Essentially the simplest lawn mower of 2025, tested and reviewed

In the event you’re dreaming of a manicured carpet of mown grass, you’ll need tools to create it happen. Essentially the simplest lawn mowers flip striking forward your yard into … successfully, possibly no longer a joy, nonetheless completely much less of a chore. Picking one, alternatively, will also be complex — even for a legit gardener with 30 years of expertise take care of myself. After no longer too long previously relocating from the East Soar to California, I equipped a condo with an acre and a half of land. On the time, I didn’t possess a lawn mower, so I found out myself out there.

Present legislation prohibits anyone from procuring gas lawn mowers in California (likely a designate of issues to approach: In accordance to a most neatly-liked sight by the market research firm NielsenIQ, battery-powered lawn equipment is expected to outpace gas). Fortunately, I found out that many important, and some new, brands create battery-powered electric lawn mowers for homeowner use.

In my research, I realized that electric mowers are loyal. In actual fact, they’re gorgeous mountainous. They cut grass as successfully as (and each now and then better than) gas-powered mowers, are significant quieter, require much less traditional upkeep and help cut CO2 emissions. Present years possess considered mountainous leaps in battery technology, and for lawn mowers, it’s no a host of. So when I changed into asked to envision nine of the finest electric lawn mowers to the test, I jumped on the likelihood. I mad by push and self-propelled units, as adverse to riding lawn mowers or robotic mowers, because they’re the most neatly-favored and cheap alternate suggestions (that said, we’ll be testing these down the freeway). A pair of of the machines I attempted performed so successfully, I’m gay that making the swap from a gas- to a battery-powered mower is a natty pass, no topic where you reside.

• Connected: Essentially the simplest gardening gloves | Essentially the simplest plant pots

Desk of contents

Update, July 8, 2025: We’ve confirmed original pricing and availability for all products. Our No. 1 pick stays unchanged.

Only lawn mowers of 2025

Daryl Beyers/Yahoo

Pros

• Possibility to make use of two batteries formulation an extended crawl time than most
• Can crawl at stout energy on a single battery if important
• Lightweight and simple to maneuver
• Robotically will increase the blade crawl in step with mowing stipulations
• Brilliant headlights

Cons

• Total charging time for every batteries is long when put next with other brands

$649 at The House Depot

Daryl Beyers/Yahoo

Pros

• Pretty handlebar ergonomics
• Tidy-short charging time
• Exceptionally soundless
• Brilliant LED headlights

Cons

• Chute clogs in enormous or moist grass if mowing too immediate
• No safety key to lead positive of inadvertent start up-ups

$429 at Amazon

Daryl Beyers/Yahoo

Pros

• Mighty self-propel machine
• Successfully-priced
• With out issues mows down enormous grass and weeds
• Robotically adjusts energy
• No buttons or dials — factual push and run

Cons

• Single-blade mowers are generally much less efficient at mulching
• To adjust the reducing height, all four wheels must be adjusted separately, which will also be tough to attain

$679 at Lowes

Daryl Beyers/Yahoo

Pros

• Neat energy modes robotically adjust to mowing stipulations
• True reducing
• Has an “eco mode” swap to elongate battery lifestyles
• Self-propel characteristic works even though the battery can’t energy the blades, so possibilities are you’ll possibly well possibly also simply receive the machine help to a charger

Cons

• Management bars take time to receive primitive to — in difference to the choice mowers, this has a pull bar for propel and a push bar to possess interaction the blades

$460 at Acme Instruments

(help to high)

Elements to preserve in mind when deciding on a lawn mower

An electrical lawn mower is an investment, so you want to be sure you’re spending you money on a machine that lasts and is acceptable to your yard. Earlier than procuring, here’s what to preserve in mind, collectively with some tricks from DIY and instrument knowledgeable Chip Wade:

• Lawn dimension: Electrical push mowers are very finest for tiny to medium lawns. However even as possibilities are you’ll possibly well possibly also possess a property that’s extra than an acre, you’ll potentially want a riding lawn mower, so you don’t need to fear about batteries demise earlier than you attain the duty. Wade recommends a nil-flip mower even as you aquire a riding mower: “It’s faster, extra maneuverable around landscaping, and affords an advanced attain with fewer passes,” he says.

