I’ve Tested Over a Dozen Robot Lawn Mowers and Narrowed the Best Down to 4

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Lawn care isa monotonous, thankless task. Who wants to mow the lawn when you could be lollygagging in a hammock with a cold drink, watching a robot do it for you? That’s right: no one. Robot lawn mowers were once the preserve of the wealthy, and yes, they can still be on the pricey side. But they’re getting cheaper and better all the time.

I’ve tested a handful of the best robot lawn mowers over thepast three years, and after comparing a fresh crop this mowing season, I'm delighted to tell you thatrobot mowers are actually good now. I've got some recommendations, honorable mentions, and a list of robot mowers you should avoid. Read on for everything you need to know about lawn-tending bots.

Updated September 2026: I added mowers from Roborock, Segway, Eufy, and Sunseeker, added information about night mowing to the FAQ, and updated prices.

• Best for Regular Lawns

  • Photograph: Simon Hill
  • Photograph: Simon Hill
  • Photograph: Simon Hill
  • Photograph: Simon Hill

  TerraMow

  V1000

  $1,099

  Amazon

  TheTerraMow V1000is a little more compact than some of the other robot mowers I’ve tested, and it comes with a covered charging station (something that often costs extra with rivals). There’s no need for wire or even an RTK antenna, because it works with a triple AI camera system, GPS, and 4G. The setup is a breeze, with impressive automatic mapping that quickly marks out your lawn in the app. You often have to remotely control mowers to map out your lawn, but I didn’t even have to edit the map, and this is the best automatic mapping I’ve seen from a robot mower.

  This mower is perfect for a modest, flat rectangular lawn. It can deal with gradients up to 18 degrees, and you can set up multiple mowing zones with routes between and no-go zones. It’s surprisingly good at navigating regular paths and moving between zones. I also love the spot-mow option, which enables you to place it on any lawn and simply cut in rows using the AI vision camera (no need for mapping). Provided the lawn is fairly straightforward, it does a great, neat job. This feature is handy for front or side lawns, or even lending it to a neighbor.

  Mowing performance is impressive too. The TerraMow V1000 does a neat and tidy job of mowing in lines up and down my lawn. It cut all the way to the edge where there was a path border but left the customary strip on the sides with walls, plants, and other obstacles. The obstacle avoidance is excellent, and it had no issues avoiding a football and the thin legs of a badminton net. After setting the schedule, the TerraMow V1000 finished the mow and always successfully returned to the charging station.

  On the downside, the app has some messy translation and grammar, and I encountered some oddities, such as when creating my lawn map, it named it “map 3” for some reason, even after I renamed it manually. It could use a touch of polish, but functionally, I had no issues starting or stopping a mow manually. Firmware updates took a long time but completed successfully. The mower doesn’t work at night, because it relies on cameras and AI for navigation, and the front wheel isn’t great on gravel or very uneven ground. You get one year of 4G service free, and it costs $19 a year after that.

  SpecsMax area: 0.3 acres (13,068 square feet)Cutting height: 0.98 to 2.95 inches (25 to 75 mm)Cutting width: 8 inches (20 cm)Max slope: 18 degreesNavigation: AI vision camera and GPS (NetRTK)Noise: 50 to 60 decibelsBattery: 150 minutes on a full charge, 120 minutes to recharge

• Best for Challenging Lawns

  • Photograph: Simon Hill
  • Photograph: Simon Hill
  • Photograph: Simon Hill
  • Photograph: Simon Hill

  Mammotion

  Luba 3 AWD

  $2,399

  Amazon

  $2,399

  Walmart

  The Mammotion Luba 3 AWD can handle relatively rough terrain and steep slopes, and it combines three technologies (GPS, lidar, and AI vision) to ensure it can cut larger lawns even where there might be tree cover or other awkward spots. It’s big and heavy and requires some putting together, so it’s not the easiest to set up, but there’s no need for wire or an antenna (an RTK antenna is an optional extra for folks who lack Wi-Fi or 4G coverage in their backyard). Mammotion provides a generous three years of 4G service, andeach additional year costs $50.

  This mower boasts quiet operation and efficient pathfinding. Because it’s wide, with two spinning discs underneath, you can get wide strips, and the finish is perhaps the best I’ve seen. The obstacle avoidance is solid, and it does a decent job around the edges. I also appreciate the manual mowing option, enabling you to cut any problem areas with remote app control. You can set multiple zones and tweak sensitivity for obstacles, which is handy if you’re a dog owner worried about mess. It also has a cool “drop mow” feature that lets you drop it on an unmapped area; handy if you want to loan it to a neighbor. It works well, but you can expect a bit of a border. The all-wheel drive ensures it can handle bumpy terrain and inclines. The wheel design is also great at avoiding ripping up grass, which can happen with mowers sporting big spiky wheels.

