Stiga robotic lawn mower. Robotic Lawn Mowers Market Size, Share, & Trends…

Robotic Lawn Mowers Market Size, Share, Trends Analysis By Battery Type (Less than 20V, 20V to 30V), By End Use (Residential, Commercial), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2019. 2025

The global robotic lawn mowers market size was valued at USD 351.12 million in 2018 and is expected to register a CAGR of 21.9% from 2019 to 2025. The emergence of remote-controlled and GPS-equipped autonomous lawnmowers has made gardening easier by making these products easy to track, monitor, and operate. Furthermore, there has been a notable rise in consumer interest in gardening activities across the globe, creating an increased need for gardening tools such as robotic lawnmowers.

Increased expenditure on activities such as landscaping, backyard beautification, backyard cookouts, and garden parties, along with the need to save time spent on lawn maintenance activities, are also driving the demand for a variety of gardening tools, driving the market. The market is also driven by factors such as the growing construction and tourism industries, coupled with the increasing disposable income of individuals across the globe. Additionally, growing consumer inclination toward energy-efficient systems and the rising popularity of autonomous equipment that requires minimum user interference is also expected to positively impact the global demand for robotic lawnmowers.

The gradual shift from manual tools to technically advanced, automated equipment is also likely to help develop a large set of growth opportunities for players in the market. The upsurge in demand for landscaping services in developed countries such as the U.S., to add an aesthetic value to a property, a notable rise in disposable incomes, and the evolving lifestyles of people in developing countries such as India and China are anticipated to fuel the growth prospects of the robotic lawn mowers market over the forecast period.

The presence of intelligent sensory controls in robotic lawnmowers, which ensure automated mowing of a given landscape, is also expected to significantly impact the market demand soon. Furthermore, key players are engaged in integrating ledge sensors and additional features such as laser vision, Smart navigation, lawn mapping, memory, and self-emptying in their products to enhance the performance and efficiency of these devices. The resultant rise in the availability of more efficient robotic lawnmowers is likely to work well for the market soon.

Battery Type Insights

The battery type segment has been segregated into less than 20V and 20V to 30V. The 20V to 30V segment held the largest market share in 2018 and is expected to remain the dominant segment over the forecast period as well. Batteries falling in the 20V to 30V range predominantly feature in robotic lawn mowers that are used for commercial usage. These relatively costlier products are often employed for mowing lawns that are 1.0 to 2.5 acres in size, often found in commercial areas such as sports/golf fields or the hospitality sector. Steady demand from the hospitality sector is likely to contribute to the growth prospects of the segment over the next few years.

The less than 20V battery type segment, on the other hand, is expected to register the highest CAGR of over 20% over the forecast period. This is attributed to the rising usage of automated lawnmowers in residential applications. Several companies such as Husqvarna Group and WORX Landroid robotic lawn mowers in this category for residential as well as commercial applications. The fact that batteries having less than 20V are suitable for both residential, as well as commercial purposes, is expected to fuel demand for the segment over the forecast period.

End-Use Insights

Based on end-use, the market has been segregated into residential and commercial segments. The residential segment was valued at more than USD 200.0 million in 2018 and is expected to retain its dominance over the forecast period. The increasing adoption of robotic equipment in the residential end-use segment is expected to play a key role in determining the growth prospects of the segment over the forecast period. The residential end-use segment is also likely to register the highest CAGR over the forecast period.

The commercial segment is anticipated to rise to a valuation of more than USD 400 million by 2025. Rising government investment into the beautification of existing infrastructure, parks, and lawns or yards present near historic monuments could work well for the growing demand for robotic lawn mowers in the commercial end-use segment. Furthermore, the segment is also expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period owing to the steady growth of the hospitality sector and the tourism industry.

Regional Insights

The Asia Pacific market is anticipated to register a CAGR of over 18% from 2019 to 2025. The Rapid pace of urbanization in the region has led to a vast rise in residential and commercial construction activities, which is expected to spur sales of a variety of gardening and lawn maintenance tools. Additionally, upcoming events such as Olympics 2020 in Japan necessitate regular maintenance as well as the aesthetic up-gradation of lawns and yards. This is subsequently expected to trigger the demand for robotic lawn mowers in the region.

