The ideal garden mower of 2025, tested and reviewed

If you happen to’re dreaming of a manicured carpet of mown grass, you’ll need tools to catch it happen. The ideal garden mowers flip asserting your yard into … successfully, possibly no longer a joy, however surely much less of a chore. Selecting one, nonetheless, could well maybe simply moreover be tricky — even for a professional gardener with 30 years of abilities cherish myself. After currently relocating from the East Creep to California, I sold a condominium with an acre and a half of of land. At the time, I didn’t like a garden mower, so I came upon myself in the market.

Newest legislation prohibits someone from making an strive to search out gas garden mowers in California (doubtless a impress of issues to come: Basically essentially based on a present stumble on by the market analysis firm NielsenIQ, battery-powered garden equipment is anticipated to outpace gas). Fortunately, I came upon that many predominant, and some soundless, manufacturers catch battery-powered electric garden mowers for condominium owner use.

In my analysis, I learned that electric mowers are precise. Without a doubt, they’re elegant gigantic. They lower grass as well to (and barely higher than) gas-powered mowers, are great quieter, require much less overall upkeep and again lower CO2 emissions. Newest years own viewed big leaps in battery know-how, and for garden mowers, it’s no diversified. So when I became as soon as asked to effect nine of the most keen electric garden mowers to the take a look at, I jumped at the likelihood. I pondering push and self-propelled objects, reasonably than riding garden mowers or robot mowers, because they’re the most standard and practical solutions (that mentioned, we’ll be trying out these down the avenue). Just a few of the machines I tried performed so successfully, I’m overjoyed that making the swap from a gas- to a battery-powered mower is a tidy transfer, no subject the effect it is advisable to well be residing.

• Connected: The ideal gardening gloves | The ideal plant pots

Table of contents

Update, July 8, 2025: We’ve confirmed present pricing and availability for all merchandise. Our No. 1 pick remains unchanged.

Very top garden mowers of 2025

Daryl Beyers/Yahoo

Consultants

• Possibility to make use of two batteries manner a protracted speed time than most
• Can speed at corpulent vitality on a single battery if foremost
• Light-weight and straightforward to maneuver
• Robotically increases the blade hotfoot in maintaining with mowing stipulations
• Sparkling headlights

Cons

• Total charging time for both batteries is long when put next with other manufacturers

$649 at The Dwelling Depot

Daryl Beyers/Yahoo

Consultants

• Excellent-wanting handlebar ergonomics
• Great-immediate charging time
• Exceptionally soundless
• Sparkling LED headlights

Cons

• Chute clogs in colossal or wet grass if mowing too rapidly
• No safety key to cease a ways flung from inadvertent commence-ups

$429 at Amazon

Daryl Beyers/Yahoo

Consultants

• Distinctive self-propel machine
• Properly-priced
• Without train mows down colossal grass and weeds
• Robotically adjusts vitality
• No buttons or dials — dazzling push and slither

Cons

• Single-blade mowers are usually much less effective at mulching
• To alter the reducing height, all four wheels ought to clean be adjusted one at a time, which is able to be laborious to enact

$679 at Lowes

Daryl Beyers/Yahoo

Consultants

• Tidy vitality modes robotically alter to mowing stipulations
• Staunch reducing
• Has an “eco mode” swap to lengthen battery existence
• Self-propel characteristic works even supposing the battery can’t vitality the blades, so that it is advisable to well with out concerns catch the machine again to a charger

Cons

• Retain watch over bars seize time to catch ragged to — not just like the opposite mowers, this has a pull bar for propel and a push bar to engage the blades

$460 at Acme Tools

(again to high)

Components to place in mind when choosing a garden mower

An electrical garden mower is an funding, so that you would possibly want to make certain you’re spending you money on a machine that lasts and is appropriate to your yard. Earlier than making an strive to search out, right here’s what to tackle in mind, alongside with some tricks from DIY and machine knowledgeable Chip Wade:

• Lawn dimension: Electrical push mowers are perfect for itsy-bitsy to medium lawns. But while you’ve got a property that’s greater than an acre, you’ll possibly prefer a riding garden mower, so that you don’t want to danger about batteries demise forward of you elevate out the duty. Wade recommends a zero-flip mower while you purchase a riding mower: “It’s faster, extra maneuverable spherical landscaping, and provides a polished elevate out with fewer passes,” he says.