• Watt hours: This is the calculation that determines the skill capabilities and the doable crawl time of your mower earlier than the batteries need recharging. The elevated the watt hour, the extra work the mower can attain on a single rate.

• Different of batteries required and mark time: Few batteries mean much less rate time, and faster rate time formulation much less down time.

• Self-propelled or no longer: Self-propelled mowers require a puny bit extra energy and mark, nonetheless the advantages outweigh any limitations (and mark) because they pass on their possess without you having to make use of power to push them. Spinning blade(s) use loads of the battery energy. Both self-propelled and push units are a natty pick if storage is tight, says Wade, because many approach with collapsible handles and even vertical storage alternate suggestions, so they soak up much less space.

• Blade sort: Execrable-cut mowers with two blades cut and mulch better than single-blade units. Wade recommends sharpening your blades no longer lower than once a season to lead positive of aged cuts and wasted effort.

• Power modes: Most mowers self-adjust the skill mode in step with what’s wished for the height and variety of grass, or if mulching, bagging or discharging the clippings.

• Weight: Lighter is ceaselessly better, for battery rate longevity and ease of maneuverability.

• Reducing width: Decks vary dimension-wise, generally maxing out at 22 inches for a self-propelled or push mower. Higher decks possess bigger blades that cut extra grass space on every run. “Correct preserve in mind bigger isn’t consistently better,” says Wade. “If your yard has tight gates, narrow pathways, or landscaping aspects, a smaller deck might possibly well possibly be less complicated to maneuver.”

(help to high)

What to search out in the finest lawn mower

Relating to electric units, the finest lawn mowers are battery-powered and provide important crawl time on a single rate. Sight for excessive-quality hardened steel blades, especially even as you tend to mow over roots or branches. “A pair of blades are a plus, because it formulation finer mulching and no more need to procure,” Wade says.

He adds that you’ll also want to search out adjustable reducing heights — a mower that adjusts from 1 to 4 inches affords you the most flexibility in the future of seasons, grass kinds, and lawn stipulations. Then, there are add-ons take care of mulching kits or facet discharge chutes. Relate how you want to organize grass clippings and resolve the very finest aspects that’ll create mowing less complicated for you.

(help to high)

How we tested lawn mowers

We researched with regards to 100 lawn mowers, focusing on important brands and units with excessive customer rankings. We also seemed at other publishers to search out what has been lined and reached out to energy-equipment corporations to search out out about their most neatly-liked launches. We then narrowed down the testing pool to mid-priced electric lawn mowers designed for house owners.

As a legit backyard trend designer for 30 years, I in actuality possess a range of expertise mowing lawns, so I eagerly jumped into testing. I unboxed and assembled every machine, recording the time it took to totally rate the specified battery or batteries. While the batteries charged, I read the owner’s handbook and explored the controls, adjustments and alternate suggestions of the machine. With the battery/batteries installed, I save every mower thru its paces in numerous staunch-world lawn-reducing scenarios in the help two acres of my and my subsequent-door neighbor’s yard. To despicable, the mowers had to excel in the next tests:

• “Like a flash and big” test: In taller, uncut grass, I method the reducing height at 3 inches and self-propelled or walked briskly to search out out how successfully the lawn mower maneuvered on a host of terrains, corresponding to up and downhill, in the future of hills, tight turns and help and forth. I swapped between bagging, mulching and discharging the clippings out the facet (when geared up with a chute.) This is also when I experimented with the adjustable energy modes and self-propel speeds if geared up.

• “Low and sluggish” test: In the medium-height lawn produced by the principle test, I method the reducing height at 1.5 inches and self-propelled or pushed the mower at a unhurried tempo, once extra swapping between three treatments of the clippings: bagging, mulching or discharging out the facet (when geared up with a chute possibility.) This helped resolve the standard of the cut as successfully because the skill of the machine to take care of clippings. This test helped me specialize in the comfort of the kind out and controls as successfully as sound and mud phases.

