Technologies and Comparisons
So you’re thinking about buying a robot lawn mower but are unsure which model to buy.
I understand the challenge of choosing a robot lawn mower – I’ve been there too. With countless models on the market, complex specifications, and confusing model names, finding the right mower can feel overwhelming. Let me help you narrow down the options to find the perfect match for your garden, family, and needs.
This comprehensive guide will help you identify the best robot lawn mowers available today and understand the key features to consider. Our recommendations are based on extensive research and real-world testing, combining my personal experience with insights from several contributors to this website. We’ve spent hundreds of hours evaluating these mowers to provide you with reliable, practical advice.
Unfortunately, even prestigious tech magazines sometimes publish reviews where it’s obvious the author has never actually seen the robotic mower in operation – they often make basic mistakes like misidentifying wheel configurations or confusing the mower’s working direction.
Throughout the 2024 season, we’ve passionately tested these robotic mowers in real-world conditions. This guide (updated October 4th, 2024) is just the beginning – we’ll be publishing new articles, practical tips, and detailed reports in the coming months. Follow us to stay up-to-date with the latest developments
While we cover various scenarios, this guide primarily focuses on solutions for average, medium-sized gardens and in general not exceeding 1,200 square meters (~0.3 acres). Whether you’re new to robotic mowers or looking to upgrade, you’ll find clear, evidence-based recommendations to help you make an informed decision.
Wire-Free Mowing: The Next Evolution in Robotic Lawn Care
The best choice for today’s buyers is to go wire-free. Here’s why:
Traditional robotic lawnmowers required a perimeter wire – a cable that needed to be installed around your entire property’s border. This created several challenges:
- Complex installation process
- Ongoing maintenance headaches
- Difficult repairs
- Particularly problematic for medium to large gardens
(For a detailed analysis of perimeter wire issues, see our dedicated article)
The good news? Major manufacturers are now moving away from perimeter wires. As we head into 2025, you can avoid the hassle of installing and maintaining this outdated and delicate infrastructure. New wire-free technologies offer smarter, more convenient solutions for modern lawn care.
Brand, Technology, and Price
This guide starts with my top recommendations for wire-free robotic lawn mowers, analyzing each option across three key factors:
- Brand – manufacturer reputation and reliability
- Core Technology – the specific solution used to eliminate perimeter wires
- Price Range – various models and price points across regions
Further sections provide detailed feature comparisons and in-depth analysis to help you find the perfect match for your specific needs. Our recommendations come from:
- Hundreds of hours of hands-on testing
- Direct consultation with major manufacturers
- Comprehensive market analysis
Note: This guide focuses on select, high-quality models. If a mower isn’t mentioned in our top recommendations, it didn’t meet our strict testing criteria. However, we’re always eagerly watching for new models and innovations. The robotic mower market is evolving rapidly, and we regularly update our reviews as promising new options emerge.
Let’s Begin: Here are our top-rated robotic lawn mowers, tested throughout 2024. Here the MRM champions in the three main emerging wire-free technologies: RTK (satellites), Vision + AI, Radar.
Husqvarna
Husqvarna is a Swedish manufacturer of outdoor power products, like trimmers, brushcutters, cultivators. They have been pioneering in the robotic lawnmower market since 1995, so they have a vast amount of experience in this field.
This sophisticated line of mowers sets the gold standard for RTK technology. With their smooth, ultra-quiet operation, they perform exceptionally well across a wide range of garden scenarios. This represents the most trusted choice in the market – combining the backing of the industry’s most reputable manufacturer with cutting-edge innovation.
