Is it time to buy a new lawn mower? Find the best lawn mower for your backyard with our test results and buying guide. We’ve tested petrol, push and battery-powered lawn mowers from Masport, Lawnmaster, Stihl and more.
Looking for a robot lawn mower?
On this page
- Buy the best lawn mower for your backyard
- Best lawn mowers in New Zealand 2025
- What you need to know when buying a lawn mower
- Extra tips for choosing a lawnmower
- People's Choice
- Which lawn mower brands are most reliable?
- Other gardening and outdoor tools
- Best retailer to buy hardware or garden equipment from
- How we test lawn mowers
Buy the best lawn mower for your backyard
We’ve tested a range of battery-powered, hand push and petrol lawn mowers to find which perform best and are easiest to use.
Our assessment covers:
• Catcher cutting
• Mulcher cutting
• Long grass cutting
• Ease of use
Best lawn mowers in New Zealand 2025
Our expert recommendations help you find the best lawn mower for your backyard, considering the different types of lawn mowers, cutting performance, ease of use and budget.
Best self-propelled lawn mower
Best value cordless lawn mower
Best value petrol lawn mower
Easiest mower to use
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What you need to know when buying a lawn mower
Lawn mowers are essential tools for maintaining a tidy lawn. But how do you choose the right one for your yard?
Read our buying guide to explore the different types of lawn mowers and their features. We discuss body material, cutting heights, running time, mulching, noise levels, maintenance and reliability. We also look at features that make a mower easier to use.
Extra tips for choosing a lawnmower
5 mistakes to avoid when buying a lawn mower
It’s easy to choose the wrong lawn mower if you’re not prepared. Check out these five mistakes to avoid when buying a lawn mower for your backyard.
How to choose the best ride-on lawnmower
We previously tested ride-on mowers but found relatively comparable performance. Read what features are the most important to consider when buying a ride-on lawnmower.
People's Choice
Our People's Choice awards are granted to brands that consistently rate above average for customer satisfaction and meet out other performance criteria. Become a member and see which brands have earned a People’s Choice award.
Which lawn mower brands are most reliable?
We asked thousands of Consumer members about their experience with products they've used to find out which brands are most reliable and satisfying to own. The results are available to members and Digital Pass holders.
Other gardening and outdoor tools
If you're looking for additional equipment to spruce up your outdoor space, we've also tested robot lawn mowers, line trimmers and waterblasters.
Best retailer to buy hardware or garden equipment from
Many things can ruin a shopping experience – a pushy salesperson, the product you wanted not being in stock or having to pay more than you intended. We asked consumers to tell us who they think are the best and worst retailers.
How we test lawn mowers
We cut short and medium length grass in both catcher and mulching modes (where applicable). We mow long grasses without a catcher or mulcher plug.
We also check how easy each mower is to start, push and adjust, as well as the comfort and convenience of different parts.
