While much of my garden has been suffering in the heat, it doesn’t seem to have had any effect on the weeds, which are growing as much as ever. But the hot weather has meant that I have zero energy for digging weeds out by hand, so I was happy to give the Ryobi Cordless 18V ONE+™ Patio Cleaner at Amazon a go and save myself the effort.

The combination of paving slabs, pointing and brick edging on my patio means that there are plenty of gaps and crevices for weeds to take root in. While I’ve tried plenty of different methods for removing weeds from a patio, it can be back-breaking work stooping down to get at them, not to mention hard on the knees, too.

I was also pleased to discover that the patio cleaner is cordless, meaning it can be used outside without the hassle of having to drag out an extension cable, and with plenty of weed-ridden paths at my allotment (which has no outside power), I plan to put it through its paces there too.

Using the Patio Cleaner

The Patio Cleaner works by using a battery-powered motor that rotates a wire brush head, which whizzes round and dislodges any weeds, moss, grass and debris from the gaps in between paving slabs and along path edges.

Set up was fairly speedy. The Patio Cleaner comes complete with a rechargeable battery and charger - it takes an hour to fully charge and promises to run for up to 32 minutes on a single charge.

Looking similar in shape and size to a strimmer, it has a contoured handle at the top, plus a steadying handle further down that simply needs to be clipped in place.

It also has a telescoping handle which can easily be adjusted in height, should it feel more comfortable longer or shorter. And to operate, there is a safety trigger and button at the top that need to be pressed in unison to start it up.

Weight-wise, it does feel pretty hefty at 2.83 kg in weight, but it is fairly easy to manoeuvre without putting strain on your shoulders or back.

The Patio Cleaner comes complete with a wire brush head, which is recommended for use on patios, driveways and bricked surfaces where you’ll come up against the most common garden weeds. A lighter nylon brush head is also available, which is recommended for softer surfaces like sandstone or marble paving, but does need to be ordered separately and costs £17.99.

Operation of the Patio Cleaner was pretty straightforward. The wire brush head sits on one side of the sweeper, while on the other side, there is a small wheel that helps guide it along the line of your paving or pathway.

All that’s needed is to hold onto the top handle and grab the guiding handle lower down to steer it. Once switched on, the Patio Cleaner easily whizzes along in a line, with the rotating brush head getting into gaps and dislodging weeds and debris as it goes. I found that small weeds came out instantly, but with bigger, more deep-rooted weeds, I needed to run it over them again a couple of times.

For my patio, with regularly spaced paving slabs, tackling the job in sections and working methodically in lines going down and then across the patio worked best for me. Clearing the entire patio was speedy (in under 15 minutes) and required no back-breaking bending or getting down on hands and knees.

The Patio Cleaner does send weeds and debris whizzing out, although there is a plastic shield that guards the brush head and prevents debris from flying upwards - it is also recommended that you wear safety goggles while operating it. Afterwards, you will have to give the patio a thorough sweeping down to clear up, so do have a sturdy brush on hand.

When it comes to corners and tricky angles, it does take a little manoeuvring to make sure that you get into the edges, but that was no problem.

I found the noise levels of the Patio Cleaner to be a lot less noisy than a regular garden strimmer (check out the video below to see and hear it in action), with less vibration than a strimmer, so much easier on the arms.

The verdict? Having previously tested QVC's electric Weed Sweeper, my only gripe with that design was having to drag a cable around with me. So upgrading to this cordless Patio Cleaner makes cleaning the patio that much easier and means I can also use it in places where a power source isn’t available, such as the front garden or over at my allotment.

And while it is great for clearing weeds from hard surfaces like patios and paths, when it comes to removing weeds from lawns and borders, investing in a manual weeding tool like the Gardena Weed Puller is also worth considering, so you'll have every type of weed covered.

Shop these Patio Cleaner alternatives

If the Patio Cleaner isn't quite what you're looking for, we have a few alternatives you can shop.

Will you be investing in a patio cleaner? Or do you have your own clever ways of dealing with weeds? Let us know.

It's the season of the pressure washer. Whether yours is currently sitting in your shed collecting dust and perhaps in need of an upgrade, or maybe you're like me and are forever borrowing one from family and friends? Well, let me introduce you to a budget-friendly buy that can literally clean anything and everything — and fast.

The Webb 165 Bar Pressure Washer is an affordable solution that has all of the added bells and whistles needed to clean everywhere and anywhere outside of your home, from exterior walls to patios, decking, fences and even your car. This all-in-one machine actually comes with various heads and nozzles for under £200, meaning that you'll be using it year-round, not just in the spring to bring your garden back to life.

I've used this pressure washer for the past 2 weeks, and I've found that it works brilliantly, especially on patios and concrete. I used its handy detergent attachment for cleaning my car and covering my patio in pet deodoriser, and so far, I am super impressed with it. Here's what I did and didn't love about this Webb pressure washer.

Specifications

• Model number: WEPW2200 
• Dimensions: 38.5cm × 31.8cm × 83.8cm
• Voltage: 230V
• Flow rate (max): 8.2L/min
• Nozzles: 2
• Accessories: Detergent Bottle & Foam Sprayer, High Pressure Hose, Fan Jet & Turbo Nozzles, High Pressure Spray Gun, Patio Cleaner, Wash Brush
• Power type: 2200W
• Max pressure: 165 bar
• Best for: Heavily stained patios, moss-covered driveways, large outdoor areas, deep, ground-in dirt
• Hose length: 6m
• Power cord length: 6m
• Net Weight without accessories: 13.1 kg

In a nutshell

A great and easy-to-use pressure washer, this Webb 165 Barr model is a handy addition to your shed, and it costs less than £200. We found the manual to be a little confusing initially, as one part of the assembly instructions was labelled wrong, but once we'd worked it out, it was totally plain sailing from there.

It comes with a range of attachments, but the two nozzles are where you'll find most of the power. I used both of these nozzles to transform my decking, my patio and the patch of concrete by my front door — plus more. Do note that the turbo nozzle is not to be used on painted surfaces. The manual claims that the adjustable spray nozzle, in the low-power fan spray setting, is best for painted surfaces. However, we found that this still removed paintwork from my decking and fencing. So, this pressure washer cannot be used on any painted area.

Handily enough, one of the other attachments is a detergent bottle — I used this to cover my patio in pet-friendly deodoriser to banish odours. Plus, it made an easy job of covering both of our cars with car cleaner. It also comes with a brush tool, which I found to be rather weak. It was ok for cleaning the car, but I wouldn't rave about it. The same goes for the round patio cleaner head, which just doesn't offer enough power to make a difference, in my opinion.

In terms of maintenance, it ticks all our boxes — the nozzles can be stored on board, and it offers cable storage, too. You do need to store the brush and patio head separately.

Unboxing the Webb 165 Bar Pressure Washer

This pressure washer arrived in a neat box, which was heavy, so I admittedly needed some help moving it from my doorstep into my garden. Upon opening, I noticed that there was minimal packaging.

The main unit was wrapped inside a plastic bag (04 PE-LD, therefore recyclable), as well as the manual. The brush head was also protected with PET plastic. Otherwise, the rest of the packaging was cardboard — to prevent the parts from bashing against one another in transit.

Unfortunately, this is where we ran into an issue, as the manual wasn't totally correct, hence our confusion when it came to assembling the machine. While the manual was comprehensive and easy to digest, a specific part of the assembly diagram was wrong.

Luckily, my husband was there to help, as he had assembled quite a few pressure washers before, so he knew where this part should go. If he hadn't known, though, I fear I would've ended up calling customer service.

First of all, the manual told us to attach the bottom part of the pressure washer to the top (the part with the handle). It also said to fit the attachment hooks. Easy peasy! This did require a screwdriver, but it was simple enough.

It then instructed us to screw the 'water inlet coupling with filter' to the 'washer water inlet'. In the diagram, this was displayed as being on the back of the machine. This is where the confusion began, as this was actually on the front of the main unit instead. There are holes on both the front and back, but the one on the back of the pressure washer doesn't fit the water inlet.

When we watched assembly videos, it became clear to us that this part was also meant to be black in colour, but the one that we were sent was see-through. Again, not a huge issue, but it did add to the confusion.

Once we'd gotten past this, everything else was a total breeze. The manual was fine otherwise. It explained all of the attachments and how to use them, and what to use them on. The same goes for what not to use them on!

Who will the Webb WEPW2200 165 Bar Pressure Washer suit?

This pressure washer will suit most people, whether you want it for cleaning your patio a few times a year or it's for reviving your decking. It's on wheels so it's easy to move in and out of a shed, plus it has a handle for carrying. Its cord is 6m long, so be sure to note where your closest socket is and ensure that you'll be able to reach all corners of your garden.

Specifically, it would be a great buy for someone who, like me, often uses patio cleaner and needs an easier way to apply this product. And if you often clean your car yourself, the detergent attachment is a game-changer. Otherwise, I imagine that the patio floor cleaner head will do a better job on outdoor tiles instead of concrete, which sadly I don't have, so I can't test it on. The brush was OK — it really did lack water power, but it's useful for popping on after spraying detergent, to get into the nooks and crannies of something like your car.

I would definitely avoid this pressure washer if most of your garden has been painted — whether that's your fencing or your decking. Both nozzles, even the one that claims to be gentle, removed paintwork from different areas of my garden.

Its sub-£200 price point is arguably the best thing about this pressure washer, as it comes with a lot of attachments for this price tag. Saying that, you would be able to pick up a cheaper model if you know you won't use these attachments and think that they will live in your shed forever.

What is it like to use?

This pressure washer is pretty simple to work out. Once you've plugged it into a wall socket, connected the hose to the main unit and turned the water on, you need only spin the red dial on the main unit until it points to 'ON'. Then, for water, you need to hold the trigger continuously.

There's a lock that they say you should press after use, ready for next time. This prevents the machine from accidentally turning on at any point.

Webb WEPW2200 165 Bar Pressure Washer: Performance

Patio

The first place I tackled with my pressure washer was my patio. It was really in need of a good scrub — especially after a full winter of frost, paired with the fact that this is where my dog usually pees. It was partly green in some spots, and while it's not old, it looks like it's in need of a full refit. It also had chalk stains on some of the slabs, thanks to my toddler.

We all know that pressure washing takes time, so I was prepared for a good chunk of my day to be spent on this. While it did take a while because it's a large area, I'd say that it was easy. The adjustable spray nozzle with high power, narrow stream worked the best on my patio.

I did find that this pressure washer was super powerful. In fact, it managed, in some places, to bring up a bit of my patio grout. So, I swifty avoided pointing the pressure washer in these places. Just a warning...

I also used the detergent dispenser on my patio. We often cover our patio with a specially-created pet deodoriser from Amazon. This is to banish pet smells from urine and to disinfect things like my toddlers' toys and climbing frame, too. Usually, this is a faff to use as it requires diluting and I use a watering can to apply it.

All I needed to do was pour some of this solution into the dispenser bottle and use it with the pressure washer lance; this was a total game-changer. It took only minutes to cover our entire patio area. Then, we left it for contact time for 5-10 minutes and washed it away with water using the pressure washer again.

Deck

My decking area was stained last year, so after the fence fiasco, I was admittedly worried that the same thing might happen and that this stain would start coming off. There were some green spots on my patio, which I didn't really want to use chemicals on because my dog often visits this spot — the same goes for my curious toddler.

I decided to go over this particular section very lightly, using the adjustable spray nozzle in low-power fan spray, to preserve the layer of stain we applied to it just last year. Admittedly, you can still see a little bit of green algae on my deck, but the worst of it has gone. I do plan on going over it once more, but the power on this pressure washer is very strong, so I need to be careful.

This pressure washer did try and remove a little bit of the stain on my deck, so I was wary while using it on the rest of my decking area. As you can see, it removed a layer of stain in some spots, so I'll need to re-stain this area soon.

Car

This pressure washer, paired with its dispenser attachment, which was filled with car cleaning fluid, made cleaning our 2 cars a total breeze. In fact, we won't ever get our car cleaned through the car wash again.

We managed to cover our cards in detergent fast, and then we switched to the brush attachment to give everything a good scrub. To be honest, this was the only time I used this brush and actually found it beneficial as it was nice and gentle but managed to get into small nooks — such as around wing mirrors and the window seals.

The result was good — our cars were visibly cleaner, but there were some marks on our cars that even the high-pressure nozzle couldn't remove. Saying that, though, we had no issues with paintwork removal, as we first gave it a go on my 2009 car, just in case, since it had been so powerful on painted fencing and stained decking, but it did not interrupt the paint on my car whatsoever.

Fencing

This pressure washer did a slightly too good a job on my fencing. It actually is so powerful that it removed the paintwork. Otherwise, when tackling a corner of my fencing covered in green algae, it definitely impressed.

I did have to stop as I noticed that it was peeling the paint away, too. Next time, I plan on going all the way and then once dried, I can touch up the paint or repaint this panel entirely if there's no rain forecast.

I tried both nozzles on my painted fencing, but either way, the paint was coming off. A shame, because the manual claims the the adjustable nozzle in low power fan spray is gentle on painted areas. Now I know this, I'll avoid using this on my fencing unless I'm planning on repainting.

Cleaning the front of my house

I also wanted to blast the concrete stones outside my front door with this pressure washer. In the manual, the round patio cleaner head claims to be the best thing to use on these types of stones. So, I gave it a go.

Sadly, I was disappointed because it seemed like the only thing this attachment was doing was getting the floor wet. It wasn't gliding over the floor super easily, either. This definitely wasn't the best attachment for this surface, despite the manual claiming so. The bristles are quite soft, and the water isn't super powerful with this attachment. I barely noticed a difference.

So, we switched back to the adjustable spray nozzle, but on a high-power narrow stream, and it worked wonders and cleaned this small spot very fast.

Afterwards, I used it around the white cladding that sits around my hallway and my front door. It worked fast and gave instant results. I was impressed.

What's it like to clean and store?

Storage-wise, you'll need a shed or garage for this pressure washer, like most of these machines. You can store both the nozzles and the lance, which detaches into 2 parts, on board. The spray gun slides to clip onto the side of the machine. Unfortunately, the brush, detergent bottle, foam sprayer, patio cleaner head and the brush will all need to be stored separately from the main unit.

All in all, it takes up minimal shed space, really. Its cord wraps around the unit for easy storing, and it's on wheels so that you can move it around your garden with ease.

It comes with a cleaning needle, which is attached to the manual, and this is for cleaning the spray nozzles if they are clogged. Otherwise, the manual explains other maintenance steps which don't need to be done very often, like filter cleaning, so that you know if/when to do these steps.

How does it rate online?

This pressure washer doesn't have any reviews online. It has no ratings at Amazon, and over at Webb direct, there are 0 reviews, too.

Should you buy the Webb WEPW2200 165 Bar Pressure Washer?

This is dependent on your budget — and what you'll mostly be using it for. If you can afford to spend £200 on a pressure washer and you'd like it to come with a bundle of attachments, then this is your best bet. If you know you'll be using it for cleaning your car, then it's ideal because of its dispenser attachment. The same goes if you often coat your patio with a solution like a deodoriser or algae remover.

I'd avoid this patio cleaner if you're on a budget, as there are definitely cheaper options out there, albeit they come with just 1 or 2 nozzles and nothing else. If your garden is small, then you probably won't need something with a 6m cable, either, just something to bear in mind. If a lot of your garden is painted, and your decking or fencing is painted, then I would avoid this pressure washer as it might be a little too strong.

How does it compare to similar pressure washers?

In our best pressure washer guide, we rate the Karcher K4 Full Control Home Pressure Washer as our best pick. This Karcher model is more expensive than the Webb one, at £399.99 RRP. It does come with a car cleaning kit and a bottle of stone cleaner solution. It only comes with 1 nozzle, though, and it doesn't have a brush or detergent dispenser. Otherwise, it boasts 3 different pressure settings, unlike the Webb one, which only has one setting. Pressure-wise, the Karcher model isn't as powerful at 130 bar vs 165 bar.

About the review, and our reviewer

Are lawn mowers or robot lawn mowers healthier for your lawn? If you’re hoping to see greener grass this summer, one stands slightly ahead of the game.

The lawn mower vs robot lawn mower debate is an interesting one, because both have their benefits in the garden. Lawn mowers can be more budget-friendly, for example, while robot mowers make up for their cost in convenience and eco-friendliness. When it comes to actual lawn health, though, experts are leaning towards one winner in particular.

So, are traditional lawn mowers or robot lawn mowers better for a healthy lawn? Here’s everything you need to know.

If we want to understand which type of lawn mower is healthiest for our grass, it's wise to start by looking at the mechanical action of the blades on the grass. The best lawn mowers out there are designed to cut grass cleanly, with minimal tearing – but robot lawn mowers can guarantee that a little bit more.

‘Robotic lawn mowers are actually gentler on your lawn than traditional machines,’ explains George Ren, CEO at Segway Navimow. ‘A dull rotary blade tears the grass, leaving jagged wounds that make turf more vulnerable to drought and lawn diseases. In contrast, robotic mowers use small, razor‑sharp blades that cut frequently, little and often, promoting denser, healthier growth.’

Of course, you could learn how to sharpen lawn mower blades to reduce the chance of dull rotary blades hacking away at your grass – but the benefits of the best robot lawn mowers don’t stop there.

‘Robotic mowers work continuously, trimming little and often to keep the lawn at an optimal height,’ echoes Ryan Patterson, head of product management at Husqvarna UK. ‘This approach helps create a healthier, more consistent finish, with fine clippings naturally fertilising the grass.’

That mulching effect is something I’ve noticed on my own lawn since using the Segway Navimow i208 LiDAR Robot Lawn Mower, which is currently on sale at Amazon. A couple of months ago, my lawn was dry, yellow and patchy – but this month, it’s looking greener than ever.

I’ve actually heard the same feedback from friends and colleagues who have made the switch to a robot lawn mower. Those fine clippings really do enrich the grass – and you’ll save yourself the task of emptying a collection bag after mowing, too.

It’s worth noting that some lawn mowers have a mulching plug, like the GARDENA Handymower (also available at Amazon). These mowers also chop grass clippings into a fine mulch and dispense it back onto the lawn.

3 robot lawn mowers I recommend

So, are lawn mowers or robot lawn mowers healthier for your lawn? Both have their merits, especially if you want to cut costs and grab a traditional lawn mower with a mulching blade – but since robot lawn mowers are that little bit more gentle on your lawn, and cut the grass little and often, they just beat regular lawn mowers for this one.

If there’s one gardening debate I’ve noticed more than ever over the past year, it’s the lawn mowers vs robot lawn mowers one.

After testing market-leading lawn mowers and, more recently, a string of the best robot lawn mowers out there, I’ve learned first-hand that each type has its own merits in the garden. It all depends on the time and space you have at your disposal, your budget, and how you want your lawn to be maintained long-term – and with robot mowers becoming more mainstream than ever, it's worth considering if an upgrade could benefit your garden.

I spoke to experts from Segway Navimow and Husqvarna UK, both leading mower manufacturers, to settle the lawn mower vs robot lawn mower debate and select a winner for each area: convenience, value for money, eco-friendliness and more.

After testing an array of lawn mowers and robot lawn mowers, I've gotten familiar with what makes one machine more appealing than another. Below, you'll find an overview of each type's convenience, space requirements, cost and more, to help you choose the right mower for your garden and lifestyle.

Which is more convenient?

