Wondering which types of mowers in the UK are best for older gardeners or people over the age of 50, 60, or even 70?
Here, I’ve shared my top recommended mower types for senior gardeners. I’ve also offered tips on what features to look for in a mower for over-50s.
✅ Key Takeaways:
The best mower types for senior gardeners are hover mowers, small corded electric mowers, and robot mowers.
Other good choices are lightweight cordless lawn mowers, manual mowers, and self-propelled petrol mowers.
Some features to look for in the best lawn mower for over-50s are a lightweight design, easy assembly and maintenance, and features for efficiency and ease of use.
Table of Contents
❓ Which Mowers Are Best For Senior Gardeners?
The best mowers for senior gardeners and over-50s are lightweight, easy-maneuver mowers, like corded electric mowers. Hover mowers are particularly beneficial for older gardeners because they float on a cushion of air, which makes them easier to move in all directions with a reduced risk of injury.
Robot mowers are also ideal for over-50s because they’re completely autonomous, meaning that they operate without any sort of user control. If you want to put your feet up and leave the hard work entirely to the machine, consider a robotic lawn mower.
🤔 Best Mower Types For Over-50s
Here are my top recommended mower types for over-50s:
✈️ Hover Mowers
In my opinion, hover mowers are the best mower type for over-50s. These mowers are typically around 5 kilograms lighter than wheeled mowers and are easier to maneuver because they float on a cushion of air, rather than being on four wheels, which can limit movement.
You’re less likely to get muscle strain or neck, back, or shoulder pain while using a hover mower because it’s lighter and easier to use, which will put less strain on your body. You’re also less likely to get a hover mower stuck in tight spots and crevices, so you won’t have to over-exert yourself trying to yank it free.
A hover lawn mower is a budget-friendly option and there are different models to suit small-to-medium lawn sizes.
- Brand: Flymo
Price: £
Power source: Electric
Cutting width: 25cm
- Cutting height range: 11-31mm
Weight: 13.12 pounds5.95 kilograms
Grass box capacity: N/A
Dimensions (DxWxH): 79 x 38 x 80cm
Power: 1400 W
🔌 Electric Corded Mowers
I also recommend electric corded mowers for senior gardeners. These mowers are the same as hover mowers but are supported by four wheels.
Look specifically for corded mowers that weigh less than 12 kilograms and have a small build that’s easy to carry and push.
Electric corded mowers are a good option for over-50s because they don’t come with the hassle of a crank-cord start like petrol lawn mowers. You simply plug the mower into a power outlet and start mowing. They’re also another great cheap lawn mower choice.
However, a corded electric lawn mower might not be the most convenient option for you if you don’t have an outside power outlet or the cord won’t stretch far enough to cover your entire lawn.
🏋🏻♂️ Manual Mowers
If you’re looking for an opportunity to stay fit while you mow your lawn and you don’t have any mobility restrictions, consider buying a manual mower.
Manual mowers are a good option for many people over 50 because they have a simpler, more lightweight design that doesn’t use an engine or electric motor. They also use cylinder blades rather than rotary blades, which offer a cleaner cut for a neat and tidy lawn.
Setting up a manual mower is quicker and easier because you don’t have to worry about cranking a cord, plugging in a power cable, or charging a battery. You simply place the mower in a corner of your lawn and start mowing. This budget lawn mower starts at just £45, too, so it won’t make a hole in your wallet.
Manual reel mowers aren’t suitable for everyone, however, because they’re powered entirely by pushing effort so they’re more physically challenging to operate than electric mowers. If you need to be careful not to over-exert yourself, a manual mower isn’t right for you.
🚀 Self-Propelled Petrol Mowers
I wouldn’t recommend conventional petrol lawn mowers to older gardeners because these mowers are heavier, bulkier, and more difficult to maneuver than electric lawn mowers.
However, I do recommend petrol lawn mowers with a self-propelled function because these mowers use a motor that drives the wheels, so you don’t have to do any of the pushing work.
Just keep in mind that you’ll still have to put more effort into starting and maintaining a petrol-powered self-propelled lawn mower. The petrol engine needs oil changes, fuel top-ups, and other maintenance jobs that aren’t required in a mower with an electric motor.
🔋 Cordless Lawn Mowers
A cordless lawn mower, or a battery lawn mower, is a convenient alternative to corded mowers for older people because it eliminates the hassle of having to mow around a cord and the limitations of being tethered to a power supply.
Battery-powered lawn mowers are, however, about 5-10 kilograms heavier than corded mowers because they contain a heavy battery. You’ll also have to make sure the battery is charged between every use, which you might find more bothersome thatn the hassle of a cord.
I only recommend that you buy a cordless mower as your new lawn mower if you have a small garden and can buy one of the smaller, more lightweight mower models.
