The best cordless lawn mowers in 2024: Tried, tested and reviewed
Keep your lawn trimmed without the hassle of a cable with the best cordless mowers as tested by our experts
The best cordless lawn mowers can take the hassle out of mowing. While some of our favourite lawn mowers are corded and petrol options, a cordless mower means there’s no more running out of cable or worrying about chopping through the cord. As long as you have charge in the batteries, you’re good to go.
But with different makes, styles and sizes, which cordless lawn mower should you go for? I’ve tested and reviewed 16 cordless lawn mowers in the last three years, using my front and back gardens as a testing ground. I’ve looked at small mowers designed for light work and easy storage along with heavy-duty cordless mowers that can cope with larger plots. I’ve narrowed my selection to list the eight best cordless lawnmowers I think you should buy.
Here you’ll find recommendations to fit the size and shape of any garden, from flat, well-kept lawns to more uneven areas with thicker, tougher grass. You’ll also find options catering for a range of budgets. And if you need more info before you make your choice, look at my detailed buying guide below the list of products.
Best cordless lawn mower: At a glance
| Best for small gardens | Bosch CityMower 18 (~£229) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best for mid-sized lawns | Worx Nitro WG737E (~£260) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best all-round cordless mower | Bosch UniversalRotak 36-550 (~£289) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best budget cordless lawn mower | Black + Decker BCMW3318N-XJ (~£164) | Check price at Amazon |
How we test cordless lawn mowers
First, I spend time assembling each lawn mower, before putting it to work on two different lawns. The first is a small, flat front lawn measuring roughly 6m by 4m, with reasonably well-kept grass and no major undulations. The second is a much larger, sloping lawn with patches of rough and uneven grass.
I look at how each lawn mower handles each of the lawns, how effectively it mulches the clippings or transfers them to the grass collector and how well it avoids blockages and jams.
My testing involves noting how easy it is to start and control the mower, adjust the handles and change the cutting height. I also time how long I can mow before the battery runs out over multiple mowing sessions, and how long the battery takes to recharge. Finally, I fold the mower away for storage to see how compact and manageable it will be in your garage or shed.
READ NEXT: Best lawn mower for small gardens
The best cordless lawn mowers you can buy in 2024
1. Bosch UniversalRotak 36-550: Best all-round cordless mower
Price when reviewed: £289 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… tackling larger plots without much noise or hassle
- Not so great for… smaller budgets, as it’s quite expensive
While not much bigger or even heavier than some of the mowers on test, the Bosch UniversalRotak 36-550 has a bit more cutting power. With a 38cm deck, it can easily tackle medium-sized lawns, and while it’s fantastic on flat lawns and shorter grass, I found that it could also handle tricky slopes and longer, wetter grass that left some other mowers floundering.
It’s the little things, though, that sell this mower. The well-designed handle gives you a choice of hand positions and makes it easier to push around, and I love the one-click cutting height adjustment; just press and hold a button on the top handle and you can lift the body up and down to change it. Bosch’s ProSilence motor technology also makes the UniversalRotak much, much easier on the ears and with a 40l grass box, you’re not forever stopping to empty the clippings.
In tests, the 36V battery comfortably lasts 25 to 30 minutes of mowing and takes just over two hours to recharge. As a nice extra, the UniversalRotak’s specially designed blade even collects and grinds up any leaves that have dropped on the grass. Some might find the price hard to swallow, but I think it’s worth it. By any yardstick, this is an exceptional mower.
Key specs – Size: 40 x 135 x 105cm (WDH); Weight: 15kg; Height of cut: 2.5-7cm; Grass box capacity: 40l; Power: 36V 4Ah lithium-ion battery (charge time: 2hrs 5mins); Width of cut: 38cm
2. Bosch CityMower 18: Best cordless mower for small gardens
Price when reviewed: £229 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… easy and quiet mowing of smaller lawns
- Not so great for… rough and sloping patches
Bosch’s mower for smaller gardens is a cracker; much smaller than the mighty UniversalRotak 36-550, but also much cheaper and lighter. You still get Ergoflex handles for easy steering and a comfortable push, plus easy cutting-height adjustments and twin power triggers on the grips. In use, it’s one very easy mower to work with, and it runs from a single 18V 4Ah battery, which charges to full in 1hr 35mins and lasts for a little over half an hour. You can buy it complete with an 18V 4Ah battery and charger, or solo if you’ve already got compatible Power For All products.
