Looking to buy a new lawn mower for your garden? We’ve put together this guide to help you make the smartest investment, based on our own extensive research of the best lawn mowers available today.
- Brand: Hyundai
Price: ££
Power source: Electric corded
Cutting width: 38cm
Cut height range: 20-70mm
Weight: 13.79 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 40 litres
Dimensions (DxWxH): 42 x 37 x 107cm
Power: 1600 W
- Brand: Flymo
Price: £
Power source: Electric corded
Cutting width: 32cm
Cut height range: 20-60mm
Weight: 8.3 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 29 litres
Dimensions (DxWxH): 61 x 37 x 32.5cm
Power: 1200 W
- Brand: LawnMaster
Price: ££
Power source: Electric cordless (battery-powered)
Cutting width: 34cm
Cut height range: 20-70mm
Weight: 11.4 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 32 liters
Dimensions (DxWxH): 38 x 23 x 97cm
Power: 48-V battery (2x 24V)
- Brand: Bosch
-
Price: £
-
Power source: Manual
-
Cutting width: 38cm
-
Cut height range: 12-40mm
-
Weight: 6.9 kilograms
-
Grass box capacity: 25 litres
-
Dimensions (DxWxH): 54 x 49 x 38cm
-
Power: N/A
- Brand: Hyundai
Price: ££
Power source: Petrol
Cutting width: 43cm
Cut height range: 25-75mm
Weight: 41 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 45 litres
Dimensions (DxWxH): 103 x 48 x 130cm
Power: 139cc
- Brand: LawnMaster
Price: ££
Power source: Electric corded
Cutting width: 37cm
Cut height range: 20-70mm
Weight: 14 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 40 litres
Dimensions (DxWxH): 108.9 x 43.9 x 121.5cm
Power: 1600 W
- Brand: Bosch
Price: £££
Power source: Electric corded
Cutting width: 40cm
Cut height range: 25-80mm
Weight: 16 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 50 litres
Dimensions (DxWxH): 76 x 49.5 x 45cm
Power: 1700 W
Table of Contents
Best Lawn Mowers For Lawn Stripes
Best Overall: Hyundai HYM3800E Corded Electric Rotary Lawnmower With Rear Roller
Runner Up Electric: Flymo Chevron 32VC Electric Wheeled Lawn Mower
Best Battery-Powered: LawnMaster MX 24V Cordless Lawnmower
Best Manual: Bosch AHM 38 G Manual Garden Lawn Mower
Best Petrol: Hyundai Self-Propelled Petrol Roller Lawnmower
Best Value: LawnMaster 1600W Electric Lawn Mower
Best Premium: Bosch Lawnmower AdvancedRotak 650
📊 Comparison Chart of Lawn Mowers
Scroll right on mobile to see the whole table chart
| Brand | Price | Power source | Cutting width | Cut height range | Weight | Grass box capacity | Dimensions (DxWxH) | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai HYM3800E Corded Electric Rotary Lawnmower With Rear Roller | ££ | Electric corded | 38cm | 20-70mm | 13.79 kilograms | 40 litres | 42 x 37 x 107cm | 1600 W |
| Flymo Chevron 32VC Electric Wheeled Lawn Mower | £ | Electric corded | 32cm | 20-60mm | 8.3 kilograms | 29 litres | 61 x 37 x 32.5cm | 1200 W |
| LawnMaster MX 24V Cordless Lawnmower | ££ | Battery | 34cm | 20-70mm | 11.4 kilograms | 32 liters | 38 x 23 x 97cm | 48-V battery (2x 24V) |
| Bosch AHM 38 G Manual Garden Lawn Mower | £ | Manual | 38cm | 12-40mm | 6.9 kilograms | 25 litres | 54 x 49 x 38cm | N/A |
| Hyundai Self-Propelled Petrol Roller Lawnmower | ££ | Petrol | 43cm | 25-75mm | 41 kilograms | 45 litres | 103 x 48 x 130cm | 139cc |
| LawnMaster 1600W Electric Lawn Mower | ££ | Electric corded | 37cm | 20-70mm | 14 kilograms | 40 litres | 108.9 x 43.9 x 121.5cm | 1600 W |
| Bosch Lawnmower AdvancedRotak 650 | £££ | Electric corded | 40cm | 25-80mm | 16 kilograms | 50 litres | 76 x 49.5 x 45cm | 1700 W |
| Brand | Price | Power source | Cutting width | Cut height range | Weight | Grass box capacity | Dimensions (DxWxH) | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai HYM3800E Corded Electric Rotary Lawnmower With Rear Roller | ££ | Electric corded | 38cm | 20-70mm | 13.79 kilograms | 40 litres | 42 x 37 x 107cm | 1600 W |
