Looking for the best mower to quickly and easily mow a small lawn?
In this guide, I’ve discussed the best types of mowers for small gardens, so you can choose the most suitable mower for your needs.
✅ Key Takeaways:
The best mower types for small lawns are electric corded mowers and cordless lawn mowers.
Other good choices are hover mowers, manual mowers, and robot mowers.
Some features to look for in the best lawn mower for small gardens are a lightweight design, a narrower cutting width, features for easy storage, and multiple cutting heights.
Table of Contents
❓ Which Mowers Are Best For Small Lawns?
I recommend corded electric mowers as the best lawn mowers for small lawns.
That’s because these mowers are best suited to most people’s needs. They’re quick and easy to set up and powerful to use, so they’re ideal for people who just want the quickest and most efficient solution to lawn mowing.
You do have to be careful when mowing around the cord, but you won’t have to worry about mowing restrictions or setting up an extension lead if your garden is small.
However, that’s not to say that corded electric mowers are definitely the right choice for you. It all depends on your personal lawn mowing preferences.
The great thing about owning a house with a small lawn is that you’re open to the biggest variety of lawn mower types because you don’t have to take into account the restrictions that larger lawns may have.
i’ve discussed all the different mower types that you could use to mow a small lawn below.
- Brand: Gardena
Price: ££
Power source: Battery
Cutting width: 22cm
Cut height range: 30-50mm
Weight: 6.2 kilograms
Grass box capacity: N/A
Dimensions (DxWxH): 38 x35 x 12.5cm
Power: 18 V battery (not included)
🏆 Best Mower Types For Small Gardens
Here you’ll find my top recommended mowers for small gardens.
🔌 Electric Corded Mowers
I think corded eclectic lawn mowers are the best lawn mowers for small lawns because they’re easy to use, they have a grass box for efficient collection of grass clippings, and they offer a powerful performance because they’re plugged directly into mains electricity.
These mowers are lighter than other mower kinds, and they’re also more affordable, with smaller lawn mowers in this category costing as little as £70.
Corded electric mowers are widely popular, and there are tens of different options to choose from. You can choose a corded electric mower with all your preferred features, whether you’re specifically looking for a mulching mower, a mower with grass combs for edge cutting, or a model with a rear roller for a striped lawn.
The average length of an electric mower’s power cord is 10 metres, which means you can comfortably cover the entirety of a small garden without having to faff about with an extension lead.
Yes, the power cord itself is a bit annoying, and you’ll need to make sure to avoid mowing over it, but I think that’s a fair sacrifice for a mower that’s so easy and convenient to use in a small garden.
🔋 Cordless (Battery-Operated) Mowers
Cordless mowers, otherwise known as battery mowers, are a cord-free alternative to corded electric lawn mowers.
These mowers are a good choice for small gardens because they eliminate the hassle of a cord, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally running it over. While a cordless lawn mower does have a somewhat limited battery life (around 30 minutes), it should give you plenty of time to cut grass on a small lawn.
The reason why I personally think the cordless mower is second place to the corded mower is that remembering to charge and change the battery can be a hassle.
You can’t just get this mower out and start mowing whenever you want. There needs to be some advanced forethought for you to charge the battery and bring it to full power before you mow your lawn. Battery-operated mowers also aren’t as powerful as corded electric models, so the blade may struggle more on longer grass or rough terrain.
Also keep in mind that a cordless lawn mower battery is heavy and will add around 5 kg of weight compared to a corded model.
✈️ Hover Mowers
I recommend hover mowers for smaller lawns that are unevenly shaped or have lots of crevices and tight spots that need mowing. Why? Because a hover mower isn’t restricted by wheels, meaning it can be easily maneuvered in all directions, including left and right.
Hover lawn mowers float on a cushion of air, and they’re usually corded (although cordless models are also available).
They essentially offer the same performance as any other electric mower, and they typically come with all the features you want, like a grass box and multiple cutting heights, but they’re a particularly good choice for irregular lawns because of their extra maneuverability.
