Best Electric Lawn Mower (2026): 6 Battery Picks by Job

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The best electric lawn mower for most lawns is the EGO Power+ LM2135SP, a 21-inch self-propelled battery mower that Popular Mechanics names the best electric mower overall. EGO lists up to 60 minutes per charge from the 56V 7.5Ah battery in the box, and the Rapid Charger that comes with it refills that pack in about an hour. For a lawn close to half an acre, or grass that grows thick and fast, the EGO Power+ LM2206SP steps up to a 22-inch cast-aluminum deck, a 10.0Ah battery and up to 70 minutes, the longest single-battery runtime among these picks.

The other four picks are Greenworks mowers: the 60V 21-inch MO60L516 for pushing a flat lawn of a quarter to a third of an acre, the 60V 17-inch MO60L419 for an average-sized lawn of 1/8 to 1/4 acre, the 40V 16-inch 25322 for a small yard you mow often, and the 60V MO60L424, a self-propelled mower that carries two batteries at once. One table below works out how much lawn a single charge covers on each of them. Gas, riding and robot mowers are covered type by type in our best lawn mower guide.

Jump to: One charge | Battery numbers | Self-propel and runtime | Corded mowers | Mulch or bag | Over half an acre | Safety

Start here: which electric mower for your job

• A quarter acre to about 0.4 acre, with self-propel: the EGO Power+ LM2135SP (pick 1).
• About 0.4 acre to half an acre, or thick grass: the EGO Power+ LM2206SP (pick 2), with the longest one-battery runtime here.
• A flat quarter to third of an acre you are happy to push: the Greenworks MO60L516 (pick 3), with a 21-inch steel deck.
• Average-sized lawns, 1/8 to 1/4 acre: the Greenworks MO60L419 (pick 4), a 37.5 lb push mower.
• A small yard under 1/8 acre, mowed often: the Greenworks 25322 (pick 5), on Greenworks' 40V tool battery.
• Two batteries in the mower for up to an hour: the Greenworks MO60L424 (pick 6), self-propelled.

The best electric lawn mowers, by job

1. EGO Power+ LM2135SP Select Cut Self-Propelled Mower: best overall

The LM2135SP kit pairs EGO's 21-inch LM2130SP mower with a 56V 7.5Ah battery (420Wh by EGO's figure) and the CH5500 Rapid Charger. EGO gives the mower up to 60 minutes a charge and the pack about an hour to refill, so it recharges in roughly the time it runs. Touch Drive self-propel engages when you press your palms against the handle, and a dial sets the pace anywhere from 0.9 to 3.1 mph. The Select Cut system ships with three swappable lower blades (mulching, high-lift bagging and extended runtime) plus an upper blade, and the mower mulches, bags into a 2.0-bushel catcher or throws clippings out the side. It has eight cutting heights from 1 to 4 inches and LED headlights, folds for storage, weighs 55.3 lb without the battery per EGO's manual, and carries a 5-year tool warranty and a 3-year battery warranty.

Why it is the pick: Popular Mechanics names this exact kit its best electric lawn mower overall after mowing with the 7.5Ah pack, compares its cut on healthy grass to velvet, and found no clumps of clippings after mulching dry grass. Its main lawn mower guide also names an LM2135SP bundle, the same mower with an extra 5.0Ah battery, the best electric overall, and TechGearLab ranks the LM2135SP third of the 12 gas, battery and reel mowers in its test, with a measured 60-minute recharge. EGO says the battery in this kit works with all of its power tools.

Good to know: EGO's 60-minute figure is for a light load; its manual gives 45 minutes at a medium load and 30 at a heavy one. Popular Mechanics found the battery hard to lift out because it has no handle, and it has to come out to charge; it also warns that the bag fills sooner than you might think because the mower gathers so much grass. The deck is composite plastic, which Popular Mechanics notes will never rust. TechGearLab says the self-propel takes a little getting used to at turns and at the end of a strip. Popular Mechanics lists the mower at 61.7 lb with the battery fitted.

