, let’s be clear about a couple of things when it comes to cheap robot lawn mowers in general. Wouldn’t want you to make a bad decision.

The robot lawn mower market is still rather new and so the selection is somewhat limited (and somewhat high) even as of 2023.

The so-called “cheap” robot lawn mowers are essentially just lesser versions of the more expensive models with only real difference being how big of a lawn they’re wired to handle. That means buying an expensive robot lawn mower might be counterproductive in case of a smaller lawn where you can (and should) get away with buying the lower cost version instead! But hey, I’m not your mom…

TLDR: cheap is not bad, rather they are meant for smaller lawn sizes (–500 m²) and usually don’t have all the bells and whistles, is all.

#0 Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD

Just to make sure we’re talking CHEAP… Of course you can get yourself one of the most expensive robot mowers like the Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD or an equivalent that pack powerful features such as the ability to traverse around obstacles with no contact, climb steep (35°) inclines with all-wheel driving (AWD) along with a beast of a battery pack, GPS navigation system mapping out the entire lawn so it doesn’t mow randomly, and so much more, but the initial cost would be too much for my monthly salary to handle. And what if it got stolen, or something like that, with no way for me to prove it afterwards…

Something more affordable would be one of the iMOW robot mowers, my personal pick in 2023, or equivalent, but which can still be rather on the heavy side for the wallet compared to these cheap ones here…

My experience tells me it’s much nicer to get into the robot lawn mower game without spending a fortune!

#1 Husqvarna Automower 115H

Lawn size up to around 1600 m² (17222 ft²). Max incline: 17.5° (or 30%). Battery: rechargeable 18 V 2.0 Ah lithium-ion. Operating time: 60 minutes (avg). Charging time: 60 minutes (avg). Cutting height: 50-90 mm (or 2″ to 3.6″). Cutting blades: 3 razor-like blades attached to a rotating disc. Cutting width: 22 cm (or 8.7″). Noise level: up to 60 dB. Remote control: yes (Bluetooth, cellular, and manual control panel). The package includes everything you need to set it up and the mower has all the essential mowing, safety, and security features (be ware: additional perimeter wire needed in case of a more complex yard layout).

#2 Gardena SILENO Minimo 250

Lawn size up to around 250 m² (2700 ft²). Max incline: 20° (or 35%). Battery: rechargeable 18 V 2.0 Ah lithium-ion. Operating time: 65 minutes (avg). Charging time: 60-75 minutes (avg). Cutting height: 20-45 mm (or 0.8″ to 1.8″). Cutting blades: 3 razor-like blades attached to a rotating disc. Cutting width: 16 cm (or 6.3″). Noise level: up to 57 dB. Remote control: yes (Bluetooth, cellular, and manual control panel). The package includes everything you need to set it up and the mower has all the essential mowing, safety, and security features (be ware: additional perimeter wire needed in case of a more complex yard layout).

#3 Flymo EasiLife 500 GO

Lawn size up to around 500 m² (5382 ft²). Max incline: 15° (or 25%). Battery: rechargeable 18 V 2.0 Ah lithium-ion. Operating time: 70 minutes (avg). Charging time: 75 minutes (avg). Cutting height: 20-50 mm (or 0.8″ to 1.97″). Cutting blades: 3 razor-like blades attached to a rotating disc. Cutting width: 16 cm (or 6.3″). Noise level: up to 57 dB. Remote control: yes (Bluetooth, cellular, and manual control panel). The package includes everything you need to set it up and the mower has all the essential mowing, safety, and security features (be ware: additional perimeter wire needed in case of a more complex yard layout).

#4 WORX Landroid M500 WR141E

Lawn size up to around 500 m² (5382 ft²). Max incline: 20° (or 35%). Battery: rechargeable 20 V 2.0 Ah lithium-ion. Operating time: 70 minutes (avg). Charging time: 70 minutes (avg). Cutting height: 30-60 mm (or 1.2″ to 2.4″). Cutting blades: cut to edge 3 razor-like blades attached to a rotating disc. Cutting width: 18 cm (or 7.1″). Noise level: up to 67 dB. Remote control: yes (Bluetooth, cellular, and manual control panel). The package includes everything you need to set it up and the mower has all the essential mowing, safety, and security features (be ware: additional perimeter wire needed in case of a more complex yard layout).

#5 Lawnmaster L12

Lawn size up to around 800 m² (8611 ft²). Max incline: 20° (or 35%). Battery: rechargeable 20 V 4.0 Ah lithium-ion. Operating time: 120 minutes (avg). Charging time: 100 minutes (avg). Cutting height: 20-60 mm (or 0.8″ to 2.4″). Cutting blades: 3 razor-like blades attached to a rotating disc. Cutting width: 18 cm (or 7.1″). Noise level: up to 62 dB. Remote control: no (only manual control panel). The package includes everything you need to set it up and the mower has all the essential mowing, safety, and security features (be ware: additional perimeter wire needed in case of a more complex yard layout).

#6 Einhell FREELEXO 1200 LCD BT

Lawn size up to around 1200 m² (12917 ft²). Max incline: 20° (or 35%). Battery: rechargeable 18 V 5.2 Ah lithium-ion. Operating time: 100 minutes (avg). Charging time: 120 minutes (avg). Cutting height: 20-60 mm (or 0.8″ to 2.4″). Cutting blades: 3 razor-like blades attached to a rotating disc. Cutting width: 18 cm (or 7.1″). Noise level: up to 59.4 dB. Remote control: yes (Bluetooth, cellular, and a manual control panel). The package includes everything you need to set it up and the mower has all the essential mowing, safety, and security features (be ware: additional perimeter wire needed in case of a more complex yard layout).

#7 Flymo EasiLife 400 Go

Lawn size up to around 400 m² (4306 ft²). Max incline: 15° (or 25%). Battery: rechargeable 18 V 2.0 Ah lithium-ion. Operating time: 70 minutes (avg). Charging time: 75 minutes (avg). Cutting height: 20-50 mm (or 0.8″ to 1.97″). Cutting blades: 3 razor-like blades attached to a rotating disc. Cutting width: 16 cm (or 6.3″). Noise level: up to 58 dB. Remote control: yes (Bluetooth, cellular, and manual control panel). The package includes everything you need to set it up and the mower has all the essential mowing, safety, and security features (be ware: additional perimeter wire needed in case of a more complex yard layout).

#8 Lawnmaster L10

Lawn size up to around 400 m² (or 4306 ft²). Max incline: 20° (or 35%). Battery: rechargeable 20 V 2.0 Ah lithium-ion. Operating time: 40 minutes (avg). Charging time: 45 minutes (avg). Cutting height: 20-60 mm (or 0.79″ to 2.36″). Cutting blades: 3 razor-like blades attached to a rotating disc. Cutting width: 18 cm (or 7.08″). Noise level: up to 62 dB. Remote control: no (manual control panel only). The package includes everything you need to set it up and the mower has all the essential mowing, safety, and security features (be ware: additional perimeter wire needed in case of a more complex yard layout).

