Do robot mowers cut the edges?

Why robots leave an uncut strip

For safety, the blade disc sits well inside the robot's body. When the robot meets a wall, fence or raised bed, the body stops it before the blade reaches the edge. With a boundary wire, the wire is laid a set distance in from a raised edge for the same reason. The result is a strip, typically a few centimetres wide, that the blades cannot reach.

What makes a difference

Several design features reduce the uncut strip. The table below sets them out.

Edge modes and trimmers

Some Worx Landroid models, for example, have a cut-to-edge design and an edge cutting routine, and the Husqvarna Automower 405VE lists EdgeCut. Some newer wire-free robots also add a dedicated edge trimmer. These features reduce strimming a lot, but most still leave some grass against walls and fences. Check the maker's description of how close the robot cuts.

See the Worx Landroid range →

Mowing strips: the best fix

A mowing strip is a band of paving, bricks or flat edging laid level with, or just below, the lawn surface. The robot can drive onto it, so the blade reaches the very edge of the grass. With a boundary wire, it is laid closer to a flush strip than to a raised edge. For wire-free robots, you set the boundary to include the strip.

Mowing strips also help ordinary mowers and stop grass creeping into borders. They are worth considering along fences, walls and raised beds.

Other ways to keep edges neat →

Trimming the rest

Expect some trimming even with the best setup, round trees, posts, play equipment and corners. A light cordless strimmer with an edging mode makes this quick, perhaps every few weeks. Our cordless strimmer guide covers models with edging wheels.

Choosing a robot with edges in mind

If edges matter, look for an edge cutting mode, an offset blade or a separate trimmer, and check the cutting width. Wire-free robots that follow a recorded edge can get closer to paths than wire models, though walls still stop them. Our guides to the best robot lawn mowers and wire-free robots note edge features where makers list them.

Narrow passages and corners

Corners and narrow passages also leave patches. Robots turn before they reach a tight corner, and very narrow strips of lawn may be too slim for them to pass. Rounding off sharp corners of a lawn and widening narrow passages, or laying a mowing strip there, helps the robot cover more of the grass.

Edges with boundary wire and wire-free robots

With a boundary wire robot, how close the robot cuts depends on how far in the wire is laid. Makers give different distances for a raised edge, such as a wall, and a flush edge, such as a path the robot can run onto. Following those distances matters: laying the wire too close to a wall means the robot bumps into it, and too far in leaves a wide strip. Our guide to installing a boundary wire covers the typical layout.

Wire-free robots use a boundary you record in the app. You can usually drive the robot right along a flush path when recording, so it follows the edge closely. Against walls and fences, they still leave a gap for the same safety reasons as wire models.

Frequently asked questions

Do robot mowers cut right to the edge? Rarely to a raised edge. Most leave a few centimetres. Mowing strips let them cut to the edge.

Which robot mowers have edge cutting? Several models from brands such as Worx and Husqvarna list edge cutting features. Check each model's specification.

Will I still need a strimmer with a robot mower? Usually yes, for occasional trims round walls, trees and corners.

What is a mowing strip? A flat band of paving or edging level with the lawn, so mower wheels can run on it and the blade reaches the edge.