As of: March 26, 2024, 3:07 p.m
By: Patrick Hauser
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Robotic lawnmowers silently transform meadows into well-kept lawns.
Stiftung Warentest has tested and comes to a partly sobering conclusion.
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Buying a robotic lawnmower:
This is what you should pay attention to
- 5 tips before you buy
The best robotic lawnmowers:
This is how Stiftung Warentest tested
- safety defects vs. good mowing performance
The best robotic lawnmower
: Gardena Smart Sileno City (overall score: 2.6) - Easy to clean and handle obstacles confidently
Mows best:
Husqvarna Automower Aspire R4 (grade 2.6) - Damp lawn and obstacles?
No problem
Price-performance winner:
Solo by Al-Ko Robolinho 520 W (grade 2.6) - error-free and affordable
Expensive, but good:
Husqvarna Automower 305 (grade 2.6) - The test winner in 2022
Also useful without an app:
Stihl iMow RMI 422 (grade 2.7) - can be easily programmed via the display
The cheapest:
Gardena Sileno minimo (grade 2.8) - quiet, clean and top price
All chapters
Thanks to the hype surrounding smart home devices, many garden owners are looking for ways to make maintaining their green spaces easier and more efficient.
Robotic lawn mowers represent an attractive solution here. After all, they promise to trim the lawn to the desired length independently and regularly, so that the garden always looks well-maintained.
These small but powerful devices navigate independently through the garden, similar to robot vacuum cleaners in the home, detect obstacles and return to the charging station independently.
Their use not only saves time and effort, but also ensures an evenly trimmed lawn and can even promote lawn growth, as regular mowing increases the density of the lawn.
In addition, the robots are often more energy efficient and quieter than conventional lawn mowers.
Stiftung Warentest tested various robotic lawnmowers from well-known manufacturers in a study in spring 2024 and came to a rather sobering conclusion.
We present the results and the particularly recommended models and explain what is important before buying.
Click here for robotic lawnmower purchasing advice
Buying a robotic lawnmower:
This is what you should pay attention to
If you want to relax in the garden or have neighbors with sensitive ears, pay attention to the noise level of the device.
Look for robotic lawnmowers that are no louder than 75 decibels.
For large gardens, you need a robotic lawnmower with a long battery life.
When purchasing, also consider how long the battery will take to recharge.
The cutting height of the greens should be adjustable.
More scope means more flexibility.
For hilly gardens, you need a robot that can manage gradients of at least 25 percent.
This is now the minimum standard in most devices.
Buy a mower that suits your garden.
You can easily control the robotic lawnmower with a smartphone app.
Almost all modern devices already have a compatible app.
The best robotic lawnmowers:
This is how Stiftung Warentest tested
A total of eight models underwent extensive tests and examinations at Stiftung Warentest*, plus eight from April 2022. Striking: Not a single one of the eight or 16 models received a “good” overall grade.
What's the matter?
The safety test became an insurmountable obstacle for almost all robotic lawnmowers.
The automatic lawn mowers failed one test in particular: a beech wood stick with a diameter of four centimeters and a length of 55 centimeters was supposed to represent a child's arm lying in the lawn.
Almost all robot lawn mowers do not stop here in time and would cause injuries to the child in an emergency.
Stiftung Warentest gave it a maximum rating of “sufficient”, and one device even received a “poor” safety rating.
According to a principle of the consumer organization, no product can receive an overall grade of “good” if the “safety” test item receives a grade of sufficient or worse.
Aside from the possible safety risk for children's arms, at least some of the models tested perform well.
The mowing and cutting results on wet and dry lawns, on obstacles and inclines were positive for the test winning trio.
However, there were big differences here too: the mowing tests led to problems with some robots, and in some cases the battery also failed to cover the promised lawn area.
A robotic lawnmower gets the job done quietly and thoroughly while you can take a break.
© peter77/PantherMedia
Stiftung Warentest took these aspects into account for the overall result:
Mowing: 60%.
Among other things, cutting quality, appearance, obstacles and slopes.
Handling: 25%.
Including setup, maintenance and cleaning.
Security: 5%.
Among other things, stop function, child test arm and battery.
Environment: 5%.
Among other things, hedgehog protection, battery replacement and volume
Data sending behavior of the apps: 5%.
Among other things, hacker protection and password strength.
We show you the best models from Stiftung Warentest.
The best robotic lawnmower
: Gardena Smart Sileno City (overall score: 2.6)
Gardena Smart Sileno City robotic lawnmower © Gardena, Canva
The Smart Sileno is particularly impressive in terms of handling and environment (grade 2.0 and 1.9 respectively), but you can't go wrong with the test winner when it comes to mowing (grade 2.4).
