Best robot lawn mower 2024: rise of the mow-bots

Looking for the best robot lawn mower? You are? Good. You’re in the right place. Whether you detest manual labour or simply don’t have the time to meticulously manage your lawn, there’s no shame in picking up a robot lawn mower to help make your life go that little bit smoother.

We’ve rounded up a selection of the best auto mowers below, including traditional ones that require laying down a boundary wire (to prevent them from rolling off into the sunset), and more high-tech versions which make use of fancy GPS, cameras, and sensor tech to help keep them on track.

Before you settle on the best robot lawn mower for your needs, it’s wise to double-check the size of your garden, and the angle of your steepest slope. If you don’t, you might end up with one that doesn’t have enough power to get the job done.

And remember — because most robot lawn mowers chop up grass so finely, you don’t have to worry about picking up cuttings after they’re done. In fact, the mulched grass cuttings are a handy source of nutrition, letting your garden flourish with less work required. Clever, eh?

If you prefer to get the job done yourself and don’t want a robot stealing your job, check out Stuff’s guide to the best cordless lawn mowers for wire-free mowing.

What’s the best robot lawn mower?

The Segway Navimow i105 (read more) is more affordable, can cut shorter and have more smarts than the previous version. AI-assisted satellite mapping means no boundary wire; a 140° camera with built-in Al algorithms detects more than 20 types of common garden objects to dodge.

---

Other robot lawn mower recommendations

Want an alternative to the Navimow? You got it. Here are a few other top picks, ahead of our comprehensive list of the best robot lawn mowers:

---

The best robot lawn mowers you can buy today:

1. Segway Navimow i105

Segway Navimow i105 specs
Edge type	GPS
Coverage	500m²
Cutting height	2 – 6cm

Segway’s first-gen Navimow impressed when it launched in the UK barely a year ago; now this new model supersedes it. The i105 and bigger-batteried i108 are more affordable, can cut shorter and have more smarts. AI-assisted satellite mapping means no boundary wire; a 140° camera with built-in Al algorithms detects more than 20 types of common garden objects to dodge. The camera also aids navigation if the satellite signal is poor, helping the mower stay within your boundary.

The new Navimow can also sense a rainy day and automatically hold off when conditions aren’t right for mowing. 4G is an optional extra (£100 including a year’s data), letting you track the mower and tinker with settings wherever you are.

Is it any good?

The Navimow triangulates satellite signals using a separate antenna for precise positioning without a wire. So you have to mount the antenna somewhere with plenty of sky, and the lawn itself shouldn’t be overshadowed by buildings and trees. The antenna mounts on a metal post and connects with a long wire to the mower’s charging dock, so you only need one power socket to serve both. Neat.

Setup was supremely easy out of the box: the app, Bluetooth pairing and Wi-Fi setup all just worked the first time. Then you use your phone like a remote control to take the mower around the lawn perimeter for mapping. It takes a bit of time to master this but it is, frankly, fun. You can store multiple lawns, add fancy stuff to the map – passages, no-mow zones around flowers or hazards – and define whether to straddle the edges of boundaries or not.

With the map made and uploaded, it took a single tap on the app to mow. And this is where the compact Navimow went from impressive to outstanding. I could see from the app that it was mowing the garden in long rows rather than randomly. Progress was visible on screen and the mowing results were efficient and neat. Not a blade of grass was missed and the edging performance was great; then it docked itself to await further instructions.

---

2. EcoFlow Blade with Sweeping Kit

EcoFlow Blade with Sweeping Kit specs
Edge type	GPS
Coverage	100m² to 5000 m²
Cutting height	2 – 7.6cm

The EcoFlow Blade is one of the most advanced robot lawnmowers currently available. Thanks to an impressive array of tech and sensors, it’s able to navigate your lawn to within an inch of accuracy, without the need for pesky boundary wire. And, thanks to a combination of visual sensors and LiDAR, it can intelligently recognise and avoid obstacles as well. Opt for the additional Sweeping Kit, and it will even helpfully collect leaves and other debris, leaving your lawn truly spotless.

---

3. Worx Landroid Vision L1300

Worx Landroid Vision L1300 specs
Edge type	Perimeter wire or GPS
Coverage	1300m2
Cutting height

This one doesn’t depend on a boundary wire or GPS to define where to mow: it uses a Full HD camera and AI to navigate. The mower identifies what is and isn’t lawn, aiming to cut up to the grass edge but no further. It also has a rain sensor and can postpone its work for drier conditions if necessary.

