Husqvarna Automower 305E NERA

It should be. Husqvarna quotes a perceived sound level of 60 dB(A) for the Husqvarna Automower 305E NERA. That is roughly the level of normal conversation and far below a petrol mower, so most people would notice the wheels and blades only when close by.

Husqvarna publishes only this "perceived" figure on its UK pages, not the declared or guaranteed noise levels some brands list, so it isn't a like-for-like number against every rival. Distance, fences and hedges all reduce what reaches next door.

Because it is quiet, it is tempting to schedule mowing late in the evening. Daytime schedules are kinder to wildlife, especially hedgehogs, which forage after dark; our hedgehog guide explains why. The Automower Connect app lets you set the hours it runs, so you can keep it off the lawn when the garden is in use.

Husqvarna rates the Husqvarna Automower 305E NERA for slopes up to 30% inside the working area, and 20% along the boundary. Both versions, wired and wire-free, share those limits.

A 30% slope rises 30 cm for every metre across the ground, about 17 degrees. The lower edge figure matters because a mower turning on a steep boundary can slide out of the lawn, especially on wet grass. If your lawn falls away sharply at one side, measure that section rather than the average.

That rating is lower than Husqvarna's cheaper V models, and lower than the Husqvarna Automower 320 NERA. Husqvarna sells a Terrain Kit with heavier wheels and brushes for the 305E NERA, which may help grip, but it doesn't raise the published limit. See our slopes guide for how to measure your gradient.

The Husqvarna Automower 305E NERA adds a wire-free option, the EdgeCut disc, electric height adjustment and a Wi-Fi app connection, but the older Husqvarna Automower 305 handles steeper slopes and costs much less.

The 305 is a boundary-wire mower only. You peg or bury a wire around the lawn and any beds, and it has no satellite navigation to upgrade to. The 305E NERA comes in two versions: a newer wire-free one that uses cloud RTK over Wi-Fi, and an earlier boundary-wire one that can be converted with Husqvarna's EPOS Plug-in.

Cutting is where the NERA model pulls ahead on paper. It has a second, rear EdgeCut disc for closer edges, and height adjusts electrically from the app between 20 mm and 55 mm. On the 305 you set height by hand, up to 50 mm.

Connectivity differs too. The 305 uses the Bluetooth-based Automower Connect@Home app, so you need to be near the mower to change settings unless a dealer fits a Connect Kit. The 305E NERA connects over Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth.

The 305 has the advantage on slopes: Husqvarna rates it for 40% inside the lawn against 30% for the NERA. It also weighs less and is quoted slightly quieter.

The 305 is run-out stock from £699, against £1,549 for the 305E NERA. If you're happy with a wire, the 305 at a real discount is good value. If you want to avoid the wire or want neater edges, the NERA is the one to choose.

For most new buyers the wire-free version is the one to get. Husqvarna UK currently sells two different mowers under the Husqvarna Automower 305E NERA name, and they differ in rated area and price as well as in how they find the edge of the lawn.

The newer wire-free version (article number 970 81 96-03) follows virtual boundaries that you draw in the Automower Connect app. It uses Husqvarna's EPOS satellite RTK, with correction data sent from Husqvarna's cloud over your home Wi-Fi, and it is rated for 900 m². Its RRP is £1,549–£1,949 across the two versions, with the wire-free one at the top of that range.

The earlier version (970 65 30-03) arrives set up for a perimeter wire and is rated for 600 m². It can be converted later with Husqvarna's EPOS Plug-in, but at RRP the mower plus plug-in ends up costing slightly more than simply buying the wire-free version.

The wired one still makes sense in a few cases: a heavily shaded garden where satellite reception is poor, a lawn with no Wi-Fi coverage, or a discounted listing where the saving is large. Both share the EdgeCut disc, electric height adjustment and the same slope limit.

Listings don't always make the difference obvious, so check the article number or rated area before paying. Current prices start from £1,549. Our perimeter wire vs wire-free guide covers the wider trade-offs.

Not reliably without extra hardware. The wire-free Husqvarna Automower 305E NERA gets the RTK correction data it needs for accurate positioning from Husqvarna's cloud, and as standard it receives that over Wi-Fi. Husqvarna's claim that no reference station is needed assumes your internet connection covers the whole lawn.

If it doesn't, Husqvarna offers three routes. An outdoor Wi-Fi extender or mesh point is the cheapest to try. The Automower Connect Kit adds a cellular connection, but Husqvarna says a dealer has to fit it. The EPOS RS1 reference station provides corrections locally with no internet at all. The mower has no camera to fall back on, so a weak link matters more than on camera-assisted models.

Before buying, walk the lawn with your phone on the home Wi-Fi and see where the signal drops. Our network RTK and 4G guide explains the options in more detail.