CBS News
The 6 best robot lawn mowers in 2024 are here to make your Roomba jealous
Husqvarna
The latest robot lawn mowers, from brands like Segway, Mammotion, Worx and Husqvarna, make mowing your lawn as easy as launching a smartphone app. Sure, everyone loves a lush and perfectly manicured lawn. But few people enjoy putting in the effort to keep a lawn fresh. That’s where the latest robot lawn mowers come in handy. The best news: These devices are more affordable, yet more feature-packed, than ever.
The best robot lawn mowers are also surprisingly simple to operate. They’re even smart enough to avoid obstacles in or around your lawn. Preprogram them to work on a set schedule — or even select the optimal height of the grass. You’re probably already familiar with the latest robotic vacuums and mops for inside your home. Well, here’s your chance to tap the power of robotics to enhance your outdoor living space, too.
If you have a lawn that’s at least one acre and you’d prefer to do the mowing yourself, check out our roundup of the five best riding lawn mowers in 2024.
What are the best robot lawn mowers in 2024?
Our in-house team of consumer technology and outdoor living specialists have curated this roundup of the best robot lawn mowers that transform cutting your grass from manual labor to something you can do while relaxing in your hammock.
Best robot lawn mower overall: Segway Navimow H Series H1500N-VF
Amazon
Mowing area: Up to 0.37 acres | Cutting height range: 1.2 to 2.4 inches | Maximum slope: 24 degrees | Battery capacity: 7.65Ah | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G | Cutting width: 8.3 inches | Dimensions: 23.7 x 18.4 x 10.4 inches | Weights: 37.5 pounds
The Segway Navimow H Series H1500NVF can mow a lawn that’s up to 0.37 acres. It does not require in-ground perimeter wiring. Instead, it relies on RTK (real-time kinematic) positioning using satellites, onboard vision technology and data from its smartphone app to stay within a boundary you set. This robot does a great job avoiding obstacles, too.
The app creates a virtual map of your lawn. You can edit the boundaries and set different schedules and cutting heights for up to 12 zones. You can also remotely control your lawn mower, keep track of its mowing progress in real time — even locate your robot in case of theft.
The Navimow generates less than 54dB of noise. The cameras built into the mower use AI to detect possible obstacles and avoid them. And based on the terrain, it automatically adjusts the speed and torque needed to achieve the desired results. Since the mower itself is IP66 rated (meaning its waterproof), it can withstand rain and be easily cleaned with a garden hose.
While this model handles up to 0.37 acres, if you have 0.2 acres or less to mow, the less expensive Segway Navimow H800N-VF ($1,899) is nicely suited to the task.
Best value robot lawn mower: Mammotion Luba 2 AWD 1000
Amazon
Mowing area: Up to .25 acres | Cutting height range: 1 to 2.7 inches | Maximum slope: 38 degrees | Battery capacity: Lithium-ion 4.5Ah | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Cutting width: 15.7 inches | Dimensions: 27.17 x 20.2 x 10.75 inches | Weights: 38.9 pounds
Like many of the newest robotic mowers, this one does not require a perimeter cable. For precision navigation, it relies on GPS, RTK and built in 3D cameras, along with data provided by its mobile app. This allows for quick initial setup and the ability to create virtual boundaries with multiple zones.
Using the app, you can easily set up different mowing tasks for multiple work areas. This includes setting separate schedules, cutting modes and cutting heights for each zone. It handles slopes as easily as flat terrain thanks to “off-road” tires and suspension. Meanwhile, its internal cameras have a 220-degree field of view, which give it excellent obstacle-avoidance capabilities. It can detect and avoid items as small as two inches.
One fun feature that sets the Luba 2 AWD 1000 apart from its competition is that it can — and you’re reading this right — create lawn art. From the mobile app, you can choose different patterns or create custom designs. The mower uses advanced algorithms to adjust the cutting height and angle to recreate the pattern in your lawn.
The mower cuts grass and handles edge cutting with extreme precision, in part because of its internal technologies. On a fully charged battery, it operates for up to two hours before automatically returning to its charging dock. Since it offers an IPX6 waterproof rating, you can easily clean it with a garden hose. Other versions of the Luba 2 can handle larger lawns (up to 2.5 acres). This is not the least expensive robot mower available, but based on its performance, technology and overall quality, the Luba 2 AWD 1000 offers a really good value for the investment.
