If you are looking for a lawn mower for stripes that can create the attractive effect on your beloved lawn, you've come to the right place. Lawn stripes are considered a gardening technique that is commonly used on sports fields and public lawns, but you can create them in your garden too. Despite looking pretty tricky to achieve, the stripes are made by bending the blades of grass in different directions, creating a contrast with your lawn mower. And, don't they look smart?
Achieving the perfect lawn stripes requires proper mowing techniques and the right equipment. It is essential to have a lawn mower with a rear roller or a striping kit and to follow a consistent mowing pattern to get the best results. Additionally, regular lawn maintenance, including watering, using fertiliser, and lawn care, will help keep the grass healthy and vibrant, enhancing the overall appearance of the stripes.
Best lawn mower for stripes at a glance:
• Best overall: Flymo Chevron 32VC Electric Wheeled Lawnmower - View now on Amazon UK
• Best lightweight lawn mower for stripes: Flymo Easistore 340R 34cm Corded Rotary Lawnmower - View now on Argos
• Best cordless lawn mower for stripes: LawnMaster MX 24V 34cm Cordless Lawnmower - View now on Amazon UK
We've scoured the internet for the best lawn mowers that will create picture-perfect stripes in your lawn. After all, helping to keep your outdoor space in tip-top condition is an important job, no matter the season. If your hedges need cutting back, consider our hedge trimmers buyers guide. Your garden, your way. From electric and cordless lawn mowers to lawn mowers that are suited to larger lawns. We've got everything covered. For answers to your cutting-edge questions, scroll down to our lawn mower for stripes FAQs. You're welcome.
Shop the best lawn mower for stripes
Best overall
Flymo/AmazonThe Flymo Chevron 32VC Electric Wheeled Lawnmower is more than capable of creating clean and clear stripes on your lawn thanks to the single rear roller, 32 cm cutting width, lightweight manoeuvrability, and a 29-litre grass box that collects the clippings. It is also a great lawn mower overall and is a perfect option for small and medium gardens.
Customer review: "Suits my needs. Much lighter than my old flymo, so finding it easier to handle. Would have preferred not to have had to assemble the collection box as I did struggle with this. But otherwise completely happy with my purchase."
Pros
- Lightweight
- Great for smaller lawns
- Instructions easy to follow
Cons
- Grass box fiddly to put together
Best budget lawn mower for stripes
Bosch/AmazonIf you're after a lawn mower that will help you create stripes but won't cost the earth, Bosch's Rotak 32 R 1200W Rotary Lawn Mower is lightweight, compact and has a built-in rear roller for creating stripes and GrassCombs.
Customer review: "It weighs absolutely nothing, cuts grass - even very wet grass - very effectively, and collects clippings well. Sure, an electric cable is a nuisance, but since it is so light - toy light - it's easy to direct with one hand while using the other to flip the cable about. If you want a modest lawn cut for the least fuss and cost, this is brilliant."
Pros
- Lightweight
- Powerdrive motor ensures brilliant cutting performance
Cons
- Not cordless
Best lightweight lawn mower for stripes
Flymo/Argoswww.argos.co.uk
Easy-to-push lawn mowers are what you need for helping to create stripes in your lawn and the Flymo Easistore is lightweight enough to help you easily move up and down your lawn. Equipped with a large easy-to-empty 35L grass box with full bag indicator, close to edge cutting deck, central height adjusts, a rear roller to create a striped effect, and comfortable dual lever handles for easy manoeuvring of the lawnmower.
Customer review: "Bought this to replace previous Flymo which had done 12 years excellent service. New one even better, little extra features, height adjustment better and box full indicator make a super mower."
Pros
- Slick and effective
- Small and easy to store
Cons
- Fiddly emptying the collection box
Best for small lawns
Hyundai/AmazonHyundai’s 1200W Electric Lawn Mower is perfectly suited to creating stripes for small to medium lawns as it is equipped with a rear roller and low-cut settings which allows you to achieve your striped lawn finish. The lawn mower is also pretty easy to store away thanks to the foldable handle system and collapsing grass collection bag.
Customer review: "Simple to assemble and easy to use. It is light and has cut the grass well. Even though the grass was damp this mower still picked up 99% of the clippings. The bucket fills quickly and needed emptying quicker than my last mower. However the cut is very good on the middle setting."
