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Think of it like a robot vac, but for mowing your lawn. There have been a few different attempts at these over the years, all with varying success. And while it’s still a pretty new product that will continue to improve with each generation, these current models are better than ever. If you want to get your hands on the best robot lawn mower, here’s what you need to know.
Robot Lawn Mower Buying Guide
We considered the following features when choosing the best robot lawn mowers.
Boundaries: Yards are all different shapes and sizes, so how does a robot know where yours ends and the neighbor’s begins? Or prevent it from rolling out into the street? There are a few different options. A simple boundary wire, much like an invisible dog fence, can be laid out around the perimeter of your yard, keeping the robot inside. Setting borders through an app is also possible, but this can get tricky to get a close cut around curved areas like flowerbeds.
Charging: Just like a robot vacuum, these need a dock to return to after they’re done mowing. And since they use up a significant amount of battery each time, it’s best to keep them consistently charged up. The battery itself is another aspect to consider, as some of them need to be swapped out by an authorized dealer, so you may want to go for one that you can order yourself and replace it when the time comes.
Mowing: You can even set the blade height to get grass cut exactly how you want it. Don’t expect an attached bag to catch the cuttings either, as it’s just not practical to have on a small machine like this. Instead, these generally mulch the grass, which is a good thing since it allows it to keep on mowing continuously without needing to empty out a full bag.
Safety: Having an autonomous robot with spinning blades running around your yard might understandably raise some concerns. But companies often install multiple safety features that are easy to use if anything goes wrong. Options like a giant “stop” button are instantly recognizable even to kids, and a front-facing bumper freezes the mower in its tracks when it hits something, all while keeping the blades tucked away underneath. To guard against theft, these can also contain a GPS tracker to locate it anywhere, and have the ability to be password protected too.
The benefits of a robot mower are big ones, most importantly freeing up your schedule to save all that time you’d be cutting the grass manually.
What Are the Best Robot Mowers?
Here are the best robot lawn mowers to help you keep up with your yard work this season.