🤖 Robot Lawn Mowers
Our top recommended mower choice for over-50s with flexible budgets is the robot mower.
A robot lawn mower is an autonomous mower, meaning that it’s programmed to automatically mow your lawn according to a pre-set schedule.
You might need a family member or a neighbour to help you with the mower’s setup, which involves placing a boundary wire around the area that you want the mower to cut. But once setup is finished and the mower is programmed, you won’t have to lift a finger again.
Robot mowers are a great choice for folks who want to abandon the chore of lawnmowing altogether, but they’re also the most expensive type, with prices starting at around £400 for a small, basic model.
📡 Features To Look For In A Mower For Seniors
Here are some of the features to look for in a lawn mower for seniors or older gardeners.
🏋🏻 Lightweight Design
As we get older, it’s normal for our mobility and flexibility to decrease. If you want to invest in a mower that you can use comfortably for at least the next 10 years, it’s worth making sure that the mower is lightweight and put too much strain on your muscles.
A good lawn mower weight range is around 10-15 kilograms for an electric mower or 6-8 kilograms for a manual mower. If the mower is too heavy, you’ll struggle to maneuver it around corners, push it up hills in your lawn, and carry it in and out of storage.
A heavy mower also increases the risk of injury, so prioritize lightweight models in your search.
🏁 Easy-Start Function
The simpler the mower’s design and operation, the better suited it is to an older gardener.
Even the best petrol lawn mower isn’t worth buying if it has a starter cord that you have to crank to power up the engine. You probably found the job taxing even at your youngest and healthiest, and you want to avoid anything that could cause you to over-exert yourself as you age.
Why choose the most difficult option if you don’t have to? I recommend electric lawn mowers over petrol mower models because they have a simple push-button start. Even better is the push mower, which has no start-up at all: simply push the mower to start cutting grass.
🧰 Easy Assembly & Maintenance
Mower assembly and maintenance are tasks that shouldn’t be overcomplicated for anyone, but especially for folks over 50 who may not be able to bend, sit on the floor for long periods, or operate heavy tools and equipment.
Look for a mower that’s easy to assemble and maintain. Electric rotary lawn mowers are a great choice because they usually ship partially pre-assembled and have a single rotary blade, rather than numerous cylinder blades, so they’re quicker and easier to maintain.
If you want to keep maintenance to an absolute minimum, don’t buy a petrol lawn mower. This mower type needs servicing, a bit like a car, including frequent oil changes and fuel top-ups.
🤸🏿♂️ Ergonomic Handle
Pushing a lawn mower can put a lot of strain on your hands and wrists, especially in your later years.
A great way to reduce this strain and minimize your risk of injury is to find a lawn mower with an ergonomic handle.
There are a few manufacturers that sell various kinds of ergonomic mowers, including manual mowers, electric corded mowers, and battery lawn mowers.
My recommendation: I think the Gardena Hand Cylinder Lawnmower is the best ergonomic manual reel mower you can buy today.
♻️ Efficiency & Ease-Of-Use Features
There are a few additional features to look for in a lawn mower that improve cutting efficiency and simplify operation.
These features depend on the mower type.
For instance, some manual mowers might have gears to spin the blades faster while requiring less pushing effort from you.
Or, a petrol lawnmower might have a self-propelled function so that you can simply follow behind the mower rather than physically pushing it.
A mower might also have a mulching function along with the usual grass box, meaning that you don’t have to worry about emptying the grass clippings because they’re spread evenly across your lawn as you mow.
📲 Autonomous Cutting
Finally, if you have a small-to-medium-sized lawn and like the idea of abandoning your lawn mowing duties altogether in your later years, consider a mower that offers autonomous cutting – AKA a robot lawnmower.
Robot lawn mowers are programmed to mow your lawn without your input whatsoever. That means you can sit back and let the mower get on with it, and admire your lawn afterward.
I recommend looking for mowers that offer autonomous cutting if you’re no longer physically up to the task of cutting your lawn and you prefer not to rely on a friend or family member.
📊Pros And Cons Of Corded Electric Mowers
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Environmentally friendly - no gas emissions | Need to be plugged in at all times |
| Quiet operation compared to gas-powered mowers | Power cord can be a hindrance and limit movement |
| Low maintenance and easy to start | Not ideal for large lawns |
| Lightweight and easy to maneuver | May not have as much cutting power as gas-powered mowers |
| No need to store fuel or perform oil changes | May not have as long of a lifespan as gas-powered mowers |
✳️ Final Word
Hopefully this guide has equipped you with the knowledge you need to choose a suitable lawn mower for yourself or a family member over the age of 50.
If you’re ready to move on to shopping for a lawn mower, I think you’ll find my guide to the best lawn mowers for seniors helpful.
Thanks for reading, and happy mowing!