#9 Landxcape LX796

Lawn size up to around 400 m² (4306 ft²). Max incline: 15° (or 25%). Battery: rechargeable 20 V 2.0 Ah lithium-ion. Operating time: 30-60 minutes (avg). Charging time: 240 minutes (avg). Cutting height: 20-50 mm (or 0.8″ to 1.97″). Cutting blades: 3 razor-like blades attached to a rotating disc. Cutting width: 16 cm (or 6.3″). Noise level: up to 65 dB. Remote control: no (only manual control panel). The package includes everything you need to set it up and the mower has all the essential mowing, safety, and security features (be ware: additional perimeter wire needed in case of a more complex yard layout).

#10 Landxcape LX799

Lawn size up to around 300 m² (or 3229 ft²). Max incline: 15° (or 25%). Battery: rechargeable 20 V 2.0 Ah lithium-ion. Operating time: 30-60 minutes (avg). Charging time: 240 minutes (avg). Cutting height: 20-50 mm (or 0.79″ to 1.97″). Cutting blades: 3 pivoting razor-like blades attached to a rotating disc. Cutting width: 16 cm (or 6.3″). Noise level: up to 65 dB. Remote control: no (manual control panel only). The package includes everything you need to set it up and the mower has all the essential mowing, safety, and security features (be ware: additional perimeter wire needed in case of a more complex yard layout).

Going Cheap – FAQ

What’s the Difference Between a Low-Cost and an Expensive Robot Lawn Mower?

Assuming we’re talking about at least normal quality robot mowers from reputable brands, in my research I’ve determined that the low-cost robot lawn mowers aren’t all that much different from the more expensive models in how and what they do.

The main difference between them is how large of a lawn they’re designed to cover, which means the requirements for performance, computing and battery power are lower and thus ones come out cheaper. However, the really really cheap ones that are not just lesser versions of the more expensive models do cut corners in how complex of a lawn they can handle in comparison (depth of slopes, narrowness of paths, etc). Additionally and naturally, those really cheap ones might have less options to configure because of that. As such, there might only be a few buttons which would allow you to, for example, stop the mower, send it to recharge, set a password and/or the amount of time it should mow per day. I’d argue that there’s actually beauty in simplicity as they end up being more robust and practical with no gimmicks driving up the price unnecessarily.

They are otherwise, both the cheap and more expensive robot lawn mowers, all very similar in that they mow autonomously by mulching grass in the designated area.

How Do Budget Robot Lawn Mowers Work?

they cut, ahem, mulch grass (there’s a difference between cutting and mulching) autonomously and the cheap ones usually in a random pattern… “Yeah, no shit,” you’d no doubt say to that. You probably already get the gist of how they work (and if not, check with this article on How Robot Mowers Work), and no, they won’t do your dishes.

The dishes in this analogy would be some of the edges of your lawn, the odd hard to reach patches of grass due to narrow paths, the other side of your fence unless you’ve dragged a perimeter wire there as well and manually brought the mower there for the time being, the weed among your flowerbeds, though it might do a number on your kids’ toys (“learning the hard way”), and so forth. Even the most sophisticated breeds of robot lawn mower wouldn’t do all the work for you in this day and age. And I wouldn’t really want them to do it all anyway, come to think of it (AI takeover).

IMPORTANT: Robot lawn mowers they are designed to work often. They are not like your manual mowers that you push around for an hour and call it a day. These things operate all day long in a cycle of mowing and charging, e.g mowing for 50 minutes, charging for 60 minutes (varies per model). The number of times a lot of people have returned their brand new robot mower saying it left patches of grass uncut after finishing that first cycle is baffling. Here’s to hoping you’re now informed enough to not become that person. ^^

How Should I Choose a Robot Lawn Mower?

Here I can only really give you very generic sounding advice even after leaving out the super obvious like your lawn size or slope angles which tend to directly reflect in a higher price. You can get more insights from this article: Robot Lawn Mower Buying Guide (link opens in a new tab).

• Anti-theft features – if you don’t have a fence and fear your new robot lawn mower getting stolen, look for one with configurable password, alarm, and maybe even a GPS system. Here’s an insightful story: “Had someone try to steal my auto mower” (link opens in a new tab, source: Reddit).
• Compatible spare parts – try to make sure those aren’t available to you only on the other side of the ocean in advance (spare blades, extra perimeter wire, battery pack, etc).
• Weatherproofness – if it’s constantly raining in your area throughout the year then you might want to double check how it’s designed against humidity feature-wise.
• Ease of use – for example, where is the cutting height dial located (with some mowers you ought to bring out your screwdriver and flip the thing to even just raise or lower the blades… others have a dial right next to the control panel as a simple knob), does the control panel have a screen or just buttons, is there maybe remote control option, etc.

What if My Lawn Size Is Bigger Than What’s Recommended for a Given Unit?

It won’t be the end of the world, but you might end up with patches of uncut grass, especially in times of faster growing grass.

It’ll still be cut for the most part with a patch of uncut grass being an exception if your lawn didn’t exceed the recommended lawn size by too much. I know in this example the lawn size is way bigger than what the cheap ones can handle, but let’s say your lawn was roughly 5000 m² and the mower was designed for 4000 m², it’ll still be mostly cut (source). Again, and in my case at least, it wouldn’t equate to the end of the world.

Are the Cheaper Robot Lawn Mowers Safe?

Here’s the short version: NOT SAFE FOR PETS AND CHILDREN!

Here are some typical safety features (even the cheap ones tend have these):

• STOP button – it’s a manual highly visible red button which makes the mower stop in it’s tracks the moment it’s pushed
• collision detection – the mower comes to a full stop upon hitting something (though it might take a second for it to register the bump);
• lift and tilt sensors – the mower comes to a full stop when tilted or lifted (though, again, it might take a second for it to register the event);
• less powerful motor – they’re mainly designed to cut grass along with some odd branches at most (though this may wary across brands);
• low ground clearance – the space between the mower and the ground is narrow (say it did drive up your foot, it would likely trigger a tilt stop);
• clearance between chassis and blades – coupled with the latter, there’s also extra space between the edge of the mower and the blades;
• blades slice rather than cut through – when the pivoting razor-like blades come in contact with something hard, they slice rather than cut;
• blade exposure preventative plastic shield – a plastic shield around the blades that only let grass get in blades’ way (not all mowers have it).

For more info: Robot Lawn Mower Safety (link open in a new tab).

Is a Cheap Robot Lawn Mower Worth It?

It would feel very cliché for me to answer “yes” to this question for you. So instead I’ll say: “Probably.”

I mean, in my experience: money saved, timed saved.

The whole idea of a robot mower is that it would save you from the manual labor, right? Of course the downside would be the initial cost of buying one, which is slightly lessened by buying a cheap one, but then again the running costs would be pleasantly low afterwards. And then we’d only be left with the hassle of setting it up plus the maintenance (…and the worrying thought of it getting stolen, breaking down, or it running over your neighbor’s old and blind Tigger). Clearly there are pros and cons to everything.