| Flymo Chevron 32VC Electric Wheeled Lawn Mower | £ | Electric corded | 32cm | 20-60mm | 8.3 kilograms | 29 litres | 61 x 37 x 32.5cm | 1200 W |
| LawnMaster MX 24V Cordless Lawnmower | ££ | Battery | 34cm | 20-70mm | 11.4 kilograms | 32 liters | 38 x 23 x 97cm | 48-V battery (2x 24V) |
| Bosch AHM 38 G Manual Garden Lawn Mower | £ | Manual | 38cm | 12-40mm | 6.9 kilograms | 25 litres | 54 x 49 x 38cm | N/A |
| Hyundai Self-Propelled Petrol Roller Lawnmower | ££ | Petrol | 43cm | 25-75mm | 41 kilograms | 45 litres | 103 x 48 x 130cm | 139cc |
| LawnMaster 1600W Electric Lawn Mower | ££ | Electric corded | 37cm | 20-70mm | 14 kilograms | 40 litres | 108.9 x 43.9 x 121.5cm | 1600 W |
| Bosch Lawnmower AdvancedRotak 650 | £££ | Electric corded | 40cm | 25-80mm | 16 kilograms | 50 litres | 76 x 49.5 x 45cm | 1700 W |
⭐ Reviews – Best Mowers For Lawn Stripes of 2023
In our opinion, the Hyundai HYM3800E Corded Electric Rotary Lawnmower is the best overall mower for lawn stripes on the market.
This mower is a fantastic value for money considering all the features it offers, including a larger 38cm cutting width for fast cutting for fewer laps, a dedicated mulching feature for versatile mowing, and a 3-year warranty (1 extra year than the average for electric mowers). It also has that all-important rear roller for a beautifully striped lawn.
Quick Specs:
Brand: Hyundai
Price: ££
Power source: Electric corded
Cutting width: 38cm
Cut height range: 20-70mm
Weight: 13.79 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 40 litres
Dimensions (DxWxH): 42 x 37 x 107cm
Power: 1600 W
Best For:
Folks looking for the best-value lawn mower for creating stripes on medium-to-large lawns, manufactured by a reliable brand and designed to cut your lawn faster and in fewer laps.
What Customers Think:
The Hyundai HYM3800E is a customer favourite on Amazon, with an average 4.3-star rating from more than 2,500 reviews. Customers praised the mower for its quality of construction and the flexibility of its 5 cutting heigts, as well as its ability to create “decent stripes” – but a few complained that the mower doesn’t collect all cut grass on the first run-round.
Pros:
The Hyundai HYM3800E does a great job of producing stripes with little effort on your part, especially since the roller is lightweight and doesn’t weigh the mower down. You’ll get more distinct stripes after a few passes over your lawn in the same direction, when you “train” your grass to bend in certain directions.
This mower is ideal for quickly cutting medium-sized gardens and can handle thick, rough, and long grass with ease thanks to its large 38cm cutting deck and powerful 1,600-watt motor.
We love the extra mulching feature that shreds the grass up small and deposits it behind the mower, fertilizing your lawn as you mow, which is great for grass health and saves you the hassle of emptying the grass box. You won’t find this feature on most other mowers at a similar price point.
Cons:
The HYM3800E’s wider cutting width means it’s a bit bulky and heavy, so we don’t recommend it for small lawns.
The mower doesn’t do a great job of sucking grass clippings into the grass collection box, so you’ll probably have to go round a second time to pick up the left-behind grass (or just use the mulching plug).
Based on our research, the Flymo Chevron 32VC Electric Wheeled Lawn Mower takes a close second place behind the Hyundai HYM3800E as the runner-up electric lawn mower with a rear roller for a striped lawn.
This compact mower has a smaller cutting width of 32cm and is 5 kilograms lighter than the Hyundai model, so it’s the better choice for creating stripes in a smaller garden. It offers all the features you’d expect in an electric lawn mower, including three cut heights (from 20-60mm) and a decently sized 29-litre grass box with a vision window to check its fullness – and the rear roller does a great job of creating stripes as you mow.
