How many times have you wished that you could just sit with a glass of lemonade in the shade while someone else mows your lawn in the heat of summer? The cost of hiring a gardener or landscaper might not be in your monthly budget. But, there’s a new game in town that may better fit your needs. Meet the 10 best robot lawn mowers of this year!
We did some digging and compiled a list of the smartest and best quality robot lawn mowers on the market. Our overall favorite of the 10 best robot lawn mowers is the Worx WR150. Backed by excellent customer service from Worx, the WR150 offers plenty of value with its cutting-edge patented AIA technology.
Our Top Picks: The Best Robot Lawn Mowers
Short on time? Check out our quick list of the best robot lawn mowers below:
Best Overall: Worx WR150 Landroid. With a decent price point, the best ratings, and a significant amount of features, this is our pick for the best robot lawn mower overall. | |
Best Runner-Up: Worx WR143 Landroid. Another great choice from Worx with their patented AIA (Artificial Intelligence Algorithm) cutting technology. | |
Best Green Pick: Gardena R80Li. The energy consumption of this mower at maximum use takes only 6 kWh. This mower also has the smallest cutting width of all of our picks, which means it’s good at getting into those hard-to-reach places. | |
Best Budget: MowRo RM24. Along with being one of the most affordable options available, this mower can also handle steeper slopes better than any of our other picks. | |
Best For Small Lawns: Husqvarna Automower 315. This mower actually adjusts to variations in your lawn’s growth patterns throughout the year. If your yard is under 0.4 acres, this is a great choice. |
Best for Large Lawns: Robomow RS630. If you have a large yard, this is the mower for you. It can handle yards up to 1.24 acres. | |
Best Premium Pick: Husqvarna Automower 430XH. This model has tons of extra features and a sleek design. It can also outrun most of the other mowers out there. | |
Best For Commercial Use: Husqvarna Automower 450X. This mower has all the bells and whistles, and it can handle up to 1.25 acres. This mower can go longer on a single charge than any of the other models we looked at. | |
Best Versatility: Robomow RS612. This is an excellent choice for those who want a heavy-duty mower with a lot of adjustable settings. | |
Best Value: Husqvarna Automower 310. A great brand at a great price. What’s not to love? |
1. Worx WR150 Landroid
The best robot lawn mower overall
Brand: Worx / Cutting Height: 1.6”-3.9” / Cutting Width: 9” / Max Cutting Surface: 0.5 Acres / Max Incline or Decline: 20° / Installation Kit Included: Yes / Price: 💰💰💰
Up first, we have Worx WR150 Landroid Robotic Lawn Mower. Out of all the models we looked at, this was the best-rated robot lawn mower. It’s equipped with what they refer to as AIA (Artificial Intelligence Algorithm) that allows it to successfully learn even the most intricate yards and navigate through them while steadily improving.
The max incline/decline of the Landroid is only 20-degrees, which may influence your decision if your yard contains more dramatic increases in slope. It includes rain sensors that will send the robotic lawn mower back to its charging base during rainfall. It also returns when the battery is low, so you won’t have to go out and drag it back to the charging station.
Reviewers Like
- It learns your yard quickly
- Customizable schedules
- Great customer service from Worx
Reviewers Dislike
- Gets stuck in tricky spots in the yard
- Can’t navigate around short items
2. Worx WR143 Landroid
The best robot lawn mower runner-up
Brand: Worx / Cutting Height: 2”-3.5” / Cutting Width: 7” / Max Cutting Surface: 0.25 Acres / Max Incline or Decline: 20° / Installation Kit Included: Yes / Price: 💰💰
Our runner-up is another fantastic, environmentally friendly robot lawn mower from Worx. We highlight this as one of Worx’s best electric robot lawn mowers.
This model is very similar to the other Worx model on our list and comes with most of the same features. If you’re struggling to choose between the two, rest assured that you’re not alone. We had a hard time deciding between the two models as well.
The most significant difference between the two Worx mowers on our list is that this one comes with GPS and the other model covers more ground. We suggest letting the size of your lawn decide for you.