The “sufficient” rating for the safety aspect (3.6) clouds the overall impression somewhat.
✔️ copes very well with obstacles |
❌ fails the test with the child's arm lying down |
✔️ mows well and cleanly |
❌ takes 75 hours for maximum area (600 m²). |
✔️ good operation via app or device display |
|
✔️ easy to clean |
Buy at OBI for 13% cheaper
Mows best:
Husqvarna Automower Aspire R4 (grade 2.6)
Husqvarna Automower Aspire R4 © Husqvarna, Canva
In the most important evaluation criterion, mowing, no other model can beat the Husqvarna robotic lawnmower (grade 1.7), and handling is also good at 1.9.
The Aspire R4 narrowly missed out on winning the test due to its slightly weaker environmental rating (2.4).
✔️ Best mowing rating of all models in the test |
❌ fails the test with the child's arm lying down |
✔️ Copes very well with damp lawns and obstacles |
❌ Battery replacement is only possible through customer service |
✔️ good programming via app |
|
✔️ easy to clean |
Buy Husqvarna robotic lawnmower here
Price-performance winner:
Solo by Al-Ko Robolinho 520 W (grade 2.6)
solo by AL-KO Robolinho 520 W © solo by Al-Ko, Canva
Solid marks for mowing (2.5) and handling (2.4) and a reasonable price.
With the Robolinho from Solo by Al-Ko you won't go wrong and you will get a robotic lawnmower that is at least "satisfactory".
✔️ Mows well overall |
❌ fails the test with the child's arm lying down |
✔️ Hardly any error messages during operation |
❌ requires WiFi to set up |
✔️ good programming via app and display |
❌ requires 60 hours/week for a maximum area of 500 m² |
Buy for €799
In the April 2022 test, three models also impressed with an overall grade of less than 3.0.
Expensive but good:
Husqvarna Automower 305 (grade 2.6)
Husqvarna Automower 305 © Husqvarna, Canva
The environmental criteria have not yet been explicitly assessed in the 2022 test, so there are no grades for this.
However, in the main criteria of mowing (2.1) and handling (2.5), the Automower 305 performs well and achieves an average score of 2.6.
✔️ no disruptions in operation |
❌ fails the test with the child's arm lying down |
✔️ Steep slopes, complicated and larger areas as well as damp lawns are no problem |
❌ Not easy to clean |
✔️ App not necessary, but helpful |
❌ quite expensive (approx. €1,100) |
Buy here
Already knew?
Robotic lawnmowers not only cut the grass – they also help maintain the lawn through mulching.
This means that the mown clippings remain lying around and thus fertilize the soil.
This prevents matting and moss growth and at the same time promotes biodiversity.
Also useful without an app:
Stihl iMow RMI 422 (grade 2.7)
Stihl iMow RMI 422 © Stihl, Canva
The Stihl robot lawn mower is not compatible with apps, but can be easily programmed via the display.
It also performs well in the criteria of mowing (grade 2.3) and handling (2.4).
✔️ rare cleaning, even on damp grass |
❌ Inclines over 30 percent cause problems |
✔️ also mows larger areas and narrow passages |
❌ fixed blade increases the risk of injury in the event of an accident |
✔️ without app, good programming via display |
Order here for €870
The cheapest:
Gardena Sileno minimo (grade 2.8)
Gardena Sileno minimo © Gardena, Canva
Although the Sileno minimo is the cheapest of the six models with an overall grade of less than 3.0, it does have weaknesses when it comes to individual mowing challenges.
With a rating of 3.0 for the mowing aspect, you still get a consistently satisfactory device.
✔️ rare cleaning |
❌ can only climb flatter slopes with a gradient of up to 25 percent |
✔️ very quiet operation |
❌ App required for programming |
✔️ affordable price |
❌ takes a relatively long time for small areas |
Under €600 on Amazon
Please not at night!
Even if the law does not prohibit allowing the robotic lawnmower to work at night.
Avoid it.
Robotic lawn mowers can become a deadly trap for nocturnal animals, especially hedgehogs.
When threatened, hedgehogs instinctively curl up instead of running away, which can lead to life-threatening cuts.
Of course, you can also mow your lawn by hand; especially in smaller gardens, this often only takes a few minutes.
Before you buy, you have to decide whether you want a battery-powered or corded lawnmower.
Stiftung Warentest chose the best models of both variants.
Have you already fertilized your lawn?
If not, now is the time for spring.
This guide answers all questions about lawn fertilizer.
* For the detailed test report from Stiftung Warentest
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here