No one wants to spend precious weekend time mowing the lawn. Once the nice weather rolls around, there’s humidity, heat, and insects. Plus, think of all the sweat and aches. If you’d rather spend time indoors but don’t want an overgrown lawn, a robot mower is the solution.
Much like robot vacuums and mops, robot mowers are autonomous, battery-powered devices that whip around your yard. The devices are outfitted with tumbler wheels, height-adjustable blades, and other attachments; most can even be controlled with an app. If gardening automatons are news to you, fear not, this list includes all the best robot mowers available.
Greenworks Optimow
Automate your curb appeal
The Greenworks Optimow is the perfect robot mower for first-time users. While it’s not built to tackle massive properties, it mows quietly and efficiently. It also has a great companion app.
- Terrific mowing capabilities
- Great companion app
- Up to 150 minutes on a full charge
- No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth support
- Requires cellular plan after two years
The Greenworks Optimow is the autonomous mower you’ll need if you want to turn grass-cutting into nothing more than a simple task. Reaching maximum speeds of 0.42 miles per hour, the Optimow’s brushless motor brings the torque you need to tackle any grade. And, fortunately, this bad boy can handle slopes up to 35 degrees. You can choose from five different blade heights, ranging from 2.4 to 4 inches for full customization.
Ideally, the Optimow is best implemented on properties with lawns measuring from 1/2 to 3/4 acres. You’ll get everything you need in the box to get the bot outdoors in no time, including 600 feet of boundary wires, 400 lawn staples, extra blades, and a charging station. And battery-wise, you should get around 150 minutes on a full charge.
As far as controls go, it’s as simple as downloading the GreenGuide app to create mowing schedules and track your Optimow’s location as it’s working. Unfortunately, there’s no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth support, though, and you’ll have to sign up for GPS tracking data after two years. But if you’re looking for a terrific mower that’s easy to set up, quiet, and efficient, the Greenworks Optimow should be your go-to.
EcoFlow Blade
Don’t mess with the best
Looking more like a tricked-out RC four-wheeler than a lawn mower, the almighty EcoFlow Blade can cut for up to four hours on a full charge. It also employs advanced LiDAR scanning, as part of EcoFlow’s X-Vision calibration tech, ensuring the absolute-best lawn at day’s end.
- Excellent mapping, navigation, and calibration tools
- Mows for up to four hours
- Sweeps up debris
- As expensive as a decent used car
- GPS can be spotty
It’s not too often that a robot mower looks cooler than some of our childhood race em’ toys, but the EcoFlow Blade has that tough, R/C aesthetic. It has a top-notch appeal, but does its performance match its style? Yes, and in more ways than one. First off, it has an insane four-hour runtime. That’s more than enough time to handle most lawns in a single cut, save for the largest properties.
Mapping, navigation, and automated attachments are a few of the Blade’s other popular tricks. Employing LiDAR scanning for optimized lawn mapping and navigation, the Blade is smart enough to avoid most obstacles in its path. It’s also pretty customizable, so you get the desired finish, with adjustable blade settings (minimum cutting height of 0.8 inches and max of 3 inches), route planning, and other settings in the awesome EcoFlow app.
IPX5-rated, the Blade has a built-in rain detector, too. When it starts coming down, the bot mower is smart enough to retreat to its charging station to avoid the water. While it’s wildly expensive, if you need the absolute best mower that isn’t one you push or ride, the EcoFlow Blade is the model for you.
Gardena Sileno Minimo
Quietest in its class
No matter how you break it down, robot mowers are expensive. But that doesn’t mean they’re all upwards of $1,000. The Gardena Sileno Minimo is proof. For around $600, this automated lawn detailer has what it takes to keep your lawn tidy.
- Cuts quietly
- All-weather bot that handles up to a 35 percent slope
- Will mulch your lawn
- One-hour runtime is weak
- No Wi-Fi support
Not every robot mower has to cost upwards of $1,000. In fact, if you’re looking for a solid automated chopper that doesn’t break the bank, the Gardena Sileno Minimo is it. For less than $600, this small mower isn’t engineered to mow as long or efficiently as more advanced models, but what it does well, it does really well.
For instance, it’s one of the quietest robot mowers for its size. It’s also an all-weather model, which means it will still operate if it starts raining. And just because it’s cheaper than the rest, doesn’t mean that you’re up the creek when it comes to navigation tech. There’s even a spot-cutting feature that sends the bot to mow areas in hard-to-reach areas, like under lawn furniture.
As you might have guessed, there’s an app, too. You’ll need to connect the Minimo to your phone via Bluetooth (no Wi-Fi support), and while there aren’t as many customizations as you’d find on more advanced models, most users will be surprised at how much you can do with the Gardena app, like powering up or down the device.
Worx Landroid S
Giving back to the earth
For small lawns, there’s the Worx Landroid S. This robot mower uses micro-cutting blades to dice your grass into fine pieces, which end up absorbing into your soil as nutrients.
- Patented AI for improved navigation
- Great companion app
- Mows uneven terrain
- Not the greatest wheels
- Weak connection between mower and app
Even if you’ve got less than 1/8 of an acre, a robot mower is still a worthwhile investment. In fact, there are mowers designed for exactly this kind of square footage, and our favorite is the Worx Landroid S. Its micro blades are some of the best for feeding nutrients back to your lawn, which bodes well for those of us with patchy properties.
The blades are height-adjustable from 1.5 to 3.5 inches, and a few adjustments can be made right on the mower itself, including blade height. The digital LCD makes it easy to read what settings are engaged, and the red stop button is an excellent fail-safe. Just press it and the Landroid will cease mowing immediately.