Best budget robot lawn mower: Segway Navimow i Series i105N
Segway
Mowing area: Up to 0.125 acres | Cutting height range: 2 to 3.6 inches | Maximum slope: 16 degrees | Battery capacity: 2.55Ah | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G | Cutting width: 7.1 inches | Dimensions: 21.5 x 11.2 x 15.2 inches | Weights: 24 pounds
This more affordable robotic mower can easily maintain a lawn up to 0.125 acres. Its built-in cameras can detect and avoid more than 20 types of obstacles. No perimeter wires are needed. Instead, you use an app to create virtual boundaries and multiple zones with the help of AI-assisted automatic mapping. The unit itself is IP66 waterproof rated.
The i105N is part of Segway’s Navimow i series, which is a bit less sophisticated than the more expensive H series. In this case, the i105N can maintain about 0.125 acres and has a run time of about one hour on a fully charged battery. Recharge time is about 90 minutes. One feature that you and your neighbors will love is that the mower generates no more than 58dB of sound.
Optional accessories available for this robotic mower include the Garage S charging station, a 4G Access+ cellular connectivity device, an antenna extension kit and a replacement-blade assembly.
Best robot lawn mower for one acre: Worx Landroid Vision WR235
Worx
Mowing area: Up to 1 acre | Cutting height range: 1.5 to 3 inches | Maximum slope: 30 degrees | Battery capacity: 5.0Ah | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Dimensions: 25.1 x 19.2 x 9.3 inches | Weights: 33.32 pounds
Thanks to artificial intelligence built into this robot and its app, you need no boundary wires or special antennas for this model. The robot uses its built-in cameras to map out your lawn and edges. It can function day or night. Another benefit: This robot uses the same rechargeable battery packs as most other Worx’s outdoor power tools.
The WR235 uses its internal high-definition, 140-degree, wide angle camera to navigate and avoid obstacles. Unlike many others, this robot uses a three-wheel design, so it can easily maneuver and cover a wide range of terrains. When the terrain changes, so do the robot’s settings — automatically. It’s self-leveling, which allows for an evenly cut lawn. And when the main body of the lawn is done, it goes back and fine tunes the lawn’s edging.
If the robot detects rain, the WR235 postpones its work to avoid cutting in wet conditions. The mower itself, however, is IPX5 waterproof rated. It’s also rather quiet, as it generates no more than 59dB of sound.
Using an almost identical design and internal technologies, there are five different models of the Worx Landroid Vision robot. Each handles a smaller lawn. The WR208 model ($1,600) is designed for up to 0.2 acres, while the WR220 ($2,500) easily mows up to 0.5 acres.
Best robot lawn mower for more than two acres: Husqvarna Automower 450XH EPOS
Husqvarna
Mowing area: Up to 2.5 acres | Cutting height range: 0.8 to 2.4 inches | Maximum slope: Up to 45% | Battery capacity: 10Ah | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Cellular | Dimensions: 28.3 x 22 x 12.6 inches | Weights: 31.7 pounds
For larger lawns, you want a robot mower equipped with a more powerful battery, not to mention that covers a larger area without needing a recharge. The 450XH EPOS handles lawns up to 2.5 acres. Its battery has about twice the capacity as its competitors, so it can run for up to 210 minutes on a single charge.
This robot can also mow in patterns, so it keeps your lawn looking well manicured by cutting in straight lines. It does this using GPS and EPOS (Exact Positioning Operating System), an included reference station, and data from your smartphone. No boundary wires are required.
Choose between parallel stripes or a checkerboard pattern via the mobile app. However, if you want to take manual steering control over the robot, this too is possible using your smartphone as a remote control. The 450XH EPOS also does a nice job identifying obstacles and avoiding them.
When the 450HX is done with its work, it automatically returns to its docking station to recharge. It generates no more than 65dB of sound while using three pivoting razor blades to cut your grass. Another useful feature: If you have uneven terrain, you can replace the mower’s wheels with ones that offer better traction. Depending on the size of your lawn and its terrain type, Husqvarna offers more than a dozen robot lawn mower models, although this one can handle the largest area.