Quick Specs:
Brand: Flymo
Price: £
Power source: Electric corded
Cutting width: 32cm
Cut height range: 20-60mm
Weight: 8.3 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 29 litres
Dimensions (DxWxH): 61 x 37 x 32.5cm
Power: 1200 W
Best For:
Anyone who’s specifically looking for a corded electric mower for creating lawn stripes but wants a smaller, more compact and easily manouverable, lower-cost alternative to our top pick Hyundai model.
What Customers Think:
The Flymo Chevron mower is another customer favorite, with an average 4.4-star rating from more than 500 Amazon reviews. A few features customers loved include the easy assembly and quick-adjust cut height, the sturdy, manouverable design, and the efficient grass collecting. However, numerous customers complained that the grass box is difficult to assemble.
Pros:
It’s great to see a rear roller on an electric mower designed for small lawns. That means you can enjoy the simplicity of using a compact, narrow mower that’s easy to maneuver, while also achieving a beautifully striped lawn after a few mows.
Using the Flymo Chevron mower to cut your lawn couldn’t be easier. Adjusting the cut height is quick and simple thanks to the quick height change lever, and the vision window takes the guesswork out of when to empty the grass box, so you only need to visit your compost heap when absolutely necessary.
The grass collecting is super efficient, too, so you don’t need to go around again or sweep up the remaining grass cuttings after your first mow.
Cons:
The grass box is fiddly to attach to the mower body, which appears to be due to a design flaw that makes it difficult to slide into the slots (lubrication will help).
This mower isn’t the best we’ve seen for edge cutting, so you’ll still have to get the strimmer out to go around the edges when you’ve finished mowing.
We found that the LawnMaster 24V 34cm Cordless Lawnmower is the best battery-powered (cordless) lawn mower for creating a striped lawn.
This compact, lightweight mower is the ideal choice for niftily getting around a small garden and squeezing into small spaces, and its cord-free operation means you can take it any distance from your home without being restricted by a power lead. And, of course, there’s a rear roller built-in that gives a nice stripe.
Quick Specs:
Brand: LawnMaster
Price: ££
Power source: Electric cordless (battery-powered)
Cutting width: 34cm
Cut height range: 20-70mm
Weight: 11.4 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 32 liters
Dimensions (DxWxH): 38 x 23 x 97cm
Power: 48-V battery (2x 24V)
Best For:
People who prefer the convenience of a cordless mower for small-to-medium lawns, and are specifically looking for the best battery-powered mower with a rear roller for a striped lawn.
What Customers Think:
The LawnMaster Cordless Lawnmower is another top-rated mower on Amazon, with 4.4 stars from more than 750 reviews. Customers were pleased with the mower’s ease of use and maneuverability, the simple lever for quickly adjusting the cutting height, the decent battery life for uninterrupted mowing. However, some customers were unimpressed with the assembly instructions.
Pros:
The LawnMaster Cordless Lawnmower’s rear roller is up for the job of creating neat, visible stripes (check out some of the customer photos on Amazon if you want visual evidence).
There are a few obvious benefits to using a battery-powered mower: you can take the mower to any part of your garden without having to maneuver around a power cable or get the extension lead out, and there’s no risk of tripping or mowing over the cord. The battery life is decent, too, thanks to the mower’s intelligent battery management, which adjusts the power delivery to suit the mowing conditions.
We think this mower is ideal for using on small-to-medium lawns, thanks to its lightweight 11.4-kilogram design and its 34cm cutting width, which means you can easily manouver the mower but won’t have to do as many laps of your lawn as you would with a narrower model.
Cons:
If you want to keep costs as low as possible, the LawnMaster MX probably isn’t for you. it costs around £100 more than comparable corded electric lawn mowers because of the extra expense of the built-in battery.
Keep in mind that you’re somewhat limited by battery life, even with the intelligent battery management feature. You’ll need to remember to charge the batteries before you want to use the mower, and you might have to swap out the batteries if you have a big garden or you like to take your time when mowing.
You won’t find many manual mowers that are up for the job of creating a striped lawn, but the Bosch AHM 38 G Manual Garden Lawn Mower is the exception.