• Watt hours: Right here’s the calculation that determines the vitality capabilities and the aptitude speed time of your mower forward of the batteries need recharging. The elevated the watt hour, the extra work the mower can enact on a single price.

• Series of batteries required and price time: Few batteries imply much less price time, and faster price time manner much less down time.

• Self-propelled or no longer: Self-propelled mowers require a little bit extra vitality and price, however the advantages outweigh any limitations (and price) because they transfer on their very like with out you having to make use of power to push them. Spinning blade(s) use quite a lot of the battery vitality. Both self-propelled and push objects are a tidy pick if storage is tight, says Wade, because many include collapsible handles or even vertical storage solutions, so that they seize up much less dwelling.

• Blade type: Depraved-lower mowers with two blades lower and mulch higher than single-blade objects. Wade recommends sharpening your blades at the very least as soon as a season to cease a ways flung from historical cuts and wasted effort.

• Vitality modes: Most mowers self-alter the vitality mode in maintaining with what’s compulsory for the height and form of grass, or if mulching, bagging or discharging the clippings.

• Weight: Lighter is frequently higher, for battery price longevity and ease of maneuverability.

• Cutting width: Decks fluctuate in dimension, on the total maxing out at 22 inches for a self-propelled or push mower. Increased decks own greater blades that lower extra grass dwelling on every slither. “Honest tackle in mind bigger isn’t repeatedly higher,” says Wade. “If your yard has tight gates, slim pathways, or landscaping formulation, a smaller deck could well maybe be more uncomplicated to maneuver.”

(again to high)

What to survey for in the most keen garden mower

By manner of electrical objects, the most keen garden mowers are battery-powered and offer foremost speed time on a single price. Perceive for excessive-quality hardened steel blades, severely while you are doubtless to mow over roots or branches. “Just a few blades are a plus, because it manner finer mulching and no more want to gain,” Wade says.

He adds that you’ll also want to survey for adjustable reducing heights — a mower that adjusts from 1 to 4 inches provides you the most flexibility at some stage in seasons, grass kinds, and garden stipulations. Then, there are add-ons cherish mulching kits or aspect discharge chutes. Keep in mind of how you would possibly want to administer grass clippings and settle the correct formulation that’ll catch mowing more uncomplicated for you.

(again to high)

How we tested garden mowers

We researched nearly 100 garden mowers, focusing on predominant manufacturers and objects with excessive buyer ratings. We also regarded at other publishers to stumble on what has been coated and reached out to vitality-equipment corporations to learn about their most recent launches. We then narrowed down the trying out pool to mid-priced electric garden mowers designed for homeowners.

As a professional garden fashion designer for 30 years, I in actuality own masses of abilities mowing lawns, so I eagerly jumped into trying out. I unboxed and assembled every machine, recording the time it took to thoroughly price the foremost battery or batteries. Whereas the batteries charged, I read the owner’s manual and explored the controls, adjustments and solutions of the machine. With the battery/batteries attach in, I attach every mower through its paces in a lot of precise-world garden-reducing situations in the again two acres of my and my next-door neighbor’s yard. To nefarious, the mowers needed to excel in the next assessments:

• “Hasty and colossal” take a look at: In taller, uncut grass, I obtain 22 situation the reducing height at 3 inches and self-propelled or walked briskly to search out out how successfully the garden mower maneuvered on diversified terrains, equivalent to up and downhill, at some stage in hills, tight turns and forwards and backwards. I swapped between bagging, mulching and discharging the clippings out the aspect (when equipped with a chute.) Right here’s also when I experimented with the adjustable vitality modes and self-propel speeds if equipped.

