How we check a mower against your lawn
We compare your answers with the maker's own figures and keep a margin where those figures tend to be optimistic. If a figure is missing, we say so.
Where the numbers come from
We track 106 wire-free robot mowers, and 87 of them are on sale in at least one of the four countries we cover (the US, Canada, the UK and Australia). Every spec on a model page links to the manufacturer page or manual it came from, with the date we read it (Oct 26, 2026 for the current set). When a brand gives different figures in different regions, we use the lower one. When a maker doesn't publish a figure at all, we take it from a major retailer's spec sheet or a hands-on review by a known outlet (TechRadar, Tom's Guide and the like), and the model page labels it as such. When nobody publishes it, the model page says "not published" and the check treats it as unknown instead of filling in a number.
Two models are handled differently, and both are marked on the model page. Ecovacs publishes no area figure for the GOAT O1000 LiDAR Pro, so we use the 1,000 m² in its name. For the RoboUP Raccoon 2 SE we took the lowest figure from retailers and reviews. Where a maker gives an area without saying whether it's per day or in total, we count 70% of it. Airseekers rates its mowers per 24 hours, and Lymow gives a lab maximum with no breaks for charging. We count half of both, because hardly anyone lets a mower run through the night.
Prices come from shops in each country, on the date shown next to them. We take the lowest price including delivery where the shop states it, and add "+ shipping" where it doesn't. US and Canadian prices are before sales tax, the way shops there show them; UK prices include VAT and Australian prices include GST. We never convert one currency into another, because brands set their prices per country. Amazon prices change too often for us to keep up without their price feed, so for Amazon we link to the listing and leave the price to them.
The checks
Each model gets one of three results: fits, tight fit or doesn't fit. The overall result is the worst of the hard checks below. A check we can't do because a figure is missing shows as "check first", so you know what to ask the seller. One exception: a mower with no area rating at all isn't suggested for a lawn over 1,000 m².
| Check | Fits | Tight fit | Doesn't fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawn size | Up to 80% of the rated area (70% with several lawns or heavy tree cover) | Up to 100% | More than the rated area, or no rating at all for a lawn over 1,000 m² |
| Slope | Up to 75% of the maker's slope rating | Up to the rating | Steeper than the rating |
| Slope at the edge | The maker's edge rating, same margin. Without one: up to 50% of the main rating for all-wheel drive, 33% for two-wheel drive | Without an edge rating: up to 65% (AWD) or 43% (2WD) | Steeper than the maker's edge rating. Without one, a steeper edge shows as "check first", because our estimate alone shouldn't rule a mower out |
| Grip | All-wheel drive, or a slope under 25% on smooth ground | Two-wheel drive on a steeper slope or on bumpy ground | – |
| Positioning | Camera, LiDAR or a mix; satellite models under open sky | Satellite plus camera under dense trees or a roof; satellite only with some trees; satellite near tall walls | Satellite only under dense trees or a roof; a model that needs its own antenna when you have no spot for one |
| No spot for an antenna | Camera and LiDAR models | Satellite models that can use a mobile correction service instead (check first: coverage differs by address) | Satellite models that always need their own antenna |
| Separate lawns | It can drive between them on its own | You'd carry it between lawns | More lawns than it supports, a path longer than it can follow, or no way to cross |
| Gaps | Your gap is at least its published minimum | Minimum not published, or the model asks for more than 100 cm (3 ft 3 in) and you only told us your gap is wider than that | Narrower than its minimum |
| Grass | St. Augustine: cuts at 90 mm (3.5 in) or higher. Bermuda or couch: cuts at 30 mm (1.2 in) or lower | Cutting range not published | Outside those heights |
| Budget | Within your budget | Up to 10% over, or a price that leaves out a part you need | More than that, or no local price |
| Small lawn | – | Under 200 m² (about 2,150 sq ft) with a model that needs its own satellite antenna | – |
Obstacle detection and theft tracking don't decide the result. If you ask for them, they move models up or down the list.
Why the margins
Area ratings assume an open lawn and a full day of dry weather. Real yards and gardens lose time to rain, turning around trees and driving between zones, and in the UK hedgehog charities ask owners to run robot mowers in daylight only. We also leave a fifth of the rating spare, and nearly a third when the lawn is split up or shaded.
Slope ratings are measured going straight up on dry grass. On wet grass, or when the mower turns across a slope at the edge, it slips well before its rating. Most makers don't publish an edge figure. Where they do, two-wheel-drive mowers manage a third to two thirds of their main rating at the edge, most of them less than half, and all-wheel-drive models at least 70%. Where there's no figure, we assume a third for two-wheel drive and half for all-wheel drive. Navimow, Husqvarna, Ecovacs, Anthbot and a few others publish one, and then we use theirs. Only a published edge figure can make a mower "doesn't fit". If your edge is steeper than our estimate, the mower shows as "check first" and sits below the ones that fit, so you can ask the seller. The edge question only appears once you've picked a slope steeper than flat.
The slope answers on the check map to fixed figures: flat 10%, gentle 25%, noticeable 40%, steep 60% and very steep 80%. If you have a slope app or a level, enter the figure yourself.
How the list is ordered
Models that fit come first, then tight fits and models to check first. Within each group, the fewer tight or unknown checks a model has, the higher it goes; a missing figure weighs a little heavier than a tight one. After that come your extra wishes (obstacles, theft tracking, and a narrow model if you don't know your gap width). A mower rated for more than six and a half times your lawn, or one that is still on pre-order, moves down a little. Then comes the price in your country. A model with no local price goes after those with one.
What the check doesn't cover
- Lawn shape and where the charging station goes
- Reliability and after-sales service
- Local noise and HOA rules (we list the main ones per country)
- Mowers that need a boundary wire
Affiliate links
Some links to shops are affiliate links. If you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn't change which mowers the check shows or in what order.