And who knows, maybe you’re one of those people who love manually mowing their lawn, perhaps you’re simply just not aware of it yet.

What About the Running Costs?

As was mentioned earlier, the running costs are low, averaging out to about 50 per year overall (rough overestimate).

• Electricity – varies from mower to mower from 2.5 kWh to 34 kWh per month, costing roughly 2.
• Replacement battery pack – every 2 to 6 years the battery might wear out too much, replacement costing around 100.
• Replacement blades – it’s generally recommended to replace the blades twice per mowing season and 1 set of blades costs around 8.
• Extra boundary wire connectors – whatever comes with the package is usually never enough and a pet or what have you might chew on the wire that’s already there on top of that, so another payment of around 50 per 100 meters of wire whilst the connectors are sold similarly to the blades, in bulk, and priced about the same as the blade set.

PS! As is always the case, the numbers vary wildly depending on many things. In my case, the mowing season generally lasts for roughly 4 months only. The robot lawn mower usually mows for around 10 hours per day, half of the time charging at roughly 80 Wh (1000 W = 1 kW). That way it uses 12 kWh per month whilst electricity costs 0.13 kWh. That’s just 1.56 per month on electricity in my case. 4 months of mowing amounts to 6 on electricity fees in total. If that’s not low cost then I don’t know what is…

For more insights on costs, check this article (link opens in a new tab).

How Long Does a Cheap Robot Lawn Mower Last?

Given the initial cost, the low running cost means nothing if the mower went wheels up after just a couple of months. That’s how I’d think.

In my experience, these little gardeners tend to last a very long time if properly taken care of. I’m talking 10 years or more. Though, obviously, anything can happen in the meantime (flood, lightning, electrical malfunction, software bug, theft, tree falling accident, tornado, quick swim in the pond, severe case of overheating, shark attack, wait, what, and so on) and all of a sudden what would have been a decade becomes just a few years or even just months instead. Mine’s been going for 3 so far. My neighbors have had theirs for much longer.

Here’s a longer take on this topic: How Long Do Robot Mowers Last (link opens in a new tab).

Is It Hard to Install a Robot Lawn Mower?

It’s not hard, but it can be tedious.

You’re looking at installing the charging station, which is the easier part, where the only thing you ought to check beforehand is if you’ve got an outdoor power socket for it. the next thing is the installation of boundary (a.k.a perimeter) wire all around the area you want cut. The more complex the yard layout, as in flowerbeds and the like, the more time it will take to lay the wire around these things so that the mower wouldn’t go where it shouldn’t. There will be a lot of trial and error in the process when it comes to the perimeter wire unless things are well documented and the instructions clear enough (installation instructions manual is usually included in the package).

PS! Usually the package never includes enough perimeter wire to cover the entire lawn, especially if you had to take a little detour to exclude flowerbeds or the like from the mowing area [Psst! Essentially you could DIY the wire for much cheaper by buying a copper wire (only make sure it’s singular line and about the same in diameter as the original wire from the package) and using that. You could also just connect the DIY wire with the original and make it longer that way …But you didn’t hear that from me].

There are 2 ways to install the wire:

• using pegs – you’d lay the wire tightly against the ground and lock it down with pegs (over time the grass will grow over it making it all invisible);
• burying the wire – you’d cut a V-shaped mini ditch and place the wire in it (the robot mower will still sense it through the ground).

PS! Ideally you’d use the pegs first so as to see if everything works out over a few days or weeks. It’s easier to make adjustments to the installation this way, though you do run the risk of the mower cutting through the wire. Assuming the wire was not broken during that trial period and you’re happy with the results with no more adjustments needed for the layout, only then you might want to bury the wire (note that it’s not mandatory to bury the wire).

Is a Cheap Robot Lawn Mower Weatherproof?

All commercial robot lawn mowers along with their charging station and perimeter wire tend to be weatherproof by design (to a reasonable extent).

Robot lawn mower – given that these things work autonomously outdoors, they have to be weatherproof to some extent. They all have a shell that protects the more sensitive inner parts from weather elements, such as rain. The underside of the robot lawn mower is also fairly well covered leaving just the blades exposed. However, and obviously, the robot mower is not protected against extreme weather conditions, such as, in some cases, severe case of humidity, flat out flooding, overheating (plastic melting levels of heat), lightning, etc. Submerge your car in a pond and see if it comes out brand new with no negative effects down the line… You lucky bastard, you’ve found yourself beyond holy of a water (would it even be “water” anymore?). Just a reminder to practise some common sense.

Charging station – this one’s exposed to those same weather elements. I’d say flooding and severe case of overheating can do a number on it. I’ve left mine out for several snowy winters and it’s working fine (the waterline would have to reach the top of the charging station where the wires connect while electricity was running for it to break down).

Perimeter wire – boundary wire is exposed to corrosion much in the same way pipes are. That’s to say that the wire might actually outlive you unless you cut through it by accident, a rodent had a feast on it, or stuff like that. It’s safe to leave the wire out there even for winter.

PS! This all assumes you’re doing some maintenance from time to time and have set things up correctly to begin with (the instructions manual that comes with buying a robot mower tends to have ample information on that stuff).

How to Take Care of a Cheaper Robot Lawn Mower?

Relatively low maintenance:

• clean regularly;
• replace cutting blades when need be;
• replace rechargeable battery when it seems almost dead;
• install charging station in shaded area to protect the mower from the elements;
• don’t forget to unplug the power supply connected to the charging station you left outside for winter;
• when storing the robot mower, charge fully, turn off, clean, and place in dry indoor conditions, and avoid leaving in freezing temperature.

For deeper insights: Robot Lawn Mower Care Maintenance (link opens in a new tab).

How Much Noise Do Cheap Robot Lawn Mowers Make?

Most robot lawn mowers are said to operate at around 60dB or lower range (example).

60dB is most often referred to sound level a normal conversation would generate from a meter length which may sound loud depending on who you imagine is speaking. Like one of those toy cars that make a sound when you move their wheels. Something like that. Plus the whirling sound from blades slicing grass as they rotate.

Mine’s and my neighbors’ mowers you won’t hear them from further than few meters were you to walk by them. You really need to see them in order to connect the faint sound they make (the whirling and slicing of grass). If there was a hedge and the mower right next to you on the other side of it, you’d think you hear something coming from far away when in fact the mower making the sound is right next to you. That’s how “loud” they are.

Is There A Robot Lawn Mower Without Perimeter Wire?

The worst thing about getting a new robot lawn mower is the installation process.

The prospect of an effortless, beautifully maintained lawn is so close, and yet you have to spend an afternoon meticulously positioning a perimeter wire around your garden. Surely there is a better way?

Unfortunately, all the best robot lawn mowers currently use a perimeter wire. There is currently only one robot lawn mower on the market that does not require installation of a perimeter wire, the Ambrogio L60. However, it has multiple limitations which make it a poor option for most people.

iRobot has announced a new robot lawn mower that will not require the installation of a perimeter wire, but there is currently no launch date.

