Best lawnmowers for 2025, tried and tested – UK Times

There might be a robot uprising in British gardens as robot mowers become more and more popular, but most mowing is still done with a traditional machine. Unlike a robot, a good old-fashioned lawnmower lets you get hands-on for a precise cut, and they’re also much less expensive.

There are simple mowers for neatening small lawns and huge petrol mowers for tackling multiple acres at once. There are handy cordless options and budget hover mowers if money is tight, and you also need to consider things like self-propulsion, grass height adjustment, and mulching plugs.

But if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it can be hard to find a good mower. The garden equipment industry is riddled with jargon and over-macho sales pitches about mowers that can do it all. If you aren’t careful, you can spend hundreds on a new mower that won’t work for your grass.

That’s why I’ve tested dozens of mowers on several different lawns. After reviewing these machines throughout the mowing season, I can confidently say that these are the best lawnmowers for all types of gardens.

How I tested

I’ve tested a range of lawnmowers on all shapes and sizes of lawn. After weeks of walking up and down in straight lines, these are the machines that made the cut. During testing, I had strict criteria:

• The cut: The most important test of all, I made sure these mowers gave a clean, level cut. I wanted grass of uniform length, with no tufts of long grass or patches where the mower had cut too closely. I looked for mowers that could cut right to the edge of a lawn. I want mowers with decent cutting widths that could clear a lawn as quickly as possible
• Manoeuvrability: Mowers can be heavy, so I want nimble machines that could navigate around awkward garden features like trees and paths. I also looked for self-propulsion to save you the effort of pushing your mower over the grass.
• Ergonomics: Hunching over a mower can be uncomfortable, and the handles can be tricky to hold as you mow. I wanted mowers that were comfortable to use and prevented back strain.
• Storage: Mowers are huge, so I wanted models that could fold up into a shed, greenhouse or garage.
• Extra features: Keen gardeners want a precise mow, so I looked for mowers with mulching plugs, rollers, and other bonus features which can take a lawn from basic to brilliant.

Why you can trust IndyBest reviews

Jon Axworthy has been a feature writer since 1996 and has been contributing reviews to IndyBest since 2017. He specialises in the outdoors and has tried and tested myriad products, from grass strimmers to cordless drills and much more, offering his honest opinions to help you find the best tools for the job at hand.

The best lawnmowers for 2025 are:

• Best overall – Worx WG743E.1 lawnmower: £249.99, Diy.com
• Best budget buy – Bosch rotak 34R lawnmower: £136, Amazon.co.uk
• Best with a roller – LawnMaster 48V cordless lawnmower, £269.99, Amazon.co.uk
• Best for a large lawn – Hyundai HYM 480 SPER, £504.99, Amazon.co.uk
• Best cordless – Kärcher LMO 18-36 lawnmower: £289, Amazon.co.uk