If cutting the lawn is one of your favourite things to do, then we’re afraid to say that you’re in the minority of people. For most of us, it’s a cumbersome task and the cost of a gardener soon adds up over time.
Well, never fear. Because one of the most popular smart devices for your garden is the robot lawn mower. Automatic mowers aren’t a new concept, they have been around for over a decade. However they are getting better and smarter, with newer models able to schedule mowing when the weather is good and can be controlled by your voice.
In this guide, we’ll share the best robot lawn mowers currently available in the UK, along with detailed reviews of each so that you know the pros and cons before you splash your hard-earned cash.
RELATED: If you have a bigger lawn of 500sqm or more I have a dedicated guide for this here.
Quick Summary
In a rush? Here are my top three robot mowers for 2022. Keep reading for full reviews and additional recommendations.
Image | Summary | |
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Best Overall: Flymo Easilife 500 • For lawns up to 500sqm with 35% gradient• Excellent at navigating small passages and multiple lawns • Cutting schedules based on weather |
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Runner Up: Lawnmaster L10 • For lawns up to 400sqm with 35% gradient • Competitive price • Doesn’t have a companion app (onboard controls only) |
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Premium Pick: Bosch Indigo S+ 350 • For lawns up to 350sqm with 27% gradient • Cellular connection allows you to control it from anywhere • Takes logical cutting routes • Works with Alexa |
Buyers Guide
Before we jump into the recommendations, here are some of the key terms you might find in our reviews and what you should keep in mind:
Lawn Area
Mowers have a maximum lawn area that they are suitable for. This is because smaller lawns require less battery life and less boundary string. To find out the square meterage of your lawn, multiply the length by the width. If your lawn isn’t rectangular, try splitting it into smaller areas to work out the size.
Weather Sensors
Whilst most robot mowers are suitable for leaving out in the rain, it’s not the ideal condition for cutting the lawn. Look out for mowers that can check the weather, some will do this via onboard sensors whereas others will use the local weather forecast.
App Control
Not all robot lawn mowers are capable of being controlled by an app – even in 2022! But manufacturers are quickly jumping on board with the smart home revolution with app control which is far easier than using the onboard keypad. There are three types of app connection, each with pros and cons:
- Bluetooth: Your phone must be in range of the mower in order to connect. This is better if your garden doesn’t receive a WiFi signal.
- WiFi: Your mower must have a WiFi signal to be reached, but this means you can control it from anywhere in the world and adds the ability
- Cellular: Your mower will connect to the internet via phone networks, this means you can control it from anywhere providing it has good mobile reception
Top Tip: Manufacturers are obliged to advise that you place the boundary wire around 20-30cm from the edge – you do not need to do this. Leave enough room for the wheel to travel on and you will have a much shorter edge to care for.
Best Robot Lawn Mowers in the UK
Here are our top recommended lawn mowers to buy in 2021:
- Best Overall: Flymo Easilife 500
- Runner Up: Lawnmaster L10
- Premium Pick: Bosch Indigo S+ 350
- Best for Slopped Lawns: Mcculloch ROB S400
- Budget Pick: LANDXCAPE LX799
- Best Coverage: WORX Landroid M700
Below you’ll find our full reviews of each robot mower to help make your decision. You’ll be ready to kick back and enjoy your garden in no time at all.
Best Overall: Flymo Easilife 500
Flymo’s original 1200R robot mower launched back in 2013 and has been one of the leading mowers. However, they’ve released a brand-new range of mowers called Flymo EasiLife, these have the benefit of app control which allows you to set up and adjust your robotic lawn mower with far greater ease.
The app does connect via Bluetooth rather than WiFi, so you do need to be in range of the mower to use this.
The mower can cope with slopes up to 35% which is at the top end of the scale compared to other mowers. This particular model can cover lawns up to 500sqm, however, the Easilife 200 and Easilife 350 are cheaper models for 200sqm and 350sqm lawns respectively.
It has collision sensors which work exceptionally well, the bot will stop and reverse if it bumps into anything.
Cutting schedules can be set via the app and you can allow the robot to adjust the schedule based on weather. There is also built-in frost detection which ensures that the Easilife doesn’t go out when the crass is too hard to cut.
Flymo also launched a range of accessories for the Easilife mowers, including a housing cover, wall hanger, winter protection box and full repair kit.
Runner Up: Lawnmaster L10
Our runner up has to be the Lawnmaster L10 which provides a great finish and has a really competitive price point too. It’s suitable for lawns up to 400sqm and can handle a 35% slope with ease.
It has three spinning blades which mulches the grass in to tiny clippings like all of the mowers featured here. Where it does stand out is with the 180mm cutting width which is above average and the 20-60mm cutting height which is also at the top end of the scale for it’s price point. The cutting height can be set using the simple dial under the lid.
Sensors on the device stop the blade spinning immediately if it bumps into something or is lifted up making it pet and child friendly, a PIN then needs to be entered to continue using it.
This is a rugged mower with an IPX5 waterproof rating, this means it could sustain water from a jet, so the rain is no problem. In fact, the manufacturer is so confident in it’s durability that they offer a 2 year warranty.