2. EGO Power+ LM2206SP 22-Inch Aluminum Self-Propelled Mower: best for bigger lawns and thick grass

This kit is EGO's LM2200SP mower with a 56V 10.0Ah battery (560Wh) and the 700W CH7000 charger, which EGO says refills the pack in about 60 minutes. The 22-inch deck is cast aluminum, with a lifetime deck warranty once registered, and EGO quotes a cutting torque of up to 11.1 ft-lbs and a top blade speed of 3,350 RPM. Runtime depends on the blade-speed mode you choose: EGO's manual gives 70 minutes in Mode 1, 60 in Mode 2 and 45 in Turbo. Touch Drive covers the same 0.9 to 3.1 mph range as pick 1, and the mower has eight heights from 1 to 4 inches, a 2.5-bushel bag, a mulching insert and a side-discharge chute in the box, IPX4 weather resistance and a handle that folds for storage. Beyond the deck, EGO gives a 5-year tool warranty and a 3-year battery warranty that becomes 5 years with registration.

Why it is the pick: it has the longest maker runtime on a single battery of any mower on this page. Popular Mechanics names this exact listing the best overall electric mower in its self-propelled guide and the LM2200 its best self-propelled pick in its electric guide, where its reviewer liked the palm-pad drive and found little clumping even after cutting grass that was a bit damp; it expects an hour or so of runtime from the 10Ah pack to be enough for a medium-sized property. Pro Tool Reviews picks it as its best residential battery mower and says that for a mower that can take on any lawn, "there's no question EGO's LM2206SP is it."

Good to know: it weighs 83.8 lb without the battery by EGO's manual, and Popular Mechanics lists 91.3 lb with the 10Ah pack; it says the aluminum deck adds some weight but did not make the mower any harder to maneuver. The 70-minute figure is Mode 1, which the manual calls the quietest, longest-running mode, and it warns that higher blade speeds cut runtime significantly. Pro Tool Reviews measured 86 dB(A) from it.

3. Greenworks 60V 21-Inch Push Mower MO60L516: best battery push mower

The MO60L516 is a 21-inch push mower with a stamped steel deck on Greenworks' 60V platform. It comes with one 60V 5.0Ah battery, which Greenworks labels "Max 300Wh", and a charger that refills it in 50 minutes; Greenworks lists up to 45 minutes of mowing and up to 1/2 acre per charge. A second battery port sits beside the first, and Pro Tool Reviews describes both slots as active, so a spare 60V pack can ride along. It mulches, bags, side-discharges or picks up leaves in a turbo leaf mode, sets seven heights from 1.3 to 4 inches with one lever, spins its blade at up to 3,200 RPM and weighs 59.5 lb by Greenworks' figure. The handle folds over so the mower can stand upright in storage, and Greenworks covers the tool and battery for 4 years.

Why it is the pick: Pro Tool Reviews ran this exact model in its Central Florida grass, found it bagged and mulched well, and listed no significant drawbacks. Working from Greenworks' 45-minute figure, it calls the mower ideal for lawns of a quarter to half an acre. On flat ground, a push mower also skips the self-propel drive that Consumer Reports says takes a share of a battery's charge.

Good to know: it is a push mower, and Greenworks lists it at 59.5 lb; Pro Tool Reviews found the large wheels rolled easily even in thick grass. Pro Tool Reviews says side discharge "did leave something to be desired" in thicker grass and suggests turbo mode for an overgrown lawn. The kit includes one battery, so the second port starts empty. By Pro Tool Reviews' own lawn-size method, one 45-minute charge covers about 0.32 acre at a typical pace (see the one-charge table), so the top of its quarter- to half-acre range calls for that second battery.

4. Greenworks 60V 17-Inch Push Mower MO60L419: best for average-sized lawns

The MO60L419 is a compact 17-inch push mower with a brushless motor and a rust-resistant deck, sold with one 60V 4.0Ah battery ("Max 240Wh") and a charger that takes 90 minutes. Greenworks lists up to 40 minutes and up to 1/4 acre per charge, a top blade speed of 3,500 RPM and a weight of 37.5 lb. It mulches or bags at the rear, sets six heights from 1.5 to 3.15 inches, folds its handles to take up to 70% less space, and Greenworks covers the tool and battery for 4 years.

