• Top-quality lawn mowers are powerful enough to cut your grass to a uniform height on the first sweep, will last for years to come, and make an often tedious chore more enjoyable.
  • The Honda HRX217VKA Lawn Mower is our top pick because it has a 190cc engine, features a dual-blade cutting system, and the variable self-propelled mechanism allows you to finish the lawn at your own speed.
  • See also: The best riding mowers, The best string trimmers

There’s something almost meditative about spending an hour or two each week pushing the mower around the yard. The drone of the motor drowns out your thoughts as you work on a task with a clearly defined objective: make your lawn look its best.

Of course, the deciding factor between an almost relaxing experience and one filled with frustration is often the quality of the lawn mower you have.

How to shop for a lawn mower

In the following guide, we focus on walk-behind mowers since the majority of lawns are serviced perfectly well by these machines. However, if you have a lawn that is larger than half an acre, you may want a riding mower.

If you have a yard that is above a quarter or half an acre, consider a self-propelled model. This basically means you do less pushing. Self-propelled mowers are especially helpful on hills. Also, pay special attention to blade size. Look for a mower with a blade that’s at least 20 inches long if you have a larger yard. Conversely, if you have many narrow areas to mow, a smaller deck – the area in which the blade spins around – is best.

Lastly, pay close attention to model numbers. Many brands have dozens of models with only slight differences. If you’ve done your research and have your heart set on XYZ Company’s 12345, be sure you don’t pick up the 12456. If you follow our links, you can ensure you are getting the right model.

While researching the best lawn mowers, we examined hundreds of expert and buyer ratings and reviews of dozens of models. The mowers included in our guide are fairly low maintenance, enjoyable to use, make quick work of your lawn, and will last you for several years.

Also, check out our guide to the best string trimmers to get into any edges or tight spots your mower may miss.

The best lawn mowers you can buy:

Prices and links are accurate as of 7/7/2020. We also adjusted copy to better address why we'd recommend these models and are researching new models as they come out.

The best lawn mower overall

If you need a powerful mower that is packed full of features and can handle different terrain and grasses, look no further than the Honda HRX217VKA Lawn Mower.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of the Honda 21-inch Variable Speed 4-in-1 Gas Walk Behind Self Propelled Lawn Mower, we should point out that the model numbers HRX217VKA and HRX217K5VKA are used interchangeably by Honda to refer to this lawn mower, and there do not appear to be any differences between the two. That said, the best adjective to describe the HRX217VKA is "powerful."

The 190cc engine allows you to mow at a decent clip, and it starts more easily and runs more efficiently than most side-valve engines. Also, the rear-wheel drive makes it so you can mow inclines and hills effortlessly.

There are more features than we have space to cover here, but we would be remiss if we didn't touch on the Versamow system. This system allows you to choose how much grass is mulched and how much is bagged depending on your yard's conditions. It also lets you shred leaves so you no longer need to use your leaf blower.

The Honda HRX217VKA is at or near the top of all of the expert best lawn mower lists, including Top Ten Reviews, and Lawn Mower Review. The testers at Consumer Reports gave this model top ratings for handling, bagging, and mulching and "very good" ratings for ease of use and side discharging. Additionally, the reviewer estimated the breakage rate by the fourth year of ownership to be 16%, which is well below any of the other mowers they tested.

The reviewer at The Wirecutter calls it "one of the best self-propelled mowers available" for cut quality and grass maintenance. He was impressed with how the mower cut grass into smaller pieces with its double-blade design. And, he found the Versamow system incredibly helpful. However, the reviewer said that it was tedious to adjust each wheel when he wanted to change the cutting height.

Buyers remark that the mower cuts well after just one pass and doesn't leave stragglers, clumps, or lines. One buyer was impressed with how it could even handle unkempt grass over 6 inches high.

Pros: Durable, two-blade cutting system, 190cc engine, rear-wheel drive, five-year warranty

Cons: Expensive, tedious cutting height adjustment

The best electric lawn mower

Foto: Source: ego

The EGO 21 in. 56-Volt Lithium-ion Cordless Battery Walk Behind Push Mower is your best option if the idea of using fossil fuels to cut your lawn isn't appealing.

EGO has two 21-inch-deck, 56-volt lithium-ion cordless battery mowers that are quite popular and share a number of similarities: the LM2101 and the LM2102SP. The major differences between the two are that the LM2102SP is self-propelled, has a larger-capacity 7.5Ah battery, and it costs $100 more. For the purposes of this review, we're going to focus on the features they share.

The EGO 21-inch handles side discharge, bagging, and mulching. It is designed for use in all weather, and even features LED headlights for when you're mowing in heavily-shaded areas or after dark. There are six deck heights to pick from, and adjustments are made with a single lever. EGO backs the quality of their mowers with a five-year limited warranty.

The EGO LM2101 is a highly-rated electric-battery mower on Consumer Reports. Its lowest category score is in bagging, for which it is rated "good." The reviewer found this mower was easy to operate and had effortless handling. However, they found the 40-minute battery runtime to be fairly short, a common issue with cordless electric mowers.

Techaeris tested the EGO LM2102SP and found the battery lasted 60 minutes, which was long enough to finish the reviewer's 1/3-acre lawn.

More than 3,100 buyers have left 5-star reviews of the LM2101 on Home Depot's website. After a year-and-a-half of ownership, one owner was impressed by how lightweight and quiet it is. He shared a story of hitting a metal pipe in his yard with the mower. It damaged the electronics, and EGO sent him a brand new mower to replace it. Buyers also appreciate that the battery only takes about 40 minutes to recharge from dead.

