5 of the best corded electric lawn mowers in 2025, as tested by our expert team

Every mower has scored a minimum of 4.5 out of 5 overall, so you can be assured you’re looking at one of the best machines in its category, and each has a list of pros and cons, so you can see straight away what the standout features or issues are with each mower. Oliver Parsons, gardenersworld.com

Jump to

• BEST BUY electric mowers
• Best of the rest
• How to choose an electric mower
• How we tested electric mowers

Why you can trust Gardeners' World reviews

As trained gardeners and seasoned users of all sorts of garden tools, Kay Maguire, myself, and the rest of the team at BBC Gardeners' World Magazine have reviewed literally shedloads of lawn mowers over the years, using our trusted testing matrix to make sure we're giving balanced, fair judgements.

We test lawn mowers in varied, real-world conditions, cutting the sort of grass most of us actually have in our gardens. Because we're real-world gardeners with lots of experience, we know what to look out for and the sorts of things that will make all the difference once you're using a mower week in and week out.

We give each mower an at-a-glance list of pros and cons for clarity, and a rating out of five. We also don't share product reviews with manufacturers or retailers before they're published, and we don't accept payment in exchange for positive reviews, either. Oliver Parsons, gardenersworld.com

How we test the best lawn mowers

When we test lawn mowers, we follow the whole process from start to finish without any shortcuts. We unpack the mower from the box, put it together following the instructions (sometimes these are clear as mud, sometimes not!), and then get started, cutting grass over a wide area.

We mow over rough grass, smoother grass, slopes and bumps – whatever is in our way – just as you would with your own mower. And after that, we also take notes on how easy the mower is to fold down and put away, because if a mower is annoying in that regard you'll always hate using it.

Then, we score each model against these four criteria, with equal marks attributed to each one:

• Set-up and storage. We assess how easy the mower was to put together and fold up or store afterwards.
• Handling. We also judge the mower for how comfortable it is to use, and how easy it is to control. Handle-height adjustment, cut-height adjustment, overall weight and noise levels all make a big difference here.
• Mowing. Also important, we look at the cutting width and the range of cutting heights that can be selected. The capacity of the grass box, AKA collection bag, also makes a big difference here, and can save you from making constant trips over to the compost heap. We also look out for neat extra features such as cutting to the edge, or mulching modes.
• Value for money. Tricky but super-important: how well does the mower weigh up when you balance the quality, features, warranty and overall package of benefits against the price?

For more on our testing process across all the different gardening product categories, see How we review

In every review category, we award the most outstanding products our coveted Best Buy award. To see these and the others we recommend (the best of the rest), browse our pick of the best corded electric lawn mowers, below.

Meet our testing panel

Oliver Parsons, Strategic Projects Editor
Oliver is a gardener and magazine journalist of 20 years’ experience. He trained as a professional horticulturalist at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Chelmsford and has also worked for Gardening Which?, as a freelance gardener and with the gardening team at Down House in Kent. He is now Strategic Projects Editor at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and GardenersWorld.com, heading up our reviews desk, Apple News output and weekly newsletter.

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners' World for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

Harry Duncton, freelance powered tools tester
Harry has a wealth of experience, from being a language teacher to a tree surgeon, and has built this into a career writing about all things DIY and gardening. A passionate believer in self-reliance, his aim is to inspire others to give it a go themselves and not worry about making a few mistakes along the way. A regular contributor to popular DIY blogs and a recent addition to the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine team, he loves tracking down the best new tools and writing about them.

Sue Fisher, freelance garden writer
Sue’s extensive horticultural career spans over 40 years, starting with a decade in the garden centre and nursery industry before developing into an accomplished gardening writer, designer and speaker. Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com, and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening.

Emma Crawforth, Horticulture Editor
Emma holds the Kew Diploma in Horticulture and has been working in horticulture for 18 years, including roles in public gardens, a plant nursery supplying plants for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and a training college for young horticulturists. She looks after an ornamental, fruit and veg garden at home and regularly undertakes trips to see plants growing in their natural habitats. She is the author of the Kew Publications book, ‘Things to do with Plants’.

Budget Mowers Buyer's Guide- video

Follow our tips on choosing a budget mower to find the right one for your garden.

