Mowing is all about lawn health and preservation, but the emissions of gas lawn mowers are putting unnecessary strain on our environment, making an electrical mower the responsible choice; however, the addition of a cord is problematic.
Not only does this electrical lifeline prevent us from wandering too far from our home, which is a huge problem for those with large or long yards, it’s also quite dangerous. Lose focus for a second, and you could churn the cable up with the mower blades, or worse, trip on it, potentially leading to some nasty injuries.
Thankfully, cordless electric mowers are a thing, and after weeks of research, I’ve compiled a shortlist of the best you can buy, and today, I’m sharing it with you!
Best Cordless Lawn Mower: Reviews
OUR TOP PICK
Greenworks 40 V 16” Cordless Lawn Mower
EDITORS CHOICE
Sun Joe MJ401C 14” 28 V Cordless Lawn Mower
BEST VALUE
EGO Power 56 V Cordless Lawn Mower
OUR TOP PICK
Greenworks 40 V 16” Cordless Lawn Mower
Best Overall
This Greenworks creation hits my top spot because it occupies a very broad section of the market, and thus, will keep the most people happy.
It’s not too expensive, yet with a 40 V battery and a brushless motor, the performance really is quite fantastic.
It’s quiet; it’s surprisingly tough on long, matted grass; and during my tests, it ran for a solid 45 minutes straight.
While that might not be quite a long enough runtime for a huge yard, you can always invest in a secondary battery to boost runtime to a very impressive 90 minutes.
In terms of swath, you’re looking at 16”, making this a good mower for tackling challenging yards with awkward boundaries and obstacles such as central trees, flower beds, and planters.
With 5 stages of height adjustment, it’s suited for any kind of grass, no matter the season, and it arrives with a mulching function and a sturdy collection bag, so you can deal with waste however you like.
Pros
- 16” cut — Great for articulate mowing
- 4 Ah battery — 45 minutes of quality runtime
- Brushless — Quiet and long-lasting
- Height adjustment — Tailor the cut to suit seasons and grass species
Cons
- 37 lbs — Not the lightest for a push mower
- Swath — 16” isn’t enough for big jobs
Also available from…
EDITORS CHOICE
Sun Joe MJ401C 14” 28 V Cordless Lawn Mower
Best Budget Pick
Next up, we have a really fantastic budget option for those that need to keep that lawn in check without breaking the bank.
However, the lower price tag of the Sun Joe MJ401C does not indicate a lower performance, just a slightly different application.
Take the 14” swath, for instance. Although this limits its ground coverage, it makes it a highly articulate mower capable of weaving around tricky obstacles with gusto!
Combine that maneuverability with a 28 V 4 Ah Li-Ion battery that, during my tests, ran for a solid quarter acre, and you have a powerful yard maintenance tool indeed.
Of course, it’s a push motor, so you have to be willing to put in some elbow grease when you break this diminutive beast out, but thanks to a feathery 23.1 lbs construction, not too much elbow grease.
It has a 3-position adjustable height deck, meaning it has what it takes to manicure your grass rather than butcher it, and although you may have to empty the 10.6-gallon collection bag a couple of times, it’s made well and makes disposal a total breeze.
Pros
- 14” swath — Nimble enough to tackle awkward obstacles
- 3-height deck — Optimizes lawn health
- 4 Ah battery — ¼ acre runtime
- 23.1 lbs — Easy to manage
- Price — Great value for money
Cons
- Waste management — Collection only
Also available from…
BEST VALUE
EGO Power + LM2101 56 V 21” Cordless Lawn Mower
Premium Push Pick
For a larger yard and tougher grass, the LM2101 from EGO Power+ is the way to go! Arriving with a whopping 21” cutting path, this beast was built from the ground up to get things done in record time!
It also has 6 levels of height adjustability, so whatever the time of year and whatever the lawn type, you can always trim it for maximum visual impact and optimal health.
Something I really appreciated during my testing was the 3 waste management options: mulching (for adding some nutrients to the yard), side discharge (for raking), and bagging (for a pristine finish).
The 5 Ah battery is pretty dang impressive too. I clocked it from full charge to empty in 45 minutes. Now, considering the beefy swath, you can cover some serious ground in that time!
At 55.3 lbs, it’s a little on the heavy side for a push mower, so it’s perhaps not suited to yards with steep inclines or awkward obstacles, but for flat, wide open spaces, there’s nothing better!
Pros
- 6-level height adjustment — Get the look you want while keeping your grass healthy
- 5 Ah battery — Long-lasting and powerful
- Waste management — Plenty of choice on how you deal with grass cuttings
- Foldable — Folds down for easy storage and transportation
Cons
- 55.3 lbs — Heavy for a push mower
- Price — It ain’t cheap
Also available from…
RUNNER UP
EGO Power+ LM2142SP 56 V 21” Cordless Self-Propelled Lawn Mower
Best Self-Propelled
If you liked the look of the spec on the LM2101 push mower, but you need something with a bit of power assistance, then allow me to introduce you to the LM2142SP, a mower with the same performance, with the added benefit of self-propelled functionality.
