LUBA mini AWD (800, 1500)
A compact all-wheel-drive mower for sloping, lumpy lawns up to 1,500m². Both reviewers found it climbs where two-wheel-drive robots give up, but it cuts a narrow strip and has been replaced by the LUBA mini 2.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
The short version
The LUBA mini AWD is the smaller sibling of Mammotion's big LUBA 2 AWD, shrunk for gardens of 800m² or 1,500m². All four wheels are driven, and the front ones can roll sideways, so it turns on the spot and grips on slopes Mammotion rates at up to 80%. It finds its way by satellite, using a small aerial you put up in the garden, with cameras to spot obstacles and help map the edges. A laser-guided version came later.
It's now been replaced by the LUBA mini 2 AWD, and Mammotion's own stores had sold out of it by September 2026. What you get is serious grip in a small body. What you give up is speed: the cut is only 20cm wide, so bigger lawns take more passes. The aerial also needs a clear view of the sky.
Our take: Buy it if you can find one at a good price and your small or medium lawn has steep bits, bumps or soft ground. Both reviewers rated it very highly, and one saw it handle a steep, awkward garden. On a flat, simple lawn a cheaper two-wheel-drive mower will do. If you'd like less edge trimming, the newer Mammotion LUBA mini 2 AWD 1000 adds a side edge disc.
Where it sits in Mammotion’s range
- LUBA mini AWD (800, 1500)This model
- YUKA mini (500, 600, 700, 800)Two-wheel-drive counterpart for flatter lawns
- Mammotion LUBA mini AWD LiDARAdds a laser scanner, rated for 1,500m²
- LUBA mini 2 AWD 1000Adds a side edge disc and network positioning without an aerial · £1,249
- LUBA 2 AWDBigger all-wheel-drive model with a 40cm cut
What reviewers found
Two hands-on tests. Trusted Reviews ran the 800 in a Devon cottage garden with steep slopes, a stream and a trampoline, and EasyLawnMowing tested the 1500 on its back and front lawns. Both loved the grip and the obstacle spotting, and both got a neat, straight-line cut. They disagree on automatic mapping: EasyLawnMowing found it more precise than doing it by hand, while Trusted Reviews found it slow and overly cautious. Neither measured how close it cuts to the edge.
Trusted Reviews, hands-on, Jan 2026 · EasyLawnMowing, hands-on
Grips where other robots give up
This is the reason to buy it. Trusted Reviews took it to a garden with several steep slopes that had beaten two-wheel-drive robots, and the chunky tyres coped without spikes that churn soft lawns. It did get stuck for a while in a bark-filled trampoline pit, but freed itself. EasyLawnMowing had no trouble on flat and gently sloping ground. Nobody tested the full 80% slope rating.
Easy setup, if the aerial sees sky
Trusted Reviews found setup surprisingly easy: clip the dock together, screw the camera on, connect the app. The fiddly part is the satellite aerial, which needs clear sky above it, so overhanging trees make it harder to place. EasyLawnMowing had it running in under an hour, map included. Mapping splits them: EasyLawnMowing found automatic mapping more precise than steering by hand, but Trusted Reviews found it slow and overly cautious and drove the edges itself.
Steers round clutter
Both testers were impressed. Trusted Reviews saw it spot garden furniture and children's toys from a short distance and go round them without stopping. EasyLawnMowing put a child's toy and a small tube in its path, and it avoided both well before reaching them, on the standard rather than the most sensitive setting. That's a good record, though it's still wise to clear small objects before a run.
Neat cut, lots of control
EasyLawnMowing set it low, at 25mm, and got perfectly straight stripes, with longer patches cut without bogging down. Trusted Reviews liked the control: cutting height is set in the app, each zone can have its own height and pattern, and a three-point-turn option avoids scuffing grass at the ends of rows. The catch, per Trusted Reviews, is the 20cm cut, which means more passes on bigger lawns.
Several lawns and narrow paths
It links separate areas with paths it follows between them. Trusted Reviews set up four zones joined by pathways, with no-go areas to protect delicate plants. EasyLawnMowing watched it drive from the back lawn down a narrow path beside the house to the front lawn without help. EasyLawnMowing also ran it at night using its headlight, and it worked fine in complete darkness.
Trusted Reviews tested the LUBA mini AWD 800; EasyLawnMowing tested the 1500. Both used the version with a satellite aerial. The later LiDAR version hasn't been covered by these reviews.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Will it cope with my slope?
It's rated for 80% (38.6°), per the specifications, and it's the main reason to choose it. Trusted Reviews found it handled steep slopes that defeated two-wheel-drive robots. Nobody has tested the full rating, so treat the figure as a ceiling.
Does it need a clear view of the sky?
Yes, for its satellite aerial. Trusted Reviews says the reference station needs clear skies and that overhanging trees make it tricky to place. You can mount it on a pole or a wall. Cameras help with obstacles, but plan the aerial's spot first.
Can it handle two lawns or a narrow passage?
Yes. EasyLawnMowing watched it drive down a narrow path beside the house from the back lawn to the front. Trusted Reviews linked four zones with pathways. The 800 stores fewer zones than the 1500, per EasyLawnMowing.
How close does it cut to the edge?
Mammotion says it trims edges automatically, per the specifications, but neither review measured the uncut strip. EasyLawnMowing ran it with perimeter mowing switched on. With a 20cm disc under the body, expect some strimming along walls and raised beds.
Is there a subscription for 4G or anti-theft?
4G is built in but needs a subscription, according to Trusted Reviews, and EasyLawnMowing got a free first month. With good garden Wi-Fi you can skip it. For tracking, Mammotion suggests fitting an Apple AirTag, per the specifications.
Compare with
LUBA mini 2 AWD 1000
Its replacement: the same all-wheel-drive idea, with a side edge disc that leaves far less trimming.
Raised borders still need a strimmer, and early software limited how far apart your lawns can be.
i2 AWD
Another all-wheel-drive mower for bumpy, sloping lawns, usually with no aerial to fit.
You'll still trim the edges, and tight strips beside walls can confuse it.
YUKA mini 2 1000
Laser guidance means it navigates confidently under trees and through narrow gaps without satellite help.
It struggled on a steep test slope and can leave a strip along raised edges.
Full specifications
Figures come from the manufacturer’s product page unless a source is named. A blank means nobody we trust has confirmed it.
Owner reviews
Own a LUBA mini AWD (800, 1500)?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner reviews are shown separately from expert tests and never mixed into the score.
Sources
Everything cited on this page. Expert scores are shown as the reviewer gave them.
- Trusted Reviews: Mammotion Luba Mini AWD 800 review · 5 / 5Hands-on
- EasyLawnMowing: Mammotion LUBA mini AWD 1500 reviewHands-on
- Mammotion: LUBA mini AWD product pageManufacturer
- Mammotion: LUBA mini AWD store page (UK)Manufacturer