Why it is the pick: TechGearLab names it its best mower for average-sized yards. In its test the 4.0Ah battery lasted about 40 minutes, which TechGearLab says is enough for about a quarter acre, and it found the mower light enough to push nearly as easily as a big self-propelled one, nimble around obstacles and tight edges, and able to handle a medium-sized lawn as well as a small one. It also mulched well and coped with thicker grass better than TechGearLab expected for its size.

Good to know: the included charger takes 90 minutes, more than twice the runtime, so a spare 60V battery is the way to keep mowing past one charge. TechGearLab measured it at about 78 to 79 dBA and lists it as "not ideal for large lawns, can bog down in tall weeds"; it adds that the blade can clog in tall, thick grass, though on a lawn mowed every week or two it found the cut clean. Its top cutting height is 3.15 inches. TechGearLab also filled its bag quickly when collecting leaves.

5. Greenworks 40V 16-Inch Push Mower 25322: best for small yards

The 25322 is Greenworks' 16-inch push mower on its 40V platform, with a hardened plastic deck, a 4.0Ah battery that the manual lists at 146Wh, and a charger Greenworks says takes 120 minutes to refill it. Greenworks lists up to 40 minutes and up to 1/3 acre per charge. It mulches or bags at the rear, sets five heights between 1-1/4 and 3-3/8 inches with one lever, weighs 37.8 lb by the manual, and folds its handles to store in up to 70% less space. Greenworks' spec table marks the motor as not brushless, and the tool and battery carry a 3-year warranty.

Why it is the pick: it is TechGearLab's pick for small yards. Running it twice in grass five to seven inches tall, TechGearLab measured 35.5 and 46 minutes, an average of 40.8, which it judges just about enough for a quarter acre of well-kept grass, and its charger refilled the pack in 65 minutes in that test, well under Greenworks' 120. TechGearLab found it light and easy to steer through tight spaces, and strong at bagging. Greenworks lists the 25322's motor as brushed, while TechGearLab's editor's note says its fall 2024 update tested the brushless motor, so these figures may come from that version.

Good to know: TechGearLab says it suits people who mow often: the motor slows in taller grass, which can mean a second pass, and the light plastic deck tends to bounce over dips rather than follow them, leaving uneven patches on bumpy ground. TechGearLab lists a 15.5-inch blade and found folding the handle for storage fiddlier than it liked. Its cutting heights top out at 3-3/8 inches. Pro Tool Reviews' lot-size chart puts a 16-inch deck at lots under 1/8 acre, and one charge covers about 0.22 acre by the one-charge table, so treat 1/8 acre as the comfortable size; a quarter acre is more than one charge at a typical pace.

6. Greenworks 60V 21-Inch Self-Propelled Mower MO60L424: best with two batteries on board

The MO60L424 is a 21-inch self-propelled mower with a stamped steel deck that holds two 60V batteries at once, and this kit ships with two 4.0Ah packs ("Max 240Wh" each) and a dual-port charger. Greenworks lists up to an hour of mowing on the two packs, up to 3/4 acre per charge, and 80 minutes to recharge both, or 40 minutes a pack. Greenworks says the dual ports switch between batteries automatically, so the second pack takes over without a stop. Greenworks' Amazon listing gives it rear-wheel drive, it mulches, bags, side-discharges or picks up leaves, and it has seven heights from 1.3 to 4 inches, LED headlights, IPX4 weather resistance and a top blade speed of 3,200 RPM. Its EZ Fold handles let it stand upright for storage, it weighs 65 lb by Greenworks' figure, and the tool and battery are covered for 4 years.

Why it is the pick: it is the only pick sold with two batteries that ride in the mower together, so its hour of runtime needs no mid-mow swap, and both packs also fit Greenworks' other 60V tools. WIRED mowed with a Greenworks 60V 21-inch self-propelled for four months on its tester's Midwestern lawn and gave it 7 out of 10, listing it as powerful, fast to charge and reliable, with headlights the tester came to appreciate. That tester used one 5.0Ah battery rather than this kit's two 4.0Ah packs and got two full mows of a lawn of about 3,000 sq ft per charge in turbo mode, or three and a half on standard power.

