Robotic lawnmowers are becoming increasingly popular as a hands-free alternative to traditional petrol and electric lawnmowers.
Because a robotic lawn mower is fully automatic, it can be a brilliant option for gardeners who have mobility concerns, are away from home a lot, or simply find mowing a chore.
Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries, the mowers are guided by a boundary cable, which needs to be laid around the lawn’s edge. This helps the robotic lawn mower identify where to mow and avoid flower beds, trees and other obstacles.
This article reviews the best GPS robotic lawnmowers and clearly outlines each one’s pros and cons. We hope you will find it useful! So let`s get started
Our Top Picks
1. Worx Landroid M 20V Cordless Robotic Lawn Mower (WR140)
The WR140 sports a black-and-orange color scheme and uses a floating deck design that allows it to travel over hills and slopes without scalping your lawn. It has two 8-inch rear wheels, a single front wheel, measures ten by 15 by 22 inches (HWD), and weighs 21 pounds.
Cutting heights range from 1.5 to 3.1 inches and can be adjusted using the big round dial on the mower’s top. At the rear is a cover that lifts to reveal the battery compartment, a USB port (for updating firmware), and a compartment for the Find My Landroid module that gives the mower GPS capabilities.
There are two charging blades on the mower’s right side that connect with the charging blades on the base station when the mower is parked at home.
The WR140 works with a slick mobile app that lets you control it from anywhere. In addition to starting and stopping the mower and adjusting cuttings schedules, the app enables you to monitor the mower’s progress. It will send status alerts to let you know what it is currently doing and any issues.
Pros
- Excellent cutting performance
- Very quiet
- User-friendly mobile app
Cons
- No remote control
2. Gardena 4069 R80li Robotic Lawn Mower
This oval-shaped lawnmower can cover medium-sized lawns with a cutting width of 17 centimeters, and it renews its power in an impressive 50 minutes on a charging station. Even more impressive, it’ll mow for more than an hour after one charge, though the run time can be affected by grass thickness and other factors.
The 4069 has an easy-function LCD with settings, a timer, and three pivoting razor blades for precise cuts every time. At 7.7 kilograms and 58 x 46 x 26 cm measurements, the Gardena 4069 is a pretty sizable machine that boasts a good cutting width.
Without any effort on your part, the Gardena 4069 provides a clean cut every time. It’s super quiet at a mere 58 decibels so that it won’t disturb you or your surrounding neighbors in the least.
The Gardena 4069 robotic lawn mower maintains a safe existence thanks to its anti-theft protection device. Additionally, it only runs when you program it, so there are no worries about the 4069 running wild on its own. The 4069 is safe and secure with an alarm, a PIN code, a lift sensor, and a tilt sensor.
Have this robotic mower take care of your lawn-mowing duties in the best and worst weather–no climate is too bad for the Gardena 4069. It’s been created to be on standby 24-7 and functions awesomely regardless of weather conditions or whether it’s unattended or not. And if it is unattended, don’t worry.
The anti-theft alarm function, installation lock, and PIN code will keep it safe and in your possession.
The 4069 can be easily moved around by the handle located at the rear of the machine.
Pros
- Quiet
- Rainproof and weatherproof
- Excellent cutting results
- Anti-theft protection
- Maintenance-free battery
- Low noise and emission-free
- Easy to use, install, and maintain
- Customizable and safe
Cons
- No rain sensor
- Moves rather slow
- On the pricey side
- Slips on steep slopes
- Short run time; long charge time
- No remote control or mobile app
- Installation and assembly
3. Robomow Rs630 Robotic Lawn Mower
The RS630, like any other robotic lawnmower, is excellent for maintaining grass. It is not supposed to cut the grass like a conventional mower and should never have to.
Its rain sensors detect if it is raining so the robotic mower will stop cutting the grass; if there is too much water accumulation, it can be left outside under the rain on its charging base because it is 100% waterproof although, we would not recommend installing this where a puddle of water could form as it would damage the unit.
Its mowing height is easily adjustable, simply open the cover and top and turn the knob to the desired mowing height. Robomow can mow areas inside the working area with slopes of up to 35 percent. It can handle gardens with several zones and trim each one individually.
Robomow is the only robotic mower with blades that reach the very borders of its base. It is also the only one with a special Edge mode, in which it follows the perimeter wire for complete coverage of the lawn edges.
Bluetooth connectivity for Robomow App remote control. From there, you have control of the schedule, you can verify the battery life, and you can take control of your mower for missed spots or harder-to-reach areas.
Pros
- Autonomous and does not require human intervention for you to spend more time on what counts for you
- Easy to install and program. Once set up, it requires little maintenance
- The mower is very quiet
- Uses batteries for emission-free work
- Low energy consumption
- Not noisy
Cons
- Costly
- Short Battery life
- Blades are recommended to be replaced every year accordingly to the user manual
- Perimeter wire installation can be a challenging mower’s entire width task
4. Husqvarna Automower 115H Connect Robotic Lawn Mower
The Husqvarna Automower 115H uses three razor blade-style cutters and isn’t designed to take off 2″ or 3″ of grass on a weekly maintenance cut. One of the significant changes from standard cutting is that the mower runs every day instead of once a week. The Husqvarna Automower 115H cuts 2″ to 3.6″.
