The best cordless lawn mowers
No cable to trip over and no petrol to store: five battery mowers sold with the battery and charger, compared on lawn size, cutting heights and what happens to the clippings.
Edwin Budding patented the first lawn mower in Stroud, Gloucestershire, in 1830. Today’s cordless ones start at the press of a button, and every mower here comes with its battery and charger, so there’s nothing else to buy. The figure to check first is the maker’s lawn size, what a charge is meant to cover: from 150m² for the Bosch to about 400m² for the Greenworks, which has two batteries to swap.
Then the clippings. All five collect them in a box or bag, and the Bosch, Greenworks and Swift can mulch instead, chopping them finely and leaving them on the lawn. The cutting heights matter more than they look: a high setting for the first cut of spring or a dry spell, a low one once the grass is growing strongly.
What matters
- Lawn size: the maker’s figure for a charge, or for both batteries where two come in the box.
- The battery, and whether it also fits the maker’s other garden tools.
- Grass box size, and a mulch plug for leaving the clippings on the lawn.
- Cutting heights: the range and how many settings.
#1 of 5
Best overall
Einhell GE-CM 18/33 Li Cordless Lawn Mower (1 x 4.0Ah kit)
£206.95 RRP
A 33cm brushless mower for lawns up to 200m², on an 18V battery that also fits every tool in Einhell’s Power X-Change range. Einhell has been based in Landau an der Isar, in Bavaria, since it was founded in 1964.
What owners say: It cuts well on smaller lawns, owners say, and steers with barely any effort.
A closer look: The long handle has two heights and folds down, and a carry handle on the body makes the 10.9kg mower easy to lift into a shed or a car boot. Empty the box when the indicator shows it’s full, and it keeps collecting cleanly to the end of the lawn.
- 33cm cut, lawns up to 200m²
- Brushless motor
- 18V 4.0Ah battery and fast charger
- 5 heights, 25–65mm, set centrally
- 30L grass box with fill indicator
Best for: Small to medium lawns
- Cutting width
- 33cm
- Lawn size (maker)
- Up to 200m²
- Battery in the box
- 18V 4.0Ah (1)
- Cutting heights
- 25–65mm, 5 settings
- Grass box
- 30L
- Mulching
- No
#2 of 5
Best for small lawns
Bosch ROTAK 18V-32 Cordless Lawn Mower (1 x 4.0Ah set)
£217.49 RRP
Bosch’s GrassCombs let it mow close to the edges of the lawn, and a mulch plug in the box turns the clippings into a fine layer on the grass on days when emptying the 35L box feels like a chore.
What owners say: Owners say it mows well and is simple to get on with.
Heads up: Bosch’s manual says to check the lawn for pets and wildlife first and to take the battery out before clearing a blockage: the blade keeps turning for a moment after the mower is switched off.
A closer look: Bosch rates it for lawns up to 150m², the smallest figure here, so it suits a compact lawn best. The 18V battery is part of the POWER FOR ALL alliance, so it also fits the other tools in that system, Bosch’s own and other brands’, and the handles fold for a smaller footprint in the shed.
- Brushless motor
- GrassCombs for close-to-the-edge mowing
- 35L grass box, plus a mulch plug
- 5 heights, 25–65mm
- 18V 4.0Ah POWER FOR ALL battery and charger
Best for: Small lawns and neat edges
- Cutting width
- 32cm
- Lawn size (maker)
- Up to 150m²
- Battery in the box
- 18V 4.0Ah (1)
- Cutting heights
- 25–65mm, 5 settings
- Grass box
- 35L
- Mulching
- Mulch plug
#3 of 5
Best for stripes
WORX WG779E.2 40V Cordless Lawn Mower (2 x 20V 2.0Ah kit)
£199.99 RRP
Two 20V PowerShare batteries work together to make 40V, and they also fit WORX’s other 20V PowerShare tools. A striping roller comes in the box, and the cut-to-edge deck gets close to fences and borders.
What owners say: Owners like the clean finish it leaves, and say assembly takes minutes and it pushes easily.
Heads up: It runs on both batteries at once, so charge the pair together on the dual charger before each mow.