The European market dominated in 2018 and accounted for over 30% of the overall revenue share of the market. The regional market is likely to retain its dominance over the forecast period as well. This growth is attributed to an increased preference towards energy-efficient robotic lawnmowers that ensure a low degree of emissions, increased online retailing, and the increasing popularity of landscaping services to enhance residential and commercial lawns.

Robotic Lawn Mowers Market Share Insights

The market is highly consolidated and is characterized by a high level of competition with the presence of a few global players. Some of the leading companies in the market are Deere Company, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, STIGA S.p.A., Robomow Friendly House, and Husqvarna Group.

The competitiveness is anticipated to intensify further as many companies are focusing on expanding their product portfolio by introducing advanced features or technologies in their existing product lines. For instance, in March 2018, Husqvarna Group announced the introduction of a Cloud-based voice service known as Alexa in their product, Automower Connect. With this, owners can use voice commands to start, stop, park, and get updates related to the working condition or the whereabouts of their lawnmowers.

Robotic Lawn Mowers Report Scope

The base year for estimation

Robotic Lawnmowers Reaping Billions of Dollars

The average American spends about 70 hours per year on lawn care and maintenance. For some, it’s a labor of love. For others, it’s time better spent watching football on Sunday. What’s an armchair quarterback to do?

The billion-dollar answer? Buy a robotic lawnmower like the one pictured below:

We’ve briefly discussed the subject of robotic lawnmowers on a couple of occasions, most recently during an in-depth look at iRobot’s market dominance in robotic vacuum cleaners. Now we want to dig a little deeper into the robotic lawnmower market itself. How niche is the market? And who are the players to watch?

Another way to put the first question: Is there any money to be made in robotic lawnmowers? The short answer: Between 2 and 4.6 billion, depending on who is doing the counting.

Beige Market Intelligence, in its “Worldwide Robotic Lawn Mower” market research report published earlier this year, projected the market would hit 2 billion by 2021, with a compound annual growth rate of 4 percent between 2016 and 2021. Europe accounted for the largest market share of more than 60 percent in 2015, according to Beige Market Intelligence. That’s particularly interesting since Europe accounts for only about 20 percent of the 38 billion global lawn mower market, versus the United States, with about two-thirds of the market share at 25.2 billion.

The second number of 4.6 billion comes from iRobot (IRBT), which appears poised to add robotic lawnmowers to its portfolio of autonomous home cleaning and care bots.

We’ve wondered previously if perhaps iRobot will stand up its own robotic lawnmower or look to make an acquisition among the contenders currently in the market. There are at least a couple of clues that suggest such a machine would be developed in-house. Robotics Trends reported earlier this year that iRobot had filed a trademark in 2014 for “Terra”, which was to be used for “robotic lawnmowers; structural and replacement parts and fittings for robotic lawnmowers.” Last year, iRobot received approval from the FCC to use wireless technology in tandem with a robotic lawnmower. Most robotic lawnmower systems require the user to set up a perimeter fence to help guide the machine. Maybe the extra labor – plus hefty retail price tags – is among the reasons why robotic lawnmowers aren’t getting much traction in the United States yet?

The idea that iRobot might buy its way into robotic lawnmower market seems less likely given the contender list. Most of the companies working in this niche are probably as big, if not bigger, than iRobot, though perhaps one might be looking to spin off a division to devote more attention to its core business. According to Beige Market Intelligence, the major players in the market include Husqvarna, Robomow, Zucchetti Centro Sistemi, Global Garden Products and Robert Bosch. Other prominent vendors in the market include AL-KO, Belrobotics, Deere Co., E. ZICOM, Honda, Hangzhou Favor Robot Technology, MTD Products, Positec Tool, and STIHL.

Let’s take a closer look at the top five in this sector.