The AI evolves, learning from real-world experiences. That knowledge then helps to shape firmware updates, which are delivered over the air to all Vision mowers. This one handles lawns of up to 1300m², which won’t do if you live in Blenheim Palace; other models in the range have maximum mowing areas ranging from 600m² to 1600m².

Unlike some robot mowers, this one can just be popped on the lawn and left to do its thing. But it won’t run over non-grass areas: if you want it to cross a path and mow a second section of lawn, you can fit two RFID markers (supplied) in the grass – one on each side – to tell it where to make the crossing. It also comes with two bendy magnetic strips that you can embed in the lawn to fence off ‘no mow’ zones if you need to protect patches, but ordinary borders should be detected fine.

Is it any good?

The initial setup involved a firmware update (over the air or USB), but I’m assured that this isn’t usually needed. After app setup and charging, the mower set forth for a good explore. It didn’t mow – it just went around the perimeter until it got back to its charging base. It did get stuck once when a wheel overshot a brick border, but this was on me and my poor base placement. It didn’t happen when I set it up better.

Once up and mowing, it handled itself immaculately. Results were impressively consistent, even on the first mow, and the edges were great for a robot. The Worx’s styling is a bit ‘boy racer’ but its performance is hard to fault. It works well out of the box, figuring out the lawn for itself. It’s clever but doesn’t try too hard – this thing is not over-engineered. And while the tech is straightforward, it comes with accessories that let you direct it around more complex lawns.

---

4. Yard Force Compact 300RBS

Yard Force Compact 300RBS specs
Edge type	Perimeter wire
Coverage	300m²
Cutting height	2 – 5.5cm

Yard Force’s entry is one of the cheapest offerings on our list, making it a great entry-level option. Despite its price, it offers a respectable 300m² coverage area, which you can manually set yourself using a boundary wire. Its iRadar ultrasonic sensor tech helps it avoid obstacles, while Bluetooth for app control, coupled with the ability to return to its charging station when rain is detected, make for some impressive functionality at this price.

---

5. Stihl iMow 6

Stihl iMow 6 specs
Edge type	Perimeter wire
Coverage	3000m²
Cutting height	2 – 6cm

Here’s the only mower on test that works with a perimeter wire. In fact, it also needs a wire across the middle of the lawn – this guides the mower home to its docking station and also splits the garden into two independent zones.

This all-new model has a swing-tip blade system, a new design, jazzier lights and a new interface: large, simple buttons on top let you mow, stop, send it home or get info. The My iMow app has the same features as previous models, including scheduling, but adds controls such as changing the cutting height (17 choices between 20 and 60mm) or telling it to only mow one side of the lawn.

The iMow 6 has a generous mowing area of up to 3000m² and sits in the middle of Stihl’s 2024 range. The pricier Evo model (£2799) adds a 4G SIM card, so it doesn’t need to be in Bluetooth or Wi-Fi range for app control.

Is it any good?

This one mows quietly and the finish is excellent. Its three free-swinging blades ensure a clean cut and rotation changes direction regularly to extend their lifespan. Initial wire setup is straightforward, but dealer setup (from around £200) is best for large or complex gardens. There’s no drop sensor, but run the perimeter cable in from the edge, loop it around that pond and back out again and the iMow will cross the double wire OK but won’t go inside the single-wire loop. Clever.

And the app is nicely intuitive. It’s easy to schedule mowing and adjust settings, while an onboard sensor detects rain and pauses to protect wet grass, rescheduling to make up lost time. It also adapts speed to the terrain for an even cut, and works out the best way back to the docking station to avoid leaving tracks by going over the same route each time.

It will slow down when it detects an obstacle, only lightly touching it (yes, I stood in front of it repeatedly to test this). Security includes geofenced controls that lock if it’s taken away from its garden. I’ve tested previous models of the Stihl iMow and this is quite literally a cut above. And that wire gives supreme accuracy.

---

6. Husqvarna Automower 320 Nera

Husqvarna Automower 320 Nera specs
Boundry type	GPS or perimetre wire
Coverage	2200 m²
Cutting height	2 – 6cm

Bought solo, the Nera is a regular robo-mower that needs a perimeter wire. But I tested it with the Epos kit (taking the total to £4417), which makes it a modern machine that navigates via satellite location with no wire required.

