Robots Rated.
Find my robot

LUBA 3 AWD vs Automower 405VE NERA

Which is better, Mammotion LUBA 3 AWD or Husqvarna Automower 405VE NERA?

Buy the LUBA 3 AWD unless your lawn is small and fairly flat and you want quieter mowing and neater edges.

Updated

The short version

LUBA 3 AWDOur pick

The LUBA 3 AWD is for big, sloping or awkward lawns. It climbs banks most mowers won't try, its cut is nearly twice as wide, and it's usually the cheaper of the two. What you give up: it's heavy, it's louder on paper, it doesn't trim right up to the edges, and it can scuff soft grass when it turns on the spot.

Automower 405VE NERA

The Automower 405VE NERA is for smaller, fairly flat lawns where neat edges and quiet running matter more than raw ability. It has a side disc that trims the edges, and you can buy it from local Husqvarna dealers. What you give up: it handles much gentler slopes and smaller lawns, and nobody we trust has tested it yet.

What reviewers found

LUBA 3 AWD

Three home tests, from TechRadar, PCWorld and Android Authority, all rate the cut and the navigation highly. TechRadar drove it up a bank too steep to walk up and got neat stripes, though it found the front wheels can tear up soft, shady grass when it turns. The app splits them: PCWorld had lag and dropouts, while Android Authority had no trouble after a late-May update. Worth knowing: all three reviewed the 3000 version or didn't say which, and nobody has published a test of the 1500 priced here, which skips the satellite corrections.

Automower 405VE NERA

No outlet we trust has published a test of the 405VE NERA yet; we checked again on 23 September 2026. The Husqvarna reviews you'll find are for other machines, such as T3's review of the 405XE NERA, which has no camera, so we don't carry their verdicts over. Until someone tests it, everything on this page about the 405VE comes from Husqvarna UK's own specifications.

Where they differ

  1. 01

    Slopes: 80% against 30%

    All-wheel drive lets the LUBA 3 AWD climb 80% slopes, and TechRadar saw it climb a bank too steep to walk up. Husqvarna rates the 405VE for 30%, and only 20% along the boundary. If your lawn has a real bank, this settles it.

    Maximum slope
    LUBA 3 AWD80%
    Automower 405VE NERA30%
  2. 02

    Lawn size and cutting width

    The LUBA 3 AWD 1500 is rated for 1,500m², and it cuts a 40cm strip against the Husqvarna's 22cm, so it needs far fewer passes. The 405VE is rated for 900m², or 600m² if you choose the irregular mowing pattern. Bigger LUBA versions cover 3,000m² or 5,000m².

    Recommended lawn size
    LUBA 3 AWD1,500m²
    Automower 405VE NERA900m²
  3. 03

    Finding its way: laser and cameras against satellites

    The LUBA 3 AWD 1500 steers by a spinning laser scanner and cameras; only the 3000 and 5000 add satellite positioning corrected over the internet. The 405VE uses satellite positioning plus a camera, and needs mobile or Wi-Fi coverage across the lawn, or Husqvarna's optional reference station. Neither needs a boundary wire.

  4. 04

    Edges and noise: the Husqvarna's case

    The 405VE has an EdgeCut disc that trims close to the lawn edge, while the LUBA 3 AWD has no edge disc, so TechRadar and Android Authority still trimmed by hand. Husqvarna quotes 60dB against Mammotion's 70dB, although all three LUBA reviewers found it quiet enough to sit outside.

    Noise (claimed)
    LUBA 3 AWD70dB
    Automower 405VE NERA60dB
  5. 05

    Evidence and where you buy

    The LUBA 3 AWD has three home tests behind it, while the 405VE has none yet, so you're relying on Husqvarna's own figures. The 405VE is sold through Husqvarna's own store and local Husqvarna dealers, whereas the LUBA is mostly sold by Mammotion and garden machinery shops.

Prices

Up to five shops for each, cheapest first. We read every price on the shop’s own page.

Lowest price in the UK
LUBA 3 AWD£2,099.00
Automower 405VE NERA£1,737.50

LUBA 3 AWD

  1. £2,099.00Mammotion
    In stock · checked 3 November 2026Go to retailer

Automower 405VE NERA

  1. £1,737.50Red Band
    In stock · checked 29 October 2026Go to retailer
  2. £2,089.20Steam and Moorland
    In stock · checked 1 November 2026Go to retailer
  3. £2,299.00Broadfield Mowers
    In stock · checked 26 October 2026Go to retailer

Specs side by side

SpecLUBA 3 AWDAutomower 405VE NERA
Recommended lawn size1,500m² (LUBA 3 AWD 1500, as priced) Also sold as the 3000 and 5000, rated for 3,000m² and 5,000m²900m² Husqvarna says 600m² with the irregular mowing pattern
Maximum slope80%30% (20% at the boundary)
Cutting width40cm22cm
Cutting height25–70mm20–55mm
Boundary wireNot neededNot needed
NavigationLaser scanner and cameras The 1500 has no satellite corrections; the 3000 and 5000 add themSatellite positioning and AI camera Needs mobile or Wi-Fi coverage over the lawn, or the optional EPOS RS1 reference station
Edge trimmingNo edge discEdgeCut edge disc
Noise (claimed)Up to 70dB60dB
Rain protectionIPX6, rain sensorIPX5

Questions people ask

Which robot mower handles slopes best?

The Mammotion LUBA 3 AWD, rated for 80% slopes thanks to all-wheel drive; TechRadar saw it climb a bank too steep to walk up. The Husqvarna 405VE NERA is rated for 30%, and 20% at the edge of the lawn.

Is Husqvarna worth the extra money?

Only if its strengths match your garden: quieter running, an edge-trimming disc and a local dealer to buy from. On a steep or large lawn the LUBA 3 AWD does more, and it has three good home tests behind it where the 405VE has none yet.

Do either need a boundary wire?

No. The LUBA 3 AWD 1500 finds its way with a laser scanner and cameras, and the 3000 and 5000 add satellite corrections over the internet. The Husqvarna uses satellite positioning with boundaries you draw in its app, and needs mobile or Wi-Fi coverage across the lawn, or its optional reference station.

Why is there no review score for the Husqvarna?

Because no outlet we trust has published a test of the 405VE NERA. Reviews exist for other Husqvarna models, such as T3's review of the 405XE NERA, but they're different machines, and we don't carry scores across models.

Which LUBA 3 AWD version is this page about?

The prices and the 1,500m² lawn size are for the LUBA 3 AWD 1500. The 3000 and 5000 cover more ground and add satellite corrections. The reviews we cite tested the 3000 version or didn't say which, so their findings may not all apply to the 1500.

Sources

How we check specs and prices

Keep going

Full profileMammotion LUBA 3 AWDFull profileHusqvarna Automower 405VE NERA