Reviewers Like
- GPS included
- Works well on small slopes
- Worx customer service unparalled
Reviewers Dislike
- Initial setup was difficult
- It might take a while to get it to navigate around problem areas
3. Gardena R80Li
The best green pick for robot lawn mowers
Brand: Gardena / Cutting Height: 0.7”-2” / Cutting Width: 6.7” / Max Cutting Surface: 0.2 Acres / Max Incline or Decline: 25° / Installation Kit Included: Yes / Price: 💰💰💰💰
Besides being our green pick because of its low energy consumption, we also think the Gardena R80Li is the best lawn mower robot for a small garden. Its size allows it to navigate through small spaces and work around complex structures easily.
One of the things we love about Gardena’s robotic mower goes beyond just the product itself. No matter which model you get from them, their website is chock full of instructional videos and customer support, which might put some first-time buyers at ease about using this new machine. The quality of Gardena’s R80Li is not to be rivaled. It’s considered a midline mower in their books, but for the money, it’s easily among the best.
Reviewers Like
- Easy to program
- Good at navigating small spaces
- Works well in rainy climates
Reviewers Dislike
- No smartphone app
- It can’t be programmed remotely
4. MowRo RM24
The best budget robot lawn mower
Brand: MowRo / Cutting Height: 1”-2.5” / Cutting Width: 9.5” / Max Cutting Surface: 0.25 Acres / Max Incline or Decline: 30° / Installation Kit Included: Yes / Price: 💰💰
For a budget choice, the MowRo RM24 has a lot to offer. It’s better at dealing with slopes than most of the other models we came across. It also seems to do fairly well even when the ground is a bit uneven.
This is an excellent option for someone who wants a fully autonomous mower and doesn’t want to bother with using an app. Once you tell the mower the size of your yard and the time of day you want the cycle to start, its algorithm takes over and sets up the rest of the scheduling details for you. It will take one full pass at your lawn every 48 hours to keep it looking fit and trim.
Even though it’s not waterproof, this mower does have a rain sensor that will send it back to its charger to wait out the storm.
Reviewers Like
- Can handle 30-degree slopes
- Navigates uneven ground without a problem
- You can set it and forget it because it’s fully autonomous
Reviewers Dislike
- No app
- No ability to create or tweak your own mowing schedule
5. Husqvarna Automower 315
The best robot lawn mower for small lawns
Brand: Husqvarna / Cutting Height: 0.8”-2.4” / Cutting Width: 8.7” / Max Cutting Surface: 0.4 Acres / Max Incline or Decline: 22° / Installation Kit Included: Yes / Price: 💰💰💰
If you’re looking for a Husqvarna robotic lawn mower for a smaller lawn area, the Automower 315 is the option for you. It can handle more than a quarter acre with a tri-blade system that will cut your grass evenly on surfaces up to 22° in slope.
It’s quiet enough to work at any time of day and won’t need to be monitored. It can also handle different weather patterns and adjusts its cutting schedule based on how quickly your grass is growing to avoid over-trimming.
Also, unlike most other Husqvarna models, this one comes with an installation kit.
Reviewers Like
- Works well on slopes
- Navigates complex yards
- Very quiet
Reviewers Dislike
- Less than desirable customer service from Husqvarna
- GPS not included
6. Robomow RS630
The best robot lawn mower for large lawns
Brand: Robomow / Cutting Height: 0.8”-3.5” / Cutting Width: 22” / Max Cutting Surface: 0.75-1.24 Acres / Max Incline or Decline: 20° / Installation Kit Included: Yes / Price: 💰💰💰💰
Robomow is another brand with multiple models on the market, but we have chosen to feature one of their more heavy-duty releases in our robotic mower reviews. With an installation kit included, the RS630 rivals similar models in both price and durability. Also, it’s great at handling slopes and wet grass.
Depending on how you’d like to monitor your robot mower, you can also have it set to quit operating during heavy rain and even humidity. For places that have higher humidity levels, even without rain, this is a crucial feature. The mowing width is almost two feet meaning it can cover more yard in less time.
