Robot lawn mower questions, answered

For most lawns over about 300 m² that are mown weekly, yes, if you value the time. A wire-free mower costs £299.99 to £4,899 across the 80 mowers we track, and about £60–£120 a year to run on our assumptions. In return it mows little and often, which keeps grass thick and saves an hour or more a week in season. It is less worthwhile for very small, simple lawns, for lawns that are rarely mown, or if you would mow at night and have hedgehogs. Pros, cons and the payback maths.

Wire-free models we track range from £299.99 to £4,899. Small-lawn models start under £1,000; big-lawn and steep-slope models run £2,000–£5,000. Add blades, electricity and possibly a 4G plan: our 5-year cost shows the real figure for each.

It depends on your lawn size, slope and Wi-Fi. Use the garden-fit tool for a ranked answer. On published specs alone, the highest-scoring mower you can buy now is the Segway Navimow i2 LiDAR (7.6/10). See our best-for lists for slopes, large gardens, small gardens and budget.

No. Wire-free mowers use satellite positioning (RTK), LiDAR, cameras or a mix. Cheap supermarket models, such as Lidl's Parkside and many older designs, still use a boundary wire pegged round the lawn. We compare both: wire-free models, and boundary-wire models, which cost less but need the wire laid first. How each type navigates.

A wire is cheap and reliable once laid, but it takes a day to install and breaks when you dig or scarify. RTK is quicker to set up and lets you redraw the map in an app, but it needs open sky and, for network RTK, a phone or Wi-Fi signal. LiDAR models avoid both problems and cope best under trees.

The cheapest app-controlled wire-free mower we track that you can buy now is the Landroid M500 Plus at £349.99. The cheapest overall is the OcuMow 16 at £299.99, a simpler drop-and-mow model. Full list by price.

Wire-free mowers build a map, usually by you driving the mower round the edge once in the app, or automatically with LiDAR or cameras. They then mow in straight lines inside that map and return to the dock to charge. RTK, LiDAR and cameras explained.

Some do, some don't. LiDAR mowers and mowers with their own RTK station can mow without any connection. Network-RTK models need a phone or Wi-Fi signal at the lawn. A few, such as the Worx Vision Cloud and Husqvarna 308V and 312V, need Wi-Fi across the whole lawn. What works with no Wi-Fi.

Rarely to mow, often for extras. Most include 1–10 years of 4G, then charge for remote control and GPS tracking (Mammotion £49.90 a year, Navimow about £29). The risk is a mower that needs the plan to navigate. We flag those as "Unclear" and count the cost. Every brand's plan.

They drive back to a charging dock by themselves when the battery runs low, then carry on where they stopped. The dock needs a mains socket within reach of its cable, usually outdoors and weatherproofed.

No. They cut a few millimetres at a time, and the tiny clippings fall back into the lawn as mulch, which feeds it. Mammotion's original YUKA is the exception, with an optional sweeper kit.

Little and often: most owners run them several times a week in the growing season, cutting only the tip of the grass. The rated area assumes this pattern, which is why you should buy one rated above your lawn size.

Many can. Ratings in our list run up to 84% (Segway Navimow X4 Series). Look at the steepest part of your lawn, not the average, and add a margin: a 40% slope is about 22°. All-wheel-drive models grip best on wet banks. Best for slopes.

Small bumps are fine; holes and ruts catch wheels. All-wheel-drive models and those with larger wheels cope best. Fill holes before the first run.

Not from scratch. Cut the lawn to normal height with an ordinary mower first, then let the robot keep it there. The highest cutting heights we track reach 100 mm, but they cannot cut a meadow.

They are built to live outdoors and most are rated IPX5 or IPX6 against water. Mowing soaked grass gives a ragged cut and can rut soft lawns, so many have rain sensors or weather forecasts that send them home. Wet UK lawns.

Most leave a strip of 5–10 cm along walls and beds that needs a trimmer. Some get closer, with offset discs, edge modes or built-in string trimmers. Mowers with edge cutting.

Wire-free mowers cut in straight lines, so you get a neat striped pattern, and several apps let you choose the angle or a chequerboard. Stripes are fainter than from a mower with a roller.

A light scatter of leaves is mulched. Thick autumn leaf fall clogs blades and hides obstacles, so rake or blow first.

For lawns under about 500 m², a compact model is cheaper and turns more easily in tight spaces. Best for small gardens.

One acre is about 4,047 m². 8 of the mowers we track have a version rated for that much. Best for large gardens.

They stop their blades when lifted or tilted, and most detect larger obstacles. But no mower is designed to share the lawn with a child or a pet. Schedule mowing for when the lawn is empty. Pets, children and dog poo.

Don't rely on it. eufy, for example, says plainly that its mowers will not specifically detect dog poop. Pick up first, or set a no-go zone where your dog usually goes.

Yes, at night. In tests of 19 mowers, apart from one single incident, every mower had to touch a hedgehog carcass before reacting. Mow in daylight only. What the research says.

Not in the UK, as far as we know in October 2026. In Germany, the animal-welfare charity Deutscher Tierschutzbund reports that Augsburg, Bayreuth, Cologne and Leipzig have restricted them, and 12 groups have called for a national ban on night-time mowing to protect hedgehogs (source).

Mostly not. Published figures in our list range from 46 to 70 dB. Most sit around 55–60 dB, about a normal conversation; the loudest are nearer a vacuum cleaner. Quietest mowers.

Sometimes, which is why most have PIN codes, alarms and lift sensors, and many have GPS tracking. Tracking often needs a 4G plan after the free period. Theft and insurance.

eufy suggests 5 to 10 years for the mower and 3 to 5 years for the battery in UK conditions; other makers rarely publish a figure. That is why our 5-year cost includes one replacement battery. Maintenance and lifespan.

Husqvarna says its small pivoting blades typically last 3 to 6 weeks, and to change them when grass tips look frayed or white. Blades are cheap; budget about £40 a year.

No. Electricity is typically £10–£20 a year. Blades, an eventual battery and any 4G plan matter more. Our 5-year cost adds it all up.

Clean it, charge the battery, and store it indoors somewhere dry and frost-free. Bring the dock in too if you can. Some dealers offer a winter service.