Best electric mowers to buy at a glance

• Best budget electric mower: Mountfield Electress 38
• Best electric mower all round: Webb WEER33
• Best electric mower for ease of use: Gardena PowerMax 1200/32
• Best electric mower for cable safety: Ryobi RLM13E 33S
• Best electric mower for features: Cobra GTRM34

In every review we award outstanding products our coveted Best Buy award. To see these and the others we recommend, browse our pick of the best electric lawn mowers, below:

Best electric lawn mowers

Mountfield Electress 38

RRP: £129

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from B & Q and Amazon UK

Pros

• Long cable
• Good choice of cutting heights
• Choice of handle heights
• Wide cutting width

Cons

• No cable safety clip

This sturdy electric mower feels robust and has a wide cutting width of 38cm, helping you mow the grass quickly, with fewer passes up and down the lawn. It's simple to put together, offering the choice of three handle heights to suit different users and has a useful six heights of cut, from 25 to 75 mm, which are easy to change with a single lever. It manoeuvres well around the lawn despite its weight and is simple to use, producing a neat cut. It comes with a large grass collection box of 40L too, so you're not constantly emptying clippings on the compost heap. When you've finished mowing, it's easy to store, with a handle that folds flat over the body of the mower, so it takes up very little room and a detachable cable that can be hung up or stored in a drawer. It has a long 15m cable, which should reduce the need for an extension lead, and only its black colour and lack of cable safety clip let it down. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for best budget mower in 2023.

Specifications

• Cutting width: 38cm
• Power: 1400W
• Weight: 11kg
• Noise: 95dB
• Warranty: 5 years

Webb Weer33 electric lawn mower

RRP: £129.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from Tool Station and Amazon

Pros

• Light and easy to manoeuvre
• Cuts to the edge
• Height of cut is the simplest to change
• Orange cable is easy to see

Cons

• The grass box is tricky to assemble

This mower is well thought out and has excellent features. It’s easy to assemble and folds for storage with a comfortable foam handle that can be adjusted to various heights. There are five cutting heights to choose from, and a single lever easily changes these. The grass collection bag has a generous 35L capacity and a full indicator that lets you know when it needs emptying. The mower is relatively quiet, and it cuts well, right up to the edge. It’s lightweight and comfortable to manoeuvre, and our only quibble is the black mower cable, which could be a brighter colour so it's easier to see. For just £99.99, this is a great value mower and we awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for best electric mower all-round in 2021.

Specifications

• Cutting width: 33cm
• Power: 1300W
• Weight: 8.8KG
• Noise: 89dB
• Warranty: 2 years

Read the full Webb Weer 33 review

Gardena PowerMax 1200/32

RRP: £119.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Tooled Up

Pros:

• Light and easy to manoeuvre
• Cuts to the edge
• Height of cut is the simplest to change
• The orange cable is easy to see

Cons:

• The grass box is tricky to assemble

This mower offers incredibly precise cutting – it cuts between 20-60mm in 5mm increments. This height of cut is very easy to control with a simple twist of a dial, making it great for gardeners who lack strength or dexterity. It’s light and easy to manoeuvre, with a tight turning circle, and we love the bright orange power cable, which is easy to spot in the grass. The grass box is easy to empty and indicates when it's full; however, we found it a little tricky to assemble. The handle, which folds for easy storage, is a little short for taller users. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for ease of use in 2021.

Specifications

• Cutting width: 32cm
• Power: 1,200W
• Weight: 8.3kg
• Noise: 94dB
• Warranty: 2 years

Read the full Gardena PowerMax 1200/32 mower review

Ryobi RLM13E 33S

RRP: £119.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from B&Q and OnBuy

Pros:

• Comfortable foam handle
• Light and easy to move
• Cuts to the edge
• Best cable relief clip
• Orange cable is easy to see

Cons:

• Noise high pitched

This mower is simple to assemble and simple to use. Its handle folds for storage and can be adjusted to a choice of heights, and it's light and comfortable to use. There are five cutting heights to choose from, ranging from 20 to 60mm, and these are easy to change with a simple lever. Its best feature, however, is a convenient and effective cable relief clip, which keeps the cable tucked safely out of the way while you mow. We awarded this lawn mower a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for best cable safety in 2021.