Reviewers Like
- Does a good job of mulching
- Lots of customizable features
- Helpful tech support
Reviewers Dislike
- Expensive replacement parts
- Some issues with getting stuck
7. Husqvarna Automower 430XH
The best premium pick for robot lawn mowers
Brand: Husqvarna / Cutting Height: 2”-3.6” / Cutting Width: 9.45” / Max Cutting Surface: 0.8 Acres / Max Incline or Decline: 24° / Installation Kit Included: No / Price: 💰💰💰💰💰
The Husqvarna Automower 430XH Robotic Lawn Mower has one of the broadest acre coverage we’ve seen. The strong battery takes less than an hour to recharge when it’s completely drained.
We do have to note that most Husqvarna robotic mowers do not readily come with an installation kit; this one is the same way. This can actually be beneficial to you because Husqvarna has many different sizes of installation kits available, so you can choose the one that best fits your needs.
One of the neatest features about this robot is its ability to find its way home to you – so to speak. Essentially, it has a GPS feature that enables you to track it from your smartphone in case anyone attempts to steal it. Pretty spiffy.
Plus, if we’re honest, it looks like the robot lawn mower that Batman would use – which is sort of an added bonus.
Reviewers Like
- Lots of customizable features
- Works with a smartphone, Alexa, and Google Home
- Quiet and safe
Reviewers Dislike
- Doesn’t come with an installation kit
- Can get stuck in uneven yards
8. Husqvarna Automower 450X
The best robot lawn mower for commercial use
Brand: Husqvarna / Cutting Height: 0.8”-2.4” / Cutting Width: 9.45” / Max Cutting Surface: 1.25 Acres / Max Incline or Decline: 24° / Installation Kit Included: No / Price: 💰💰💰💰💰
If you’re looking for the best, biggest robot lawn mower, the Husqvarna 450X is what you want. With a cutting capacity of 1.25 acres and the ability to run for 270 minutes on a single charge, this model is far ahead of the rest. Also, the typical charging time is only one hour. It’s the best commercial robot lawn mower that goes the distance without raising the price tag too much.
As far as features go, this Husqvarna is almost identical in every way to the other 430XH robotic lawn mower we have featured in our review section. The biggest difference? Size capacity. The battery in this model is just slightly stronger so that it can handle over one acre of mowing area.
If you are okay with it running multiple times in a day, you can likely push the acreage up to 1.5.
Reviewers Like
- Works with a smartphone, Alexa, and Google Home
- Lots of customizable options and features
- Can handle large lawns and is quiet
Reviewers Dislike
- Less than desirable customer service
- You’ll still need to clean up larger yard debris for this to work properly
9. Robomow RS612
The best versatile robot lawn mower
Brand: Robomow / Cutting Height: 0.8”-3.5” / Cutting Width: 22” / Max Cutting Surface: 0.25-.75 Acres / Max Incline or Decline: 20° / Installation Kit Included: Yes / Price: 💰💰💰
This mower offers almost all of the same features as the other Robomow model on our list. This is another situation where deciding between the two models is all about the size of your yard.
If you have a smaller yard, this might be the better choice of the two Robomow options on our list. However, something to keep in mind is that even though this model can handle .75 acres, .25 is what’s recommended. If your yard is closer to the larger end of the allowance, you might want to opt for the other model.
Reviewers Like
- Good at cutting thick grass
- Works with smartphone and Alexa
- Lean green grass chopping machine
Reviewers Dislike
- Not the best customer support
- Some had issues with parts needing to be replaced
10. Husqvarna Automower 310
The best value robot lawn mower
Brand: Husqvarna / Cutting Height: 0.8”-2.4” / Cutting Width: 8.66” / Max Cutting Surface: 0.25 Acres / Max Incline or Decline: 22° / Installation Kit Included: No / Price: 💰💰
If you’re looking for the best robot lawn mower under 1000 dollars, we think the Husqvarna Automower 310 is your best option. It’s a great mower from a brand with a good reputation for their machines.
Although this model doesn’t come with all the features that some of the higher-end Husqvarna models offer, it still offers a lot. Like the other Husqvarna models on our list, this mower is weatherproof, is low on energy consumption, and has no emissions.