Your neighbours will love this mower, as it makes so little noise; I had to check the grass box to ensure it was cutting properly because it was so quiet. What’s more, the cut is brilliant. I had great results on my flat front lawn, and it also cuts closer than many compact mowers when you’re mowing next to a flat wall or paving. The small wheels and compact size mean it’s not as capable on rough or sloping lawns, while the minimum cutting height of 3cm won’t be low enough for those who want the astroturf look. Yet I found that the CityMower 18 could handle small areas of long, wet grass that I expected to choke it up in seconds. With some of Bosch’s top technology in a cheaper, smaller mower, I think it’s the best option for those with one or two small lawns to tackle.
Key specs – Size: 36 x 121 x 103cm (WDH); Weight: 9.9kg; Height of cut: 3-6cm; Grass box capacity: 31l; Power: 18V 4Ah lithium-ion battery (charge time: 1hr 35mins); Width of cut: 32cm
3. Worx Nitro WG737E: Best cordless mower for mid-sized lawns
Price when reviewed: £260 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… larger and more challenging lawns
- Not so great for… battery life or easy storage
Looking for the cutting power of a petrol mower but with the convenience of cordless? The Worx Nitro WG737E could be exactly what you’re after. With a 37cm blade and a 40W brushless motor, it’s ready to take on the toughest jobs, handling seriously long, damp and stringy grass without getting choked up beyond the occasional jam. I also found it just as effective on large, flat lawns, where it left a lovely crisp trim on its lower cutting heights.
It’s a relatively big mower at 42cm wide and up to 117cm long, and the 15.3Kg weight with batteries installed means you won’t want to spend much time lugging it around the garden. However, the construction is extremely robust and it’s surprisingly manoeuvrable. It’s great at sweeping clippings into its 40l grass box, and it also comes with a mulching plug thrown in. Battery life is very dependent on the conditions, with two 4A batteries lasting for up to 40 minutes on a light trim but around 25 minutes when it’s cutting longer, thicker grass. Otherwise, this is the best mid-range mower you can buy right now.
Read our full Worx Nitro WG737E review
Key specs – Size: 42 x 117 x 106.5cm (WDH); Weight: 15.3kg; Height of cut: 2-7cm; Grass box capacity: 40l; Power: 2x 20V 4A lithium-ion battery (charge time: 2hrs 5mins); Width of cut: 37cm
4. Stihl RMA 448V: Best cordless mower for big gardens
Price when reviewed: £599 | Check price at Stihl
- Great for… big gardens where the going can get tough
- Not so great for… lower budgets and smaller plots
Stihl’s mighty cordless mower makes short work of the biggest gardens, thanks to a 46cm cutting width and a self-drive motor that propels it forwards at speeds of up to 4.5km/hour. The adjustable single stalk handle and elegant controls make it surprisingly easy to control the speed and manoeuvre it around, even with its 27kg weight. Even the rough ground and uphill slopes of my back garden didn’t phase it. As long as you can squeeze the throttle, it just keeps chugging along.
What’s more, the cut is close to flawless. Flat lawns look like they’ve been manicured, while it will chop through patches of wild and longer grass without a pause. It’s not too noisy while it’s running, putting out between 73 and 79dB, and while the 24 minutes of battery life you can get from a single 5A AK30 battery isn’t amazing, the RMA 448V can house two simultaneously, giving double the running time. This is a big, heavy and expensive mower, but one that feels like it’s been designed for professional use. If you’ve got a massive garden, why not get the best mower for the job?
Key specs – Size: 52 x 150 x 108cm (WDH); Weight: 27kg; Height of cut: 2-10cm; Grass box capacity: 52l; Power: 36V 5A lithium-ion battery (charge time: 3hrs 20mins); Width of cut: 46cm
5. Black + Decker BCMW3318N-XJ: Best budget cordless mower
Price when reviewed: £164 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… easy mowing without much outlay
- Not so great for… tackling more demanding lawns
The BCMW3318N-XJ isn’t the best small garden mower that money can buy, but it’s hard to fault it when it comes to value. It’s a compact unit that won’t occupy too much space in the average shed or garage and its lightweight frame and chunky wheels make it easy to push around. Even when I had to carry it down my garden steps, I didn’t feel like I was getting an extra workout.
It’s a strong performer too, giving a nice, crisp cut on flat or undulating lawns, as long as you’re not prone to letting the grass grow too long. I found the blade and feed into the bag got clogged when dealing with thick and soggy grass.
Battery life is also pretty good, with two 2A batteries lasting for up to 25 minutes, though it might be worth investing in one of Black + Decker’s faster chargers if you want to avoid the 5 hour per battery wait with the basic charger. Other mowers are more adjustable, stow away more neatly or pack in more features and more cutting power, but the BCMW3318N-XJ is cheap and mostly very cheerful, especially if you can grab it on sale.