💪 Manual Mowers
If you like the idea of getting in some good exercise while you mow your lawn, consider a manual mower.
Manual mowers, also called reel mowers or push mowers, are powered by the person pushing them, rather than electricity or petrol.
That means they’re more of an arm workout to use, but they have plenty of positives, including environmental-friendliness, no noise pollution, easy maintenance, and a low upfront cost (as little as £45).
Manual mowers are also cylinder lawnmowers, as opposed to electric and petrol mowers, which are typically rotary mowers. Cylinder blades spin vertically and use a scissor-like cutting action that’s better for your grass health and allows you to cut shorter – great news if you like the manicured lawn look.
🤖 Robot Mowers
Finally, if you have a big budget and you like your mod-cons, I recommend looking at a robot mower for your small lawn.
A robotic mower works autonomously, which means it cuts your lawn automatically based on pre-programming. You need to lay a boundary wire (included with the mower) around the perimeter of your lawn before you get started so the mower knows where to cut.
You can use a robot mower for small, medium, and large lawns, but the models for small lawns are more affordable. That said, they’re still expensive, with a starting price of around £400 for a basic model.
If you think the hassle of getting out your mower for a 5-minute cut of your small lawn is a poor use of your time, a robot lawn mower is well worth considering.
📝 Features To Look For In A Mower For Small Gardens
Here are some of the features that you should look for when searching for the best lawn mower for small gardens:
🏋🏻 Lightweight Design
First and foremost, you want your mower to have a lightweight design.
The lighter the mower, the easier it is to carry and maneuver. Since your lawn is only small, there’s no need to spend money on a larger, bulkier model that will take up more space in storage.
Most small lawn mowers for smaller gardens are lightweight. A good weight range for a small electric mower is 10-15 kilograms, and manual mowers are even lighter – around 6-8 kilograms.
A lightweight design makes your mower easier to use because it’ll require less effort to push it back and forth, maneuver it around corners, and mow up and down hills.
📏 Narrow Cutting Width
A narrow cutting width is another important feature of the best small lawn mower for smaller gardens.
Buying a smaller mower means you will have to do a couple more laps of your lawn because the mower’s cutting deck doesn’t cover as much ground widthways.
However, I think there’s no point in buying a wider mower that’s harder to maneuver and turn in a relatively small space. You may as well save your money and spend less on a mower with a smaller cutting width that’s better suited to mowing small lawns with tight spaces and limited turning room.
📐 Multiple Cutting Heights
Like any decent lawn mower, I think the best mower for small gardens should have at least three cutting heights to choose from.
Having the flexibility to customize your mower’s cutting heights means you can tailor your cut to the original grass height and your desired end result.
Plus, if you let your grass grow too long (something that’s easy to do regardless of your lawn size), you can adjust the height of cut to gradually cut your grass shorter in multiple rounds of your lawn, which won’t stress the grass or put too much strain on the mower’s motor.
The best small lawn mowers have five-to-seven cutting heights, so you can mow at just the right height for your situation.
📡 Features For Easy Storage
If your lawn is small, it’s likely that your shed or outhouse is small, too. For that reason, it’s also worth looking for a mower with features that make it easy to store in small spaces between mowing sessions.
Most electric and push mower models have foldable handles, which reduce the mower’s footprint and make it suitable for storing in a small shed or outhouse, where space might be limited.
Some mowers also have hooks and similar features that allow them to be hung up on a wall – a great option if you don’t have any available floor space.
If storage space is really limited, consider a robot lawn mower, which is much smaller than a push mower and sits in its own docking station between uses, so you don’t have to make room for it.
🏁 Final Word
Hopefully you’ve learned enough from this guide to go away and choose the best lawn mower for your small lawn.
If you’re ready to start shopping and want to know which brands and products are best, you’ll be interested in our guide to the best lawn mowers for small gardens.
Thanks for reading, and happy mowing!