• “Low and sluggish” take a look at: In the medium-height garden produced by the first take a look at, I obtain 22 situation the reducing height at 1.5 inches and self-propelled or pushed the mower at a unhurried hotfoot, all over all all over again swapping between three treatments of the clippings: bagging, mulching or discharging out the aspect (when equipped with a chute option.) This helped resolve the quality of the lower as well to the flexibility of the machine to deal with clippings. This take a look at helped me type out the consolation of the deal with and controls as well to sound and mud ranges.

• “The effect the wild issues grow” take a look at: This took the mower into very colossal grass and weeds obtain 22 situation at its tallest reducing height (usually 4 inches) to stumble on the diagram in which it can well maybe tackle up to the pains of working through a lot of inches of no longer easy stalks and fallen twigs while contending with bumps and ruts. I skipped the bagger for this take a look at (because it can well maybe catch too rapidly) and pondering how every machine either mulched or discharged the clippings as well to the total vitality of the machine. I continued with this take a look at except the batteries ran out of price and the machine stopped.

(again to high)

Other garden mowers we tested

Greenworks 16 in. Cordless Battery Push Lawn Mower ($279, battery and charger included): The Greenworks is a relaxing little machine that couldn’t compete with the stronger, extra adaptable garden mowers tested. On the opposite hand, someone with a actually itsy-bitsy garden and a puny budget could well maybe catch it the ideal match. It’s ultra-light, gigantic easy to make use of and gets the job completed.

Husqvarna Lawn Xpert 21 in. Self-Propelled Mower ($700, battery and charger included): This mower locations Husqvarna (a pioneer in robot mowers) in the electrical garden mower game, and it held its like in terms of vitality, quality of lower and self propel. But its performance did no longer warrant the nearly $800 impress and it wasn’t quieter than gas.

Ego Vitality+ 800 Series 21 in. Self-Propelled Mower ($779, machine totally): Whereas nearly identical in vitality and performance to the runner up Very top Push Mower of the same impress, the Ego self-propelled model felt overly complex with too many lights and settings that don’t imply great when all you want is a successfully-mowed garden. At the price point of $579, there are higher solutions if self propel matters.

DeWalt 2X20V Max 21 in. Cordless Battery Powered Push Lawn Mower ($599, two batteries and two chargers included): Right here’s a stable machine from a legit impress, however the frustratingly long wait to price the batteries (three hours) kept it from our high picks. Charge-wise, it competes with, however doesn’t beat in the same fashion priced mowers, and the very low deck hurts its performance in colossal grass and weeds.

Craftsman 2x20V Max 21 in. Self Propelled Battery Creep Mower ($449, two batteries and two chargers included): The Craftsman mower is a clone of the DeWalt (both corporations are owned by Stanley Murky & Decker) however with self propel. It suffers from sluggish battery price time and clogging in colossal grass and weeds. Oddly, at $549 with self propel it fees no longer up to the DeWalt.

(again to high)

FAQs

What’s the most legit garden mower impress?

By manner of choosing an electric garden mower, this will be tough to answer to. Newer corporations cherish Ego and Greenworks own a puny song account, however their specialization in electric tools makes them trade leaders. Battery know-how is soundless territory for long-relied on manufacturers cherish Toro, Craftsman and Husqvarna, so it be a ought to to deem to either rely on the used hats or monetary institution on the soundless weapons.

What garden mowers enact landscapers use?

As of 2025, landscapers, even in California, use gas-powered garden mowers, cherish Scag, Honda, Toro and Stihl. These machines usually own wider reducing widths up to 30 inches and are self-propelled. All this vitality and dimension comes with a impress, as most commercial stroll-in the again of mowers impress from $1,500 to over $2,000.

How on the total ought to clean you change a garden mower?

The easy answer is “when the used one doesn’t work anymore and could well maybe’t be repaired.” Cutting blades are designed to catch replaced as are wheels, cables and lever bars. One precise motive to change a working garden mower is to swap your gas-powered machine for electric vitality. If you happen to enact slither electric, this review ought to clean again you pick out which one to settle.

(again to high)

Meet the knowledgeable

• Chip Wade, founder, Wade Works

We received complimentary samples of some merchandise and acquired others ourselves, however we reviewed all merchandise the utilization of the same honest criteria.