Some folks have complained about a poor connection between the Worx app and the bot, although this issue doesn’t seem to affect all users. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are supported, and the Worx app can monitor the mower’s progress.
Luba 2 AWD
No boundary wires required
The Luba 2 AWD is neck and neck with our premium pick, and even though we’re partial to the former, the fact that you don’t have to bury boundary cables for the Luba 2 AWD is quite fantastic.
- Designed to handle up to 1.25 acres
- Tackles up to an 80 percent slope
- Great app
- Very expensive
The Luba 2 AWD is the kind of robot mower you want to buy if you have a farm. Or, you know, a ton of land. Just shy of $3,000, the Luba 2 employs a blend of 3D vision and real-time kinematic positioning to deliver a beautiful-looking lawn in record time. Luba’s algorithmic engineering does an amazing job at optimizing each mowing session, too.
Perhaps the biggest pro of the Luba 2 AWD, though, is its boundary wire-free installation. Instead of staking cable underground, you’ll just use the Mammotion app to set virtual boundaries for your Luba 2. Once connected, you’ll even be able to control the mower with Alexa and Google Assistant, on top of keeping tabs on the bot while it’s mowing.
The Luba 2 AWD is also height adjustable from 1 to 2.7 inches, can tackle up to an 80 percent slope, and works best for properties that are 1.25 acres or smaller.
Husqvarna Automower 115H
A smart mower from a trusted name
Husqvarna has developed quite a reputation for its robotic mowers, and the Automower 115H delivers a top-notch mowing experience that you can control and monitor through the intuitive Automower Connect app.
- Intuitive app and smart features
- Great mowing capabilities
- Anti-theft features incuded
- Only mows for up to one hour before needing a recharge
Husqvarna is one of the most noteworthy brands in the world of robot mowers, and the incredible Automower 115H is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Once you download the Automower Connect app, the mower can be controlled directly from your smartphone. This includes features like real-time monitoring, schedule creation, and starting and stopping a mowing session in seconds flat.
Designed to tackle properties up to 0.42 acres, the Husqvarna 115H has an 8.7-inch cutting width and features a height-adjustable blade that can be positioned as low as 2 inches, and as high as 3.6 inches. While the one-hour runtime isn’t as good as other models on this list, the 115H is a sound investment for small-to-medium-sized lawns.
Husqvarna Automower 430XH
Some of the best anti-theft tech
This mower guide definitely warranted two picks from Husqvarna because the Automower 430XH is simply too good to pass up. It’s great for larger properties and comes with everything you need to get it running. It can also be controlled and customized using the Automower Connect app.
- Solid GPS tracking and anti-theft features
- Great for larger lawns
- Lasts up to 145 minutes on a full charge
- Initial setup can take a long time
- Expensive
We know, we know! We just featured a Husqvarna robot mower, but the Husqvarna Automower 430XH is worth a mention. It’s too good to pass up, and it all starts with some of the best GPS navigation in the auto-mower business.
The mower uses advanced tracking to build the best real-time mowing paths, and the GPS can be used for anti-theft protection, too! As soon as the 430XH leaves your property, the built-in alarm will start sounding, and you can use a PIN to lock the mower from the Automower Connect app. The latter can also start and stop the 115H, create mowing schedules, check on the bot’s progress, and more.
The Automower 430XH does a fantastic job with larger lawns. It mows up to 0.8 acres and grass up to 3.6 inches tall. It even accommodates slopes up to 45 percent. Best of all, you should also get up to 145 minutes of mow time on a full charge.
ACFarm 20V
The robot mower underdog
The ACFarm 20V may not be the fanciest robot mower, but what it lacks in advanced features and state-of-the-art tracking tech, it makes up for with tried and true fundamentals. That includes features like quiet operation, randomized cutting patterns, and decent slope handling.
- Cheaper than other models
- Good mowing and blade adjustment options
- Solid companion app
- Only mows for a little over an hour
- Takes up to 140 minutes for a full recharge
- Not as advanced as other models
Last but not least, there’s the ACFarm 20V. If you have a yard that’s a 1/4 acre or smaller, and grass-cutting needs that don’t tend to go over 2.4 inches, this might be the best mower for the job. The ACFarm has a 7-inch blade width and should last for up to 80 minutes on a full charge. However, it requires almost double that amount of time for a recharge. This means it’s probably a good idea to have an entire day set aside to put the mower to work.
In terms of installation, it’s pretty much the same as all the other brands. Lay the perimeter cable, plug in the base station, and you’re done. The ACFarm app is what you’ll use to control and customize the bot’s settings. Use it to start and stop the mower, create schedules, check the battery level, and more.
Spruce up your lawn with the best robot mowers
Robot mowers were once a pretty boutique purchase, but now that they’re starting to crop up on Amazon and many brick-and-mortar outlets, so this autonomous category is no longer the small niche it once was. That’s why models like the Greenworks Optimow are put out in the world. It’s a mower that can handle just about anything you toss at it, at a reasonable price.
The Optimow receives top honors because it cuts quickly and efficiently and at a quiet volume. It also lasts for up to 150 minutes on a full charge, and Greenworks provides two years of data on the house. But what if you’re looking for the best mower in the business? Well, why not upgrade to the EcoFlow Blade instead?
The Blade looks like a Lightcycle from Tron and it has an immense 10.7-inch cutting width, several blade-height adjustments, and several anti-theft features to keep those lawn pirates at bay.
But are all these mowers over $1,000? The answer is no. The Gardena Sileno Minimocosts is less than $600 and does a great job at slicing and dicing those grass blades. The companion app is also easy to operate.
Greenworks Optimow
Get the job done hands-free
The Greenworks Optimow is a bit on the pricey side, but this robot mower is perfect for small to medium-sized lawns with varied terrain.