If you’re a busy gardener with limited time on your hands, mowing is one of those tasks that feels like a real slog. When you’re not in the mood to push a lawn mower around manually, or simply don’t have time in the day, a robot lawn mower offers an enticing alternative.

‘Robotic lawn mowers are transforming lawn care from a weekly chore into a set‑and‑forget background task,’ says George Ren, CEO at Segway Navimow. ‘With a reliable wire‑free robotic lawn mower that combines advanced, integrated technologies, from precision navigation to intelligent drive systems, you can reclaim that time for family, hobbies, or just relaxation.’

With mowers like the Segway Navimow i208 LiDAR Robot Lawn Mower (which is currently on sale at Amazon), you can set mowing schedules that take care of themselves, and even let the mower do its thing at nighttime.

The only inconvenient thing about robot mowers is setup, which sometimes involves installing a charging station in your garden (that’s one of the things I wish I knew before buying a robot lawn mower).

Plus, many models have a lower maximum cutting height than traditional lawn mowers, which can tackle longer grass – so if your lawn is overgrown, you’ll need to trim it with a lawn mower or cordless strimmer before a robot can work its magic.

Machines like the Segway Navimow i208 and the Eufy E15, though, can cut grass up to 7cm long – and if the robot is set up with a regular mowing schedule and keeps on top of things, you’ll save yourself the gruelling task of pulling the lawn mower out of the shed every time it needs cutting.

WINNER: Robot lawn mowers

Which offers better value for money?

There is, of course, the cost of a robot lawn mower to consider – and if you’re wondering how much to spend on a lawn mower, it’s worth noting that robots can make a bigger dent on the wallet. That’s where regular lawn mowers are a solid alternative.

‘Traditional mowers still play an important role,’ says Ryan Patterson, head of product management at Husqvarna UK. ‘They offer a lower upfront cost, require no installation, and are often better suited for tackling long or overgrown grass in a single session.’

There are, of course, more affordable machines on the market that offer fewer smart features but the same convenience as higher-end robots, like the Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 (it’s actually one of the best I’ve tested, thanks to its ultra-simple 3-button setup). Plus, you can actually earn the cost of a robot lawn mower back long-term.

‘When you calculate the hours you save each week, and the cost of hiring a lawn service, most homeowners break even within one to two years,’ says George from Segway Navimow. ‘After that, you're essentially getting paid for your time back. But the upfront price tag still scares some people off.’

If you don’t mind keeping on top of things yourself, a lawn mower is certainly the cheaper option, and a cordless mower like the Vonhaus Cordless Lawnmower (available at Amazon) provides hassle-free mowing.

Value for money is a tough part of the lawn mower vs robot lawn mower debate, but since traditional lawn mowers are generally more budget-friendly and brilliant at what they do, I’m just giving it to them for this one.

Winner: Lawn mowers

Which takes up more space?

When outdoor storage space is at a premium, choosing the right garden tools becomes more important than ever. The brilliant thing about robot lawn mowers is that most of them are smaller than regular lawn mowers, and there are no long, awkward handles to worry about – but many of the smarter machines come with a charging station, which usually needs to be fixed to the ground.

That’s actually one of my only qualms about robot lawn mowers – you’ll need to carve out space in your garden for a permanent base that the robot returns to after each mow (you’ll need a garage roof to protect it from the rain, too).

That said, not all robot lawn mowers come with a charging station. If they function from a removable battery, like the aforementioned Bosch VISIMOW18V-100, they simply need to be stored away after every use (and the VISIMOW is smaller than other robots I’ve tested, too).

A regular lawn mower will, of course, need to be stored away after every use, too. Depending on its size, it’ll usually take up more storage space than a robot lawn mower – so if you’ve got the space outside for a robot charging station, it’ll save you room in the shed.

WINNER: Robot lawn mowers

Which is better for the environment?

A lawn mower’s eco-friendliness depends very much on what type of mower it is. A petrol mower, with its high emissions, is the worst contender, whereas a cordless, battery-operated mower like the Gtech CLM50 Cordless Lawnmower is far better for the planet (besides the energy required to charge the battery). Better still, you could try a manual push mower, which works without electricity.

On that scale, robot lawn mowers sit somewhere around the same spot as cordless lawn mowers, because you’ll need to either charge a removable battery or keep a charging station plugged into the mains. In terms of gas emissions, it’s a safe choice for the planet – but what really stands out about robot mowers is how quiet they are.

‘Robotic mowers are battery-powered, meaning low noise pollution and no direct emissions during use,’ says Ryan from Husqvarna UK. ‘Their lightweight design is also gentler on the lawn, supporting long-term grass health.’

It’s almost a draw again, but because robot lawn mowers are a lot quieter than regular mowers, I’m awarding the eco-friendly category to them.

WINNER: Robot lawn mowers

Which is better for the grass?

Wonder if lawn mowers or robot lawn mowers are better for a healthy lawn? We all know that mowing wet grass can cause tear damage and affect a lawn’s overall health, but heavier traditional mowers can be harsh during turns and manoeuvres on dry grass, too. Thanks to new technology and design, robot lawn mowers provide a gentler alternative to regular lawn mowers.

‘Modern models like ours use ELFS™ LiDAR ⁺for precise navigation, and Xero‑Turn™ all‑wheel drive technology, allowing the mower to turn on the spot, avoiding lateral tearing and minimising turf damage,’ explains George from Segway Navimow. ‘That means a clean, even cut without ugly wheel marks or stressed grass.’

There’s also the mulching benefit of robot lawn mowers – fine clippings are filtered back onto the lawn during mowing, which acts as a natural fertiliser for your grass. I've actually noticed that my grass is greener since using a robot lawn mower to cut my grass.

‘Robotic mowers work continuously, trimming little and often to keep the lawn at an optimal height,’ adds Ryan. ‘This approach helps create a healthier, more consistent finish, with fine clippings naturally fertilising the grass.’

For that reason, I'm awarding robot mowers the top spot for lawn health.

WINNER: Robot lawn mowers

Should you buy a lawn mower or a robot lawn mower?

Looking at this lawn mower vs robot lawn mower comparison guide, robot mowers have won most of the categories – but that doesn't mean they're better than lawn mowers. It all depends on your lifestyle, how much space you have, whether you actually enjoy mowing your lawn and, of course, your budget.

'Ultimately, the choice comes down to how customers want to manage their lawn,' agrees Ryan from Husqvarna UK. 'Robotic mowers are designed to maintain a consistently high standard with minimal effort, while traditional mowers remain a practical solution for more hands-on or occasional use.'

If you're a busy gardener with money to invest in a time-saving solution, a robot mower might be the way forward – but if you enjoy mowing your lawn and want to achieve the same results with just a little more elbow grease, lawn mowers are still a timeless choice.

I always thought weeding the lawn was a boring, strenuous task, but then I got my hands on the GARDENA Weed Puller – and it swiftly proved me wrong.

If you’re looking for ways to get rid of weeds in your lawn, I can’t recommend this tool enough. It’s a robust, long-handled weed puller that’s super easy to use, and it targets stubborn, tap-rooted weeds like dandelions right at the root, removing the entire thing in one swoop. At £40 from B&Q, it’s a little pricier than other weed pullers out there, but having tried it in my own garden, I’d absolutely pay more for a durable piece of kit that makes light work of tough weeds.

My lawn was covered in weeds, and it’s really hard and compacted, so I thought it was going to be a long road to tackling them all – but the GARDENA Weed Puller halved the amount of time I expected it to take, and actually made the task really fun.

If I had to rank garden tools by ease of use, I think I’d put the GARDENA Weed Puller in S tier. It’s a simple design: long, with a comfortable handle grip on the end, and light enough to use comfortably over longer sessions.

What struck me, though, is that those ‘longer’ weeding sessions weren’t that long at all. The weed puller is really easy to use – you simply push the sharp end of the tool over the centre of the weed, using the footrest to push it in as far as you can, and then twist the handle 180 degrees before pulling the tool (and the weed) out from the lawn. I thought it would be tricky to dig the blades all the way in because my lawn is so dry and in need of revival, but they’re so sharp that it didn’t take nearly as much effort as I expected.

There’s also a built-in ejector mechanism that you simply slide to push and release the weed from the weed puller. It’s so easy to use and allows you to quickly clear each weed before tackling the next.

The GARDENA weed puller successfully retrieved each weed (in its entirety – tap root and all!) 99% of the time. The other 1% was just down to my positioning the weed puller wrong, so it’s a really accurate tool. I had some huge dandelions in my lawn, but it was no more difficult to remove those than the smaller weeds out there. It’s also really satisfying to pull the whole root system out of the soil, rather than pluck the leaves from the surface like other weeding tools tend to do.

The only thing that alarmed me, at first, was the holes the weed puller leaves in its wake. They’re sizeable enough to notice, especially once they’ve removed larger weeds – but I like to think of it as a form of lawn aeration (which my compacted lawn absolutely needs!)

Reviewers agree that the GARDENA Weed Puller ‘makes weeding the lawn so much easier,’ with another noting that it’s ‘an amazing back saver and so efficient and quick.’ One reviewer mentioned that it can ‘get into the hardest soil,’ too, which I can vouch for, because my lawn is dry, hard, and stony in places.

Other weeding tools we rate

The GARDENA weed puller is well worth the investment if you're looking for a robust weeding tool that can tackle even the stubbornest weeds in your lawn.

I’ve spent the past few months testing a myriad of robot lawn mowers, and it’s safe to say I’ve learned a lot. If you’re thinking about upgrading to a robotic machine, I thought I’d share the things I wish I knew before buying a robot lawn mower.

On my hunt to find the best robot lawn mowers on the market, I’ve learned plenty about setup, space requirements and other factors I simply hadn’t considered before. As a total beginner at the start of the year, I can vouch for their ease of use – but as with any garden tool, there are a few things to be aware of before you welcome a robot mower home.

These are the things I wish I knew before buying a robot lawn mower.

1. You might need space for a charging station

I thought I’d kick off this list with something I simply hadn’t considered before buying a robot lawn mower: many come with a charging station.

You'll need to make sure you're okay with a semi-permanent garden fixture if you're opting for a machine with a charging station, because they usually come with screws to fix them to the ground. You'll also need to carve out some space in the garden for it, since it'll house the robot when it's not mowing.

If you have the space for a charging station, though, you’ll enjoy incredibly smart gardening. The mower will return to its base after every mow, and with robot mowers like the Segway Navimow i208 LiDAR Robotic Lawn Mower (which I tested last week), you can even set up a mowing schedule. That means the mower is clever enough to do its own thing after setup, and it can even mow your grass at night (it's whisper-quiet!). It’s also really satisfying to watch the mower's smooth return to base.

2. Many robot mowers require a Wi-Fi connection

Another thing I wish I knew before buying a robot lawn mower? Many of them rely on a Wi-fi connection to set up, complete software upgrades and function.

I moved house a couple of months ago, and to my horror, the Wi-Fi connection stopped at the back door. Dealers who come and set the mower up for you, like Husqvarna, always double-check that your garden has an internet connection before they arrive – and now I understand why!

Thankfully, we have a Wi-Fi extender now, which means the connection covers the back garden – but that’s another cost to consider if your internet only spans the house.

That doesn’t mean all robot mowers need Wi-Fi, though. Budget-friendly machines like the Bosch VISIMOW 18V100 Robot Lawn Mower, for example, rely on smart cameras and sensors rather than GPS navigation and internet connection to function. In fact, when I tested the Bosch VISIMOW, I was really impressed at the simple three-button setup.

3. Lawn edges aren't always covered

Even the best lawn mowers on the market often fail to cover those hard-to-reach parts of the lawn – namely, the edges – and that’s something I’ve noticed with many of the robot lawn mowers I’ve tested, too.

In my experience, robot mowers often do leave those signature tufts around the outer edges, and sometimes around stepping stones, too. That’s nothing a cordless strimmer can’t fix – but if you’re after a complete job, it’s worth managing your expectations in that field.

There are workarounds, though. Robot lawn mowers that connect to an app, like the Eufy E15, offer plenty of in-app settings that let you adjust how close your robot cuts to edges. You’ll just need to make sure your mower won’t run the risk of toppling over a raised garden border, for example.

You can also instruct mowers like the Mammotion YUKA Mini 2 1000 to mow specific parts of the lawn – so whenever the mower missed a patch during testing, I simply instructed it to redo that part of the grass.

Many advanced robot mowers have a remote control mode, too, which means you can control the mower yourself (just like you’re playing a video game!), and really target those missed areas.

3 robot lawn mowers I recommend

I'm still learning about robot lawn mowers all the time, but those are the three lessons that stood out to me when I first brought one home. Overall, they're a fantastic investment, and worth the upgrade if you're looking for time-saving, intuitive lawn care.

I just got my hands on an elho Green Basics Grow Table, and despite its compact size, it’s proving to be a really productive space in my garden.

At a modest width of 75cm and a price of £36.99, it’s a brilliant small garden idea if you’re short on space and budget. I’m using mine to grow fruit, vegetables and flowers (yes, all three!) – and so far, I’ve got five different varieties on the go.

The elho Green Basics range is designed to ‘make gardening nice and affordable,’ and that’s exactly what this product does. Here’s what I love about the elho Green Basics Grow Table.

The elho Green Basics Grow Table is as simple as it sounds: it’s a trough planter that stands on four legs.

That means it’s a lot more comfortable to garden with than raised beds on the ground – and although you’ll still have to bend a little, you’ll at least save your knees. It’s also incredibly lightweight on arrival – I could carry it into the garden alone – so it’ll go easy on your back, too.

The elho Green Basics Grow Table is just 75cm wide by 36.5cm deep, so it easily fits into small spaces in the garden. That might not seem like much growing space, but so far, I’ve been stunned by how much I’ve managed to squeeze in. I’ve got peas along the back, carrots, beetroot and marigolds down the middle (companion planting for the win!), and even a strawberry plant nestled into the corner.

All of them have germinated successfully, save for the beetroot, which I only sowed a few days ago. I filled the grow table with two bags of Dalefoot Peat-Free Woold Compost for Vegetables and Salads, which you can order from Crocus, which saves up to 50% of watering and feeds the plants throughout the season.

The grow table is deep enough to give long-rooted vegetables like carrots, mooli radishes and parsnips space to grow in full, which you don’t always get with small-space vegetable troughs. In fact, the importance of leaving root crops enough room to grow was one of the things I learned when I first started a raised vegetable bed.

There’s also the option to buy the elho Green Basics Grow House lid from Amazon, if you want to offer your crops extra protection from pests and the elements. It’s vented for air circulation, with handy clips at the sides to secure the two parts together. It's a bit like a mini greenhouse idea.

The elho Green Basics Grow Table is made from 100% recycled plastic and can be recycled, too, so it’s a much more sustainable garden idea than other plastic planters on the market.

Reviewers agree that the elho Green Basics Grow Table is ideal for growing your own food. One reviewer notes that it’s grown their ‘best ever’ crops of lettuce, and with another praising its ‘convenient height’ and ‘generally well made’ build.

There’s some discussion around the lack of drainage holes, which I wondered about when I first saw the planter, too – but the holes are actually located at the base of the legs. Some reviewers recommend filling the bottom of the legs with gravel for added drainage.

The only downside is that the compost-infused water draining from the holes has been staining my patio – but that would be the case with most pots and containers, and an adequately-sized tray base (or a solid pressure washer) could solve that.

Other small space planters

Overall, the elho Green Basics Grow Table is a compact, affordable solution for growing a myriad of fruits, vegetables and flowers in a small garden. I couldn’t recommend it enough – and I’m very tempted to buy another one!

If this wet weather has got me thinking about anything, it's the benefit of having a water butt in your garden. And if you haven’t got one, don’t worry, as I’ve found a stash of the prettiest water butts that are perfect for harvesting rainwater and making your garden look good.

It’s never a bad idea to install a water butt. By collecting rainwater when the weather is poor, you’re able to water your plants in scorching weather (and during hosepipe bans), cultivate healthier plants as rainwater’s pH makes it ideal for plant growth, and even reduce the risk of flooding your garden.

Sustainability is a huge garden trend this year, with water butts a central theme. But they don’t have to be the ugly plastic containers you're most definitely thinking of. Garden Trading has a small stash of stunning designs on offer - here are my top picks.

Launched over 30 years ago, Garden Trading has been producing stylish accessories for both the home and garden, but it is their stylish water butts that have put them on my radar.

In fact, it was the Kingscote Rattan Water Butt (also available for £500 at John Lewis) that really caught my eye when I spotted it online. I would confidently say I’ve never seen a water butt crafted from rattan or one that looks this good. Plus, the ability to hold a whopping 200L of water shows that this butt is as functional as it is beautiful.

Not to mention, if you have a small garden, a pretty water butt is a preferred choice as it is most likely going to be on show. If you think standard plastic butts are a bit of an eyesore, opting for a stylish alternative can help maintain your garden’s aesthetic.

This sent me down a rabbit hole where I discovered a variety of Garden Trading water butts that nail both aesthetics and function. Here’s what we recommend.

If you’re toying with the idea of investing in a water butt (and you should, they’re super handy), why not opt for a pretty model, one you’ll be proud to have on show?

I’ve just stumbled upon a piece of kit I didn’t know I needed: the Shark BlastBoss All-in-One Cordless Air Blasting System.

There are plenty of brilliant leaf blowers out there, but the Shark BlastBoss is one of the best I’ve tried – it’s lightweight, cordless, and can be used both indoors and outdoors. That means it excels at blowing debris from radiators, laptops and other indoor items, and it’s a star at rounding up leaves and loose compost in the garden, too.

In fact, my favourite way to use the BlastBoss outside is during gardening cleanup – it works wonders at blowing rogue pieces of potting mix off of my patio.

Here’s a first look at SharkNinja’s brand-new Shark BlastBloss.

My favourite thing about the Shark BlastBoss is how lightweight it is. At just 0.66kg, it’s so easy to use one-handed – even with the various attachments.

Speaking of which, a solid selection of attachments comes with the Shark BlastBoss, and a handy chart that’s included in the box details which nozzles are designed for specific tasks. The starring feature, for me, is the BlastBroom – a longer attachment with a brush on the end that’s designed to loosen, lift and blast debris in one sweep.

I’ve been using it alongside my May gardening jobs, sweeping and blasting compost away from my patio into my garden border after planting, and it works an absolute treat. It even coaxes loose bits of debris out of corners, effortlessly redirecting them exactly where I want them to go.

It’s also good at blowing leaves, since the airflow can reach speeds of up to 190mph (but there’s a multi-speed trigger you can control that with).

That’s on the outdoor setting, but you can slide the switch on the front of the Shark BlastBoss towards the house icon to use the machine indoors. There, the precision nozzle is ideal for dislodging dust in radiators and keyboards, for example, or even cleaning the inside of a car.

Many reviewers love the Shark BlastBoss, noting that it’s ‘very efficient and quick to set up and use’. I can vouch for that – it literally took me less than 10 minutes to set up the Shark BlastBoss after unboxing it.

Other reviewers describe it as a ‘little but mighty machine [that] gets in all the tight places I physically can’t,’ so it’s an excellent solution for those hard-to-reach spots.

Outdoors, the Shark BlastBoss isn’t as heavy-duty as more powerful models (something like the Husqvarna Aspire™ BVX-P4A, a leaf blower and vacuum, would be more suitable for that), and reviewers do criticise the lack of airflow power for heavier tasks.

