UltraLife 1200
Limited evidenceRead the findings →Flymo's boundary-wire mower for larger lawns, with a second small blade meant to cut close to the edges. You still have to lay a wire, and control from away needs a GARDENA smart gateway.
Updated
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in Flymo’s range
- Flymo UltraLife 800Smaller UltraLife for lawns up to 800m²
- UltraLife 1200This model
- smart SILENO free 1200Sister-brand mower of the same size, but wire-free
- Flymo UltraLife 1500Biggest UltraLife, same twin-disc design
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What we know
Flymo's Flymo product page and spec sheet describe a mower with two blade discs, the smaller one meant to cut within 1cm of solid edges, plus Bluetooth app control and 200m of boundary wire in the box. Reviews of the older Flymo 1200R don't count, because it's a different mower. The UltraLife's listing on Amazon UK had just one customer rating when we checked, which tells you nothing.
Two blades for the edges
Flymo says the larger disc handles the open lawn and a smaller rear disc switches on near the edge, per Flymo, and claims a cut to within 1cm, even at solid edges. That would be unusual for a boundary-wire mower, which normally leaves a strip you have to trim. Keep your strimmer for now.
Still a wire to lay
The 1200 comes with 200m of boundary wire and 250 pegs, per the specifications. Flymo says its PassageSense feature mows passages as narrow as 60cm, and you can put the charging station where it suits you, corners included, per Flymo. Laying the wire is still a job in itself, so set aside an afternoon and plan the layout before you start.
Bluetooth unless you add a hub
Out of the box, you control it from the Flymo app over Bluetooth, within about 10m, per Flymo. To check on it or start it while you're away, you need a GARDENA smart gateway, which also unlocks GARDENA's LONA mapping. Check whether a bundle includes the gateway before you buy, because Bluetooth alone won't let you control it when you're out.
Quiet, weatherproof and self-adjusting, says Flymo
Flymo rates it at 58dB and IPX5, so it can be hosed down, per the specifications. It's meant to sense bad weather and grass growth and skip mowing when it isn't needed, per Flymo. It has a PIN code and lift sensor but no alarm. Flymo quotes about 50 minutes of mowing per charge and 40 minutes to recharge.
Still to be proven
For now, Flymo's own Flymo page and the specifications sheet are all there is to go on. Nobody has checked how close it really cuts to the edge, how it handles slopes and bumps (Flymo doesn't publish a slope rating), how reliable it is over a season, or whether the weather and grass-growth sensing works the way Flymo describes.
Our take
Should you buy the UltraLife 1200?
Best for: Large lawns whose owners want dealer installation and support. Skip it if: You want a mower with independent tests of this exact version.
It's a reasonable gamble if your lawn is large, fairly flat and you like the idea of close-cut edges from a familiar brand. But with no independent test yet, a tested wired mower is the safer buy: GARDENA's smart SILENO life gave two testers a neat cut in a broken-up garden. If you'd rather not lay a wire, look at a wire-free mower such as the Husqvarna Automower 305E NERA.
The UltraLife is Flymo's newer robot mower range, above the smaller EasiLife models, and the 1200 is the middle size, between the 800 and the 1500. It works inside a wire you peg round the lawn, and 200m of it comes in the box. Flymo's big claim is a pair of blade discs: a larger one for the open lawn and a smaller rear one that switches on near the edge, which Flymo says cuts to within 1cm of solid edges.
What you get is a large-lawn mower from a familiar British brand, controlled from the Flymo app over Bluetooth within about 10m, or from anywhere if you add a GARDENA smart gateway. What you give up is ease. Flymo doesn't publish a slope rating, there's no alarm, only a PIN code and lift sensor, and you still have to lay the wire.
Flymo and GARDENA are both part of the Husqvarna group, and the UltraLife works with GARDENA's app and smart system.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it need a boundary wire?
Yes. It works inside a wire pegged round the lawn, and the box includes 200m of wire and 250 pegs, per the specifications. If you'd rather avoid that, GARDENA's smart SILENO free 1200 is a wire-free mower of the same size from a sister brand.
Will it cope with my slope?
Flymo doesn't say. Its product page, Flymo, gives no slope rating for the 1200, and nobody has tested it. If your lawn has a real bank, ask the seller for the figure in writing, or choose a mower with a published and tested rating.
Can it handle two lawns or a narrow passage?
Flymo says its PassageSense feature handles passages down to 60cm wide, per Flymo. That's the maker's claim, and nobody has tested how it copes with a narrow side return or a second lawn yet.
How close does it cut to the edge?
Flymo claims to within 1cm, even at solid edges, thanks to a second small disc that switches on near the border, per Flymo. It's the UltraLife's headline feature, but nobody has measured it independently yet.
How noisy is it for neighbours?
Flymo rates it at 58dB, per the specifications, which is in line with other quiet robot mowers such as GARDENA's. Nobody has measured it independently, so treat it as the maker's figure.
Alternatives
Other robot lawn mowers to compare.
smart SILENO life 1000
Why consider it: A wired mower for a similar lawn size, and two testers found it gave a neat cut in a garden broken up by trees and paths.
The compromise: Its small wheels struggled with holes and bumps, and it left some grass by beds and fences.
smart SILENO free 1200
Why consider it: A sister-brand mower of the same size and cut that needs no boundary wire or aerial.
The compromise: Nobody has tested this size properly, and one owner returned it after it kept losing its position.
Automower 305E NERA
Why consider it: No boundary wire, and one tester praised a superb striped finish, edges included.
The compromise: It's meant for smaller lawns, up to 900m², and it needs open sky and Wi-Fi across the lawn.
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 UltraLife 1200?
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
Sources
Videos
- Search YouTube for Flymo UltraLife 1200 ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.