The 8 Best Lawn Mowers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

EGO Power+ 21-Inch Self-Propelled Mower

$549 At Amazon View On Acmetools.com View On Mscdirect.com

Our Ratings

• Design
  4.8/5
• Performance
  4.5/5
• Usability
  4/5
• Safety
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

After six months of testing through different weather and grass conditions, the Ego Power+ 21-inch Self-Propelled Mower is our top pick for most yards. We found it easy to use on different terrains and around obstacles, and we loved how it kept our grass nicely manicured all season long.

Powered by an included 56-volt, 7.5 Ah battery, the mower can run up to one hour before needing a recharge, meaning you'll be able to mow just about any lawn up to 0.50 acre on a single charge. Our small Iowa lawn (less than a quarter acre) was easily completed before the battery ran down. However, if you have a bigger lawn, we love that the battery is compatible with other Ego Power+ tools (like cordless leaf blowers and hedge trimmers), so you can easily swap it out with another without having to wait for it to recharge.

Overall, we loved how easy it was to start, remove, and empty the bag, and adjust the six different cutting heights (between 1.5 to 4 inches) of this mower. Even after we were away for 10 days, the mower tackled the tall, thicker grass without an issue, and thanks to how easy it is to adjust the cutting height, we could easily move it up and down with one hand when we came across any uneven areas. Mowing leaves or damp grass was also easy, and we never encountered any issues with the mower getting clogged.

We like that you can set the mower's "walking speed" to match your own pace, from a leisurely 0.9 mph to a more brisk 3.1 mph. We kept it on the slow side, and it was easy to mow up and down a small slope as well as around trees. But if you'd rather push the mower yourself, you can shut the self-propelled feature off and operate the mower without it.

Keep in mind that if you've never used a self-propelled mower before, it might take a little bit of getting used to. We found that there was a slight learning curve to adjusting the speed and not letting the mower pull us rather than us guiding it. Plus, the instructions weren't as clear as we'd like. However, once we became accustomed to the feel of the mower propelling itself, it was very easy to maneuver around trees and other obstacles.

This mower includes three different ways to deal with the grass clippings, which we also found easy to use: It can mulch the grass clippings, spew them as-is out the side, or collect them in the included 2-bushel bag. It has LED headlights, so you can easily see your path, even if cutting at dawn or dusk, and folds to save storage space.

_{Cutting Width: 21 inches | Power Type: Battery | Weight: 82 pounds | Cutting Options: Bag, mulch, side-discharge}

Best Battery Mower

Ryobi 21-Inch Dual-Blade Self-Propelled Mower

$599 At Home Depot View On Ryobitools.com

Our Ratings

• Design
  5/5
• Performance
  4.3/5
• Usability
  4.8/5
• Safety
  5/5
• Value
  4/5

For lawns up to 0.75 of an acre, we found this self-propelled battery-powered lawn mower from Ryobi to be a powerful and easy-to-use option. Thanks to the powerful 40-volt, 6.0 Ah battery and brushless motor, it gives you up to 70 minutes of run time (10 minutes more than our best overall). Like our best overall, the Ego Power+ Mower, it has a 21-inch deck, but it provides even more cutting heights (seven ranging from 1.5 to 4 inches), so you can cleanly cut even tall or thick grass with ease.

While testing, we found that it handled slopes and bumpy ground with ease. Start-up couldn't be easier; just push the power button, and you're on your way. We found it easy to assemble and really appreciated how easy it was to use all of the settings without a struggle or any confusion.

We gave this mower a try for our very first mowing session of the season, so the lawn was close to six inches high and had a light covering of dead leaves. The mower had no issues with the tall grass and cleanly sliced right through it with ease. We did find that while trying out the clippings bag, some grass blew out around the bag’s edges, but other than that, it did an excellent job of cleanly cutting the lawn.

On the subsequent two test mows, the mower performed beautifully, and we found it easy to maneuver. We kept the self-propel speed on the lowest setting for most of our test period, as it is quite fast on high. 

Similar to the Ego, you can mulch your grass clippings, discharge them to the side, or catch them in the included easy-lift bag. The bag is very simple to remove from the mower without fuss or strain, although we found it a bit tricky to replace. There is an LED headlight that comes in handy when mowing very early in the morning or after dusk, and once you're finished for the day, the mower folds for compact vertical storage, a feature we especially loved.

While there are many similarities between this and our best overall option, the Ryobi provides a little more runtime, and if you are already using tools in their 40-volt system (like a snow blower or pressure washer), you can use the same batteries.

How It Performed Long-Term

We used this mower weekly over a six-month period and have fallen even more in love with the self-propelled feature that helps us tackle uneven ground and hills with little effort. We also appreciate the long battery life: We were able to mow our very small lawn up to four times without a charge! Our only complaint is that the mower does not collect weeds or leaves and just leaves them in the grass, so we have to collect them ourselves after they are cut. Other than that one small wish, we are impressed with all of the mower's features and performance and have had no other complaints.