Specifications

• Cutting width: 33cm
• Power: 1,300W
• Weight: 9.9kg
• Noise: 89 dB
• Warranty: 3 years

Read the full Ryobi RLM13E 33S review

Cobra GTRM34 electric mower with rear roller

RRP: £122.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from Just Lawnmowers

Pros:

• Simple to assemble
• Comfortable and easy to use
• Cuts efficiently
• Cable relief clip for safety
• Rear roller
• Folds for easy storage

Cons:

• Doesn't cut to the edge
• Heavier than some

Easy to put together, this mower has a 34 cm cutting width and a rear roller for those ever-desirable stripes. Although it's reasonably heavy and may be harder to lift and carry than some of the mowers in our test, it feels well balanced and cuts and collects even long grass very well. There's a choice of seven cutting heights, which is easy to change with a single lever on the deck. The fabric grass bag has a 35L capacity, and it compacts down flat for easy storage, as does the mower, which has easy-clip levers on the handle and double-folds down over the mower's body. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for features in 2021.

Specifications

• Cutting width: 34cm
• Power: 1,300W
• Weight: 13 kg
• Noise: 96dB
• Warranty: 2 years

Read the full Cobra GTRM34 electric corded mower review

The best of the rest

Although some models didn't quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest on test.

Stihl RME 235 electric lawn mower

RRP: £179

Our rating: 4/5

Available from Just Lawnmowers

Pros:

• Sturdy and robust
• Quick-empty grass box
• Long warranty

Cons:

• Long assembly
• Drive lever is very stiff
• The black cable is hard to see

This mower does the basics very well. It's well thought out with an adjustable, folding handle for storage and a handy cable relief clip, and it has five cutting heights from 25-65mm, which are simple to change with a single lever. The grass box opens right up for easy emptying and has an indicator that lets you know when it's full. It feels sturdy and moves smoothly, but we found the drive lever a little uncomfortable and stiff. It was also the longest mower to assemble in our test.

Specifications

• Cutting width: 33cm
• Power: 1,200W
• Weight: 13kg
• Noise: 93dB
• Warranty: 5 years

How to choose an electric lawn mower

Not all budget electric mowers are basic machines. Consider the following points to help you choose the right electric mower for you:

• Where are you mowing? A convenient power socket is essential for an electric mower, but you may need an extension lead too. Check that the cable is long enough to reach all parts of your lawn. If your lawn runs right up to walls, fences, or raised beds, look for a model that cuts to the edge, or you’ll need to invest in a grass trimmer to neaten them up afterwards. Mowers typically offer between three and seven different cutting heights to choose from, depending on where you're mowing and the time of year. Changing height should be easy, preferably with a simple lever.
• What size mower do you need? The wider the cutting width, the quicker the mower will cut your lawn. However, there is a trade-off. Mowers with a wider width have a bigger deck and are heavier and less easy to manoeuvre around trees or furniture. A wider cutting width is therefore best for large expanses of grass, while smaller models are ideal for nipping up and down little lawns and negotiating beds and borders. Bigger mowers typically have larger grass collectors, which will save you time going back and forth to the compost to empty the clippings. Either plastic or fabric, many have a window or indicator that lets you know when they’re full. Plastic boxes can be tricky to assemble, and even less easy to dismantle; fabric collection bags take up less room in storage.
• Is it safe? Electric mowers have a two-stage start for safety – pressing a push button and grasping the drive lever, but the electric cable is an obvious safety hazard. If you’re concerned about tripping over the cable or cutting it accidentally when you’re mowing, look for a model with a brightly coloured lead that’s easy to spot. A cable relief clip will help to keep it tucked out of the way of the blade and will also prevent it from being snagged and ripped out. For safety, always use an RCD (Residual Current Device) plugged into the electric socket before plugging in your mower.
• Where will you store it? No matter the model, these are fairly bulky machines. However, the handles of most mowers can be partly unscrewed to fold over the body of the mower; others are designed to unclip and double fold completely flat. If you need to lift the mower up steps into storage or onto a shelf, make a note of its weight and whether there are carry handles to make this easier.
• What do you get for your money? The quality of materials is often relative to the price. Lightweight plastic is unlikely to last as long as a metal deck, and brushless motors are more powerful, efficient, and longer-lasting. Warranty length also varies, with some brands offering a longer warranty if the mower is registered.

This review was last updated in August 2025. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.