Good to know: none of the testers we read ran this exact two-battery kit; WIRED's mower had a single 5.0Ah pack. WIRED found turbo mode drains the battery quickly and long, wet grass drained it much faster than it expected. Greenworks lists up to 3/4 acre; by Pro Tool Reviews' method an hour with a 21-inch deck is about 0.42 acre typical and 0.53 at most (see the one-charge table).

How we chose these

We compared 66 Amazon listings for battery and corded walk-behind mowers, then read the makers' product pages for all six picks, the owner's manuals for five of them (EGO's manuals for the LM2130SP and LM2200SP mowers, and Greenworks' manuals for its 60V 21-inch push, 60V 17-inch and 25322 mowers) and the makers' pages for the EGO and Greenworks 60V batteries they ship with. For the corded section we read BLACK+DECKER's BEMW472BH manual and its extension cord chart. We then read the hands-on results of six independent testers: Popular Mechanics (its electric, self-propelled and main mower guides), TechGearLab (its lawn mower test and its reviews of the Greenworks 60V 17-inch and 40V 16-inch), Pro Tool Reviews (its battery mower roundup and its MO60L516 review), WIRED, Bob Vila (its electric and main mower guides) and Good Housekeeping. Consumer Reports keeps its picks for members, so this page draws on its published battery-mower advice and its buying guide.

Where a tester ran a sibling of a pick, we say so. Popular Mechanics' main guide and TechGearLab link an LM2135SP bundle that adds a 5.0Ah battery, while pick 1's listing is the one Popular Mechanics' electric guide links. WIRED ran a single-battery version of pick 6. TechGearLab's 25322 review lists that model number, but an editor's note says its fall 2024 update tested the brushless motor, and Greenworks' spec table for the 25322 says it is not brushless, so its measurements may come from that newer motor.

Every numbered pick was in stock on Amazon on October 23, 2026, sold by Amazon.com, carries the maker's model number on its listing, and has a long record of owner ratings. Where a tester's favorite was scarce, unavailable or sold by a third party that day, or had a short rating history, it is in Also considered with the reason. Runtime, charge-time and acreage figures are each maker's own; the per-charge coverage figures are our arithmetic from Pro Tool Reviews' published method and are labelled as computed. Safety and electrical rules come from the makers' manuals, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and BLACK+DECKER's cord chart, and mowing practice from the Penn State, Minnesota and Clemson extension services, each credited where it appears.

Also considered: models that missed the list and why

EGO Power+ LM2125SP. Bob Vila's best battery-powered mower in its main guide: a 21-inch self-propelled EGO with the same 56V 7.5Ah battery and 60-minute EGO figure as pick 1. It was in stock from Amazon.com on October 23, 2026 with a long rating record; pick 1 covers the same job and adds the Select Cut set of swappable lower blades.

EGO Power+ LM2134SP-2. The same EGO 800 Series Select Cut mower as pick 1, sold with two 6.0Ah batteries that EGO lists at up to 100 minutes together. It clears our bar, but none of the testers we read ran this kit; pick 1 is the same mower with the single 7.5Ah pack Popular Mechanics used.

EGO Power+ LM2114 and LM2114SP. EGO's 21-inch push and self-propelled mowers, both in stock from Amazon.com with long rating records. TechGearLab ran an EGO 21-inch push model and Pro Tool Reviews has written up the LM2114SP; picks 1 to 3 cover the push and self-propelled jobs.

Greenworks 80V 21-inch mowers (MO80L00, MO80L416 and MO80L415). On October 23, 2026 the MO80L416 cleared our bar on Amazon, the MO80L415 showed limited stock and the MO80L00 was unavailable. None of the testers we read ran these 21-inch 80V models; Popular Mechanics ran Greenworks' 80V 22-inch mower, which it links on Greenworks' own site.

