(Credit: Tyler Hayes)
Yard work can be therapeutic, but it's also nice to kick back and let someone else tackle your unruly lawn, which is why I started experimenting with robotic lawn mowers.
I spent a few months mowing lawns, or rather, watching robots mow my lawn in California, and have concluded that most people, from urban to rural homeowners, could benefit from one. Still, there are plenty of things to consider with the different models and technologies. Here's what you need to know before setting one free on your lawn this summer.
How Big Is Your Yard?
Ideally, your smart mower will last through an entire trimming session. But as with any gadget, the bigger the battery, the higher the price.
For example, the major difference between the Segway Navimow X315 and the X390 is the larger battery, which provides a longer cutting time. The two mowers match each other across most other features, except that the X315 can mow for up to 120 minutes on a charge and costs $1,999, while the X390 runs for up to 240 minutes and costs $4,499. When looking at different models, consider how much space you actually need to tackle, rather than simply opting for the one that can handle the most acreage.
It’s also worth noting that the advertised cutting capacity can take up to a dozen hours, with the mower returning to the charger throughout the day. That might not be ideal if your grass is in the front yard or if you have kids who need to use the lawn for activities.
Smart, But Not That Smart
On well-manicured yards surrounded by pavers or hardscape, pay attention to a mower’s edging capabilities. I got mixed results. The Eufy E18 had the best turning radius and followed a perimeter wall with the greatest fluidity. It got close to the grass edge, but it didn’t straddle the hard surface to cover the most area. For that, I had the best luck with the Segway Navimow X390. It did the best at trimming the edges. That unit also has an expansion port for a dedicated trimmer. It's a neat feature if it works, but I haven’t tested it yet.
Minor Features With Major Benefits
The number of features available on robot mowers can be overwhelming. Some of them are more personal to your yard and the type of grass you have, such as the cutting height. But other features, like the noise level, are less important. All the ones I’ve tried are extremely quiet compared with traditional push mowers.
The features that might get overlooked that I liked the most and would recommend paying attention to are auto-mapping and weather awareness.
First, I'd avoid any robots that need boundary wires. There are plenty of good options on the market that most people should look for "wire-free" devices. Second, the ability for a robot to auto-map your yard is a huge convenience. With cameras and other sensors, these models are likely to have the best object avoidance performance. While the Navimow X390 wanted me to manually control it to map the yard, it does have auto-mapping capabilities that were helpful for the areas with trees and utility boxes.
Recommended by Our Editors
Some units have rain and water sensors, while others utilize their internet connection over Wi-Fi to check the weather and the upcoming forecast. I liked that the Eufy E18 can delay a scheduled start time if the weather is supposed to be bad.
Don't Overlook These Details
Flashy features grab all the attention, but there are some things these machines can't do.
For example, none of the mowers I’ve used collect grass clippings, though this feature is available on a select few, including the Mowrator S1. The common practice is to shred grass with custom spinning razor blades. If you run the mower regularly like it’s designed to operate, you won’t see visual clumps in your yard. Letting the grass grow too long could cause problems, though.
Meanwhile, none of the mowers I tested could physically get close enough to a fence or stone wall to avoid needing to break out the weed eater. There’s usually a 5-inch gap or more between the blades underneath and the robot's plastic frame. So, if you have a divider like that in your grass, you'll still need to do a little yard work. The good news is that none of the units I tested scratched up against the stone wall. They were all able to get close without bumping into it.
It’s exciting that the mowing robots can dock themselves to charge and then deploy when needed, but consider the placement of that charging station. The yard I was mowing didn’t have a spot on the grass for the robot to live, as the companies recommend, so I had to put it on a sidewalk, a few feet away. Most of them found the grass on their own, but I needed to selectively edit the Ecovacs Goat A3000's map to trick it into not complaining about the location of its dock.
Some docking stations will also need to connect to RTK antennas. Make sure you have a view of the sky and an electrical outlet near where you want to dock the device.
The Future of Robot Mowers
One of the biggest revelations in testing modern robot mowers is the navigation improvements. More brands have ditched wire boundaries for cameras and sensors capable of identifying and reacting to more objects. It seems like this product category is starting to hit its stride and is now able to do most of the work unassisted.
As you consider the options, keep your own yard in mind. Lawn size matters; we don't all need a $5,000 mower. The basics should be well covered by a lot of the reputable brands. It's the finer details that could make the high price feel worth the cost.