Are robot mowers worth it? (UK)

The short answer

For a lot of UK households, yes. A robot mower takes a job that recurs every week from about March to October and makes it disappear, and it keeps the lawn looking consistently tidy rather than neat on Sunday and shaggy by Friday. Running costs are low. Modern wire-free models have also removed the biggest old objection: spending a weekend pegging wire round the garden.

It's less worth it if your lawn is tiny, very broken up, heavily used during the day, or if the cost would stretch you. And it doesn't do everything: edges, leaves and the odd first cut are still yours.

What you actually get

Time back. How much depends on your lawn and how you mow now, but across a UK season it adds up to many hours. Robot mowers suit people who are busy, away a lot, or find mowing physically hard.

A consistently short lawn. Because the mower trims a few millimetres most days, the grass never gets long. Fine clippings fall back into the lawn, so there's nothing to empty or take to the tip. Our guide to how robot mowers work explains why this works.

Mowing that fits around the weather. In a wet UK spring, grass can grow fast while weekends get rained off. A robot mower picks its moments between showers. Many pause in rain automatically.

Quiet operation. Robot mowers are much quieter than petrol mowers, though figures vary. For example, Flymo quotes 57 dB(A) for the Flymo EasiLife GO, while some large-garden machines are noticeably louder. Check the figure if you plan to mow early or late, or share walls with neighbours.

What it still leaves you to do

• Edges. Most robot mowers leave a strip along walls, fences and raised beds. Some claim full or partial edge cutting, but a trimmer is still useful.
• The first cut, and catch-ups. Robot mowers maintain short grass; they don't tame long grass. After a holiday or winter, you may need an ordinary mower first.
• Leaves and clutter. Autumn leaves, windfall apples, toys, hoses and dog mess all need clearing before the mower runs.
• Maintenance. Blades need changing a few times a season, the underside needs cleaning, and most manufacturers recommend winter storage indoors. See winter storage and maintenance.
• Setup. Wired mowers take an afternoon or more to install; wire-free models need mapping. See our installation guide.

What it costs

Prices run from under £200 for the cheapest wired mowers, such as the Parkside 20V at RRP £149.99, to several thousand pounds for large-garden and all-wheel-drive machines. Most people with an average-sized garden will be looking at somewhere between a few hundred pounds and around £1,500.

Running costs are small by comparison: electricity for charging, replacement blades and, for some connected models, a data plan after the included period ends. We break it all down in how much a robot mower costs, and you can estimate a yearly figure for a particular model with our running-costs calculator.

Signs a robot mower will suit you

• Your lawn is roughly 200 m² or more, so mowing it by hand takes real time. Check with our lawn size tool.
• The lawn is one area, or a few areas joined by passages at least as wide as the mower needs.
• You don't use the lawn all day, so the mower has time to work, ideally in daylight.
• Slopes are within the mower's rating, with some margin. See robot mowers on slopes.
• You'd rather spend the money than the time, or you find mowing hard work.

Signs it may not be worth it

• A very small lawn. Some mowers are rated for as little as 100 m², but if you can mow in ten minutes, the saving is small.
• A complicated garden on a tight budget. Lots of separate lawns, stepping stones, narrow gaps and island beds are all manageable, but usually with a pricier wire-free model or a lot of wire. See our guide to complex gardens.
• A lawn that's always in use. If children and dogs are on the grass most of the day and you want to avoid night mowing, the mower may struggle to find enough hours.
• You like mowing, or you want stripes. A robot won't give you a striped finish.
• Your front lawn is the one that needs doing and theft worries you. Security features help, but a mower visible from the street is a target. See robot mower theft and security.

UK-specific things to weigh up

Hedgehogs and wildlife. Hedgehogs are mostly active after dark, and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society is among those encouraging gardeners to avoid mowing at night. That means scheduling your robot for daytime only, which in turn means it needs enough daylight hours to cover the lawn. Our hedgehogs and wildlife guide has more.

Trees and tall houses. Many wire-free mowers use satellite positioning, which can be patchy under big trees and close to tall buildings, a common situation in UK suburban gardens. Camera and LiDAR models, or a traditional wired mower, can be better choices there. See RTK vs vision vs LiDAR.

Mobile signal. Some wire-free mowers need 4G or Wi-Fi across the whole lawn. Rural gardens and lawns at the far end of long plots are worth checking before you buy; see network RTK and 4G.

Wet ground. Soft lawns in a wet autumn or spring can show wheel marks, especially on slopes and around the charging station. Pausing the mower in heavy rain helps.

Warranty and lifespan

Manufacturers don't publish expected lifespans, so the warranty is the best firm guide to what you're buying. Standard warranties range from two years (for example, eufy gives 2 years on the eufy C15) to five years on Honda's Miimo range, which Honda makes conditional on dealer registration and servicing. Several brands add a year if you register the mower. Batteries and blades are consumables and are often excluded or covered for less time, so check how easy they are to buy for the model you choose.

How to decide

1. Measure your lawn, including separate areas and the narrowest gap between them.
2. Note the tricky bits: slopes, trees, tall walls, ponds, and where the nearest outdoor power is.
3. Decide how much setup you'll accept. Wire is cheaper but takes effort to install; wire-free costs more but is easier to change. See perimeter wire vs wire-free.
4. Use our mower finder to get a shortlist that fits your lawn, then compare on our best-of pages for budget mowers, under £1,000 and small gardens.