It looks very cool, but be warned: because both the mower and the Epos kit need a good satellite link, it won’t cope well if your lawn is under tree cover. Two devices means it needs two outdoor power sockets too. The satellite mapping sets the perimeter and can also be used to map stuff like trees or garden furniture. The mower can navigate narrow paths too, varying its route to avoid leaving ugly tracks. It handles slopes well thanks to a pivoting front axis, but exactly how well is complicated: it can handle up to 50% in the middle but only 25% at the perimeter.

Is it any good?

Dealer setup is standard with the Epos, so a chap from Autocut delivered it and set it up. He figured out line-of-satellite-sight placement then navigated the Nera via an app, driving it like an RC car and laying digital waypoints at each turn to map the perimeter. Thanks to the satellite, pins are precise. The mowing results were impressive. Those digital waypoints ensure accuracy: very little grass was left unmowed at the edges, just a few centimetres.

But it doesn’t sense objects: instead, it bumps into them, stops, folds away its blades and turns to head in another direction. This works, but at this price, it’s surprising that it doesn’t have a camera or similar. Pricier Automowers use radar to sense and stop short of obstacles; if you’re going to the expense of a Nera with Epos, might as well go all the way with the 430X or 450X.

---

7. Bosch Indego S 500

Bosch Indego S 500 specs
Edge type	Perimeter wire
Coverage	500m²
Cutting height	3 – 5cm

The standout feature of this Bosch robot lawn mower is its LogiCut feature, which maps out your lawn to enable cutting in efficient, parallel lines, making for a faster session compared to some rivals. A MultiArea feature also lets it cut additional lawn areas, while it’s also clever enough to pass through passages as narrow as 75cm between its boundary wires. It also starts each session by cutting the borders of your lawn, for a neat, tidy finish,

---

8. Segway Navimow

Segway Navimow specs
Edge type	GPS
Coverage	3000m²
Cutting height	3 – 6cm

Yes, Segway also makes a robot lawn mower, and it’s an impressive feat of grass-cutting engineering, thanks to its ability to accurately navigate your garden without the need for perimeter wire. With a rugged build and large tread wheels for coping with mud and rough terrain, it’ll trundle along merrily without complaint. Spring for the newer object recognition VisionFence Sensor module, and it’ll happily deal with obstacles too.

• Read more: Segway Navimow review

---

9. Ambrogio ZR Evo

Ambrogio ZR Evo specs
Edge type	AI vision
Coverage	1000m²
Cutting height	2.5 – 7cm

This novel mini robot mower only has a cutting width of 18cm but who cares? There’s no rush because you don’t have to do the work. It trundles around for hours tending to your lawn. If necessary, it recharges then goes out a second time.

The Ambrogio is tiny. It weighs half as much as most robot mowers. It looks like a remote-controlled truck and you can pick it up easily with one hand – most are heavy to lug.

It features Bluetooth but not WiFi, so you need to be near it to change settings and schedules. Or when ordering get an optional, factory-fitted GSM Connect module to add 4G. This includes two years of data and adds geofencing and tracking as well as remote control from afar.

It uses high-frequency radar and AI analysis to sense grass, comparing it to a vast database. If it senses ‘not grass’ then it turns around, so it’s no good for lawns with stepping stones or bare patches. An ultrasonic cliff sensor spots drops but the sensitivity can be tuned, so it copes with a bumpy lawn yet doesn’t fall down steps.

You adjust cutting height manually with a special screwdriver. An onboard rain sensor means it can reschedule mowing if conditions are wet. And the blade should last at least a year because it reverses direction every 100 hours of mowing.

Is it any good?

The first thing that stands out about the Ambrogio is that you can mow immediately, ‘drop and go’. Take it out of the box, pop it on the lawn and press Start. You don’t need to program it or even set up the charging dock. Mowing uses onboard sensors, with no mapping. You DIY the rest. There’s no perimeter wire, just a short wire to guide the mower to its dock.

I was half-impressed with the performance. The mowing results were good, with a border of 10cm of unmown grass only on the edges beside a wall. This reduces to 7cm over time. But level borders were more of a challenge. If you have a level border at least 25cm deep, like a patio, the Ambrogio works brilliantly: it senses where the grass ends and overshoots on purpose, straddling the edge just enough to mow it all. But I tested it on a lawn which, like many gardens, had a single row of bricks separating the grass from the borders. This just wasn’t deep enough to meet its specs, so the mower crossed the brick, sometimes savaged the primroses and got stuck.

The mower has two chunky rear wheels, smaller castors at the front. The front axle is self-levelling, to keep four wheels on the ground at all times. Usually, if the mower overshot the brick border, it pulled itself back fine. But sometimes it got stranded, one castor stuck over the edge, and sent my phone a push notification to rescue it.

