iMOW 3 EVO
Limited evidenceRead the findings →STIHL's smallest app-connected robot mower, guided by a perimeter wire and built for small, sloping lawns. It suits buyers who want a local dealer to install and service it. You'll still lay a wire, and moving beds means moving it.
Updated
Check the manufacturer’s site for current availability.
Where it sits in STIHL’s range
- iMOW 3 EVOThis model
- iMOW 3Earlier non-EVO model; STIHL says the EVO cuts faster
- iMOW 4 EVOSame EVO features for lawns up to 1,000m²
- iMOW 5 EVOLarger EVO model for lawns up to 1,500m²
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What we know
STIHL's figures, from the specifications, put the iMOW 3 EVO on lawns up to 500m² and steep slopes, with mulching, app control over mobile data and ultrasonic sensors that slow it before it touches things. Its installation guidance in STIHL UK explains the wire and what a dealer does, so you know what to ask. The German pages we checked describe it from STIHL's product information rather than from use, so we don't count them.
Small lawns and steep slopes
The iMOW 3 EVO is STIHL's smallest connected mower. the specifications rates it for lawns up to 500m² and slopes up to 45%, with an upgrade kit taking it to 50%. It mulches the clippings back into the lawn rather than collecting them, and cutting height runs from 20 to 60mm. Those are STIHL's figures.
You'll still lay a wire
Every iMOW follows a perimeter wire pegged round the lawn and round beds, per STIHL UK. You can lay it yourself with the wire and fixing nails, or have a STIHL dealer install it, position the dock and set the mowing plan. Separate lawns have to be joined by the wire or given a second dock. Along low, flush edges such as ground-level paths, STIHL says it can cut the edge cleanly; along walls, expect a strip.
Sensors and app control
Ultrasonic sensors let it slow down before touching an obstacle and mow close to it, and tilt sensors adjust its speed on uneven ground, per the specifications. You control it over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi at home, or over the mobile network from anywhere, and change cutting height in steps from the app. It also speaks status messages. Clear toys and hoses off the lawn first.
What's not checked yet
Nobody independent has tested the iMOW 3 EVO yet, so these are the questions to put to a dealer: how well it grips a real slope, how tidy the cut and edges look, how reliably the sensors spot toys or hoses, how it holds up over time, and whether it really finishes faster than the older iMOW 3, as STIHL says in the specifications.
Our take
Should you buy the iMOW 3 EVO?
Best for: Sloping lawns where a dealer can install a boundary wire. Skip it if: You want a mower with independent tests of this exact version.
consider it for a small, sloping lawn with clear edges if you want a local STIHL dealer to install and service it, and you accept it is untested. The Segway Navimow i208 AWD skips the wire and has home tests behind it, and the GARDENA SILENO city is a tested wire mower for a small, awkward lawn.
The iMOW 3 EVO is the smallest mower in STIHL's connected EVO range. It follows a perimeter wire pegged round the lawn by you or a STIHL dealer, and STIHL rates it for lawns up to 500m² and steep slopes, or steeper still with an optional kit. You control it from the MY iMOW app over mobile data, including the cutting height.
Everything here comes from STIHL's product information. STIHL says it finishes a lawn faster than the older non-EVO iMOW 3. The wire is the main trade-off: installation takes time, whether you or a dealer does it, and changing the lawn's layout means moving it. Ultrasonic sensors slow it before it touches things, but clear the lawn before a run.
Where to buy
Where to buy the iMOW 3 EVO 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. Like every iMOW, it follows a perimeter wire laid round the lawn, per STIHL UK. You can install it yourself or ask a STIHL dealer, who can also lay the wire, set up the dock and programme the mowing plan.
Will it cope with my slope?
STIHL rates it for 45%, or 50% with an optional kit, and says tilt sensors slow it on uneven ground, per the specifications. We haven't found an independent test of those figures yet, so ask a dealer to look at your particular bank.
Can it handle two lawns or a narrow passage?
Yes, if the lawns are joined by the perimeter wire or you add a second docking station, per STIHL UK. With a second dock you carry the mower across each time. STIHL also says clever turning lets it mow in tight spots, per the specifications.
What happens when it rains?
A rain sensor spots wet weather, and you choose in the app whether it keeps mowing or pauses, per the specifications. STIHL's guidance in STIHL UK adds that an interrupted mow picks up again in the next active period.
How close does it cut to the edge?
It depends on how the wire is laid. Along low, flush edges such as ground-level paths, the wire can be placed so it cuts the edge cleanly, per STIHL UK. Along walls and raised terraces it runs as close as it can, so plan on some trimming there.
How noisy is it for neighbours?
STIHL says its iMOW mowers run at no more than 60dB(A), per STIHL UK, which is typical for a robot mower. We haven't found an independent measurement of the iMOW 3 EVO yet.
Alternatives
Other robot lawn mowers to compare.
SILENO city (250 to 600m², basic and smart)
Why consider it: Another boundary-wire mower from an established brand, very quiet and good with narrow strips and side passages.
The compromise: Laying the wire takes effort and it leaves a strip uncut at the edges.
i2 AWD
Why consider it: All-wheel drive for bumpy, sloping lawns, with no wire and usually no aerial to fit.
The compromise: You'll still need to strim the edges.
Landroid Classic (boundary-wire range)
Why consider it: Long-running boundary-wire mowers that testers found quiet, neat and good value.
The compromise: You still have to lay a wire first, and the reviews are a few years old.
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 iMOW 3 EVO?
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
- STIHL: iMOW 3 EVO product page (Germany) ↗Manufacturer
- STIHL UK: iMOW robotic lawn mower technology ↗Manufacturer
Videos
- Search YouTube for STIHL iMOW 3 EVO ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.