Husqvarna

Husqvarna is a Swedish-based company that is credited with rolling out the first commercial robotic lawnmower in 1995, Husqvarna produces outdoor power products for garden, park and forest care, including chainsaws, trimmers, riding lawn mowers and, of course, robotic lawnmowers. In September, Husqvarna announced that the robotic lawnmower market was profitable enough that it would increase manufacturing capacity for its Newton Aycliffe factory in England. At the same time, the company also said it will expand and build up capacity at its existing Husqvarna Group site in Vrbno, Czech Republic, by 2018. The company said that “due to the strategic importance of this product, we see the need to manufacture robotic mowers in more than one site to meet the growing market and limit the risk with only one factory.” There are also plans to introduce robotic mowers for its McCulloch consumer brand next year. It already sells robotic lawnmowers under its Husqvarna and Gardena brands.

In the company’s 2015 annual report, it said increases of net sales of 6 percent in its Husqvarna division and 8 percent in Gardena were driven largely from robotic lawnmowers sales in Europe. That trend seemed to continue into 2016. In an interim report published last month, the company said its Husqvarna Division “generated an increase in sales mainly driven by product leadership areas, especially in robotic mowers, which contributed to earnings growth as a result of favorable mix.”

The main innovation Husqvarna introduced this year was the Gardena Smart System, which launched in selected markets. The system connects water control systems and robotic mowers with sensors in the garden, allowing the user to monitor and operate the system via a smartphone or tablet, bringing the Internet of Things to the garden.

Robomow

Officially called Friendly Machines, Robomow comes from much humbler beginnings than Husqvarna. It was founded by two Israeli entrepreneurs, Udi Peless and Shai Abramson, in 1995. According to company lore, Peless’s wife asked him to mow the lawn on a hot summer day. Peless fantasized about shirking the unwanted labor by using a robotic lawnmower. Friendly Machines was born in 1995, apparently a seminal year for robotic lawnmowers.

Last year, the company saw U.S. sales rise 50 percent, suggesting that robotic lawnmowers may finally be making inroads in a market that has mostly been focused in Europe, where the cost of lawn care and maintenance is generally higher than in the United States. Will President-elect Trump’s border wall with Mexico make the 1,000-plus price tags of most robotic lawnmowers more competitive? Only time (and many, many miles of brick and mortar) will tell.

Zucchetti Centro Sistemi

Zucchetti Centro Sistemi, based in Italy, started in 1985 as a software company and eventually added automation and robotics to its growing portfolio. In 2000, ZCS becomes part of the Zucchetti Spa holding company, a leading software manufacturer in Italy with 3,000 employees. That was the same year ZCS began designing, manufacturing and distributing innovative hi-tech robots, including what it considers its“crowning glory,” Ambrogio, a robotic lawnmower line that has grown to include 17 models. Other robots in the company production line include feeding bots for dogs and horses, as well as a pool-cleaning robot.

One interesting offshoot to the robotic lawnmower category from ZCS is Agribot. As one might expect from the vino-loving Italians, Agribot is a robotic lawnmower specifically designed for clearing the grass between rows of grapevines at a winery. It looks a bit like a stripped-down golf cart. Cameras and other sensors help the robot recognize the rows of vines and cut only the grass between the rows. Not only that, but the whole contraption is solar powered. To that, we say, “salut.”

Global Garden Products

Another contender from Europe, Global Garden Products was founded in 2000 after four European lawnmower businesses merged: Stiga, Alpina, Mountfield, and Castelgarden. In 2011, Atco also joined the group. GGP sells more than one million products per year and sales are valued at about 480 million euros, with manufacturing spread across Italy, Slovakia, and China. It employs about 1,550 people worldwide.

The company has been making significant moves over the last several years to strengthen its presence in robotic lawnmower business, beginning in 2012 when it bought its way into the market with the acquisition ofLiCosrl’s Lizard robotic lawnmower brand. It now sells those mowers under its Stiga brand. At the same time, GGP joined forces with ZCS (apparently for dominance of the alphabet). In exchange for ZCS’s expertise in robotics research and development, GGP offered its marketing and sales network. In 2014, GGP claimed that one in almost every 40 lawn mowers is now a robot, with expectations of double-digit sales growth moving forward.

