Choose by how the mower knows where your lawn ends. Wire-free systems using satellite positioning are far easier to live with but need a clear view of the sky; gardens with heavy tree cover or narrow passages often still do better with a guide wire or a vision-based system. Check slope and lawn area against the published figures before anything else.
Boundary technology is the whole decision
Everything else is secondary. Older mowers need a perimeter wire pegged around the lawn: reliable and cheap, but a day's work to install and a nuisance to change. Newer mowers use RTK satellite positioning, which needs an antenna with a clear sky view and struggles under dense trees. The newest use cameras, sometimes alongside RTK, which copes better with tree cover. Kress markets its EyePilot range on exactly this point, and Mammotion's LUBA 3 AWD combines LiDAR, network RTK and vision.
- Perimeter wire: most predictable, worst to install or alter
- RTK only: excellent in open gardens, unreliable under heavy canopy
- Vision, or vision plus RTK: best for tree cover and complex shapes
- Check whether the antenna needs its own clear-sky mounting position
Match slope and area to published figures, with a margin
Manufacturers publish a maximum lawn area and a maximum slope, and both are optimistic in awkward gardens. Husqvarna quotes 30% slope inside the working area for the Automower 405VE NERA but only 20% at the boundary, and the boundary figure is the binding one because that is where mowers slip. Area figures can also be mode-dependent: the 410VE NERA is rated at 1,500m² in systematic striped patterns but 1,000m² in irregular mode. Buy with headroom rather than to the exact number.
Garden shape matters more than garden size
A single open rectangle is easy for any mower. Multiple zones connected by narrow paths, island beds, trampolines and steep banks are what separate models. All-wheel-drive machines like the LUBA 3 AWD exist for genuinely steep or uneven ground and cost accordingly. If your lawn is split into sections, check how many zones the mower can store and whether it can drive between them unaided, because a mower you have to carry is not an automatic mower.
Support and parts outlast the specification
Robot mowers live outdoors, hit things, and are expected to last years. Husqvarna sells through a dealer network rather than general retail, which costs more up front but means someone local services it. Direct-to-consumer brands are cheaper and often more capable on paper, but you are the service department. For a machine at this price, ask where it gets repaired in year three before comparing cutting widths.
What prices actually look like right now
Checked on 16 September 2026: eufy's C15 is £999 with the E15 at £1,499 and E18 at £1,799, though both larger eufy models were out of stock at the manufacturer when we looked. Kress runs £899 for the EyePilot KR250E and £1,149 for the ZeroTrim KR260E, both available through specialist dealers. Mammotion's LUBA 3 AWD spans roughly £2,099 to £2,899 depending on the coverage variant. Husqvarna sits at the top: £2,349 for the Automower 405VE NERA and £2,849 for the 410VE NERA. Watch out for near-identical model numbers — Kress's KR250ES is a different, more expensive machine than the KR250E.
Expert reviews are scarce here, so read carefully
Robot mowers get far less independent testing than vacuums, and what exists often covers a neighbouring model. We could not find a review of the Husqvarna 405VE or 410VE NERA from any major outlet, and reviews that appear in search results for them are usually of the 405XE, 305E or 430V instead — different machines with different sensors. Before trusting a review, check that the model number matches exactly, character for character.
Questions people ask
Do I still need a perimeter wire?
Not usually. Most current mid-range and premium mowers are wire-free. A wire is still the more predictable choice for gardens with heavy tree cover where satellite positioning struggles, and it remains cheaper.
Will it work on my slope?
Compare your steepest section against the manufacturer's boundary slope figure, not its in-field figure, because those differ. Husqvarna, for example, publishes 30% within the lawn but 20% at the edge for the 405VE NERA.
How large a lawn can these handle?
Entry models cover a few hundred square metres; premium machines are rated into the thousands. Treat published areas as best case, and note that some figures apply only in a specific mowing pattern.
Are they noisy enough to annoy neighbours?
Most run in the high 50s of decibels, which is quieter than a petrol mower but audible. Manufacturers' own figures are not always consistent — eufy publishes both 56dB and 58dB for the C15 on different pages.
Can it cope with a garden in separate sections?
Only if it can store multiple zones and drive between them. Check the passage width it needs. If the connecting path is narrower than that, you are carrying the mower, which defeats the point.