Read our full Black + Decker BCMW3318N-XJ review
Key specs – Size: 38.5 x 69.5 x 73cm (WDH); Weight: 15kg; Height of cut: 2.5-6.5cm; Grass box capacity: 35l; Power: 2x 18V 2.5A lithium-ion battery (charge time: 6hrs 15mins); Width of cut: 33cm
6. Husqvarna Aspire LC34-P4A: Best cordless mower for convenience
Price when reviewed: £279 | Check price at Husqvarna
- Great for… fuss-free mowing and easy storage
- Not so great for… larger lawns or longer, thicker grass
Even by the standards of other small garden mowers, the Aspire LC34-P4A is easy to adjust, easy to use and easy to store. It’s a solidly-built 18V cordless mower with a 34cm cutting width, yet it folds up into a suitcase-sized package you can store upright in a garage or even hang on your shed wall. Clever twist-locks make it easy to adjust the handles and you can switch between cutting heights just as quickly by moving the lever and pulling the chassis up or down. When you’re mowing, it’s light and easy to steer, which I found makes a big difference when mowing in a tight corner or close to a wall or border.
It’s a fantastic mower on small to medium-sized flat lawns and I didn’t have any issues cutting patches of tough or soggy grass. Only really long, thick clumps jammed the blades or the passage to the grass box. What’s more, you can save yourself the bother of emptying the grass collector by installing the bundled mulching plug. This distributes finely-chopped clippings, ready to rot down and feed the lawn. At 84 to 91dBA it’s fairly quiet for a cordless mower, and you can get up to 25 minutes of mowing from the 4A battery. All in all, the Aspire LC34-P4A makes for hassle-free mowing and will fit inside the smallest shed.
Read our full Husqvarna Aspire LC34-P4A review
Key specs – Size: 38 x 31 x 80cm (WDH); Weight: 11.8kg; Height of cut: 2.5-6.5cm; Grass box capacity: 30l; Power: 18V 4.0A lithium-ion battery (charge time: 1hr 35mins); Width of cut: 34cm
How to choose the best cordless mower for you
What size mower do I need for my garden?
The most crucial thing is to get the size right. If you’ve only got a small oblong of grass to cut, you can get away with the smallest mowers – and they’ll be easier to store and use. If you have large areas of lawn, however, then you’ll need a bigger mower to get the job done. The key thing is the cutting width, determined by the size of the mower deck and the size of the blade. Mowers with a cutting width of 32cm or less are really only good for smaller lawns. Most of the cutting width of 33-38cm should cover a lawn roughly the size of a tennis court, and often a bit larger. If you’ve got a bigger area than that to mow, then you’ll need a mower with a cutting width of 40cm or more. You might also want to think about a self-propelled lawn mower, which will move around under its own steam without you having to actively push it along.
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What about the mower’s battery life?
Of course, with a cordless mower battery life also comes into play. Some mowers come with only a single battery with a relatively low capacity, and you’re going to have to stop and recharge long before you finish cutting the grass – particularly if you have to tackle both the front and back lawns. That said, you can often buy higher-capacity batteries or a second battery to keep your mower in juice for longer.
Most cordless mowers fit into a specific manufacturer’s battery and charger system, which means you can share batteries and a charger between several garden and power tools. This is great if you want to save money by buying a “bare tool” product without a battery and charger, although only if you have them already. Packages with them included are usually cheaper than buying everything separately.
What else should I look out for?
All cordless lawn mowers offer a range of different cutting heights, meaning you can leave your grass a little longer or cut it really short. What’s more, when you do the first cut of the season you might need to do one cut at the maximum cutting height then take it down for a second run. As a rule of thumb, mowers with a higher maximum cutting height will be better at tackling longer or wetter grass.
You also want to think about what the lawn mower will do with your clippings. Almost all mowers come with some kind of collapsible collecting box or bag and, the bigger it is, the more grass you’ll be able to cut without stopping to empty the collector. However, some mowers offer the option of a mulcher, which breaks apart any clippings into tiny pieces that can fall on the ground where they decompose and feed your lawn. This also makes your lawn more drought-resistant – and you never need to worry about emptying any box or bag.
Perhaps the most important thing, though, is ergonomics. Things like how much you can adjust the handle and how comfortable the mower is to push matter a lot when you spend more than just a few minutes mowing. Even the location of any controls can make a huge difference, especially if you have to keep them pressed or squeezed while you’re busy cutting the grass. And don’t forget storage, either. If you’re stuck for space in your shed or garage, then having a mower that can fold up really small is a definite bonus.