Well, I say “same performance”, but this thing is actually quite a bit more impressive.
Not only will it push for you, taking the strain off what can be a tiresome chore, the dual 5 Ah battery system can run for 80 minutes straight.
That alongside the 21” deck width means you’ll be able to take on mammoth lawn mowing tasks and complete them in record time in a single sitting — not bad!
What’s more, the power assistance has variable speed control, so you can mow at your leisure.
It also has bright LED lights for mowing on gloomy days, a super quiet brushless motor (that your neighbors will love), and 3-in-1 waste management, so you can deal with your cuttings whichever way suits you best.
Pros
- Self-propelled — Pushes for you (great for inclines)
- 21” swath — Wide cut gets the job done in fewer passes
- Dual 5 Ah batteries — 80 minutes runtime!
- LED headlights — Efficient in poor light conditions
- Waste management — Deal with cuttings however you choose
Cons
- 71.43 lbs — Can be hard to wrestle in and out of storage
- Price — A worthy price tag, but it is large
Also available from…
RUNNER UP
WORX WR140 Landroid M 20V Power Share Robotic Lawn Mower
Best Robot Mower
Hate lawn maintenance? No problem! This little grass gobbling robot from the folks over at Worx will take care of mowing for you — you won’t have to lift a finger.
This little guy can mow a ¼ acre lawn in one sitting entirely on its own, and as it’s so small, it’s highly capable of working through narrow passages and skirting obstacles and borders.
You can even monitor progress or give commands via a companion app, so not only won’t you have to lift a finger, you won’t have to lift a toe either!
After a few mowing sessions, it will offer an automatic schedule based on collated yard information.
I was skeptical about robot mowers in general, but during my tests, the WR140 exceeded all my expectations. I was worried about rain… it senses rainfall and automatically returns to its charger for safety.
I was worried about inclines… it can handle 20° gradients without breaking a sweat. I was worried about it mowing things I didn’t want it to… you can program zone exclusions.
This is a great little robot mower, and thanks to the offset blade and minimal enclosure, it can get closer to boundaries than manual mowers, meaning fewer finishing touches with the weed eater are required after the fact.
Pros
- Robotic — Kick back and relax
- Rain sensor — Flees to safety during rainfall
- 7” offset blade — cuts down on string trimmer use
- ¼ acre runtime — decent for a small unit
- Companion app — You don’t need to move to monitor this thing
Cons
- Price — As with robot vacuums, these are expensive
Also available from…
Buyer’s Guide
Need a little more guidance to find the perfect cordless lawn mower for you? Not a problem. Check out all the key considerations below.
How Do You Charge A Cordless Lawn Mower?
Most cordless mower batteries can be charged both separately, or when they’re still loaded in the mower.
So, if you have an outlet in your shed or garage where the mower’s kept, you can plug right in and walk away. Otherwise, you’ll want to remove the battery and bring it into the house for a charging session.
With most cordless mowers, you’ll also receive a charging station. To charge your mower battery, secure it on the station port, then plug the station into a standard wall outlet.
Wait for it to pull a decent charge, and then you’re good to go!
Are Cordless Lawn Mowers Considered Green Energy Devices?
Cordless lawn mowers don’t just do away with that pesky cord, they do away with fossil fuels altogether, meaning your lawn maintenance will no longer contribute towards the emission of greenhouse gasses, and your carbon footprint will go down a size — hooray!
There are some who say that, as fossil fuels are still used to generate grid power, it’s not entirely correct to call electrical items such as cordless lawn mowers “green”.
However, as we move forward, the scales are gradually tipping in favor of renewable energy sources for grid power. So, while electronics aren’t completely green yet, they get more so day by day.
Are Cordless Lawn Mowers Energy Efficient?
Cordless lawn mowers are very energy efficient, even more so than their corded counterparts, so if you’re looking to reduce your energy dependence and save some pennies on the old energy bill, you’re in the right place.
Lawn Mower Type
One of the first things you should consider when shopping around for cordless lawn mowers (or any lawn mower for that matter) is the type.
There are three to choose from:
- Push Lawn Mowers
Push mowers are exactly what they sound like. They’re just normal mowers that you push entirely on your own with no mechanical assistance.
To make things easier on you (the pusher), they tend to be quite lightweight, meaning they’re often not as powerful as other types.
- Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers
While it sounds like a self-propelled lawn mower would handle business on its own as you look on from the patio, sipping cocktails, sadly, this isn’t the case.