A closer look: Six heights sit on one lever, from 20mm for a close summer cut to 70mm for the first mow of spring or a dry spell. The handle folds down for storage, and at 11.1kg it’s easy to lift over a step.
- 40V from two 20V 2.0Ah batteries
- Dual charger
- 6 heights, 20–70mm, one lever
- 30L grass bag
- Roller for stripes included
Best for: A striped finish
- Cutting width
- 34cm
- Lawn size (maker)
- Up to 230m²
- Battery in the box
- 2 x 20V 2.0Ah (40V)
- Cutting heights
- 20–70mm, 6 settings
- Grass box
- 30L
- Mulching
- No
#4 of 5
Best for bigger lawns
Greenworks G40LM35K2X 40V Cordless Lawn Mower (2 x 2Ah kit)
£249.99 RRP
The widest deck and the biggest bag here: 35cm and 40L, with two 40V batteries that Greenworks rates at about 200m² each. Swap in the second one halfway and a 400m² lawn is done without stopping to charge.
What owners say: Owners like having two batteries to swap and say it goes together easily.
A closer look: At 15kg it’s the heaviest mower on the list, though the 18cm back wheels help on bumpy ground. The batteries fit every Greenworks 40V tool, so a trimmer or blower from the same range can share them.
- 35cm deck
- Two 40V 2Ah batteries and a charger
- 40L bag or mulching
- 5 heights, 25–70mm, one lever
- 18cm rear wheels
Best for: Lawns up to 400m²
- Cutting width
- 35cm
- Lawn size (maker)
- Up to 400m² (2 batteries)
- Battery in the box
- 40V 2.0Ah (2)
- Cutting heights
- 25–70mm, 5 settings
- Grass box
- 40L
- Mulching
- Yes
#5 of 5
Swift EB132CP2 40V Cordless Lawn Mower (1 x 2.0Ah kit)
£199.99 RRP
A brushless 32cm mower with a mulch plug and a 30L box. Its removable safety key stops it being started by accident, and pulling the key out switches the mower off straight away.
What owners say: Owners say it steers easily around small gardens and gets through longer grass without much fuss.
A closer look: Swift gives about 20 minutes’ mowing from a charge and about four and a half hours to charge again, so top the battery up after each mow rather than just before the next. The lowest setting, 20mm, gives a close cut once the grass is growing strongly.
- Brushless motor
- 40V 2.0Ah battery and charger
- 5 heights, 20–60mm
- 30L box or mulch plug
- Removable safety key
Best for: A key-locked start
- Cutting width
- 32cm
- Lawn size (maker)
- Up to 200m²
- Battery in the box
- 40V 2.0Ah (1)
- Cutting heights
- 20–60mm, 5 settings
- Grass box
- 30L
- Mulching
- Mulch plug
How they compare
| Feature | #1Einhell GE-CM 18/33 Li | #2Bosch ROTAK 18V-32 | #3WORX WG779E.2 | #4Greenworks G40LM35K2X | #5Swift EB132CP2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best for small lawns | Best for stripes | Best for bigger lawns | ||
| Picked Rating | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 8.2 |
| Price | £206.95 RRP | £217.49 RRP | £199.99 RRP | £249.99 RRP | £199.99 RRP |
| Cutting width | 33cm | 32cm | 34cm | 35cm | 32cm |
| Lawn size (maker) | Up to 200m² | Up to 150m² | Up to 230m² | Up to 400m² (2 batteries) | Up to 200m² |
| Battery in the box | 18V 4.0Ah (1) | 18V 4.0Ah (1) | 2 x 20V 2.0Ah (40V) | 40V 2.0Ah (2) | 40V 2.0Ah (1) |
| Cutting heights | 25–65mm, 5 settings | 25–65mm, 5 settings | 20–70mm, 6 settings | 25–70mm, 5 settings | 20–60mm, 5 settings |
| Grass box | 30L | 35L | 30L | 40L | 30L |
| Mulching | No | Mulch plug | No | Yes | Mulch plug |
| Best for | Small to medium lawns | Small lawns and neat edges | A striped finish | Lawns up to 400m² | A key-locked start |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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