Corded vs cordless lawn mower
Updated: October 2026
The lawn starts at the patio and finishes past the apple tree, and the 10 m lead in the title looked long enough until you walked it. Corded vs cordless lawn mower is that fork: one outdoor lead from an RCD socket, or a battery that is actually in the box. Prices and the battery column are the [main comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/mulching-lawn-mower). The Products Compared editorial team used amazon.co.uk listings dated 19 October 2026 and Electrical Safety First guidance. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The lawn starts at the patio and finishes past the apple tree, and the 10 m lead in the title looked long enough until you walked it.
The lawn starts at the patio and finishes past the apple tree, and the 10 m lead in the title looked long enough until you walked it. Corded vs cordless lawn mower is that fork: one outdoor lead from an RCD socket, or a battery that is actually in the box. Prices and the battery column are the main comparison. The Products Compared editorial team used amazon.co.uk listings dated 19 October 2026 and Electrical Safety First guidance. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Power | Battery in the box | Cutting width | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Litheli Litheli 20 V 33 cm | Cordless 20 V | Yes | 33 cm | 8.4 | about £109.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  LawnMaster LawnMaster MEH1633M-01 | Corded hover | Not applicable (corded) | 33 cm | 7.0 | about £69.00 | View offer |
 Murray Murray LE380 | Corded 230 V | Not applicable (corded) | 38 cm | 8.5 | about £152.65 | View offer |
On this page
When the lead is the right tool
Three rows here are corded 230 V machines with a BS 1363 plug: the Murray LE380 at £152.65 with a 10 m cable, the Hyundai HYM3800E at £158.31 with a 10 m cable and a rear roller, and the LawnMaster hover at £69.00. A corded mower runs while the socket is on. The lead is the right tool when the whole lawn sits within one outdoor extension of an RCD-protected socket, and you will keep that lead behind you. If the only socket is in the kitchen, the cordless rows are the honest buy.
How to run a mains mower without cutting the cable
Electrical Safety First wants a UK 3-pin fused plug into an outdoor socket, an RCD on that circuit, and dry grass. The outdoor extension should be fully unwound, with a thermal cut-out, so the reel does not overheat under a 1,600 W load. Use one lead. Joining two extension leads is the daisy-chain they tell you to avoid, because the joint sits in the damp. Route the cable over your shoulder and mow away from it. A nick in the cable is a stop, not a tape repair in the rain. An RCD does not make a soaked lawn a sensible mulch. If the house has no outdoor socket, or you cannot tell whether an RCD is fitted, that is an electrician's visit before a longer lead.
When the pack is the right tool
Every cordless row kept here states a battery in the carton. The Litheli at £109.99 is 20 V with a 5.0 Ah pack and a bullet that says up to 30 minutes. The Worx, the Einhell 34 cm and the Einhell 43 cm ship two packs. A Litheli pack does not run an Einhell. Volts are the platform and amp-hours are the capacity, so a 24 V 2 Ah pack is not automatically a longer runner than a 20 V 5.0 Ah pack. Treat the minute and square-metre lines as claims.
The condition, then the old pack
Choose corded if the whole lawn is one outdoor lead from an RCD socket and you will keep that lead behind you. Choose cordless if the lead would be mown, or if you would need a second extension to reach the far edge. When the pack dies, it does not go in the household bin. GOV.UK guidance on batteries and electrical waste says lithium packs are recycled, and the pack carries a crossed-out wheelie bin. A swollen pack is a recycling trip. The mower body is electrical waste too when you scrap it.
Common questions
Is 10 m enough?
It is enough when the outdoor socket is close and one fully unwound extension still reaches the far corner with slack. The Hyundai HYM3800E and the Murray both cite about 10 m of cable, and Ideal Home's 10 m example still wanted an extension. If a second lead would have to be joined on, a cordless row is the cleaner answer.
Can I plug two extension leads together?
Electrical Safety First says no. Use one outdoor extension, fully unwound, with a thermal cut-out, into an RCD-protected outdoor socket. A join in the middle of the lawn is the daisy-chain. If one lead cannot reach, move to a cordless mower with the battery in the box, or have an electrician fit a socket closer to the grass.
Do I need an RCD if the mower is cordless?
You need an RCD on the outdoor circuit that feeds a corded mower. A cordless mower is not plugged into the garden while you cut, so that RCD is not in the cutting circuit. Charge the pack on a sound indoor socket. If you also keep a corded hover, the RCD question returns for that lead. A missing RCD is an electrician's job either way.
Which cordless rows include the battery?
All of the cordless listings kept here state a battery in the box: Litheli 5.0 Ah, Greenworks 2 Ah, Hyundai 20 V, both Swifts, the Worx with two 4.0 Ah packs, and both Einhells with two packs. The Murray, the HYM3800E and the LawnMaster are corded. You are buying a plug, not a pack.
Is a higher voltage a longer runtime?
Voltage is the platform. Amp-hours and the number of packs are the capacity printed on these listings. The Greenworks is 24 V and 2 Ah. The Litheli is 20 V and 5.0 Ah. The larger voltage does not make the 2 Ah pack the longer runner. A spare from a 40 V Swift does not rescue a 36 V Einhell.
What do I do with the pack when it dies?
Take it to a battery recycling point. GOV.UK says these packs do not belong in household rubbish, and the crossed-out bin on the label is that instruction. Retailers that sell batteries usually take waste batteries back. Do not put a swollen pack in the sack with the grass. The mower, when you scrap it, is electrical waste as well.
Can I mow in light rain if I use a battery?
A battery removes the lead. It does not make wet grass a mulching day. The RHS says never mow wet or frosty grass, and Electrical Safety First says the same for lawnmowers. Cordless reviews here, including the Einhell 43 cm and the Worx, still describe clogs in the wet. Wait for a dry day, whether the machine is 230 V or 20 V.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest. Amazon.co.uk prices and star lines are from the files dated 19 October 2026. Last checked 23 October 2026.
- RHS, lawn mowing (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- RHS, garden waste (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Noise Emission Regulations 2001, Schedule 3 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, outdoor noise (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Electrical Safety First, lawnmowers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, UKCA and CE marking (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, battery recycling (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Which?, lawn mower buying notes (retrieved 19 October 2026)