WORX WG743 and WG745. 17-inch WORX 40V mowers that clear our bar, but none of the testers we read ran them (TechGearLab tested a different WORX). Picks 4 and 5 cover small and average-sized lawns.

Greenworks 40V 16-inch LMF417. Popular Mechanics' small-yard pick and a 16-inch Greenworks 40V sibling of pick 5. It was in stock on Amazon on October 23, 2026 and clears our bar; pick 5 is the one TechGearLab picks for small yards.

EGO Power+ 30-inch (LM3004SP-2). Popular Mechanics' walk-behind for large yards. Its Amazon listing has a short owner-rating record so far.

EGO Power+ 1000 Series 22-inch composite deck (LM2244SP-2). TechGearLab's best for large yards and Bob Vila's best electric overall. The Amazon listing we read has a short owner-rating record; pick 2 is EGO's 22-inch aluminum-deck model.

Toro 60V Recycler and Super Recycler. Popular Mechanics' picks for cut quality and for damp, heavy grass, and Bob Vila's best overall mower. On October 23, 2026 the Recycler listing we read was unavailable on Amazon and the Super Recycler listing showed limited stock.

Honda HRX-BE. Popular Mechanics' Honda pick in its electric and self-propelled guides. On October 23, 2026 its Amazon listing was sold by a third-party dealer.

Ryobi 40V HP 21-inch. Another Popular Mechanics pick, which it links at Home Depot; it did not come up in our Amazon read.

Corded: BLACK+DECKER BEMW213 and BEMW472BH, LawnMaster ME1218X. The 20-inch, 13 amp BEMW213, the 15-inch, 10 amp BEMW472BH and the 19-inch, 12 amp ME1218X were all in stock from Amazon.com, but each listing's owner-rating record sat below our floor on October 23, 2026, so there is no corded numbered pick. The corded section covers when one makes sense and how to size its cord.

How much lawn does one charge cut?

Maker runtimes come in minutes, but a lawn is measured in square feet. Pro Tool Reviews publishes a way to convert one into the other: the area a deck covers at a 2.5 mph walk over the battery's runtime, plus a typical figure of 0.8 times that maximum to allow for overlap and higher grass growth. Here is that method applied to each pick's deck width and maker runtime (2.5 mph is 220 ft a minute, so a 21-inch deck covers 385 sq ft a minute):

Read across from your lawn size. At a typical pace, one charge covers about 9,387 to 9,973 sq ft on the two small Greenworks push mowers, 13,860 sq ft on the 21-inch push mower, 18,480 sq ft on pick 1 and on pick 6's two packs, and 22,587 sq ft, just over half an acre (21,780 sq ft), on pick 2. Consumer Reports puts the average run time of the battery mowers in its tests at 45 to 50 minutes, and its lead mower tester says some mowers "are able to cut half an acre on one charge"; by this method, pick 2 is the only pick here that reaches half an acre on one battery. Pro Tool Reviews' own figures for it are 0.62 acre at most and 0.49 acre typical, worked out from a 21-inch blade, so treat it as right at half an acre. The last column divides each maker's charge time by its runtime: below 1.00, a spare pack on the included charger is full again before the one in the mower runs flat, which is true only of pick 2 in Mode 1. On pick 5 the ratio is 3.00 on Greenworks' figure, or about 1.6 on TechGearLab's measured 65 minutes.

Load matters as much as battery size. EGO's runtime table for pick 1's mower gives 60 minutes at a light load, 45 at a medium load and 30 at a heavy one, which works out to 23,100, 17,325 and 11,550 sq ft at most by the same method; pick 2's mower gives 70, 60 and 45 minutes in its three blade modes, or 28,233, 24,200 and 18,150 sq ft.

