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How much of that robot mower would your yard use?
Updated
Type in the area from the box and the size of your lawn. The calculator adjusts the box number for your layout, slopes and number of zones, then tells you what share of the mower's real capacity you would use. If the maker gives an area per hour, it also estimates mowing hours.
Robot mower capacity check
This is an estimate. The layout, slope and zone factors are our own rule of thumb, not a maker figure. Husqvarna lists its own lawn sizes as plus or minus 20 percent, which is where the 0.8 for a yard with trees and beds comes from. We plan to use no more than 80 percent of the adjusted capacity, to leave room for rain days and fast spring growth.
A worked example
Take a 10,000 sq ft lawn with some trees and beds, a gentle slope and two zones (front and back). The factors are 0.8 for layout, 0.9 for slope and 0.95 for the second zone. Here is what each pick's box claim turns into:
| Mower | Box claim | Adjusted capacity | Share a 10,000 sq ft lawn uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Husqvarna Automower 410iQ | 21,780 sq ft | 14,800 sq ft | 68% |
| ECOVACS GOAT A2000 LiDAR PRO | 21,780 sq ft | 14,800 sq ft | 68% |
| WORX Landroid Vision Cloud WR320 | 21,780 sq ft | 14,800 sq ft | 68% |
| Mammotion LUBA mini 2 AWD 1500H | 16,117 sq ft | 11,000 sq ft | 91% |
| Segway Navimow i105N | 5,445 sq ft | 3,700 sq ft | 270% |
Anything at or under 80 percent is a comfortable fit. The three half-acre models fit at 68 percent. The LUBA mini 2 at 91 percent is tight and may fall behind in spring. The Navimow i105N is far too small for this lawn.
Mowing hours, where makers give a rate
Only two of our picks publish an area-per-hour figure. Navimow gives 60 to 100 m2 per hour for the i105, about 646 to 1,076 sq ft. ECOVACS claims up to 400 m2 per hour for the GOAT A2000, about 4,306 sq ft. Here is how long each takes to mow its own box-claim area once, at the claimed rate:
- Navimow i105N, 1/8 acre5.1 to 8.4 hours
- ECOVACS GOAT A2000, 1/2 acre5.1 hours
A robot mower does not mow once a week like you would. It trims a little, often. For a 5,000 sq ft lawn mowed three times a week, the Navimow's rate works out to about 13.9 to 23.2 hours of mowing a week, plus charging time. That is why a mower sized right at its limit falls behind when grass grows fast.
Why these factors
- Layout 0.8 or 0.65. Husqvarna lists its lawn sizes as plus or minus 20 percent, and says the result depends on grass type. Every tree, bed and narrow passage adds turns and edge work. A yard with lots of them loses more.
- Slope 0.9 or 0.75. Climbing uses more battery and the mower slows down. Near its limit it may also slip and need a second try.
- Zones, 5 percent each after the first. The mower has to drive between zones along a path you set, and that travel time is not mowing time. We stop the penalty at 30 percent.
These are our assumptions, and they are round numbers on purpose. Treat the result as a way to compare mowers, not a promise.
Check your own yard with the capacity calculator, or compare all six picks on the best robot mowers page.