  Aside from the high price, I found the wheels can get mucky and need regular cleaning. The app can also be glitchy, and occasionally connectivity drops out or takes a while. The cheapest 1500 model covers up to 0.37 acres but doesn’t include RTK. The3000 ($2,799)covers 0.75 acres, the5000 ($3,299)covers 1.25 acres, and both have RTK. This mower is overkill for the average yard, but it can conquer a challenging lawn.

  SpecsMax area: 0.37 acres (16,117 square feet)Cutting height: 0.98 to 2.75 inches (25 to 70 mm)Cutting width: 15.7 inches (40 cm)Max slope: 38.6 degreesNavigation: Lidar, GPS (NetRTK), AI vision cameraNoise: 50 to 70 decibelsBattery: 135 minutes on a full charge, 90 minutes to recharge

• Best Budget Robot Mower

  • Photograph: Simon Hill
  • Photograph: Simon Hill
  • Photograph: Simon Hill
  • Photograph: Simon Hill

  Anthbot

  M9

  $969$769(21% off)

  Amazon

  $899$699(22% off)

  Anthbot

  While robot mowers are getting cheaper, they’re still expensive, so I wanted to include a budget pick in the mix. The trouble is that cheap robot mowers are still generally bad. The Anthbot M9 is as low as I would consider going right now while still being worth it. It’s currently listed at $900, but it’s frequently discounted, so don’t pay full price (I’ve seen it as low as $650). The trade-off compared to my top pick is that you still have the hassle of an RTK antenna for the GPS navigation. This model also won’t work well close to tall buildings or tree cover. The antenna needs a clear spot and it will offset the map if it gets tilted, so it must be securely in the ground (you do get a warning in the app about this if it tilts).

  Setup is still fairly straightforward. I love how small and compact this mower is, but it is only two-wheel drive and can get stuck on rough terrain. Automapping is a useful option, but mine needed adjustment, and the process to expand the map is a pain. I also had to drop the vision inspection to Low, but eventually it covered the lawn. It cuts nicely and will go all the way to the edge if there’s room to maneuver, like an adjacent path. The option to do a mowing pass around the charging station is welcome, as this can often be missed by robot mowers, and the rain sensor works well to prevent it mowing in the wet and chewing up the grass. You can also set schedules and no-go areas, and the obstacle avoidance works well.

  On the downside, it makes an annoying beeping sound before it does anything. I also really miss the spot-mow mode that my top pick has, because you must map out manually every area you want the M9 to cut. Technically, the M9 does support NetRTK, which would allow it to use 4G and Wi-Fi (you get three months free) instead of the antenna, but you need good network coverage, and it did not work for me, even though I have used NetRTK successfully with other mowers in my backyard. All that said, it is affordable, especially if you wait for a discount, and it’s a great option for smaller, straightforward lawns.

  SpecsMax area: 0.25 acres (10,750 square feet)Cutting height: 1.2 to 2.7 inches (30 to 70 mm)Cutting width: 7.9 inches (20 cm)Max slope: 24 degreesNavigation: GPS (RTK Antenna or NetRTK), AI vision cameraNoise: 50 to 60 decibelsBattery: 90 minutes on a full charge, 90 minutes to recharge

• Best Remote-Control Mower

  • Photograph: Simon Hill
  • Photograph: Simon Hill
  • Photograph: Simon Hill
  • Photograph: Simon Hill

  Mowrator

  S1

  $3,999

  Amazon

  $3,999

  Mowrator

  Maybe you’re not ready to give up full control of your lawn to a robot, but you’re sick of pushing that machine around. The Mowrator S1 is a fascinating, remote-control mower that just might be what you need. I thought the S1 sounded like a daft idea, but it turned out to be far more fun than I expected. If you loved playing with RC cars in your youth, you’ll get some nostalgic joy from cutting grass with this beast of a mower. It's oddly satisfying to cut the lawn this way. I tested the four-wheel-drive model, which can handle varied terrain, but there are also cheaper two-wheel-drive models available for smaller, less challenging lawns.