Bosch GmbH

Notice a geographic trend? Four of the five key players in this market are based in Europe. Robert Bosch GmbH is a German behemoth, with revenue of more than €70 billion in 2015. Its reputation has been built as an engineering and electronics company that supplies automotive components, but it obviously dabbles in a number of other markets, including household appliances, power tools, security systems, and thermal technology.

And, of course, robotic lawnmowers. It launched the Bosch Indegoin 2013, claiming it is the only robotic lawnmower on the market to cut in parallel lines. Once again a robot shows up a human. But can it open beer bottles with its teeth?

Probably not, but the Bosch Power Tools division took a big bite out of the garden tools market last year, with record sales of 294 million euros, corresponding to 6 percent growth. The company said new garden tools such as robotic lawnmowers and intelligent cordless tools generated about 40 percent of its sales. Bosch Power Tools appears to be most comfortable operating in Europe, with the Old World accounting for more than 90 percent of sales.

Conclusion

There is obviously faith in the future of robotic lawnmowers, based on the investments and interests in companies within and outside the current market. No doubt retail will start to drop as competition and demand heats up. And the right price point will be a tipping point for consumers to add a lawnmower to their private army of home maintenance robots.

Why spend weekends pushing a loud gas mower and breathing exhaust fumes? Let one of these autonomous electric mowers do the work cleanly and quietly.

By Mark Wolfe | Updated Jul 18, 2023 10:43 AM

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

Photo: Debbie Wolfe for Bob Vila

Improvements in rechargeable battery tech and intelligent software have dramatically changed the way we live. Smart televisions and lighting systems improve our sensory environment, while other automated home devices like vacuum cleaners, thermostats, and refrigerators minimize many more mundane tasks. Similarly, robotic lawn mowers can now keep the grass at just the right height, eliminating a time-consuming weekend chore.

These devices may even cost less to own and operate than gasoline-powered mowers while making very little noise and producing no exhaust emissions. They maintain up to an acre or more on most types of terrain, and they work automatically so folks with lawns have more time to relax and enjoy their green space.

No doubt, all of this sounds great—but how well do these robots actually perform? To find out, we put some popular models through their paces on real-life lawns. Read on to learn about the criteria we used to select these mowers, and then check out our product reviews to find out how each one did on our test turf. Anyone in the market for a new mower might just discover that a robot model can be a Smart, time-saving investment. R2-D2 would surely approve!

• BEST OVERALL:Worx Landroid M 20V Robotic Lawn Mower
• BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK:Gardena 15001-20 Sileno City Automatic Robotic Mower
• UPGRADE PICK:Husqvarna Automower 415X Robotic Lawn Mower
• BEST FOR STEEP HILLS:Redback MowRo 9.5-Inch Robot Lawn Mower
• BEST FOR LARGE LAWNS:Husqvarna Automower 115H Robotic Lawn Mower
• BEST FOR SMALL LAWNS:Gardena 15202-41 Sileno Minimo Robotic Mowe

Photo: Debbie Wolfe for Bob Vila

How We Tested the Best Robotic Lawn Mowers

All of the robotic lawn mowers we tested use 14-gauge low-voltage wire to establish the barrier. We assembled two barriers around two 1,200-square-foot patches of lawn—one with Bermuda grass and a steep slope and one mostly flat area with centipede grass. Each test area included two large open spaces connected by a narrow bottleneck corridor, and all the mowers were tested on both test areas.

We established a daily mowing schedule for 7 days in each location. We observed the ease of programming and communication with the mower as well as its actual performance. Criteria to be included in this guide were as follows:

• Consistently reliable mowing on schedule and returning to the base station after initial setup and first-day adjustments
• Consistently navigating the narrow corridor to mow both large areas
• Avoiding random obstacles intentionally left within the boundaries
• Returning to the base station in the event of rain or sprinklers
• Avoiding excessively steep slopes without becoming stuck
• Complete coverage of the test area—no noticeable missed spots for the entire test week

Our Top Picks

We measured the following robotic lawn mowers against our shopping considerations (detailed below) and put each one to work for a 7-day home trial. Find out why we recommend them among the best robot lawn mowers available.