This sturdily-designed push mower is an exceptional value for money, costing just over £50 and offering all the features you could want in a manual mower, including a 38cm cutting width that covers more ground with every lap, an adjustable cutting height setting (from 12mm to 40mm), and an integrated rear roller for that oh-so-satisfying striped lawn.
Quick Specs:
Brand: Bosch
Price: £
Power source: Manual
Cutting width: 38cm
Cut height range: 12-40mm
Weight: 6.9 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 25 litres
Dimensions (DxWxH): 54 x 49 x 38cm
Power: N/A
Best For:
Anyone who wants to invest wisely in the best manual lawn mower with a rear roller for lawn stripes, sold by a reputable manufacturer at an affordable upfront price.
What Customers Think:
The Bosch AHM is one of the best-selling manual mowers availale on Amazon, with a decent 4.1 average star rating from more than 3,400 reviews. Some of the features of this mower that customers were pleased with include its durable design, quick assembly, and good quality of cut. Some customers said that the grass collection box wasn’t the best at catching all grass clippings.
Pros:
The Bosch AHM is one of the few manual lawn mowers we’ve seen that’s sturdy and heavy enough to create visible stripes as it mows. If you want the perks of a manual mower but still want to enjoy a striped lawn, this Bosch model is the answer.
We love all the benefits of this manual mower. You can ditch the power cord and enjoy noiseless operation, so setup is quick and you don’t have to worry about disturbing your neighbours. The 5-blade cylinder is capable of tackling a variety of lawn types, including thicker grass, and the 38cm cutting width means you can use the mower to quickly cut medium-sized lawns.
Not all manual mowers come with a grass box, but this Bosch mower has a 25-litre grass box included, so you can save the job of raking or sweeping up grass clippings when you’ve finished the job.
Cons:
You’ll need to put more effort into mowing due to the mower’s manual operation. There’s no motor to power the blade – it’s purely push-powered.
You might struggle to use the mower to cut very long grass (10cm+).
We’ve found that the Hyundai Self-Propelled Petrol Roller Lawnmower is the best petrol lawn mower for creating lawn stripes on larger lawns.
This capable mower has a powerful 139cc engine and a 43cm cutting width, making it ideal for quickly and efficiently mowing a medium-to-large space, and the electric push-button start eliminates the tiresome process of cranking a starter cable. The rear roller is one of the most thoughtfully designed that we’ve seen, guaranteeing the best striped lawn after a single mowing session.
Quick Specs:
Brand: Hyundai
Price: ££
Power source: Petrol
Cutting width: 43cm
Cut height range: 25-75mm
Weight: 41 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 45 litres
Dimensions (DxWxH): 103 x 48 x 130cm
Power: 139cc
Best For:
Folks who want to spend their money wisely on the best-value electric mower for creating stripes on a medium-sized lawn.
What Customers Think:
Customers have awarded the Hyundai Self-Propelled Petrol Roller Lawnmower an average 4.5-star rating, praising the mower for its easy startup and use, good engineering and quality of build, convenient self-propelled function, and its ability to create well-defined stripes with just one mow. Some customers said that the self-propelled mowing speed was too fast.
Pros:
The Hyundai Self-Propelled Petrol Roller Lawnmower doesn’t have a simple, flimsy roller added as an afterthought to the back of the machine. This mower’s rear roller means business – it’s thick and sturdy, extending right to the edge of the cutter deck to allow for stable mowing even along borders, and it’s split into two sections to make it easier to turn at the end of each lap.
This petrol mower is more powerful than any other lawn mower on this list thanks to its 139cc petrol engine. It’s ideal for folks with larger lawns who want a mower that can cut grass at double the speed of an electric model.
A few other features of this mower that we love are the 45-litre grass collection box that minimizes trips to the compost heap, the self-propelled function drives the mower forward independently and takes away the pushing effort, and the electric push-button start that eliminates the fuss of pull-start.
Cons:
Like all petrol lawn mowers, this Hyundai model is loud and produces toxic fumes as you mow, so we don’t recommend it for folks who don’t want to disturb their neighbours or anyone looking for an eco-friendly mowing solution.
The mower is bigger and bulkier than the other models on this list, so it’s not a convenient solution for cutting smaller gardens.
Our top recommended choice for folks looking for the best-value lawn mower for creating stripes is the LawnMaster 1600W Electric Lawn Mower.