  The S1 is incredibly heavy. Seriously, get some help lifting it out of the box. Setup is quick and easy, just screw the wheels on, plug in the battery, and fire up the remote-control console. I expected the Mowrator to be slow, but this thing has some serious va-va-voom. It’s fast and responsive, handling much like a giant RC car, and that’s exactly how the control console feels, too, with two joysticks for easy maneuvering and a small touchscreen to tweak settings. With plenty of cutting width and a gear stick to choose your preferred height, it’s quick and easy to mow a lawn. I'm able to drive it through my side gate and along the path to mow my front lawn too.

  On the downside, it is not autonomous. To fire it up, you hold down both shoulder triggers and tap the start button onscreen. Let go of the triggers, and it stops automatically. I had to turn the sonar alerts off, as it was refusing to mow the edges of my lawn. It does detect obstacles reliably, though, and shuts off for safety. The S1 warns you to be safe every time you start it up, which is important, as I have concerns about it being dangerous in the wrong hands. It always stopped when it detected an obstacle during my testing, but sometimes onlyafterthe collision. It's heavy, too, so the driver will need to concentrate while using it. While the Mowrator doesn’t allow for the laziness of an automatic mower, I was pleasantly surprised by how fun it was to use, and even felt a little disappointed when the job was done. It’s an unusual device (and it’s pricey), but for the first time in forever, I’m actually looking forward to mowing my lawn again.

  SpecsMax area: 1.12 acres (48,787 square feet)Cutting height: 1.49 to 4.29 inches (38 to 109 mm)Cutting width: 21 inches (53 cm)Max slope: 40 degreesNavigation: Remote controlNoise: 55 to 65 decibelsBattery: 145 minutes on a full charge, 90 minutes to recharge

Other Robot Mowers I Tested and Liked

• Photograph: Simon Hill
• Photograph: Simon Hill
• Video: Simon Hill

Roborock

Rockmow Z120 Lidar

Shop Now

Roborock Rockmow X120H Lidar for $3,200: Better known for itsrobot vacuums, Roborock also makes robot mowers, and the X120H Lidar is its flagship model (discounted to a far more reasonable $2,000 at the time of writing). I actually tested the UK model, the identicalZ120 Lidar (£2,299). This mower employs Lidar and AI vision, so it can cut without satellite connections, with no RTK antenna required. It also supports 4G and comes with a 3-year data plan. It is Four Wheel Drive (4WD) and has ingenious front wheels that pivot and turn independently to navigate tight areas smoothly, with minimal churning of your lawn. There’s a single disc underneath with six cutting blades and a reasonably wide, 9.5-inch (24 cm) cutting width. It supports a 0.8 to 2.7-inch (20 to 70 mm) cutting height, can cover up to around 21,500 square feet, and, most impressively, can handle an 80 percent (up to 39-degree) slope. A full charge gives you 110 minutes of mowing time, and it takes around 50 minutes to charge.

After some minor setup hassles (battery error), the Rockmow Z120 has impressed me. It looks to be the most capable mower I have tested yet for navigating uneven terrain. Apparently, it can automatically create maps, but it defaulted to the manual mode for me, prompting me to remote control it around the borders of my lawn. Edge mowing is the big disappointment, with the mower regularly leaving a strip on one edge of my lawn. I’m not keen on the optional PreciEdge Module (£150) that promises to reduce edges to 3 cm. I haven’t tested it, but feel it should be included in a mower this expensive. Why is it optional? Who doesn’t want their edges properly cut? It avoided most obstacles just fine, but was occasionally oversensitive, avoiding plants swaying over the border edge. The Rain Protection mode is a little too sensitive, preventing the mower from starting several hours after rain, so I had to override it. It also lacks a Spot Mode, though it is so heavy I would not want to carry it between lawn areas. I think this design, with the rotating wheels, has real potential if Roborock can improve the AI/software. Unfortunately, it's not currently available in the US right now, but hopefully be back in stock soon since it was released just this past summer.

Eufy Robot Lawn Mower E15 for $1,300: This is another wire-free mower that uses a camera system to automatically map lawns and avoid obstacles. It’s very similar to my top pick and also has a super handy Spot Mode that lets you drop and mow on unmapped areas. But even after a big price drop from its original RRP, it’s still more expensive than the TerraMow, and it’s not as good at cutting edges. It can cover up to 0.2 acres (8,700 square feet), cut from 1 to 3 inches, and handle up to 18-degree slopes. It is also fairly quiet and has GPS tracking, but you must have Wi-Fi coverage in your backyard, or you'll need a 4G data subscription. I found the setup lengthy due to a firmware download, but the mapping and the first cut were decent. Object avoidance is very good. The E15 can only run during the day and doesn't cope very well with inclines. I also found it frequently failed to cut the edges of the lawn and doesn't perform well if the grass is damp. The more affordableEufy C15 (£999)is very similar, but designed for smaller lawns (up to 5,300 square feet) and only available in the UK and Europe right now.

