9 best lawnmowers for getting your garden pitch perfect

You may have to push this mower yourself, but it doesn’t feel like a chore, thanks to some good ergonomics and well-sized, easy-rolling wheels that give good traction even when going uphill. Seven cutting heights give you the ability to handle the first mow of the spring, when the grass is at its tallest, and keep it maintained all the way through summer and autumn.

It features Worx’s cut-to-edge function, which we absolutely love, because the deck design and off-centred blade get as close to your garden’s borders as possible, leaving you with less trimming and maintenance to do afterwards. More tech also adjusts the blade speed according to the length of the grass, which extends the life of the double batteries on board, which are already enough to be able to keep a medium-sized garden in check on just one charge.

A large cutting blade also keeps cutting time to a minimum, but considering the deck is 43cm, the mower doesn’t feel cumbersome, while the chassis is tough enough to withstand any collisions with tree trunks, hard borders and other permanent obstacles. We were left with an impressive professional finish in no time at all, and the mower stores upright, so it doesn’t take over your storage space.

If you need to tackle a straight-edged garden close to the house, the 10m cable of this electric mower should enable you to reach the farthest corners without worrying about running out of leash. The mower retains the standout features of the rotak range, at a fraction of the cost, from the unique ergonomic handle to the grass combs that capture those tufts of grass along fences and walls and direct them towards the 34cm blade. The 34R cut well through all five settings and, because it’s electric, the mower is lightweight and very easy to push around.

This self-propelled mower operates with 42cm of cutting width, and we had no issues with scalping or leaving tufts and the machine never ended up getting choked in areas of long grass. You get total control over the machine via an innovative variable speed fingertip dial, so you can speed up when mowing larger expanses of lawn or slow down when manoeuvring around trees or other obstacles, so, it never feels like the lawnmower is getting away from you.

There is a choice of seven cutting heights and the large grass box was easily emptied, thanks to some well-placed handles. If you’d rather detach the grass box, there is also a mulching option, if that’s the kind of lawn treatment you’re after. There’s good ergonomics throughout the machine too, with an easy handle height adjustment and it was actually one of the easiest to operate machines on test, thanks to the robust but lightweight polypropylene deck.

The Ego Power+ battery and chargers are superior performers and give you plenty of power for medium-sized garden cutting on a super-fast charge.

If you’re a small to medium lawn-owner looking to cut the cord and go with a battery model, this is a good entry-level option with 25-minutes of mowing on a fully charged battery. The 36cm cutting width can be set to work at four different heights and can be adjusted to mow and mulch, or simply mow into the 45l collection bag.

The results were good for the price bracket and the chassis design allowed us to mow close to the edge, next to walls and fences. Very lightweight to push around, there is a sturdy carry handle on top to help with lifting and moving, with the handles folding down for space-saving owners. The box also includes a 5AH battery and fast charger.

Lawnmowers are one of the bulkiest pieces of landscaping kit, but this walk-behind from Husqvarna’s aspire range is ideal for those with minimal storage space. For a compact mower, it has a good cutting width and the blades worked well to leave a clean, sharp cut. When you’re happy with the results you can store the mower vertically on a wall, thanks to the hook hanger, which is one of the standout features of all the machines in the aspire range.

There’s also excellent operating and lifting ergonomics and combined with its light weight, the Aspire can be effortlessly manoeuvred into the tightest spots as well as carried to and from its working area.

Need a ride? If you’re looking after a postage stamp patch or are on a budget, you won’t need one of these. However, if the size of your lawn dictates that you need something that will cover ground quickly, cut wide and leave behind a professional finish, the Mountfield is one of the best we tested.

Manouverable, both on the way to and on the grass, this is probably the most fun you can have mowing the lawn, thanks to some very sensitive steering, good turning and good cutting, even at speed. The huge collection capacity is a must and the comfy seat also has a safety switch built in, which automatically cuts the engine if the driver leaves the seat while the blades are turning, to ensure safe operation. The only thing that was missing was the, usually, obligatory cup holders for water or a thermos.

If you’re blessed with the kind of lawn on which could easily hit a golf shot on but isn’t expansive enough to warrant a ride-on lawnmower, a self-propelled, petrol machine can be a very good option. This is one of our absolute favourites because it’s fully featured and performed superbly, thanks to its five adjustable cutting heights and a rear roller that leaves behind an attractive, centre court-style striping, that’s bound to impress the neighbours.

We say fully featured because the Hyundai has a very reliable electric start that avoids the tug of war that can happen with a starting cable, self-propulsion that’s smooth, makes it easy to find the right pace and makes up for the overall weight of the machine. There are even a couple of cup holders if you need some light refreshment while you’re toiling away. Add to this a cavernous grass box and you have a machine that will take all the effort out of keeping on top of a large lawn.

This mower comes with two batteries to extend your cutting time, so one can be charging while the other is in use and its lightweight chassis makes it easy to turn around and tuck into some tight areas. Consistent results left the lawn with an impressive finish, there’s a mulch plug included if you’d rather the clippings were returned to your lawn to further fertilise it, and there’s even a small rear roller that does a good job of striping.

The single lever adjustment over the rear wheel for cutting height was easy to move with one hand and never got stiff. Once your work is done, the handles fold down for convenient storage (the mower can also be stowed upright) and there’s a prominent carry handle on top of the machine, which makes it a doddle to cart to and from the shed or garage.

This self-propelling machine offers six different cutting heights, all easily adjustable with a single push or pull of a spring-loaded handlebar, while an ample grass box means you won’t have to keep stopping to empty the cuttings. Stihl’s vario drive propulsion system also makes short work of gradients, while the 43cm cutting width makes it ideal for medium-sized gardens.

The mower always ran the blades at a constant speed, regardless of the propulsion, which gave a consistent and precise cut to the lawn. It has a high lift blade, which creates an air flow that lifts the grass as it cuts. Although we can’t confirm what’s actually going on inside the cutting deck when the machine is operating, we can confirm it left a pleasingly precise finish to the grass across the cutting height range. The rear roller also did an excellent job of striping.

Polymer housing doesn’t add too much weight to the machine but was very robust and able to withstand the usual punishment that lawnmowers need to take in the line of duty.