Robot mowers function much like robot vacuums. They have sensors to navigate obstacles and stay within boundaries while cutting grass, and a companion control app. Unlike the newer vacuums, robot lawn mowers can use a physical boundary, such as a buried wire along a perimeter, like the Husqvarna 430X. The bots can also use a combination of GPS and LiDAR navigation aided by a satellite antenna to mow within a specified area autonomously, like the Mammotion Luba 2 and the newer Segway Navimow X3. Robot mowers are also battery-powered, making them a sustainable alternative to traditional gas-powered lawn mowers. All these features can make it hard to choose, but I broke down how the best ones compare. Here's what you need to know.
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What is the best robot mower right now?After testing some of the top robot lawn mowers on the market, ZDNET's pick for the best robot mower overall is the Mammotion Luba 2. This all-wheel-drive robot lawn mower uses a virtual, GPS-powered boundary and can handle up to 80-degree slopes and mow up to 0.25 acres in one go, with options going up to 2.5 acres. Luba 2's GPS navigation system is so accurate that I fully trust it to mow my unfenced property line without burying boundary wires. This isn't the only option for buyers. Read on to find ZDNET's top robot mower picks and check back regularly to see new additions.Also: This futuristic portable battery kept my home running during an outage. Here's how Maria Diaz/ZDNET Why we like it: I've been using the Mammotion Luba 2 3000 consistently for a year and love the freedom it's given me. It's the best GPS-powered mower I've tested -- so accurate to its map that it mows precisely along my property line in my front, back, and side yards each time. It's also the one I've found to deliver the most in-app features.Who it's for: The Mammotion Luba 2 is perfect for small and medium-sized yards, regardless of whether they have challenging terrain, a fence, or obstacles. It has proven so accurate and reliable that I can easily send it out to mow my uneven, 0.3-acre yard and return to see a beautifully checkered lawn upon my return. The Mammotion app lets you adjust mowing height and pattern, map out perimeters, and set up separate coverage areas. The robot mower's wide cutting width of 15.7 inches makes it more efficient than other models.Review: This robot mower looks like a racecar, but it mows a gorgeous lawnThe coolest thing about the Luba 2 is that there's a model for everyone. Ranging from a 0.25-acre capacity variant available for $2,100 to a 2.5-acre model for $4,100, you're not stuck paying a high-end price to mow a small yard. Who should look elsewhere: Though the Mammotion Luba 2 is perfect for almost any yard, buyers with over 2.5 acres of mowing area should look elsewhere. As its highest capacity is 2.5 acres, the Luba 2 would likely take days to cover such a large yard. Mammotion Luba 2 Features: Price: $2,100-$4,100, depending on acreage | Cutting width: 15.7 inches | Maximum cutting area: 0.25- to 2.5-acre models | Maximum slope: 38 degrees | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G | Anti-theft: Alarm, 4G, GPS theft tracking
