Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Gardena robot mower buying guide

Updated: October 2026

You are at the back door with a tape measure and seven Gardena SILENO names that look the same on amazon.co.uk. A Gardena robot mower buying guide helps if it tells you which figure to trust first. Start with the lawn, then the slope, then the words UK plug and a wire length on the included line. The [Gardena lawn mower robot comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/gardena-lawn-mower-robot) is the seven-row table, from about £374.99 to about £1,067.21. It does not peg the wire and it does not crown a listing. Figures are the amazon.co.uk lines on 22 October 2026. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are at the back door with a tape measure and seven Gardena SILENO names that look the same on amazon.co.uk. A Gardena robot mower buying guide helps if it tells you which figure to trust first.

Our top picks

Gardena Gardena SILENO city 500

Best overall

Gardena Gardena SILENO city 500
9.6/10about £442.77
View offer
Gardena Gardena smart SILENO life 1000

Alternative

Gardena Gardena smart SILENO life 1000
9.2/10about £1,067.21
View offer
Gardena Gardena SILENO minimo 250

Best value

Gardena Gardena SILENO minimo 250
8.8/10about £374.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the lawn, not the app
  2. 2.Slope and passages change the model
  3. 3.What the box must say
  4. 4.Figures that disagree

Start with the lawn, not the app

Measure the grass you want cut, in square metres, before you compare apps. Gardena's UK planning page puts about ±20% on the family article numbers. That tolerance is not a reason to point a 250 m² title at a 400 m² garden. About 220 m² of open lawn sits next to the minimo 250 at about £374.99 and the city 250 at about £721.73. A lawn nearer 500 m² sits next to the city 500 at about £442.77. The smart life set says 1,000 m² at about £1,067.21. Article 15001-41 says up to 2,700 sq ft, about 251 m². The flex, at about £624.52, prints no area. A blank area line stays unknown.

Slope and passages change the model

Read the slope on the title you matched to the area. Gardena's UK planning page caps the minimo family at 25% inside the lawn and puts city and life at up to 35%. The life sheet also states 10% at the boundary. In this set the city 250 and city 500 titles say up to 25%. The city 300 title and the 15001-41 bullets say up to 35%. The life title says up to 35%. The minimo listing prints no slope. CorridorCut starts at 60 cm from wire to wire with a guide wire, and at least 1.5 m without one. The city example between walls is 35 cm plus 60 cm plus 35 cm. A side return near 70 cm needs that guide. Lawns of 250–500 m² are on the small-lawn page.
Gardena Gardena SILENO city 500

Testsieger

Gardena Gardena SILENO city 500
9.6/10about £442.77
View offer

What the box must say

Read the included line before the app bullet. You want a charging station, a printed wire length, and the words UK plug. Those three appear together on the minimo 250, the city 250, the city 500 and the life 1000 set. The city 300, at about £680.99, names a station and 150 m of wire and does not say UK plug. The flex and article 15001-41 leave wire length and UK plug unstated. UK mains are 230 V. A BS 1363 plug fits a UK socket without an adaptor. Printed wire is 150 m on the rows that state it, and 200 m on the life set. Bluetooth, where the bullets state it, is about 10 m. The life set is the row with a gateway, and the wire stays in that box.

Figures that disagree

When a height cell fights the title, plan from 20–50 mm, then check the dial. The city 300 title and its cells both say 20–50 mm. The city 250 cells say 20 cm and 50 cm. The city 500 cells say 2 cm and 50 cm. A 50 cm cutting height is not a setting to schedule around. The minimo cells say a maximum of 1.97 inches and a minimum of 2.5 cm, and they print no cutting width. The life cells say a 22 cm maximum and a 20 mm minimum. Gardena's sheet for 19702-68 prints 20–50 mm and a 22 cm width. The minimo and article 15001-41 state 57 dB(A). Quote that only where the listing prints it. The 2001 outdoor-noise rules cap sound power at 96 dB for a cut up to 50 cm.

Common questions

How do I match a lawn in square metres to a SILENO title?
Measure the mowing area, subtract patios and beds you will not cut, and put that number next to the title. In this amazon.co.uk set the printed areas are 250 m², 300 m², 500 m² and 1,000 m². About ±20% on the family article still leaves a 250 m² title in the small-lawn band. The flex prints no area, and 2,700 sq ft is about 251 m².
Is 25% on a city title the same as 35% on Gardena's planning page?
No. The planning page puts city and life at up to 35% inside the lawn, and the minimo family at 25%. In this set the city 250 and city 500 titles print 25%, while the city 300 title, the 15001-41 bullets and the life title print 35%. Use the number on the listing you are buying.
Which listings in this set actually say UK plug?
The minimo 250, the city 250, the city 500 and the life 1000 set state a charging station with a UK plug. The city 300 states a station and 150 m of wire without those words. The flex and article 15001-41 do not state a plug or a wire length. A blank cell is unknown. Check the carton for a BS 1363 plug.
Is Bluetooth the same as the smart gateway?
No. Bluetooth, where these bullets state it, works from about 10 m. That is garden-side control. The life 1000 set is the row that puts a smart gateway in the box, with LONA for mapping, zones, area protect and location tracking. The gateway leaves 200 m of boundary wire in the same box.
What is a safe passage width before I buy?
Gardena's UK planning page says CorridorCut starts at 60 cm from wire to wire with a guide wire. Without a guide wire, allow at least 1.5 m. Between two walls the city example is 35 cm plus 60 cm plus 35 cm, so 130 cm. A narrower side return needs the guide wire in the plan.

Related pages

Best Gardena SILENO

SILENO city vs life

How to install Gardena boundary wire

Gardena lawn mower robot

Gardena robot mower for a small lawn of 250–500 m²

Sources

Public UK sources listed below, plus the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison, gathered on 22 October 2026.

  1. Gardena UK planning advice for robotic lawnmowers (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Gardena UK robotic lawnmowers overview (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Gardena UK smart SILENO life 1000 set, 19702-68 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. HSE INDG271, supplying new machinery (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Outdoor noise regulations 2001, Schedule 3 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. OPSS product recall: Honda Miimo robotic lawn mower, 6 September 2024 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Flymo UK robot installation (retrieved 22 October 2026)