Worx Landroid M 20V Robotic Lawn Mower

The popular Worx Landroid robotic mower lineup includes models S, M, and L for yards up to 0.125 acre, 0.25 acre, and 0.5 acre, respectively. While they offer many similarities, we found that the Worx Landroid M offers the best combination of capability and affordability. It is powered by a 20-volt 4-amp-hour lithium-ion battery for 2 hours of runtime per 90-minute charge. It can mow on a 20-degree slope thanks to a pair of high-efficiency brushless wheel motors that provide extra traction. The Landroid’s 8-inch self-leveling mowing disc cuts closer to the edges of the yard than many competitors. The blade height manually adjusts from 1.5 to 3.5 inches.

Landroid connects to a home Wi-Fi network via Bluetooth and automatically keeps its own software up to date. You can easily set or adjust the custom mowing schedule or monitor the mower on the go via the Landroid mobile app. An integrated rain sensor stops the mower from cutting if rain starts and sends it back to its charging station.

The Landroid M performed at or near the top in most of our testing rubric categories. Assembly and programming were easy, mowing was reliable with excellent coverage, communication through the mobile app was intuitive, and runtime was superior—all for a very competitive price. Runtime was especially impressive: We clocked it at 2 hours 35 minutes, the longest of all the mowers we tested.

Unfortunately, we subtracted points for poor docking ability. Landroid was the only mower we tested with recharging contacts located on the side of the machine rather than the front or back. To recharge, it must be perfectly positioned in relation to two flexible contact points as it passes over the base station; otherwise, it continues tracking along the perimeter wire without stopping. After resetting the base station three times and ensuring it was absolutely level in all directions with a long, straight approach, we finally achieved satisfactory results.

Aside from that issue, the Landroid provides outstanding overall functionality for the price. Available upgrades include the ACS module that prevents collisions, Find My Landroid GPS cellular module, Radio Link module to extend Wi-Fi connectivity for improved artificial intelligence, an Off Limits module for wire-free no-mow zones within the main mowing area, and the Landroid Garage.

Product Specs

• Coverage area: 0.25 acre (10,890 square feet)
• Mowing height range: 1.5 to 3.5 inches
• Slope rating: 20 degrees
• Includes everything you need to get started and clear step-by-step instructions for easy installation
• User-friendly mobile app makes it simple to control the mower and check status remotely
• 2 hours of runtime per charge means more mowing and less time spent charging
• Competitive price point for a highly capable robotic lawn mower
• Base station must be installed perfectly or the mower may not align properly for charging
• Some desirable features are not included with the base kit

Get the Worx robot lawn mower at Amazon, Lowe’s, or The Home Depot.

Gardena 15001-20 Sileno City Automatic Robotic Mower

Anyone shopping for an affordable and uncomplicated robotic lawn mower for a small yard would do well to consider the Gardena Sileno City. It navigates slopes up to 25 percent and corridors as narrow as 24 inches wide. Plus, it works rain or shine, day or night.

Available with either a 2,700-square-foot or 5,400-square-foot maximum mowing capacity, the Sileno City is a great option for most urban landscapes. It requires a flat, level area for the charging station and a nearby power source. A low-voltage perimeter wire keeps the mower inbounds and may be configured to mow a secondary area that is isolated from the primary lawn.

You can customize the mowing height between 0.8 inch and 2 inches high by means of a manual adjustment knob. The Gardena Bluetooth app makes it easy to operate the mower or customize the schedule and other settings from any mobile device, or use the onboard control panel to make adjustments.