This is one of the robot lawn mowers on our list that doesn’t have smart functionality, so you will need to set up the schedule using the onboard control panel
Premium Pick: Bosch Indigo S+ 350
The Bosch Indigo is a top of the line robot mower. It can cover an area up to 350sqm and is capable of managing 27% slopes which is quite typical of a mower. The cutting width is 190mm which is the widest of those we reviewed, this extra width helps it complete the lawn quicker than those that are narrower.
It’s the intelligence of the Indigo that really sets it apart. The Bosch Smart Gardening app is one of the most advanced, with the ability to start or stop the mower, send it back to its base or set schedules. Plus, there is Alexa integration so you can do all of this with your voice. You can control the mower from anywhere in the world, and thanks to its built-in mobile connection, you don’t need to worry about WiFi not reaching the ed of your garden.
As far as the schedules go, the Indigo can work at set times, or it can use local weather forecast to plan it’s own schedule to try and avoid the rain as this can result in a bad finish.
With Bosch’s Logicut technology, the Indigo knows where it has already mowed unlike most others that randomly shoot around your lawn for a set amount of time.
The Indigo can mow up to three different areas, provided they are within the maximum lawn size of 350m. This is great if you have multiple small areas of grass rather than one large lawn, although you’ll have to move it between the areas manually.
Mcculloch ROB S400
The S400 is the lowest spec in the Mcculloch ROB range which is suitable for gardens up to 400sqm, but there is also a S600 and R1000 which are suitable for 600sqm and 1000sqm respectively.
The mower has large wheels that keep it really steady, and its ability to operate on an incline or decline up to 35% make it one of the best robot mowers for slopped gardens.
Although it has collision sensors, these are to help the mower avoid smaller objects so you will still need to lay boundary wire around larger obstacles. This is in addition to the boundary of course.
As you’d expect, a security alarm and pin protect the mower from theft and the blades will stop spinning when it’s moved.
The ROB S400 also has a dedicated app which can be used to start, stop and set mowing schedules. It has a really simple to use interface, although similar to the Flymo, the app connects via Bluetooth so you must be in range of the bot to access it.
LANDXCAPE LX799
Our budget pick is this LANDXCAPE robotic lawn mower. It does all the basics well with a 20-50mm cutting height and bump sensors that help it navigate your garden. a typical installation using boundary wire.
However, there is no app, so you are limited to the control panel on the device. You won’t find any advanced features such as weather considerations or voice control.
If you follow the manufacturers guidelines you will be left with a large 26cm edge to care for, however we’d recommend moving the boundary wire closer to the edge than the instructions to reduce this.
As well as being affordable to purchase, LANDXCAPE have also added features to improve it’s durability such as blades that rotate both forwards and backwards to reduce wear and tear.
It is possible to move the mower between different lawns, however it’s not possible to purchase a spare base plate so it’s not overly convenient.
WORX Landroid M700
The WORX Landroid not only wins for best name but is an all-round great robot that excels at covering your whole lawn. The cutting width is 180mm which is wider than many and the design of the robot with large wheels give it a really good turning pattern which helps its ability to give greater coverage.
Plus, the offset blades mean it will get closer to the edge than any of the other models. The cutting height is 20-60mm which gives your plenty of flexibility.
The WORX has a companion app which allows you to set up the mower and set schedules. It also provides cumulative statistics such as how far your mower has travelled, energy consumption, operating hours, etc.
Out of the box, the WORX isn’t overly smart, but thanks to add on modules can add extra functionality, these include:
- Anti-collision system
- Voice control
- GPS tracker
- Off limits (digital fence that saves the use of boundary string around objects)
- Radio link
Another nice touch is that the base charging station has been designed to allow the grass to grow freely, as opposed to having a patch of dead grass as with other models.
Featured here is the basic model that’s suitable for 700sqm, however, there are more premium models that are capable of covering bigger areas thanks to a better battery life and more boundary wire. See my full WORX Landroid comparison to learn about the differences between each.
Specs Comparison Table
Here is a table of the full specs for each robot lawn mower:
Flymo Easilife 500 | Lawnmaster L10 | Bosch Indigo S+ 350 | Mulloch S400 | LANDXCAPE LX799 | WORX Landroid M700 | |
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Lawn Area (sqm) | 500m2 | 400m2 | 350m2 | 400m2 | 300m2 | 700m2 |
Cutting Width (mm) | 160mm | 180mm | 190mm | 160mm | 160mm | 180mm |
Cutting Height | 20-50mm | 20-60mm | 30-50mm | 20-50mm | 20-50mm | 20-60mm |
Incline | 35% (19°) | 35% (19°) | 27% (15°) | 35% (19°) | 25% (14°) | 35% (19°) |
Charge / Cut Time | 60 mins / 60 mins | 45 mins / 40 mins | 45 mins / 45 mins | 60 mins / 60 mins | ||
App Control | Yes (Bluetooth) | No | Yes (Cellular) | Yes (Bluetooth) | No | Yes (WiFi) |
Voice Control | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes (Extra Charge) |
Where to Buy? | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |