5 Of The Best Robot Lawn Mowers You Can Buy In 2023
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Lawnmowers have evolved quite a bit over the last century, from manual cylinder reel mowers that didn't use any power to push mowers using gas or electric motors to rider mowers you could drive around. The latest innovation is robot mowers, which autonomously navigate your lawn while cutting, like a Roomba for grass.
These electric robot mowers are relatively quiet, save a ton of yard work time, and thanks to improvements in battery technology, the newest robot mowers can handle bigger and bigger yards. Additionally, the cut is smooth thanks to the smaller blades typically found on robot mowers, which makes your grass less likely to develop brown tips.
Robot mowers, however, can get pretty expensive. Some of the bigger price tags make it harder to find on online retailers like Amazon, and they can be a hassle to return if you're ultimately dissatisfied. That's why you want to make sure you make the right choice when buying a robot mower. Here are some of the best robot lawnmowers you can currently find on the market.
Husqvarna Automower 450XH EPOS
Husqvarna has a line of several quality robot lawnmowers, and none of them would be a bad choice. But the Husqvarna Automower 450XH EPOS is about as premium a robot lawn mower as you can get, representing one of the most state-of-the-art products on the market. A big reason it costs so much and works so well is the "EPOS" in its name, which stands for "Exact Positioning Operating System." The Husqvarna EPOS uses satellites to help the robot mower navigate precisely around your lawn.
Other features include connectivity with IFTTT and Husqvarna's proprietary Automower Connect app, easy electric cutting height adjustment, GPS theft protection, foreign object detection, firmware updates, and the ability to drive the mower remotely with your phone.
One drawback is that it's considerably expensive, retailing for nearly $6,000. And as good as the Automower 450XH EPOS is, it's not necessarily perfect for every type of lawn, and you might want to opt for something cheaper if that's the case. Its EPOS requires good satellite reception and a wide-open sky free of trees or tall slopes. It's also not currently available on Amazon, but the Automower 450XH without EPOS is, and it's $3,000 cheaper.
Greenworks Pro Optimow 50H
If you've got quite a large yard to mow, you'll want to get a robot lawn mower with a long battery life, so it can cut all your grass without needing to take a recharge break. If that's the case, the Greenworks Pro Optimow 50H is a good option with an impressive running time. One trade-off is that, like most robot mowers, it requires boundary wires to navigate your lawn. They can be a hassle to set up and maintain, though they are cheaper technology than GPS-enabled mowers.
The Greenworks Pro Optimow 50H is fairly quiet, and its powerful battery provides strong cutting power. It can easily handle a half-acre yard with up to 20-degree slopes and has a cutting height between 2.4–4 inches. You can also schedule the mower to skip days with bad weather or where frost is expected on your grass.
A drawback to the Greenworks Pro Optimow 50H is its lack of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. Instead, it requires a cellular subscription to use, which is annoying and an additional cost to factor in after the sale. Its onboard settings are also lacking, which is frustrating, though not necessarily a dealbreaker. The Greenworks Pro Optimow 50H costs $1,600, and while it's not currently available on Amazon, you can order one on Best Buy and have it shipped to your home in just a few days.
Gardena Sileno Minimo
If you're looking for a robot mower that won't disturb the neighbors (or your own household), the Gardena Sileno Minimo is one of the quietest products on the market. Gardena claims its decibel level won't go over 57 db, barely louder than a typical refrigerator. The mower is built for lawns up to 5400 square feet and has a maximum slope performance of 25 percent.
Its features include a three-year warranty, Bluetooth setup, spiral spot-cutting for harder-to-reach areas, and all-weather capabilities, meaning it can operate in the rain, detect frost, and pause itself before being damaged. Built specifically for smaller lawns, the Sileno Minimo is also good at handling narrow spaces and tight corners.
You can purchase a Gardena Sileno Minimo for $781.67 on Amazon. It's relatively cheaper than many robot mowers, in part to using boundary wires over GPS, which is something to keep in mind if you're looking for a satellite-assisted mower. The Sileno Minimo reportedly struggles with finding its docking station sometimes, a relatively common problem with lower-cost robot mowers (and some higher-cost ones too).
EcoFlow Blade
The EcoFlow Blade is a robot mower that comes with something that, honestly, every mower should have: a sweeping kit. This useful accessory does exactly what it sounds like, picking up unwanted debris, like leaves and sticks, from your lawn while it cuts your grass.
The EcoFlow mower also uses GPS instead of boundaries, making it one of the most convenient mowers available. It also uses visual sensors and Lidar to avoid obstacles and can re-route itself so it can continue mowing. Additionally, its wide, omnidirectional wheels help it handle rougher terrain. And it has IP65-rated water resistance.
One downside to the EcoFlow Blade is that it tends to have issues docking with its home station (as well as navigating in general). This is a frustrating problem, but unfortunately, one that still hasn't been solved with many robot mowers, considering the technology is still relatively new. If the need for a sweeping kit outweighs the potential frustration arising from navigation issues, the EcoFlow Blade is still one of the best options on the robot mower market. You can find it on Amazon for $2,900.
Worx Landroid L
The edges of a lawn can be notoriously tricky for most robot mowers. If you've previously struggled with this or are looking to avoid the problem from the get-go, you should consider the Worx Landroid L. Worx makes quality mowers, and the Landroid L, in particular, is great at handling edges.
The mower is designed for yards up to a half-acre, has a cutting height of 1.5–3.5 inches, and a cutting width of 8 inches. Additional features include a sharp LCD screen, a three-year warranty, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. If your yard is big enough to need it, the mower pairs well with a proprietary Wi-Fi extender.
Unfortunately, the mower isn't perfect. Premium mowers that use GPS have an advantage over the Worx Landroid L, which uses boundary wires. And for whatever reason, with the Landroid L, those boundary wires have trouble reading accurately on sloped lawns. Also, its wheels tend to lose traction on dry, flat grass, causing it to veer slightly off course, sometimes even outside of the boundary wires. If you can live with that, the Worx Landroid L will set you back $1,500, though you can find it discounted on Amazon.