It’s certainly a staple for smaller, lighter jobs, though – and for under £130, it’s a steal if you’re looking for a machine that works in indoor and outdoor spaces.

Other air blasters

The Shark BlastBoss is available in five different colours, from charcoal to strawberry pink. I've got the Sky Blue!

I love an Aldi special buy, my home includes many things I've snapped up from the middle aisle during a weekly shop. However, when I was considering recommending the new bargain Aldi robot mower to a friend, I was warned off it by Ideal Home's robot lawn mower tester, who recommended the budget Bosch VISIMOW at B&Q instead.

At Ideal Home, we've recently tested out a whole load of the best robot lawn mowers, and after gaining hands-on experience and interviewing a number of industry experts, we've learned a lot more about robot mowers since we first covered Aldi launching the Yard Force robot mower in 2025.

Initially, I was impressed by the bargain price of Aldi's option. At £199, Aldi's robot mower is one of the cheapest models on the market; it's even £92 cheaper than the same Yard Force robot mower model sold on Amazon for £291. However, while we haven't tested the Aldi mower, it was the product description that made our robot mower reviewer and Garden Editor Sophie King sceptical about how good a buy it actually was.

She spotted lowdown in the product description that the Aldi robot mower uses a boundary wire, a feature that made her visibly shudder.

Sophie has tested all the latest robot lawn mowers at Ideal Home, and would personally never recommend choosing one with a boundary wire. A boundary wire is a physical cable you have to lay around the edge of your lawn to define the operating area for the robot lawn mower. They're part of why early robot mowers had a reputation for being quite a faff to set up.

'There definitely seems to be a shift away from robot mowers with boundary wires, with more and more brands releasing wire-free models that use GPS tracking and smart cameras to navigate a lawn,' explains Sophie. 'I've tested lots of robot lawn mowers without boundary wires, and they're so much simpler - setup is fuss-free, super simple, and a lot quicker than those that require wire installation.'

If the low price is the most important factor to you and you're not bothered by the prospect of a wire installation, you can give the Aldi robot mower a go. However, if you're after something that's a tried and tested easy-to-set-up robot mower, Sophie recommends the Bosch VISIMOW, which she gave 4 out of 5 stars in her review. The Bosch VISMOW can be picked up for £354 at B&Q right now, so it's around £150 more expensive than Aldi's

'For faff-free setup, the Bosch VISIMOW is well worth the extra £150 - it's ready at the press of three buttons, it gives grass a smooth cut, and its camera technology is so intelligent for the price,' Sophie explains.

The Bosch VISMOW is designed for smaller lawns up to 100m², while the Aldi one is suitable for lawns up to 400m². There isn't an app for it to connect to like more expensive mowers like the Eufy E15 that can map your lawn. However, it is quiet, compact and easy to set up for beginners testing the waters with a robot mower.

If you are looking for something a little more sophisticated, these are the two other boundary wire-free robot mowers we'd recommend.

Every spring, my garden appears to have morphed into something resembling Shrek’s swamp, thanks to a circle of overarching fir trees. They shed a fine green film over absolutely everything – patio, steps, fencing, even the car, if it’s been sitting still for more than five minutes.

So, armed with the Kärcher K5 Comfort Premium, RRP £379, available at Argos, I set about reclaiming my outdoor space over a solid two-week test period in Spring. I used it on my driveway, natural stone steps, timber fencing and, perhaps most satisfyingly, my very grubby car.

This model sits in that tempting middle ground: more powerful than entry-level machines but not quite in pro territory. I’ve reviewed several of the best pressure washers over the years, and the only one that beats the K5 Comfort Premium is Stihl’s RE 120 Plus.

But while the Stihl may still have my heart, it’s fair to say I was very impressed by this washer overall. Setup is quick, the cleaning results are instantly gratifying, and it makes deeply unglamorous jobs feel weirdly enjoyable. That said, you do need to respect its 145 bar power, especially on painted or more delicate surfaces. Unless you fancy adding “touch-up work” to your weekend plans, as I now have.

From snapping it together in minutes to blasting through weeks of garden grime and giving the car a much-needed glow-up, I’ve properly put the K5 through its paces. At £379, it’s not wildly expensive, but there are cheaper options in the pressure washer market – find out if I think it justifies that little extra spend.

Specifications

• Model number: Kärcher K5 Comfort Premium
• Dimensions (cm): H66.8 x W34.6 x L41.7
• Voltage: 230 - 240
• Wattage: 2.1kw
• Weight: 13.8kg
• Cable length: 5m
• Hose length: 10m
• Pressure (max): 145 bar
• Flow rate (max): 550L
• Nozzles: 4-in-1 multi-jet spray
• Accessories: Detergent dispenser attachment

In a nutshell

The Kärcher K5 Comfort Premium is a powerful, mid-range pressure washer that makes light work of everyday outdoor grime. It’s particularly strong on versatility, thanks to the 4-in-1 multi-jet lance, which lets you switch between spray types without faffing around with attachments mid-clean. The detergent system is equally flexible, offering two ways to apply soap depending on your preference.

Performance is where it really excels. It delivers fast, visible results on everything from cars to stonework. However, that power needs a cautious hand, as it can strip paint or damage softer materials if you go in too aggressively. Obviously, you can switch to a gentler spray. I’m just warning you to tread carefully (not follow my lead at go at everything with the max power rotary spray mode!).

Add in decent onboard storage, a long hose and comfortable trigger mechanism, and it’s a highly capable all-rounder with just a couple of usability quirks. It comes with a 5-year guarantee.

Kärcher K5 Comfort Premium: Unboxing and delivery

Straight out of the box, this felt like a serious bit of kit. It’s fairly heavy, but that weight translates into a sturdy, well-built machine rather than anything flimsy or plasticky.

Assembly was impressively straightforward. I didn’t really need the instructions (always a personal benchmark), but I checked them anyway, and they’re clear and easy to follow if you prefer step-by-step guidance. Everything clicks or slots into place in a logical manner and without too much effort.

The telescopic handle is slightly clunky to extend, but once it’s up, it sits at a comfortable height – even for taller users (I’m 5’ 10). Moving it around the garden is manageable thanks to the wheels, though you’ll notice the weight if you have to lift it.

Storage is well thought out. There are dedicated slots for the lance and handle, the detergent bottle clips neatly onto the side, and both the hose and power cable wind onto the unit. In theory, this keeps everything tidy. In practice, the hose did my head in, but more on that later.

Who will the Kärcher K5 Comfort Premium suit?

If your outdoor space regularly takes a beating – think algae-coated patios, grubby cars, green-tinged fencing and garden furniture you forgot to store away over winter – the Kärcher K5 Comfort Premium will be just the ticket.

It’s ideal for busy households, pet owners, or anyone who’d rather blast dirt away than scrub it off by hand. I’d say it’s probably overkill for the occasional quick rinse-down or smaller spaces. You’ll get the most from it if you’ve got a decent amount to clean and the strength to handle something with a lot of power.

Using the Kärcher K5 Comfort Premium

This is very much a plug-and-go situation – no head-scratching construction or complicated accessories, just click, connect, and you’re off. There is a vague mention of downloading an App for cleaning tips, but I’m very much a “read-the-manual” refuser and preferred to crack on to the fun part.

The Comfort Hold trigger gun is designed to reduce the effort needed to keep it running, and while it does help (you’re not death-gripping it the whole time), I still found my hand and forearm aching after about an hour of non-stop washing. There’s definitely a vibration factor at play too, so pace yourself if you’re prone to aches.

It’s also pretty loud – I clocked around 80dB on my iPhone App – and while it wheels smoothly on flat ground, hauling it up steps is a workout. And the hose? It is long, which is brilliant, but it’s not remotely tangle-free. In fact, we may have fallen out on several occasions as it determinedly wound itself into tight knots.

How did the Kärcher K5 Comfort Premium perform?

Car cleaning

I started with Trisha, my faithful Qashqai, mainly using the rotary nozzle for maximum cleaning impact – she was pure filth! If you enjoy that instant “before and after” transformation, this delivers in spades, and Trisha looked showroom clean in an impressively short amount of time (less than 15 minutes).

I tested the detergent dispenser attached directly to the lance first. There’s a handy dial to control how much soap you use, and naturally, I went full throttle to create a thick, satisfying foam layer. It comes with a bottle of universal cleaner, which I left to sit for about five minutes before rinsing off.

The results were excellent. Dirt lifted quickly, and I barely needed my usual car chamois to finish the job. It felt efficient and smug-inducing – especially when thinking about how much our local car wash costs these days.

I also tried the integrated detergent system, where the bottle clips onto the machine and you switch the lance to soap mode. This dispenses less foam but makes the lance noticeably lighter, which is helpful if you’re doing a longer session.

I suffer from weak wrists and a little RSI from years at a keyboard, so anything that helps with grip and weight-bearing is hugely welcome.

One slight mishap…in my enthusiasm with the max power rotary spray, I managed to strip a bit of paint off a section of my car roof bar. It looked awful, so I kept spraying and wiped the entire section back to black. It’s still not ideal, but I’m just relieved I wasn’t washing my husband’s much newer/posher car!

Entirely my numpty error. In the instruction booklet, it clearly states, “ATTENTION Risk of damage due to too close a spray distance or inappropriate spray type”, but a good reminder that this machine is not messing about.

Garden steps

Next up were the front steps, which, by April, had reached peak neglect. Made from natural sandstone, the dirt was deeply ingrained (probably two years’ worth if I’m honest), and not exactly the best impression given they lead to our front door.

This is where the K5 Comfort Premium really came into its own. The transformation was immediate and deeply satisfying, revealing a much lighter, fresher surface underneath.

However, using the most powerful spray mode, the sprayback was intense. On a breezy day (I had the bright idea to tackle it in 22mph winds), you will get soaked.

While most of the grime disappeared quickly, in a satisfying sea of brown sludge cascading down the steps, there were still a fair few stubborn black mildew spots remaining. I cycled through all the nozzle settings, but they didn’t fully shift.

I decided it was a job more suited to a specialist cleaner, so slapped on some of my all-time fave Wet & Forget, £26.99 at Amazon and left it to work its magic. Even so, the overall improvement was dramatic, and the kind of result that makes you immediately start eyeing up the next filthy surface.

Garden fencing

Finally, I tackled the green film coating my garden fencing – that very ugly residue courtesy of the surrounding fir trees (algae, technically, but “green gunk” feels more appropriate).

Our fence is black-painted timber, and I knew from previous clean-ups that a lighter touch was essential. As I’d learned to Trisha’s peril, the K5 Comfort Premium is powerful enough to strip paint if you’re not careful. Even on the gentlest flat stream mode, standing well back, I lost a few small patches of the black paintwork along the way, but nothing too critical.

It took a couple of passes to make a real dent in the slime, but the improvement was obvious. The frustrating part is that everything looks pristine while wet, only for some of the green to reappear once dry. Not entirely the washer’s fault, but worth knowing.

With patience and a bit of distance control, though, it was very effective and much quicker than scrubbing each fence panel by hand. Just be prepared for the odd touch-up job afterwards if your fence finish is delicate.

What's the Kärcher K5 Comfort Premium like to clean and store?

Storage is one of this machine’s strengths. Everything has a designated place, from the lance to the detergent bottle, and once packed away, it feels surprisingly compact for something so capable.

Maintenance is refreshingly low-hassle. It’s recommended to flush the system with clean water after using detergent to prevent residue build-up, and to store the unit somewhere frost-free to protect internal components. Occasional checks of the filter and connections will keep things running smoothly. Overall, nothing onerous – just a bit of basic care to keep it performing at its best.

The only downside was the integrated hose reel, which is designed to aid neat storage and appears to be a great idea, but in practice, it really wound me up. The hose is billed as tangle-free, but mine had other ideas, twisting itself into tight, stubborn knots that tested my patience. Rewinding it onto the onboard reel was hard work – fiddly, resistant and frankly, the last thing I needed after a couple of hours of pressure washing.

How does it rate online?

Across the board, Kärcher’s K5 models (there are currently 9 to choose from) tend to score highly, and this Comfort Premium version is no exception. Users consistently praise the cleaning power and the convenience of the 4-in-1 lance, which removes the need for juggling nozzle attachments mid-task.

Common complaints mirror my experience: the hose can be prone to tangling, and the reel isn’t the slickest to use. For most reports, these were minor irritations rather than deal-breakers, and on the whole, it gets rave reviews. Durability and performance are where it really earns its reputation, with many reviewers highlighting how well it handles regular, heavy use around the home.

Should you buy the Kärcher K5 Comfort Premium pressure washer?

If you’ve got more than the odd patio chair to spruce up, then yes – the Kärcher K5 Comfort Premium is a worthwhile investment. It’s powerful, quick to set up and genuinely satisfying to use, making grubby, time-consuming jobs far more efficient (and dare I say, enjoyable). It coped brilliantly with everything I threw at it, from car cleaning to deeply ingrained patio dirt.

It's not without its quirks – it’s quite heavy to carry up steps, a tad loud in max power mode, and the hose situation drove me slightly insane at times. You also need to respect the power – this isn’t one for a casual, heavy-handed blast on painted surfaces.

But if you want reliable performance and real cleaning clout, it more than earns its keep.

It’s a fairly new model, so it wasn’t available at my local Kärcher centre when I checked, but I did find it for £379 at B&Q at the time of writing, and £350 at Argos, which seems like a pretty good deal to me.

How does the Kärcher K5 Comfort Premium compare to other pressure washers?

If you’re considering stepping up, the Kärcher K7 Smart Control offers more power and smart features, making it better suited to larger areas and tougher jobs – but it’s heavier and pricier. On the flip side, the Kärcher K4 Power Control is a more affordable, lighter option for occasional use, though it doesn’t deliver quite the same deep-clean performance.

It’s also worth looking at the Kärcher K5 WCM Flex Eco Booster Car & Home, which sits at a very similar price point to the K5 Comfort Premium but comes bundled with a frankly hefty pile of accessories. That might appeal if you like having a tool for every niche job, but having tested and/or owned at least 10 pressure washers over the years, I’ve found most of those extras end up cobweb-covered at the back of the shed. In reality, not much beats the raw effectiveness of a strong, well-directed jet of water.

For me, the K5 Comfort Premium gets the balance right: fewer gimmicks, more focus on core performance.

About the review, and our reviewer

Aldi is selling a new £15 garden tool that can burn weeds, light BBQs, strip paint and varnish and even loosen adhesives or plastic welding - so I asked a fire expert how you can use it safely.

Now, flame weeding is not a new technique. Flame weeders, such as Aldi’s new Weed and BBQ Burner (£14.99), can be an effective way to get rid of weeds, as well as lighting your best BBQ and completing other garden jobs.

If you’re debating snapping up this multi-tool when it lands in Aldi’s middle aisle today (7 May), here’s how an expert recommends you use it safely.

Available to shop now, the Aldi Weed and BBQ Burner is a multi-tool that uses fire to complete a variety of garden jobs. Powered by electricity, it is a chemical-free method to get rid of weeds, and is a more environmentally-friendly method compared to others, such as getting rid of weeds with bleach.

This electric tool uses thermal heat to destroy weeds within five seconds. It has a stainless steel heating pen to allow you to target weeds without making your lawn go brown. It has three temperature settings: 80℃, 450℃, 650℃ (approx.), so it can be adjusted to your needs.

While Aldi says the tools have ‘overheating protection’ when working with temperatures this high, it’s really important to consider the risk of these types of tools and use them safely.

‘People often underestimate just how intense these kinds of tools are. You’re dealing with a naked flame that can easily reach temperatures well over 1,000 degrees, so it’s not just the weeds you’re affecting. Dry grass, wooden fencing, decking and even small bits of debris can catch without much warning,’ says Jonny Smith, fire risk assessment expert at Crusader Fire.

Of course, the biggest risk when using fire is that you can risk setting areas of your garden and property on fire - especially in hot, dry conditions. This is why Jonny says it’s important to be extra vigilant when using one of these tools.

‘The safest approach is to treat a weed burner with the same level of care you’d give a barbecue or bonfire. Start by checking the area properly. Clear away dry leaves, paper, or anything that could ignite easily, and avoid using it near sheds, fences, or anything combustible,’ he says.

‘Always have water nearby, whether that’s a hosepipe or a watering can filled and ready. It’s also worth working in short bursts rather than holding the flame in one spot for too long.

‘Another big one is timing. Avoid using them during hot, dry spells or when there’s any kind of wind. Even a mild breeze can carry heat or embers further than you expect. And once you’re finished, don’t just walk away. Give the area a proper check to make sure nothing is still smouldering.’

After use, you should allow it to cool completely before putting it away. You also ensure your own personal safety, with gloves (like these heat-resistant gloves, £14.99, Amazon) and ensure you keep the tool away from children and don’t light it near your face.

This clever multi-tools isn't the only garden gadget to drop in the middle aisle; Aldi is also selling an Aldi robot mower for 2026.

Now there's no excuse for an unruly garden this summer.

Last year, I became the proud owner of a small courtyard garden in South London, but dominating one corner of it was an ugly old shed. Inheriting a shed is useful, even small gardens have their storage needs. But this one loomed over the tiny space, and garden gloves and plant pots seemed to disappear in it.

There must be a better small shed idea, and it turns out there is, but it's not a shed at all. Enter the 'garden wardrobe'.

I discovered the existence of the garden wardrobe when discussing small garden storage ideas with Ideal Home's Content Director, Lucy Searle. Like me, she had recently moved to a place with a smaller garden with an existing old shed. But she'd made the bold move to trade in the shed for a slimmed-down and more stylish garden wardrobe from Wayfair.

'I downsized in the autumn, and as I was clearing out our huge garden shed in the old house, I realised I didn't need to keep most of what was in it - old paint, two old barbecues, pond kit (no pond in the new garden!). So, I just packed the essentials to take with me,' Lucy explains.

'My new, much smaller garden had a dilapidated shed that dominated the sunniest corner of the space. I'd thought about replacing it with a smaller shed, but I realised that, particularly in a garden as small as mine, it would still be an ugly focal point that I would eventually fill unnecessarily. Then I spotted a brand new garden storage idea I'd never seen before: the outdoor wardrobe! Big enough to store essentials, and sitting on a small footprint, they are perfect for tucking away in a corner. Plus, they look much prettier than a classic shed,' she adds.

'I bought this Pent tool storage shed from Wayfair - it's pretty small, but big enough for everything I needed in my new garden: tools, a parasol, two paddling pools and gardening gloves. I removed the upper shelf from mine and added some tool hooks because it just suited the way I wanted to use it. And it looks great, even after the very wet winter we've just had.'

Lucy's been so sold on the garden wardrobe she's now planning to buy a second one for the front of her house, too.

'I'm going to buy another one, this time for the side passage at the front of my house, to store the broom I keep for the front path, fuel for the wood burner, and my bike accessories. It's slim enough to sit sideways, and it's much more attractive than the bike shed I was going to buy (my bike is making do with a waterproof cover instead).'

After being convinced of how effective a garden wardrobe can be for reclaiming space in a small garden, without losing any storage, I've gone on a mission to find one for my little courtyard.

Wayfair is a treasure trove of slimline sheds and garden wardrobes, but I've also found a number at Argos and B&Q. Here are a few of the ones making the shortlist for my garden.

This weekend I'm sorting out my old shed and upgrading to a garden wardrobe. Will you be joining me?

