5 of the best corded electric lawn mowers in 2026, as tested by our expert team

Lawn mowers – if you've got a garden, chances are you need one, even if you don't really like gardening at all. So it's a big market, with a lot of different products in different categories available, from basic hand-push mowers all the way up to modern cordless lawn mowers and robotic lawn mowers.

Despite all this, bang in the middle of the market still lies the classic lawn mower type that perhaps most sheds still house an example of – the corded electric lawn mower. And no wonder – corded mowers are cheap, lightweight and easy to use, so they're absolutely perfect if you want to stay within budget and keep things simple.

But even though this category is not as big as it used to be, there's still a ton of choice, and ample opportunity to get this purchase wrong. So that's why we have created this rundown of the best corded electric lawn mowers available to buy today.

From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on corded electric lawn mowers that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list. 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

Best Buy electric mowers at a glance

• Best electric mower for cable safety: Ryobi RLM13E 33S – RRP: £119.95
• Best electric mower for ease of use: Gardena PowerMax 1200/32 – RRP: £119.99
• Best electric mower all round: Webb WEER33 – RRP: £119.99
• Best electric mower for features: Cobra GTRM34 – RRP: £122.99
• Best budget electric mower: Mountfield Electress 38 – RRP: £159

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 corded electric lawn mowers, below:

Best corded electric lawn mowers

Mountfield Electress 38

RRP: £159

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon

Reasons to buy:

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

Reasons to avoid:

• 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 it has a useful six heights of cut, from 25-75mm, which are easy to change with a single lever. It manoeuvres well around the lawn despite its weight, and it's simple to use, producing a neat cut. It comes with a large grass collection box of 40 litres 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. 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

• Buy the Mountfield Electress 38 from Amazon and Mano Mano

Webb Weer33 electric lawn mower

RRP: £119.99

Our rating: 4.8/5

Available from: Amazon, Robert Dyas and Tool Station

Reasons to buy:

• Comfortable, light & easy to use
• Five cutting heights & easy to adjust
• Cuts efficiently & to the edge

Reasons to avoid:

• Black cable hard to see

This mower is well-designed and features excellent design elements. 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 allows for easy adjustment of these. The grass collection bag has a generous capacity of 35 litres, 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 also lightweight and comfortable to manoeuvre.

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

• Buy the Webb Weer 33 from Amazon, Robert Dyas and Tool Station

Gardena PowerMax 1200/32

RRP: £119.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: My Tool Shed and Tooled Up

Reasons to buy:

• Light & easy to manoeuvre
• Cuts to the edge
• Height of cut very easy to change
• Orange cable easy to see

Reasons to avoid:

• Grass box tricky to assemble

This mower offers incredibly precise cutting – it cuts between 20-60mm in 5mm increments. The 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

• Buy the Gardena PowerMax 1200/32 mower from Mano Mano, My Tool Shed and Tooled Up

Ryobi RLM13E 33S

RRP: £119.95

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: ManoMano and OnBuy

Reasons to buy:

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

Reasons to avoid:

• Noise high-pitched

This mower is simple to assemble and simple to use. Its handle folds for storage, 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 20-60mm, and these are easy to change with a simple lever. Its best feature 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: 89dB
• Warranty: three years

Read the full Ryobi RLM13E 33S review

• Buy the Ryobi RLM13E 33S from ManoMano and OnBuy

Cobra GTRM34 electric mower with rear roller

RRP: £122.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

Available from: Amazon and Just Lawnmowers

Reasons to buy:

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

Reasons to avoid:

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

Easy to put together, this mower has a 34cm 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, and it's easy to change them with a single lever on the deck.

The fabric grass bag has a capacity of 35 litres and compacts down flat for easy storage, as does the mower, which features 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

• Buy the Cobra GTRM34 electric corded mower from Amazon and Just Lawnmowers

The best of the rest

Although this model didn't quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, it still has features that make it worth recommending.

Stihl RME 235 electric lawn mower

RRP: £179

Our rating: 4/5

Available from: Amazon and Just Lawnmowers

Reasons to buy:

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

Reasons to avoid:

• Long assembly time
• Drive lever very stiff
• Black cable 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 also took us the longest to assemble in our test.

Specifications

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

• Buy the Stihl RME235 from Amazon and Just Lawnmowers

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

Budget Mowers Buyer's Guide - video

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

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

Why you can trust BBC Gardeners' World Magazine reviews

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

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

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 Magazine 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.

This review was last updated in January 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.