You can adjust sensitivities via app but really the solution is to tweak the garden. The easiest way was to rake out a little bit of soil on the border side of the brick. The mower’s ultrasonic cliff sensor detects drops of at least 5cm.

Get your borders compliant and mowing is impressive as long as you don’t have stepping stones or bare patches. The size and ability to ‘drop and go’ makes it the most portable robotic mower I’ve seen. You can carry it through the house and pop it on your front lawn. Hell, you could even mow a friend’s lawn… and who wouldn’t invite you for lunch if you promised to mow the lawn?! Stuff says Small, portable, affordable. Mows straight out of the box, but check it will work with your lawn edges.

---

10. Honda Miimo HRM 3000 Live

Honda Miimo HRM 3000 Live specs
Edge type	Perimeter wire
Coverage	4000m²
Cutting height	2 – 6cm

Top of Honda’s robotic range, the HRM 3000 Live has a huge 4,000m² mowing area (around an acre), mowing for around 90 minutes at a time before recharging for the next session. Its 3G/4G SIM card enables remote app monitoring from anywhere, while GPS tracking lets you view the mower’s location and create a geofenced operating area to protect against theft. Perimeter wire and a charging dock are included, while sensors detect bumps (objects, pets, people) and lifting or tilting, stopping the blades automatically.

---

11. LawnMaster L10

LawnMaster L10 specs
Edge type	Perimeter wire
Coverage	400m²
Cutting height	2 – 6cm

A great stepping stone into the world of robot lawn mowers, this wallet-friendly model is a simple, solid, reliable option, which uses boundary wire to get the job done. Once set up, the LawnMaster L10 does its thing automatically, and can be set to mow each day, or every other day depending on the size of your garden. It does all this without an app, for even less fuss. Self-charging, quiet, and with adjustable cutting heights, there’s a lot to love, especially at this price.

---

12. Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD

Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD specs
Edge type	GPS
Coverage	3500m²
Cutting height	3 – 7cm

The Range Rover of the robot mowing world, with all-wheel drive, GPS – including theft tracking – and the ability to create different zones for different bits of your garden, the 435X AWD has enough power to mow lawns of up to 3,500m2 with slopes of up to 70%. The 435X looks like a small Bentley and costs much the same as a second-hand car, but if you’re looking for the ultimate robot mower, you’ll grin every time you see it and every time you look at your lawn.

---

13. Worx Landroid L

Worx Landroid L specs
Edge type	Perimeter wire
Coverage	2000m²
Cutting height	2 – 5cm

There’s plenty to love about Worx’s offering. It’s got an offset blade, for a start, which means a tidier edge than most rivals. Its charging station, too, has been thoughtfully designed to allow grass to grow through the grid-like base, letting it blend in with the rest of your garden. It’s also clever enough to learn about your specific lawn, automatically building itself the perfect schedule according to the growth rate of your grass. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

---

14. Husqvarna Automower Aspire R4

Husqvarna Automower Aspire R4 specs
Edge type	Perimeter wire
Coverage	400m²
Cutting height	2 – 4.5cm

The Aspire R4 is fully compatible with smart home setups like Google Home and Alexa, and is clever enough to adjust its sessions according to your lawn’s growth rate. Special sensors let it navigate the slimmest of passages with ease, while a frost guard feature interrupts the mowing schedule in cold conditions, to help protect your precious grass. As with many of the other premium mowers in this list, it can easily be rinsed clean too, making for minimal maintenance.

---

15. Flymo EasiLife 250 Go

Flymo EasiLife 250 Go specs
Edge type	Perimeter wire
Coverage	250m²
Cutting height	2 – 5cm

Ideal for small to medium gardens, the 250 Go is a fuss-free option that lacks screens or complex programming. Instead, it’s capable of automatically adjusting itself to a schedule based on the weather, although you can also tweak things via an app. The intelligent guide wire also allows for programmable starting points if you’re looking to cut multiple cutting areas of lawn, while it’s also capable of navigating through narrow passages without trouble.

---

16. Eeve Willow

Quick specs

Eeve’s long-awaited mower (crowdfunded as the Toadi) needs no perimeter wire… but it does need you to rethink what you expect garden tech to look like.

The Willow is available in C-3PO Gold, Solo Silver or Leia White (what, no Vader Black?). So yes, it’s designed by nerds, for nerds. You won’t find it at your local garden centre. It’s highly customisable, and you can also add a herbicide sprayer, while future plans include a leaf shredder, a brush and an edger.