| Husqvarna | |
|---|---|
| Technology | Satellites GPS RTK |
| Price (US) | $5,899.99 + installation (US) * – or – £3,097.00 + installation (EU) |
| Models | 450X with EPOS (US) * – or – 410XE Nera with EPOS (EU) |
| Max Lawn Size | 2.5 Acres (US)* – or – 1000 square meters (EU) |
| Quality | Premium |
| Setup Complexity | Dealer/Installer required |
| Floating Deck | Yes, gives extra safety |
| Covered Wheels | Yes |
| Front Wheels | Yes (on Nera) – No on 450X |
| Razor Blades | Yes, this gives extra safety |
| Obstacle Detection | Good (limited to above-ground obstacles) |
| WiFi in Garden | Required (used for Over-The-Air Updates and APP Monitoring) |
| Highlights | Creates a highly detailed, centimeter-accurate map of your garden and navigates through it intelligently. |
| Application Notes: | Not suitable for gardens with: Limited sky visibility (many tall trees, buildings blocking view). Narrow passages less than 4m wide between tall objects. U-shaped areas narrower than 6m. Dense tree canopies wider than 4m. L-shaped corners less than 1.5m from buildings. No suitable location for reference station (needs 2m height, clear view) Complex layouts requiring frequent navigation around tall obstacles. |
| Purchase From | Local dealer |
| MRM Score | 9.5/10 |
Volta
Volta is an italian company, manufacturing AI-centric IoT devices, pioneering vision driven robotic lawnmowers since 2019.
This sleek, Lamborghini-inspired mower impressed us with its exceptional simplicity. Everything about it is streamlined – one model, one color, one button. Its straightforward approach made testing and reviewing remarkably simple. The focus on simplicity extends across setup, daily use, and maintenance, making it refreshingly uncomplicated. Safe for flat-level obstacles (such as garden hoses, extension cords, or toys).
| Volta | |
|---|---|
| Technology | Vision + A.I. |
| Price | $2499 (US) – or – €2499 (EU) |
| Model | Volta Mower S23 (US and EU) |
| Max Lawn Size | 1200 square meters / 0.3 Acres |
| Quality | Premium |
| Setup Complexity | Extremely Simple, Self-Install |
| Floating Deck | Yes, gives extra safety |
| Covered Wheels | Yes |
| Front Wheels | Yes |
| Razor Blades | Yes, this gives extra safety |
| Obstacle Detection | Superlative (detects ground-level obstacles like a garden hose) |
| WiFi in Garden | Required (used for Over-The-Air Updates and APP Monitoring) |
| Highlights | Super simple, self-install, self-discover your garden. Extremely safe for people (specially children), pets and wildlife, garden objects. |
| Application Notes: | During the initial mapping phase, your mower may get stuck as it discovers challenging areas in your garden. When this happens, you can either: fix problematic areas of your garden or adjust settings through the app to avoid problematic areas. Important limitations: not suitable for slopes steeper than 40%. Do not use on terraced gardens without protection, physical barriers must be installed before operation. |
| Buy From | Online: www.volta.ai |
| Score | 9.0/10 |
Ambrogio
Another outstanding Italian manufacturer, Ambrogio pioneered wire-free robotic mowing with their iconic Ambrogio L60 – likely the world’s first perimeter wire-free robotic mower.
Despite its bold design choices, this mower’s key innovation is its radar technology, which functions as a grass sensor to keep the machine confined to your lawn without needing boundary wires.
| Zucchetti | |
|---|---|
| Technology | Radar (note: it requires a guide wire to return to its base, 50 meters provided – not a full perimeter wire, but you’ll still need to install some cabling in your garden) |
| Price | from 1700€ (+ installation) |
| Model | Twenty ZR EVO |
| Max Lawn Size | 1200 square meters / 0.3 Acres |
| Quality | Premium |
| Setup | Medium complexity, still requires a cabling |
| Floating Deck | No |
| Covered Wheels | No |
| Wheels | Back wheels only |
| Blade Type | 4-point-star blade [!] more dangerous than razor blades. |
| Obstacle Recognition | Medium (effectively detects grass and downward steps) |
| WiFi Coverage | No. |
| Highlights | With the AMICO plugin (sold separately) you can provide extra protection to your furry friends. |
| Application Notes: | A big downside is that you cannot use the APP to remotely monitor the robotic mower. Some types of surfaces can confuses the grass sensor, and the mower can “escape” from the grassy area. Do not use on terraced gardens without protection, physical barriers must be installed before operation. |
| Best Purchase | Local dealer / home improvement retailer |
| MRM Score | 8.5/10 |
Other Robots without the Perimeter Wire
Several other manufacturers are also competing in the wire-free mower market. These models are typically available through major home improvement retailers (Lowe’s, Home depot, OBI, Leroy Merlin, Menards, Castorama) or online marketplaces.