This mower offers more features than comparable electric mower models, including a mulching plug to fertilize your lawn with grass clippings, a powerful 1,600-watt motor that adjusts torque based on mowing conditions, an air-collect system that maximimzies grass collection efficiency and reduces post-mowing cleanup, and a rear roller for a striped finish – and all for the affordable price of just under £150.
Quick Specs:
Brand: LawnMaster
Price: ££
Power source: Electric corded
Cutting width: 37cm
Cut height range: 20-70mm
Weight: 14 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 40 litres
Dimensions (DxWxH): 108.9 x 43.9 x 121.5cm
Power: 1600 W
Best For:
Folks who want to spend their money wisely on the best-value electric mower for creating stripes on a medium-sized lawn.
What Customers Think:
The LawnMaster 1600W Electric Lawn Mower has an average 4.3-star rating on Amazon. Customers praised the mower’s powerful motor, good construction, large grass collector, and handy optional mulching function. Some customers said the height adjuster lever was a bit tricky to use.
Pros:
The roller on this LawnMaster model is one of the sturdiest out of all the mowers we’ve reviewed. You’ll get a clearly defined striped finish after just one mow.
This mower offers more features than its competitors at a better price. Most other mowers in this price range don’t offer a mulching plug and aren’t as powerful or as efficient at mowing.
There are a few nice touches that make the mowing experience faster, easier, and more tailored to your preferences. You can switch between using the grass collection bag and the mulch plug, depending on whether you want to collect your grass as you mow or simply disperse small clippings as a lawn-feeder.
The 37cm cutting width covers a good amount of space with each lap, and if you do choose to use the grass collection bag, it’s plenty roomy at 40 litres and uses an air-collection system to prevent excess grass from escaping as you mow, reducing empties and saving time on cleanup.
Cons:
If you’re a fan of sleek, modern-looking mowers, you might think this LawnMaster model looks a bit tacky and plasticy.
You’ll need an extension lead if you’re cutting larger lawns.
If you can stretch your budget to the very best premium electric lawn mower for creating lawn stripes, our top recommendation for you is the Bosch AdvancedRotak 650.
This mower is about £100 costlier than a base-level corded electric mower, but it offers more impressive features for faster and better-quality mowing – including a high-power 1,700-watt motor, a grand total of 7 cutting heights, an ultra-wide 40cm cutting width, and a built-in rear roller for a neatly striped lawn – that make it worth the extra spend.
Quick Specs:
Brand: Bosch
Price: £££
Power source: Electric corded
Cutting width: 40cm
Cut height range: 25-80mm
Weight: 16 kilograms
Grass box capacity: 50 litres
Dimensions (DxWxH): 76 x 49.5 x 45cm
Power: 1700 W
Best For:
Anyone who wants to spend a bit more money on a the best premium electric mower with all the most impressive features, with the added bonus of a rear roller for a striped lawn.
What Customers Think:
The AdvancedRotak has an impressive 4.4-star average rating on Amazon, and customers praised the mower for its quick setup with minimal assembly, its extremely quiet performance, and its easy cut height and ergonomic handle adjustments. Some customers complained that the 10-metre cable was too short since the mower is designed for use on large lawns.
Pros:
You can achieve a nicely striped lawn with the rear roller. The mower does a neat job of cutting grass and collecting the clippings, too, so you can clearly see the stripes after mowing.
The rear roller is far from the standout feature of this Bosch model. There are so many other smart, unique features to love, including the grass combs for mowing right up to the edfe, the LeafCollect blade eliminates your need to de-leaf your lawn beforehand, and the ProSilence Technology, which makes the mower around 75% quiter than conventional electric lawn mowers.
We appreciate that the mower can be used straight from the box – no assembly needed apart from attaching the grass box. If you hate DIY and want to avoid the instructions manual, the Bosch AdvancedRotak is ideal for you.
The 40cm cutting width and 50-litre grass box means you can cut a large lawn quickly with fewer empties, and the 1,700-watt motor makes easy work of cutting even the longest, thickest grass.
Cons:
The AdvancedRotak costs a bit more than similar models. You might not be able to afford – or justify – spending around £240 on a corded electric mower.
Despite all its additional features, the rear roller – what you’re looking for specifically in a mower for a striped lawn – isn’t quite as good at creating stripes as the others on this list.