A number of other robot lawnmowers that will not use perimeter wire have been announced, including Toadi and Segway Navimow. I hope to test these soon and will report my findings.

Why Are there Not Robot Lawn Mowers Without Perimeter Wire?

The problem arises due to the challenge of getting a robot to accurately navigate a lawn and identify the edge of your grass without some form of guide.

When I first started researching robot lawn mowers, I was quite disappointed to discover that the vast majority required the installation of a guide wire. Surely it can’t be that difficult to engineer a better solution?

The problem is not simply one of technology, but also of economics. The technology currently exists to make a robot lawn mower that does not require a perimeter wire. However, the cost and complexity of a machine, would put the price out of reach of the majority of the target customers and make it economically nonviable for the manufacturers.

A number of companies have successfully produced research prototypes using a variety of technologies which are superior to the robot lawn mowers available on the market today. When the technology matures and the price drops, this will filter through to commercial products.

For now, all the best robot lawn mowers use a perimeter wire, and I would strongly recommend you to go for one of these. The installation process is fairly easy and doesn’t take that long. It’s a small price to pay for having a reliable robot lawn mower to do the hard work of maintaining your lawn for you.

Development Of A Robot Lawn Mower Without Perimeter Wire

Multiple companies are developing new technology to replace the need for a perimeter wire in robot lawn mower installations. This is a major hurdle in the mass adoption of robot lawn mowers by consumers, as the negative aspects and installation of a perimeter wire puts many customers off making a purchase. Below, I discuss the various technologies which are being developed and may be used to consign the perimeter wire to history.

Sensor Based Robot Lawn Mowers

The only commercially available robot lawn mower that does not use a perimeter wire is the Ambrogio L60 from Zucchetti Centro Sistemi SpA. This robot lawn mower uses sensor based technology to tell the difference between grass and other materials. It has a ring of humidity sensors on the underside of the mower which detect the difference between the humidity of the grass and other materials.

When the mower reaches the edge of the grass, it detects the change in humidity between the grass and a hard surface. It is then prompted to stop and move in a different direction. This has advantages and disadvantages as a technology. It is relatively simple technology and has actually been around for quite a number of years. It has a low failure rate and works well most of the time.

However, it introduces a lot of limitations to the functioning of a robot lawn mower that uses this technology. For the humidity sensor to work correctly, your lawn cannot border a similarly humid environment, such as flower beds or ponds. The Ambrogio L60 would not accurately be able to detect this transition, and the mower would continue to drive off your lawn.

This technology may have a role in future robot lawn mowers, but it is likely to be used in combination with other systems, to increase accuracy and edge detection.

GPS Based Lawn Mowers.

GPS technology is incorporated in quite a number of robot lawn mowers today, including models from Ambrogio, Husqvarna and Robomow. However, it is not used for boundary detection at present due to insufficient accuracy.

Consumer GPS accuracy is only sufficient to detect the position of a robot lawn mower to within a few metres. This is nowhere near sufficient for a robot lawn mower to accurately detect the edge of your lawn.

Development and implementation of newer GPS systems, as well as increases in processing power of low power computer chips, will lead to improvements in accuracy over the next few years. A number of technologies are in the implementation phase which will lead to accuracy improving to within a few centimeters.

Today, GPS in robot lawn mowers is used to provide data for Smart apps, so that users can monitor and adjust the performance of the robot lawn mower. It also has an important role in robot mower security, as you can track the location of your robot lawn mower if it is stolen. This technology will definitely be used in future robot lawn mowers as the pace of improvement, low cost and ubiquitous nature of GPS means that it is an attractive option for companies.

Beacon Based Robot Lawn Mowers.

The company behind the popular robot vacuum cleaner, iRobot, has been rumoured to be developing a range of robot lawn mowers for a number of years. A patent filed by the company in 2016 has highlighted a system of location beacons that would be sited in your garden and would provide a localised, higher accuracy version of GPS.

This seems like a reasonable solution, as similar systems are currently used for their range of indoor cleaning and vacuuming robots. In combination with more conventional collision detection and avoidance systems, would probably result in quite an effective navigation system which would eliminate the need for a perimeter wire.

Vision Based Systems

Vision sensors are an attractive option for robot lawn mowers for a variety of reasons. Visual based systems can be used for more than boundary detection. A visual based navigation system could be used to detect grass requiring a cut and for identifying turf problems to be highlighted to the user. There have been a number of research and manufacturing prototypes which have shown excellent promise in this area, but no company has yet comercialised the technology.

I would highlight this option as one that is highly likely to be incorporated into robot lawn mowers in the future, as there is considerable overlap with other autonomomous vehicles. There is considerable investment and research into using visual navigation systems for self driving cars, which will inevitably be incorporated into other consumer technology.

Overview Of The Ambrogio L60 Robot Lawn Mower

As the only robot lawn mower without perimeter wire currently on the market, it may be useful to give you an overview of the pros and cons of this. It has a unique position within the robot lawn mower market, as there is no other model that it directly compares to.

The Ambrogio L60 is a good option for people who have a small lawn which is entirely bordered by path or wall. It requires minimal setup and no perimeter wire.

Unfortunately, the Ambrogio L60 has quite a number of drawbacks, which make it unsuitable for a lot of lawns. It is only rated for lawns up to 200 square meters and there are quite a number of limitations to the type of lawn that it will work on. The lawn must be bordered by either path or walls. The width of paving surrounding the lawn must be at least 25cm, to give the mower adequate room to detect the change in humidity and change direction.

The Ambrogio L60 has a number of other drawbacks including the fact that it will not return to a charging station when it runs out of battery. This means that every time you want to use the Ambrogio l60, you must bring it out to your lawn and set it working. It will then cut the lawn for approximately two hours before running out of battery. This is certainly better than manually mowing the lawn yourself, but falls far short of the capabilities of other robotic lawnmowers.

I hate to be overly negative about a robot lawn mower which is clearly pushing the limits of what can clearly be done with the current technology. However, I would strongly recommend resisting the temptation to buy this model, to avoid installing a perimeter wire, as I think you will ultimately be disappointed with this purchase.

There are multiple robot lawn mower models on the market that are significantly better value, which will mow a much larger lawn. Even for very tiny lawns, the Flymo 1200R is at least 40% cheaper and will work for all lawn configurations. I’ve written a review and guide to the Flymo 1200R here.

Disadvantages

If you’d like to learn a bit more about robot lawn mowers, and which ones are worth buying, I’ve written a useful article explaining all you need to know.

LUBA AWD 5000 : Perimeter Wire Free Robot Lawn Mower

Using the RTK-GNSS and Multi-sensor integrated Navigation System, LUBA AWD can map out your lawn and set up various mowing zones without you having to dig or bury wires. LUBA AWD makes the lawn maintenance a breeze for you.

