A good lawn mower is a garden essential. Without regular mowing, your grass will become unkempt, untidy, and unhealthy. Over summer you'll need to be mowing your grass almost weekly to keep it at its best, and the wrong mower will make this a chore.
I've tested dozen of mowers over the years, and these are some of the best lawn mowers after rounds of testing. Reviewed by our expert gardening team, our tests assessed ease of assembly and ease of use, comfort while mowing, and, of course, how thoroughly and accurately each mower could cut grass.
From the best riding mowers to the best electric lawn mowers, these are the best mowers for your back yard.
The best lawn mowers
Best lawn mower overall
Why we love it
This clever battery-powered mower is perfect for medium to large yards. It has a wide cutting area at nearly 21" and high torque. It impressed our expert tester Steve with its performance, easily clipping 6" overgrown grass down to a manageable 1" without any need to remow. It was the same story when cutting from 3" to 1". Steve loved the helpful self-propulsion, which makes this mower easy to push, and the handy upright storage, which means that this relatively large mower takes up relatively little room in storage.
Good to know
The self-propulsion is an excellent feature but Steve found that it was too sensitive. It's really easy to nudge the self-propulsion with your hand and set the lawnmower going when you didn't mean to. It's good that you don't need to hold down the lever too hard but less good for safety.
There's more detail in Steve's full EGO LM2130E lawn mower review.
Best automatic cordless mower
Why we love it
This is a good entry-level cordless mower. The headlights are bright, which is handy for mowing in shady areas without much natural light. They're also automatic, which is a great feature for ease of use. As a battery-operated mower, it takes very little maintenance and it doesn't get very dirty. It's easy to move between the different cutting modes and it did a great job cutting all grass heights. It even has a an automatic mode which senses the height of your grass and adjusts the cut accordingly. It folds into an upright mode for easy storage in your garage, shed, or greenhouse.
Good to know
There's a simple feature that's surprisingly frustrating - you can't charge both batteries at the same time. This seems like an obvious feature, but you need to charge one battery and then the other, which is a waste of time, and means this mower has a short runtime. It's also relatively pricey for a cordless mower, and heavy to push if the self-propel mechanism isn't working.
Alex's full Husqvarna Lawn Xpert LE-322 lawn mower review has all the detail.
Best value electric mower
Why we love it
This lawn mower is one of the most popular lawn mowers on Amazon, and we aren’t surprised. If you’re on a budget, you’ll get a lot of performance for your money. The deck is on the smaller side at 20 inches, meaning you might want to leave this one if you have a larger yard. It is better for nipping around smaller areas and getting into smaller corners easily instead. Noise levels are low, and an easy push-to-start button will get it up and running without any hassle. It’s well-made and reliable, so you have no worries about running out of fuel or battery at any stage.
Features are pretty functional here, but there’s enough. You can choose between seven mow levels and between bagging, side discharge, and mulching for the cuttings. There aren’t loads of mowers we would wholeheartedly recommend at this price, but this is one of them.
Good to know
As a corded mower, it's inevitably more restrictive than gas and cordless mowers.
Best value gas mower
Why we love it
The 140cc engine might seem modest, but this gas-powered mower doesn’t leave you wanting, especially at this price.
For a start, the smaller engine helps to keep the machine nice and lightweight, which makes for easy handling as you’re pushing it around your lawn. It performs exceptionally well, bagging and mulching grass with almost surprising efficiency, and is short enough to be whizzed into smaller spaces without much worry. Above all, it’s reliable and super easy to set up, thanks to coming almost fully assembled in the box.
Good to know
Hills are probably asking too much from this mower, and you’ll want to be sure you don’t leave too long between mows too. Longer-than-ideal grass will likely get the better of it, though its side discharge chute does come in useful in these situations.
Best value cordless lawn mower
Why we love it
The Ryobi Push Lawn Mower has a 20-inch deck with a choice of seven cutting positions between 1.5 and 4 inches. This machine works particularly well on smaller yards, probably around half an acre or less, as its 48-minute run time should suit that perfectly.
It’s a quiet mower, but its brushless motor offers up plenty of power that would challenge a similarly priced gas mower. With 3-in-1 mulching, bagging, and side discharge capabilities (though you will have to buy the accessory for side discharge separately), you won’t find yourself wanting for much when it comes to its performance. Lastly, the LED headlights for 24-hour mowing potential, a telescoping handle for storage, and an easy push-button start.
Good to know
It has a battery storage compartment for storing a spare, so you can always swap it out while mowing if you get caught short – but you'll need to buy another. The 4-inch maximum cutting height is a little low.
Best lawn mower for big yards
Why you should buy it
If you’ve got a large yard, you’ll appreciate the Toro TimeMaster’s time-saving design. With its 30-inch steel deck, the Toro can cut through those larger-sized paths with every pass than your regular mower would, meaning you get the job done quicker and easier. It also offers Toro’s Pace speed control, so you can adjust the speed to match how fast you want to go. Its top speed is a nippy 4.5mph, which adds even more to its time-saving functionality. There are also mulching and side-discharge options, and a choice of seven different cutting heights.
Good to know
It won’t be the mower for you if you have lots of tight spots to navigate, but for making quick work of large spaces, it’s what you need – even if you will have to swallow a hefty price tag for the privilege.
Best robot lawn mower
Why we love it
Robot lawn mowers are for those of us who don’t want to mow the lawn ever again. They’re still relatively new, meaning prices are still relatively high, but if you’ve got the cash to spend, they’re a fantastic investment for the time-tight gardener.
