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Best lawn mower for a small garden

Updated: October 2026

Your patch is a courtyard or a slope in the tens of square metres. The best lawn mower for a small garden here starts at 22–33 cm, not at the widest deck in the set. Measure the grass before you open a 37 cm listing. Which? and The English Garden do not share a ceiling, and neither figure is a British Standard. Prices and the wider rows are on the [Wolf Garden lawn mower comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/wolf-garden-lawn-mower). The comparison's top pick is a 38 cm collector. That is the wrong starting point for this lawn. Listings were read for 16 October 2026. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Your patch is a courtyard or a slope in the tens of square metres. The best lawn mower for a small garden here starts at 22–33 cm, not at the widest deck in the set. Measure the grass before you open a 37 cm listing.

Our top picks

swift swift EB122C

Best overall

swift swift EB122C
6.9/10about £134.99
View offer
BLACK+DECKER BLACK+DECKER BEMWH551-GB

Preis-Tipp

BLACK+DECKER BLACK+DECKER BEMWH551-GB
6.8/10about £49.99
View offer
Flymo Flymo Hover Vac 250

Rank 3

Flymo Flymo Hover Vac 250
8.3/10about £75.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.How small the lawn is
  2. 2.The narrow listings
  3. 3.Slope, clippings, and what you can carry
  4. 4.What to leave for a larger lawn

How small the lawn is

Which? puts a deck under 35 cm on lawns up to 50 m². The English Garden puts 30–35 cm on lawns up to 250 m². Those ceilings are not a British Standard. A 6 m by 8 m terrace is 48 m². That is a different machine from a 250 m² lawn, and it is why this page starts narrow. Write down your own grass, with how to measure your lawn, before you open a 37 cm listing. The 550 m² and 700 m² bullets are someone else's lawn.

The narrow listings

The swift EB122C is 22 cm and 5.2 kg, with one 2.0 Ah battery, mulch, and no box, at £134.99 and 4.5 from 330. Up to 50 m² and up to 35 minutes are claims. Skip it if you need a collector. The height lines say both five positions and three, at 30–50 mm. The Hover Vac 250 is a 25 cm hover at 6.9 kg, with a 15 L box and 11–31 mm, at £75.00 and 4.1 from 5,387. Use it on a small slope when you still want a box. Skip it for stripes and for a cut above 31 mm. The BLACK+DECKER BEMWH551-GB is a 30 cm hover at 7.52 kg, with no box listed, at £49.99 and 4.2 from 1,041. Up to 250 m² is their claim. It is the best value only when clippings can stay down. The Hyundai 33 cm model is wheeled, 7.5 kg, with an 11 m lead and a 30 L box, at £59.99 and 3.6 from 416. Use it on a flat small lawn. Skip it on a steep slope. The LIGO GY2150 is a cordless 33 cm mower with two 2.0 Ah batteries and a 25 L bag, at £81.19. Use it only if you can live with the height conflict.
swift swift EB122C

Testsieger

swift swift EB122C
6.9/10about £134.99
View offer

Slope, clippings, and what you can carry

Flymo's guide says a hover suits slopes and irregular shapes, and a wheeled rotary suits a box you fill in straight lines. The Turf Doctor says a hover puts some power into the air cushion and does not stripe. On a slope, look at the Hover Vac 250 if you want the 15 L box, or the BLACK+DECKER if the clippings can stay. Whether a lead still reaches that courtyard is the corded or cordless question. The swift at 5.2 kg is the one you can carry. The LIGO table says 8 kg and a bullet says 17.6 lb, so do not plan the stairs on one figure. A 15 L box still fills sooner than a 30 L box.

What to leave for a larger lawn

Set these aside for a patch in the tens of square metres. The Einhell is 37 cm and prints up to 700 m². The WORX is 37 cm and 15.3 kg, and a newspaper that called it best for small gardens meant that wider deck. The HYM3800E, the EasiStore, and the Speedi-Mo are 36–38 cm. If your tape says 40 m² and a slope, stay with the hover or the 22 cm swift. If it says 120 m² and the ground is flat, you have left this page.

Common questions

What counts as a small lawn when listings say 50 m², 250 m², and 700 m²?
They are different claims. Which? uses under 35 cm for up to 50 m². The English Garden uses 30–35 cm for up to 250 m². Einhell claims up to 700 m². None of those is a British Standard, and this project did not mow them. A courtyard under 50 m² is the small this page is for.
Is a 37 cm mower too wide for a courtyard?
It is the wrong place to start. The WORX and the Einhell are both 37 cm. Which?'s band for up to 50 m² is under 35 cm. On a courtyard in the tens of square metres, begin with 22–33 cm.
Hover or wheels for a slope?
A hover is the slope tool in this shortlist: the Hover Vac 250 if you want a box, the BLACK+DECKER if clippings can stay. The Hyundai 33 cm and the LIGO are the flat-ground collectors. Do not expect stripes from either hover.
Which light mower still collects the clippings?
The Hover Vac 250 collects into 15 L. The Hyundai 33 cm collects into 30 L. The LIGO lists a 25 L bag, if you accept the height conflict. The swift mulches and does not list a box. The BLACK+DECKER does not list a box. A 15 L box means more emptying than a 30 L box, even on a small lawn.
Can I carry it up steps?
The swift is listed at 5.2 kg, the Hover Vac 250 at 6.9 kg, and the Hyundai 33 cm model at 7.5 kg. The LIGO table says 8 kg and a bullet says 17.6 lb, so that figure is not settled. The WORX at 15.3 kg is the heavy deck this page sets aside.

Related pages

How to choose an electric lawn mower

How to mow a lawn UK

Wolf Garden lawn mower

Best electric lawn mower UK: match the listing to the job

Corded or cordless lawn mower: a lead or a battery kit

Sources

Sources checked for this comparison; last retrieved on 16 October 2026.

  1. Outdoor noise, Schedule 3 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK, outdoor noise (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK, statutory nuisance (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. RHS, how to mow a lawn (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. RHS, mowing guide (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Electrical Safety First, lawnmowers (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. WOLF-Garten Ambition A 370 E (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. diyinternational, WOLF-Garten leaves power tools, 6 September 2024 (retrieved 16 October 2026)