The right robot mower for your garden, without the guesswork

For most lawns over about 300 m² that are mown weekly, yes, if you value the time. A wire-free mower costs £299.99 to £4,899 across the 80 mowers we track, and about £60–£120 a year to run on our assumptions. In return it mows little and often, which keeps grass thick and saves an hour or more a week in season. It is less worthwhile for very small, simple lawns, for lawns that are rarely mown, or if you would mow at night and have hedgehogs. Pros, cons and the payback maths.

Some do, some don't. LiDAR mowers and mowers with their own RTK station can mow without any connection. Network-RTK models need a phone or Wi-Fi signal at the lawn. A few, such as the Worx Vision Cloud and Husqvarna 308V and 312V, need Wi-Fi across the whole lawn. What works with no Wi-Fi.

Many can. Ratings in our list run up to 84% (Segway Navimow X4 Series). Look at the steepest part of your lawn, not the average, and add a margin: a 40% slope is about 22°. All-wheel-drive models grip best on wet banks. Best for slopes.

Don't rely on it. eufy, for example, says plainly that its mowers will not specifically detect dog poop. Pick up first, or set a no-go zone where your dog usually goes.

Sometimes, which is why most have PIN codes, alarms and lift sensors, and many have GPS tracking. Tracking often needs a 4G plan after the free period. Theft and insurance.

Rarely to mow, often for extras. Most include 1–10 years of 4G, then charge for remote control and GPS tracking (Mammotion £49.90 a year, Navimow about £29). The risk is a mower that needs the plan to navigate. We flag those as "Unclear" and count the cost. Every brand's plan.