The Best Electric Lawn Mowers That Deliver Plenty of Power Without the Noise or Fumes

In just five years, battery-powered mowers have improved tremendously. Previously, they required you to swap multiple batteries in order to have enough juice to get even the smallest of jobs done. Now they are an excellent and incredibly useful alternative to their gas-guzzling counterparts, and may even be the better choice for many homeowners.

Best Electric Lawn Mowers

• Best Overall: RYOBI Self-Propelled Electric Lawn Mower
• Best for Small Yards: Greenworks 25302 Dual-Blade Electric Lawn Mower
• The Multi-Bladed Electric Mower: EGO Power+ LM2133 Select Cut Electric Lawn Mower
• Best Value: HART HLPM011VNM Electric Lawn Mower
• The Self-Propelled Pick: Toro 21356 Recycler Self-Propel 60-Volt Max Electric Lawn Mower
• Best for Medium-Sized Yards: Greenworks MO48L520 Electric Lawn Mower
• Best for Tall Grass: Snapper 1687914 Self-Propelled Electric Lawn Mower
  
• A Small But Mighty Mower: BLACK + DECKER CM1640 Electric Lawn Mower

What to Consider

Electric vs. Gas-Powered Mowers

Electric mowers are best for small and medium-sized lawns no larger than 10,000 square feet since their deck diameters are typically between 18 and 22 inches. Gas-powered mowers are better for folks who need the utmost power to cut tall, thick, damp, or wet gas.

• Weight: Electric lawn mowers are oftentimes lighter and easier to maneuver than gas-powered models. What we like most about them is how easy they are to store. Most electric mowers fold in half and can tuck in a tight corner in your garage.
• Power: Although runtime for electric mowers has significantly improved over the last couple of years, electric mowers still have shorter run times than gas-powered models. Runtimes average between 30 minutes and an hour, but many models include multiple batteries to double their running times. It's also worth mentioning that battery-powered mowers range from 36 to 120 volts. Smaller-voltage mowers are lighter and are best for small yards while high-voltage ones are better for tall grass.
• Noise: Electric mowers are significantly quieter than gas-powered ones — we’re talking as quiet as your washing machine. Since they don't burn fuel, they don't have any hot surfaces, which is another plus.

How We Tested

Our Test team has spent decades testing lawn mowers — both electric lawn mowers and gas — on every type of grass, lawn condition, yard size, footprint, and composition. We test every feature and every control for ease of use, comfort, power, and quality. We mow flats, washboard surfaces, uphill, downhill, and sidehill. We mow tall grass, weeds, and cut immaculate laws planted with bluegrass and fine fescue that require lots of detail work.

We mulch, bag, and test mowers’ side discharge functions and even check at if the tires have a tendency to pick up wet grass clippings. We’re so particular about mower testing that Roy, our lawn and tools expert, mows a small section of grass, and lays atop of it to evaluate the tactile sensation to get a better sense of the finished product.

We’re confident that within this guide will point you in the right direction toward your ideal lawn mower for your yard because of our extensive research and tests. So, shop one of our expert-approved picks below so you can get your yard looking its absolute best.