Our Lawn
Before we share our buyer’s guide for the best lawn mowers for stripes, here are a few pictures of our lawn so you can see what we’re working with. It’s a pretty standard British lawn – not huge, on a slight decline, and with a border that’s fairly simple to mow up to. We don’t pretend to have the best grass in the world – there are quite a few weeds for us to contend with!
Methodology: How We Selected The Mowers In This Guide
In this section, you’ll find our methodology: how we researched, compared, reviewed, and shortlisted the mowers in this guide.
Step 1: Researching All The Products Available
Our first task was to search for all the lawn mowers with rear rollers currently sold for domestic use in the UK. We used Google’s shopping technology and searched on marketplaces like Amazon to access all our options, then made a list of these mowers and their most important features.
Step 2: Reading Customer Reviews
Next, we wanted to find out what customers thought about the mowers we’d found. We read customer reviews wherever we could find them to learn what customers thought about a mower’s performance, longevity, and ease of use, which are difficult to learn from the product description alone. We particularly focused on reviews that discussed the mower’s ability to leave lawn stripes.
Step 3: Conversations With Manufacturers
There was just one more thing for us to do before moving on to the testing stage: contact manufacturers and gather a few last bits of data that we couldn’t find online. Not all manufacturers share all the information we need to produce our comparison charts, so a direct chat with a customer service rep is often essential. This stage also allowed us to get an understanding of the manufacturer’s quality of customer service.
Step 4: Testing A Selection Of Lawn Mowers
Our final stage was to test some of the lawn mowers that we’d shortlisted due to having a superior performance, better features, and a more affordable price than similar models. Here were the ranking factors that we considered for each lawn mower:
- Quality of cut: 20%
- Stripe formation: 20%
- Ease of use: 20%
- Price: 15%
- Motor power: 15%
- Assembly & maintenance: 10%
🤷♂️ How To Create Stripes With A Rear Roller Mower
You can only create stripes on your lawn with a mower that has a built-in rear roller. The roller flattens the grass in the direction that you’re mowing, so when you mow in back-and-forth laps, the grass bends in opposite directions with each lap. The reflection of sunlight from the bent grass creates a striped effect.
Here’s how to create stripes on your lawn with a mower that has an integrated rear roller.
Set your mower in the corner of your lawn and switch it on.
Mow a single lap around the perimeter of your lawn. (If you want more turning space, mow a second lap around the inside edge of the lap you’ve already mown.)
Starting at the corner of your lawn, mow in a straight line from one end of your lawn to the other, then turn and mow alongside the lap you’ve just mown, in the opposite direction.
Continue mowing in back-and-forth straight lines until you’ve mown your entire lawn.
Our tip: You might not achieve a perfectly striped lawn with a single mow. To get more defined stripes, you can go back over your laps two or three times to "train" your grass to point in certain directions. The more frequently you mow in the same direction, the bolder the stripes will look.
🧾 10 Factors To Consider When Buying The Best Lawn Mower For Stripes
A lawn mower with a rear roller will typically set you back at least £100 – most likely around £120-£150. So, you want to make sure your investment is worth the while.
Before you start shopping for the best lawn mower for grass stripes, consider the following factors:
💰 Cost
Cost is the first thing to establish since it will determine the type of mower with a rear roller that you can afford.
Outline your budget before you start shopping. Here’s a general overview of the average price of the different mower types with rear rollers:
Electric mowers: £90-£225
Cordless mowers: £225-£275
Petrol mowers: £275-£375
Manual mowers: £55-£85
The best budget-friendly mowers for a striped lawn are electric mowers and manual mowers. However, if you have a large lawn or you need to mow a space that doesn’t have a nearby power outlet, you’ll probably have to stretch your budget to a petrol mower or a cordless battery mower.
Keep in mind that rear rollers are considered extra features that don’t come on all base-level models, so you’ll have to pay $20-$70 more for a mower with this feature versus a mower without a roller.
🎖 Rear Roller Quality & Capabilities
All mowers for striped lawns come with an integrated rear roller. But not all rear rollers have the same quality and stripe-producing abilities.
The weight and sturdiness of the roller, and its closeness to the ground, both affect its ability to create clear, defined stripes.
A heavy roller that runs close to the ground will flatten your grass more evenly and effectively than a lightweight roller that bounces around as you push the mower along the lawn.
However, unless the mower has a major design flaw, even a lightweight roller will create stripes with proper operation. Just make sure to mow in the same back-and-forth route every time to encourage your grass to lie flat in different directions.
