i215 LiDAR
It suits a gentle, shaded lawn. A laser plus a vision system guides it under trees. It is rated for ground rising 45 ft45 m per 100 ft100 m forward.
- The cheaper of the two
- Keeps working in shade, with no antenna
- Rated for 45 ft45 m of rise per 100 ft100 m
- No all-wheel drive
LUBA mini 2 AWD 1500H
It drives all four wheels and is rated for ground rising 80 ft80 m per 100 ft100 m forward. Like the i215, it steers by laser in shade, and it adds two cameras.
- Rated for 80 ft80 m of rise per 100 ft100 m
- Power goes to all four wheels
- The dearer of the two
- No test details for its slope rating
The two mowers, side by side
| What we are comparing | Segway Navimow i215 LiDAR | Mammotion LUBA mini 2 AWD 1500H |
|---|---|---|
| How it knows where to go | A laser plus a vision system. No wire, no satellites. | A laser and two cameras. No wire, no satellites. |
| Biggest lawn it can keep cut | 16,100 sq ft1,500 m² | 16,100 sq ft1,500 m² |
| Can remember more than one lawn | Yes | Yes |
| How it gets around things in its way | A laser that measures what is around it, and a vision system | A laser that measures what is around it, two cameras, a bumper it nudges things with |
| No boundary wire to lay | Yes | Yes |
| Steepest ground it can climb | 45 ft45 m of rise per 100 ft100 m | 80 ft80 m of rise per 100 ft100 m |
| Our wet-grass limit | About 38 ft38 m of rise per 100 ft100 m | About 68 ft68 m of rise per 100 ft100 m |
| Wheels that drive | Not all four | All four |
| Noise, as each brand rates it | 59 decibels, blades not cutting | Under 65 decibels |
| Built-in cell connection | Yes. Ask Navimow what the plan costs | Yes. Three years of data included, then renew |
How steep can each one climb?
- 45ft45m
- Rise the i215 is rated to climb, per 100 ft forwardRise the i215 is rated to climb, per 100 m forward
- 80ft80m
- Rise the LUBA mini 2 is rated to climb, per 100 ft forwardRise the LUBA mini 2 is rated to climb, per 100 m forward
- 38ft38m
- Our wet-grass limit for the i215, per 100 ft forwardOur wet-grass limit for the i215, per 100 m forward
- 68ft68m
- Our wet-grass limit for the LUBA mini 2, per 100 ft forwardOur wet-grass limit for the LUBA mini 2, per 100 m forward
Segway Navimow says the i215 climbs and turns on ground that rises 45 ft45 m for every 100 ft100 m forward. That works out to roughly 24 degrees. The LUBA mini 2 is rated for a rise of 80 ft80 m per 100 ft100 m, about 39 degrees.
Navimow’s footnotes give its test: dry grass about 2 in5 cm tall, on a slope with nothing in the way. Mammotion’s product page gives the LUBA’s figure without saying how it measured. Your lawn will often be damp with dew, so we take about 15% off each rating. After that cut, plan on about 38 ft38 m of rise per 100 ft100 m for the i215. For the LUBA mini 2, plan on about 68 ft68 m of rise per 100 ft100 m.
Why the LUBA mini 2 climbs higher
The LUBA mini 2 drives all four of its wheels. Mammotion says all-wheel drive gives it strong grip and keeps it steady on slopes.
The i215 does not drive all four wheels. It has grippy off-road wheels instead. A stability control adjusts how the wheels turn, to keep the mower steady. Even so, it is rated for 45 ft45 m of rise per 100 ft100 m, against 80 ft80 m per 100 ft100 m for the LUBA mini 2.
Some lawns have a bank in the middle that rises more than about 38 ft38 m per 100 ft100 m. Only the LUBA mini 2 is rated for it. On a gentler lawn, the i215 is rated for every part of it.
How each one finds its way under trees
Here the two mowers work the same way. Many mowers that need no wire use satellites to tell where they are. Trees and walls block those signals, so the mower can lose its place in shade. These two do not rely on satellites to find their way.
Each one carries a laser scanner, called lidar. The US Geological Survey describes lidar as a scanner that sends out short pulses of light. It times how long each pulse takes to bounce back, and that gives the distance to whatever it hit. The mower uses those distances to map the trees, fences and beds around it. To spot things left on the grass, the i215 adds a vision system and the LUBA mini 2 adds two cameras.
Neither one needs an antenna on a pole or a clear view of the sky. You set the mower on the lawn and let it drive around to build its map. Both work the same way in shade, so shade is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Noise and running costs
The i215 has a noise rating of 59 decibels. Navimow measured that in a lab, with the mower driving but not cutting grass. Mammotion lists the LUBA mini 2 at under 65 decibels, with no test details on its product page. The two brands tested in different ways, so we cannot compare these numbers fairly.
Both have a built-in cell connection, so you can reach the mower from the app away from home Wi-Fi. Mammotion includes three years of data with the LUBA mini 2, and then you renew the plan. For the i215, ask Navimow what the plan costs.
The LUBA mini 2 we link to is the 1500H. It cuts grass to between 2.2 in55 mm and 4 in100 mm, the taller of Mammotion’s two height ranges.
Which one should you buy?
Start with the steepest part of your lawn. Our guide to measuring your lawn’s slope shows how to do it with a board and a tape measure.
If the middle of your lawn rises more than about 38 ft38 m per 100 ft100 m forward, pick the LUBA mini 2. It is the only one of the two rated for that ground, and its four driven wheels are the reason.
Under that, the i215 is rated for every part of your lawn, and it saves you money. It also works under the same trees.
Both are rated for 0.37 acre1,500 m². Take our usual 20% off for beds and paths, and plan on about 0.3 acre1,200 m². If your steep lawn is bigger than that, neither fits. Our picks for hilly yards include a larger mower rated for the same slope as the LUBA mini 2.