No buried wire. The thing that finally made these worth it.
Burying a perimeter wire was the install cost that kept robot mowers niche for a decade. RTK GPS, vision, and LiDAR navigation killed it — you define boundaries in an app instead. The 2026 price reset put capable wire-free units under $1,000 for the first time. Just remember most RTK models still want open sky (see wooded yards).
Lowest upfront cost of any wire-free unit. A magnetic boundary strip replaces buried wire and vision helps it cope with some shade — strong for tiny lots and fast payback.
The cheapest credible wire-free mower. RTK satellite positioning, no boundary wire to bury — best for small, open, fairly flat lots.
Step-up i-series Navimow with better mapping. Wire-free RTK for small-to-medium open yards; wants clear sky for the GPS fix.
Full one-acre coverage with no perimeter wire, and a camera that helps it see boundaries and obstacles. The value pick if you want wire-free at scale.
A modular robot: the same wire-free base also takes snow-blower and leaf-blower attachments. Pricey once you add modules, but it earns its keep year-round.
The slope-to-price champion: genuine AWD, wire-free, and steep-rated for around a quarter the cost of Husqvarna's AWD flagship. Best value in the steep-and-large bracket.
The wire-free pick for shaded lots: Husqvarna's EPOS satellite system is built to hold position under tree cover and overcast skies where plain GPS drifts.
LiDAR-navigated and wire-free, with an optional leaf-sweeper attachment — the most gadget-forward option for an open, fairly flat yard.
All-wheel-drive, vision-assisted, wire-free, and rated for very steep ground up to ~1.5 acres. The do-it-all premium pick for big, sloped, open yards.
Slope leader at a claimed 45°, with LiDAR + vision obstacle avoidance and heavy-duty mulching. Built for tricky, cluttered, steep yards.
Covers up to 2.5 acres on a single wire-free, AWD platform with up to 10 zones. The pick when the lawn is simply too big for everything else.