For cutting lawn edges with precision, comfort and low noise, STIHL's new grass trimmer is one of my new favourites.

In fact, I'd go as far as saying that the STIHL FSA 50 Cordless Grass Trimmer, which you can order for £149 without the battery from Just Lawnmowers, is one of the best cordless strimmers on the market right now. If you’re looking for a powerful grass trimmer that’s a little bit quieter than the vast majority of other strimmers, this is the tool I’d recommend. It does a brilliant job of trimming lawn edges and grass with speed and precision.

This STIHL FSA 50 Cordless Grass Trimmer review will look at unboxing, setup, design, ease of use, performance and maintenance. I tested the trimmer in my own small garden. Have a read, and see if it's the right trimmer for you...

In a nutshell

The STIHL FSA 50 Grass Trimmer seriously impressed me – it trimmed my grass and lawn edges at speed, even reaching underneath low-growing shrubs that regular lawn mowers tend to miss.

It's a robust machine that feels as comfortable as it is high-quality. It's light and balanced during use, and also really easy to assemble. For small gardens, it's a must – but it is quite powerful, so you'll need to learn to control it properly to avoid scalping your lawn.

Specifications

• Type: Cordless, battery-operated
• Cutting width: 2.9kg
• Weight: 2.9kg
• Sound power level: 82dB
• Running time: 25 minutes

Unboxing

The STIHL FSA 50 came in a slim cardboard box that was light enough to carry through the house and into the garden. There was minimal packaging inside, save for a few cardboard strips and wedges to hold the trimmer in place and a couple of plastic bags that housed the screws and other components.

The battery and charger were enclosed in an inner cardboard box at one end of the main box, the battery wrapped in a plastic bag. If your trimmer doesn't come with a battery, you can buy the STIHL AK 10 battery from Amazon, and the STIHL AL 101 battery charger from Amazon, too.

Setup

The STIHL FSA 50 Grass Trimmer took me less than half an hour to assemble, and the instructions were really easy to follow. The trimmer must be turned off for safety, so it’s crucial that you don’t insert the battery before this stage (more on that shortly).

First, I attached the deflector. I simply had to push the guard into the guides on the housing, and then insert and tighten two screws to hold them together. The guard has to stay on once assembled, and mustn’t be removed.

Then, I had to mount the bump guard by inserting its ends into the holes on the housing. It was as simple as that! There were also instructions on mounting and removing the mowing head, which were really easy to understand.

I had to install the loop handle, too, and for that, I needed the accompanying star knob nut. Once fitted, the loop handle mustn’t be removed either.

I love that you can adjust the shaft angle to three different angles on the STIHL FSA 50 to suit different heights. It’s really straightforward – you simply have to press the release pedal, move the shaft into the required position until it engages, and then let go of the release again. You can also adjust the shaft length by toggling the clamp nut.

I also had to ensure the battery (which comes with a charger) was charged before getting started (it was!), and then pop the battery into the trimmer. It was really easy to insert, with a satisfying ‘click’ that told me it was in place.

To turn the grass trimmer on, the instructions are a little more complicated, requiring you to press and hold the trigger in a certain way to switch the machine on, but I soon got the hang of that, too.

Design

Before we dive into how well the STIHL FSA 50 Grass Trimmer performed in my garden, it makes sense to get familiar with its key design features.

It’s certainly ergonomic – the trimmer is fitted with a soft grip round handle that’s easily adjustable without tools. The telescopic shaft is adjustable, too, and the mowing head can be set at three different angles, allowing you to reach trickier areas like slopes and under trees and furniture. You can even rotate the mowing head 90 degrees for easier lawn edge trimming.

I also love that the spacer bracket protects plants and other objects in the garden from damage during trimming.

STIHL always designs its tools with the user in mind, which means the FSA 50, like other tools in the range, has excellent balance. It’s also pretty lightweight at 2.9kg, so it isn’t a slog to use like heavier trimmers on the market.

Performance

STIHL says the FSA 50 grass trimmer offers ‘practically flawless trimming thanks to the new spacer on the tool,’ and during testing, it lived up to those claims. I was stunned by the clean edge it left on the grass that runs alongside my garden border, and it was a lot easier to use than I expected.

At first, I thought the spacer would stop the trimmer from cutting the grass along my raised garden border, but miraculously, it didn’t – in fact, it gave those hard-to-reach parts of my lawn a really good trim. With the mowing head set at the lowest angle, trimming the grass beneath the lower-growing shrubs in my garden, which even the best lawn mowers out there often miss, was a piece of cake.

The only downside (which can also be a total plus side, depending on the task at hand) was that the trimmer was so powerful, you had to be careful not to scalp your lawn during grass trimming. Luckily, its ergonomic design made it easy enough to hold and control – but it does take a little bit of practice when you first get started.

There’s a variable speed trigger on the trimmer that allows more precision in control of the mowing head, and STIHL says that can help extend the working life of your battery, too.

What really appealed to me about the STIHL FSA 50, though, was that it has lower noise emissions than a lot of other cordless strimmers on the market. It boasts a sound power level of 82dB, which is 7dB less than our previous favourite low-noise strimmer, the STIHL FSA 57. It’s still noisy enough, of course – strimmers will never be as quiet as robot lawn mowers, for example – but it certainly isn’t intrusive. That said, STIHL supplied me with protective earmuffs, which you’re advised to wear during use.

Speaking of safety, you’ll also need to wear protective goggles when using the STIHL FSA 50 Grass Trimmer. Debris does fly up at you as you cut, so it’s crucial that you have eye protection in place to avoid injury.

On a full charge with the AK 10 battery, you’ll get 25 minutes of working time. That’s more than enough time in a small garden like mine – and with the speed and power of STIHL FSA 50, my lawn edges were neatened up in no time at all. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever edged my lawn so fast. You can buy more powerful batteries with a longer runtime if you’re working in a larger garden.

Maintenance

STIHL makes maintenance easy, too – the FSA 50 is supplied with the AutoCut 3-2 mowing head, which can be refilled without using tools. That cuts a lot of the faff, in my opinion.

If you’d prefer to use the Polycut 3-2 Mowing Head (which is sold separately), you can swap it out. Basically, that one is a mowing head with two movable plastic blades that’s designed for cutting medium-height grass, lawn edges and tougher vegetation (it’s a bit more robust for harder jobs), whilst the original AutoCut 3-2 mowing head is the standard for efficient mowing and clearing.

Verdict: Should you buy the STIHL FSA 50 Cordless Grass Trimmer?

If you're looking for a robust garden trimmer that doubles up as a brushcutter and isn't too noisy, the STIHL FSA Cordless Grass Trimmer is definitely worth the investment. It's a solid tool that's well-suited to edging small lawns with precision and enough power to tackle tougher grass and weeds, too.

If you’re new to the realm of robot lawn mowers and want a fuss-free machine that’s as easy as it is good at mowing, I have one recommendation for you: the Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 Robot Lawn Mower, RRP £349.95 at Amazon.

Of all the models I’ve tested so far, I think it’s one of the best robot lawn mowers on the market – especially if you’re looking for a budget-friendly, wire-free machine that doesn’t compromise on intelligence and cutting ability. It’s designed for smaller lawns up to 100m², so it’s perfect for compact outdoor spaces – and the straightforward setup made it a breeze to use.

Here’s what I thought of the Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 Robot Lawn Mower when I reviewed it on my 38m² lawn.

In a nutshell

The Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 is the simplest robot mower I've tested, but by no means the least capable. Its cutting ability is impressive, tackling the areas of my lawn (specifically, around my stepping stones) that other robot mowers have missed.

It's so easy to set up – after inserting the battery, you only need to press three buttons. At 52dB, it's the quietest robot lawn mower I've tested, so you barely remember it's there during mowing!

The only downside? It's a little fiddly to remove the battery. It also doesn't connect to an app like robot lawn mowers at higher price points, so there's no lawn mapping, and less customisation.

For users who prefer a straightforward setup that cuts grass evenly using smart camera and sensor technology, though, it's a steal for the price.

Specifications

• Max. lawn size: 100m²
• Cutting height range: 20-60mm
• Cutting width: 16cm
• Max. climbing ability: 35% (19°)
• Dimensions: 42.9 x 34.8 x 22.6 cm
• Weight: 7.6kg (with battery)
• Noise level: 52dB
• Warranty: 2 years

Unboxing

The Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 Robot Lawn Mower, packaged, was the easiest robot mower I’ve had to lift and unpack. It came in a box that was barely larger than the mower itself, thanks to the fact that this machine doesn’t require a charging station (it’s battery-operated).

The packaging was minimal, with just a sheet of paper wrapped around the mower and a few stick-on strips and cardboard wedges along the outer edges of the mower and buttons to protect it from scratches. That meant it was far better for the environment, of course, but I suppose some people would argue that the mower could’ve been better protected. With careful transportation and delivery, though (both of which my machine had), that shouldn't be an issue.

The battery came separately (although you can buy the Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 Robot Lawn Mower and battery as a bundle, like this one from QVC), in a cardboard box that also included the charging port.

Setup

Setup was an absolute breeze. The Bosch VISIMOW18V-100’s quick start guide boasts a simple three-button setup – ‘Place, Press, Mow’ – and it’s not joking. The instructions are on the inner flaps of the cardboard box the mower comes in.

Before that, though, you’ll need to make sure the battery is charged. Mine was already charged when I put it into the charging dock, and the flashing green light on the front makes it easy to monitor charging progress.

Then, it was a case of inserting the battery into the robot mower. There’s a flap on the back of the mower with a red button that you press to lift. It was easy enough to push the battery in until a satisfying click let me know that it was inserted properly.

Before you turn the mower on (or when the 'Stop' button is pressed and the mower is in standby mode), you’ll need to adjust the cutting height (there's a range of 20-60mm, which rivals many of the best lawn mowers on the market) using the dial below the buttons before pressing those buttons.

Once the mower powered on, it was time to test that three-button 'Place, Press, Mow' setup. It really was a case of just pressing three buttons (which are numbered) on the top of the mower in a simple sequence: the fourth (On/Start), followed by the third (Auto Mow), and then the fourth again.

The Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 doesn’t connect to an app like other robot lawn mowers I’ve tested. That’s a drawback if you’re looking for ‘smarter’ features and the ability to map your lawn and customise setup from your phone – but for gardeners looking for a simple, fuss-free setup that will crack on with lawn mowing so they don’t have to, it’s perfect.

So, let’s dive into how it performed on my lawn…

Performance

I tested the Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 on my 38m² lawn. The robot mower is designed for small gardens with lawns up to 100m², which is brilliant considering its compact size (it’s the smallest one I’ve tested so far).

After I completed the three-button setup, the mower set off on my lawn. On this ‘Auto Mow’ setting, the Bosch VISIMOW uses a SmartVision system to target uncut patches of grass. Its cameras very intelligently detect where your lawn needs to be mowed, and this process manifests as a random mowing pattern that startled me a bit, initially.

That’s because many other robot lawn mowers (usually those that map your lawn) tend to cut your grass in a classic ‘up-and-down’ pattern. Not the Bosch VISIMOW, though – it zig-zagged horizontally, vertically and diagonally across my lawn, and you could almost see it mulling everything over, thinking about where it would go next.

If you’re a fan of lawn stripes, that won’t be music to your ears – it doesn't produce a striped effect like robot lawn mowers that follow a mapped route often do – but what I can say is that the result was an evenly cut lawn. It’s one of the best I’ve seen a robot lawn mower do, actually – and stripes or not, my lawn looked like a smooth sea of green by the time it had finished. It didn't quite cut the outer edges of my lawn, but I've yet to see a robot mower that perfects that (and that's where a cordless strimmer can come in handy).

The Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 handled the stepping stones that run down the mid-to-right section of my lawn with ease, too, covering more of the margins of each stone than some of the other robot lawn mowers I’ve tested. It also trampled over dead leaves on my lawn with no qualms, and I'm pretty sure it mulched them up, too.

Its ‘semi-autonomous’ freedom means it can mow multiple lawns and zones, too, which is perfect if you have different segments of lawn on the same level in your garden. My lawn is level, but the Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 can navigate slopes with a gradient of up to 35%. The instruction manual says that you should block off steeper slopes than that with a vertical border higher than 6cm prior to mowing.

The Bosch VISIMOW uses ultrasonic sensors and bump sensors for grass recognition and obstacle avoidance. I found that object avoidance wasn’t quite as good as other robot lawn mowers have demonstrated in testing – the VISIMOW never bumped into fixed objects like my garden border, but when I threw objects like my cap in front of the mower last-minute, it would ‘boop’ them on occasion before stopping and rerouting. It didn’t actually run over the objects, but it wasn’t as responsive as other robot mowers I’ve tested at higher price points.

What I did find, though, was that the mower was good at covering patches of lawn under lower-growing shrubs in my garden border. The mower’s compact size means it was better able to achieve that coverage in my garden than some of the larger robot lawn mowers on the market. There’s also a SpotMow mode that targets specific areas of grass (an area of approximately 2m² is mowed anticlockwise), like under garden furniture, for example. It's a handy option if AutoMow missed a few patches of grass.

The VISIMOW18V-100 took around an hour to cut my grass in total, which was considerably longer than some of the more expensive robot lawn mowers I’ve tested. So, it’s not one for speedy mowing tasks – but if you’re happy to let the mower do its thing in the background, I’d say it’s a pretty good compromise.

Like most other robot lawn mowers out there, there’s no collection bag on the VISIMOW, so the fine grass clippings are dispensed onto the lawn after they’ve been cut. Any clippings up to 20mm are actually mulched, and leaving grass clippings on your lawn in this medium can have a number of benefits.

Design

The Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 is the smallest robot mower I’ve tested, and it’s designed with small spaces in mind. At just 22.6 x 42.9 x 34.8 cm, it’s compact enough to be stored away without taking up too much space, and it’s also much lighter than many other robot mowers at 6.9kg. That means it’s easier to carry – and to make things even smoother, there’s a handle on the top of the mower, which a lot of other machines on the market don’t have.

The button layout on the top of the mower is really simple, too, with just four buttons, a cutting height dial and a large red ‘Stop’ button. There are two larger wheels on either side of the back end of the mower, and one smaller swivelling wheel underneath the mower at the front, which you can’t see when the mower is on the ground.

The battery compartment is in the back end of the mower, beneath a flap. While it was easy to get the battery into its slot, I did struggle to remove the battery afterwards. There’s a red button you press to release the battery, but I found that even after I did that, I had to wrestle with the battery a bit before it came out.

Overall, the Bosch VISIMOW feels like a robust machine, with a clear button layout and a simple design.

Cleaning and maintenance

Naturally, the Bosch VISIMOW gets a very grassy underside during mowing, but it’s easy enough to turn the mower over (once you're sure it's switched off) and brush away the debris. There are three small blades on the middle disc, so you’ll need to be careful around those – and it can be tricky to get some of the grass out from behind the wheels.

What’s really impressive about the Bosch VISIMOW, though, is that it boasts a Brushless cutter motor. Bosch says it provides superior performance and a longer motor lifetime because it has no carbon brushes that wear out over time – and as well as powerful cutting ability, that means less maintenance, too.

There's a really handy troubleshooting guide in the instruction manual that tackles any issues you might find during setup and mowing.

Robot mowers often require occasional software updates, and the same applies to the Bosch VISIMOW18V-100. The instruction manual says you'll need a USB flash drive (FAT 32 formatted), and when a new software version is available online, you'll need to load the software file onto the USB stick and follow the download instructions in the manual. That's the only thing I'd have reservations about, actually; many gardeners might find that too much of a hassle.

How does it compare to other models?

The Bosch VISIMOW 18V-100 Robot Lawn Mower is battery-operated, which sets it apart from many other robot mowers on the market that charge via a charging station. It's much better for gardens where space is at a premium, and there's less room for a charging dock. You'll just need to remember to charge the battery inside.

There's also no accompanying app for the Bosch VISIMOW, which means you can't customise and map your lawn from your phone like you can with the Eufy E15, for example. For users who prefer to set specific tasks and watch the progress from their own device, that's a downside – but the SpotMow feature on the Bosch VISIMOW does allow you to target patches of grass up to two metres away.

What sets the Bosch VISIMOW apart from other models, for me, is how quiet it is. It's considerably more subtle than other robot mowers I've tested, and it's also a lot smaller and more compact for storage.

Verdict: Should you buy the Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 Robot Lawn Mower?

Overall, I think the Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 is an absolute steal its price tag. It's so easy to setup, which makes it perfect for beginners and busy gardeners alike, and it provides a smooth cut via a random mowing pattern that relies on smart cameras and sensors.

There's less customisation to be had, since the mower can't be controlled via a companion app, but for a lot of users, that can make things even more straightforward. In terms of design, the only downside is that the battery can be tricky to remove (but as I've seen a review or two mentioning the same problem, I'm hoping this might be something Bosch fixes).

If you're after a quiet, compact robot lawn mower for a small garden that's a breeze to set up, though, I think the Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 Robot Lawn Mower is worth every penny.

IKEA has just dropped a slim, weatherproof cabinet, and it’s the perfect storage solution for tiny gardens.

I’d recommend adding the new KOLBJÖRN to your small garden shed ideas if you’re short on space this summer. Its slim size and neutral colourway mean it’s perfect for blending into the smallest outdoor spaces, from courtyard gardens to balconies. And, at £159, it is miles more affordable than a full-size garden shed, too.

If you’re using the spring months to get your garden in order, good storage is non-negotiable, and the KOLBJÖRN cabinet is the perfect option if space is at a premium in your outdoor space.

This time of year, it can be beneficial to declutter your garden, and with this comes the opportunity to improve your garden’s storage capabilities.

Whether you are a seasoned gardener who needs space to store pots, tools and the best lawnmower, or a busy family who needs space to store summer games and toys, a garden shed is fantastic for keeping a garden tidy, and your items safely stored.

However, those of us not blessed with large outdoor spaces know that sheds can be bulky and take up a lot of space - this is where the KOLBJÖRN cabinet comes in handy. At 90x161 cm, this slim cabinet can be tucked in against a wall on a patio, balconies or even in a garage. It’s weatherproof, made from easy-to-clean powder-coated galvanised steel.

IKEA has also added ventilation holes to the bottom of the cabinet to help keep the air flowing and prevent your items from getting mouldy when stored outdoors or in a humid place. It also has adjustable feet for stability on uneven surfaces. However, I would recommend anchoring the cabinet, especially if you have children or pets. You can pick up furniture straps for just £9.99 at Amazon to prevent accidental falls.

The outdoor cabinet looks a little like a wardrobe, with three large hooks inside as well as shelving. It’s a great place to store anything from outdoor cushions to garden tools and outdoor toys. It isn’t quite big enough for a lawnmower (maybe a robot lawnmower, like the Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 we recently reviewed in a small garden), but it should fit most tools, including spades and rakes. However, if you have an excess of bulky items to store, a small, wide shed like the Keter Store It Out Midi 880L Garden Storage Box (£130 at Argos) might be more suitable for your garden.

So far, the cabinet only has two reviews, but they are mainly positive, with one point out that assembly can be a little tricky - so take care if you’re not a DIY pro.

‘Beautiful looking product. Take your time on the assembly! Instructions are not super clear, but fine if you're methodical. Concerned about how waterproof it actually is, but proof will be in the use of it,’ says one.

‘The instructions for assembly were not correct and were confusing. For an inexperienced assembler, it might be a difficult process. But once the cabinet is assembled, it is useful and sturdy,’ says the other.