This model doesn’t have the GPS-assisted-navigation, the weather timer, or the larger display that some other models have. However, the smaller price tag makes this model a great value.
Reviewers Like
- The smartphone app works well
- Easier to set up than some other models
- Lawn is thicker and greener after regular use
Reviewers Dislike
- Doesn’t come with GPS, but it can be installed
- Short battery life between charges
What to Look for in a Robot Lawn Mower
We try our best to cover the most essential features in our robotic lawn mower reviews and what you might need to consider before buying. We want to help you pick the best home robot lawn mower for your needs. We encourage you to read through the details of the important features below before investing in a mower. Some of them are so crucial that if you neglect to consider them, you won’t be able to properly use your new robotic lawn mower.
1. Cutting Capacity
The size of your yard might be the first thing you’ll want to consider when it comes to deciding on the best robot lawn mower for your lawn. It’s also a great way to start narrowing down your options. Unlike some of the optional features, the cutting capacity of the mower is critical. Going with a model that can handle a larger yard is fine, but don’t opt for a mower that can only handle something smaller.
2. Cutting Height
Cutting height is something important to consider before buying a robotic lawn mower. Know what you want as an end result before you purchase. Likewise, cutting height positions available might also impact your choice. Even if a mower has a wide range of heights, it doesn’t mean that there are enough settings to choose from within that range.
3. Cutting Width
Depending on your lawn’s size and shape, you might require a narrower or wider cutting width on your mower. Wider can mean less time in a traditionally shaped lawn, but narrow robot lawn mowers can fit more easily in tight spaces and cut more intricate lawns.
4. Slope
Some robotic lawn mowers can handle more dramatic slope increases and decreases than others. Measure the inclines of your lawn before buying one if you’re concerned. For robot mowers, the slope is usually expressed as either a degree or a percentage. It’s important to note that these are not the same. For instance, a mower that offers a slope capability of 20° is equivalent to a mower offering a slope capability of 36.4%.
5. Installation Kit
Some of the robot lawn mowers on our list come with their own installation kit so that you can get started hassle-free. However, not all installation kits are made the same. If you need a larger kit, it might be better to have the option to buy the kit separately. This can also help you save money if you already have an installation kit set up and just need to buy a new or additional unit for your lawn mowing needs.
The most frequent complaints we saw from reviewers had to do with the difficulty of the initial installation and boundary wire issues. We wish we could recommend the best robot lawn mower without a wire boundary, but it just doesn’t seem like there are any good options out there yet. Keep checking back with us, though. If any good options become available, you can be sure we’ll add them to our list. In the meantime, for the best results and less time spent through trial and error, we recommend prepping your yard ahead of time and following the installation directions carefully. Maybe even watch a couple of how-to videos.
6. Cost
A big hold up for some people wanting to purchase an automatic lawn mower can be the initial cost. However, even a small yard can cost the average family over $1000 a year if you’re paying for regular mowing services. For some robot mower models, you’ll save more in just one year of using it (including electric charging costs). The key to a healthy lawn is more regular trimmings at a lower setting.
Even if you aren’t outsourcing this task, it might still be eating up too much of your time — especially for those weekend warriors out there. Investing in a robot lawn mower can help keep your lawn healthy, ensuring fewer renovation costs down the road, and it will save you either time, money, or both.
Top Robot Mower Brands
When you start looking for quality robot lawn mowers, there are a few of the best robot lawn mower brands you are likely to come across.
Husqvarna Robotic Mower
A commonly trusted brand name in landscape maintenance is Husqvarna. They have over 3 centuries of power equipment manufacturing under their belts. You didn’t read that wrong. Over 300 Years. And, they haven’t lost their touch. There are plenty of Husqvarna Robotic Mowers available to consumers at reasonable prices.
Even for the pricier models, you are likely going to save more money after just one year of using a Husqvarna robotic mower than you would save paying someone to mow your lawn a couple of times a month. Husqvarna also has the most models currently available on the market.