Pros: Easy to operate, good for the environment, excellent customer service, folds up for easy storage

Cons: Battery only lasts for an hour at most

The best corded electric lawn mower

Foto: Source: Greenworks

If you want an electric mower but don't want to deal with the hassle of recharging or the high price of a cordless alternative, consider the Greenworks 20-inch 12 Amp Corded Lawn Mower.

The Greenworks 20-inch 12 Amp Corded Lawn Mower has a lot of features that can make your mowing experience enjoyable. Since it is corded, you don't need to stop to recharge a battery or gas up. It's a three-in-one that has mulching, side discharge, and rear bagging capabilities. There are seven cutting height positions ranging from 1.5 to 3.75 inches, and you can adjust the height with a single lever. Plus, the 10-inch rear wheels, 7-inch front wheels, and 56-pound size make it easy to push around the yard.

For the past three years, I have used the Greenworks 22502 Corded Lawn Mower on our quarter-acre lawn. We particularly like how easy it is to adjust the blade height, and it's surprisingly light. There are just a couple of negatives we have noticed. We live in the Pacific Northwest where mowing wet grass is unavoidable. When the grass is wet, it does not feed into the bag of this mower easily. Also, we had to replace the cord after my teenager ran over it with the mower. So, cord control is important and takes a little planning.

Your Best Digs rated the Greenworks 22502 as the best electric lawn mower. The reviewer found this push mower easy to maneuver thanks to its lightweight design. He also liked that it was much quieter than the gas mowers he tested. However, he noted that dumping the clipping was awkward since there was a crossbar in the way, and he would have preferred it if the mower came with an extension cord. Greenworks offers the option of buying the mower with an extension cord for $30 extra.

Several buyer reviews suggest coming up with a mowing pattern that moves away from the outlet and thus makes it harder for you to trip over the cord. One buyer found that the motor would get dirty during use and recommended opening it up and cleaning it with compressed air.

Pros: Lightweight for easy maneuverability, good for the environment, four-year warranty

Cons: The cord can get in the way

The best affordable lawn mower

Foto: Source: Sun Joe

The Sun Joe MJ401E Mow Joe 14-inch 12 Amp Electric Lawn Mower was designed for people who want to maintain small yards and don't want to spend a lot of money.

When you first lay eyes on the Sun Joe MJ401E Mow Joe 14-inch 12 Amp Electric Lawn Mower, you may be struck by how small it is. At 29 pounds, it weighs almost half as much as the next lightest mower on our list. This makes it easy to maneuver, but it does raise questions of durability.

Fortunately, the Snow Joe + Sun Joe Company backs the quality of the mower with a full two-year warranty. With a 14-inch blade, this mower is meant for yards that are a quarter-acre or smaller, and the 16-inch deck makes it easy to get into tight spots.

The Sun Joe MJ401E has similar benefits to an electric mower (no fossil fuels, lightweight, etc.), but there are only three height positions with the lowest scraping the ground. And, due to its 14-inch blade, it takes longer to mow a lawn.

The mower is a finalist on Your Best Digs' list, but the reviewer noted the budget price is reflected in its toy-like build quality and "flimsy-feeling" height adjuster. The reviewer thinks it's best for very basic lawn care.

The Sun Joe MJ104E has more than 1,600 5-star reviews on Amazon. One buyer says he had his Mow Joe for more than a year and left it in the weather and abused it otherwise. He is happy with how it has performed. He cautions against buying the 16-gauge extension cord recommended by Amazon. Instead, choose 12 gauge for 100 feet or more and 14 gauge for under 100 feet.

Pros: Inexpensive, lightest mower on our list, good for the environment

Cons: limited height adjustments, only good for basic lawn care, somewhat flimsy build

The best lawn mower for large yards

Foto: Source: Toro

If you have a larger yard and prefer gas-powered mowers, the Toro Recycler 20333 Lawn Mower is for you with its 22-inch cutting width and self-propelling abilities.

One of the coolest features of the Toro Recycler 22-inch Personal Pace Variable Speed Gas Walk Behind Self Propelled Lawn Mower is the blade-brake clutch. This allows you to stop the blade without stopping the motor of the mower, which is helpful for moving debris out of the way.

The Recycler has a powerful 163cc engine that doesn't require priming or choking to start, and there's no need for oil changes. There are nine cutting positions, and Toro backs this mower with a three-year "guaranteed-to-start" warranty.

Consumer Reports recommends the Toro Recycler 20333 because of its "very good" ratings in ease of use, handling, side discharging, bagging, and "excellent" mulching. The reviewer specifically liked the washout port for cleaning buildup under the sizable deck. The Wirecutter used to list the 20333 as their "runner-up pick" but supplanted it with the 20340 as the "budget pick" because of the newer model's upright storage.

More than 2,100 buyers on Home Depot's site recommend the Toro Recycler 20333. The most helpful reviewer found the powerful engine did an excellent job of chopping through foot-high grass, and the rear wheel drive gave him power while turning. He also mentioned that he could almost jog with it.

Another buyer notes that his Toro still runs well after three years of questionable maintenance. He does note a couple of negatives: it's a bit louder than the Honda, and if you go too fast, the mulch is not fine enough.

Pros: Blade-brake clutch, self-propelled, three-year "guaranteed-to-start" warranty, 163cc engine

Cons: Gas-powered

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