By self-propelled, it’s meant that they have a second motor that helps out with the pushing, making heavier, more powerful mowers easier to maneuver and push uphill. As you might expect, they tend to cost a fair bit more.
- Robotic Lawn Mowers
Okay, so with a robotic lawn mower, you can actually hit the patio with a cocktail and let the mower take care of itself.
These awesome little devices are essentially the Roomba’s of the great outdoors, but instead of hoover, they trim your lawn.
All you’ll have to do is clear out any major debris or obstructions, and then the robot will do the rest.
Motor
You’ve got two options when it comes to your cordless mower motor: brushed or brushless.
In terms of running volume, power, runtime, and longevity, brushless are always better than brushed motors, and they’re not even that much more expensive these days.
Unless your yard is particularly small, I’d always recommend choosing brushless.
Battery Power
It’s the voltage of the battery you should be looking at when assessing the power of a cordless lawn mower.
The higher the voltage, the more oomph the mower will have, and the tougher the vegetation it will be able to trim.
20 V is considered the lower end of the spectrum and is capable of tackling small yards with fine grass.
For medium-sized yards or tougher vegetation, you should be looking at something between 40 and 80 volts, perhaps with multiple batteries.
For the really big, tough jobs, there are a few jacked, 120 V cordless models out there that can outperform gas models, but they’re extremely expensive and quite hard to come by.
Charge Strength
When it comes to the runtime of your cordless mower, it’s the amp hours (Ah) of the battery you should be keeping an eye on.
This isn’t always the case, but generally speaking, the beefier the amp hours, the longer your mower will run on a single charge.
A lot of the top cordless models will run anywhere between thirty minutes and an hour, but there are some out there capable of running as long as an hour and a half.
If you’ve got a large area to maintain, it pays to fork out for a mower with an extensive charge strength, but it’s not the end of the world if you fall in love with one that doesn’t, as you can simply invest in a couple of spare batteries. When the first runs out, switch it out, and keep on mowin’!
Charge Duration
For most models of cordless lawn mower, you’re looking at something to the tune of 1 to 4 hours for a full charge, depending on the size of the battery, the quality of the battery, and the depth of discharge.
Charge time is something you’re going to have to balance with battery size, as large batteries typically take longer to recharge.
Cutting Height
Each grass species is unique, and thus, needs to be cut to differing lengths throughout the seasons.
The way to keep your lawn happy and healthy year round, no matter the species, is to choose a mower with an adjustable cutting height.
Cutting Swath
Swath is all about speed. It essentially describes the circumference of the blades in motion.
The wider the swath, the fewer passes you’ll have to make to finish off your lawn; however, with a wide swath comes a larger deck and housing, meaning your mower won’t be quite as nimble or manageable.
This is why, for smaller lawns, it makes sense to choose a more modest swath, while owners of large lawns will benefit from a wider swath of around 25”.
Waste Management
How do you want to deal with the grass waste of a mowing session? Do you want to use it as mulch? Do you want it loose for raking? Or would you prefer that your mower collect it all in a refuse sack, leaving a pristine yard in its wake?
Some mowers are capable of all three, while others may only be capable of one, so choose wisely.
Comfort & Ease Of Use
Your hands and arms are doing the heavy lifting when you mow, especially if you settle on a simple push mower, so make sure the handle is nice and comfortable and ergonomically designed.
If you’re going for a self-propelled system, ensure that the priming mechanism is easy to use, as you don’t want to lose control of your mower in a moment of panic.
Weight
Unfortunately, with power comes weight, so you’ll have to find a balance between the two. If you do need more power, consider choosing a self-propelled model to make things easier on yourself.
Best Corded Lawn Mower: Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s bring things to a close with a quick cordless lawn mower FAQ session!
Do Cordless Lawn Mowers Really Work?
Yep, they really, really do! Granted, the majority of them aren’t quite as powerful as the average gas mower, but that is quickly changing. Plus, they’re better for the environment and way cheaper to run!
Unless you’re trying to tame a full blown jungle of a garden, there’ll be a cordless mower out there powerful enough to get the job done.
How Long Will The Battery Of A Cordless Lawn Mower Last?
The average battery in a cordless lawn mower will last around 5 years, but the quality of maintenance could lead to either a shorter or longer cycle life.
Why Are Brushless Motors Better?
The main reason brushless motors are so much better than their brushed counterparts is that they operate with far less friction. This leads to a better torque-to-weight ratio, quieter operation, and longer-lasting components.
Final Thoughts
We’ve seen some truly awesome cordless lawn mowers here today. I tried my very best to make sure there was something on the list for everyone, no matter the circumstances.
All you have to do is use the included buyer’s guide to whittle down your options and choose the best model for you!