• “The establish the wild issues grow” test: This took the mower into very enormous grass and weeds method at its tallest reducing height (generally 4 inches) to search out the strategy in which it would delay to the rigors of working thru several inches of no longer easy stalks and fallen twigs while contending with bumps and ruts. I skipped the bagger for this test (because it would possess too immediate) and mad by how every machine either mulched or discharged the clippings as successfully because the final energy of the machine. I persisted with this test till the batteries ran out of rate and the machine stopped.

(help to high)

Other lawn mowers we tested

Greenworks 16 in. Cordless Battery Push Lawn Mower ($279, battery and charger incorporated): The Greenworks is a fun puny machine that couldn’t compete with the stronger, extra adaptable lawn mowers tested. Nonetheless, anyone with a extraordinarily tiny lawn and a small worth range might possibly well possibly rep it the very very finest match. It’s extremely-gentle, successfully-kept straightforward to make use of and gets the job done.

Husqvarna Lawn Xpert 21 in. Self-Propelled Mower ($700, battery and charger incorporated): This mower locations Husqvarna (a pioneer in robotic mowers) in the electrical lawn mower sport, and it held its possess by formulation of energy, quality of cut and self propel. However its performance didn’t warrant the with regards to $800 sign and it wasn’t quieter than gas.

Ego Power+ 800 Sequence 21 in. Self-Propelled Mower ($779, instrument very finest): While nearly identical in energy and performance to the runner up Only Push Mower of the identical designate, the Ego self-propelled mannequin felt overly complex with too many lights and settings that don’t mean significant when all you need is a successfully-mowed lawn. On the associated rate point of $579, there are better alternate suggestions if self propel matters.

DeWalt 2X20V Max 21 in. Cordless Battery Powered Push Lawn Mower ($599, two batteries and two chargers incorporated): It is miles a solid machine from a authentic designate, nonetheless the frustratingly long wait to rate the batteries (three hours) saved it from our high picks. Attach-realistic, it competes with, nonetheless would not beat equally priced mowers, and the very low deck hurts its performance in enormous grass and weeds.

Craftsman 2x20V Max 21 in. Self Propelled Battery Stroll Mower ($449, two batteries and two chargers incorporated): The Craftsman mower is a clone of the DeWalt (every corporations are owned by Stanley Sad & Decker) nonetheless with self propel. It suffers from sluggish battery rate time and clogging in enormous grass and weeds. Oddly, at $549 with self propel it charges lower than the DeWalt.

(help to high)

FAQs

What’s the most authentic lawn mower designate?

Relating to deciding on an electric lawn mower, this will likely possibly well possibly be complex to answer. Newer corporations take care of Ego and Greenworks possess a small be aware sage, nonetheless their specialization in electric tools makes them industry leaders. Battery technology is new territory for long-relied on brands take care of Toro, Craftsman and Husqvarna, so it be crucial to evaluate to either depend upon the venerable hats or bank on the new weapons.

What lawn mowers attain landscapers use?

As of 2025, landscapers, even in California, use gas-powered lawn mowers, take care of Scag, Honda, Toro and Stihl. These machines in general possess wider reducing widths up to 30 inches and are self-propelled. All this energy and dimension comes with a mark, as most commercial scamper-unhurried mowers rate from $1,500 to over $2,000.

How generally might possibly well possibly also serene you change a lawn mower?

The easy answer is “when the venerable one doesn’t work anymore and can’t be repaired.” Reducing blades are designed to get replaced as are wheels, cables and lever bars. One loyal motive to change a working lawn mower is to swap your gas-powered machine for electric energy. In the event you attain run electric, this overview might possibly well possibly also serene allow you pick which one to resolve.

(help to high)

Meet the knowledgeable

• Chip Wade, founder, Wade Works

We got complimentary samples of some products and acquired others ourselves, nonetheless we reviewed all products using the identical intention criteria.