FREELEXO CAM (350, 500, PLUS 600)
2 independent reviewsRead the findings →Einhell's budget camera-guided mowers, with no boundary wire and a battery that fits its garden tools. They suit small, simple lawns and are quick to set up. They mow at random, though, and leave wide strips at the edges.
Updated
Check the manufacturer’s site for current availability.
Where it sits in Einhell’s range
- Einhell FREELEXO BTBoundary-wire model with Bluetooth app control
- FREELEXO CAM (350, 500, PLUS 600)This model
- Einhell FREELEXO LCD BTBoundary-wire model with an LCD screen and Bluetooth app
Feedback
What reviewers found
There are two German home tests of the CAM 500. Technik zu Hause was delighted: quick to set up, very quiet, an accurate cut and no bumps into anything. heise bestenlisten agreed it's easy to install and trouble-free, but was more critical: no app, random mowing, a 10 to 20cm strip left at the edges, hesitation at hard shadows and a keypad PIN that's confusing and weak. They disagree on noise, which heise bestenlisten found on the loud side.
heise bestenlisten, hands-on, Jul 2023 (tested on the FREELEXO CAM 500) · Technik zu Hause, hands-on, Apr 2024 (tested on the FREELEXO CAM 500)
Cut quality and edges
Mixed resultsTechnik zu Hause found the cut accurate and even on a simple lawn. heise bestenlisten found it left a 10 to 20cm strip beside flat edging stones and about 30cm beside hedges and plants, so plan on a strimmer.
Setup and boundaries
Reviewers rate it highlyBoth found it quick: place the charger under open sky, lay a short cable loop and let it learn the lawn. Technik zu Hause had it docking first time, and heise bestenlisten found learning the lawn trouble-free, though the satellite fix took longer than the manual says.
Navigation
Mixed resultsIt mows in a random pattern, which reached every part of heise bestenlisten's lawn, and Technik zu Hause found it moved safely and precisely. But heise bestenlisten saw hard shadows make it stall and turn, and it can't drive itself to a second lawn.
Slopes and rough ground
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use tested it on a slope. heise bestenlisten found its low skirt snagged only two or three times on bumpy ground.
Obstacles and safety
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use tested it with toys, hoses or hedgehog dummies. Technik zu Hause saw it bump into nothing, and it only mows in daylight, which spares night-time animals.
Weather
Not enough evidenceOnly Technik zu Hause saw the rain sensor at work, and found it worked perfectly. heise bestenlisten notes it can't be adjusted or switched off, but didn't test it in the rain.
App and software
Mixed resultsThere's no app. Technik zu Hause liked not needing a phone, but heise bestenlisten found the keypad cheap, the PIN confusing and the lack of alerts, zones and over-the-air updates a real loss in daily use.
Upkeep
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use has covered blade changes or cleaning yet.
Reliability and support
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use has run it long-term or judged Einhell's support.
Value
Not enough evidenceOnly heise bestenlisten weighed up value: the cheapest wire-free mower it tested, it does the least but gave the fewest problems. No other review we use judged the price.
Verdicts come from independent, hands-on, finished reviews. An area needs at least two of them before we say more than “Not enough evidence”. We don't score robots ourselves. How this works
Setup is genuinely quick
Both testers found it simple. You place the charger with open sky above it, lay a small rectangle of cable round it so the mower can dock, and send it off. On its first run it drives the lawn without cutting to learn the edges, then starts mowing. Technik zu Hause had it docking first time. heise bestenlisten found learning the lawn automatic and trouble-free, though the satellite fix it uses to find the charger took much longer than the manual suggests.
Edges and shadows trip it up
heise bestenlisten found it stays about 30cm from hedges and plants, including leaves drooping onto the lawn, and still leaves a 10 to 20cm strip beside flat edging stones. Hard shadows on the grass made it stall and turn as if it had hit something. It coped with edging narrower than the 30cm the manual asks for. Technik zu Hause, on a lawn it called ideal, saw it cut accurately without bumping into anything.
No app, and a fiddly PIN
The CAM 500 has no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so everything happens on the mower. Technik zu Hause liked not needing a phone. heise bestenlisten found the membrane keypad cheap-feeling and the PIN baffling: the manual gives no clue that the four hour-buttons stand for digits one to four, which also cuts the possible codes to 256. With no app, you also get no alerts if it's stuck, and updates come by USB stick. Einhell's PLUS 600 adds Wi-Fi and an app.
Random mowing, simple schedules
It drives until it meets an edge or obstacle, then turns off in a random direction, rather than mowing in rows. heise bestenlisten found it reached every part of the lawn that way. Scheduling is basic: 4, 6, 8 or 10 hours a day, daily or every other day, starting at the time you first press start. Technik zu Hause found it stuck precisely to those settings, and a battery run lasted about two and a half hours for heise bestenlisten.