It took about 1.5 hours to set up the Gardena Sileno City in our testing area. The kit included everything needed to get started, along with clear instructions. We plugged in the base station and allowed the mower to charge while we installed the perimeter wire and guide wire. The guide wire is an extra wire that bisects the lawn from the base station to the most distant portion of the perimeter wire. All Gardena (and parent company Husqvarna) robot mowers use it to navigate more efficiently.

After installation, we followed the instructions to calibrate the system and program the schedule. Starting with a pre-mowed lawn, we adjusted the mower height to mow 1.5 inches high, and the yard looked great throughout the test period.

One feature that shoppers should be aware of is the maximum daily runtime of about 3.5 hours per day (for the 2,700-square-foot version that we tested). Don’t bother scheduling the mower to run more than 3.5 hours total per day since after reaching the time limit, the device will simply return home until the following day. Since we mowed no more than 2.5 hours per day, we didn’t have a problem.

Product Specs

• Coverage area: 2,700 square feet
• Mowing height range: 0.8 to 2.0 inches
• Slope rating: 14.04 degrees
• Value-priced yet feature-rich robotic mower ideal for smaller lawn areas
• Kit includes everything needed for installation and easy-to-follow instructions
• Reliably and quietly mows all kinds of grass, day or night, rain or shine
• Navigates slopes up to 25 percent and passages as narrow as 24 inches
• Preprogrammed with a daily runtime limit that stops the mower regardless of battery status
• Not Wi-Fi or GPS enabled

Get the Gardena 15001-20 robot lawn mower at Amazon or Gardena.

Husqvarna Automower 415X Robotic Lawn Mower

Here is a well-equipped mower for warm-season grasses up to 0.4 acre, especially lawns with challenging obstacles, narrow passages, and sloped terrain. With a mowing height range of 0.8 to 2 inches, the Husqvarna Automower 415X is designed for maintaining low-mow grasses like zoysia, Bermuda, and centipede. It is powered by an 18-volt 2-amp-hour lithium-ion battery that delivers a runtime of 50 minutes per charge and recharges in 60 minutes. This premium mower features a high-resolution onboard display, rugged poly front bumper, LED headlights, and coarse-tread wheels that easily handle slopes up to 40 percent.

The Automower 415X is loaded with communication and control features, beginning with cellular and Bluetooth connectivity. It is easily controlled via the Automower Connect mobile app and is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home Smart devices. Husqvarna’s intelligent mapping technology uses GPS sensors to virtually map the lawn, enabling zone control with customized settings, and real-time tracking through the app. This high level of communication pairs nicely with precision control and automated features like electric height adjustment, automatic passage handling, remote location starting, spiral- and spot-cutting capabilities, wireless firmware updates, theft protection system with GPS tracking, and more.

The Automower 415X arrived for testing with everything we needed for a quick and easy DIY installation. The layout and setup were similar to the other models we tested but with the unique addition of a central guide wire running through the middle of the mowing area to assist with navigation back to the home base. Initial programming was fast and intuitive with the mower’s onboard controls. After downloading the app, we spent some time customizing mowing options, adding the targeted mowing height and spiral mowing options. Targeted mowing automatically lowered the cutting height each day until our preselected height was achieved. With spiral mowing engaged, the mower automatically detects extra-tall or dense growth and mows that isolated area in a spiral pattern. These two options were especially helpful in combination, as we needed to get our overgrown Bermuda grass under control.

Our testing lawn was an irregularly shaped area encompassing 1,200 square feet, with a tree isolated by the boundary wire near the middle and two larger lawn areas on either side. Part of the test area included a steep slope, close to 50 percent in one small area, and the 415X had no trouble. We noticed after the third or fourth mowing that the robot was making more efficient linear cuts and less frequently getting caught up in multipoint turns.

During the target-height adjustment period, the mower seemed to FOCUS more time on a section after it had been sufficiently cut, then running out of battery before fully cutting the other section. Once the target was achieved, however, daily mowing at 1.25 inches kept the grass looking great. Docking at the base station went perfectly every time. Easy setup, reliable operation, Smart tech, and a lower mowing height range make this a good choice for most small to midsize yards with warm-season lawn grass.