Alternatively, I’ve tracked down a few more storage alternatives that are suitable for small gardens.

Finding the right storage can be tricky if you have a small garden, but this space-saving solution from IKEA will really help keep it tidy.

I’m under the impression that garden tools and equipment can and should look stylish, and Argos Home’s Green Scallop Potting Table (£120) is proof that this is possible - it looks so good, I think it should be on display in every small garden this summer.

Most gardeners will know that come springtime, a potting table is one of the most used garden items as they are critical for sowing seedlings and bulbs, so you can tick off your what to plant in April lists. When they look as stylish as this one, these tables can also act as a piece of garden decor in their own right.

Argos is proving that these tables can become part of your garden ideas, rather than just helping to curate them. This green scalloped potting bench is the chicest I’ve ever seen; it’s one you’ll want to keep on show all year round.

The Argos Home Green Scallop Potting Table, I’d argue, may be better put to use as a decorative plant stand in small or courtyard gardens. If you have a balcony space, it’s also a great way to display your potted plants, as it has two shelves that utilise your vertical space, yet it is narrow enough not to dominate a small garden. In fact, Argos has also dropped some scalloped plant pots that will look perfect displayed on this table.

Having said that, if you are interested in a new potting table, this scalloped table still works well for its intended purpose, and will make your garden tasks look that little bit more stylish. I mean, just imagine how chic it would look paired with Dunelm’s new Fallen Fruits Potting Mat (£15)?

Scallops are having a moment again this summer, and I’m for it. It instantly gives the table more visual interest and instant style. We’ve seen scalloped edges of every kind within interior trends, so it comes as no surprise that this trend is now continuing outside. George Home has also dropped a Coral Ceramic Scalloped Planter (£6), while B&Q is serving up seriously stylish scalloped garden edging for just £10.99.

And while Argos is continuing on the trend, you don’t have to worry about it lacking in substance. The table folds so you can safely store it away during wet weather and winter. It has a two-year manufacturer's guarantee for peace of mind.

The table itself has a spacious worktop, with lots of room for potting garden prep, while its green finish will add so much charm to your garden. It has a slightly whimsical design which is perfect for adding a little of your personality to your garden, particularly the areas of your garden that traditionally choose practicality over style. This is proof that you can, in fact, marry whimsy with functionality.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this potting table sold out over the summer - it looks that good. And if you like what you see, I’d suggest snapping it up now, so you can complete your spring planting jobs in style.

Style up your potting bench

I’m going to let you into a little secret. Nearly every spotless garden will have invested in a decent pressure washer to make garden cleaning jobs, in particular, patios, a breeze. But don’t worry, it won’t cost the earth, as right now, Aldi is selling a small, portable pressure washer for just £34.99.

The best pressure washers can really make a difference in how you clean your driveway, patio slabs, and even your home’s exterior.

Available to shop from Aldi’s middle aisle right now, the Ferrex Small Pressure Washer 1400W (£34.99) and the Ferrex Patio and Wall Cleaner (£19.99) are affordable must-haves for a squeaky-clean outdoor space this spring.

You can always trust stores like Aldi to bring out affordable products that truly make a difference to our outdoor cleaning routines. While our best-rated pressure washer (and the one I would recommend) is the Kärcher K 4 Power Control Home Pressure Washer, it does retail for around £239.99. If you’re looking for a more affordable entry point to the world of pressure washing, Aldi’s pressure washer is an excellent starting point. And it does have a few standout features that impressed us.

The Ferrex small pressure washer cleans surfaces quickly and effectively, with a high flow rate of 390 litres per minute. It has a powerful 14000W motor and has a wide working radius thanks to its 3m high-pressure hose. In short, it’s small but pretty mighty, and is perfectly capable of tackling your patio. Use it to blast off all the moss, algae and grime which accrue over winter, giving your patio ideas a facelift, and making it a more enjoyable space during the summer.

The washer weighs just 5kg, making it easy to manoeuvre around your garden and not too heavy either. It also has a Quick-Connect system, which is designed to help you change attachments quickly and make the process less fiddly.

Don’t forget to pick up the patio and wall cleaner attachment, which is just £19.99. It will attach to your small pressure washer, and it will help effortlessly remove grime from walls, patios and more. It has a 200ml tank for detergent, splash protection and two rotating high-pressure nozzles for speedy and effective cleaning.

The washer is currently on sale in Aldi, and due to its highly affordable price, I can’t imagine it will be on the shelves for long. So, if your local Aldi has sold out, or if you don’t have a store near you, I’ve tracked down a few more highly-rated models you can shop online.

All you need now is one of the best patio cleaners to pair with your pressure washer and allow your outdoor space to shine. It really is that easy.

With the cold, dark winter months behind us, my attention is well and truly focused on cleaning up our act outside. By this, I mean that the patio needs a blast, kids' toys need a rejuvenation, and the car needs a hose down. The most efficient (and fun) way to achieve this? Pick up the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control, RRP £599.99, £439.99 on sale right now on Karcher.

I tested it over a couple of weeks, taking full advantage of the spells of spring sunshine. I found that it had the power to shift stubborn grime and enough length in the cable to get (almost) full access around the sides of my house from the outdoor power socket. It has easily got to be one of the best pressure washers on the market.

You can expect the usual German build quality with Karcher products, and the K7 Premium Smart Control is no exception – it's a solid piece of kit, designed with a retractable handle, hose and cable tidy. It can be customised with complementary accessories such as the Power Scrubber PS 30 surface cleaner and FJ 6 foam nozzle for more targeted cleaning, but these are an optional extra that can cost an additional £20 - 50 depending on the tool you opt for.

From unboxing and pairing the pressure gun to Bluetooth and using it on our outdoor equipment, I've given this pressure washer a run for its money. It'll cost you circa £600, so I've found out if it's worth it.

Specifications

• Model number: K7 Premium Smart Control
• Dimensions (cm): H66.9 x W33 x L45.9
• Voltage: 230 - 240
• Wattage: info not available
• Weight: 18.1kg
• Cable length: 5m
• Hose length: 9m
• Pressure (max): 20 - max. 180 / 2 - max. 18
• Flow rate (max): max. 550
• Nozzles: 2
• Accessories: 3-in-1 multi-jet spray

In a nutshell

The Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control is a prime example of the quality and performance that one would expect from a German brand. Some standout design elements include a telescoping (aka retractable) transport handle, hose holder, accessory compartment net and smart control high-pressure gun.

That pressure gun can be powered-up by 2x AA batteries to select pressure and detergent dosing levels. You can toggle through up to six pressures or "Boost" for max pressure. The greater the pressure, the louder the noise. And it was already a LOUD pressure washer – I recorded 82dB on a decibel meter reader app on my iPhone.

Noise aside, it did a fantastic job cleaning our patio, garden furniture and outdoor kids' toys; dirt and grime was blasted away with a zig-zag pattern. It wasn't so great at cleaning up the car tyres or trim around our side door, though.

It comes with a 5-year guarantee (plus an extra year if you buy direct from Karcher) so you might decide it's worthwhile the investment.

Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control: Unboxing and delivery

My first impression of the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control was that it was big. Huge, in fact. I felt a little overwhelmed by the delivery box that was plonked on our porch, and it took some brute strength to haul it into the hallway.

Inside the box was no plastic packaging (hurrah) and some neat compartments to house the 3-in-1 multi-jet spray and high-pressure gun. The main bulk of this pressure washer was as one unit, which, I thought, would make set-up easy. How wrong I was.

The instructions are dizzying. For example, a diagram of the K7 Premium Smart Control is on pages 2 - 3 of the instruction booklet, yet a description of the device is on page 9. Furthermore, pages 4 - 6 were a series of illustrations to demonstrate the assembly instructions to get the pressure washer working. This was as clear as mud.

However, after some trial and error, I managed to get all the hardware together, but you can also sync to the Karcher Home & Garden app via Bluetooth for device management and servicing, and control of the pressure washer. I found that the easiest way to do this was to download the app and then scan the QR code printed on a separate piece of cardboard found inside the delivery box.

Personally, I preferred to use the K7 Premium Smart Control physically rather than through my phone. I imagine that it'll be useful to get cleaning updates and maintenance advice as the weeks turn into years of me taking ownership of it, though.

What I did find more useful was installing 2x AA batteries in the pressure gun so I could increase or decrease the pressure or boost. The battery compartment can be accessed by pushing on a couple of buttons on either side of the handle. Just be sure to remove the protective film layer from the handle, which is in place upon delivery.

Who will the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control suit?

This is a serious bit of kit, and you get what you pay for. It's a quality machine which is easy to use, but not straightforward to put together. Once you get over the set-up hurdle/s then it would be a great choice for those who are looking to get their first pressure washer.

For what it is, it's also fairly compact and doesn't take up too much space in the shed. The pressure is also fantastic for shifting surface-level grime, but for ground-in stains, it might make matters worse.

Using the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control

Despite the ropey instructions which didn't give me any confidence in my set-up abilities, I was relieved that not only did I get the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control to work, but I could also use it without being too overwhelmed by its everything.

It's a large device with some big attachments and smart abilities, and it's LOUD. I recorded 82dB on a decibel meter reader app on my iPhone, which is equivalent to car noise. It's also heavy (18.1kg) to lift, so I used the retractable handle as much as I could across flat surfaces.

How did the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control perform?

Patio

I first used the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control pressure washer to clean the patio, which wraps around the back and side of our house. It doesn't get any direct sunlight, so the black pavers are prone to growing moss and algae. I shamefully hadn't cleaned the patio before, and it had been left for almost two years. This means that there was a lot of grime to shift.

I set the flat jet nozzle to a "hard" pressure level. This is the most suitable for stone terraces, metal surfaces and garden utensils. I then worked the nozzle in a zig-zag pattern across the surface of the patio. It took almost one hour to shift, but I didn't notice the time whizz by, and I found it immensely satisfying to see the end result.

I stretched the 5-metre power cable and 9-metre hose to their limits. I managed to reach our side door, but there was an area of patio down the side of our garden that I was unable to reach without plugging into a socket inside the utility room. This length of power cable will be long enough for most households, I'm sure, but it fell a little short for me, which was a little frustrating.

Garden furniture

Our one and only garden chair (sad times) had turned green. It's white underneath. It was covered in algae and mud, and I really didn't fancy sitting on it to enjoy a brew in the spring sunshine.

The pressure of the water pushed the chair back and across the patio. I used my other hand to hold it down so that I could clean it. I moved the high-pressure gun in a zig-zag position across the seat, back and arms of the chair to reveal the original white colour.

Kids' toys

Last year, the kids' toys were pink, but this year they were green with algae. Nice (not). I really didn't like the idea of them playing with the toys in their current state, so I put the K7 Premium Smart Control pressure washer to work.

The force of the pressure pushed the toys across the patio, so I used my other hand to hold down the rocking horse and outdoor table and chair set to clean it. Moving the high-pressure gun in a zig-zag position across the sludge budged it. Within a matter of minutes, I was seeing pink and red again, on all the toys.

Car tyres

Next, my husband gave cleaning the car tyres a go. He paid particular attention to the alloys. These haven't been cleaned in an embarrassingly long time. So long, in fact, that I can't remember. They were thick with soot and mud.

Whilst the K7 Premium Smart Control busted the majority of dirt from the alloys, we were still left with some marks and stains that only a sponge and some elbow grease could lift.

What's the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control like to clean and store?

Looking through the instruction booklet of the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control, I see a lot of "DANGER", "CAUTION", and "ATTENTION" in the sections for Storage and Care and Service. This is in relation to the weight (be aware), frost (make sure the device is empty) and electric shock (make sure it's switched off). There is also mention of a "sieve" which is located behind the water connector. This is to be cleaned under running water.

The high-pressure gun can also be used with non-chargeable or rechargeable AA batteries. These are to be replaced when required and disposed of in accordance with statutory provisions.

I stored this pressure washer in our shed, but it can be stored anywhere where it is under cover. The hose can be wrapped around the on-board storage, and the power cable can be neatly tucked into the accessory compartment net. If you have accessories to put in this net, then just ensure that the power cable isn't going to be a trip hazard and is out of harm's way.

How does it rate online?

There are some mixed reviews of the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control online, but overall, customers have awarded it 4-out-of-5 stars. Many users have praised its effectiveness on various surfaces and its durable construction. They note that it offers a strong cleaning performance with adjustable pressure settings and smart app integration.

However, not everyone has had such a good experience with the K7 Premium Smart Control. A few customers have commented that it makes a "humming" noise when switched on, and it stopped working, whereas others are unimpressed by the level of customer service they received.

Should you buy the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control pressure washer?

I enjoyed using the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control, and I found it immensely satisfying. It's perfect for cleaning the patio, garden furniture and large kids' toys that live outside. Whilst it is a large machine which is a lump to move, overall you won't be disappointed in the build quality and performance output.

However, it wasn't so good at removing the more stubborn grime that we had on the car alloys and around the windows. I also found it really LOUD, so I really felt for our neighbours who were quietly pottering in their own gardens.

It's not widely available, but I've found it on the Karcher website and reseller sites such as OnBuy. At the time of writing it was £439.99 when you buy direct from the brand, which, yes, is an investment, but it'll be the only pressure washer you'll ever need.

How does the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control compare to other pressure washers?

So, hands up, I haven't used a pressure washer before, making the Karcher K7 Premium Smart Control my first. However, I've looked at other pressure washer reviews written by my product reviewer pal Linda Clayton, who highly rates the Stihl RE 120 Plus, £432 at Amazon.

The Stihl, also a German brand, offers a slightly lower 135 bar pressure and 2200W motor than the K7 Premium Smart Control, but it comes with more accessories. It's also more affordable; £432 when it's NOT on sale. Linda loved that it is easy to use, and it just feels robust and well-made.

If I'm way off your budget and you're looking for something half the price, then the Greenworks G40 could be a good fit. Linda also put this one to work, who reported that it is well suited for cleaning patios, driveways, cars, and similar outdoor projects, although she'll never rate the build quality (it’s the main reason it was awarded a 3.5 score overall).

About the review, and our reviewer

If you’re thinking about making the switch to a robot lawn mower, it can be difficult to know where to start. Leading garden machinery brands are releasing more models than ever, so it’s tricky to track down the very best robot lawn mowers on the market.

I’ve seen robot mower popularity soar over the past few years, and I was asking all of the usual questions: What are robot lawn mowers? How do they work? Are they actually worth it? I’d learned plenty about robot lawn mowers on press trips last year, but I'd yet to get some hands-on experience in my own garden.

That’s why I set out to test some of the best robot lawn mowers on the market myself. I wasn’t sure they’d compete with the best lawn mowers, but oh boy, was I wrong.

The robot mowers in this guide blew me away. Below, you’ll find my notes on setup, ease of use, performance and design to help you choose the right robot lawn mower for you, your budget and your garden. It’s a very dynamic list – I’ll be updating it as I test more machines over the course of the year (Husqvarna is on the way!) – but these are the robot lawn mowers I rate highest right now.

Quick list

The best robot lawn mowers I've tried and tested

Best premium robot lawn mower

Since Eufy tops our guide of the best robot vacuum cleaners, I had to give its garden counterpart, the Eufy E15 Robot Lawn Mower, a whirl.

It didn’t disappoint – I unboxed a solid machine with ultra-smart tech that provided a neat, intuitive cut. It's certainly on the pricier end, coming in at RRP £1499 (although I’ve seen a few good deals recently!) – but if you’re out to find one of the best robot lawn mowers on the market and want to invest in a premium model, this one stands as my current favourite.

Setup was simple: once I’d connected the garage roof to the base station (with just four screws!) and the charging station to the mains, I downloaded the Eufy app, made an account and connected my mower to the Wi-Fi. Once I’d charged the mower and completed the software update in-app, I simply had to click ‘Start’ to get the mower to map my lawn.

Mapping was great fun. I watched, wide-eyed, as the mower backed itself out of its charging port and onto my grass (it was like watching one of those space robots exploring Mars for the first time). The Eufy E15 uses pure vision FSD technology with high-precision cameras and intelligent AI algorithms for accurate mapping and obstacle avoidance via Wi-Fi or 4G, with no need for boundary wires or an RTK station like older robot mowers. On the app, I could see a map of my lawn taking shape with every square metre the Eufy E15 covered.

Stepping stones splice the right-hand side of my lawn, and I wasn't convinced the mower would manage to map around them – but sure enough, eight tiny blobs appeared in a neat line on the green map on the app. All in all, it took about nine minutes for the Eufy E15 to map my lawn, which was really impressive. What made me really giggle like a child, though, was the fact that it returned to its garage when it was finished.

Once mapped, I started the first mow. The cut itself was smooth and methodical, providing an even finish across the main body of my lawn. The Eufy E15 actually gave my lawn its first cut of the year, which meant it had to tackle long grass – and because the maximum cutting height is 75mm, it tackled my 70mm-long grass with ease.

It didn’t quite reach the very outer edges of my lawn, though (but that’s often the case with regular lawn mowers, too, where you have to go back and straighten your lawn edges manually). It also missed some of the grass around my stepping stones on its first cut – but I then found a handy setting to toggle the edge cutting distance in the app, and the ability to set priority cut areas that the mower must mow, which covered most of the missed areas.

The only downside was the size and weight of the unit, which meant the accompanying garage was large, too. You’ll need a fair amount of space (72.7 x 48 x 45.2 cm) for it – and the box that the Eufy E15 and its accompanying base station came in was huge, too (and heavy enough to be a two-person job). It's also louder than other robot mowers I've tried – though still a lot quieter than regular electric and petrol lawn mowers.

Overall, the Eufy E15 Robot Lawn Mower was staggeringly impressive, with smart driving, responsive object avoidance and an even cut across my lawn. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a sturdy robot mower that's as fun as it is capable.

Best robot lawn mower for efficiency

I’ve heard nothing but good things about Mammotion – it's celebrated as the manufacturer of some of the best robot lawn mowers on the market – so when I had the chance to test the Mammotion YUKA Mini 2 1000 Robot Lawn Mower, I took it.

What I loved most about the Mammotion YUKA Mini 2 1000 was its efficiency. The mower mapped my lawn a lot faster than the Eufy E15, in just three minutes. The speed at which it charged around my lawn actually made me chuckle – it was definitely on a mission.

The setup was simple. Once I connected the charging station to power, app setup was just as straightforward as it was with the Eufy E15. In fact, I found the Mammotion app to be even more informative, with each step explained thoroughly as you get started.

The cut itself was breathtaking. The Mammotion YUKA Mini 2 1000 effortlessly striped my lawn (albeit with thin stripes, owing to the robot mower’s smaller size), and gave my grass an even finish at the desired cutting height (in this case, 50mm). You have to toggle the cutting height using the dial on the machine itself, rather than in the app, prior to starting the mow.

Like the Eufy E15, the Mammotion YUKA Mini 2 1000 did miss parts of the grass around my stepping stones, as well as the outer perimeter of my lawn – but I’ve yet to try a robot lawn mower that gets it just right (and that’s where a cordless strimmer comes in handy!). There is the option to drive the mower around your lawn manually, though, which you control from your phone (it’s a bit like playing a video game), and I found that better for tackling the grass that lines my garden border. I just had to be careful that I didn’t accidentally drive the mower into my plants!

