Lawn mowers for UK gardens
A better lawn with less pushing: robot and cordless mowers by garden size.
Measure the lawn, pick a mower that is rated for it, then tidy the edges. We compare robot, wire-free and cordless mowers on cutting width, cutting height, rated area, slope and battery, in metric.
Our top picks
All buying guides- 41 cm cutBest cordless lawn mowers in the UK
Greenworks 48V 41 cm: 440 m², two 4 Ah batteries
30 to 80 mm · 2 x 24 V 4 Ah (48 V), included
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link - Not stated cutBest cordless mower and strimmer sets
Ryobi ONE+ 33 cm mower + OLT1832 trimmer, 5 Ah
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link - 46 cm cutBest cordless mowers for large gardens
Makita DLM462PT4: 1,900 m², four 5 Ah packs
20 to 100 mm · Twin 18 V (36 V), 4 x 5 Ah included
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link - 33 cm cutBest cordless mowers for small gardens
Greenworks 24V 33 cm: 8 kg, brushless
24 V 4 Ah battery and charger
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link
Lawn-area calculator
Open the calculator →- 96.0 m²
- minus 3.1 m²
Lawn area
92.9 m²
1,000 sq ft
Robot area band
up to 600 m²
With zones, passages or slopes
rated 112 m² or more
A robot's rated maximum area assumes an open lawn and the maker's run hours. If your lawn is split into zones, has narrow passages or slopes, choose a model rated at least 20% above the measured area. Type decimals with a point, for example 7.5.
Common lawn and mower questions
The questions asked most often, each with causes and fixes.
- Line snaps or runs out fastWhy strimmer line keeps snapping or welding in the spool: wrong diameter, old brittle line, poor winding and cutting against walls, with simple fixes.
- Robot mower not working properlyCommon robot lawn mower problems, from patchy cutting and docking faults to lost maps and boundary errors, with the checks to do before calling a dealer.
- Not charging or not dockingRobot mower not charging or docking? Check dirty contacts, a misaligned dock, guide wire faults and worn batteries in order, and what to do if it will not turn on.
- Mower keeps getting stuckWhy a robot lawn mower keeps getting stuck on ruts, roots, low edges, wet slopes and narrow passages, with layout tweaks and accessories that help.
- No loop signal messageWhat Husqvarna Automower no loop signal and other common messages mean, the checks to try, and how to find a broken boundary wire with simple tools.
- Won't start or cuts outCordless lawn mower not working? Check the battery, safety key, bail bar, overload cut-outs and a clogged deck, one by one, before calling a dealer.
- Battery will not chargeWhy a cordless mower battery will not charge: temperature lockouts, deep discharge, dirty contacts and faulty chargers, with safe checks in the right order.
Mowers by type
Robot, wire-free and cordless mowers, edging tools and the batteries behind them.
Boundary wire
RTK
Vision / lidar
- Robot mowersBoundary wire and app controlled robot mowers matched to lawn size, slopes and how much tidying you want to do.11 guides · 5 buying guides
- Wire-free robotsRTK, vision and lidar robot mowers that map the lawn without a perimeter wire, and what they need to work well.5 guides · 1 buying guide
- Cordless mowersBattery rotary mowers by cutting width, rear roller, self drive and battery platform for UK lawns.7 guides · 2 buying guides
- Strimmers and edgersCordless strimmers, lawn edgers and mower plus strimmer sets for crisp edges after the mow.4 guides · 2 buying guides
- Small gardensCompact robot and cordless mowers for terraced plots, narrow side lawns and easy storage in a shed.2 guides · 2 buying guides
- Batteries and bladesBattery voltage, run time, charging, blades and cutting heights explained in plain metric terms.6 guides · 0 buying guides
Calculators
Measure the lawn and set the cutting height without guesswork.
- CalculatorLawn-area calculatorAdds up rectangles, circles and triangles in metres or feet, subtracts beds and patios, and gives the lawn area in m² and sq ft.
- CalculatorOne-third rule: how low to cut todayThe lowest height to cut to today without removing more than a third of the grass, and how many cuts it takes to reach your target.
Comparisons
- Worx Landroid vs Husqvarna AutomowerWorx Landroid vs Husqvarna Automower: rated area, slope, edge cutting, app and spares compared from listing facts, with a clear verdict on who should buy which.
- Wire-free vs boundary wire robot mowersRobot lawn mower without a perimeter wire or with one? Installation, signal needs, edge accuracy and what happens when the wire breaks or the sky is blocked.
- Strimmer vs lawn edger: which gives the cleaner edgeRotating head strimmers, wheeled edgers and manual half moon edgers compared for lawn borders, paths and beds, with three cordless strimmers that can edge.
- Ryobi vs EGO cordless mowersRyobi 18 V ONE+ and 36 V MAX POWER against EGO 56 V: battery platform, watt hours, cutting width and the other garden tools each battery runs.
- Robot mower vs cordless push mowerRobot lawn mower or cordless push mower? Time saved, lawn finish, edges and upfront cost compared for a typical UK back garden, with example models.
- Husqvarna Automower vs Segway NavimowHusqvarna Automower against Segway Navimow: boundary wire or EPOS versus app first RTK and camera, compared by lawn size, setup effort and support.
Buying guides
Focused guides to one type of mower or edging tool each, compared on what the listings state.
- Best cordless lawn mowers in the UK
- Best cordless mower and strimmer sets
- Best cordless mowers for large gardens
- Best cordless mowers for small gardens
- Best cordless strimmers and edging trimmers
- Best robot lawn mowers for UK gardens
- Best robot mowers for slopes and hills
- Best robot mowers for small gardens
- Best robot mowers under £800
- Best robot mowers without a perimeter wire
- Husqvarna Automower models compared
- Worx Landroid range: which model fits your lawn
Guides & advice
- What size lawn mower do I need?Lawn mower size guide: match cutting width and battery capacity in watt hours to your lawn area in m², with a quick table and real listing examples.
- What does mulching do on a lawn mower?How mulching mowers work, what the mulch plug and blade do, and when to mulch or collect clippings on a damp UK lawn, with cordless mower examples.
- Can robot mowers work in the rain?Can a robot mower cut in the rain? IPX ratings, rain sensors, cutting wet grass, covers and why cleaning matters in a damp UK summer, explained simply.
- Robot mower garages: do you need one?Do you need a robot lawn mower garage? What a shelter does, the clearance, airflow and sensor rules to follow, and how to plan a safe DIY robot mower house.
- 18 V, 36 V, 40 V and 56 V mower batteries explainedWhat volts, amp hours and watt hours mean on a cordless mower battery, how twin 18 V systems work, and why the battery platform matters more than the number.
- Lawn mower height settings and the one-third ruleWhich cutting height to use through the year in mm, how the one-third rule works, and what the numbered height positions on cordless and robot mowers mean.