Buying a robot mower? What to consider before you make a choice

Kya deLongchamps gives her sharp need-to-know

Husqvarna Nera 320 wire perimeter mower, from €2,799. Suitable for up to 2,200m2 (measure up your garden and add 20% to that number for what you need over all zones). All Husqvarna dealerships.

Tue, 16 Jun, 2026 - 12:56

Kya deLongchamps

I gave in. He wheedled, pleaded, and then said, “Ah sure, I’m off the boil” and threw mournful blue eyes at me — the eyes that had me engaged within three months of our first meeting. We bought the robot mower. I was instantly fascinated by the technology, and I was delighted that we didn’t have to double-team the cutting of our agriculturally inclined lawn. A month on, I don’t like it — I blimmin’ love it. So, with my total defeat in mind, here’s a short buying guide if you’re similarly tempted by the coolest cut of all.

Navigation is what affects the price point and performance of robot mowers. I’m going to divide the cheaper machines from the more expensive by navigation type — the clearest designation when adding an Android vehicle to the household cavalry. With a robot mower, we need to consider range, the complexity of the terrain, cutting heights, charging times, the type of navigation, and peculiarities around working outdoors unattended. Where robots depart from manual mowers is that typical residential models do not collect to a bag, they mulch as standard, trimming and scattering the grass.