Electric lawnmowers tested and reviewed by Mark Haley in the UK for 2025

Choosing an electric lawn mower means looking at the size of your lawn and comparing this to the cutting width and power of any particular product. For smaller lawns that are less than 200 square metres, you’ll need something with a 30 to 34cm deck. Medium sized lawns between 200-350 square metres will require a cutting deck between 34 and 40cm and finally a large lawn that exceeds 350 square metres will need a deck wider than 40cm.

While it’s true that an electric mower is far easier to maintain than a petrol one, you will still need to take good care of it. Regularly sharpening the blades will ensure a neat and clean cut, while cleaning any debris and grass from the deck will ensure that the metal doesn’t corrode and the mower has as long a life as possible. Also keeping the mower’s deck clean will ensure that the mower’s ability to collect the grass effectively is not negatively impacted.

We all know that water and electricity don’t mix, so it’s important to keep your mower away from moisture where possible. Failing to do this could cause water to get into the motor which will ultimately damage it. The good news is that most modern electric mowers have a good quality cover that protects the internal parts from a little moisture. Please consult your operator manual for safe use of your electric mower.

Your electric lawn mower is fitted with air vents to ensure good airflow and this feature is there to prevent the machine from overheating. However, it is more than possible for these vents to become blocked with grass, which will then lead to problems. The best thing for this is to ensure that your mower is kept clean.

It is never a good idea to cut your grass when it is wet, especially not with an electric mower. Water and moisture can damage the mower’s motor, not to mention it’s potentially dangerous. Moreover, grass is more likely to clump when it is wet, which will make it more difficult for it to be propelled into the grass bag.

One of the biggest advantages of using an electric lawn mower is that they are much quieter than their petrol-powered cousins. That said, different brands will run at different noise levels, so it’s still always a good idea to check this out before purchasing.

Petrol mowers have always had a reputation for being the most powerful and this is true although modern corded electric mowers are beginning to rival this power. But whether they are better or not is a different thing entirely. A corded electric mower is ideal for smaller gardens and for convenience. However, they might not be as good as petrol for much larger lawns which require more power and freedom of movement.

The convenience of an electric mower is obvious and one of the best things about them is that you don’t need to top the engine up with oil or fuel in the same way that you would when using a petrol mower. This is ideal for people who want something low maintenance and easy to use.

Electric mowers cannot be called bad as a general term. For the most part, these are reliable and powerful machines that will make light work of cutting your lawn. However, they aren’t always suitable and it’s important to weigh up the features to make sure they’re right for you and your garden. For example, the cord can get in the way, and you may require an extension cable for bigger lawns. Moreover, since they don’t have as much power as petrol mowers, you may find them unsuitable for very challenging terrain or dense grass.

When we talk about an electric mower, we are referring to those machines that feature a power cable that must be plugged into the mains. However, more conveniently, cordless mowers do not have a cord and instead run on rechargeable batteries. While many of the other features are the same, the way that they are powered is the key difference.

A spark plug is a component of a petrol-powered engine and is there to ignite the fuel and air within the engine cylinders in order to create power. However, since electric mowers have a power cable that connects to the mains, it is this that powers them, so spark plugs are not needed. This means that there is less maintenance, as with a petrol mower you would need to check and replace these spark plugs on a regular basis.

One of the best things about modern electric corded lawn mowers is that they have many of the same features as petrol mowers. This often includes the ability to mulch the grass cuttings. Although it is important to keep in mind that not all corded mowers have this feature, so do check this before you buy.

No. Electric mowers are not as complex as petrol and cordless, so are cheaper to purchase from the off. What’s more, they don’t require replacement parts or heavy maintenance, so they’re much cheaper to run. Of course, you must also consider that they may not last as long and so you’ll likely need to buy a new mower more often than you would if you had a petrol-powered machine.