Twenty ZR EVO
Limited evidenceRead the findings →Ambrogio's compact wire-free mower, which finds the lawn edge by itself with nothing to install. It suits small lawns with clear borders such as walls, hedges or patios. A lawn that runs level into flower beds may need edging first.
Updated
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in Ambrogio’s range
- Ambrogio Twenty ZREarlier version without the EVO's added ultrasonic sensors
- Twenty ZR EVOThis model
- 4.0 BasicLarger hinged boundary-wire mower for up to 1,800m² · $2,801.30
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What we know
Slinky Studio tested the older Twenty ZR, which shares the 18cm cut, 1,000m² rating and edge-sensing approach, and found it coped well once the lawn edges suited it. The EVO adds ultrasonic sensors, according to a dealer write-up from Rasenautomatik. Everything else comes from Ambrogio's own page, the specifications. That's too little independent testing for us to give it an overall review label.
Slinky Studio, hands-on, Jun 2023 (tested on the Ambrogio Twenty ZR; Tested the older Twenty ZR, before the EVO update added ultrasonic sensors)
It finds the lawn edge itself
Radar sensors in the front bumper judge whether the surface ahead is grass, and the mower decides whether to cut it or turn away, per the specifications. Ambrogio lists the borders it recognises: solid walls, fences and raised edges over 15cm, hedges, flush patios or stone edging at least 25cm wide, hoops and arches, and drops deeper than 5cm. Soft borders into beds at lawn level aren't on that list, so walk round your garden and check its edges before buying.
What the EVO adds
According to Rasenautomatik, the 2024 EVO added ultrasonic sensors facing forward and down, meant to spot drops and holes and stop it falling, plus software updates to improve how it recognises grass. Ambrogio's own page, the specifications, says it uses radar and ultrasonic technology and lists radar and bump sensors for obstacles.
What the older Twenty ZR showed
Slinky Studio tested the original Twenty ZR, not the EVO. Its main lawn, with hedges, beds and flat stone edging, needed some preparation first, but a second lawn needed none. The mower handled a sloping, uneven lawn without leaving tyre marks and switched to a spiral to tackle thick 10cm grass. Open edges running onto another surface were cut well, but a few centimetres stayed uncut along walls. It also needed a short guide wire in front of the dock.
Light, simple and run from nearby
At 7.5kg with handles on top, it's easy to carry between lawns, per the specifications, and it can manage up to four separate areas. You control it by keypad or a Bluetooth app, so only from nearby, unless you add the optional ZCS Connect module for GPS and mobile data. Slinky Studio found the older Twenty ZR's app good for setting schedules and rain behaviour, but more a management tool than something to watch live.
What's not checked yet
Nobody has published a finished test of the EVO itself. Slinky Studio's results come from the older Twenty ZR, so these are still open: how the added ultrasonic sensors cope with real drops, holes, toys or pets, whether the software update improves grass recognition, and whether the EVO still leaves a strip along walls and needs a guide wire at the dock, as the older model did.
Our take
Should you buy the Twenty ZR EVO?
Best for: Small, flat lawns with clear borders. Skip it if: Your lawn has several awkward sections or unclear borders.
for a lawn clearly bordered by walls, hedges, patios or raised edging, if you want a light mower with nothing to install but ask a dealer to demonstrate it before buying. If your borders are soft, the eufy C15 and TerraMow V1000 are camera-guided mowers with finished tests behind them.
The Twenty ZR EVO is the 2024 update of Ambrogio's compact wire-free mower. Sensors in the front bumper tell grass from other surfaces as it goes, a compass keeps it on line, and Ambrogio says it also uses ultrasound. There's no wire, no aerial and no map to set up. It's light, and rated for lawns up to a thousand square metres.
Slinky Studio tested the older Twenty ZR, which shares the cut width and lawn rating but lacks the added ultrasonic sensors. The rest comes from Ambrogio. It only recognises certain borders: walls, fences and raised edges over 15cm, hedges, wide flush patios or edging, and clear drops. A lawn that runs level into flower beds may need edging first. The app is Bluetooth only, so you control it from nearby unless you buy the optional mobile module.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it need a boundary wire?
No. It senses the lawn's edge with radar and ultrasound, per the specifications, so there's no perimeter wire and no aerial. Your borders do need to be ones it recognises, though: walls, hedges, raised edges over 15cm or flush patios at least 25cm wide.
Will it cope with my slope?
Ambrogio allows slopes up to 45%, and says 35% is its normal working limit and 20% near the edge, per the specifications. Slinky Studio found the older Twenty ZR managed its sloping, uneven lawn without trouble, but nobody has tested the EVO on a slope yet.
Can it handle two lawns or a narrow passage?
It manages up to four areas, per the specifications, and at 7.5kg with carry handles it's easy to lift from one lawn to another. Slinky Studio found a second, simpler lawn on the older model needed no preparation at all.
How close does it cut to the edge?
Nobody has measured this on the EVO. Slinky Studio found the older Twenty ZR cut open edges that run onto paths or patios well, but left a few centimetres along walls and other solid borders. Expect to trim those by hand.
What happens when it rains?
It has a rain sensor and is rated IPx5, per the specifications. Slinky Studio found the older Twenty ZR's app let you set how sensitive it is to rain, sending the mower back to its dock when the weather turns.
How noisy is it for neighbours?
Ambrogio quotes 59dB(A), per the specifications, which is typical for a small robot mower and far quieter than a petrol one. We haven't found an independent noise measurement of the EVO yet.
Alternatives
Other robot lawn mowers to compare.
C15 Robot Lawn Mower
Why consider it: Camera-only for lawns up to 500m², with no wire or aerial, and three testers found it very easy to set up.
The compromise: It can't be mapped by hand and struggles on slopes and long grass.
V series (V600, V1000)
Why consider it: Camera-only mowers that map the lawn by themselves; four testers found the V1000 excellent at avoiding things.
The compromise: It leaves a strip at raised edges and prefers fairly level ground.
Landroid Vision AI
Why consider it: A camera-guided mower that needs no wire, aerial or map; testers found it the easiest robot to set up.
The compromise: It mows at random and edges vary by garden.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the Twenty ZR EVO?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Editorial reviews
- Slinky Studio: Ambrogio Twenty ZR robot lawnmower review ↗Hands-on · Tested on the Ambrogio Twenty ZR · Tested the older Twenty ZR, before the EVO update added ultrasonic sensors (not counted towards our two-review minimum)
Sources
Videos
- Ambrogio Robot: Ambrogio Robot | Twenty ZR EVO | The technology that revolutionizes gardening robotics. ↗
- Search YouTube for Ambrogio Twenty ZR EVO ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.