The best robot lawn mowers of 2025 for yards of all sizes

Robot lawn mowers may still seem futuristic, but advances in technology (especially satellite mapping) have made them more efficient and accessible than ever. They tend to take a little time and work to get set up, but they can make yard work a whole lot easier (and dare we say, more fun). Robot lawn mowers are also quieter and as eco-friendly as other electric lawn mowers. And while they can be an initial investment, the price is comparable to what one season of hiring a lawn service would cost.

To determine the best robot lawn mowers, I researched the landscape of what's out there in the world of robotic mowers and identified five models to let mow night and day (literally). These devices are not without their hiccups, whether there were satellite connectivity issues to getting stuck on debris, however a clear winner emerged. The Segway Navimow X350is the best overall pick,which had the most effortless set-up, the best app interface, and the cleanest mow of any robot lawn mower I tested. For smaller lawns or budgets, I recommend the Mammotion LUBA Mini AWD, which is more than $1,500 cheaper, depending on the model you choose. Despite it's smaller size, it handled steeper grades and uneven terrain with finesse and had no trouble with tall grass.

Our picks of the best robot lawn mowers of 2025

Best overall: Segway Navimow X350 - See at Navimow

Best for small yards: Mammotion LUBA Mini AWD - See at Amazon

Best for large yards: Husqvarna 410iQ - See at Amazon

Best budget: Gardena Sileno Flex - See at Amazon

Easiest to install: Eufy E18 - See at Amazon

Best overall

Several features made the Segway Navimov X3 series robotic lawnmower stand out from the competition. Chief among those was its ability to stay connected even in weak signal areas. Losing signal is the main reason a robot lawnmower stops mid-mow, and it can get frustrating. The Navimow didn't lose signal a single time during all my testing.

The X3 series comprises four different models that can handle lawns ranging in size from 0.5 to 2.5 acres. The X350 is the second most expensive model, priced at $3,500, and is recommended for lawns up to 1.5 acres.

The Segway Navimov was the simplest to set up. I got it up and mowing right out of the box using only the app, which was straightforward and clear, even walking technophobes through the installation and setup process. As an added touch of fun, the mower features a digital marquee that displays cute, humanoid-like messages and pictures when it's mowing, charging, or performing other functions.

Part of the easy setup involves the reference station, which is mounted on a tall spike you can push into the ground anywhere to instantly receive a satellite signal. It didn't have trouble with interference from trees or buildings, and didn't drop the signal or connection to the app. I appreciated how the power cord was long enough to give us options for placing the charging station without restrictions.

Within the app, I had no problem figuring out how to map my lawn or create a channel or path to the charger, although adjusting the cutting height did require consulting the manual. One standout feature of this mower is its continuous mapping capability, which allows you to simply maneuver it around the perimeter of the area to be mowed using your phone as a remote control. The app shows a diagram with a corresponding path. Most other apps require you to drop "pins" periodically for the app to follow along, or rely on a physical boundary wire in the ground, but the Navimow does not require this extra step. It was even able to detect when the charging station was moved and locate the new spot without requiring manual map updates.

The actual mowing was impressive. The Navimow works quickly, perhaps because it has a wider mow path than some others we tested (9 inches). It didn't miss strips of lawn like some other models, and tackled higher grass, damp grass, leaves, and rough terrain well. It also worked quickly, mowing a little over a third of an acre in 47 minutes. The only obstacles it couldn't seem to get around were holes big enough to get a wheel stuck (roughly a foot in diameter) and a wooden border along the driveway.

Best for small yards

It's hard not to like the Luba Mini. This little bot reminded me of the Pixar character Wall-E. Although small, the Luba was capable of performing the same tasks as our overall top pick, and did so nearly as well. I dinged a few points for occasional loss of satellite signal (my yard has a lot of tree cover, and this happened with most models we tested), and some missed patches of grass (its cutting width is just under 8 inches). However, the Luba Mini had no problem with tall grass, unlike some of the larger mowers we tested, which struggled with it.

