Mowing your lawn can be a therapeutic hobby, but also a bit of a nightmare if you can’t find the time (or willpower) to fire up the old pull-string mower. Fortunately, for those of us willing to part with a few dollars, there are now robotic lawnmowers to take all the time and pain out of seasonal lawn care. Battery operated, a solid robo-mower will be able to learn your lawn inside and out, cutting quickly, quietly, and on a schedule that you create.
We’re reviewing the best robot lawn mowers of 2020, along with their top features. For our list, we consider performance quality in a few categories, such as noise levels, automatic sensors, and adjustability of the blades.
Worx WR140
This Worx model shows a strong understanding of what the average buyer needs from a reliable robot mower. First, they need a reasonable price: Many people interested in a mower bot won’t want to spend thousands of dollars, especially if they aren’t sure how exactly it’s going to perform. Second, buyers are looking for bots that can handle relatively small spaces very tidily. The WR140 fits these needs, as it’s a sub-$1,000 mower that’s designed to do a really good job on lawns around one-quarter of an acre or less.
The mower is designed to follow a schedule based on the information you provide about your lawn on the app, cutting in light layers that don’t need to be emptied out or collected — and you can still adjust the cutting height if necessary. The “cut to edge” design helps the blades mow as close to the lawn edges as possible, so you don’t get those annoying stragglers by the flowerbeds, and there’s a handy alert feature that sends you a notification if your mower leaves the lawn space, which indicates a performance issue or that someone is tampering with the unit (every good mower bot should have this feature).
At 20V, it’s not the most powerful bot, but it does have the features a lawn owner needs, including automatic recharge for the battery and the ability to climb 20-degree hills. The sensors will keep it from colliding with anything surprising, and you can also surround specific items with included magnetic strips so the bot will avoid that area. All in all, it’s a great mower bot for first-time bot cutters.
Robomow RS630
We tested out the Robomow RS630 a few years ago, and it’s still one of the premier robotic lawnmowers, although the price is a bit steep. However, for larger and more complex yards, you’re going to need a bit more lawnmower than the Worx above. The Robomow RS630 handles yards up to three-quarters of an acre and sloped yards up to 20 degrees, making this unit ideal for most yard types. It also has a rain sensor to prevent mowing during inclement weather and automatic recharging when the mower is low on power.
With an operational decibel range of up to 78dB, the RS630 is certainly louder than the Husqvarna Automower 450X (our next recommendation), but it’s significantly quieter than your average riding lawnmower.
Husqvarna Automower 450X
Husqvarna’s Automower 450X covers the most turf — up to 1.25 acres. While other models on this list incorporate softer lines and warmer, matte color schemes, the Automower 450X has more of a glossy, RoboCop 2 build and looks downright menacing in your front yard.
Like the other models, you’ll need to “fence-off” the perimeter of your lawn and garden areas before you mow for the first time. That said, you can also adjust the map of your yard via the app to mark additional zones to avoid. This is necessary for ditches or more rugged areas where the mower might struggle with adequate traction.
You can schedule the mow times over the course of a given month, allowing the model to trim as regularly or minimally as desired. Regular mowings minimize clippings, resulting in a cleaner-looking yard.
Perhaps its best feature is its quiet operation, though. Graded at just 58 decibels, this lawnmower is about as loud as an air conditioning unit. If you really wanted to, you probably could get away with mowing in the middle of the night without waking the neighbors.
Honda Miimo HRM520
It’s really no surprise that Honda — the company that brought us Asimo — was one of the pioneering robotic lawn care manufacturers. Overall, the Miimo HRM520 is one of our favorite offerings on the market, with its three-quarter-acre mowing capability and an impressive slope mowing capability of up to 25 degrees.
The HRM520’s app allows you to adjust the cutting height, start or stop the unit, and also manage a calendar all from your smartphone. This model uses an innovative “continuous cutting system,” where the machine trims your lawn about one inch multiple times a week. Honda says this promotes better growth and overall yard health versus infrequent and larger cuts.
These regular trimmings also adjust as grass growth increases or decreases seasonally, and its cutting patterns adjust appropriately when it detects denser patches of grass for more even cuts. Three panoramic sensors allow the unit to detect and avoid obstacles around the yard.
Husqvarna 115H Connect
Husqvarna’s smart 115H offers quick automatic cutting for yards a little under half an acre and can handle slopes up to 17 degrees and grass up to 3.6 inches tall. No need to worry if there’s a storm in the forecast, as the 115H will still operate in the rain.
With the Husqvarna Connect Home app (iOS and Android), you can take your mowing to the next level. Create customized cutting schedules and monitor your mower with ease. The 115H will also automatically return to its charging station when the battery is running low and will do so as many times as needed during a longer mowing session.
Looking for more lawn tools? We’ve found the best lawn sprinklers, weed killer, and leaf blowers for your yard.
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