USA brands unfortunately are not in the game (yet):
- Toro (USA) is a great American company of outdoor equipment. Technology: Unfortunately, as of today, their announced Vision-Based lawn mower seems unavailable on the market. Seems it doesn’t work at night (t.b.c.). Starting price still undisclosed. This is a truly vision-based lawn mower, like the Volta Mower S23. I really want to see this one at work on the USA lawns!
- iRobot (USA) iRobot, a company I greatly respect for their robotic vacuum cleaners, announced Terra using beacon technology (similar to Ecovacs’ approach). However, the project appears to have been abandoned. I do greatly trust iRobot; they take great care of users privacy and IoT security (especially if compared to many Chinese brands), iRobot servers are based in the USA and they got “TUV IOT Device Certification for Cybersecurity“.
Far East Manufacturers:
- Ecovacs (China) Their new Goat series relies on beacon technology for navigation, but this creates a new hassle: users must place multiple beacons around their garden, particularly near bushes, obstacles, and buildings. While they’re a powerhouse in robotic vacuums, their lawn mower offerings haven’t reached the same level of excellence. Score: 6.0/10
- Ninebot/Segway (China) is another low-cost chinese company known to the world for pioneering the hoverboard market, now completely repositioned to electric scooters. The main technology they are leveraging the RTK technology. Starting from about 1500€. Test result: great price to value! It compares directly with Husqvarna Nera in terms of RTK technology, taking basically the same pros and cons, but at a lower pricepoint. Score: 7.5/10.
- Worx (China) is a Vision & RFID system developed by the Chinese power tool company Positec (same parent company of Kress, that uses RTK, like Husqvarna), reviews are not so good; performs poorly on lawns that are not perfectly kept as the vision system get confused. It could be compared to Volta Mower S23, except for the need of extra RFID tags to place and maintain, and lower perfomance with vision capabilities. Price is fair. Starting from about 1500€. Score: 6.5/10.
Crowdfunding / Startup companies:
As someone passionate about innovation, I love testing new products from startups – they often pioneer trends and showcase cutting-edge technology. However, there’s a downside to being an early adopter. Sometimes these companies, whether intentionally or not, release products that are either plagued with bugs or face delivery issues.
While I personally accept these risks as part of exploring new technology, most homeowners just want a reliable solution for their lawn. If your primary goal is simply maintaining your lawn, I recommend sticking with established products rather than being too experimental.
- Be aware of too cheap / too magic scams. Exercise extreme caution with suspiciously cheap robotic mowers, especially those heavily promoted on crowdfunding platforms and Instagram. Many of these “magical” solutions are scams run by temporary companies (typically Hong Kong-based) that take your money and disappear.
- Watch Out for Non-Standard Designs
- Quality mower design indicators:
- Follows established design principles proven over decades (similar to Husqvarna 25+ years of experience)
- Purpose-built chassis for lawn mowing
- Professional engineering approach
- Red flags:
- Unusual or toy-like shapes
- Repurposed RC car chassis (it’s in the interest of the manufacturer, not of the consumer)
- Non-standard configurations
- Quality mower design indicators:
NOTE: we frequently get emails asking for robotic lawnmowers to be reviewed. While it is always great to learn about upcoming or newly presented models, please note that reviewing a lawnmower takes a long time; I personally love this activity but it is not my full time job. If you’re informed about new mower without the perimeter wire, please write me at info@myrobotmower.com!