The Luba Mini can handle yards between 0.2 and 0.37 acres and moves fairly quickly. The design is sleek and also quite functional, with all-wheel drive that enables it to tackle steeper grades than the Navimow (more than 38 degrees), making it ideal for more challenging terrain. Its smaller size can be an advantage for mowing around tight turns and other spaces, like underneath trampolines.

Like the Navimow, the Luba Mini uses a reference station that communicates with the satellite. The station comes with a spike mounted to drive into the ground. It is shorter than the reference station for the Navimow, and the cord attaching it to the dock is much shorter (maybe 5 feet), which limits the options for placement.

I needed some initial assistance from customer service in setting up the Mammotion app. The single biggest hurdle was figuring out how to manually move the mower. The app uses joystick-like controls, but you must press and hold them to expand and display the arrows. One arrow moves the mower forward and backward, while the other moves it from side to side. After that initial lesson, navigating the mower and app was smooth sailing.

The Luba does not have continuous mapping, so you need to drop pins as you create a map of an area. You can add "stay-out zones" for large flower beds or bushes that you want the mower to avoid. I tested the object detection by purposefully not creating a stay-out zone around a low clump of tiger lilies to see how the mower would react. The Luba Mini sensed the obstacle and avoided it, learning to mow around it in real time.

The Luba Mini has some other practical features: It's water-resistant enough to be left out in the rain, autocharges (where the mower automatically returns to the charging station when power runs low, then completes the job when it reaches a higher battery percentage), and the app lets you set mowing schedules. But the most fun one is the camera, which will project a mower's eye view of what is happening on the app in real time.

With its smaller price tag, nimble performance, and 3-year warranty, the Luba Mini can be a great investment for small lawns.

Best for large yards

Husqvarna is a well-known name in lawn equipment and has been making robot lawn mowers for around three decades, including the Automower 410iQ, a model rated for yards up to 0.5 acres, but they offer units that can support up to 2 acres. As a result, the company has refined its technology, boasts one of the best apps, and offers excellent customer service. But, as is often the case with technology, I encountered some glitches.

I struggled with issues with setup and satellite connectivity. Unlike other robot lawnmowers, the iQ's reference station doesn't come mounted on a pole. This allows you the option to mount it on the side of a shed or house, or even on the roof. While the reference station is fairly small, not everyone may want to permanently affix it to their home. The shape and need to be near an electrical outlet make other placement options difficult; after much trial and error, we ended up setting it on a ladder for testing purposes.

The iQ had the most satellite signal trouble of any robot lawn mower. At one point, it paired with the reference station for a device in a neighboring yard located a mile and a half away. This does speak strongly to the Bluetooth signal, but it was inconvenient.

Once properly set up, I had no trouble creating a map of my yard. The mower followed the map perfectly and gave a very clean cut. It left the fewest patches of tall grass behind of any mower I tested. It did not handle tall grass on its regular setting, but the app gives an option to change to a spiral cut. There are also options for patterned cutting if you want your lawn to have a crisscross or diamond design.

The anti-theft and safety features were also comprehensive. The mower stops when it encounters a person or animal and features a PIN-protected lock and GPS tracking for added anti-theft protection. Our main issue with this mower was how frequently it would lose satellite connection. The app requires frequent firmware updates. Husqvarna only offers a two-year warranty for its robot lawn mowers. But if you have a lot of open space, this could be a great option to offload your lawn care maintenance to a robot.

Best budget

Robot lawnmowers under $1,000 do exist, but instead of satellite navigation, they use a boundary wire, a physical wire that you have to stake down or bury to define the mowing area where the mower will operate. We will note that many models that use satellite navigation come with an optional boundary wire, allowing the mowers to be used both ways. The Gardena Sileno Flex is manufactured by the same company that owns Husqvarna, so it shares a similar design and many of the same features, including PIN protection, obstacle detection, and automatic shutdown when the device is lifted.

A boundary wire requires more upfront setup than satellite models, which can create a digital map of your lawn. The wire needs to be buried underground, or you can use the provided pegs to secure the wire above ground. I strongly recommend burying it. When I tried the peg method, the mower got its wheels tangled up in the wire and dragged it out of place before I could attend to it. The wire is easy to install, though. There is plenty of it, and it only has to be done once. And the benefit of burying a physical boundary is that it will not change unless you dig it up again.

