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Which mower is right for me?
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Which mower is right for me?
Find out now
Lawn care is one of those jobs that never seems to end. Week after week, you’re out there mowing, trimming, and tidying just to keep your garden looking presentable. For many homeowners, it’s time they’d rather spend relaxing or enjoying the space, not pushing a heavy mower back and forth.
This is where robot mowers come in. Once seen as a niche luxury for tech enthusiasts, they’ve rapidly evolved into practical, reliable, and increasingly affordable tools. Today’s models are smarter, more efficient, and designed to handle a wide variety of gardens – from small suburban lawns to sprawling country plots.
But not all robot mowers work in the same way. Their biggest difference lies in how they navigate your garden. Some rely on boundary wires, others use high-precision RTK GPS, while the latest models incorporate advanced Lidar technology. So the question becomes: which navigation system is best for your garden?
In this article, we’ll break it down clearly. You’ll learn how each system works, their strengths and weaknesses, and where they perform best. We’ll also provide a comparison table for quick reference, and finally, a guide to help you decide which type of mower will suit your garden’s layout, size, and needs.
Boundary wired mowers rely on a physical wire that’s laid around the perimeter of your lawn. This wire emits a low-voltage signal that the mower can detect, guiding it to stay within the set boundaries. In practice, the mower treats the wire as an invisible barrier – it knows exactly where to mow and when to stop.
Think of it as an invisible fence for your robot mower. Once installed, the mower will reliably navigate your lawn without wandering into flowerbeds, paths, or your neighbour’s garden.
Reliable – Because they don’t depend on GPS or sensors, they work consistently regardless of tree cover, tall buildings, or poor satellite reception.
Lower Initial Cost – Typically the most affordable option, making them a good entry point for homeowners curious about robot mowing.
Proven Technology – This system has been on the market for years, so it’s tried, tested, and well-supported by most major brands.
Tedious Installation – The biggest drawback is the setup. Installing the wire involves digging or pinning it around the entire mowing area, which can take hours and requires patience.
Lack of Flexibility – Once the wire is in place, changing your garden layout or adding new “no-go” zones means physically moving or re-laying parts of the wire.
Potential for Damage – Wires can be accidentally cut or damaged by gardening tools, pets, or even rodents, leading to frustrating troubleshooting and repairs.
RTK is an advanced, highly accurate form of GPS. Instead of relying solely on satellite signals, these mowers use a base station placed in your garden to correct for the small inaccuracies that standard GPS can produce. This combination allows the mower to pinpoint its position with centimetre-level precision.
This is like a super-accurate GPS for your lawn, allowing the mower to know its exact location at all times without a wire. The result is a system that can mow efficiently without the need for any physical boundaries buried in the ground.
Wire-Free Installation – The biggest advantage is that there’s no need to lay perimeter wire, saving significant time and effort.
Flexible – Virtual boundaries and no-go zones can be created or adjusted instantly through an app, making it easy to adapt to multi-zone or changing gardens.
Efficient Mowing Patterns – Because the mower knows exactly where it is, it can mow in straight, systematic lines (similar to a robot vacuum). This method is quicker and more energy-efficient than the random approach used by many boundary wired models.
Requires Clear Sky View – The mower depends on strong satellite connectivity. Heavy tree cover, tall hedges, or surrounding buildings can block signals and reduce accuracy.
Higher Cost – Generally more expensive than boundary wired models, reflecting the advanced technology.
Setup Dependency – The base station needs proper placement with a clear view of the sky and access to a reliable power source, which may limit installation options.
Lidar, short for Light Detection and Ranging, works by firing thousands of tiny laser pulses per second and measuring how long they take to bounce back. From this data, the mower builds a real-time 3D map of its surroundings. Using this map, it can navigate accurately and avoid obstacles as they appear.
Lidar is the “eyes” of the mower, allowing it to see and react to its surroundings in real time. This makes it particularly effective in gardens with lots of features or unexpected obstacles.
Superior Obstacle Avoidance – Excellent at spotting and steering around objects like toys, garden furniture, pets, or even people, which improves both performance and safety.
Effective in Complex Environments – Handles gardens with trees, raised beds, or other permanent fixtures more confidently than wire-only or GPS-only systems.
Works in the Dark – Because Lidar is an active sensor (it provides its own light source), it can operate effectively at night, unlike camera-based navigation systems that depend on daylight.
Limited Range/Scope – Lidar sensors only scan their immediate surroundings, so they may not be ideal for very large, open lawns.
Can Be Affected by Weather – Rain, fog, or even a dirty lens can reduce accuracy and reliability.
Not a Complete Solution – While superb for local mapping and obstacle avoidance, Lidar alone isn’t sufficient for large-scale positioning. Many high-end mowers combine Lidar with RTK/GPS in a process called sensor fusion to get the best of both worlds.
| Feature | Boundary Wired | RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) | Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup/Installation | Labour-intensive (laying wire) | Quick and easy (virtual boundaries) | Quick and easy (virtual mapping) |
| Navigation | Physical wire | RTK GPS (requires base station) | Real-time mapping (laser pulses) |
| Best For | Simple, small to medium lawns | Large, open, multi-zone lawns | Gardens with many obstacles and complex layouts |
| Mowing Pattern | Random | Systematic (straight lines) | Varies (often systematic) |
| Obstacle Avoidance | Bumps into obstacles | Bumps into obstacles | Excellent (detects in real time) |
| Garden Flexibility | Low | High (app-controlled) | High (app-controlled) |
| Signal Dependency | None | Depends on satellite view | Minimal (active sensor) |
| Cost | Lowest | Highest | High |
| Common Drawbacks | Wire damage, installation | Signal issues under cover | Sensor limitations, cost |
Choosing the right robot mower comes down to your garden’s size, shape, and complexity. Below, we’ve outlined the best navigation systems for common garden types, so you can match the technology to your needs.