RTK-GNSS and Multi-Sensor Navigation System

With the advanced four Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and RTK Technology and IMU sensors, LUBA can map and navigate in cm-level accuracy.

Powerful RTK Signal Coverage

LUBA RTK signal range can cover a radius of 120m, so LUBA can take care of even large and challenging lawns. The LUBA AWD series maintain perfect route stability even when satellite signals are poor thanks to the integration of interial navigation, odometry, and patented algorithms.

Powerful All-wheel Drive System

Featuring four powerful in-hub motors and exclusive off-road tires and suspensions, LUBA AWD Series boasts best-in-class traction and zero-turning agility. Unlike small-diameter wheel mowers, the LUBA can effortlessly handle 75% slope and traverse the most demanding terrain without getting stuck.

Take good and soft care of your lawn

Four Powerful In-hub Motors

Manage 37° steep slope and obstacle of 50mm height

Make the best off-road capability in rough terrain

Dual Cutting Plates of 400mm

In-app adjustable cutting height of 30-70mm. Never miss a cut.

Impressive Slope Mowing

LUBA AWD 5000 can mow the steep slope up to 75% (37°), and handle the complex lawns and thick tall grass.

In-APP Adjustable Blade Height

LUBA AWD’s double cutting plate with a 400mm(16 inch) cutting width allows it to cut your grass without missing any areas.

LUBA AWD 5000 is ideal for all types of lawns up to 5000㎡(1.25acres). It has a super high efficiency of mowing up to 500㎡(0.13acre) each hour, allowing your family to spend more time enjoying the picture-perfect grass.

Smart App Control Anywhere

With the Mammotion App, lawn care has never been easier.You can customize mowing tasks, and track real-time mowing status anywhere, anytime. Enjoy your vacation and Luba will take good care of your lawn.

Efficient Multi-Zone Management

With the Mammotion App, You can easily set up mowing tasks for multiple working areas, and create channels between them. Set different schedules, cutting modes and cutting heights for each mowing zone.

Planned Route Modes

Compared to the random mowing pattern of conventional robotic mowers, the planned route algorithm significantly improves Luba’s mowing efficiency. You can have it mow one direction then the other, or define angles to mow.

Smart Obstacle Avoidance

Four ultrasonic radar sensors allow the LUBA to automatically detect and avoid obstacles as small as 5cm (2 inches) with a Field of view (FOV) of 220 degrees.

Powerful Battery Auto-recharge

Luba lithium-ion battery has enough capacity to enable Luba to run 180 minutes and to mow up to 500㎡ (0.13 acre) per hour in a session. When the battery is low, it automatically returns to the charging dock, then continues the interrupted mowing session.

Easily Create No-go Zones

You can create no-go zones for plant beds or children’s playgrounds or pools in App, Luba AWD will automatically avoid them.

Automatic Rain Detection

Tiny sensors atop the Luba robot can detect when rain begins and will automatically send the mower back to the charging station.

Anti-theft System

The app will sound an alarm to notify users when there is unusual movement. Luba supports the “lost” feature. The original user will be informed of the current position of the lost LUBA when it reconnects to the network. LUBA cannot be used by others if the original user has not granted permission.

TüV Rheinland-certified Quality

The LUBA AWD Series robot lawn mower is committed to providing high-quality performance with TüV Rheinland-certified quality. LUBA provides a quiet mowing experience (60dB) and emissions-free lifestyle.

What Our Users Say

Luba does incredibly well on what is quite a difficult terrain. It is amazingly well built and as you can see, even manages to produce stripes.

I was really amazed at how he can mow really tall grass. Tried with a 700 m2 map, the result was outstanding.

I am super impressed so far! My rideon mower would have gotten stuck! Hats off to the Mammotion team! Great product.

Here LUBA is running on a hill where the slope varies between 15 and 35 degree.

It is doing a surprisingly great job. It cut the whole front lawn today with no interventions. It has every potential to be the leading fully automated lawnmower.

The 4 motors on every wheel have proven super useful. In my first trial, the machine hasn’t had any failures and the GPS position seems to be very accurate, even near the house.

Tech-art Aesthetics and Robust Safety

Mowing in another direction when encountering hard objects.

Stop spinning blades when Luba is lifted or unbalanced.

Smart obstacle avoidance with 220°FOV

Ensure Luba AWD easy clean with sprinklers and has absolute durability in all-weather

• Charging Station
• LUBA AWD 5000
• Power Supply
• RTK Reference Station
• RTK Reference Station Extension Cable(10m)
• RTK Reference Station Power Supply
• Extra One Set Of Blade
• Key
• Installation Kits
• Mounting Pole
• Quick Start Guide
• Mower Mat

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If the product does not work as guaranteed during the warranty period, you can request after-sales service by contacting the upcoming local MAMMOTION distributor or email us at support@mammotion.com. The main parts of the lawn mower and battery are covered under a 2-year warranty. Please note that the accessories (Charging Station and RTK Antenna) are under a 1-year warranty while blades and tires do no have warranty. The warranty period for a product is valid on the day when product(s) are delivered from local warehouse for Kickstarter backers’ orders and pre-orders, while the other orders is valid on the purchase date.

• With a perimeter wire, firstly, someone has to install it – this means extra time if you do it yourself, or extra cost if someone else does it. Secondly, the perimeter wire can be damaged by animals or someone putting a spade through it. a break in the perimeter wire can be frustrating.Thirdly, if you want to change the area to be mowed, it means re-laying the wire. Finally, if you decide to move, you need to re-laying again the wire in your new lawn.
• With Luba, forget all the above worries. You just walk with Luba along to draw vitrual bounderies, you can program your multi-cutting zones without the hassle of digging or burying the wires.
• With Mammotion APP, you can remotely preset and update the mowing parameters for each zone, as well as check Luba’s status in real-time. The APP can be used remotely to manage your lawn when you are on a vacation or business trip.
• Luba robotic lawn mower keeps your lawn carpet-like all the time. Luba cuts more frequently in 1-2cm to ensure your grass stay healthy.
• It is quiet, you can run it at any time without worrying about disturbing your daily activity or your neighbours.

Thanks to the RTK-GNSS System, users can easily create and set mowing tasks for separated mowing areas in the Smart app. as well as set channels to connect them for multi-zone management. By setting up the operation parameters of different tasks, the equipment can automatically operate in multiple areas in sequence. Luba can pass the sidewalk when the width is more than 1 meter and surroundings are not severely blocked.

RTK base station does not need to be connected to the charging station. You can put the charging station anywhere you want! If you want to install RTK station on the roof, you will need to have a separate power adapter and extension cord to power RTK reference station.

Does the entire area needs to require Wi-Fi signal or once it gets its command near its charging base it can go complete work and then come back to charge ?

Once the mission is set it get do the whole workflow itself even without Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi is to help you check the status of LUBA and receive messages remotely on your cell phone.

You can easily perform the installation yourself. A quick start guide will be included in the box. installation course video will comes.