The makers' acreage claims run higher than this method because they assume more ground per minute. Covering Greenworks' 3/4 acre (32,670 sq ft) in pick 6's hour with a 21-inch deck means walking about 3.5 mph with no overlap; pick 3's 1/2 acre in 45 minutes works out to about 3.1 mph, and pick 5's 1/3 acre (14,520 sq ft) in 40 minutes with a 16-inch deck to about 3.1 mph as well. Pick 4's 1/4 acre (10,890 sq ft) in 40 minutes needs only about 2.2 mph, which is why TechGearLab's quarter acre on one charge lines up with Greenworks' figure. Pro Tool Reviews' lot-size chart pairs a 16- to 20-inch deck with lots under 1/8 acre (5,445 sq ft) and 18 to 21 inches with 1/8 to 1/4 acre; at 17 inches, pick 4 sits an inch under that second range, and TechGearLab's one-charge quarter acre is why it holds the 1/8 to 1/4 acre band in the sizing figure here. Picks 1 and 2 split at about 18,500 sq ft, the most pick 1 covers at a typical pace.

Volts, amp-hours and watt-hours: what a mower battery's numbers mean

Volts set the platform, amp-hours the size of the tank and watt-hours the energy in it. EGO spells out the arithmetic on its battery pages: voltage times amp-hours equals watt-hours, so its 56V 7.5Ah pack holds 420Wh and its 10.0Ah pack 560Wh. Greenworks labels its 60V packs with a "Max" figure, 300Wh for the 5.0Ah and 240Wh for the 4.0Ah, which is 60 times the amp-hours. Its 40V 4.0Ah pack is listed at 146Wh in the 25322 manual, less than the 160 that 40 times 4.0 would give, so watt-hours are not always stated on the same basis, even within one brand. Across brands, compare the makers' runtime and the coverage table above rather than watt-hours.

The charger in the box matters as much as the pack, as the 60V 4.0Ah row shows. EGO's battery page gives its 7.5Ah pack 45 minutes on the 700W Turbo Charger, 60 on the Rapid Charger that comes with pick 1, 100 on its 320W charger and 145 on the standard one; the 10.0Ah pack takes 60, 70, 135 and 190 minutes on the same four.

The platform also decides which other tools a battery runs. EGO says the battery in pick 1's kit works with all of its power tools, Greenworks says its 60V packs fit more than 75 of its 60V tools and its 40V packs more than 75 of its 40V tools, and Consumer Reports notes that brands increasingly build trimmers, blowers and chainsaws to take the same battery as their mowers. If you already own packs on one of these platforms, a mower on it lets you share them: EGO's 56V packs run the EGO saws in our best battery chainsaw guide.

Does self-propel drain a battery mower faster?

Yes, and the testers agree on it. Consumer Reports says battery self-propelled models spend part of their charge driving the wheels, so they cut less grass per charge unless you move to a bigger or second battery, and TechGearLab notes that the extra power draw empties batteries faster than on mowers without the feature. In Bob Vila's test of an EGO 21-inch self-propelled model (the LM2125SP in Also considered), using the self-propel halved the runtime.

Self-propel earns its place on bigger lawns and slopes. Consumer Reports suggests a battery self-propelled mower for a quarter to half an acre and says it makes slopes easier to handle. On drive type, it ranks all-wheel drive first for grip on slopes and rear-wheel drive second, while front-wheel drive suits flat ground but can lose grip as the bag fills. Popular Mechanics says every self-propelled mower on its electric list, which includes the mowers in picks 1 and 2, uses rear-wheel drive, which helps on steeper hills, and Greenworks' Amazon listing says pick 6 has rear-wheel drive. EGO's speed dial on picks 1 and 2 runs from 0.9 to 3.1 mph, and when runtime runs short, EGO's troubleshooting table suggests raising the deck and slowing down to ease the cutting load.

When does a corded electric mower still make sense?

When the lawn is small and an outdoor outlet is close. Good Housekeeping notes that a corded mower never runs out of power but calls the cord a nuisance, and its experts recommend corded models "only for very small lawns." TechGearLab, which has tested corded mowers, notes that a cord long enough to reach the far corner means you never stop to recharge, but its team found managing the cord frustrating and saw corded mowers as suited only to the smallest areas.

There is no corded numbered pick on this page: none of the corded mowers in our Amazon read met our owner-rating floor on October 23, 2026 (see Also considered). If your lawn is small enough for a cord and you would rather skip the motor altogether, a push reel mower is the other route; our best reel mower guide covers them.