_{Cutting Width: 21 inches | Power Type: Battery | Weight: 75 pounds | Cutting Options: Bag, mulch, side-discharge}

Best Zero-Turn Mower

Ryobi Brushless 42-Inch Electric Zero Turn Riding Mower

$3,999 At Home Depot View On Ryobitools.com

Our Ratings

• Setup
  5/5
• Design
  5/5
• Performance
  5/5
• Usability
  4.8/5
• Safety
  4.8/5

This is a battery-powered riding mower, but it certainly doesn’t lack for power; Ryobi claims its four included batteries—two 80-volt, 10-amp hour and two 40-volt, 12-amp hour—provide the equivalent of 31 horsepower and can handle up to 3 acres of lawn on a single charge. While the lawn we tested this mower in isn’t that large (a half-acre property in Iowa), we didn’t come close to draining the batteries during our testing sessions. And we agree that this riding mower is loaded with power. 

But that’s not all we loved about this zero-turn mower. Unlike other riding mowers we tested, this one uses Ryobi’s iDrive joystick rather than a steering wheel, pedals, or levers to steer the machine and control its speed. We found it very easy to use, and it made driving the mower a lot of fun. The mower has a 42-inch deck (double the length of our best overall pick), a cutting height range of 1.5 inches to 4.5 inches that is easily set with a single lever, and four cutting blades; we found that it easily handled tall grass, thick weeds, wet turf, and small lawn debris without a hitch.

We also found it very quiet—we were able to converse with nearby family members with the mower powered on. It also has excellent suspension that absorbs bumps and vibration, making the ride very smooth and comfortable. And as with all zero-turn mowers, it turns on a dime, making it easy to maneuver around all manners of obstacles.

We also loved all of the extras: It has headlights, cup holders, and USB ports for powering up your phone. It discharges clippings to the side, but you can purchase a bagger or mulching kit separately if desired.

Note that we had a bumpy start when we initially received this zero-turn mower, as our first machine had an electrical defect that rendered it unusable. However, the manufacturer not only sent a technician to attempt to figure out the problem but ultimately quickly replaced the mower with a new one that arrived fully assembled and ready to go. We were impressed with the excellent quality of service.

How It Performed Long-Term

After testing at home for six months, we continue to be impressed with this riding mower's consistent performance in a variety of weather conditions. Even with the riding mower's battery life below 50 percent, we had no issue cutting our half-acre lawn. However, we still avoid using it on a slope in our yard when it's wet to avoid slipping. We love not having to deal with gas exhaust on hot days and appreciate the quiet operation. While it might not be the best choice for everyone's budget, it's a great zero-turn mower to splurge on, and we found that it saves you time, especially compared to tractor models we've used in the past.

_{Cutting Width: 42 inches | Power Type: Battery | Weight: 700 pounds | Cutting Options: Side discharge}

Best Budget Mower

Greenworks 20-Inch 3-in-1 Corded Lawn Mower

$230 At Amazon

Our Ratings

• Design
  5/5
• Performance
  4.8/5
• Usability
  4.8/5
• Safety
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

If you have a small lawn that's no more than 0.25 acre (a typical size for a suburban lawn in many parts of the US), we recommend the Greenworks 3-in-1 Lawn Mower, a mower that impressed us when we tested it in the past. During our latest round of testing, we tested this model again in one of our own backyards on three separate days and found it simple to assemble (It only took around 10 minutes to be up and running), easy to turn on, and comfortable to use.

We also had no trouble folding down the handle when it was time to store the mower and appreciated its small size. Overall, we continue to be impressed with this push mower's features, performance on flat lawns or gently sloped terrain, and value. While the grass was still not quite recovered from its winter dormancy on our testing days, there were a fair amount of tall weeds, and the mower easily chewed through them as well as through the patchy areas of grass. On the downside, the lowest cutting height wasn’t quite low enough to reach some patches of clover.

We found it very intuitive to adjust the cutting height—no need to read the instructions—through the seven settings that range from 1.5 to 3.75 inches. That covers the most common types of lawn grass. This electric corded push mower has a 20-inch steel cutting deck. The powerful 12-amp motor starts up at the push of a button; no frustrating struggles with a pull cord. And once it's running, it has no trouble neatly slicing through even long or thick grass.

We ran it over some small bumpy areas of lawn and over fallen leaves without any hiccups or difficulties. Even wet grass was easy to mow cleanly. We tested all three options for the grass clippings: shoot them out onto the grass as-is from the side of the mower, mulch them first, or bag them for disposal. We found it very easy to attach and detach the bag and easily dumped the clippings into our compost bin, although we did find that it was easy to spill the clippings while doing so. The mower mulched well, leaving a dense coating of clippings across the lawn. 