Is it any good?

The compact Willow is the best-looking of this bunch, although the textured finish looks sure to hold onto dirt – especially in white. The little dock is contactless; it’s hard to tell if the Willow is charging. And the 1.5m power cable is too short for most garden setups. But if you have a patio on the same level as the lawn, it can dock there and drive itself to the grass.

App setup is easy: hold the QR code in front of the mower’s camera to pair up. You’ll see a satellite map; now draw the lawn and dock. This doesn’t set a mowing path – it just gives the Willow an idea of how much time to budget for a mow. Then it does a short exploratory trip to find edges and obstacles – in my case this left a weird set of lines on the lawn till next time.

I struggled with setup at times but the Willow has 4G built in for remote access. With your permission, an expert calls to help set this up. (4G is disabled after the first month unless you subscribe, but Eeve can activate it at any time, for example to locate the mower if it’s stolen.)

The lawn was a bit tufty at first but obstacle detection was great: the camera sensed trees, toes and climbing frames, and turned just short of them. Not so good was edge performance, which left 30cm unmowed. I got this down to 20cm by selecting the ‘Daredevil’ setting… but any more daring and it got stuck. The ambitious planned add-ons mean this is potentially more than a mower. But the absence of a display or buttons means it can be hard to fathom what it’s up to.

---

17. Gardena Silenio Minimo 250

Gardena Silenio Minimo 250 specs
Edge type	Perimeter wire
Coverage	250m²
Cutting height	2 – 4.5cm

The Sileno prides itself on being the quietest mower in its class, with a noise level of just 57db(A), making it ideal for close-knit neighbourhoods. Able to operate in all weather and terrain, it can also be easily rinsed off with a hose for quick and easy cleaning. Although it relies on boundary wire, it still uses clever AI for accurate mobility, and offers some pretty appealing functionality at a reasonable mid-range price.

---

18. Husqvarna Automower 405X

Husqvarna Automower 405X specs
Edge type	Perimeter wire
Coverage	600 m²
Cutting height	2 – 5cm

The 405X is packed with features, including the ability to create temporary stay-out zones via an accompanying app. On-board GPS creates a map and registers parts of your lawn it’s already covered, letting it create a more efficient mowing pattern. With a weather timer, smart home integration, GPS theft protection, and more, it’s a premium choice for those with lawns up to 600m².

---

How to buy the best robot lawn mower

When purchasing a robot lawn mower, several key factors should guide your decision to ensure you select the best model for your yard or garden.

First and foremost, you’ll want to consider the size and terrain of your lawn. Different models come with varying cutting widths and coverage capacities. It’s crucial to assess whether your lawn is flat or has slopes, as some robot mowers are better equipped to handle uneven landscapes.

The size of your lawn will also determine what battery life you’ll need the robot lawn mower to have. Make sure the robot mower’s battery life is sufficient to cover your entire lawn in a single mowing session.

Secondly, pay attention to the cutting height and cutting options provided by the robot mower. You’ll want to look for models that offer adjustable cutting heights to match your preferences. Some mowers even feature multiple cutting modes like mulching or side discharge, providing additional versatility when mowing.

The cutting system and blades of the mower should not be overlooked. Most robot lawn mowers use rotating blades underneath – it’s a good idea to look at the cost of replacements as these can often get damaged.

The navigation system and sensors are critical parts of a robot mower, and this has seen a massive change in recent years. Older robot lawn mowers use boundary wires, which you’ll need to place around the edge of your lawn. The robot will then bounce around inside the boundary wire. Newer models now feature GPS and other sensors, which makes the setup and obstacle avoidance much easier.

These more modern robot mowers will also often come with smart features, such as smartphone connectivity. Like the best robot vacuums, this enables you to schedule mowing sessions, monitor progress remotely, and make adjustments as needed.

If you plan you leave your mower outside rain or shine, you’ll have to look out for a model with weather resistance. This allows the robot mower to withstand various weather conditions, including rain and UV exposure.

You’ll be happy to know that the best robot lawn mowers are typically quieter than their traditional counterparts. This is important because your robot mower will be working a lot more regularly than a traditional mower. But, while the noise levels are generally quieter, the levels can still vary, so if you don’t want to annoy your neighbours, look for models with lower decibel (dB) ratings.

Lastly (although by no means least), if you’re worried about safety, most mowers have tilt sensors that halt blade rotation if the mower is lifted. You can also look for more advanced safety features, such as collision sensors to prevent accidents with obstacles.