Luba can manage multiple zones,if there is a path between these two yards, Luba can travel to the second yard and do the work automatically.

With Mammotion App, you can remotely preset and update the mowing parameters for each zone, as well as check Luba’s status in real-time.

The Best Robot Lawn Mower

New robotic lawn mowers have eliminated the nuisances that kept older models from delivering what most folks are hoping for: a big lawn mowed constantly, with zero oversight and minimal maintenance.

Several such mowers are emerging in 2023, and they’re quite pricey. But they’re already looking good enough to shift the conversation on what’s possible in lawn care.

We’ve tested one model so far (with plans for testing more as soon as they’re available). It’s the Husqvarna Automower 450XH EPOS, and we’ve been more than impressed with its capabilities.

The best robot mower (so far)

A premium model with unmatched features, this mower raises your capabilities while reducing your effort. It corrects many limitations of older bots, but it’s not perfect.

Why you should trust us

I’ve been writing about tools and outdoor power equipment since 2007, and I’ve been testing lawn mowers and outdoor power equipment for Wirecutter since 2013. To learn more about robot mowers, I spoke with four leading manufacturers: Ambrogio, Husqvarna, Toro, and Worx.

Who this is for

Consider a robot lawn mower if the following features and capabilities particularly appeal to you.

Robotic mowers are tireless workers. Instead of mowing an area once a week, they can cut it once a day or every other day. This consistent maintenance not only keeps a lawn looking pristine but also improves turf health, because the mower is cutting only the very tip of each blade of grass, and the small cutoffs quickly feed back into the soil. In addition, most robotic mowers cut with small razor blades, so the cut is smooth, not the jagged tear you get from traditional mower blades once they’ve dulled a little. With that cleaner cut, grass is less likely to develop brown tips.

The new generation of robotic mowers can do more. Like a robot vacuum, a robot mower needs a clearly defined work area. Until now, defining that area has required the use of a boundary wire—either buried a few inches deep or pinned down with clips—around the perimeter of the lawn. Installing the wire is a fiddly process, and if it is ever damaged by an animal, a snowplow, or an errant shovel, finding and fixing the break can be difficult. To reshape the work area, you install additional boundary wires. The new mowers eliminate the need for the wire, using satellite positioning or onboard sensors instead, and their app-based controls allow for scheduled cutting, multiple work areas, cutting-height adjustments, mowing patterns, and even weather monitoring.

New robot mowers can handle bigger yards. How much acreage a robot mower can handle is determined by the battery life, namely how much can it mow and charge in a single day. Previous robot mowers worked in random patterns, which is not the most efficient method. New mowers can move in organized patterns, such as straight lines across a yard. Your lawn can look nicer as a result, and the mower doesn’t waste time criss-crossing over previously mowed areas. Thanks to this increased efficiency, a mower battery that could have handled 1.5 acres previously can now cover up to 2.5 acres. This kind of large-scale cutting puts the best robotic mowers alongside comparably priced tools such as riding mowers and zero-turns.

How we tested

As of spring 2023, boundary-free robotic mowers are just being released in the US. We found two available models, the Husqvarna Automower 450XH EPOS and the Ambrogio Twenty ZR. We’ve spent more than a month with the Husqvarna model as of May 2023. We plan to test other models from Toro, Worx, and possibly Ambrogio as soon as they’re available at retail.

We installed the Husqvarna Automower 450XH EPOS on a complex lawn in rural New Hampshire. The hilly lawn is roughly 2 acres and is littered with obstructions including blueberries, a wood shed, multiple flower gardens, a vegetable garden, a chicken coop, six Apple trees, maples, soccer nets, and a fire pit. Mowing this lawn with a riding mower takes roughly two hours. Our intent was to set up the robot mower on only a portion of the lawn and see how it did, but once we got into testing, we kept increasing the number of mowing areas until the entire lawn was being mowed by the relentless little machine.

Our pick: Husqvarna Automower 450XH EPOS

The best robot mower (so far)

A premium model with unmatched features, this mower raises your capabilities while reducing your effort. It corrects many limitations of older bots, but it’s not perfect.

Buying Options

The Husqvarna Automower 450XH EPOS is a boundary-free robotic mower that relies on satellite positioning to maneuver around a yard. The associated app allows you to create and manage mowing zones, stay-out areas, mow patterns, cutting-height adjustments, and more. In our testing, it worked well beyond its listed capabilities, proving itself to be an excellent lawn-maintenance tool. It’s not ideal for every lawn—using it involves some annoyances, and it needs good satellite reception and a wide-open sky. But in locations where it’s a strong fit, it’s worth considering, even with its nearly 6,000 price tag.

The package consists of four parts: the mower, the charging station, the reference station, and the app. You have some restrictions on where to set the pieces up, due to the system’s reliance on satellites. According to the manual, the reference station, which looks like a weather station, should have 160 degrees of clear sky above it, so installing it up high and on a pole is recommended. Don’t mount it on the side of a building. Note that the reference station is responsible for the heightened accuracy of the mower—down to about a centimeter—so if the installation is loose, and the reference station moves or swings around on the mounting pole, the entire lawn map will shift accordingly.

You have two ways to connect the phone app to the mower. Option one is Automower Direct, which uses Bluetooth; option two is Automower Connect, which uses cell reception. Certain features, such as mapping a mowing area, appear in the app only on the Bluetooth connection. The cellular connection lets you control the mower from any remote location (though we had problems setting it up). You can also connect the mower to Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

The most time-consuming part is setting up the mowing areas. You accomplish this by driving the mower around the edge of the defined area, using the app as a controller, and marking points to create the boundary. Once you’ve established the perimeter, you can create stay-out zones for objects such as flower gardens, a birdbath, a child’s play structure, a tree, or a berry patch. Finally, you create a path for the mower to return to the charger. You can create multiple areas, too. Depending on your property or yard, this can be an involved process, and figuring everything out takes a while. Thankfully, once you’ve established an area, you can move the boundary points; in our tests, after the mower cut an area a few times, we could see where our initial points were off and could make slight adjustments.

With the mowing areas established, the fun begins. You can customize each work area with its own schedule, mowing height, and mowing pattern. Because everything happens through satellites, the mower can also work at night (it has headlights that you can turn on for safety), in the rain, or whenever is convenient. For example, the kids get home from school and often play in the yard around 3 p.m., so we kept the mower off-duty at that time.

We were surprised by how well it could handle our test lawn. All set up, our lawn had eight mowing areas and 21 stay-out zones. It worked—and it’s still working. Mowing that lawn with a riding mower typically takes approximately two hours, once a week. Going all mowing season long with the Husqvarna Automower 450XH EPOS, that will be at least 50 hours we’ll have back. We’ll also have no need to deal with refilling gas, changing oil, or winterizing an engine.

The mowing patterns are customizable. We kept things simple with a straight-line mow pattern, but you can also choose a cross pattern or a triangle pattern. You can fully customize the direction of the mow lines, as well, so you can have them run parallel to the front of the house, perpendicular, or at any angle you want. Unfortunately, you can’t mow words into your yard. (Everyone asks that question.)