Pros
- Good size
- Easy to store
- Three cutting heights
Cons
- Some reviews said they would like a longer cable
Best cordless lawn mower for stripes
LawnMaster/AmazonThis LawnMaster MX 24V Cordless Lawnmower comes complete with two reliable 24V 4.0Ah lithium ion batteries and a one-hour fast charger - meaning you'll never run out of charge halfway through your lawn trim and have the freedom not to worry about the cords. It also comes with a rear roller, so you can create those stripes with ease.
Customer review: "Quick delivery. Easy to set up. Simple to use. Quick charge batteries. Great to have two batteries. Gives a quality cut right up to the edges. Definitely recommend."
Pros
- Power adjusted according to the grass conditions, giving more power when the grass is longer
- Light and easy to handle
- Two batteries
Cons
- Not recommended for large lawns
Best petrol lawn mower for stripes
Cobra/AmazonThe Cobra RM40C 40cm Push Petrol Lawn Mower with a Rear Roller is a great option for those who prefer using a more traditional petrol lawn mower. The full-width rear roller will help create the traditional striped finish on your lawn and also features a narrow 16-inch / 40cm cutting width so it can easily manage small to medium-sized lawn areas.
Customer review: "This mower is great. Good design like the simple way the push bar locks in place nicely. Roller stripes up very good. Engine is modern and has decent power. Pushing a mower in my opinion for medium to smaller lawns is a better and can achieve a better cut. Easy to put together. not too heavy."
Pros
- Great value
- Traditional lawn mower
- A varied choice of cutting heights
Cons
- Not as eco-friendly
Best for larger lawns
LawnMaster/AmazonIf you're lucky enough to have a large lawn, LawnMaster's 1800W Lawn Mower 40cm cutting width and 10m power cable make it perfect for cutting stripes into more extensive lawns. You can also choose between two ways to dispose of grass clippings - either in the 42L Redi-bag for green waste disposal or using the supplied mulch plug to finely cut the clippings and return them to the lawn to act as a nutrient.
Customer review: "Very fast delivery. Always has petrol mowers in the past . Great build quality ans the 1800 motor is good, wouldn’t want anything less. Stripes the lawn very well and cuts my medium to large lawn perfectly."
Pros
- Doesn't struggle cutting long grass
- Solid and stable
- Powerful
Cons
- Some reviews want a longer cable
How we chose the best lawn mower for stripes
All of these lawn mowers have been hand-selected by our team of Modern Gardens shopping experts. We carefully considered size, features and performance in our selection of the best. Our team has spent hours investigating and researching lawn mowers to make it easier for you to find the very best, and we'd never recommend a product we don't believe in.
Where possible, we also test and share the latest and best products you should know about. And with help from Modern Gardens Magazine, Garden News and Garden Answers, we share expert gardening knowledge to help you get the most from your product.
FAQs
Do people have stripes on their lawns?
Yes! Many gardeners still love the 'stripey lawn' effect, especially those with bigger garden spaces that require lawnmowers to suit larger gardens. Often seen on golf courses and sports fields, they enjoy creating stripes in their lawns as a way to showcase their landscaping skills and enhance the overall look of their garden. The stripes are achieved by using a lawn mower equipped with a rear roller or a striping kit.
When you mow the grass in one direction, the rear roller or striping kit flattens the grass blades in that direction, creating a darker shade. When you mow in the opposite direction, the grass blades are bent in the opposite direction, reflecting light differently and creating a lighter shade. This contrast between light and dark creates the striped effect.
What is a rear roller on a lawn mower?
A rear roller is a cylinder bar or drum located at the rear of the cutting deck, parallel to the ground. It serves several functions including:
Striping effect: The main purpose of a rear roller is to create a striped pattern on the lawn. When the lawn mower moves forward, the roller gently pressures down on the grass blades as they are cut.
Lawn flattening: The roller also helps to even out the surface of the lawn, helping to flatten any uneven spots.
Improved manoeuvrability: Having a rear roller can also enhance the manoeuvrability of a lawn mower as it provides stability and helps guide the mower along a straight path.
Grass collection: Some lawn mowers with rear rollers come with grass collection bags attached. The roller can help push grass into the collection bag more easily.
It's important to note that rear rollers are typically found on specific types of lawn mowers, such as rotary mowers and cylinder mowers.
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Hannah Mellin is a Homes & Garden Product Writer for Modern Gardens, A Modern Kitchen, Yours and Take A Break. She has been working in the Journalism industry for over a decade and has written for an array of brands including John Lewis, Daily Mirror and Grazia. When she's not writing, researching or testing products, she's renovating her Victorian terrace and chilling in the garden with her sausage dog Waffle.