What we test and when
MowerLab field-tests robotic mowers on one 0.75-acre residential test property with 7 mapped obstacles, one mower at a time, against the same 9 categories. The other 49 models in the catalog are described from manufacturer specifications and labelled that way.
Season by season
2026 season
TestedSegway Navimow X430· May 2026 · results published
Via identical hardwareNavimow X450· carries the Navimow X430 results
2027 season
Up to three full evaluations, run one after another during the mowing season, 6–8 weeks each.
Each mower is named here when its test starts.
How a field test works
A fixed property is what makes results comparable. The trade-off is that results describe one yard, so we publish the property details for you to judge how close it is to yours.
One property
One 0.75-acre residential test property with 7 mapped obstacles. A residential lawn, not a test plot; every mower faces the same terrain and obstacles.
One mower at a time
Mowers are tested one after another, never side by side, so cut quality and coverage are not confounded by a second unit.
6–8 weeks in season
From the 2027 season, each full evaluation runs 6–8 weeks during the mowing season, over many mowing cycles. The X430’s May 2026 test was shorter; its page shows the test dates.
Up to three per season
One property and one mower at a time allow up to three full evaluations per mowing season. We name each mower when its test starts.
9 categories, the same for every mower
Each category we test gets a published outcome (Very Strong, Strong, Passable, Weak or Failure) and a narrative of what we observed. A category we could not test in a given run gets no outcome, and the page says so.
- 1Drop and Mow
- 2Obstacle Avoidance
- 3Hill Capability
- 4Map Creation
- 5App Experience
- 6Weather Handling
- 7Grass Cut Quality
- 8Multi-Zone
- 9Noise Level
After a test
The evaluation is published on the mower’s page with test dates and property context, and its results appear in the finder and in comparisons. Positive and critical findings are both published. Field-tested results and spec-based listings are labelled separately everywhere; a model tested through an identical-hardware sibling says so next to its badge. Manufacturers get a 5-business-day factual check and a labelled right of reply, and nothing else. Editorial policy
For manufacturers
Want your mower in a coming season?
Lend a unit for a full field evaluation on our test property, with a 5-business-day factual check and a labeled right of reply. Inclusion is based on product data, not paid placement.
Independent. MowerLab has no affiliate links and no affiliate, sponsorship or advertising agreement with any manufacturer, and earns nothing when you buy a mower. No payment, in money or in kind, affects inclusion, classification, testing order or results.