When the mower is at work, it quietly runs around your yard with a light ticking sound as it cuts the tips of the grass off. That’s the sound you want to hear. If the grass gets too high, it’s tough for the mower to effectively cut it since it doesn’t have a traditional mower deck and suction to pull the grass up into it.
For safety, the cutting swath is not the entire width of the mower, leaving several inches between the edge and the blades. It’s one of the reasons you still need to go around with a string trimmer on your boundaries.
One of the significant differences in cutting is that there is zero suction. The 115H can roll over small sticks, leaves, and mulch without picking it up and dulling the blades quickly. It lets you put that boundary wire a bit closer to cut more grass close for soft landscaping boundaries.
When the battery drops to 20%, the mower looks for the guidewire and finds its way back to the charger on its own.
The Husqvarna Automower 115H is an excellent entry-level robotic mower that does its best work on simple lawns up to 0.4-acre.
Pros
- Price includes professional installation.
- Guidewire offers better full-yard coverage than other entry-level designs.
- Cuts up to 3.6″ high
- Simple add-based commands and schedule adjustments
- Runs in the rain
- Handles slopes up to 30%
Cons
- No GPS support
- No cell or wifi connections
5. Husqvarna Automower 450X
The Husqvarna Automower is a robot lawnmower that automatically takes care of trimming the grass. And, once set up, you can just forget about it.
The Husqvarna Automower 450X is the range-topping model for consumers. It’s a slick, well-developed app that’s easy to use.
What sets this robot mower apart from its nearest rivals is the addition of GPS. When you buy an Automower 450X, part of the package is a sim card that’s pre-paid for ten years and that gives it the ability to ‘learn’ your garden, find out where the obstacles are and adjust its routes accordingly.
This is all done automatically, and Husqvarna recommends leaving it to continuously mow for the first 24 hours to map the lawn.
The 450X is protected in three main ways. The GPS acts as a tracker, so if the Automower is stolen, it can be found.
Secondly, it doesn’t like to be picked up. Lift up the Automower 450X, and sensors will register that it’s off the ground and sound an ear-piercing alarm.
After that, you will need to input a four-digit PIN to unlock it. So, it’s rendered useless if it is stolen, and the GPS will ensure that it can be tracked down, too.
Finally, if that doesn’t work, report it stolen to Husqvarna; it will become blacklisted and won’t ever be able to pair with a docking station in the future – similar to what happens to stolen mobile phones.
The Automower 450X certainly isn’t a toy or a novelty – this is a serious and viable alternative to a ride-on mower. Fitted with a lithium-ion battery, it takes approximately an hour to charge and can then run for up to 270 minutes. This means that the 450X can cover areas up to 5000m2 – that’s just over 1.2 acres.
As well as being ideal for those with more extensive gardens, it’s also just the job for light commercial use, too: the 450X would be just as happy taking care of a hotel’s lawn, for instance.
The quality of the cut is superb, with the Automower getting right up to the edges. It’s good on inclines, too, tackling slopes of up to 24 degrees/45 percent.
The 35W motor will power the mower at walking speed and is impressively quiet – you’ll never hear more than a low-level hum. Plus, it’s weather-proof, so come rain or shine it’s out cutting the grass (though it should be packed away for winter).
Pros
- Up to 270 minutes of cutting time on one charge
- Fitted with GPS
- Connects to a slick app
Cons
- Doesn’t do stripes
- The app doesn’t keep a record of mowing performance
FAQ
Do robot lawn mowers really work?
Yes. Keep in mind that a robotic mower may not offer the same power and features as a traditional push mower, gas- or electric-start-powered. A robot mower works best when run a few times per week over your property, where a conventional mower may only get one use per week.
That being said, the results are clear as day. A robot mower will give your lawn the clean-cut it deserves, with results just as good as a traditional mowing job.
How do robot lawnmowers work?
Robotic lawnmowers tend to work their way around your lawn in a random fashion, which helps prevent any wheel marks from forming. Usually, the charging stations can be hidden out of sight, and there is a perimeter wire that has to be pegged into place as part of the installation process.
This perimeter wire tells the mower where the edges of your lawn are. All robotic lawnmowers are mulching mowers, which means they do not collect the grass but instead cut it into fine clippings and scatter them to decompose, so the nutrients go back into the soil.
Are robot mowers worth it?
While there’s a significant initial outlay, a robotic mower will cost you less than $25 per year in operating costs. If you’ve been paying landscapers to keep your lawn looking like an emerald carpet, you’ll realize significant savings in a year or two. And won’t your neighbors thank you for that everyday fresh-mown look?
Do robot lawn mowers get stolen?
The evidence in terms of theft statistics is that they have done an excellent job, as robot lawn mowers’ theft is rare. However, there are differences in robot lawnmower security features between different models and manufacturers, so it is essential to consider this area carefully when doing research.
How much does a robot lawnmower cost, and should I buy a robot mower?
You can expect to pay anywhere from $600 and up for a barebones model to more than $5,000 for a mower with all the bells and whistles. Dealers that require professional installation may add hundreds of dollars to the total cost.
Do robotic lawnmowers have bags?
No. Robot mowers will mulch the grass it cuts, neatly re-depositing the trimmings into your lawn as fertilization.