If you want to get an idea of the quality and capabilities of a mower’s rear roller before you buy it, check out the product on Amazon and look at the customer review images. If you see at least 2-3 images of striped lawns, it tells you that the mower is capable of creating stripes – even if it doesn’t happen on the first cut!
🔌🔋 Mower Power Source
There are a few different mower types that you can buy with a rear roller, and the type of mower you choose will depend on your preferred power source.
Here’s an overview of the different mower power sources:
Petrol mower – Cordless mower that runs on petrol power, like a car, most powerful option and the best choice for larger lawns
Electric mower – Affordable mower type that uses mains electricity via a cord plugged into a power outlet, a good choice for small to medium-sized lawns
Cordless mower – Uses a rechargeable battery, isn’t quite as powerful as electric corded mowers but has the convenience of being cordless, good for small lawns
Manual mower – Has no built-in power source and is powered by pushing the mower forward, requires more physical effort and is best for small, flat lawns
Does a mower’s power source affect its stripe forming capabilities?
Not significantly. You can get clear, defined lawn stripes from any of these mower types as long as their rear rollers are thoughtfully constructed for this purpose.
If you want the very best lawn mower type for a stripy lawn, we recommend a petrol lawn mower. Petrol mowers are heavier and tend to have better-constructed rear rollers, so you can get bold, noticeable stripes on your first cut, rather than having to go over the same stripe numerous times to get it to show up clearly.
✂️ Blade Type
There are two blade types that you can find in a lawn mower with a rear roller:
Cylinder blades
Rotary blades
Cylinder mowers, such as most manual reel mowers, have multiple cylinder blades that spin vertically, cutting grass with a scissoring action. They give a neater, shorter, and cleaner cut than rotary mowers and are better for grass health, but they’re often more expensive and require more maintenance (i.e. sharpening and blade changes).
Rotary mowers, such as most corded electric mowers and battery-powered mowers, use a single blade that spins face-down against the grass, cutting grass with a chopping action. They’re cheaper than cylinder mowers and better at cutting wet grass and thicker, longer grass, but their shredding style of cut may damage your grass, and they’re more likely to scalp the turf.
The type of mower blades you choose depends on your own preferences.
If you love the appearance of a neat, short, manicured lawn, and you’re happy to mow more frequently (up to twice a week) in the grass growing season, consider a cylinder mower.
If you just want an affordable mower that will quickly and powerfully cut all terrains, including longer grass and damp grass, a rotary mower is best for you.
Although the blades affect the mower’s performance, they don’t affect its ability to create stripes on your lawn. So, you can achieve a striped finish with a cylinder mower or a rotary mower.
📐 Cutting Width
A mower’s cutting width is the width of the cutting deck. The average cutting width for domestic mowers intended for use on gardens is 28-40cm.
Your chosen mower’s cutting width determines two things:
The amount of ground that the mower covers per lap
The bulkiness of the mower and the size of its turning circle
The wider the cutting width, the faster you’ll be able to mow a large space because the mower will cover more ground with every lap.
However, we don’t recommend spending more money on a mower with the widest cutting width if you have a small or medium lawn. If the mower is too big and bulky for your lawn size, you’ll struggle to get into small spaces or turn the mower after every lap, which will actually slow you down.
We recommend the following cutting widths for the following lawn sizes:
Small lawns: 28-32cm
Medium lawns: 32-38cm
Large lawns: 38-42cm
Regardless of your mower’s cutting width, the rear roller should extend along the entire width of the cutting deck, meaning that you can create stripes as wide as the mower with no gaps in between.
📏 Cutting Heights
Your chosen mower should also have at least three different cutting heights to choose from.
Cutting heights are important because they allow you to tailor the height of the cutting deck depending on your current and desired grass length.
So, if you have longer grass, you can adjust the deck to a higher cutting height, rather than overwhelming the mower and potentially clogging the blades by trying to cut off too much grass at once (which, side note, is also bad for grass health).
The average cut height range is 20-60mm.
Some of the best mowers with a rear roller have up to 7 cutting heights, but we think 3-5 is a happy medium unless you want to be super specific with your cut height.
What’s the perfect height of cut for stripes on your lawn? You don’t want your grass to be too long or too short. A cut height of 30mm is ideal for the most defined lawn stripes.
🏋🏻 Weight
The weight of your chosen mower with a rear roller is another factor that will affect its performance and ease of use.