It kept my back lawn neat without issues, but my front lawn has a dip and ill-defined border that it struggled with. That said, every time it looked as though it might get stuck, it managed to maneuver out of trouble. There’s a dial to adjust mowing height for the C15, whereas you can do it in the app with the E15. Both come with a covered charging base, which often costs extra with rivals. If you’re interested, watch out for a sale event (I’ve seen the E15 drop below $1,000, which makes it far more tempting).

Segway Navimow X430 for $2,249: My backyard is both a Wi-Fi and 5G dead zone. Before manually mowing the yard I save all my podcasts and music to offline mode, and I let my fiancee know she’ll need to deploy a carrier pigeon if she needs to get my attention. So, it was a relief to see just how quickly the navigation system of the Navimow X430 recognized the unit across the treacherous triple lot that surrounds my house. It connected within seconds of beginning the initial setup and 20 minutes later, the robot mower was on its way using the handy auto-mapping function. As it turns out, I didn't need the three beers I'd brought with me when I embarked upon this process, assuming it would be on par with the weeks-long headache it took to get the Mammotion Luba 2 connected and operational last summer.

It did an above-average job on its first pass despite the endless flurry of compost piles, stray bushes, fencing and detritus from half-finished gardening projects that litter my half-acre lawn, though I opted for manual mapping to take advantage of its aptitude at hugging the wobbly brick borders of some raised beds with relative ease. The sites claims that it can handle “tall, thick and dense grass," which I had the perfect scenario to test. After a two weeks of dealing with an endless cycle of torrential downpours and blistering heat, I was left with few open windows for a good mow before my patchy, crabby grass got too unwieldy for the Navimow’s 4-inch height maximum. I watched with disappointment as it casually drove over some stray blades that went to seed without making any impact whatsoever. Despite that, the Navimow X430 has impressed me with its ease-of-use. We'll update our impressions here with additional testing, but so far so good.—Pete Cottell

Sunseeker X7 Gen 2 Wireless Robot Lawn Mower for $2,700: If you have a large, challenging lawn, this could be a mower worth considering. It combines built-in NET-RTK, GPS, and AI vision, has floating dual disc blades for uneven terrain, and can work at night thanks to an Indirect Time of Flight camera. It is also all-wheel drive (AWD) and can handle 70 percent slopes up to 35 degrees. It can cover more than 32,000 square feet. I love the wide 14-inch cutting width, the relatively quiet operation (it never went over 60 decibels but was usually even quieter), even though I’d advise against mowing at night because of the risk to wildlife. Sadly, the automatic mapping was mediocre, and there’s no Spot Mode for a drop-and-mow. This Gen 2 mower brings a raft of improvements over the original, including night vision, faster processing, enhanced durability and traction, a built-in screen, and onboard RTK without a separate antenna. But only the originalSunseeker X7 ($2,700) is available to buy on Amazon. You currently have to go through a dealer to get the Gen 2.

Husqvarna Aspire R6V for £999: While the reliableHusqvarna 410XE Nerawas my top pick for a long time, you can get more affordable mowers now, without the hassle of RTK antennas. The Husqvarna Aspire R6V is just such a mower. It uses a combination of GPS and AI vision with a camera on the front. It was easy to set up and map the lawn in the app, but you will needa good Wi-Fi signal across your yardfor it to work effectively. I was a little disappointed in the sensitive obstacle avoidance, as it left large uncut strips around the edges of my lawn. I was able to reduce the verge a little with some tinkering, but it was still larger than the recommendations above. Note: This model is currently not available in the US.

Anthbot Genie 3000 for $900: This often-discounted mower was my budget pick for a while, but mowers have moved on, so you can get better performance without the satellite antenna now. It offers auto-mapping, but the remote-control option works better. The mower cut my lawn effectively, but even after repeated map updates, it left an uncut verge. The obstacle avoidance works well, and it cuts in neat lines. It had no issues returning to charge or following a schedule. The voice that says it has connected or started mowing began to annoy me, but thankfully, it can be turned off. There were some glitches with rain alerts that prevented it from mowing, even long after the rain had stopped. I also experienced some flaky connection issues with the GPS, and it occasionally got stuck. While there is support for multiple areas, the mower often struggled picking up a signal in my front yard. Ultimately, this is still a decent mower when discounted, provided you have a modest-sized, straightforward lawn.

