Whether you always pride yourself on your perfectly mown lawn, or you’ve decided that this is the year you’re finally going to start taking care of your garden, investing in the best electric lawn mower is certainly a worthwhile purchase.
Producing a fraction of the noise of the best petrol lawn mowers, and being lighter and easier to use, electric lawn mowers are perfectly suited to small to medium sized lawns.
There are, as always, a lot of different models out there, and looking for the best electric lawn mower for your garden can leave you scratching your head in confusion. The following advice has been put together to help you make an informed decision, alongside our electric lawn mower reviews above.
The Importance of Lawn Mower Cutting Width
A larger mowing width may help you get jobs done faster, but may not offer such good manoeuvrability.
From the electric lawn mowers I reviewed, mowing width ranged from 36 – 45 cm. This is quite a big variation and is good to bear in mind when buying a new lawn mower.
For larger gardens without many obstacles to navigate, look for electric lawn mowers with a wider cutting width to save time. You’ll be able to cover a larger area in fewer passes. However, the mower is likely to be a bit more cumbersome than slighter models.
If your garden is small with a lot of trees and flower beds to manoeuvre around, a smaller cutting width is more practical.
Similarly, if you have a medium-large garden, but a lot of narrow areas, it’s better to go for a narrower mower. Having to do a few more passes is generally better than being forced to leave parts of the garden unmown because the machine won’t fit.
Look at The Adjustable Cutting Heights & Range
Most electric lawn mowers come with a range of cutting heights to choose from. The exact number of heights available, and their range, will depend on the machine you purchase. While some have 3 different heights to choose from, more advanced models can have up to 8.
If your garden is very overgrown, it’s recommended to look for electric lawn mowers with a taller maximum cutting height (like 70 or 80 mm). You’ll be better off cutting the grass on a higher setting first, then cutting it down shorter.
If you try to go in too short too quickly, you’ll likely overwhelm your lawn mower. This can cause it to cut out, or result in the battery running down quickly (if it’s a battery-powered mower, of course!).
If you’re after very short, pristine-looking grass, a cutting height of around 20 mm is generally ideal. Most lawn mowers go down to this height, but just keep an eye out as a few models have a minimum cutting height of 30 mm instead.
Lawn Mower Comfort and Ease of Use
Electric lawn mowers should be both comfortable and easy to use.
This is partly dictated by weight. For example, a lightweight lawn mower will be easier to take in and out of storage. It will also be easier to push, if the mower isn’t power-assisted.
Checking the weight of the lawn mower before purchasing it is vital – it’s better to go for something that you can move easily (and will therefore use often), even if it’s slightly less powerful, rather than something that will be very difficult to carry.
Other factors that improve comfort include grippy, shock-absorbing handles. These can also help reduce vibrations and make mowing for longer periods more pleasant.
An adjustable handle is another good feature to look out for. If you can alter the handle height, even taller or shorter members of the family will have no excuse not to help out with the mowing!
Jokes aside, an adjustable handle can really help avoid any back pain from mowing.
Still on the subject of handles, folding handles are a useful addition that make electric lawn mowers infinitely easier to store. Having a more compact mower can make life easier by freeing up space in the shed.
Lawn Mower Collection Bag Capacity
If your lawn mower comes with a collection bag above 50 L in size, you should be able to tackle most jobs without having to stop and empty it.
Larger bags (or boxes) mean less emptying, but they do make the mower heavier. Therefore, there’s a bit of a balance to made between grass-collector size and the weight that you’re willing to push around.
Alternatively, look for a mower with a mulching function which will shred the cuttings finely and redistribute them over the lawn. Mulch helps fertilise the lawn and retain moisture during the summer months. By using the mulching function you won’t fill up the collection-box, so you won’t need to stop to empty it.Â
Not all of the best electric lawn mowers have a mulching feature, so you should specifically look out for this if it’s something that interests you.
Back To Contents