The best robot mowers for steep hills and slopes in 2026

What to look for on a steep lawn

• How steep it can climb. Slope specs are given as a percent. A 45% slope rises 45 ft45 m for every 100 ft100 m forward, about 24 degrees. Mammotion rates both LUBA mowers for a rise of 80 ft80 m per 100 ft100 m, about 39 degrees. Segway Navimow rates the i210 for a rise of 45 ft45 m per 100 ft100 m, on dry grass.
• Wet grass. Dew makes grass slippery, so we take about 15% off each slope rating. Treat both LUBA mowers as good for about 68 ft68 m per 100 ft100 m forward, and the i210 for about 38 ft12 m.
• The edge of the lawn. Some makers rate a mower for a gentler slope at the lawn edge than in the middle. Check each mower’s manual for a separate edge limit.
• All-wheel drive. All three have it. On a hill the other driven wheels keep pulling when one slips.
• Sky, trees, and lawn size. The i210 steers by satellite, with help from a camera. It works best under open sky. The two LUBA mowers carry a laser scanner (lidar) and cameras, so trees do not stop them. We expect each mower to cover about 20% less lawn than its rated area.

Best overall: LUBA 3 AWD 3000

Mammotion rates the LUBA 3 for a rise of 80 ft80 m for every 100 ft100 m forward. The LUBA mini 2 matches that. Segway Navimow rates the i210 AWD for 45 ft45 m per 100 ft100 m. Wet grass gives less grip, so we would not use the i210 on a rise of over 38 ft38 m per 100 ft100 m. On a hill that steep, choose one of the two LUBA mowers.

Mammotion rates the LUBA 3 for a bigger lawn than the mini 2: 0.74 acre3,000 m², twice the mini 2’s 0.37 acre1,500 m². Take our usual 20% off and it still covers about 0.6 acre2,450 m². It cuts a strip 16 in41 cm wide on each pass, so it makes fewer trips up the hill.

The LUBA 3 gets its satellite corrections from Mammotion over your Wi-Fi or a cell signal. If that service covers your address, there is no antenna to mount on a pole. If not, the box includes an antenna you mount on a pole. Its laser scanner and cameras still tell it where it is under trees. The i210 depends on satellite signals, so big trees over the lawn can stop it knowing where it is. Our comparison of the A2500 and the LUBA 3 shows how each one mows under a tree.

Owning it is much like owning the mini 2. It cuts grass at a height between 2.2 in6 cm and 4 in10 cm, the same range as the mini 2. It can mow more than one lawn area on the same map. You run it from the app over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or a cell signal. Ask whether the cell plan costs extra. A rain sensor sends it back to its dock when the grass gets wet. Against theft it has a PIN lock and GPS tracking.

It costs the most of the three. Mammotion rates it at 70 decibels, and Segway Navimow rates the i210 at 59. It has no separate slope number for the lawn edge in our database. If your steep lawn is under a third of an acre, the cheaper LUBA mini 2 covers it.

80ft80m

Rise it is rated to climb, per 100 ft forwardRise it is rated to climb, per 100 m forward

0.74acre3,000m²

Biggest lawn Mammotion rates it for

16in41cm

Width it cuts on each pass

70dB

Noise, as Mammotion rates it

Buy the LUBA 3 for a steep lawn over a third of an acre with trees over part of it.

Best up to about 0.3 acre1,200 m²: LUBA mini 2 AWD 1500H

Mammotion rates the mini 2 for the same rise of 80 ft80 m per 100 ft100 m forward as the LUBA 3. It costs a lot less. Segway Navimow rates the i210 for 45 ft45 m per 100 ft100 m. So the mini 2 climbs the steepest ground here, tied with the LUBA 3, at the lower price of the two.

The mini 2 does not use satellites at all. It finds its way with the same laser scanner and cameras as the LUBA 3. So there is no antenna to mount, and nothing on it needs a clear view of the sky. Trees over the lawn do not stop it. On a shaded hill you do not have to find a spot with a clear view of the sky.

Mammotion rates it for 0.37 acre1,500 m², half the 0.74 acre3,000 m² it rates for the LUBA 3. Take our usual 20% off and you have about 0.3 acre1,200 m². Our database has no cutting width for it, so we cannot say how many passes it needs. We have no noise figure for it either.