Description: Flat, rectangular, and free of complex obstacles or tight passages.
Recommendation: Boundary Wired
For smaller gardens, the installation of a boundary wire is much less daunting, and once in place it provides a reliable and affordable solution. The lower cost of boundary wired models makes them excellent value for money, and their proven technology ensures years of dependable performance.
Description: A large lawn with minimal tree cover, few flower beds, and no complex passages.
Recommendation: RTK
This is the perfect environment for RTK mowers. With open skies and fewer obstructions, RTK delivers centimetre-precise positioning and efficient, straight-line mowing. You’ll save the hassle of installing hundreds of metres of wire and enjoy systematic mowing across expansive areas.
Description: A garden with lots of trees, flower beds, winding paths, patios, or children’s toys and furniture scattered about.
Recommendation: Lidar (or RTK + Lidar models)
Here, Lidar’s superior obstacle detection really shines. The mower can see and react to real-world objects in real time, avoiding collisions and navigating intricate layouts with ease. For larger gardens, a combined RTK + Lidar system offers the best of both worlds: precise positioning and intelligent obstacle avoidance.
Description: A front lawn and a back lawn separated by a path, or multiple distinct grassy areas.
Recommendation: RTK
With RTK’s app-based virtual mapping, you can easily set up multiple mowing zones and even create “virtual pathways” for your mower to travel between them. This flexibility makes it the most practical choice for gardens that aren’t a single continuous space.
Description: A lawn with dense, mature trees that block the sky.
Recommendation: Boundary Wired or Lidar/Vision-Based Systems
Since RTK relies on a clear satellite signal, it may struggle in heavily shaded gardens. In this case, a boundary wired mower provides rock-solid reliability, or a Lidar/vision-based system can offer flexible navigation without depending on satellite connectivity.
Q: Can the boundary wire be damaged? What happens if it gets cut?
A: Yes, the wire can be damaged by gardening tools such as spades, aerators, or even by rodents. If the wire is cut, the mower will immediately stop and display a “no boundary wire signal” error. To fix it, you’ll need to locate the break—often with a wire tester—and repair it. This can be a time-consuming process.
Q: Can I easily change my garden layout with a wired mower?
A: Not easily. Any changes, such as adding a flower bed or creating a new no-go zone, require you to physically move or re-lay the wire. This lack of flexibility makes boundary wired mowers less suitable for gardens that are frequently redesigned.
Q: How do I handle multiple zones or a narrow passage with a wired mower?
A: Most wired mowers can manage multiple zones using a guide wire, which the mower follows to reach secondary areas. However, this setup is more complex compared to the simple virtual zoning offered by RTK systems.
Q: Does the RTK base station need a clear line of sight to the mower at all times?
A: The base station requires a clear, unobstructed view of the sky to accurately correct the mower’s position. While the mower can sometimes operate briefly during signal interruptions, heavy tree cover or tall buildings can cause performance issues or stop the mower entirely.
Q: How do I create and modify virtual boundaries?
A: Boundaries are set through a smartphone app. You guide the mower along the lawn’s edge (or around a no-go zone), and the app records the coordinates. This process is fast, intuitive, and makes it easy to edit or add zones as your garden evolves.
Q: Is there a subscription fee for the RTK signal?
A: It depends on the brand. Some require a subscription for RTK correction data. Others, such as Segway use a local base station that communicates directly with the mower—so no subscription is needed. Always check this detail before purchasing.
Q: How does a Lidar mower see in the dark?
A: Lidar uses its own laser pulses to build a 3D map of the surroundings. Since it doesn’t rely on daylight, it can detect obstacles and navigate just as effectively at night as it does during the day.
Q: Are Lidar mowers a complete solution for navigation?
A: Not entirely. Lidar excels at local mapping and obstacle avoidance, but for larger lawns it may lack the long-range positioning needed for efficient, systematic mowing. That’s why many high-end models combine Lidar with RTK in a sensor fusion system, which provides both obstacle detection and global positioning.
Q: Can environmental factors affect a Lidar mower’s performance?
A: Yes. While robust, Lidar performance can be reduced by heavy rain, dense fog, or dirt on the sensor lens. Regular cleaning and maintenance help minimise these issues.
When it comes down to it, the best robot mower for your garden depends on your lawn’s size, complexity, and environment. Boundary wired models remain a solid and affordable choice for small, simple gardens, while Lidar-based systems excel in obstacle-heavy or complex layouts.
But for most UK homeowners, RTK mowers strike the perfect balance of precision, flexibility, and convenience. They remove the hassle of wires, adapt effortlessly to garden changes, and deliver professional-looking results with their efficient, straight-line mowing.
At UK Navimow, we believe the Segway Navimow leads the way. With its advanced RTK navigation, app-controlled zoning, and robust build quality, it offers a future-proof solution that fits a wide range of gardens. Whether you’ve got a large open lawn or multiple zones to manage, Navimow makes lawn care effortless, reliable, and smart.
👉 Ready to reclaim your weekends? Explore the Segway Navimow range and find the model that’s right for your garden today.