Worx Robot Mowers
Perhaps a less well-known brand in the average household is Worx, but they’ve already made quite a reputation for themselves in the robot mower game. Their modern looking machines are user friendly and extremely advanced. Aside from just using sensors, units such as their Landroid Robotic Lawn Mower are equipped with AI Algorithms to help it navigate more intricate lawns and cuts. They are much more than good-looking robots, but that’s a bonus as well.
Robomow
Robomow has been working on robotic mowers since 1995. Although they’re known by their brand name, Robomow, the company’s name is actually Friendly Robotics. They make durable machines, with lots of useful features, at a reasonable price. And, with a name like Friendly Robotics, it’s no surprise that these machines are equipped with safety features to keep the whole family safe.
Do Robotic Lawn Mowers Even Work?
We have answers for the skeptics out there wondering, “Do robotic lawn mowers work?” Like all tools and robotic machines, robot lawn mowers are not without their faults. But more importantly, they will only work if used correctly. Much like a smaller automatic vacuum cleaner such as the Roomba, these machines work better if used multiple times a week.
The goal of an automatic lawn mower is to maintain, not to do drastic makeovers.
Using a robot mower regularly to cut short lengths will prevent the machine from clogging up. Much like a vacuum, if you only are using it once a week or every other week, then it takes longer to complete and often needs cleaning due to clogging up.
Likely, if you’re interested in investing in a robot lawn mower, you are already in the maintenance game and would like to spend that extra hour or two a week on something more worth your time. After all, lawns are considered a luxury, and we believe they should be treated as one.
Advancements in Robot Lawn Mower Technology
We all probably knew the robot lawn mower wasn’t too far away when we saw the rise of the automatic vacuum cleaners such as the Roomba. With recent technological advancements, automatic lawn mowers, or robotic lawn mowers, have started to make a name for themselves as a regular suburban power tool. However, a mower, as compared to a vacuum requires a lot more power and better visual tech. Manufacturers knew they were playing with fire. They certainly didn’t want to unleash a rogue machine with the ability to chop up anything that crossed its path. Nevertheless, progress has prevailed.
Here are some of the areas where robot mowers have seen steady improvement:
Mapping. One major difference between a robot vacuum cleaner and a robot lawn mower is how the machine will map out — or “learn” — your yard. Most Robot lawn mowers come with a low voltage wire that you essentially place around the area of your lawn. The mower will not go past this perimeter as long as it is properly installed. Avoiding a runaway lawn mower is obviously crucial, and it seems like the premise of a bad horror movie.
Sensors. Robot mowers also have bumping sensors, and they are much more accurate than they used to be. Even something like a garden hose or lawn ornament, that could quickly be taken out by push or riding lawn mowers, will be enough to stop an automatic lawn mower and send it cutting the other way.
Safety. As previously implied, some of you might be feeling uneasy about the safety of automatic mowers, particularly if you have children or pets. The improvements made to the lawn mowers sensitivity is a step in the right direction. It should also be noted that robotic lawn mowers essentially have a kill switch on the blades that is activated if the machine is lifted or off-kilter. Overall, as long as you spend time properly installing the low-voltage wire perimeter, read all instructions, and spend some time observing your machine during its first few uses, we feel confident that it will be safe for you and your family.
Environment. One of the great things about robotic motors is that they are electrically powered, rather than gas-powered, and their wireless operation makes them even less of a hassle. So, if you’re looking for the best gas robot lawn mower, you won’t find it on our list. If you want to go an extra step in making your robot even more environmentally friendly, it’s possible to set it up to get its charge from a renewable source such as a solar panel charging system. Check the voltage, but there are plenty of compatible panel systems out there that are incredibly affordable.
Our Process
For this guide on robot lawn mowers, our team spent 8 hours researching the most popular options from over 15 brands and manufacturers, big and small. We then read about one hundred user reviews (both positive and negative) to discover what shoppers thought about each unit. After comparing this data, we narrowed our list down to the top 10 robot lawn mowers on the market. You can count on this research to guide you to a mindful purchasing decision.
If you enjoyed this read, sign up for our newsletter below and get special online shopping deals delivered straight to your inbox.
Further Reading