SILENO city (250 to 600m², basic and smart)
2 independent reviewsRead the findings →GARDENA's small-garden boundary-wire mower, and a very quiet one. It's good at narrow strips and awkwardly shaped lawns. Laying the wire takes effort, and it leaves an uncut strip at the edges.
Updated
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Where it sits in GARDENA’s range
- SILENO minimo 500Simpler, Bluetooth-only entry model
- GARDENA R40LiThe older small-lawn model it replaced
- SILENO city (250 to 600m², basic and smart)This model
- smart SILENO sense 600Newer small-lawn smart model
- smart SILENO life 1000Bigger lawns, same wire approach
- smart SILENO free 1200No boundary wire needed
Feedback
What reviewers found
Two hands-on reviews cover the same mower in different versions: Techtest had the smart 500 and Expert Reviews the Set 300. Both liked how it handles awkward layouts, both measured a strip left uncut at the edges, and Expert Reviews found the wire install a chore. More recent German lab tests, summarised by Testberichte.de, were cooler: Stiftung Warentest and CHIP both graded the smart version satisfactory rather than good.
Expert Reviews, hands-on, May 2021 (tested on the SILENO city Set 300 with smart gateway) · Techtest, hands-on, Mar 2020 (tested on the smart SILENO city 500)
Cut quality and edges
Mixed resultsTechtest found its sharp blades cut cleanly and kept the lawn even. Both testers had to trim the edges, though: Techtest saw 10 to 15cm left along walls and Expert Reviews about 10cm round the lawn.
Setup and boundaries
Mixed resultsIt needs a boundary wire and a guide wire. Expert Reviews found splicing in the guide wire likely to sit outside many people's comfort zone, while Techtest found it ran reliably with little help once the wires were laid properly.
Navigation
Reviewers rate it highlyIt mows in a random pattern but copes well with awkward layouts. Techtest found it nimble round beds and bushes, and Expert Reviews found the guide wire and corridor setting got it into narrow strips and separate areas.
Slopes and rough ground
Not enough evidenceOnly Techtest tested slopes, finding it handled gentle slopes and bumpy, mole-damaged ground well but disliked very steep banks. No other review we use covered this.
Obstacles and safety
Not enough evidenceOnly Expert Reviews judged its safety, noting it doesn't spot obstacles in advance and just bumps off solid objects, so it's no match for toys or sleeping pets. No other review we use tested it with obstacles.
Weather
Not enough evidenceOnly Techtest used it in the rain: it keeps mowing, but struggles more on wet, muddy ground. No other review we use covered wet conditions.
App and software
Reviewers rate it highlyTechtest was pleasantly surprised by how good the smart app looks and works, and Expert Reviews found it easy to set schedules and split mowing time between areas.
Upkeep
Not enough evidenceOnly Techtest covered upkeep, finding blade changes quick and spare blades cheap, though the underside gets dirty after rain. No other review we use reported on it.
Reliability and support
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use has run it long-term or judged GARDENA's support.
Value
Not enough evidenceOnly Techtest judged value, calling the price fair and the range one of the best for the money. Expert Reviews just noted that the smart gateway adds a lot to the cost.
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
Good in narrow and awkward spaces
Expert Reviews liked the extra guide wire, which splits an oddly shaped garden into sections and helps the mower reach them, and a corridor setting that stops it bouncing around in narrow strips. You can also tell it how long to spend in up to three areas. Techtest found it noticeably nimbler in tight spots than the R40Li it replaced. So the tests back it for awkward layouts, though the minimo also offers CorridorCut, per GARDENA. The city's smart package adds remote controls rather than a corridor feature of its own.
Very quiet
GARDENA claims 57dB, per the specifications, and calls it the quietest in its class. Techtest quotes 58dB and compares that with about 79dB for a typical electric push mower, which is a big difference in how loud it sounds. Expert Reviews didn't comment on noise. If you have close neighbours or want it mowing while you sit in the garden, this is one of the strongest reasons to pick it.
The install takes real effort
You have to peg a boundary wire round the lawn and around flower beds, then splice in the guide wire. Expert Reviews said that splicing job is likely to sit outside many people's comfort zone, though you only do it once. Once the wires were laid properly, Techtest found it ran on its own with very little help. Set aside an afternoon, and get the layout right first time rather than moving pegs later.
Leaves the edges for you
Expert Reviews found a strip of about 10cm left uncut round the lawn, partly because the wire can't follow sharp curves. Techtest measured 10 to 15cm left along walls and listed it as the main drawback. Keep the strimmer: there's no way round this with a wire mower of this design, so if crisp edges matter to you, budget time for trimming every week or two.
