When it comes to tackling your garden with the best lawnmowers, staunch traditionalists swear by their smelly, messy petrol mower. But for speed and convenience, electric mowers offer a compelling alternative.
The freedom of a battery-powered chopper emancipates your manicuring from the restrictions of mains sockets. But don't neglect lead-powered mowers, which are still very much 'a thing' and come at a much lower cost. They can continue their mowing business long after batteries are drained dry.
Electric mowers come in a wide range of sizes and grass catcher capacities, with varying length of lead, life of battery, and additional features such as mulching abilities.
Best overall electric lawnmower: EGO Power+ LM1903E-SP Lawnmower Kit
Capable of precision trimming up to 800sqm of turf on one charge of its 56V 5.0Ah battery, the Power+ from EGO is a lawn-going leviathan with a wide 47cm deck. It reduces grass growth to any of seven heights, from 80mm down to 20mm. Self-propelled to further reduce human effort, it has a 55-litre grass bag and the option to mulch back into your lawn. Night-mowers will be delighted by twin LED headlights.
As this is a 'kit', you get the battery, grass bag and Rapid Charger without separate purchases. An optional roller is available to leave your lawn with a stripey effect. Considerably lighter than other mowers of such dimensions, thanks to a polymer deck, the EGO Power+ folds down relatively flat for storage.
Cutting width: 47cm. Cut heights: x7 (20 – 80mm). Grass bag capacity: 55L. Power source: 56V battery. Drive type: Self-propelled. Weight: 25kg. Price: £599 at Justlawnmowers.co.uk.
Best budget electric lawnmower: Flymo SimpliMow 320V
A classic Flymo hand-push, mains-powered mower with a 10-metre cable, a 30-litre grass catcher bag, 32cm rotary blades, and three cutting heights from 20mm to 60mm. No mulching, no self-propelling, no smartphone app. It features an adjustable handle and an 'Easy View Window' to see how full the grass catcher is.
At around £100, the Flymo is the cheapest option in this line-up.
Cutting width: 32cm. Cut heights: x3 (20 – 60mm). Grass bag capacity: 30L. Power source: Mains. Drive type: Manual. Weight: 10.3kg. Price: £79 at Amazon.co.uk.
Best for big gardens: Cobra MX51S40VX Lawnmower
The Cobra MX51S40VX features a 51cm cutting deck, a 60-litre grass bag, seven cutting heights from 75mm down to 25mm, and two 40V batteries. It is self-propelled and includes a grass bag full indicator, front-facing grass combs, and a mulching system that discharges fine cut clippings out of the side.
Cutting width: 51cm. Cut heights: x7 (25 – 75mm). Grass bag capacity: 60L. Power source: 2x 40V battery. Drive type: Self-propelled. Weight: 30.4kg. Price: £499.99 at Amazon.co.uk.
Best for small gardens: Vonhaus 18V Mini Lawn Mower
Weighing just 4.9kg, the 18V Mini Lawn Mower from Vonhaus has a 21cm blade and three cutting heights of 25mm, 35mm and 48mm. Running on an 18V battery, the brushless motor delivers around 6000RPM for about half an hour. There is no grass bag, so raking or manual mulching is required.
Cutting width: 21cm. Cut heights: x3 (25 – 48mm). Grass bag capacity: N/A. Power source: 18V battery. Drive type: Manual. Weight: 4.9kg. Price: £129.99 at Tesco.com.
Best mains electric lawnmower: VonHaus Lawnmower 1800W
The VonHaus 1800W offers an 1800W motor, a 43cm blade, five cut heights from 70mm down to 25mm, and a 52-litre grass bag. It has a 12m power cable and a mulching attachment. Weighing 13.1kg, it is easy to manoeuvre and folds down for storage.
Cutting width: 43cm. Cut heights: x5 (25 – 70mm). Grass bag capacity: 52L. Power source: Mains. Drive type: Manual. Weight: 13.1kg. Price: £169.99 at Tesco.com.
Best for effort-free automation: Sunseeker Elite X7
The Sunseeker Elite X7 is a robot mower with 3D vision, a binocular camera, automatic obstacle avoidance, and AI. It has floating 35cm dual disc cutters, cutting heights from 20mm to 100mm, and can handle lawns up to 6000m2. The 10Ah battery drives it, and an app lets you monitor progress and change perimeters.
Cutting width: Dual disc 35cm. Cut heights: 20 – 100mm. Grass bag capacity: N/A. Power source: 10Ah battery. Drive type: Autonomous. Weight: 13.7kg. Price: £2299 at Wgml.co.uk.
Best for pro precision without the price: Hayter Hawk 43 AutoDrive 60V Kit
Manufactured in the UK, the Hayter Hawk 43 AD kit comes with a 60V 4.0Ah battery and 2.0A charger. It has a variable speed self-propelled drive, a 43cm cut, a 50-litre grass bag, and a ribbed roller for stripes. It features push-button start.
Cutting width: 43cm. Cut heights: x6 (19 – 70mm). Grass bag capacity: 50L. Power source: 60V battery. Drive type: Self-propelled. Weight: 27kg. Price: £679 at Tesco.com.