Against the i210 it climbs steeper ground: a rise of 80 ft80 m per 100 ft100 m forward against 45 ft14 m. It also copes better under trees than the i210. It costs more than the i210. If your hill is gentle and the sky over it is open, the i210 costs less and can do the job.

It cuts grass at a height between 2.2 in6 cm and 4 in10 cm, the same as the LUBA 3. Like the LUBA 3, it handles more than one lawn area on one map. The app reaches it over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or a cell signal. It has a rain sensor, a PIN lock, and GPS tracking.

Buy the LUBA mini 2 if your steep lawn is under about a third of an acre and trees shade part of it.

Best value on a small hill: i210 AWD

The i210 AWD costs the least of these three, and it has all-wheel drive. Its third wheel only starts driving when the mower needs more grip. Segway Navimow rates it for a rise of 45 ft45 m for every 100 ft100 m forward, about 24 degrees. With our 15% off for wet grass, treat it as good for about 38 ft38 m per 100 ft100 m. Mammotion rates both LUBA mowers for 80 ft80 m per 100 ft100 m. On a hill steeper than about 38 ft38 m per 100 ft100 m, buy one of the two LUBA mowers.

The i210 finds its place from satellites. It uses a correction signal, known as RTK, to make that position more accurate. Where Navimow’s service reaches your address, the signal comes over the internet. Elsewhere it comes from a small antenna on a pole. Navimow’s support page says the charging station needs a clear view of the sky. Navimow says the camera helps the mower under tall trees. Still, trees or a tall wall can block the satellites. Then the mower can lose its place and miss patches. Both LUBA mowers still work out where they are under trees or beside a tall wall. Our guide to wire-free mowers shows how to check the sky over your lawn.

Segway Navimow rates it for a quarter of an acre, the smallest lawn of the three. Take our usual 20% off and you have about 0.2 acre810 m². It can split that into more than one area on the same map.

It is the quietest of the three with a published figure. Segway Navimow rates it at 59 decibels, and Mammotion rates the LUBA 3 at 70. A camera on the front helps it steer around things left on the lawn. A bumper stops it when it touches one. It has a rain sensor. Against theft it has a PIN lock, GPS tracking, and an alarm. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or a cell signal connects it to the app.

45ft45m

Rise it is rated to climb, per 100 ft forwardRise it is rated to climb, per 100 m forward

0.25acre1,000m²

Biggest lawn Segway Navimow rates it for

59dB

Noise, as Segway Navimow rates it

Buy the i210 AWD for a mostly open lawn of up to about 0.2 acre810 m² that rises less than about 38 ft38 m per 100 ft100 m.

Which one for your lawn?

• If your hill rises more than about 38 ft38 m for every 100 ft100 m forward → one of the two LUBA mowers. The i210 is rated for 45 ft14 m, and we take 15% off that for wet grass.
• If your steep lawn is over a third of an acre → the LUBA 3 AWD 3000.
• If your steep lawn is under a third of an acre and trees cover part of it → the LUBA mini 2 AWD 1500H.
• If your mostly open lawn is up to about 0.2 acre810 m² and rises under about 38 ft38 m per 100 ft100 m → the i210 AWD.
• If the mower will run near a bedroom window → the i210 AWD, which Segway Navimow rates at 59 decibels. Mammotion rates the LUBA 3 at 70, and we have no figure for the mini 2.

Questions people ask

Will a robot mower slip on wet grass?

Yes, and that is why we take 15% off every slope rating. All three mowers here have a rain sensor and wait in the dock while it rains. Dew wets the grass without any rain, so set the start time for after the grass has dried.

Do you need all-wheel drive for a hill?

A mower that drives only two wheels stops climbing as soon as those two wheels slip. With more wheels driven, the others keep pulling while one slips. All three mowers here have all-wheel drive. The two LUBA mowers drive all four wheels. The i210 adds a third driven wheel when it needs it.

How do you measure how steep a lawn is?

Lay a 10 ft3 m board along the steepest part of the lawn and hold it level. Measure the drop from the low end of the board to the ground. A drop of 4.5 ft1.4 m over 10 ft3 m is a rise of 45 ft45 m per 100 ft100 m forward.