It cuts with three small razor blades attached to a spinning disk. The blades are double-sided, and each time the mower goes out to work, it reverses the direction of the spin, adding life to the blades. Husqvarna recommends changing the blades every six weeks or so—a simple process that you can do with a screwdriver. The cutting path is roughly 9 inches, and the body of the mower is about 28 by 21 inches, so the design puts a good 7- or 8-inch buffer zone between the edge of the body and the spinning blades, far more than on a push mower.

For added safety, it has a sensor. When the mower encounters an object that is not programmed as a stay-out zone—such as a person, a picnic table, or a delivered package—it slows down so that it bumps the object at a very low speed. Once it feels the bump, it reverses and starts to figure out how to get around the object, a process that leads to a lot more bumping and a lot more reversing. We found that it’s easiest to create a stay-out zone through the app for any object that will be on the lawn for more than a day or so, such as a kiddie pool.

But it does not detect smaller items. You need to clear your lawn of stuff that’s small enough to fit under the mower’s housing. We found this task especially tricky with four kids living in the house. Because we had scheduled most of our mowing for the nights and early mornings, each evening we needed to do a thorough check for baseballs, hula hoops, cornhole bags, sweatshirts, dog toys, socks, and anything else strewn about.

Hitting something might not be a disaster. On a couple of occasions, we missed an item, but the damage was minimal. The blades are smaller than a traditional mower blade, and they’re hinged to the spinning disk like a flail, so if they hit something, they can spin out of the way. A baseball that got run over had only a few nicks on it—a significant difference from all the baseballs we’ve chopped in half with a traditional mower.

This map shows five different mowing areas (green), a number of stay-out zones (red), and the travel paths back to the charger (blue).

The Husqvarna robot mower offers a lot of options, including a weather timer, which coordinates the mowing schedule to the growth of the lawn.

Each work area can operate on a different schedule. In this example, we set the area around the berries to be mowed between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. every day.

This map shows five different mowing areas (green), a number of stay-out zones (red), and the travel paths back to the charger (blue).

Security and privacy don’t appear to be an issue with the app. As we do for all app-based devices, we sent a security and privacy questionnaire to Husqvarna, asking about the company’s security policies and practices for handling a device owner’s data. Among other concerns, that includes login practices, whether the company supports two-factor authentication, what user data is encrypted, and what data is recorded and shared. Husqvarna’s responses were standard for what we’ve seen and didn’t raise any questions.

Not surprisingly, it’s expensive. The mower and charging station together cost about 5,000, and the reference station adds 800. You can purchase the Husqvarna Automower 450XH EPOS only through an authorized dealer, who can do the installation at an additional charge, though we think a moderately handy person should be able to perform the install themselves. That is a lot of money, but the multi-acre capability of the 450XH EPOS, not to mention the convenience, makes it comparable to a riding mower or a zero-turn mower, which are up in the 2,000 to 6,000 range, depending on the size and features. Add in the time you recover by not mowing, maintaining, or winterizing, and the value of this Husqvarna robot mower starts to come into FOCUS.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The app is functional, but it has room for improvement. Using the app is mostly intuitive, but at times we were confused about how to navigate it. We also would have appreciated more mapping features, such as the ability to add a mapping point to an existing work area, and we found other little things, like inconsistencies between metric and US measurements. When we spoke to Husqvarna representatives, they indicated that the app and the satellite technology in general are still evolving, so we expect to see incremental improvements to both.

Satellite coverage can be an issue. During our testing, the Husqvarna mower exceeded its documented capabilities, working fine in many spots where it had no line of sight with the reference station, but it did drop out of satellite communication a couple of times. On occasion, when the mower was operating directly against a two-story structure or under a tree canopy, it would shut itself down, with the message that it was looking for satellites. This happened maybe one in five times it was mowing that area. Often it would recover on its own, but other times we had to manually restart it.

Cloud? Bluetooth? Hello? We had problems connecting to the mower through the Cloud. This was probably due to the lousy cell reception at the test property, and it’s likely not a universal issue, but it did limit what we could do with the mower. Because we could connect only via Bluetooth, we needed to be within close proximity in order to control the mower. So if it was raining out or if it was nighttime, and we wanted to change the schedule or stop the mower, we needed to suit up and head outside, instead of making the changes from our living room.

This mower won’t work for all properties. Most manufacturers we spoke with agreed that there are still some properties where a boundary-wire robot mower is the better fit. Some properties, for example, may have too much tree cover, or they might be simple and small enough for the lower cost of a boundary-wire mower to make more sense. Right now, the Husqvarna Automower 450XH, the boundary-wire version of our pick, costs almost 3,000 less.

What to look forward to

A number of other manufacturers are in the process of releasing their own boundary-free robotic mowers. We are excited to try several firsthand.

Ambrogio, a popular robotic mower manufacturer in Europe, is set to release in the US the 4.36 Elite RTK mower, which shares a lot of features with the Husqvarna Automower 450XH EPOS, including the use of satellite positioning and an app. The specs show similar capabilities between the two models.

The Worx Landroid Vision is a much simpler mower, better equipped for smaller, well-defined lawns. It operates more like a robot vacuum, randomly bopping around the yard until it has cut all of the grass. Instead of requiring a boundary wire or satellite coverage, it uses cameras to determine what is grass and what is not grass. If it sees grass, it cuts; if it sees something that is not grass, it tries to go around. Though this mower does not need a boundary wire, it does need a well-defined yard, one that is preferably enclosed on all four sides by sidewalks, driveways, and a house. This mower is limited in capability in comparison with the Husqvarna model we tested, but it could be a great fit for certain yards. Worx is set to release four versions: 0.25 acre, 0.5 acre, 0.75 acre, and 1 acre. Pricing will range from 2,000 to 3,500, according to company representatives.

The Ambrogio Twenty ZR is similar to the Worx Landroid Vision but uses radar for sensing its surroundings, as opposed to a camera. Currently available, it works on spaces up to a quarter acre and appears to be in the 1,800 price range.

Toro is in the process of releasing a robotic mower, and we’re very curious about it. The technology behind this model sounds like it splits the difference between the simplicity of the Worx Landroid Vision and the complexity of the Husqvarna Automower 450XH EPOS. Like the Worx design, it relies on onboard cameras to find its way around, but it also lets you map out multiple mowing areas and stay-out zones. While it doesn’t have mow patterns, it does offer scheduling. Toro has not released any pricing or availability details, but representatives indicated to us that the cost would be in the range of a zero-turn mower, likely putting it in the 3,000 to 4,000 range.

The competition

We did not consider any models that use a boundary wire. This is a large group of mowers that have come and gone in recent years; the current lineup includes the Husqvarna Automower 430XH, the Robomow RK4000, and the Worx Landroid WR147. Such models may work for some people and situations, but the new boundary-free mowers, though more expensive, offer much more customization, larger work areas, and none of the frustration associated with burying and maintaining a wire perimeter around your lawn. If you have a smaller, well-defined lawn and decide to take this route, we recommend starting your search with Husqvarna, Worx, and Ambrogio.