The Sileno Flex does not have any advanced features, such as a camera or lights, and some controls, like setting the grass height, need to be adjusted manually on the unit rather than through the app. It did a good, clean job of cutting within the designated perimeter, but without the convenience or frills of the other mowers. If you have a relatively small and simple yard, this is a good budget option that handles lawn mowing for you.

Easiest to install

Eufy is known for its robot vacuum cleaners, and its robot lawnmower operates in a similar manner. While many of the models we tested required setup steps like installing a reference station or using satellites to create an initial map, the Eufy EE18 was the only true plug-and-play option. Just charge it, set it outside, and let it go. Using built-in sensors, it automatically maps your yard and mows by detecting boundaries and obstacles on its own, a process that can take up to two hours during the first run.

While easy to set up, the Eufy wasn't always the most accurate in our tests. It made frequent stops for unknown reasons and had to be restarted from the app. It was safe enough around animals and people, and detected stay-out zones with ease. Like early model robot vacuums, however, it did not detect dog waste. Ensuring your yard is free of any debris is essential. The lack of any manual boundaries also meant the Eufy would wander over into neighbors' yards when no physical boundary, such as a fence, was present to stop it. You can edit the map in the app to prevent this, but I found the app isn't the easiest to use, and customer support is limited.

The Eufy mowed cleanly, without leaving patches behind, but it doesn't handle slopes as well as other models and will get stuck if it is too steep. It also mows in a random pattern because it uses visual sensors instead of satellites to detect areas. This is not the most efficient process, and we feel the Eufy works best in lawns with physical borders like fences. You can adjust the Eufy's mowing speed, which is a feature not typically found on other robot lawnmowers. However, the difference wasn't significant, and faster speeds mostly drained the battery life more quickly. It took more than one charge (2 hours) to mow a 0.25-acre area. The Eufy has some decent features, including a live camera, and it works with voice commands. It doesn't appear as durable as other robot lawnmowers. The charging station has a rain cover because it does not resist water as well as some other models, and the power cord could be longer to provide flexibility in positioning. Notably, the lawn height and other measurements are in metric units (millimeters).

Overall, the Eufy is suitable for simple lawns without numerous tricky zones or steep slopes. It eliminates the annoying lost signal problem, and the mapping does improve over time and with more user input.

What to look for in the best robot lawn mowers

Yard size and terrain: Start by knowing your yard's approximate acreage. Most robot lawn mowers can handle a maximum area (and price increases with capacity). Also, consider the amount of tree cover or other obstacles you have, especially if you're considering robot lawn mowers that operate via satellite, which require clear skies to operate efficiently. Mowers work best on level ground, and the maximum slope any of the robot lawn mowers we tested could handle was 38 degrees.

Navigation and boundary setup: All robot lawn mowers require some initial setup, but they're designed in a way that should not require professional assistance. Models that rely on a boundary wire will require you to physically bury the wire, which is easier in smaller yards with only a few disconnected spaces. Robot lawn mowers that use satellites involve finding a clear spot to position a charging and reference station, creating maps for the mowing areas, and linking them with paths. Paths or channels link separate mowing areas and are typically required to help the mower navigate back to the charging station. Many models that use satellite navigation include an optional boundary wire as well, so you can decide to use either or both, depending on your yard and preference.

Cutting quality: For larger lawns, a model with a larger cutting width reduces missed patches and shortens cutting time. Smaller models can handle tighter curves, however. Robot lawn mowers take at least twice as long to finish a yard as a manual mower would, but they can be scheduled to run more frequently and even at night. Most manuals recommend frequent cuttings and not letting the grass get too tall, and don't advise cutting wet grass.

Obstacle detection: This can be very important if you have children or pets who tend to leave unexpected objects in the yard, or if you want it to avoid certain plants or furniture. Some mowers use cameras or radar-like sensors to identify and avoid unexpected items.