While it comes with a 50-liter collection bag, you will need to purchase a 16-gauge, 50-foot, or 14-gauge 100-foot extension cord for operation, and you have to navigate around the cord as you mow. A cord lock helps keep it from accidentally unplugging while you work, although we would have liked another clip to keep the cord out of the way while mowing. However, you won't have to worry about battery run time, as with a cordless mower, nor will you have smelly fumes as with a gas mower.

How It Performed Long-Term

After using this lawn mower for six months, we adjusted the cutting height and found that it cut through thicker and taller grass without any issues, even during changing temperatures. Although the damp grass made the bag heavier to empty, it was still easy to cut. During each use, we continued to find this mower to be easy to use and never reported any technical difficulties or hiccups. We do want to note that it's good to have the right length of extension cord so that it doesn't get in the way of reaching all areas of your lawn, but we had a fairly small lawn, so it wasn't too much of an issue.

_{Cutting Width: 20 inches | Power Type: Corded electric | Weight: 56 pounds | Cutting Options: Bag, mulch, side-discharge}

Best Gas Mower

Honda 21-Inch Gas Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

$549 At Home Depot View On Northerntool.com

Our Ratings

• Design
  3.7/5
• Performance
  4.8/5
• Usability
  4.2/5
• Safety
  5/5
• Value
  4.5/5

If you are looking for a powerful gas-powered lawn mower, you can't go wrong with this self-propelled model from Honda. We loved that it started on the first pull every time; no struggling with a pull cord as with many other gas mowers. We found it very easy to maneuver many tree roots on our property, leaving our lawn looking even and smooth, with no ragged edges or missed spots. Plus. it effortlessly tackled even thick grass and slightly damp grass without hesitation.

This mower has a four-stroke, GCV 170-cc engine with auto-choke technology, so you can fill the tank with straight, unleaded gasoline. There's no need to mix the gas with oil, as in lesser mowers with two-stroke engines. With a 21-inch cutting deck, you can quickly work your way across lawns up to an acre in size, including lawns with hills or uneven terrain, thanks to the rear-wheel drive.

There are seven settings for the cutting height, ranging from 1 inch to 4 inches, and changing the setting is as simple as moving a lever. We did not need to look at the instructions for switching the cutting heights; the controls were quite intuitive and easy to understand at a glance.

Once you start walking, you can adjust the “stride" of this self-propelled mower for speeds up to 4 mph. However, we found that this was somewhat tricky, as small adjustments to the speed paddle sometimes resulted in big jumps in the mower’s speed. You can turn the self-propelled feature off if you want, turning this into a regular push mower. The handle adjusts to two different height positions to match your own height, which is especially useful if you are shorter or taller than average.

The mower has Honda's MicroCut Twin Blades System, which provides exceptionally clean cuts to minimize grass wear and tear while reducing the clippings to very fine pieces that can be mulched, bagged, or side-discharged. We found it very easy to set all three options, and we were especially impressed by how well the mower reduces grass clippings into mulch.

Our only other complaint with this mower was that while the 1.9-bushel clippings bag was very easy to remove, grass clippings often clogged the receptacle, making it tough to get the bag back in place without scooping out the clogged grass.

Like many gas mowers, you will need to change the oil in this one periodically. Honda recommends changing the oil after the first month of use and then every six months after that, using SAE 10W-30, API SJ or later for the best performance. This lawn mower has plastic wheels, not rubber, but it still rolled well over dry and damp grass without a problem, and it handled even tall or thick grass with ease. When you're done mowing, the handle folds down for easy storage.

How It Performed Long-Term

We tested this gas lawn mower for six months, and it exceeded our expectations. What really impressed us was how quickly and easily it sliced through areas of thick grass and tough weeds. We put the mower through its paces in hot, humid, and dewy grass environments, and it has performed well in all of them. This mower has shown to be dependable and long-lasting because it performed admirably even in the most extreme conditions.

_{Cutting Width: 21 inches | Power Type: Gas | Weight: 82 pounds | Cutting Options: Bag, mulch, side-discharge}

Best for Large Yards

Toro TimeCutter Zero-Turn Riding Mower

$3,799 At Ace Hardware

Our Ratings

• Setup
  5/5
• Design
  4.5/5
• Performance
  5/5
• Usability
  4.8/5
• Safety
  4.7/5

If you have a yard up to 4 acres in size and you want the power and performance of a commercial riding mower, we recommend this beast from Toro. It has a 50-inch deck that allows you to cut wide and cut fast; the top speed is 7 mph. We tested this mower on a property with a lot of trees and other obstacles and definitely found the zero-turn function to be handy as we easily swung around whatever came our way, yet still managed to mow cleanly, very close to all obstacles.