Obstacle avoidance was also really strong with the Mammotion YUKA Mini 2 1000. The mower uses a 360 LiDAR and Dual-Camera AI Vision (1080P), and every time I stood in front of the machine or threw small objects like my cap in front of it, the mower would stop at a moment’s notice, back up and continue away from the obstacle, which means it’s great for lawns with pets, toys and wildlife.

If you're looking for an efficient robot mower that's brilliant at its job yet perfect for beginners, this is the one to go for.

You can take £50 off the Mammotion YUKA Mini 2 1000 when you buy it from Mower Magic using this link.

Best quiet robot lawn mower

Best quiet robot lawn mower

Now, the Segway Naivmow i208 LiDAR Robot Lawn Mower isn’t actually the quietest robot mower on this list on paper, but bizarrely, it sounded quieter than the Eufy E15 during testing. Granted, the Bosch VISIMOW is still the quietest in this guide – but the Navimow i208 takes the top spot for the quietest mower with the best cutting ability and features.

At 59dB, the Navimow i208 was so whisper-quiet, I forgot it was even on. The tougher grass it mowed made more noise than the machine itself, and it didn’t make noticeable whirring sounds during manoeuvres like the Eufy E15. It also has the widest cutting width (22cm) of all the robot mowers in this guide, which means it covers larger areas of grass at a time.

The cutting-edge technology (pardon the pun) is also something to shout about – LiDAR and onboard vision sensors pave the way for satellite-free navigation and, impressively, enable it to work day or night.

Setup was simple: first, I set up the charging station (you’ll need to fix it to the ground with the included screws), and then installed the Navimow app on my phone. The in-app setup instructions are really easy to understand, which made the whole process a breeze. I had to wait for the software to update, and then it was onto mapping.

You can either manually map your lawn (recommended for unclear or uneven lawn edges) or select auto-mapping, which I did, given my lawn is relatively flat and clearly defined. What’s different about Navimow’s auto-mapping process, though, is that you have to remotely control the mower to the nearest lawn to get started. That’s because there’s the option to map multiple lawns, or ‘zones’ – but given that I only have one lawn, I simply had to mark the first zone via the app and then initiate auto-mapping.

Mapping was remarkably speedy – the quickest of all the robot mowers I’ve tried – taking just two minutes (!) to map my 529ft2 lawn. It was really intuitive, intelligently skirting the perimeter of my lawn and even the tiny area in front of the shed (which I expected it to miss).

Then, it was time to start mowing. It took 23 minutes for the Navimow i208 to mow my lawn (as you can probably tell from the images above, it was suffering a great deal of post-heatwave dryness and patchiness!), and it did a brilliant job of giving it a clean, thorough cut. It even mowed over some of the weeds in my lawn, and didn’t miss any patches at all (save the outer edges, of course). When it did miss a tiny sliver on the map, it actually went back for it at the end!

Obstacle avoidance also got my seal of approval. AI VisionFence and GeoSketch Precision can detect over 200 obstacles within 1cm of accuracy, and the mower did indeed stop at a moment's notice when small and medium-sized objects were thrown in front of it.

The only thing to watch out for with the Navimow i208 is its weight – at 14.7kg, it’s a few kilos heavier than the other robot mowers in this guide, so I did find it more difficult to lift out of the box and push onto the charging station.

But, for a wider cutting width, impressive power, low noise level and a competitive price tag for a robot mower of its level, features and capabilities, it’s one of the very best robot lawn mowers I’ve tested.

Best budget robot lawn mower

The Bosch VISIMOW is by far the most straightforward, no-nonsense robot lawn mower I’ve tested. It provides an intuitive, even cut, and boasts an easy three-button setup, which makes it the best robot lawn mower for gardeners on a budget or who are completely new to robot mowing.

The mower uses a SmartVision camera with AI SpotMow, which allows it to locate exactly where your grass needs cutting. When I first set the mower off (it was literally a case of putting the battery in the machine and pressing three buttons), I was a little unsure of its random mowing pattern – it didn’t follow a methodical length-to-length approach like the other robot lawn mowers I’ve tested – but that’s exactly how SmartVision works. It travels around a lawn based on what it sees in front of it, monitoring for uncut grass, and it did a fantastic job of cutting my grass to a height of 40mm. It actually gave my lawn one of the neatest finishes I’ve seen with a robot lawn mower.

Stripes aside, of course – the random mowing pattern does mean that it won’t stripe your lawn like the Mammotion YUKA Mini 800, but if you’re willing to forgo the look, the VISIMOW’s thorough cut makes up for it.

It’s also smaller than the other robot lawn mowers I’ve tested, which means it’s easier to store, and it has a convenient handle for carrying, too. Plus, you don’t have to worry about fixing a charging station into the ground, since it's battery powered. The battery sometimes comes as a bundle with the mower itself (or you can buy it separately – the battery powers a range of other power tools, too).

The Bosch VISIMOW doesn’t fall short on cutting heights, either – it covers a 20-60mm range, which is impressive for such a compact robot mower.

Obstacle avoidance wasn’t quite as strong with the VISIMOW – it would sometimes ‘boop’ the objects I placed in front of it last-minute before stopping. It never ran over them, though, so it was still pretty responsive.

The VISIMOW also cut my lawn at a much slower pace than the other robot lawn mowers I’ve tested – it took around an hour in total - but as the mower is suited to small gardens up to 100m² and it’s on the cheaper side, I’d say it’s a fair compromise. It also isn't accompanied by an app like the other robot lawn mowers on this list are, but for some, that takes away some of the fuss.

For those with a small garden looking for a quick, simple setup and an even cut, the Bosch VISIMOW is the best budget robot lawn mower I've tried.

Read my Bosch VISIMOW18V-100 Robot Lawn Mower review for the full details.

How I tested

If you're wondering how we test robot lawn mowers at Ideal Home, the process is a thorough one – we put each machine through its paces, testing performance, ease of use, design and additional features, too.

I've tested each of the robot lawn mowers in this guide in my own 38m² garden, with a focus on the following areas:

• Unboxing: How protective and sustainable the packaging is, and how easy the boxed mower is to transport and unpack.
• Setup: How easy it is to connect the cables (or fit the battery), and how straightforward wi-fi and app connectivity is.
• Mapping: For models that map a lawn prior to mowing, how fast the process is and the accuracy of the final map.
• Performance: The precision of the robot's mowing ability and the final finish of the lawn. Where patches were missed, I finetuned the settings and evaluated the success of the second attempt. I also introduced a number of objects to the mower's path to assess its object avoidance skills.
• Maintenance: How easy it is to clean the robot lawn mowers after use, as well as ongoing maintenance such as software updates.

How robot lawn mowers work

Robot lawn mowers have evolved rapidly over the last five years, with technology shifting toward boundary wire-free installation.

When robot lawn mowers first entered the market, they required a boundary wire, which needed to be dug into the perimeter of the lawn so that the mower stayed within its bounds. That was quite a big deterrent for me and plenty of other gardeners I've spoken to – but in recent years, wireless robot lawn mowers have become mainstream.

For this guide, and for the convenience of you, the reader, I've only tested robot lawn mowers that don't require a boundary wire. Instead, these newer models rely on smart AI-assisted cameras to detect their surroundings and obstacles – sometimes using a random mowing pattern, like the Bosch VISIMOW or, in smarter machines, mapping the lawn via GPS.

It's this map that provides the robot mower with the information it needs to stay within your lawn's boundaries. An accompanying app allows you to view the map, start and schedule mows, toggle cutting settings and even designate specific mowing areas for some models.

The beauty of robot mowers with charging stations is that they work in the background, cutting grass little and often to maintain a neat appearance without you lifting a finger beyond initial setup, cleaning and occasional maintenance. For battery-operated robot mowers, you'll just need to remember to charge the battery.

That's my roundup of the best robot lawn mowers I've tested so far, but I'll be updating this guide as I try out more machines over the coming months. There were a few things I wish I knew before trying robot lawn mowers, so it's been a real learning curve!

It's the season to celebrate your lawnmower. And as much as I love to hate mine, you can't deny their convenience — and when you find one that's easy to use, you'll truly never switch. If yours has packed up recently or you're investing in your first lawnmower, then I'm here with some good news: Aldi is launching a £50 electric lawnmower, landing in stores today (12th March).

At just £50, there's no denying that it's a steal — but is it actually worth the £50, or are you better off spending a little more and getting one of the other best lawnmowers we've tested instead?

I've tested a host of garden tools in my outdoor space, from mowers to the best pressure washers and best strimmers. And with a toddler and a dog crawling around my feet as I tackle these jobs, I can confidently tell you exactly what you need in a new lawnmower if you want one for ease of use — and for a quick job.

Let's delve in and see what else you actually get for its £49.99 price tag. And to find out whether it's worth the trip to the middle aisle to hunt one down.

The Aldi lawn mower is electric, and it's corded. It boasts a cutting width of 44cm, while you can choose from 7 cutting heights. Aldi claims it's lightweight, making it easy for those who are less able to mow their lawn using something cumbersome. It's also said to be easy to steer and a better choice for smaller to medium-sized lawns.

This £50 mower comes with the grass bag included, and you'll also get a 3-year warranty with your purchase — impressive! Its design is foldable, so its handle flips over the main part of the mower, and it has a handle for easy carrying into your shed. Claiming that this lawnmower is "proof that green-fingered shoppers don’t have to fork out a fortune," Aldi is confident that this budget buy will sell out fast.

There are 2 other models that it's worth comparing this Aldi lawn mower to, both of which are highly-rated by Ideal Home that we've tried and tested.

Alternatives

I currently own a lawnmower from VonHaus, which boasts a very similar design to this new Aldi lawnmower. In my VonHaus Cordless 40V Lawn Mower review, I rated it 4.5 stars out of 5, mostly because of its affordable price (£165 right now at The Range!) and its dummy-proof design. It's also foldable for storing and, like the Aldi version, it's lightweight.

The major difference between these two mowers is in their power — my VonHaus model is battery-powered, which makes it cordless and super convenient. It has a smaller cutting width, at just 33cm, but this didn't bother me at all. It only benefits from 5 cutting heights instead of 7, but again, this didn't affect me at all.

It has a grass bag, but you can use it without it, if you prefer the mulchings to be scattered back onto your lawn. Better yet, this grass bag is 30L, so it rarely gets full. Guarantee-wise, the Aldi comes with a 3-year guarantee, and the VonHaus is for 2 years, so both are covered.

I've used this lawnmower more times than I can count, and it makes a very quick job of something that, in my eyes, is quite boring. It does sit at £180, which is £130 more than the Aldi model.

There's also our top-rated lawnmower in our buying guide, which is rated 5 out of 5 stars. The Husqvarna Aspire LC34 P4A review talks about all things design and power, while it mostly focuses on the machine's handy cordless design. This lightweight machine, overall, is very similar to the VonHaus mower with a 2-year warranty, 4 cutting heights and a 34cm cutting width. It folds nicely and is small enough for storing away in a tiny shed. It also has a 30L grass box, too. However, it does come in at £279 at Husqvarna, which is £229 more than the Aldi Electric Lawn Mower.

If you are on a budget and owning a cordless mower is very important to you, then the VonHaus mower is the one to choose simply because of its affordable price — it's around £100 less than the Husqvarna model. If a cord doesn't bother you and you'd rather save your pennies, then the £50 Aldi Electric Lawn Mower is your best bet.

March is the ideal time to start thinking about your garden as it's beginning to wake up from its winter hibernation, and whether you're sowing seeds or potting up seedlings, George Home's new £49 potting bench is going to be the most useful item in your garden this month.

The weather is warming up and the days are getting longer, and as such, you can begin to sow your seeds and plant some bulbs. Having a good, solid bench to work on is invaluable, especially when sowing seeds or planting up pots and will certainly speed up your March veggie planting list.

Potting benches don't come cheap, so to find one that looks this good for under £50 is a good reason to get excited. The next closest competitor is the Aldi potting bench which is priced at £24.99 and is back in stores this weekend, but the catch is you can only buy the Aldi version in store. While this potting bench can be bought online now.

Why invest in a potting bench? The first thing we love about the George Home potting bench is the height – at 92cm tall, you can use it easily without having to bend down – the days of potting up on your knees are long gone with this potting bench!

Crafted from fir wood and steel, it's 76cm wide and 37cm deep. It has two lower shelves, which are great for storing your pots and watering can on, with really handy hooks on the right-hand side to hang your tools from.

You can keep your potting bench in a greenhouse – we love the new 'greenhouse decorating' trend, and if you have the space, you could double up to give you more potting room. If space is tight, it could live in a garage, utility room or in a 'pop-up' greenhouse outside.

'Potting benches are far more garden fun than simply a functional spot for potting plants,' says Becky Rackstraw, director at Protek.

'Put them to work as a joyous spot to enjoy arranging flowers as the sun rises or sets, and use as the ultimate storage unit in a greenhouse, shed or outbuilding to tidy up storage boxes, balls of twine, gloves, pots and small tools – which can be cleverly hung on pegs. Most importantly, celebrate and care for a potting bench – protect and extend its life for years to come with a few coats of expert wood stain and give it personality at the same time.'

We love the idea of painting your potting bench to match your outdoor scheme. This uplifting Royal Exterior Clouded Yellow from Protek, from £3.96, will certainly brighten up your space.

Alternatives

A potting bench is a great addition that will really help with your sowing and planting. It will become an essential tool in your garden this spring and summer.

As the owner of a small courtyard garden in London, there is one gardening tool I recommend above all others: a potting mat. Right now, IKEA is selling a striking version for £1.50 that I'm telling houseplant parents and small garden owners alike to pick one up.

A potting mat is essentially a foldable, waterproof, plastic sheet with high sides that will contain all the mess of sowing seeds and potting up plants. When you've finished planting, you can pour leftover compost back into the bag, rinse the mat off and fold it away.

I first discovered how useful potting mats were when I invested in this £6 potting mat from Amazon about three years ago to help pot up some window boxes and houseplants indoors. I thought I'd get rid of it when I finally became the owner of both a small garden and a dedicated potting bench last year, but I now use it more than ever to pot up my container garden ideas without getting compost all over my patio.

I'm so sold on the merits of one, I'm planning to pick up the smaller IKEA DOFTRIPS potting mat as well, to contain any mess on my potting bench/outdoor table this spring.

IKEA potting mat

The IKEA potting mat has been launched as part of the new DOFTRIPS collection and is one of the cheapest and prettiest potting mats I've seen. It features a bright red and pink stripe, which I can't resist to add a touch of dopamine colour to my gardening chores.

The IKEA mat is smaller than the potting mat I currently have, measuring 56 x 56 cm, which is why it's the perfect companion for sowing seeds or potting up small plants on a potting bench or garden table with minimal mess. It also doesn't have the faff of poppers at each corner as the larger potting mats do, so it's ready to use in seconds, but still folds away into nothing.

Soil scoop

I'm also planning to pick up the £2 DOFTRIPS soil scoop at IKEA. I can't be the only person who gets frustrated trying to scoop compost out of a bag into a pot?

The clever scoop is made out of powder-coated steel and is designed to make it easier to distribute soil without unnecessary spills. It also has a flat bottom to level out the soil around the plant.

Currently only the soil scoop is available to purchase online, so you'll need to go instore to pick up the potting mat. Both tools are limited edition and look to be selling out fast, so if you miss out of them here are a few alternatives you can pick up online.

Alternatives

Pruning, planting, and hardwood cuttings aside, one of the most important things you should do with your garden tools in January is disinfect them.

Often overlooked, but arguably more crucial than ever this month, learning how to clean your garden tools properly is key to preparing your garden for spring. Disinfecting your tools now means kicking off the 2026 growing season with pristine garden hygiene – and that’s key to healthy growth and plant longevity.

Here’s why gardeners disinfect their tools in January – and a few tips to make sure you’re cleaning them properly.

What you'll need

In my opinion, there’s no better time to tend to your garden tools than January – it’s cold outside, the days are shorter, and much of the garden is dormant.

Sure, there are plenty of other jobs to do in the garden in January – some plants can be cut back in winter, for example, and there’s plenty to sow and grow in January – but starting the year off with dirty tools could put all that hard work to waste.

That’s because unkept garden tools can spread diseases to healthy plants – even if they look clean to the eye.

'Harmful bacteria, fungal spores and plant diseases can linger on blades and handles after autumn pruning, and if left untreated, they can easily be spread to healthy plants in spring,' says Mark Hewett, Wilkinson Sword divisional sales manager for garden tools and accessories.

'January is an ideal time to disinfect garden tools because many plants are dormant, giving gardeners a natural pause to reset and prepare for the season ahead.'

It isn't just diseases that are a hazard on unclean garden tools – rust can form, too, affecting the longevity of your equipment.

'Moisture or soil left on the metal parts of pruning tools can lead to corrosion, which is why it’s important to give tools a thorough clean and check-over before storing them in your garden shed or using them again,' explains Sam Jenkinson, shed expert at garden building retailer Tiger.

It’s a small task for pristine garden tools and better long-term plant health – and it’s also the perfect precursor to sharpening your secateurs and other bladed garden tools.

You'll just need to brush off any garden debris, like soil and sap, before you get started. Tools like the Niwaki Clean Mate can make life easier.

‘Removing visible grime first ensures disinfectants can work effectively,’ explains Liam Cleary, garden retail director at The Old Railway Line Garden Centre.

Then, you’ll need to select the right type of disinfectant. It’s important to look for products with fewer chemicals – natural solutions like Agralan Citrox Ready To Use Disinfectant Spray, £11.99 at Amazon or Gardening Naturally Natural Citrus Cleaner, £12.99 at Amazon, are best (you can even use them to clean bird feeders and disinfect the greenhouse). Or, go for something light that's already in the cupboard.

‘Choosing disinfectants that have too many chemicals can harm your plants,’ says Liam. ‘Instead, look at rubbing alcohol, diluted household disinfectants or white vinegar as safer options.’

Once you’ve applied the disinfectant, it’s best to leave it to work for at least ten minutes before rinsing it away. That way, you can be sure you’re getting rid of the tougher germs.

‘Pay particular attention to blades, cutting edges, joints and springs,’ Liam advises. ‘These hard-to-reach areas are most likely to harbour bacteria and spread disease between plants.’

Once you’ve rinsed them, you’ll need to properly dry your garden tools to prevent rust and bacteria from taking hold of them. Use a cloth, Liam says, and then air-dry them before storing them away in the shed again.

How often should you disinfect your tools?

There's a focus among gardeners on disinfecting garden tools in January, but it doesn't stop there. Regular maintenance and cleaning are the gold standard for gardening hygiene, and it'll keep your equipment in tip-top condition.

'As a general rule, garden tools should be disinfected regularly throughout the year, not just during a winter clean,' says Mark from Wilkinson Sword. 'It's especially important to clean tools after working with diseased plants, pruning shrubs or moving between different areas of the garden.'

Best practice says you should give your tools a quick wipe down after every use.

'A more thorough disinfection at key moments in the season can prevent problems from spreading,' Mark adds. 'Making tool hygiene part of your routine is one of the simplest ways to protect your plants and get the best performance from quality tools over time.'

So, now we know why gardeners disinfect their tools in January. It's a small price to pay to prevent disease transmission between plants and help your equipment last longer.

After a long year in the garden, most of my tools are looking worse for wear. That doesn’t mean they need to be thrown away, though – in fact, with the right garden tool care products, they’ll scrub up like new.

If you have a good pair of secateurs, for example, they’ll last years with some regular TLC. I’ve got my eye on a few products that I might just be treating myself to in the New Year – and they’ll save me a fortune instead of restocking my tool shed.