Best robot lawn mower for uneven terrain: Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD
Husqvarna
Mowing area: Up to 0.9 acres | Cutting height range: 1.2 to 2,8 inches | Maximum slope: Up to 35 degrees | Battery capacity: 8Ah | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Cellular | Dimensions: 36.6 x 21.7 x 11.4 inches | Weights: 39 pounds
Not everyone’s lawn is totally flat, which is why some robot mowers — like the Automower 435X AWD — are designed to handle uneven terrain while keeping lawn height even and avoiding obstacles. It achieves this using an all-wheel-drive, three-wheel design. For navigation, it relies on GPS data and information from your smartphone. As the terrain slope or grass level changes, the robot compensates automatically using its patented height-adjustment feature.
We love the futuristic, sports car-like design, and if you want to trick it out even more, a variety of top covers with different color options are sold separately. These covers don’t enhance performance, but they change the robot’s already-cool visual aesthetic.
Using its mobile app, you can create multiple zones around your yard — each with different cutting instructions and schedules. You can also track the mower’s progress and set “stay out” zones for your mower to avoid. The single rear wheel allows for enhanced maneuverability. This is useful when it encounters obstacles or narrow areas.
CBS Essentials offers a vast library of articles covering all things related to lawns and outdoor living — including a roundup of the five best propane grills in 2024, the five best wood pellet grills in 2024, the five best charcoal grills in 2024, the six best smart grills in 2024 and best ideas for a spring patio makeover.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
CBS News
Sen. Duckworth says Trump defense secretary pick is “flat-out wrong” about women in combat roles
Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth said Sunday that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary is “flat-out wrong” in his view that women should not serve in the military in combat roles.
“Our military could not go to war without the women who wear this uniform,” Duckworth said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” “And frankly, America’s daughters are just as capable of defending liberty and freedom as her sons.”
Trump tapped Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as his pick to head the Defense Department earlier this month. The 44-year-old has drawn criticism for his stance on women in combat roles, along with his level of experience.
Duckworth, who in 2004 deployed to Iraq as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot and sustained severe injuries when her helicopter was hit by an RPG, outlined that women who serve in combat roles have met the same standards as men, passing rigorous testing. She said Hegseth’s position “just shows his lack of understanding of where our military is,” while arguing that he’s “inordinately unqualified for the position.”
CBS News
“Our military could not go to war without the 220,000-plus women who serve in uniform,” Duckworth said. She added that having women in the military “does make us more effective, does make us more lethal.”
Hegseth has also drawn scrutiny amid recently unearthed details about an investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2017. Hegseth denies the allegation and characterized the incident as a consensual encounter. The Monterey County district attorney’s office declined to file charges as none were “supported by proof beyond a reasonable doubt.” His lawyer has acknowledged that Hegseth paid a confidential financial settlement to the woman out of concern that the allegation would jeopardize his employment.
Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat who serves on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, said it’s “really troubling” that Trump would nominate someone who “has admitted that he’s paid off a victim who has claimed rape allegations against him.”
“This is not the kind of person you want to lead the Department of Defense,” she added.
The comments come after Trump announced a slew of picks for top posts in his administration in recent days. Meanwhile, one pick — former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general — has already withdrawn his name from consideration after he faced intense scrutiny amid a House Ethics Committee investigation and a tenuous path to Senate confirmation.
While Duckworth acknowledged that she’s glad her Senate Republicans “held the line” on Gaetz and also elected Sen. John Thune as leader over a candidate favored by many in Trump’s orbit, she said she’s “deeply concerned” her Republican colleagues will green light Trump’s nominees.
“From what I’m hearing from my Republican colleagues on everything from defense secretary to other posts, it sounds like they are ready to roll over for Mr. Trump,” Duckworth said.
But Duckworth didn’t rule out supporting some of the nominees herself during the Senate confirmation process, pledged to evaluate each candidate based on their ability to do the job, and their willingness to put the needs of the American people before “a retribution campaign for Mr. Trump.”