Quiet or not? The testers differ
Technik zu Hause called it super quiet. heise bestenlisten could hear both the drive and blade motors from several metres away and put it among the louder mowers of its type, though not loud enough to bother neighbours. Both note it only runs in daylight, because the camera needs light, which also protects hedgehogs and other night-time animals. heise bestenlisten found its low skirt only snagged two or three times on bumpy ground.
Both tests cover the FREELEXO CAM 500. The CAM 350 is a smaller version of the same design. Nobody has tested the PLUS 600's Wi-Fi, app or automatic updates yet.
Our take
Should you buy the FREELEXO CAM (350, 500, PLUS 600)?
Best for: Small, simple lawns whose owners want no app or boundary wire. Skip it if: Your lawn has several awkward sections or unclear borders.
buy it for a small single lawn with clear edges if you want to skip laying a wire and don't need an app, especially if you already own Einhell batteries. For bigger or more complicated gardens the Segway Navimow i1 does more, and the Worx Landroid Vision AI is another camera option.
The FREELEXO CAM mowers are Einhell's wire-free models, sold in three sizes for lawns up to 600m². A camera on the front tells grass from paving or bark and sensors stop it before walls and hedges, so the only cable you lay is a short loop round the charger. The battery slides out and fits Einhell's other cordless garden tools. The CAM 350 and CAM 500 have no app at all, only a keypad, and the PLUS 600 adds Wi-Fi and an app.
Both German tests used the CAM 500. Technik zu Hause was delighted, finding it quick to set up, very quiet and accurate, with no bumps into anything. heise bestenlisten agreed it was easy to install and gave few problems, but found it left a wide strip beside flat edging stones and about 30cm beside hedges and plants, and hard shadows made it stall and turn. heise bestenlisten also found the keypad cheap and the PIN confusing, and with no app you get no alerts if it's stuck. It mows at random rather than in rows. They disagree on noise: Technik zu Hause called it super quiet, while heise bestenlisten put it among the louder mowers of its type.
Where to buy
Where to buy the FREELEXO CAM (350, 500, PLUS 600) in United Kingdom
No United Kingdom price checked in the last 21 days. We re-check daily.
We’re still looking for more United Kingdom retailers for this model.
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Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it need a boundary wire?
No, but you do lay a short cable loop round the charger so it can dock. heise bestenlisten used a square of about three metres a side. Magnetic tape in the box can fence off areas like a new flower bed, per the specifications.
How close does it cut to the edge?
Not close. heise bestenlisten measured a 10 to 20cm strip left beside flat edging stones and about 30cm left beside hedges and plants, which the sensors keep it away from. Einhell doesn't claim edge cutting, and you'll need a strimmer.
Can it handle two lawns or a narrow passage?
Not by itself. heise bestenlisten notes it can't drive between separate lawns: you carry it to the second area and hold the start button to mow there. Technik zu Hause calls it ideal for clearly laid-out gardens.
What happens when it rains?
A rain sensor sends it back to the charger or stops it going out. Technik zu Hause found the sensor worked perfectly. heise bestenlisten points out you can't adjust or switch it off on the CAM 500.
Does it need a clear view of the sky?
The charger does. The mower uses satellite positioning to find its way home, so Technik zu Hause and heise bestenlisten both say not to put the charger under a roof or tight against the house. Mowing itself relies on the camera.
Alternatives
Other robot lawn mowers to compare.
Landroid Vision AI
Why consider it: Another camera-guided mower with no wire, aerial or map; testers found it the easiest robot to set up.
The compromise: It also mows at random, and edges vary by garden.
E15 Robot Lawn Mower
Why consider it: Camera-guided and one of the quickest mowers to set up, for lawns up to 800m².
The compromise: Testers with bumpy or damp grass had it slipping and getting stuck.
SILENO city (250 to 600m², basic and smart)
Why consider it: A small, very quiet wire mower that copes well with narrow strips and side passages.
The compromise: Laying the wire takes effort, and it leaves a strip uncut at the edges.
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 FREELEXO CAM (350, 500, PLUS 600)?
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
- heise bestenlisten: Einhell Freelexo Cam 500 im Test ↗3 / 5Hands-on · Tested on the FREELEXO CAM 500
- Technik zu Hause: Einhell Freelexo Cam 500 Mähroboter im Praxistest ↗Hands-on · Tested on the FREELEXO CAM 500
Sources
- Einhell: FREELEXO CAM 500 product page ↗Manufacturer
- Einhell: FREELEXO CAM range page ↗Manufacturer
Videos
- Search YouTube for Einhell FREELEXO CAM (350, 500, PLUS 600) ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.