The average weight of an electric lawn mower is 7-13 kilograms, depending on the mower’s size and materials. Manual mowers weigh as little as 5-6 kilograms, while petrol mowers are the heaviest, with an average weight range of 30-45 kilograms.
The lighter the mower, the easier it’ll be to carry to and from your storage location and the less physical effort you’ll have to put into pushing the handle.
However, if the mower is very lightweight, it might affect the rear roller’s capabilities because there won’t be enough weight to keep the roller flat against the ground in order to press the grass flat as you mow. Some manual mowers with a rear roller struggle to create stripes for this reason.
Note that many petrol mowers, including our top pick Hyundai petrol roller mower, have a self-propelled feature that enables the mower to move forward by itself, counteracting their heavier weight saving you the pushing effort.
📡 Extra Features
A rear roller is considered an extra feature itself, and not all mowers come with one as a given.
Some of the other extra features that you might come across in the best lawn mower models with a rear roller are:
Mulching plug – Lets you remove the grass collector and disperse grass clippings onto your lawn as you mow, fertilizing your lawn and saving you the hassle of emptying the grass box.
Self-propelled function – Found on heavier mower types (such as petrol mowers), drives the mower forward so your only job is to change the direction.
Storage features – Many of the best lawn mowers come with features that make them easier to store in a small space, such as a foldable handle and a hook for vertical storage, which is ideal if you have limited available space.
Leaf collection – Some of the premium mowers with rear rollers also have a leaf collection function, which enables the mower to collect and shred leaves, saving you the job of doing this yourself before you start mowing.
Ergonomic features – A user-friendly mower should have a number of ergonomic features, including an adjustable handle, to make for comfortable, easy mowing.
Edge cutting capabilities – Some mowers have grass combs that direct grass towards the blades, allowing you to mow right up to your lawn edges so less trimming is required.
🛠 Assembly & Maintenance
The level of assembly your mower will require depends on the mower type and design.
Some mowers are ready to use out of the box and require virtually no assembly at all.
Others might be shipped in separate parts that need to be assembled before the mower can be used. In our experience, user manuals aren’t the best for most mowers, so we recommend looking for videos online that show you what to do, rather than trying to decipher poorly-translated written instructions.
Regardless of the mower type you choose, there will be a certain amount of maintenance that you’ll need to commit to.
All mowers need the following maintenance:
Cleaning the mower after every mowing session
Sharpening the blades (typically once or twice a year)
Checking all bolts, screws, and fittings, and tightening them if necessary
Some mower types need more maintenance than others. A petrol mower needs servicing like any machine with an engine, including oil changes and fuel top-ups.
The mower roller itself doesn’t require any specific maintenance. Just make sure to clean it when you clean the underside of the mower to remove any clumps of grass.
👷 Warranty & Customer Feedback
The best lawn mowers with rear rollers should come with a warranty of at least 2 years. Avoid any lawn mower that doesn’t have a warranty at all – that’s a red flag and tells you that the manufacturer isn’t prepared to honour your purchase if you end up buying a faulty or broken model.
We also recommend reading customer feedback before you buy a mower for creating stripes on your lawn.
A mower might have a rear roller, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best at creating stripes. Check out customer reviews and look at pictures submitted by reviewers to assess a mower’s ability to produce the beautifully striped lawn you want to achieve.
Reviews won’t only tell you about a mower’s stripe-mowing capabilities. They’ll also give you a customer perspective on durability, reliability, and ease of use.
If you notice the same complaint mentioned again and again, and it’s something that significantly hinders the mower’s performance, steer clear of the mower in question.
🤷♂️ Is A Mower With A Rear Roller Right For You?
If you answer “yes” to at least 3 of the following questions, a mower with a rear roller is the right mower for you.
Do I have a slightly bigger budget to spend on a mower with a rear roller?
Do I know how to mow my lawn to get visible stripes on my lawn? (If the answer is no, check out our guide on how to mow lawn stripes)
Do I prefer to have the choice of numerous different mower types and power sources?
Do I want to impress my neighbours with a beautifully striped lawn without having to spend a fortune or use any technical equipment?
Am I prepared to be patient? If necessary, am I fine with mowing the same path several times before visible stripes appear?
Important note: this review was last updated in July 2024. We apologise if pricing or availability has since changed for any of the products mentioned above.