Cable-free robotic mowers: Heise crowns test winner for small gardens – €550

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Cable-free robotic mowers: Heise crowns test winner for small gardens – €550.

You have a small garden and are thinking about getting a robotic mower? Good news: for areas up to 500 m², you don't need to spend a fortune. Heise online has published a new best-of list that focuses on exactly this market – the test winner comes in at €550.

What's special about the current Top 10: all featured models work without a boundary cable. Instead, they navigate through the garden using cameras, RTK, or LiDAR. This eliminates the tedious task of laying the induction wire that has put many garden owners off entering the world of robotic mowers.

So if you have a small garden and don't want to spend thousands of euros, the Heise best-of list offers an overview of ten models with modern sensor technology. The €550 test winner shows that solid engineering in this class doesn't have to be expensive.

How much does a good robotic mower for small gardens cost?

Anyone considering a robotic mower for the first time quickly expects four-figure sums. The Heise best-of list corrects that assumption: for €550, you get a test winner that's sufficient for the typical small garden area of up to 500 m².

This puts the test winner well below classic premium robotic mowers with boundary cables, which often cost between €1,000 and €2,000. Skipping the boundary cable saves not only installation effort, but often cash too.

What technology is inside these models?

The Heise list shows robotic mowers with three different navigation types, all working without a boundary cable:

• Camera navigation: detects grass edges, obstacles, and the area already mowed using image processing.
• RTK (Real Time Kinematic): uses satellite positioning with high accuracy, ideal for open areas without many trees.
• LiDAR: uses laser distance measurement to map the garden precisely.

Which technology suits your own garden best depends on the shape of the area, the vegetation, and the presence of trees or buildings. The best-of list gives a compact overview of ten devices, each using one of these three solutions.

Who benefits from a robotic mower without a boundary cable?

Especially for owners of small gardens under 500 m², a wireless robotic mower can be a practical solution. Laying a boundary wire takes time and sometimes nerves – particularly when paths, beds, or stone areas break up the lawn. Models with cameras, RTK, or LiDAR handle the boundaries through sensors and software.

The new Heise best-of list bundles ten such devices and helps you find the right model for your area – including the €550 test winner.