The 315X has built-in Bluetooth and cellular, meaning you can use the companion app and check in on your lawnmower’s progress wherever you are in the world, as well as stop and start it manually if you prefer. Set a schedule, and you’ll never need to worry about mowing the lawn ever again or use voice commands to bark instructions at it via Amazon Alexa or Google Home instead.
Good to know
As for performance, robot mowers still have some way to go before they can rival a “proper” mow, but this 315X gives it a good go all the same, with a choice of grass heights, adjustable via the unit itself, ground coverage of 1600 m² and the ability to tackle slopes of up to 40%.
This Husqvarna is pricey, but it’s also one of the best robot lawn mowers you can buy when it comes to features. It takes a bit of setup (and patience) to get up, and running but once done: you can hand over the entirety of the mowing chores to your robot and never think of it again.
Lawn mower FAQs
How do I choose a lawn mower?
You need to figure out what's important to you: strength, speed, durability, versatility, power, or lack of noise, when deciding which is the best lawn mower for you.
If convenience and low noise are top of your wishlist, you might want to think about going cordless. For ease and maneuverability, an electric mower might tick the boxes best for you, while gas mowers promise durability and pure power.
If you have a larger garden: you will want to think how long the cord will stretch on an electric lawn mower and whether a cordless one will have the battery power to get around it in one. This is another time when gas-powered comes in handy, despite being pricey and not exactly the best for the environment.
How much should I spend on a lawn mower?
If you’re spending upwards of around $400, you’re in premium mower territory. Here is where you’ll find the widest selection of quality electric mowers and gas mowers that are a little more reliable.
Drop down to the $250 to $400 range, and there are still some great options, but the overall performance and ease of use will be a level down.
If you’re on a stringent budget, you can pick up models for just under $200, but you’ll have to manage your expectations when it comes to some parts of their performance.
Do I need a riding mower?
TLDR: if your yard is more than half an acre, consider one. If not, you don't need a riding mower.
Most yards in America are around half an acre, so a riding mower is overkill for lots of people. You can end up doubling, tripling, or quadrupling what you'd pay for a walk-behind mower to get a ride-on mower that guzzles gas and costs thousands in the long run to fuel and maintain. They're also trickier to store.
Riding mowers are good option if you have mobility issues. If you're getting older it can be a smart bit of futureproofing to get a ride-on mower, because it means you can mow even if you find it difficult to walk around the yard. However, if you're able-bodied, you don't need to consider this, and the exercise you get from pushing a walk-behind is beneficial in its own right.
Some people simply prefer driving around their garden on a ride-on mower, which is a justification in itself to buy one. However, if you're weighing up a riding mower vs a walk-behind, you only need a riding mower on big yards.
Are gas mowers better than electric mowers?
Electric mowers are better than gas mowers. Gas mowers are more powerful but the difference is small with recent, powerful battery and corded electric mowers. Gas mowers are far more of a hassle, because you need to buy the gas and find somewhere to store it safely, and waste time with the fiddly job of pouring it into your mower. Gas mowers are also notorious for their inefficient rip-cord starter mechanism, and the loud noise of their blades and motor. Electric mowers are plug-and-go, skipping all the hassle, and much quieter, too.
There's also the issue of eco-friendliness. Gas mowers tend to be viewed as polluting. You should be skeptical of some claims about this; most electricity is produced with fossil fuels, so mowers running on mains power or batteries aren't necessarily greener. However, legislators are increasingly against gas mowers - Californian lawmakers recently began to phase out gas mowers and you don't want to be stuck with a mower you can't use if this happens in your state. Even if you don't think that electric mowers are greener, gas mowers make petrol smoke that your neighbours may find antisocial.
Will gas mowers be banned?
The likelihood of this varies state-by-state, but it's increasingly the case that manufacturers are stopping production on gas-powered mowers anyway. The risk of governments around the world banning domestic gas motors means that some lawn mower makers are shutting down production on their lines of gas mowers just in case. Corded and electric mowers are cheaper to produce and can be sold at a lower price point, and its increasingly the case that consumers prefer to buy electric mowers rather than gas mowers.
Consumers are also turning to cordless mowers more and more because they're easier to use and often cheaper than steel-deck gas mowers. With that in mind, big mower manufacturers like Honda are no longer making gas-powered lawn mowers.
Why won't my lawn mower start?
The most obvious issue, but one easy to overlook, is that your grass catcher is full, which means your mower won't start.
Another issue could be debris like a stone or garden twine caught in the blades. Make sure the power supply or fuel tank is totally empty for safety, flip the mower over, and check that there's no obstruction.
Gas can also be contaminated, so if you've got old fuel left over from the previous summer or even a few weeks previous then it make be time to replace your gas.
You might have a dirty, wet, or broken spark plug, so you should check this too if you have a gas mower.
Which lawn mower is good for hills?
The best lawn mowers for hills have self-propelled motors, which push the mower for you to give you a helping hand. We like the EGO LM2130E Lawn Mower, which has a powerful self-propelled motor that's handy for hills.
How long will my lawn mower last?
With proper maintenance and care, a good lawn mower should last anywhere between eight to 10 years, and of course, the more you spend, the longer you can expect to keep using it.
That means if you spend towards the lower end of the budget, you may find yourself needing an upgrade a little sooner, with a cheaper lawnmower averaging about 200 service hours before it’ll need replacing or fixing.
A premium lawn mower, on the other hand, should do over double that. Expect around 500 hours before it’ll give up the ghost.