Obstacles: bump sensing, mixed results
Expert Reviews says it has no collision detection as such and simply bounces off solid objects. The Stiftung Warentest result listed by Testberichte.de rated its obstacle detection good to very good, but it also failed that test with a child-sized dummy arm lying on the lawn, and another magazine saw it run over stones and small hedgehog dummies. Keep children and pets off the grass while it runs.
Covers the whole SILENO city family, basic Bluetooth and smart versions. Techtest reviewed the smart city 500 and Expert Reviews the Set 300; neither tested the 2024 LONA software.
Our take
Should you buy the SILENO city (250 to 600m², basic and smart)?
Best for: Small lawns with awkward shapes or narrow passages. Skip it if: You do not want to install a wire around the lawn.
The SILENO city is worth considering for a small, awkward lawn if you accept boundary and guide-wire installation plus regular edge trimming. Two older tests support its handling of narrow areas, but neither tested LONA. The basic and smart packages have different controls. For wire-free alternatives, compare the SILENO free or E15 against your garden's layout; the simpler minimo still needs wire and may suit a smaller lawn than its headline rating.
The SILENO city is GARDENA's small-garden mower, sold in sizes from 250m² to 600m². It needs a boundary wire pegged round the lawn plus a guide wire, and a corridor setting helps it through narrow strips into separate areas. The basic version uses a Bluetooth app, and the smart version adds a hub that links it to your home internet and, more recently, GARDENA's LONA software.
Both testers liked how it handles awkward layouts. Expert Reviews found the guide wire and corridor setting got it into narrow strips and separate areas, and Techtest found it nimble round beds and bushes and far quieter than a typical push mower. Both had to trim the edges. Techtest measured 10 to 15cm left along walls and listed it as the main drawback, and Expert Reviews saw a similar strip round the lawn. Laying the wire is the other cost, and Expert Reviews said splicing in the guide wire is likely to sit outside many people's comfort zone. Expert Reviews also notes it does not spot obstacles in advance and instead bumps off solid objects, so keep toys and pets off the grass. Neither tested the newer LONA software, and German lab tests summarised by Testberichte.de graded the smart version satisfactory rather than good.
Where to buy
Where to buy the SILENO city (250 to 600m², basic and smart) 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?
Yes. Even the smart version with GARDENA's mapping software uses a wire round the edge, per the specifications, and the smart 500 set comes with 150m of it. Expert Reviews found splicing in the extra guide wire the hardest part. If that puts you off, look at a wire-free model.
Can it handle two lawns or a narrow passage?
This is what it's good at. Expert Reviews found the guide wire and zone settings handled separate areas and awkward shapes. Notebookcheck reports GARDENA's claim that the corridor mode specifies 60cm between boundary wires, not a total 60cm gap between walls.
How close does it cut to the edge?
Not very. Techtest found 10 to 15cm left at walls and Expert Reviews about 10cm around the lawn edge, because the wire has to sit in from the border. Plan on edging with a strimmer.
Will it cope with my slope?
GARDENA says 35% inside the lawn and 10% along the wire, per the specifications. Techtest noted it was first rated at 25% until a software update raised the limit, and still listed very steep gardens as a poor fit. For a steep bank, look elsewhere.
What happens when it rains?
It keeps mowing. Techtest found it works in rain and on damp grass and can be hosed down to clean. The smart version is rated IPX5 and has a frost sensor that pauses mowing in low temperatures, per the specifications.
What's the difference between the basic and smart versions?
The basic one uses a Bluetooth app, so you control it from close by. The smart set adds a gateway that links it to your home internet, with GARDENA's LONA mapping, zones and remote control, per the specifications. Neither hands-on review, Techtest or Expert Reviews, tested LONA.
Alternatives
Other robot lawn mowers to compare.
SILENO minimo 500
Why consider it: GARDENA's simpler small-lawn mower, which Clubic also found compact and very quiet.
The compromise: It's Bluetooth-only, and Clubic would put it on smaller, simpler lawns than its rating suggests.
smart SILENO sense 600
Why consider it: A newer GARDENA small-lawn smart model, and one owner praised the finish, the app and support after about ten weeks.
The compromise: Another owner reported missed scheduled starts, repeated stops and trips outside the intended area.
E15 Robot Lawn Mower
Why consider it: No boundary wire at all, and one owner was ready to mow in about ten minutes with automatic mapping.
The compromise: A long-term owner had a faulty cutting-height mechanism that caused overheating until the mower was replaced.
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 SILENO city (250 to 600m², basic and smart)?
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
- Expert Reviews: Gardena Sileno City review (Set 300) ↗Hands-on · Tested on the SILENO city Set 300 with smart gateway
- Techtest: GARDENA smart SILENO City im Test (smart city 500) ↗Voll zu empfehlen (highly recommended)Hands-on · Tested on the smart SILENO city 500
Sources
Videos
- Search YouTube for GARDENA SILENO city (250 to 600m², basic and smart) ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.