Best electric lawn mower under £500

The best electric lawn mower under £500 will make lawn care on those perfect summer days even easier. Better still, achieving a perfectly striped lawn can cost less than half that amount, as we'll discover. Whether you're sipping a chilled Pimms and relaxing in your garden, watching the kids play football, or teeing up on the golf course – all of these pleasures involve turf. While you may not have grass tennis court goals, taking time and care over your lawn is a labour of love. The best lawn mowers are a cut above because they allow you to grasscycle with ease. And if you don't know what that means, let Modern Gardens enlighten you.

First of all, don't sit on the fence about switching to an electric lawn mower. The cost, energy and faff-saving benefits are clear. By opting for an electric lawn mower you're choosing emission-free mowing and none of the starting problems and maintenance that come with petrol lawn mowers. That is, of course, if you have a small or medium size garden. By choosing a corded electric mower, you're limited to how far the power cable can stretch. Even with an outdoor extension cable, it can still be difficult to reach all of a grassed area. Large gardens are best maintained with a petrol or ride on lawnmower.

Best electric lawn mower under £500 shortlist:

• Best overall corded electric lawnmower: Bosch Rotak 34R Electric Lawnmower – View on Amazon UK
• Best budget electric lawn mower: Webb Classic WEER3 Electric Rotary Lawnmower – View on Amazon UK
• Best lightweight electric lawn mower: Flymo Chevron 32VC Electric Wheeled Lawnmower – View on Robert Dyas

Cordless lawn mowers remove the constraints of a power cable and they're superb for intricate lawns. However, be aware of the limited battery life and have a spare charged battery to hand if you're in the middle of a big job. Happily, both corded electric and cordless lawn mowers retail between £100 and £500 which is considerably less than their petrol, ride on and robot counterparts.

With an electric lawn mower, you have a convenient grass-cutting solution. It's ideal if you need the mower to take some of the strain whilst still giving you the pleasure of mowing a lawn. Look for lawn mowers that have a plastic (polypropylene) cutting deck, soft grip handles and an easy-to-adjust cutting height level as this will ensure the lawn mower is lightweight and comfortable to use. Scroll to the FAQs for more guidance on outdoor extension cables and grasscycling using a mulching mower.

Best electric lawn mower under £500

FAQs: Best electric lawn mower under £500

I'm buying an extension cable for my electric lawn mower, what should I look for?

The length of the power cable can vary from 10 metres to 20 metres on an electric lawn mower. You can buy an extension cable to extend its reach, but do ensure you are buying an outdoor extension cable. This is a weather-resistant cable that's made from heavy-duty materials. Look for an extension cable with a wire thickness that's a 14 gauge minimum. The thicker wire can cope with more power flow – reducing the danger of the electric lawn mower overheating. Always use an extension cable that's designed for outdoor use and can cope with the wattage of your outdoor appliance.

Are grass clippings good for my lawn?

Yes, leaving grass clippings on the lawn returns nutrients and nitrogen to the soil. However, it is important to return the clippings in the right way to avoid smothering living grass.

First, if your lawn is overgrown don't leave additional clippings behind. The living blades of grass need to receive sunlight, air and water.

The cutting deck needs to be set to a height where it cuts a third off the grass. This ensures the grass clippings are small enough to decompose fast. Better still, opt for a mulching mower that cuts the grass clippings into finer pieces. The clippings will rot faster and provide nutrients for the soil. This also helps to avoid thatch build-up, which is where dead grass clippings accumulate on the lawn.

Do not leave grass clippings on a wet lawn as this creates the potential for fungal diseases to develop.

The RHS advises leaving short grass clippings on your lawn in hot weather as it creates a mulch that retains water. Distribute the thatch when the weather cools down.

Having the right equipment is essential, you want your lawn mower to be powerful enough to cut quickly. Just like cutting a hedge with dull shears, a blunt blade can tear the grass which causes the lawn stress and results in larger clippings. Mow your lawn often to keep the grass clippings small. Choosing a mower with a rear or side discharger will distribute the clippings onto the lawn that you've just mown. This helps to avoid clumps and uneven distribution.

What can I do with my grass clippings?

In a word: grasscycle. Grass clippings are an excellent source of nutrients and nitrogen. Compost them with other organic matter to create an all-natural garden fertiliser.

A mulching mower is the neatest and easiest way to distribute grass clippings back onto your lawn and nourish it.
Bag grass clippings and dispose of as green waste.

If you don't have a mulching mower with a discharger, a rake is a simple way of distributing grass clippings on your lawn.

Top tips for mowing and lawn care:

First, mow your grass when it's dry. So, if there's been a water fight around the paddling pool it's best to wait a day or two.

Mowing a lawn in the summer needs to be done twice a week to keep the grass between an optimum 2cm-4cm. You can relax a little during the spring and autumn when it will just need mowing once a week. Do not cut the grass any shorter than 2cm. Also, remember that grass is a living thing, so don't remove more than a third of its length in one go. As above, sometimes it's better to remove clippings so the living grass doesn't suffocate.

Grass won't grow much in the winter, so it will only need an occasional light tidy-up.

If you're experiencing heatwave weather and drought conditions, let your grass grow longer as it will already be stressed by a lack of water.

Make sure your lawn is receiving direct sunlight as lawns don't fare so well in the shade and are more prone to moss that's caused by damp soil. Although moss looks green, it's not benefitting your turf if you find wide expanses of it in your lawn. The presence of moss is a sign of compacted soil and poor drainage.

What to read next:

Best budget lawn mowers around £100

Best lawn mowers for large gardens that make light work of your space

Best lawn mower for small gardens

Natalie Knowles is a Homes & Garden Product Writer for Modern Gardens, specialising in garden trends. When she's not flexing her mow-how, Natalie is a successful artist and illustrator.