If you do mow with a cord, size it to the mower. BLACK+DECKER's chart sets the minimum wire gauge by the mower's amp draw and the total cord length at 120V; a smaller gauge number means a heavier wire, and its manual warns that an undersized cord drops the line voltage, which means lost power and an overheating motor.

BLACK+DECKER adds that when you join cords to make up the length, each one needs at least the minimum gauge. Its BEMW472BH manual calls for an extension cord marked for outdoor use (types such as SJW, SJTW or SJTOW) and wants the circuit or outlet the mower uses protected by a GFCI, and the American Academy of Pediatrics gives the same GFCI advice for any electric mower. The manual's mowing pattern starts with the bulk of the cord on the lawn near your starting point and has you step over the cord at each turn, so it slides to the side away from the blade.

Mulch or bag with a battery mower?

Mulch when you can. Clemson's extension service says clippings contain "about 4 percent nitrogen, one-half to 1 percent phosphorus, 2 to 3 percent potassium," and Minnesota's says clippings, once broken down, supply about as much as one fertilizer application a year. Penn State found Kentucky bluegrass clippings held 46 to 59 percent of the fertilizer nitrogen applied over a three-year study, and says clippings, being mostly fast-rotting leaf tissue, do not build thatch. In Penn State's description, a mulching mower keeps clippings circling under the deck so the blade chops them finer. All six picks mulch and bag; picks 1, 2, 3 and 6 can also side-discharge, picks 3 and 6 add a leaf pickup mode, and pick 1's Select Cut set includes a mulching blade and a high-lift bagging blade.

On a battery mower, good mulching and a longer charge come from the same habit: short cuts. Minnesota's extension advises removing no more than a third of the leaf blade per mowing, so a lawn kept at 3 inches gets cut before it reaches 4.5 inches. That takes off 1.5 inches, the most EGO's manuals suggest cutting in one pass to stretch a charge. EGO also says to mulch only dry grass, since wet clippings stick under the deck, and Minnesota says that if clippings come out too long you can mow again to mulch them or rake them up.

Bagging helps when the grass has run long or the leaves are down. Penn State notes that after long spells of rain, overgrown turf can leave large clumps behind, which you can rake up once they dry. For fall leaves, our guide to mulching leaves with a mower covers the method, and our best mulching blades guide covers replacement blades matched to your mower.

Lawn bigger than half an acre?

Plan on more than one charge. By the typical figures in the one-charge table, a full acre (43,560 sq ft) takes about 1.9 of pick 2's charges or about 2.4 of pick 1's. Pick 2's 0.86 ratio means a second 10.0Ah pack on the included charger is full again before the first runs out in Mode 1, so two packs can take turns. Picks 3 and 6 hold two batteries at once (pick 3 ships with one), and Consumer Reports notes that on mowers with more than one battery slot, a second battery takes over when the first is spent. Past that, Consumer Reports points yards larger than half an acre toward riding mowers and tractors, gas or battery, which our main lawn mower guide compares type by type along with robot mowers.

Battery and cord safety

These rules come from the makers' manuals, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

• Charge in the right place and temperature. Greenworks' 60V manuals give a charging range of 39 to 104 F, and its 25322 manual says to charge between 45 and 104 F and never in a wet location. EGO's LM2200SP manual warns that charging improperly or outside the specified temperature range can damage the battery and raise the risk of fire.
• Keep packs away from heat. EGO's manuals warn that fire, or temperatures above 212 F (the LM2130SP manual) or 265 F (the LM2200SP manual), may make a pack explode, and the manual for pick 1's mower says it shuts off if the battery passes 158 F in use. For storage, EGO says to take the battery out and store it somewhere dry at room temperature, and Greenworks advises keeping batteries and chargers indoors.
• Corded: GFCI and an outdoor cord. See the corded section above: GFCI protection, per BLACK+DECKER's manual and the AAP, and an outdoor cord sized to the chart.
• Keep people and pets clear. EGO's manual wants children, bystanders, helpers and pets kept 100 feet or more from the running mower, as does Greenworks' 60V push manual; its 25322 manual sets 50 feet for children and bystanders. The AAP says a child should be at least 12 to run a walk-behind power mower, while EGO's and Greenworks' manuals set 14, and the AAP counts more than 5,000 children treated in emergency departments each year for power-mower injuries.
• Slopes and wet grass. EGO's and Greenworks' manuals say not to mow slopes steeper than 15 degrees and to mow across a slope rather than up and down it, which is also the AAP's advice for walk-behind mowers. EGO adds that wet grass makes footing unstable, so do not mow it.
• Dress for it. The AAOS advises "protective gloves, goggles, sturdy shoes, and long pants" whenever you mow.