From sharpening stones to protective oils, these are the garden tool care products on my list right now.

1. Agralan Citrox Disinfectant Spray

Before you start weatherproofing them for the year ahead, you’ll need to thoroughly clean your garden tools. All that dirt and bacteria from this year’s pruning sessions have to go, and to get rid of it, you’ll need a tool cleaner.

I’m all for a natural disinfectant (no nasty chemicals in my garden, thank you!), and Agralan’s Citrox Disinfectant Spray from Amazon is my go-to choice. It’s effective against a range of bacterial and fungal plant diseases, and it can be used in the greenhouse, too. You can even disinfect pots and clean bird tables with it.

2. Niwaki Sharpening Stone

It’s Amazon’s Choice for a reason – Niwaki’s Sharpening Stone has stellar reviews, and it’s perfect for sharpening your secateurs and other bladed garden tools.

Japanese gardening tools are taking the gardening world by storm right now – I recently tried the Niwaki Sentei Secateurs, and absolutely fell in love with them – and the brand's tool care products are just as brilliant.

Niwaki’s sharpening stone has a concave shape, so it follows the curvature of the blades you’re sharpening, and reviewers agree that it’s a premium tool, and really satisfying to use (much like the Sentei secateurs). Niwaki says you’ll just need to soak the stone in clear water before every use.

If you find any stubborn sap or resin on the blades, it’s worth buying the Niwaki Clean Mate for £9, which works (and looks) a bit like an eraser.

I think the sharpening stone is a staple in any gardener’s tool shed, and I can’t wait to get my hands on one in the New Year.

3. Niwaki Camellia Oil

Once you’ve cleaned and sharpened your tools, it’s wise to coat the blades in a protective oil to keep them in tip-top condition.

Niwaki’s Camellia Oil, £7.50 at Amazon, is at the top of my list, and it doubles up as a wooden handle conditioner, too. The ingredients are simple: cold-pressed camellia seeds blended with white mineral oil.

Niwaki recommends using it as a regular protective coating after cleaning your tools, and says it’s ‘the preferred choice for cleaning Japanese carbon steel tools and conditioning wooden handles’, leaving a deep but non-oily finish. It’s also odourless and non-toxic, so it can be used to sharpen kitchen knives, too (although you definitely can’t drink it).

You’ll just need to use a clean cloth to apply it, or buy the Niwaki Camellia Oil Dispenser for £12.

I can't wait to refresh my garden tools ahead of spring, and these products will make the job a lot easier.

There’s a lot of hype around Japanese gardening tools, but the price tag on some of the products from leading brands always used to put me off a little. A few months ago, I bit the bullet and finally tried out my first pair of Japanese secateurs – and now I’m obsessed.

Niwaki’s Sentei Secateurs are £39 at Amazon, so they’re a lot less expensive than some of the other secateurs in the brand’s range – and they turned out to be some of the best secateurs I’ve ever tried. In fact, snipping away at my plants has literally never been more satisfying – and I couldn’t wait to get back out in the garden and start pruning again.

Here’s everything I loved about the Niwaki Sentei Secateurs – and why I can’t wait to start padding out my shed with even more Japanese gardening tools.

Niwaki describes the Sentei Secateurs as ‘an excellent introduction into the world of Japanese secateurs,’ and that’s exactly what they were for me. The 55mm blades, which are made of KA-70 carbon-forged steel, arrive super-sharp and ready to go – and they trim through green stems like butter, with the most satisfying snip I’ve ever felt pruning. As sad as it may sound, pruning my jasmine plant was an absolute blast.

Now, before I carry on raving about them, it’s important to note that the Niwaki Sentei Secateurs are designed for light pruning tasks. According to Niwaki, they’re designed to cut through stems no thicker than 7mm in diameter, and they indeed performed a lot better on stems that were less than 10mm thick. For heavy-duty or all-day tasks, Niwaki says it’s better to go for something like the GR Pro Secateurs.

But if, like me, you have plants like lavender bushes to prune, with plenty of green stems, the Niwaki Sentei Secateurs are absolutely ideal. They’re so comfortable to hold, and they make light pruning tasks feel effortless. There’s a lock catch mechanism at the end of the secateur handles that you can flick open and closed with your finger (although it takes a little getting used to!). The spring action is soft and easy to control, too, which makes pruning even easier.

Amazon reviewers agree that the Sentei secateurs are worth the purchase – one reviewer says they’re ‘the secateurs that everyone should own,’ with another describing them as ‘seriously good and fit for purpose’. There’s a lot of agreement that the secateurs are really sharp, and a high-quality product all-round.

They look premium, too. The handles have a sleek, black wood effect, and they’re really comfortable to hold. The only downside there is that you might lose track of them if you put them down on dark soil (that’s one of the only gripes Amazon reviewers had, actually).

Of course, even though carbon steel holds its edge well, at some point you’ll need to learn how to sharpen your secateurs properly. Niwaki has a range of brilliant sharpening and tool care products to expand your Japanese garden tool collection with. It recommends the £9 Niwaki Clean Mate for removing rust and sap, the Niwaki #1000 Grit Stone, available for £15 at Amazon, for sharpening, and the Niwaki Camellia Oil, which you can also buy from Amazon for £7.50, for blade protection.

Even the packaging is a treat! My Sentei secateurs came in a delicate little box inside a canvas bag, so they’d make a lovely gift (and a few Amazon reviewers said the same thing). If you order the Sentei Secateurs from Niwaki’s website, you can even add a canvas or leather holster to your order for an extra £12 or £24, respectively. The secateurs come with a spare spring, too.

More brilliant Japanese gardening tools

If you feel like treating yourself to a premium Japanese gardening tool, the Niwaki Sentei Secateurs are a brilliant place to start.

When I say my garden kneeler transformed the way I garden, I’m not joking: it made gardening so comfortable, I’m not sure how I ever worked outside without one.

The Wrendale Designs ‘Daisy Chain’ Garden Kneeler, £26.87 from Amazon, is the one I’m talking about, specifically. I’ve been a fan of Wrendale’s products for years, so I had to try out some of their garden accessories, too – and the garden kneelers include the most adorable designs, making them the perfect gift for gardeners and a must-have accessory for a stylish garden.

Here’s what I loved about the Wrendale Designs 'Daisy Chain' Garden Kneeler – and why I think you should gift one to a green-fingered loved one (or yourself!) this Christmas.

Wrendale Designs’ garden kneeler is durable, waterproof and beautifully designed. I have the Wrendale Designs ‘Daisy Chain’ Garden Kneeler, which features three rabbits munching on some daisies on one side, and a row of five sparrows sitting on a branch on the other (which Wrendale affectionately name the ‘Chirpy Chaps’).

I love Wrendale’s portfolio of designs, and as a fan of both rabbits and sparrows, I swiped this one off the rack as soon as I saw it. It certainly beats using an old pillow in the garden instead (although that does work as a temporary measure!).

There’s also a Wrendale Designs ‘Love and Hedgehugs’ Garden Kneeler, which features a lovely drawing of hedgehogs on one side and a bird and a bee on the other. Or, you could go for the Wrendale Designs ‘The Flower Pot’ Garden Kneeler, with an illustration of a rabbit in a plant pot on one side, and a bee flying over a hydrangea on the reverse. They're all beautiful!

The 'Daisy Chain' design is set against a duck egg blue background, made from coated cotton which can easily be wiped clean once you’ve finished gardening. It’s really tough, too – I haven’t managed to puncture mine yet, and I’ve used it for a good few years (although it is for your knees, not the pointy end of your secateurs – so I wouldn’t recommend putting it to the test for fun!)

The pad inside is made of thick foam, which provides complete, comfortable protection for your knees when you’re gardening. I often use it as a cushion when I’m sitting on the ground, removing weeds from my patio, too.

There’s also a really convenient handle on one end of the kneeler, so you can hang it in the shed when you’re not using it. It’s beige, which I think sets off the blue kneeling pad nicely, and it’s a brilliant way to spruce up the inside of a garden shed.

Amazon buyers agree that this kneeling pad is well worth buying (it’s got a whopping 4.7 stars!), with one reviewer mentioning it ‘Makes gardening a lot more pleasurable and comfortable,’ and another saying it’s ‘Great quality, [a] sensible size and nice and thick with [a] wipeable cover’. Several reviewers say they bought it as a gift for a loved one, too.

Other garden kneelers

If you're still browsing for garden kneelers, here are some other bestsellers I've spotted.

Wrendale’s garden kneeler has become a real staple in my garden shed, and I’ve had it for four years now. It’s really stood the test of time – of course, with a few mud stains here and there (but that makes it all the more special, in my opinion) – and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a gift for a loved one this Christmas.

Every autumn, without fail, I tell myself I'll stay on top of the leaves from the surrounding trees before they pile up and turn into a slippery mess, and every year, I end up kicking myself for not doing it and ending up with a slushy pile to sort with the wet weather we've been experiencing.

I knew that even the best leaf blower wouldn't tackle the mound we have accumulated, so when I spotted the VonHaus 3-in-1 Leaf Blower, Vacuum and Mulcher, £44.99, I knew it might finally be the answer to our weekend clear-ups. And, you know what? It was just the ticket.

It blows, sucks, and shreds leaves all in one go, saving me from endless raking and bin-bag filling, and at a bargain price of under £45. Here's why it's a must-buy.

What instantly appealed to me about the Vonhaus 3-in-1 is how much it actually does for the money. At under £50, it's not just an excellent blower, but it's a vacuum and mulcher too, meaning you can clear, collect and shred everything in one go.

As someone who has painstakingly raked leaves into endless piles that end up straight back on our lawn again, the idea of being able to suck them up and turn them into mulch is an autumn miracle.

Weighing in at just 3.5kg, it's surprisingly lightweight too and comes with a padded shoulder strap so it's easy to carry around without feeling like you're wrestling a jet engine. It's also got handy little wheels, so you're not hauling it about.

The 10-metre cable gives plenty of reach for an average-sized garden, and the 35-litre collection bag means fewer stops to empty it. Add to that a 10:1 mulching ratio, so you're compacting ten bags of leaves into one neat bundle, and it's no wonder this bad boy racks up thousands of top-rated reviews.

Everything clicks together easily with no complicated assembly or head-scratching required, and changing from blow, vacuum and mulch modes is super simple.

It picks up both dry and wet leaves easily, too, which is just as well because at this point in autumn and after the weather we've been having, that's all my driveway, patio, and garden seem to have. It shreds them finely as it goes, leaving you with a bag full of compact, crumb-like mulch that's perfect for topping up borders or composting.

It is noisy, though, basically a very loud garden vacuum, but that's exactly what it is, so there are no surprises there. I'd stick to daytime use if your neighbours are nearby.

The VonHaus 3-in-1 is a bit of a steal as it makes light work of leaf piles, including soggy ones. It's not fancy or whisper-quiet but it does exactly what I need it to do.

The vacuum and mulcher combo is the real win, and it handled even stuck-down leaves with zero fuss. Add to that that it's lightweight, easy to use, and I actually feel super smug about how neat and tidy our garden looks now after finding this bargain garden gadget. The best bit about this is the fact that the soggy leaves aren't going to waste.

If I haven't convinced you on this VonHaus model, here are three others that have great online reviews, too.

Shop these alternative leaf vacuums

Clearing leaves is one of those small jobs that makes the garden look better and sets it up for the months ahead, and if a £45 gadget can do all that, I'm calling it a big win.

Check out the other ways to winterproof your lawn right now.

If you’re feeling suddenly overwhelmed by masses of dead leaves in your garden (I know I am), you’ll want to get your hands on a machine that makes light work of clearing them.

Well, both Garden Force’s Leaf Chief from High Street TV and the Gardena Leaf and Grass Collector from Amazon do just that – they're push grass and leaf collectors with huge collection bins, and they've got stellar reviews.

If you’re looking for an effortless alternative to a leaf blower, the Leaf Chief is one to watch. Here’s why…

The Leaf Chief and Garden's Leaf and Grass Collector sweep up leaves, grass clippings and other garden debris using inner brushes. You don’t need to plug them in – they're manual machines that you simply push over a range of outdoor surfaces, from lawns to patios, paths and driveways.

The fact that they're manual collectors is a huge bonus for me – it saves splurging on fuel or electricity fees in the future (that's a perk of manual lawn mowers, too), making the £99.99-£125 upfront cost worth it. It also means both models are really quiet, so you don’t need to worry about rousing the neighbours with a noisy leaf blower or leaf vacuum.

The long handle eliminates the need to bend down and collect every pile of leaves – instead, they’re all bundled effortlessly into the huge detachable storage collection bag.

Effortless is certainly the buzzword: according to Garden Force, ‘garden maintenance has never been easier’ with the Leaf Chief, and judging from the reviews, it certainly lives up to the claim.

‘The machine itself is very light and easy to use,’ says one reviewer. Another, who lives on a road with large trees, claims, 'It is the best I have ever tried.’

It isn’t just larger leaves that benefit from the Leaf Chief, though – according to one reviewer, it’s the perfect solution for pine needles, too.

‘[I was] originally sceptical about purchasing this as we have a garden full of pine trees,’ they said. ‘I needn't have worried – [it] picked up the pine needles with ease in a fraction of the time it used to take.’

You can even customise the raking height by twisting the control dial on the front of the collector, ensuring the best possible sweep for the surface and debris size you're dealing with.

The only pain point is that the Leaf Chief isn’t suitable for sweeping wet leaves, with one reviewer claiming it ‘works better when leaves are dry’, and another mentioning that ‘wet grass with branches causes it to keep stopping’. A few reviewers say it works better on flat, even surfaces, too.

Despite that, I was impressed by the number of reviews celebrating how well it works. It even comes with a wall-mountable storage bracket, a brilliant garden storage idea for a shed.

Gardena's Leaf and Grass Collector receives just as much praise as the Leaf Chief, with reviewers saying it's 'robust, handy and does its job well'.

Of course, you don’t need to clear every leaf from your garden – there are plenty of wildlife benefits to be had from a few piles here and there – but if you, like many of us this month, are finding that sweeping leaves is consistently topping your October garden jobs list, this collector is definitely worth the investment.

Alternative leaf collectors

These leaf collectors are worth a look at, too...

I think the Leaf Chief and the Gardena Leaf and Grass Collector are real game-changers for tackling fallen leaves in the garden. I can't wait to try them out!

It’s easy to get carried away buying spring bulbs. I bagged some at my local garden centre, picked up more while grocery shopping at Lidl, and not to mention the bulbs stored away in the shed from this spring. But when it comes to planting them all out, it can be back-breaking work, so I was intrigued when I spotted QVC’s long-handled bulb planter.

While how to plant spring bulbs in containers is pretty straightforward, planting them in the ground in flower beds and borders can be hard work, with lots of bending down that is a strain on the back, especially if you’re planting bulbs en masse (like me). So a tool that promises to be back-friendly and make bulb-planting quicker and easier too…I was definitely up for giving it a go.

September and October are perfect times for planting bulbs for spring, especially with bulbs like daffodils and alliums, which are what I’ve been putting in the ground. But to avoid rookie bulb-planting mistakes, I won’t plant tulips this early, saving them until November to plant out.

Using the Bulb Planter

Traditional hand bulb-planters work by being pushed into the ground to the desired depth, twisted to loosen the core of soil, and the soil is then removed, and the bulb is popped into the resulting hole. The plug of soil is then replaced on top. The process is all very hands-on and involves lots of kneeling on the ground and bending down, which can be hard on the knees and the back.

The appeal of the long-handled bulb planter is that it promises to allow you to plant bulbs in garden borders from a standing position, thus reducing the strain on your back and knees.

With a handle made from traditional hardwood for durability, it feels solid and fairly comfortable to hold.

The bulb-planting part of the tool has a cheery red outer coating with a sharp carbon steel cutting head at the bottom that slices through the soil to remove a plug of earth, leaving a 6cm wide x 10cm deep hole.

All you have to do is position the circular head where you want your hole to be, pressing down firmly on the back lever with your foot so that the head is pushed deep into the soil (which cuts the hole).

The combination of the long handle to keep you balanced and upright and the foot lever that lets you exert plenty of force pushing the bulb planter in, makes it fairly easy to create the hole (and less strain on the back). The only problems I had were when the cutting head encountered stones in my soil (as it is pretty stony), which made it difficult to push the bulb planter in, but all that was needed was a little wiggling around to avoid the stones. And it was a doddle when I tried it out on softer ground.

Once you’ve gone in as deep as you require, you simply pull the bulb planter out of the soil using the wooden handle and you are left with a neat hole cut out of the ground (with a plug of soil retained within the cutting head).

I found that it worked better if the soil was slightly damp which gave a cleaner cut. Too dry and the soil is a bit loose and crumbly.

The instructions advise that to help you get into a rhythm and avoid repeated bending, you shouldn’t need to stop and remove the plug of earth each time - the next cut will push it out. The idea is to make as many holes as you need, then simply kneel down to plant the bulbs before replacing the soil.

This was the part of the process that was a little bit tricky, as the plug of earth sometimes needed a bit of help in extracting it from the head of the bulb planter. What worked best for me was having a long stick to hand to push the plug of soil out, and then with the plug deposited on the ground next to the hole, I could move on to the next hole and so on.

Once all the holes have been cut out, it’s then just a matter of popping your bulbs in, which will obviously require a bit of bending down.

With the bulbs planted in the holes, all that’s needed is to replace the plugs of soil back into the holes to cover up the bulbs. I used a hoe to gently nudge the soil back in place.

The bulb planter can be used to plant to a depth of 11cm, which should be deep enough for most bulb types. While there isn’t a depth gauge on the planter, I found it fairly easy to judge how deep to go, if, for instance, you wanted to vary the depth for how deep to plant tulips or different varieties of bulbs.

The sharp carbon steel cutting head of the planter can be re-sharpened to maintain its efficiency over time.

The verdict? I found the bulb-planter a big help for when you have lots of bulbs to plant at the same time in flower beds, or if you want to plant some deeper in amongst the foliage. While getting the plugs of earth out of the planter was a little tricky at first, once you get the knack and into your rhythm, it’s not a problem at all.

Shop these bulb planter alternatives

If this long-handled bulb planter isn't quite what you're looking for, we have a few alternatives you can shop instead.

Will you be investing in a long-handled bulb planter? If not, what's your favourite bulb-planging tool? Let us know in the comments!

It's almost spring, and there's no better time than the present to refresh your garden tool collection. To help you do that, I've tracked down the best secateurs on the market right now.

I sampled secateurs from a range of trusted garden tool brands like WOLF-Garten and Wilkinson Sword to pin down winners for green stems, woody stems, small hands and more. You'll find all of my notes below – I’ll be talking about how easy each pair of secateurs is to use, what they feel like in action, and, of course, their design.

We've also lined up a list of the best lawn mowers on the market right now, if you're starting to think about lawn care – and a guide on the best pressure washers, too, if patio maintenance is on your radar this month.

Best secateurs

How we tested these secateurs

These secateurs were tested by Ideal Home's Gardens Editor, Sophie King, in her Essex garden. The secateurs were assessed for comfort, ease of use, cutting ability, materials and design.

How do I choose the best secateurs?

Secateurs aren’t a one-size-fits-all kind of tool – there are several different types, and the best secateurs for the job will depend on what you’re pruning, and whether you'll be tackling green stems or tougher, woodier growth.

