10 Best Battery Lawn Mowers of 2026, Expert-Tested and Reviewed

Consumer Reports highlights top-rated models from Ego, Greenworks, Kobalt, and other brands

By Tobie Stanger

Updated by Yasmeen Khan

Updated January 1, 2026

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The Ego LM2114 seen on a lawn. — Many battery mowers perform on a par with gas mowers. They tend to be more expensive than gas machines, but some are in the same price range, like the Ego LM2114 shown here.

The best battery lawn mowers perform every bit as well as, or even better than, the best gas mowers. That’s what CR’s rigorous testing shows, year after year. In fact, nine of the best battery push mowers in our ratings currently beat the top-rated gas model.

We have more than 70 battery mowers in our current ratings. Most of these machines, sometimes referred to as cordless mowers or cordless electric mowers, receive strong overall ratings, and we recommend over half of them. There are plenty of appealing options available at various prices.

In this article

Best Battery Mowers: Push Self-Propelled
Why Choose a Battery Lawn Mower Over a Gas One?
How CR Tests Lawn Mowers

Below, members can read ratings and reviews of the best battery-powered walk-behind mowers—both push and self-propelled—as well as a couple of models that miss the mark. And if you’re looking for a mower whose batteries can also be used with tools such as string trimmers and chainsaws, see our ratings of battery platforms for power tools.

CR members can also browse our in-depth ratings of over 160 mowers and tractors, encompassing both gas and battery-powered lawn mowers and tractors from brands including Cub Cadet, Ego, Hart, Makita, Ryobi, Snapper, Stihl, and Toro. For more lawn mower shopping advice, check out CR’s lawn mower and tractor buying guide.

Best Battery Push Lawn Mowers

If you have a lawn that’s less than a quarter-acre, a battery push mower is likely to fit your needs. Push mowers are generally less expensive than self-propelled models.

Best Battery Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers

A battery self-propelled mower is a good choice for a lawn between a quarter-acre and a half-acre. It allows you to maneuver slopes more easily and trim your yard with less effort.

Two Battery Mowers That Don't Make the Cut

Two-thirds of the battery push mowers in our ratings perform well enough for CR to recommend. Among self-propelled battery models, more than half earn that distinction, and all receive at least midlevel overall ratings. But our testers have identified two models that aren’t worth your money.

Why Buy a Battery Lawn Mower?

Battery walk-behind mowers are attractive options for lawns of less than a half-acre, which make up the bulk of newly developed residential properties. CR’s lawn mower and tractor ratings show that these electric mowers have become competitive with—or are even superior to—gas mowers in many respects:

Run times have improved. Several battery and self-propelled mowers in our ratings offer impressive run times of 70 minutes or more. (The average run time of battery mowers in our tests is 45 to 50 minutes.) Some manufacturers are designing new models with multiple battery slots. When one battery is spent, another can take over, a feature CR’s expert testers consider in determining a model’s true run time.

“Battery run times have increased to the point where some mowers are able to cut half an acre on one charge,” says David Trezza, who leads CR’s lawn mower tests.

You’re getting more value for your money. Performance among our tested models is improving for both self-propelled and push battery mowers, and they offer more value, Trezza says. Highly rated battery mowers from brands like Atlas, Greenworks, Kobalt (Lowe’s), Ryobi, Skil, and Stihl are priced close to or below similarly rated gas models. And even the battery mowers that are more expensive up front may cost you less in the long run. A CR analysis found that the savings on gasoline and maintenance may more than make up for the price difference within a few years of ownership.

You can often use the battery for other yard equipment. Increasingly, mower brands are designing other outdoor power tools—including string trimmers, leaf blowers, and chainsaws—to accept the same battery as their mowers, typically at 40 volts or higher. The tools that can use batteries interchangeably in this way are part of what’s called a battery platform. A few brands, including DeWalt, Makita, and Milwaukee, sell battery mowers that run on 18- or 20-volt batteries that also power their hand tools, such as drills and circular saws.

Battery mowers are more eco-friendly. They don’t produce noxious fumes or use fossil fuels. That efficiency is good for the environment and, to a small degree, good for your wallet. The most energy-efficient battery mowers in our ratings earn CR’s Green Choice designation, signified by a green leaf.

Battery mowers require less maintenance than gas mowers. Consumer Reports’ tests show they’re quieter than gas models, too.

How CR Tests Lawn Mowers

To give you ratings and reviews of the latest lawn mower models each spring, we prepare special grounds in Florida for lawn mower testing every year, and conduct our testing there every winter. Every year, we plant 1,800 pounds of grass seed (predominantly annual rye, prized for its dense growth). We cut 500,000 square feet of grass in three modes—mulching, side-discharging, and bagging (collecting a total of 3,000 pounds of clippings). We cut both level turf and slopes to get a feel for the handling of each and every model. We also review the convenience features of every model we assess.

Every model’s Overall Score in CR’s ratings incorporates all of that performance data, along with predicted reliability and owner satisfaction ratings. We compile those ratings from our latest member surveys, leveraging data on more than 46,000 lawn mowers and tractors that members purchased between 2014 and 2024. That includes responses covering 15,532 battery walk-behind mowers.

Tobie Stanger

As a senior editor at Consumer Reports for more than 30 years, Tobie Stanger specialized in helping readers shop wisely, save money, and avoid scams. Her home- and shopping-related beats have included appliance and grocery stores, generators, homeowners and flood insurance, humidifiers, lawn mowers, and luggage. She also covered home improvement products, including flooring, roofing, and siding.