Corded or cordless lawn mower
Updated: October 2026
A corded or cordless lawn mower choice, in this folder, is ten mains machines against two cordless listings, and only one of those two is ready to mow at the price on the page. The [electric lawn mower comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/electric-lawn-mower) lists them from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026, from the Ark Mat at about £59.95 to the Bosch AdvancedRotak at about £209.94. Peter F. compared those listings with UK guides. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
A corded or cordless lawn mower choice, in this folder, is ten mains machines against two cordless listings, and only one of those two is ready to mow at the price on the page.
A corded or cordless lawn mower choice, in this folder, is ten mains machines against two cordless listings, and only one of those two is ready to mow at the price on the page. The electric lawn mower comparison lists them from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026, from the Ark Mat at about £59.95 to the Bosch AdvancedRotak at about £209.94. Peter F. compared those listings with UK guides. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Power | Lead or battery | Cutting width | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Swift Swift EB122C | 40 V cordless | 2.0 Ah kit | 22 cm | 9.0 | about £134.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Ryobi Ryobi OLM1833B | 18 V, body only | Battery excluded | 33 cm | 8.6 | about £160.20 | View offer |
| Best value |  LawnMaster LawnMaster M2EB1232M-01 | Corded, 1,200 W | 10 m | 32 cm | 8.4 | about £59.99 | View offer |
On this page
What the two types actually change
A corded mower runs until you stop. A cordless mower stops when the pack is flat. Do not borrow 14–40 minute test times and call them the Swift’s runtime. Which? averages on other cordless mowers sit around 22 and 25 minutes.
The Swift kit
The Swift EB122C is the cordless row you can compare with a corded price, because the battery is in the box. It is about £134.99, 22 cm, 5.2 kg, brushless in the bullet, and 4.5 from 330 ratings. The maker claims up to 35 minutes and up to 50 m² on the 2.0 Ah pack. It mulches, and there is no stated grass box. You outgrow it past that 50 m² claim, or when you want a 30 L collector. The specification says three heights, 30–50 mm. The highlight says five. Use the spec line. Isolate the pack before you tip the deck, as the how to use page sets out.
The Ryobi body
The Ryobi OLM1833B at about £160.20 is an 18 V ONE+ mower with the battery and charger excluded. The deck is 33 cm, with a 35 L box and a mulch plug, and 4.3 from 2,487 ratings. The 250 m² bullet needs a 5.0 Ah pack that is not in the box. A 45-minute line assumes a pack you supply. The item weight is 10.3 kg, and a bullet says 7.7 kg without a battery. Buy the body only if you already own ONE+ packs and a charger. Height lines clash, 25–65 mm against a 65 centimetre maximum. One reviewer found the mulch plug already fitted, so the box stayed empty until it came off.
When corded still wins
Corded still wins when a socket is near and the lawn is a normal small garden rather than a 50 m² pocket. Printed leads here are 10 m on the LawnMaster, both Forte models, and the Hyundai HYM3800E, and 11 m on the HYM3313E. Bosch, Flymo, and Ark Mat do not print a length, which the buying guide puts next to the width tables. A 22 cm kit with a 50 m² claim is a poor tool for a neglected wider lawn. Wet grass stays off limits on mains, and cordless is not the wet-weather alternative. The HYM3313E shows the other corded failure: reviewers say the 11 m plug falls out.
The condition
If the lawn is about the Swift’s claimed 50 m² and you will not manage a lead, take the Swift kit. If you already own ONE+ packs and you want a 33 cm deck with a 35 L box, the Ryobi body can make sense, and about £160.20 is not the full cost of a 5.0 Ah pack. If a socket is near, a corded listing with a printed 10 m or 11 m lead is the continuous-power choice. Corded is the wrong idea when the only socket is at the far end of the house. Cordless is the wrong idea when the price has no battery in it. Neither type is safer in the wet.
Common questions
Is cordless always easier?
It is easier when the pack is included and the lawn fits the runtime, because you are not steering a lead. It is harder when the Ryobi price is only the body, or when the Swift’s 50 m² claim is smaller than the lawn. Ideal Home’s preference is another garden, not these ASINs.
Will a corded mower run out of power?
It will not run out of a battery. It will stop if the lead does not reach, if you daisy-chain extensions, or if the plug falls out, which reviewers report on the Hyundai HYM3313E. Rate the extension for a mower, not for a lamp.
Why is the Ryobi £160 if it has no battery?
The title and the style name say the battery and charger are excluded. About £160.20 is the 33 cm mower, the 35 L box, and the mulch plug. The 250 m² bullet needs a separate 5.0 Ah ONE+ pack. Compare it with the Swift only after you have priced the pack you will actually fit.
How long does the Swift run?
The listing claims up to 35 minutes and up to 50 m² on the included 2.0 Ah pack. That is the maker’s bullet. Which?’s average of about 22–25 minutes is from other cordless mowers, with a spread from about 10 to about 45 minutes. Do not swap those figures.
Can I use any 18 V battery on the Ryobi?
The listing is Ryobi ONE+, not a generic 18 V slogan. Use a pack and charger from that system. The National Fire Chiefs Council says use the maker’s charger, skip a damaged pack, and do not charge while you sleep. The file does not authorise a third-party cell. The Swift is a different 40 V kit with its own charger in the box.
What if I already own ONE+ tools?
Then the Ryobi body can make sense, because you are not buying the first battery. The 250 m² line is written for a 5.0 Ah pack. A smaller pack you already use on a drill will not silently become that claim. Check the pack the mower accepts before you order the body.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources listed below, plus the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison, gathered on 19 October 2026.
- Electrical Safety First: lawnmowers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Electrical Safety First: garden (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: outdoor noise, Schedule 3 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- National Fire Chiefs Council: lithium-ion batteries (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Which?: how to buy a lawn mower (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- B&Q: lawnmower buying guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)