It did take us a bit of time to get the hang of using hand levers to control the mower's speed, direction, brakes, and blade engagement, but once we did, we found it very easy to maneuver. We slipped a bit while mowing a wet slope, but otherwise, we had no problems tackling tall and thick grass, wet grass, and small yard debris like twigs and leaves. It's also very easy to set the cutting height, which ranges from 1.5 inches to 4.5 inches.

Some riding mowers can be rather bumpy or have a lot of vibration, but thanks to Toro's MyRide suspension system, we found this mower to be very smooth and comfortable, even when mowing over rough terrain. It gave the lawn a very even cut, leaving our lawn looking professionally groomed. The clippings shot out far enough to the side to avoid unsightly clumps. If you prefer a bagger or mulching kit, you can purchase those separately.

While it does require periodic oil and filter changes, it's designed to make the procedure as easy as possible, with no tools required. We appreciated the built-in cup holder but did note that, unlike many other riding mowers, this one does not have headlights. Still, while admittedly an investment, we feel the power and performance of this commercial-quality mower make it worth the cost if you have a large property.

How It Performed Long-Term

After six months of testing, we continue to be impressed by the performance and quality of this mower. While there was a bit of a learning curve at first, now we have no issues using it at all, and in fact, we find ourselves mowing the lawn more often (one to two times a week). Just note that depending on the obstacles in your yard, you may still need to use a trimmer and push mower—we've found that certain areas are hard to maneuver around and require additional tools to keep our yard looking its best.

_{Cutting Width: 50 inches | Power Type: Gas | Weight: 694 pounds | Cutting Options: Bag, mulch, side-discharge}

Best Robotic Mower

Worx Landroid M Robotic Lawn Mower

$896 At Amazon $1,247 At Home Depot $1,171 At Walmart

If you'd prefer to remain comfortably indoors while someone—or something—else does the mowing for you, then the WORX WR155 Landroid M is the mower of your dreams. This robotic lawn mower can handle lawns up to 0.50 acre in size, and once you set out the perimeter wires to keep it safely contained and download the Landroid app onto your phone, you're ready to set it loose. While we didn't personally test this mower on our own lawns, it consistently receives excellent reports from both pleased buyers and landscaping experts.

With its 8-inch cutting width and adjustable cutting heights from 1.5 to 3.5 inches, your Landroid will work tirelessly to keep your lawn looking its best. When it's time for the 20-volt, 6-Ah battery to recharge—it can get up to 90 minutes of run-time before that happens—the Landroid will guide itself to the charging dock and settle down for the 1.5 hours it takes to recharge. Then it's back to work if you desire; you can set up whatever mowing schedule you'd like in the app, but it's a good idea to let the mower run frequently so the grass won't get too high, which could bog it down. The grass clippings are extremely fine and left as mulch on your lawn.

If the Landroid bumps into an obstacle, it automatically stops and then heads in a different direction. While its movements across your lawn look random, it's actually following a complex algorithm that lets it cover the entire yard without missing spots. The blades will automatically lift when going over rough terrain but don't set your robotic mower in an area that's very rugged or full of rocks. Nor can it handle inclines of more than 20 degrees.

This mower "knows" when the grass is too wet for mowing and will automatically return to its dock when it rains. It also easily handles narrow pathways and can cut right up to the edges of your lawn, something other robotic mowers struggle with. While this isn't an inexpensive option, it's worth it if you don't want to have to take time out of your schedule for regular lawn maintenance.

_{Cutting Width: 8 inches | Power Type: Battery | Weight: 21 pounds | Cutting Options: Mulch}

Best Reel Mower

American Lawn Mower Company Manual Reel Mower

$90 At Amazon $90 At Walmart $90 At Lowe's

Although we didn't test this manual mower, it's consistently one of the highest-rated reel mowers by pleased buyers. We like that it can tackle up to 0.25 of an acre and is lightweight and easy to maneuver at 19 pounds. With this old-fashioned, environmentally friendly manual reel mower, it's just you, your lawn, and the snip-snip of the four blades as they rapidly spin while making perfect cuts through your grass.

This mower has a 14-inch deck and adjustable cutting heights from 0.50 to 1.75 inches. It can easily handle grass that's no more than four inches high, especially fine-bladed cool-season grasses like bluegrass, fescue, or rye. You'll need to clear out sticks, small rocks, and other debris, however, as they can jam the blades if you mow over them.

There's very little maintenance with this mower; you'll need to sharpen the blades every few years, and for best performance, wipe them off after cutting the grass. That's about it. The clippings deposit right onto the grass, where you can leave them or rake them up if desired. American Lawn Mower Company does sell a separate catch-bag for this manual mower, however.

_{Cutting Width: 14 inches | Power Type: Manual | Weight: 19 pounds | Cutting Options: Not applicable}