Noise level: One of the best features of all robot lawn mowers is their quiet operation, which is significantly quieter than that of gas lawn mowers. For this reason, they can operate at night. Robot lawn mowers are also incredibly eco-friendly. Gasoline-powered lawn equipment accounts for a full 5% of the country's air pollution each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Maintenance: Although robot lawn mowers are convenient, they still require regular maintenance, including cleaning, blade changes, and updates to firmware and the app. The life of your robot lawn mower depends on how closely you follow the maintenance instructions. It can be a good idea to look into the cost of blades and other parts, as well as the ease of ordering them. Also consider whether your mower can be stored outside (i.e., is weather-resistant) or needs its own sheltered location.

Smart features: Some models integrate with Alexa or Google Home, while others allow you to schedule mowing times, customize mowing patterns, or track progress via the app. Consider which features actually add convenience to your routine.

Safety: Some robot lawn mowers feature anti-theft protection, which can be particularly important when mowing in an open or unfenced area. Other safety features to look out for include whether the mower will shut off if approached by a person or pet or if lifted off the ground.

Price vs. value: The robot lawn mowers we tested ranged from $600 to $3,500, which is reflected in the coverage area, navigation systems, and smart features. However, consider the overall value — including ease of setup, reliability, app experience, and long-term maintenance costs.

How we tested

I tested each mower on my 0.35-acre lawn in a tree-covered suburban neighborhood. My yard has three distinct mowing zones: a rectangular strip beside the driveway with a large trampoline, plus front, side, and back areas with flower beds, bushes, and trees. The steepest slope on my property is about 25 degrees.

Over a three-month period, I tested each mower at least three times under different conditions to see how well it could handle various mowing scenarios, including on grass, grass covered with leaves, during the day, at night, and after it had recently rained. I unboxed each mower and noted how easy or time-consuming it was to set up, charge, and start mowing. I also evaluated how intuitive and functional each companion app was, and tinkered with features like manual mowing, auto-mapping, scheduled mowing, night mowing, camera and light functions, auto-recharge, mowing patterns, object detection, and anti-theft and safety settings. I also recorded each mower's battery life and tracked how well the app interface, Bluetooth connection, and notifications performed.

Robot lawn mower FAQs

Can robot mowers replace traditional mowers?

"They often aren't a perfect replacement for traditional mowers, but that doesn't mean they can't be quite helpful," said Steve Corcoran, CEO of Lawn Love, who recommends them as convenient for people who don't have the time or physical ability to mow manually and appropriately sized lawns that aren't too big for these mowers to handle.

"They also take up far less storage space than traditional mowers, they're a lot quieter, they're lower maintenance, and due to being electric rather than gas, they are more eco-friendly. Some cons are the fact that they have a limited battery life, which can result in not being able to mow an entire yard on one charge, and not being able to handle various things, such as obstacles in the lawn well ( like fallen pine cones, lawn toys, puddles, etc.).

Do robot lawn mowers work on uneven or sloped lawns?

Yes, many robot mowers can handle at least some grade, although the amount that can be handled varies among brands. The largest slope we tested was 25 degrees, but some manufacturers, like Mammotion claim their machines can handle up to 38 degrees.

What maintenance do robot lawn mowers need?

Robot lawn mowers still need occasional maintenance, including light cleaning and blade replacement. If you live in a climate with extreme temperatures, you will have to prepare your mower for winter temperatures, such as removing the battery or bringing the mower indoors if temperatures drop too low.

Are robot lawn mowers safe around pets and kids?

Every mower we tested had safety features such as object avoidance and stopped when encountering people or pets. Most mowers also have an alert that sounds when the mower is lifted to expose the blades, and they will automatically shut off.

Can robot lawn mowers handle wet grass?

It is not recommended to use a mower during rain or on completely wet grass, but many models have some degree of water resistance. In our tests, most were able to cut damp grass without issue.

Do you need to pick up leaves, toys, or any other debris first?

It is a good practice to clean the yard of any large objects or pet waste before mowing. Robot lawn mowers can handle grass and leaves, and most have object detection to avoid items that should not be mowed, but the blades can be damaged by rocks, large sticks, or other objects.

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