Related guides

Keep the blade sharp and put the mower away properly at the end of the season with our guide to cleaning, sharpening and storing garden tools; Minnesota's extension notes that dull blades leave ragged edges that make grass more prone to disease.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best electric lawn mower?

For most lawns, the EGO Power+ LM2135SP, a 21-inch self-propelled mower that runs up to 60 minutes a charge by EGO's figure; Popular Mechanics names it the best electric mower overall. For about 0.4 acre to half an acre, or thick grass, the EGO Power+ LM2206SP runs up to 70 minutes on its 10.0Ah battery, and to push a flat quarter to third of an acre, the Greenworks 60V 21-inch MO60L516.

How long does a battery lawn mower run on one charge?

The picks here list 40 to 70 minutes on the battery in the box, or up to an hour on two packs for the Greenworks MO60L424, and Consumer Reports puts the average in its tests at 45 to 50 minutes. Load changes it: EGO's manual gives pick 1's mower 60 minutes at a light load, 45 at a medium load and 30 at a heavy one.

How much lawn can a battery mower cut on one charge?

By Pro Tool Reviews' method (a 2.5 mph walk, with 0.8 times the maximum as the typical figure), about 9,387 sq ft for a 16-inch mower with 40 minutes, 18,480 sq ft for a 21-inch mower with 60 minutes, and 22,587 sq ft, just over half an acre, for the 22-inch EGO LM2206SP with 70 minutes. Makers' acreage claims run higher because they assume a faster walk.

How long does a lawn mower battery take to charge?

It depends on the pack and the charger in the box: about 60 minutes for both EGO picks, 50 minutes for the Greenworks MO60L516's 5.0Ah pack, 90 minutes for the MO60L419, 40 minutes a pack on the MO60L424's dual-port charger, and 120 minutes for the 25322, which TechGearLab measured at 65.

Can I use any extension cord with a corded electric mower?

No. BLACK+DECKER's chart sets a minimum gauge by amp draw and length: a 13 amp mower needs 14 gauge up to 25 ft and 12 gauge up to 50 ft, and the chart does not recommend going longer, while a 10 amp mower can run 150 ft on 12 gauge. Use a cord marked for outdoor use and GFCI protection, as BLACK+DECKER's manual and the AAP advise.

Should I mulch or bag with a battery mower?

Mulch when the grass is dry and you are taking off no more than a third of its height: Minnesota's extension says clippings supply about as much as one fertilizer application a year, and EGO's manuals say cutting no more than 1.5 inches a pass stretches a charge. Bag, or mow twice, when clippings come out long or wet.

Can you mow wet grass with a battery mower?

The makers advise against it. EGO's manuals say not to mow wet grass because footing is unstable, list skipping it among their tips for a longer charge, and say wet clippings stick under the deck when mulching, and WIRED found long, wet grass drained its Greenworks battery much faster than expected.

The bottom line

Buy the EGO Power+ LM2135SP for a quarter acre to about 0.4 acre with self-propel doing the work, the EGO Power+ LM2206SP for about 0.4 acre to half an acre or thick grass, and the Greenworks MO60L516 to push a flat quarter to third of an acre. Pick the Greenworks MO60L419 for an average-sized lawn of 1/8 to 1/4 acre, the Greenworks 25322 for a small yard under 1/8 acre that you mow often, or the Greenworks MO60L424 to carry two batteries for up to an hour, and whichever you choose, cut no more than a third of the grass at a time to get the most from each charge.

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