• Photograph: Simon Hill
• Photograph: Simon Hill
• Video: Simon Hill

Mova

Lidax 2000

Mova Lidax 2000 for $1,199: With a sleek design and a mixture of 360-degree lidar for 3D mapping and a camera with AI vision, this mower proved very effective. Setup was straightforward, and there’s no need for wires or an antenna, though I did have to adjust the map manually. You can set multiple areas, and its navigation is generally very good. It mowed in neat lines, successfully avoided thin posts for the badminton net and other obstacles, and completed an excellent edge pass at the end. With some of the closest edge mowing I’ve seen, I was all set to recommend this mower, but then it got stuck. A couple of times, it seemed to be stuck, then managed to free itself, but an uneven problem spot proved to be its nemesis, and it chewed up a patch of grass trying to get free. Eventually, I had to make that spot a no-go zone. This mower is still worth considering, particularly if you see it on sale; just be prepared to tweak the map. The 2000 covers up to half an acre. If you have a quarter of an acre or less, theMova Lidax 1000 ($1,299)is much cheaper but has the same features.

Avoid These Mowers

Stiga A6V: I like that this mower only needs the charging station and has no need for an antenna. The buggy setup was my first red flag, as a firmware update failed and had to be repeated. Once up and running, I found the mower always left a big verge, even after adjustment. The AI vision camera is very slow to react to obstacles and not very good at navigating around them. It hit the ball several times in my test, and I had to hit the stop button as it got too close to my cat. It lacks useful features like automapping and spot-mow, and there are better options for the money above. The yellow finish is a bit garish for my tastes too.

EcoFlow Blade: While it was easy to set up and cut my lawn nicely without the need for any boundary wire, theEcoFlow Bladesometimes struggled with GPS navigation and ended up stuck in a flower bed. It also left an untouched strip around the edge of my lawn. The object avoidance was solid, and it can be automated in the app, though it occasionally failed to start a scheduled cut for me. EcoFlow seems to have discontinued this model, though it is still on sale in Europe. Probably best to avoid.

Yardcare E400: Curious about the budget end of the robot mower market, I agreed to try the Yardcare E400, but this mower was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish. It’s a boundary wire model, so you must run wire around the area you want mowed. Yardcare suggests it can cover up to 4,300 square feet and cut grass between 0.8 and 2.4 inches. The problem is that it gets stuck frequently and struggles to even get on and off its charging station reliably. After trying multiple fixes to no avail and going through customer support, I had to conclude that this model has a serious design flaw.

How Do Robot Lawn Mowers Work?

Perhaps counterintuitively, the setup instructions for your robot lawn mower will likely tell you to start by cutting the grass. Robot mowers mostly can’t deal with long grass. Unlike traditional mowers, these robots don’t collect grass cuttings; they mulch instead, and they are designed to cut frequently, keeping your lawn short and simply leaving the cuttings on the ground, which can also improve lawn health. Most robot mowers are designed to run two or three times a week during the growing season (from late spring to early fall).

They have rechargeable batteries onboard and can last from half an hour to several hours on a full charge. They return to the charging base and recharge automatically when their power runs low. Most mowers have simple controls, a small display, and an emergency stop button. You can generally start and stop mowing, set schedules, and create or edit mapped areas using the onboard controls or the companion mobile app, very much like a robot vacuum.

What Features Should I Look For in a Robot Mower?

There are many factors to consider in choosing a robot mower, and the best choice for you often depends on your yard.

Lawn Size and Shape

Robot lawn mowers are generally rated to cover a specific square footage, with wider coverage requiring models with larger batteries. Alongside yard size, you should consider the shape and topography of your lawn, as most robot mowers will struggle with steep inclines. While you can often map out separate areas so your robot mower can mow front and back lawns, for example, it will generally need you to lift and carry it between those areas. If you have an uneven garden or steep slopes, look for a four-wheel-drive (4WD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD) mower and check the manufacturer's rating for inclines.

Navigation Type

There are a few types of navigation that robot mowers employ. We’ve tested five different approaches, though some mowers combine multiple technologies for better performance.