Product Specs

• Coverage area: 0.4 acre (17,424 square feet)
• Mowing height range: 0.8 to 2 inches
• Slope rating: 22 degrees
• Precision control features allow you to target portions of the lawn that require more attention
• GPS-assisted navigation allows the robot to mow challenging areas more efficiently
• Easily navigates obstructions like toys and lawn furniture as well as difficult terrain
• Cellular and Bluetooth connectivity make it easy to connect and control the mower remotely
• Premium price point for top-of-the-line robotic mowing technology
• Highly efficient mowing capability is offset by a somewhat limited runtime per charge

Get the Husqvarna Automower 415X robot lawn mower at Amazon or Lowe’s.

The best robotic lawn mowers for 2023

Like the look of robotic lawn mowers? Browse our pick of the very best, for gardens of all shapes and sizes.

Increasingly popular with UK gardeners, robotic lawn mowers are a welcome, hands-free alternative to traditional petrol and electric lawn mowers. Because a robotic lawn mower is fully automatic, it can be a brilliant option for gardeners who have mobility concerns, are away from home a lot, or 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 a number of different brands, note that all of them offer a range of mowers with varying sizes, capabilities and features.

To compare these robotic models against other types of mowers, see our reviews of the best cordless lawn mowers, the best electric mowers and the best push mowers. And, if you’re looking to give your lawn a bit of TLC, our experts have tested a range of manual and powered aerators and scarifiers. check out the best scarifiers and best aerators reviews. You can also keep edges looking neat with our tests of the best strimmers or pick of the best lawn edging.

Best robotic lawn mowers at a glance

Our expertise

To help you find a robotic 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. Every robotic mower in our round-up below has scored a minimum of four out of five stars, so you can buy with confidence.

The robotic mower industry is constantly evolving, with new developemnts and advances, and we are currently testing a number of the latest models ready to update this review shortly. Please check back soon to see the results of our new review.

Best robotic lawn mowers

Husqvarna Automower 405X

RRP: From £1899.00

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Unobtrusive colour
• Easy connectivity
• Clever mowing features
• GPS theft tracking

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for features, the Automower 405x boasts a huge range of features that help the mower cut well and make the experience easy for the user. These include, three different start points, switching mowing pattern according to where it’s mowing, such as through a narrow passage, frost guard and weather time that automatically adjusts the height according to the grass growth, and its new Rewilding Zone where you can leave 10% of the lawn aside to grow for pollinators.It’s available to buy as a bare mower, which is then installed by a dealer for an additional cost, or with the installation kit included and you install it yourself. Suitable for smaller gardens 600m2, the mower operates with both a boundary wire and a guide wire and unlike some other mowers, has a more flexible docking station, which doesn’t need a wide, clear space around it. ours was tucked neatly into the side of a hedge. It’s also easy to set up via the intuitive keypad or the impressive Automower Connect app, which allows you to change the schedule, adjust the height of cut, check on the mower’s progress and receive notifications, simply and quickly no matter where you are. As an X model, the mower also has a built in SIM so you have both remote and voice controlled control. Our only confusion with set up was working out the scheduling needed, which took a couple of weeks to establish, and that the height of cut on the app is listed as 1-9, when it cuts between 20mm and 50mm.The mower can cope with 40% slopes, which should suit most gardens. The slope in our test garden has a tendency to get muddy and slippery so at the installer’s advice, we used the spiked Terrain wheels which stop the wheels slipping. Only occasionally did the mower fail to get up the slope and when the weather was really wet we simply removed that zone from the work area. The mower cut consistently well and is very quiet, the only perceptible sound is the whirring of the blades as they cut. It occasionally missed spots on the lawn but overall this is a very easy to use and high performing mower.The Automower 405x is just one in a large range of Husqvarna mowers to suit different size lawns. A host of accessories are also available, including a cover for the docking station and wheel brushes, as well as spare parts, from batteries and blades to wheels. Both the mower and the battery come with a 2 year warranty.

Buy the Husqvarna 405X Automower from Sam Turner, Husqvarna and Red Band