Whether you live in a cottage, a townhouse or a semi-detached home, there’s often a lawn and grass to be cut. To keep your lawn in tip-top shape, you’ll need the best lawn mower for the job.
A small garden is anything from 150m² (the area of a tennis court) or less, up to about 300m², at which point it becomes medium-sized. The question is, how do you keep this small space neat and tidy and looking good without resorting to a professional gardening service?
To make you aware of what’s out there, we’ve reviewed a selection of fit-for-purpose lightweight lawn mowers. Keep reading to discover the best mowers for a modest patch.
TOP Lightweight Lawn Mowers
The Best Lawn Mowers for Small Gardens
- TOP Lightweight Lawn Mowers
The Best Lawn Mowers for Small GardensEinhell FREELEXO 300 Solo
Bosch CityMower
Husqvarna Flymo EasiLife 150 GO
Bosch AHM 38 G
Mountfield Electress
Husqvarna Flymo Turbo Lite 250
Black+Decker BEMWH551-GB
Bosch Rotak 32RBosch Visimow 18V-100 Robot Lawnmower
- Bosch Rotak 18V-32 Cordless Lawnmower
- Husqvarna Flymo EasiLife 150 GO
- Gardena Classic Cylinder Mower 330
- Mountfield Electress
- Husqvarna Flymo Turbo Lite 250
- Black+Decker BEMWH551-GB
- Bosch EasyRotak 32-220 Electric Lawnmower
Bosch Visimow 18V-100 Robot Lawnmower
Key Features:
- Type: Robot mower, no boundary wire
- Lawn size: up to 100m²
- Cutting width: 16cm
- Battery: 18V 4Ah with charger, included
For a tiny lawn you never want to mow again, a small robot is the answer. The Bosch Visimow 18V-100 is a wire-free robot mower for small lawns up to 100m². Bosch’s Smartvision camera system finds the edge of the lawn, so there is no boundary wire to lay. Setup takes three button presses, and it can look after more than one small lawn. The battery is part of the Power for All 18V system shared by Bosch and other brands.
Pros:
- No boundary wire
- Quick setup
- Battery and charger included
Cons:
- Only suits small lawns
- Narrow 16cm cut
Bosch Rotak 18V-32 Cordless Lawnmower
Key Features:
- Power source: 18V Power for All battery, sold separately
- Brushless motor: Yes
- Cutting width: 32cm
- Cutting heights: 25mm to 65mm
- Grass box: 35L fabric
- Mulch plug: Included
For small gardens, a compact 32cm cordless mower is quick to get out and put away. The Bosch Rotak 18V-32 is a compact cordless mower for small lawns. The Rotak 18V-32 has a brushless motor, a 32cm deck and a mulch plug, so it can collect, mulch or discharge. This listing is the bare tool. If you already own a Power for All 18V battery it is great value; if not, budget for a battery and charger.
Pros:
- Brushless motor
- Light and compact
- Mulch plug included
Cons:
- Battery and charger cost extra
Husqvarna Flymo EasiLife 150 GO
Key Features:
- Type: Robot automower
- Power Source: Lithium-ion battery
- Cutting Width: 60cm
- Weight: 6.1kg
- Lawn Size: 150m²
In many ways a little brother to the Einhell Freelexo, at 6.1kg the EasiLife Go is super-light and feature-rich. FrostSense will keep it home, docked to its charging station if the weather is too cold to cut grass without damaging it. PassageSense adapts the mowing pattern to narrow strips of lawn while LawnSense tracks rainfall and sunlight, then adapts its schedule to how fast the grass is growing.
The EasiLife Go smartphone app provides a host of programming options not accessible through the hardware interface, allowing you to customise the mower to exactly suit your kind of garden.
Robot mowers are not suitable for households with small children, nor should you go barefoot or wear open-toed sandals around them.
Pros:
- Low 58dB noise level
- Anti-theft protection
- A 60cm cutting width
- Remote start points
- Smartphone-controlled
Cons:
- Safety issues
- Setting it up takes a bit of time
Gardena Classic Cylinder Mower 330
Key Features:
- Power source: Manual push
- Cutting width: 33cm
- Lawn size: up to 150m²
- Blades: Hardened steel cylinder, non-stick coated
For small lawns, a quiet push mower needs no cable, battery or fuel. The Gardena Classic Cylinder Mower 330 is a manual push mower for small lawns up to 150m². Gardena’s touchless cutting system means the blades do not rub against each other, which makes the mower quiet and easy to push. The hardened steel blades cut the grass cleanly, like shears. The frame folds for storage, and the non-stick cylinder stops wet grass drying on. With over 1,300 Amazon ratings it is one of the best reviewed push mowers in the UK.
Pros:
- Quiet and easy to push
- Clean scissor cut
- Folds for storage
- No fuel, cable or battery
Cons:
- Small lawns only
- No grass box as standard
Mountfield Electress
Key Features:
- Type: Cordless
- Power Source: 2 X 20V 4.0Ah lithium-ion batteries
- Cutting Width: 38cm
- Weight: 12.24kg
- Lawn Size: 350m²
Another cordless mower, this time skewed towards the larger small garden, is the Mountfield Electress.
The Electress is a serious piece of kit. Not only have its lithium-ion batteries got a 4 ampere-hour capacity, but they also supply 20 volts each, more than enough to cut a 350m² area.
Its guide bar isn’t foldable but for storage purposes, if you replace the guide bar bolts with wingnuts, you can detach it entirely in a few seconds.