Meanwhile, a CBS News poll released on Sunday found that 33% of Americans say Hegseth is a “good choice” for defense secretary, including 64% of Trump voters. But 39% of Americans said they hadn’t heard enough yet about the pick. More broadly, Americans generally say they want Trump to appoint people who’ll speak their minds and who have experience in the field or agency they’ll run.
Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who also appeared on “Face the Nation” on Sunday, said he believes that Hegseth can run the massive Defense Department, despite his lack of experience managing a large organization. Though he did not address Hegseth’s comments about women in combat roles, Paul said he believes the “vast majority of people” support leaders who are picked based on merit, citing Hegseth’s criticism of the Pentagon for what he says has been a move away from merit-based hiring and toward hiring based on “racial characteristics.”
Hezbollah fired at least 185 rockets and other projectiles into Israel on Sunday, wounding seven people in the militant group’s heaviest barrage in several days, in response to deadly Israeli strikes in Beirut while negotiators pressed on with cease-fire efforts to halt the war.
Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center killed one soldier and wounded 18 others on the southwestern coastal road between Tyre and Naqoura, Lebanon’s military said. Israel’s military expressed regret and said the strike occurred in an area of combat against Hezbollah, adding that its operations are directed solely against the militants. The strike was under review.
Hussein Malla / AP
Israeli strikes have killed over 40 Lebanese troops since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, even as Lebanon’s military has largely kept to the sidelines.
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned it as an assault on U.S.-led cease-fire efforts, calling it a “direct, bloody message rejecting all efforts and ongoing contacts” to end the war.
“(Israel is) again writing in Lebanese blood a brazen rejection of the solution that is being discussed,” a statement from his office read.
The strike occurred in southwestern Lebanon on the coastal road between Tyre and Naqoura, where there has been heavy fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and drones into Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of the Gaza Strip ignited the war there. Hezbollah has portrayed the attacks as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians and Hamas. Iran supports both armed groups.
Israel has launched retaliatory airstrikes since the rocket fire began, and in September the low-level conflict erupted into all-out war, as Israel launched waves of airstrikes across large parts of Lebanon and killed Hezbollah’s top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and several of his top commanders.
Hezbollah fired a total of around 160 rockets and other projectiles into Israel on Sunday, some of which were intercepted, the Israeli military said.
Oded Balilty / AP
Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said it was treating two people in the central city of Petah Tikva, a 23-year-old man who was lightly wounded by a blast and a 70-year-old woman suffering from smoke inhalation from a car that caught fire. The first responders said they treated three other people in northern Israel, closer to the border, including a 60-year-old man in serious condition.
It was unclear whether the injuries and damage were caused by the rockets or interceptors.
Israeli airstrikes early Saturday pounded central Beirut, killing at least 20 people and wounding 66, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The fighting has displaced about 1.2 million people, or a quarter of Lebanon’s population.
On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by bombardments in northern Israel and in battle following Israel’s ground invasion in early October. Around 60,000 Israelis have been displaced from the country’s north.
The Biden administration has spent months trying to broker a cease-fire, and U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein was back in the region last week.
The European Union’s top diplomat called for more pressure on both Israel and Hezbollah to reach a deal, saying one was “pending with a final agreement from the Israeli government.”
Josep Borrell spoke Sunday after meeting with Mikati and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally who has been mediating with the group.
Borrell said the EU is ready to allocate 200 million euros ($208m) to assist the Lebanese military, which would deploy additional forces to the south.
The emerging agreement would pave the way for the withdrawal of Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops from southern Lebanon below the Litani River in accordance with the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war. Lebanese troops would patrol the area, with the presence of U.N. peacekeepers.
Lebanon’s army reflects the religious diversity of the country and is respected as a national institution, but it does not have the military capability to impose its will on Hezbollah or resist Israel’s invasion.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth says Pete Hegseth is “flat-out wrong” about women in combat roles
Sen. Duckworth says Trump defense secretary pick is “flat-out wrong” about women in combat roles
Israeli strike kills Lebanese soldier as Hezbollah fires at least 185 rockets at Israel
Sen. Tammy Duckworth says Pete Hegseth is “flat-out wrong” about women in combat roles
Sen. Duckworth says Trump defense secretary pick is “flat-out wrong” about women in combat roles