This article was edited by Harry Sawyers.

The best robot lawn mowers: Husqvarna, Greenworks, and more compared

Work smarter, not harder on your lawn this summer. The best robot mowers feature automatic scheduling and cut your grass for you.

Taylor Clemons is a tech writer and reviewer based near Cleveland, OH. After graduating from Tiffin University in 2011, they spent several years in lawn and garden manufacturing before working on their own (now defunct) game review site, Steam Shovel.

Sean Jackson is a creative copywriter living in Florida. He’s had work published with CNET, Realtor.com, theScore, ESPN, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Taylor Clemons is a tech writer and reviewer based near Cleveland, OH. After graduating from Tiffin University in 2011, they spent several years in lawn and garden manufacturing before working on their own (now defunct) game review site, Steam Shovel.

Sean Jackson is a creative copywriter living in Florida. He’s had work published with CNET, Realtor.com, theScore, ESPN, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Fairly new to lawn care technology, Robot mowers are a helpful tool that help to manicure your lawn more efficiently. They operate in much the same way as a robot vacuum or mop does: utilizing sensors and guidewires to avoid obstacles and stay within boundaries, and also allow for scheduling and monitoring via Bluetooth companion apps.

A highlight feature of robot lawns is their small cutting decks, often just eight or nine inches wide, which makes them ideal for suburban lawns in particular. The included reels of guidewire also are often just big enough to mark off the edge of a quarter acre to half acre lot or the same size area of much larger lawns. Another appeal of a robot lawn mower is that they’re autonomous. Once you set up a schedule, you don’t have to worry about being home to mow your lawn, rather, the unit will leave the base station and start cutting the grass all on its own at the designated start time.

Additionally, robot mowers are battery-powered, meaning they don’t emit any gas, making them a more environmentally friendly solution to lawn care. Plus, the lack of a gas engine means there’s very little maintenance other than changing out batteries and cleaning out dried grass and dirt.

To help you find the right fit for your lawn and your summer schedule, I rounded up the best robot mowers available, keeping in mind their key features, maximum cutting areas, and user-friendliness so you can find which model is best suited to your needs.

Worx Landroid L

Best robot mower overall

Worx Landroid L features: Cutting width: 8 inches | Max cutting area:.5 acres | Connectivity: Bluetooth | Companion app: Yes | Anti-theft alarm: Yes

The Worx Landroid L is my top choice for the best robot lawn mower. With the 8-inch cutting deck, it can mow lawns up to a half acre, which is perfect for most suburban lots. The cutting disc sits on a floating pivot to automatically rise and drop to follow your lawn’s terrain, reducing the chance of scalping or missing low spots. Built-in sensors help the Landroid L navigate around obstacles and through narrow paths, so you don’t have to worry about it getting caught in your flower beds or stuck between your toolshed and the house.

A companion app for your smartphone or tablet allows you to check on battery life, set a mowing schedule, and even specify your lawn’s soil makeup and type of grass for more efficient mowing and overall care. A built-in alarm helps deter thieves, but if someone does manage to make off with your robot mower, the GPS-enabled companion app lets you track their whereabouts so you can recover your property.

MowRo RM24A

Best lower-priced robot mower

MowRo RM24A features: Cutting width: 9.5 inches | Max cutting area:.25 acres | Connectivity: N/A | Companion app: No | Anti-theft alarm: No

Since robot mowers are such a new technology, they can be quite expensive. Fortunately, the Mowro RM24A is one of the more affordable options on the market, with a price tag that sits comfortably under 1,000. The 9.5-inch cutting deck and 28V battery allow the RM24A to mow yards up to a quarter acre, while the large rear, wheels help it tackle steeper hills and inclines. The brushless motor runs much more quietly than gas mowers and many other battery-powered mowers, which means you can enjoy your deck, patio, or backyard while the RM24A is mowing your lawn.

And it won’t annoy the neighbors as it follows its 48-hour mowing schedule; this robot mower automatically mows every two days to keep a consistent cut across your entire lawn. It even has rain sensors to let the mower know it’s time to return to the docking station when storms roll in.

Husqvarna 115H

Best quick-charging robot mower

Husqvarna 115H features: Cutting width: 8.5 inches | Max cutting area:.25 acres | Connectivity: Bluetooth | Companion app: Yes | Anti-theft alarm: Yes

Since robot mowers run on either interchangeable or integrated batteries, they’ll need routine charging for optimal runtimes. Unfortunately, that also means you could get stuck waiting for your mower to charge before it can finish cutting the grass. The Husqvarna 115H has one of the fastest charging times, reaching full battery in just about an hour. You can tackle other outdoor chores like edge trimming and pulling weeds while you wait, and you won’t have to schedule mowing over several days to allow for charging times.

The 8.5-inch cutting deck lets the 115H mow up to a quarter acre; and with its lift and tilt sensors, the blades automatically stop if the mower gets picked up. This protects pets, kids, and adults from getting hurt if the mower gets stuck on an object or if it gets flipped over. The integrated anti-theft alarm only can be shut off with a specified PIN number, meaning thieves can’t disable the alarm before making off with your robot mower.

Husqvarna 430X

Best robot mower for large yards

• GPS theft tracking
• Mows up to.8 acres
• Spiral cut and spot-mow modes
• Alexa and Hey Google compatibility

Husqvarna 430X features: Cutting width: 9.5 inches | Max cutting area:.8 acres | Connectivity: Bluetooth | Companion app: Yes | Anti-theft alarm: Yes

Robot mowers are usually meant for much smaller lawns, but the Husqvarna 430X is capable of handling lots up to almost a full acre. The 9.5-inch cutting deck features three blades that mulch clippings into ultra-fine pieces to re-feed your lawn between fertilizer applications. The large rear wheels enable the mower to handle steep inclines. With Bluetooth connectivity and GPS navigation, the 430X lets you schedule mow times, set up remote start points, and even set up profiles for different sections of your yard. This lets you create a custom schedule for a consistent cut across your whole lawn, while remote start points mean that your robot mower isn’t limited to where the base station is when you want it to tackle a particular section.

You can even choose between spot mowing and spiral mowing. The spot-mow mode lets you quickly tackle small areas the 430X may have missed or may be growing faster than other sections of your lawn, while the spiral-mow mode provides a consistent cutting pattern. Like its cousin, the Husqvarna 115H, it has a built-in alarm to alert you to would-be thieves and only can be disabled with a personalized PIN. It also offers GPS tracking in case someone does manage to make off with your new mower. Husqvarna also offers interchangeable top covers to either make it easier to see where your 430X is in your yard or to match the rest of your lawn and garden equipment. And if you want truly hands-off lawn care, you can connect the 430X to your Alexa or Hey Google Smart speaker for voice-activated controls.