Pros:
- 6 cutting heights, from 25 to 75mm
- A 40-litre grass box
- A robust build made of ABS
Cons:
- Not optimised for storage
Husqvarna Flymo Turbo Lite 250
Key Features:
- Type: Corded hover mower
- Power Source: Mains electricity
- Cutting Width: 26cm
- Weight: 6kg
- Lawn Size: 250m²
One advantage of a small garden is that you don’t need extra extension cords to run an electric mower.
The Flymo Turbo Lite 250 is a hover mower. Instead of wheels, it rides on a cushion of air, making it easy to push and highly manoeuvrable.
It has a 1400W motor for tackling slopes and the type of unevenness we generally associate with molehills.
Pros:
- Compact
- Lightweight
- Highly manoeuvrable
- Value for money
Cons:
- Comparatively noisy for a hover mower
- Changing the cutting height requires you to use a spanner (included in the package)
Black+Decker BEMWH551-GB
Key Features:
- Type: Corded hover mower
- Power Source: Mains electricity
- Cutting Width: 30cm
- Weight: 7.52kg
- Lawn Size: 250m²
This is one of those situations where a product’s issues are more than offset by its price tag.
This mower has a poorly-constructed guide bar that works loose if you don’t keep it tightened. It’s also inclined to vibrate excessively, although this could be because the user hasn’t assembled it properly.
Even with those deficits, it’s still a good buy, especially for small gardens. At 7.5kg, it’s a breeze to handle, easy to push and light enough to hang out of the way on the wall when you’re done.
Pros:
- Value for money
- Highly manoeuvrable
- Compact and robust
- 3 cutting heights from 20 to 40mm
- 10 plastic cutting blades
Cons:
- An inadequate guide bar
- An issue with vibration
Bosch EasyRotak 32-220 Electric Lawnmower
Key Features:
- Power source: Corded electric, 1200W
- Cutting width: 32cm
- Grass box: 31L
- Carry handle: Yes
- Extra blade: Included
For a small lawn near a power socket, a light corded mower is the cheapest option. The Bosch EasyRotak 32-220 is the current version of Bosch’s small corded Rotak mower. The EasyRotak 32-220 is light enough to lift by its carry handle, and the handles fold down to store in tight spaces. Bosch designed the deck to cut cleanly along edges and walls. A spare blade comes in the box.
Pros:
- Light with a carry handle
- Cuts close to edges
- Spare blade included
- Budget price
Cons:
- Limited by the power cable
- Small lawns only
How to Buy the Best Mower for Small Gardens
Weight
In the weight stakes, cordless mowers win every time. Where robot and cordless self-propelled mowers are concerned, weight is crucial. Lightweight mowers consume less battery power and run for longer. Light mowers are nimble and easier to move around a small garden.
Materials
Ideally, the motor should be metal and the body plastic. Polymers like ABS are strong, heat- and impact-resistant and very durable. They don’t crack and break or lose their tensile strength over time.
They’re also very light, lighter in fact than aluminium. This is important where mowers are concerned, it means they’re both more manoeuvrable and easier to put away.
Size
Another aspect worth considering is size. Small, compact mowers can get into spots larger mowers can’t, like that narrow strip of grass between the path and the wall.
Some manufacturers of robot mowers claim you don’t have to bury the boundary wire. This is true in an ideal world where nothing ever goes wrong. In the real world, the boundary wire eventually sags, despite the tension hooks that keep it taut. The mower invariably finds this weak spot and runs over the wire, cutting it in two.
A boundary wire two or three inches underground, while out-of-reach of its blade, is still detectable to the automower’s sensors.
If you have moles in your garden, it’s worthwhile to check occasionally for any damage they might be doing to the boundary wire.
Cost
The price range is quite large so consider your needs and your budget. Invest in a lawn mower that will do the work you require, last for many years and be reliable.
FAQs
What type of lawn mower is easiest to use?
The easiest, in the long run, is a robot automower. Once installed and programmed with a mowing schedule, it can be left to its own devices.
What size mower do I need for a small yard?
The smaller, lighter, and more compact, the better. Small yards are rife with awkward, hard-to-reach spots that only a small mower or a strimmer with wheels or skates can cut evenly.
Does mower size matter?
A mower with a broad cutting width will do the job faster but you won’t be able to cut the narrow and awkwardly shaped patches. A narrow cutting width will take longer but, if it has a grass comb, you won’t have to clean up the edges with a strimmer.
How do I make my small garden lawn mower last?
Storing a lawn mower in a dry place is key. Wipe it down thoroughly after each use, taking note of any wear and tear that might prove problematic later. Sharpening the blade with a whetstone from time to time will improve the cut and reduce strain on the motor.
Conclusion
If the quality of the cut is important to you, a robot or a push mower are your best options. If not, a cordless or electric will do. Petrol mowers are a measure of last resort, being better suited to big gardens or allotments.
A small garden is best served by a small mower, the smaller, lighter and more compact the better. To get a better sense of scale, take some measurements, study the dimensions of your prospective purchase and take a walk around the garden looking for potential trouble spots. Give yourself time to process data before you make a decision. You can’t go wrong with any of the products we have recommended.
If you have any questions or comments, please let us know below.
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Charl is a full-time writer with a range of passions and expertise in lawn mowers and other garden power tools. After many years in the corporate rat race, he decided to follow these passions. When not writing, Charl can be found in his garden, tending to or propagating plants, keeping the lawn near perfect, and enjoying the outdoors with his dogs. He is also fascinated by emerging technology and tries to squeeze in a round of golf as often as possible.