• Satellite: Often employing something called Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) Global Positioning System (GPS), these mowers need a satellite signal to navigate and will have a receiver that must be placed in the open with a clear line of sight to the sky. Satellite navigation mowers are not suitable for areas with tall trees or buildings.
• Light Detection and Ranging (lidar): This technology sends out rapid laser pulses to 3D map the terrain (it is also used by self-driving cars). It enables mowers to cut grass under thick tree canopies or near tall buildings where GPS signals usually fail.
• Cameras: Cameras and onboard AI are used for obstacle detection and avoidance. AI vision can automatically map areas and cut the grass while avoiding obstacles it encounters, much like how most robot vacuums navigate a home to clean the floors.
• Wire boundary: These mowers require you to install a perimeter wire as a boundary around your lawn that marks out the border the mower should not cross. It's a messy job that can be tricky.
• Remote control: You mow your lawn from the comfort of your home using a remote controller or an app on your phone. Some only work via remote control, while others can also cut automatically.

Power and Charging

Robot mowers generally come with large charging docks, and you’ll need to earmark a suitable spot for yours. They usually have extensive weatherproof cabling, but you will have to find a route to an outdoor socket.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

To connect to your mower and schedule a mow, update the firmware, or remote control it where supported, you need a decent Wi-Fi signal or a Bluetooth connection. It’s best to set up your mower’s charging station within range of your Wi-Fi network. Some mowers also need a strong Wi-Fi signal to operate effectively, so you might consider adding anoutdoor mesh router. If you want to connect your phone via Bluetooth, you will have to get quite close.

How Noisy Are Robot Mowers?

Most robot mowers are far quieter than their traditional counterparts. You can expect them to operate at around 55 decibels, though they may go as high as 75 decibels. We only tested battery-powered mowers, but expect gas mowers to be louder. While the operation is often quiet, I did find that several mowers made annoying beeping sounds when backing up or had a loud recorded voice during setup or upon receiving a command.

Do Robot Mowers Work in Any Weather?

Robot mowers and their charging stations usually haveIP ratingsand can cope with rain, but you should pack up and bring your mower indoors during the winter months. Many robot mowers have some kind of rain sensor and will pause mowing when it gets too wet. Some mowers may need to be paused manually. The wheels can churn up your lawn and get caked in mud if mowers continue to labor in the rain, especially with larger and heavier models.

How Well Do Robot Mowers Cut?

Mowers of different sizes will have varying cutting widths, denoting the width of the strip they can cut on each pass. Most also have floating cutting decks that enable you to choose the length of grass you want (typically 1 to 3 inches). Many robot mowers seem to struggle with cutting around the edges of a lawn, especially if there’s a wall or fence that prevents them from getting close enough.

It’s common to find an uncut verge around the edge of your lawn, so you might need to occasionally get the string trimmer out. Every robot mower I’ve tested has also struggled to cut the area around the charging station, so I recommend placing the unit on a deck or pavement if possible.

Can I Install a Robot Mower Myself?

​Yes, most robot mowers can be installed by anyone, but you might want to set aside an afternoon to work out any snags. Finding the best spot for the receiver for a satellite mower can be tricky. The mapping process can also take a while; usually, the mower will prompt you to remote-control it around the border you want to set. After the first mow, you should review its performance and make tweaks to ensure it’s covering the entire area you want to cut.

Can Robot Mowers Mow at Night?

Some models are capable of mowing at night in the dark using headlights, Lidar, and Time of Flight sensors, alongside their usual navigation capabilities. This can be convenient and also removes the risk for pets or children playing on the lawn during the day. However, there is a risk of injuring nocturnal wildlife, like hedgehogs in the UK and Europe. Mowers are also more likely to make mistakes and get stuck in the dark. It may be better to schedule mowing for dawn or dusk.

How I Test Robot Lawn Mowers

I test each robot lawn mower for at least a month, on at least two different lawn areas, assessing the ease of setup, the mapping process, automatic scheduling (where available), navigation, obstacle avoidance, and the quality of the final cut, looking for length, uniformity, and any missed patches. Where applicable, I try extra features, tweak settings in the app, and check how the mower handles different weather conditions. I also keep an eye on battery performance and charging time to ensure it aligns with the manufacturer's claims.

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is a senior writer for WIRED and has been testing and writing about technology for around 20 years. You can find his previous work at Business Insider, Reviewed, TechRadar, Android Authority, USA Today, Digital Trends, and many other places. He loves all things tech, but especially

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