Mowing the lawn is one of those chores that everyone dreads. It eats up weekends, and getting sweaty and dirty in the hot sun isn’t exactly relaxing. And to validate that dread, the average American spends 70 hours per year (nearly three days!) mowing their lawn. We think that’s too much, and we’re willing to bet you agree. So why do it yourself when you could use one of the best robot lawn mowers?
What Are Robot Lawn Mowers?
As you might think, robot lawn mowers take on all of the physical labor. Heck, you don’t even have to be there! It’s the easiest way to mow your lawn.
The best robot lawn mowers are the highest-tech solution for cutting the grass while kicking your feet up. They typically work via a companion app on your smartphone, which allows you to program a mowing schedule or start the mower at your command. Some of the best robot lawn mowers are programmed right on the machine to get going at the click of a button. Robot lawn mowers use a GPS, a perimeter wire around your lawn or a combination of both. In any case, your workload consists of pushing a few buttons.
Are Robot Lawn Mowers New?
Robot lawn mowers are relatively new, so there are only a handful of options. And the best robot lawn mowers are not cheap so it’s important to know what differentiates each robot mower before making a purchase. The first consideration is yard size. Area capacities for robot mowers range from 1/8th of an acre up to 1.3 acres and picking one that matches your lawn’s size will save you money (more area capacity costs more). Also, if your lawn is slanted, you’ll want to note the robot mower’s hill-climbing capacity.
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If you’re ready to take back your weekends, read on. We’ve rounded up the best robot lawn mowers that you can buy right now to get the job done.
1. Husqvarna 115H Robotic Lawn Mower
BEST OVERALL
This mower from Husqvarna (we can’t pronounce it either) has solid stats across the board and a reasonable price tag, easily making it the best robot lawn mower to exist. It works on lawns up to half an acre large, keeps grass quite lush and long at 3.5 inches (some robot mowers only cut very short), and works in the rain. In short, it’ll handle almost any lawn, and comes with a great app for programming.
2. WORX Landroid Robotic Lawn Mower
RUNNER UP
Keep that lawn looking gorgeous with the WORX Landroid robotic lawn mower. The design is exceptionally precise with blades that cut to the edge of the mower, ensuring the edges of your lawn get attention too. It cuts up to a quarter of an acre, which should be enough for most suburban lawns. And although it’s not rain resistant, it will sense water and return to the charge station until the storm passes.
3. Robomow RX20 Battery Powered Mower-7-Inch
TINIEST MOWER
Got yourself a really, really tiny yard? If so, go for this Robomow. It boasts the smallest size of all the best robot lawn lowers on the market and stays relatively quiet. It is most suitable for yards that are 1/20 of an acre. You won’t even see it while you’re having a backyard BBQ.
4. Gardena Sileno City Automatic Robotic Lawn Mower
MOST AFFORDABLE
The Gardena Sileno City Automatic Robotic Lawn Mower comes in at the same price as the Robomow but covers more ground (2,700 square feet). It’s not only easy on your wallet, it’s also easy on your ears: the 60-decibel sound is barely noticeable. It’s also weatherproof so it will run rain or shine, and can be cleaned off with a garden hose.
5. Husqvarna 430X Robotic Lawn Mower (.75 Acre)
BEST CLIMBER
For lawns with an incline, you’ll want this mower from Husqvarna. It can handle inclines up to a 45% grade, making it a very capable climber. It also mows a fairly large space — up to three-quarters of an acre — and it’s quiet at 57dB(A), or the noise level of a typical conversation. The installation kit isn’t included, so we’d recommend picking up the materials (pet safe wire, dog fence splice kits and yard staples) on your own instead of shelling out for Husqvarna’s package kit.
6. Greenworks Optimow Robotic Lawn Mower
BEST FOR BIG LAWNS
Long battery life means more mowing time, and more mowing time means more ground covered. The Greenworks Optimow Robotic Lawn Mower’s 150 minutes of cutting time translates into tackling lawns of three-fourths of an acre, and its 70 minutes of charging time means you can easily send it out twice in a day. It has an 8.7-inch cutting width and an adjustable cutting height of between 2.4 and 4 inches, and its intuitive app makes it easy to create a mowing schedule.
7. Gardena Robotic Lawnmower
SHORTEST CUT HEIGHT
If you want a tight trim on your lawn, this Gardena mower is the device for you. It cuts grass as short as .7 inches, which is great if you use the lawn for sports or outdoor activities. However, this mower is only controlled via an onboard panel.
8. Luba Robot Lawn Mower
NEWEST OPTION
Want new? How about this brand-new option funded and available via Kickstarter? The Luba advertises itself as the intelligent, perimeter-wire-free robot lawn mower, and touts a 5,000-square-meter range and 75% slope capability, obstacle avoidance, multi-zone management via its app and auto-recharging. Will it deliver? Over 1,700 backers are betting yes, to the tune of $2.4 million in funding. They are still taking early bird funding offers now for $1,299 with an estimated ship date of September.
Updates: This was last updated on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. We replaced the MoRow 7-inch 2.0Ah Robotic Lawn Mower with the Gardena Sileno City Automatic Robotic Lawn Mower as Most Affordable, replaced the Husqvarna 450X Robotic Lawn Mower (1.3 Acre) with the Greenworks Optirow Robotic Lawn Mower as Best for Big Lawns, and replaced the MowRo Robot Lawn Mower with the Luba Robotic Lawn Mower as Newest Option.