To help you make the right choice, I’ve broken down the three main types: bypass, anvil and ratchet secateurs.

1. Bypass secateurs

My favourite analogy for bypass secateurs is that they work like a pair of scissors. The two blades glide past each other to provide a sharp, clean cut.

They're better suited to softer green and live stems because they crush them far less than their anvil counterparts – and because they’re so precise, they’re often used to deadhead flowering plants, too. Generally, they can cut through stems up to 15mm thick, but it depends on the model you choose.

You can even buy electric secateurs like the VonHaus Cordless Garden Secateurs from Amazon, which work like bypass secateurs with a whole lot less effort from you. I’ll be testing some of those for this guide over the coming months.

2. Anvil secateurs

Anvil secateurs work more like a knife on a chopping board – one blade cuts into the anvil block, which is better able to support thicker plant material.

Anvil secateurs are perfect for cutting through tougher, woodier stems and dead branches, but they can crush and bruise green stems (that’s why it’s best to reserve live, soft growth for bypass secateurs). For dry, woody stems, though, anvil secateurs are ideal, and they can usually handle stems between 15mm and 25mm thick, depending on the model.

3. Ratchet secateurs

If you’re looking for wrist and hand support when it comes to pruning tougher plant material, ratchet models are the best secateurs to go for. They really take the effort out of pruning woody stems – and if you’ve got a really thick stem to cut through, the beauty of ratchet secateurs is that they essentially ‘lock’ the blade into place, so you can release your grip and then re-squeeze the handles to continue cutting where you left off.

They can generally handle stems up to 25mm thick – beyond that, you’d need to use a pruning saw.

Ratchet secateurs are a brilliant choice for gardeners with mobility needs or weaker hand strength, but like anvil secateurs, they shouldn’t be used on live green stems.

FAQs

Is it worth sharpening secateurs?

It’s always worth learning how to sharpen secateurs. Blunt blades can make clumsy, unclean cuts on stems and even bruise them, damaging the plant more than necessary. Sharper blades also mean better precision, especially on bypass secateurs, whose middle name is accuracy.

It’s crucial that you know how to clean your garden tools properly between pruning sessions, too, so that you don’t spread diseases between plants.

How long do secateurs typically last?

Secateur warranties vary, but many of the most trusted garden brands offer years-long guarantees. Wilkinson Sword and WOLF-Garten offer a 10-year guarantee on many of their secateurs, for example, while Gardena's PremiumCut Pro Secateurs come with a whopping 25-year guarantee. Beyond that, brands like Kimura offer a lifetime warranty, and they work hard to resolve any customer issues with their secateurs.

That's my pick of the best secateurs on the market right now. I can't wait to test more models over the coming months!

Weeding is quite possibly the most tedious task, especially when you're trying to pull them out of nooks and crannies. The whole exercise is fiddly, hard on the knees and somehow the weeds always seem to grow back even stronger than before, making the effort feel even more thankless.

After one too many battles with dandelions and other such stubborn weeds in the cracks between my patio slabs, steps and driveway, I decided I needed to invest in a weeding set that could potentially make my life easier. Enter Workpro's weed remover tools, £18.99 at Amazon.

After all, I'm always on the lookout for tips on how to get rid of weeds from a patio that doesn't make me want to pull my hair out, and these bad boys did not disappoint.

The set comes with a 7-shaped joint scraper for clearing weeds and moss from between paving slabs, and a V-shaped hand weeder that gets under the roots of stubborn plants like dandelions, thistles and other stubborn warts of weeds.

They are super sturdy, and the handles are really ergonomic to use, making them the perfect weight to get enough control to get them by the root.

The first thing I tackled was the worst area for tricky weeds: our front door steps, path and driveway. Over time, they'd become home to an array of weeds, tiny grass shoots and other mystery plants I know I didn't plant.

I cheated a tad as I'd already given them a spray down with Resolva Path and Drive weed killer, £5 from Amazon, before bringing out the big guns in the form of these hand tools. Once I'd given that a few days to do its magic, it was time to tackle the stragglers who always seem immune to whatever I try to eliminate them with.

The joint scraper was a revelation. Its sharp, angled edge slides along the cracks, slicing through the weed roots without me having to make much of an effort at all.

Saying that, though, there were a few stubborn guys that would not take the hint, so I used the V-shaped weeder to pull them from the roots.

I slotted the pointed tip around the lower part of the weeds, twisted them and pulled them clean from the cracks. It was an extremely satisfying task, which is surprising for someone who has avoided this task for a good 6 months.

Now I'm not going to pretend I love weeding my path and drive, but the Workpro tools have definitely taken the frustration out of it. They've made a visible difference, and that's no small feat, as those weeds have been annoying me for far too long.

For a small, affordable set of hand tools, they've earned a permanent spot in my gardening kit. However, if you're looking for something even less hands-on than these tools, these alternatives might just be your ticket to a weed-free path, patio and driveway.

Weeding tool alternatives

Have you got a favourite weeding tool? Let me know in the comments so I can give it a whirl.

Karcher dominates the world of power washers, but also offers a limited range of power tools. Their LTR 18-30 cordless garden trimmer, £169.99 at Amazon, is their more expensive garden trimmer, but there are only two to choose from.

As the name might suggest, the LTR 18-30 is a cordless grass trimmer. This means you won’t be limited by extension cables and power sockets when trimming your lawn. During testing, the battery life was very good, and despite having a battery pack, the LTR 18-30 is pretty lightweight.

While the LTR 18-30 grass trimmer is designed for lawns, during testing I took it to hardier weeds too, and was impressed with the performance. Most testing was carried out at my parents-in-law’s farm – it offered loads of different types of grass and weeds to put the LTR 18-30 to the test. I tested it on lawns and long grass alike, checking for how easy the grass trimmer was to use (very) even for gardening novices.

In a nutshell

The Karcher LTR 18-30 is ridiculously easy to use, with initial setup taking around 15 minutes. Once the battery is fully charged, it’s easy to operate this grass trimmer.

It’s designed to trim grass as well as do edging, and it has a flexible head so you can change the angle of how you’re cutting.

During testing, the Karcher LTR 18-30 performed well on grass lawns as well as long grass.

Although you don’t get as neat a finish as you would with a lawn mower, this is great for neatening up edges and quick, small jobs. Although not especially bulky, the Karcher LTR 18-30 isn’t super compact for storing, as the arm doesn’t fold in very far.

Specifications

• Measurements: (H)31.5 cm x (W)31.2 cm x (L)132.5 cm
• Weight: 2.5kg
• Type: Battery
• Battery voltage: 18 V
• Runtime: 30 minutes
• Charging time with fast charger: 44 mins for 80% / 83 mins for 100%
• Material: Plastic
• Safety switch: Yes
• Cutting modes: 2 (edging and trimming)
• Cutting width: 30 cm
• Cutting speed: 7800 RPM
• Extra battery? No

How I tested

Unboxing and setting up

The Karcher LTR 18-30 trimmer comes in a smart cardboard box with Karcher’s hallmark bright-yellow branding. Inside, all the components are packaged in individual plastic bags - this seemed slightly unnecessary to me. There’s a front handle to attach to the body - this was easy to do. Then the string guard clicks on, too.

You have to screw this in place with a Phillips-head screwdriver. There’s a battery pack that clicks reassuringly into the handle, and a charge pack. Everything is pretty self-explanatory.

It took me less than 15 minutes to set the whole thing up. It’s worth noting that my battery came 60 per cent charged – this is fine for small jobs, but if you’ve got a big area that needs doing, then you’re going to want to build in charge time before you use the Karcher LTR 18-30 grass trimmer.

Design

The Karcher LTR 18-30 is relatively lightweight, so you don’t need a huge amount of upper body strength to use it. However, it does require the use of both hands while using it, so you can guide it along without clipping any precious plants or garden furniture.

As someone who is a bit intimidated by petrol-fuelled garden tools, this trimmer felt like a nice alternative. Perhaps it doesn’t have the gusto of a petrol version, but it also doesn’t have the fumes or weight of one either.

The Karcher LT 18-30 grass trimmer isn’t exactly compact - the telescopic shaft doesn’t retract all that much. This means you’re probably going to want a shed or decent other outside storage to pop it away in. I wouldn’t fancy storing it indoors, as after a trimming session it’s pretty mucky.

As the operating time is 30 minutes, the Katcher LT 18-30 is great for those with small or even medium-sized lawns. Anything bigger than that, and you might get frustrated at having to charge your battery.

Of course, you can always buy spare battery packs to overcome this issue. I liked that there’s a display on the battery to show how much more battery life is left, so I could calculate what jobs I could or couldn’t get done without charging it.

The LT 18-30 is designed for lawns and the edges of lawns using the string cutter. You can swap out the string head for a lawn-trimmer blade (sold separately), which is designed for hardier weeds. During testing, I did take it to nettles and long grass just using the string cutter, and it performed fine. However, it struggled with brambles, so if your garden is a big jungly, it’s probably best to invest in the lawn-trimmer blades.

Performance

Trimming

I found the LTR 18-30 so satisfying for trimming grass. It made light work out of all types of grass, slicing neatly through it. However, if you want very neat and even grass, then this is perhaps not the tool for you – unless you have a very steady hand.

You’re not going to get Wimbledon-worth lawns using this trimmer, but that’s not really what it’s for. I found that it was really great for around plants and over lumpy ground such as tree roots, which regular lawn mowers might struggle with.

There is a plant guard on the LTR 18-30. This piece of metal snaps down when you want it to, protecting the trimmer head from getting too close to anything directly ahead of it.

This was great when going around the base of trees. I did notice, though, that it’s not foolproof (me being the fool here), and you can still get quite close to plants on either side of the guard if you’re not paying attention.

The head is flexible, so you can get under overhanging plants or even garden furniture. This feature would be hugely helpful for those awkward bits of lawn that are hard to reach. I found it really handy for under heavy wooden garden furniture that I struggle to move on my own.

I was able to do a significant amount of lawn trimming - a medium-sized garden - in one charge. I thought this was really impressive. If you have a day of trimming planned, you are going to need to charge the battery, though – after 20-30 minutes of trimming, my battery pack said it still had 50 per cent juice left, which is more than Karcher suggests in their specs.

The automatic line feed means that the spool automatically releases more cutting line and cuts it so it’s the optimal length for grass trimming with zero effort from you. I really liked this, as it meant I didn’t have to faff about with the thread myself.

Edging

You can twist the trimmer head so the string cuts horizontally. This allows you to get neat edges on your lawn around flower beds. This is a great option so long as you don’t have flower beds that spill out or are planted right up to the edge.

A few leaves on some plants came a cropper during testing when I cut the edges of my lawn this way. However, it did leave very neat edges that would take ages to do with a pair of sheers. So as long as you’re more careful than I, the LTR 18-30 grass trimmer is a convenient tool for trimming the edges of your grass.

Weeds

I took the LTR 18-30 to some seriously long grass and nettles that had grown in my parents-in-law’s garden. The LTR 18-30 made light work of the long grass and nettles, bringing down a hefty clump in minutes. This was hugely satisfying.

However, the LTR 18-30 with the line head, I found it couldn’t handle thick brambles and other heavy-duty weeds. You might find Karcher’s lawn trimmer is better suited to this, but I didn’t have this, so I couldn’t test it out.

Cleaning

There’s very little cleaning required with this trimmer. Karcher recommends you give it a once-over with a damp cloth and remove any trimmings, which is so easy to do as it’s not a fiddly tool with loads of nooks and crannies. Other than that, you just have to make sure the charge pack doesn’t get dusty, and that’s it.

Storage and Maintenance

The LTR 18-30 grass trimmer’s downside is that it’s quite large to store away. Karcher doesn’t make a compatible wall mount for it, so I ended up laying it down in my shed. Annoyingly, it takes up a lot of room this way, simply because it’s so long (although not hugely bulky or heavy, thankfully).

The battery charger and pack are not too bulky - you could store them in a shoe box or a standard carrier bag and tuck them away somewhere.

How does it rate online?

People who own the LTR 18-30 grass trimmer love its simplicity to use, remarking on how lightweight it is to use despite it being cordless. Indeed, many people seem to have converted from a corded grass trimmer to the LTR 18-30 and have loved how much easier it is to use. Many are also pleased with how well it tackled weeds and cleared overgrown paths, despite being merely a grass trimmer.

However, there are many reports of faulty batteries that don’t hold a charge. It seems Karcher has dealt with the complaints swiftly, replacing faulty batteries. This isn’t a problem that I encountered during testing.

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

Karcher produces a similar product called the LTR 18-25. This offers a shorter cutting diameter of 25cm. This is better suited to closer cuts and tighter spaces. Other than this, both models offer very similar features and the LTR 18-25 is slightly cheaper.

Competitor models include the Stihl FSA30, £144 at Just Lawnmowers, which has blades rather than a line. It is battery operated too, but has a shorter run time than the Karcher LTR 18-30 of under 20 minutes. At time of writing it is a bit cheaper than the Karcher grass trimmer I tested here.

The Powerbase 550W electric grass trimmer, £59.99 at The Range has the nice design feature of wheels to help make edging easier and neater. It reviews well as an efficient grass trimmer, but it is quite heavy and is corded, which will mean you are tethered to a plug socket. It does come in considerable cheaper though.

Should you buy the Karcher LTR 18-30 grass trimmer?

I am really impressed with the Karcher LTR 18-30 - it’s so lightweight and easy to use. I loved the automatic line feed, plant guard and how easy it is to switch between edging and trimming.

I wouldn’t want to cut a huge lawn with it - you’re better off getting a lawn mower for that – but if you have weeds, long grass or a smaller lawn to tackle, then I’d definitely recommend the Karcher LTR 18-30.

If you're in the market for a new lawnmower, or perhaps you've never bought one before (me too!), then I've been testing a great buy that's cordless, easy to use, and it offers 5 cutting heights: the Vonhaus cordless lawn mower 40V.

Essentially, it's the best lawnmower for dummies — I'm still impressed with my before-and-after photos even now. The best part about it? The Vonhaus Cordless Lawn Mower 40V, £189.99, is less than £200, and with a wide 33cm cutting width, tidying your small or medium-sized lawn becomes a swift job.

Although my garden itself isn't small, the lawned section is. I have a big patio and a large deck, so I don't need a huge mower (nor do I have the space in my shed to store one). Also, although I do have an outdoor socket, this is used for my hot tub, so it was important that my mower be cordless. This also makes it ten times easier to use, in my opinion. I wasn't bothered about whether it was bagged or mulched, but luckily, this one can do both, and its basket is hefty at 30L.

I tested this mower for two months, and during this time, I used it to cut my grass twice. As someone who isn't well-versed in the world of lawnmowers, I found it super easy to use and even easier to manoeuvre around my garden and eventually, store in my shed. Here's how it performed around corners, against weeds, and around decking, plus how easy it is to clean after the job is done...

In a nutshell

A great-value lawn mower that's also easy to use, this VonHaus buy is a total game-changer that's convenient for tidying a small or medium-sized lawn. It's extremely customisable with a height-adjustable handle and five cutting heights, from 25mm to 65mm. It even offers the choice of mulching the cuttings or collecting them in its large 30L box.

Cordless for your convenience, it offers a 25-minute battery life with a one-hour charge time. Storage-wise, its handle folds and its grass bag detaches to ensure it takes up less space in your shed.

While in use, this mower was effective at cutting longer and shorter grass, as well as trimming weeds and cutting around corners of decking and patio. Afterwards, clean-up was minimal, and maintenance was basic. If you want something simple and affordable that does the job fast, this lawnmower is it. My only complaint? On first impressions, it's not the most sturdy lawnmower I've ever seen. So, as long as you're only using it every few weeks for a sensible-sized lawn, it's perfect. Also, it's backed by a standard 2-year warranty, should you have any issues.

Product Specs

• Suitable for (lawn size): 300m2 (medium-sized lawns)
• Power: 40V
• Propulsion:
• Cutting options: 25mm, 35mm, 45mm, 55mm, 65mm
• Deck material:
• Weight: 10.4kg
• Dimensions: L102cm x W37cm x H121cm
• Cutting width: 33cm
• Cutting heights: 5
• Grass collection: 30L basket
• Motor speed: 3900RPM
• Blade:
• Folding: Yes

Unboxing the Vonhus Cordless Lawn Mower 40V

This lawnmower did arrive in a sizeable box, but this wasn't too heavy and I managed to move it by myself, from my front doorstep to my garden. On opening the box, I was pleased to see minimal packaging. The main unit was wrapped in a plastic bag, and the cable and battery were in separate recyclable cardboard boxes.

Setup was minimal and easy. It was explained in the instructions but essentially, you needed to unfold the handle and ensure it was sturdy. Then, it was time to attach the collection basket to the back.

The battery arrived fully charged, which was handy as my grass needed cutting ASAP. The battery displays its charge level in three bars, and after mowing my entire lawn, it had only dropped one bar.

Who will it suit?

This lawnmower is great for those looking for a lightweight option, whether they're unable to carry anything heavy or because their lawn is on a gradient, so they don't want to be pushing a heavy weight up and down. It's also great if you have minimal outdoor storage, as its handle folds and its grass collection bag detaches for storing.

Performance-wise, you probably wouldn't want to use it to tidy a huge lawn. This would be time-consuming as its cutting width is 33cm, plus you might need to empty its 30L basket more than once (it was half full after one mow of my medium-sized lawn). Its battery life lasts for 25 minutes, if not a little longer. It did manage to mow over tough weeds and around my decking with ease, but obviously, you still need to use another tool for proper weed removal and tidying around the edges.

For less than £200, it's a total steal considering that it's cordless and storage-savvy. You can also sometimes find it on sale.

What is it like to use?

As someone who had never used a lawnmower before, I found this one extremely simple to use. Okay, my husband had to run me through the basics. But after that, I was off, and I couldn't believe how simple and fast it was.

Before setting off, you need to ensure the handle is sitting at the right height. I did find that this definitely could have been better explained in the instructions, but essentially, there are 5 height settings, but in different places. There are two choices on the handlebars, and these require you to unscrew the locking levers on either side. There are two holes to choose from.

Otherwise, there are three more height settings lower down on the handlebars. To access these, you need to press each handle release button and pull the handle to reveal three holes. Once you realise that it's there, it's pretty easy to work, but most people would miss this extra feature.

Then comes the cutting height — they say to set the mower to the highest cutting height when cutting over uneven ground or in tall weeds.

If your grass is too long, start at the highest cutting position and work your way down to the lowest. If the grass is longer than 10cm, then you'll need to go over it twice to get it to reach a maximum height of roughly 8.3cm.

You will notice a drastic height difference in between cutting height 1 and cutting height 5. In the manual, you'll find the exact measurements of these levels:

• 1 - 25mm
• 2- 35mm
• 3- 45mm
• 4 - 55mm
• 5- 65mm

I also took photos of the mower at height 1 and height 5, so you can see the difference.

Otherwise, like most lawn mowers, this one has a built-in safety feature, which requires you to press a button at the same time as pulling the trigger on the handle in order to turn it on.

This is to prevent you from accidentally turning it on. Once the lawn mower is running, you can release the side button, and you need only hold your hand on the trigger to keep it going.

In terms of runtime, the battery arrived fully charged. I've managed to get two uses out of it, and even still, the battery is displaying two out of four bars, meaning that it still has 25% charge.

Roughly, each mow of my lawn has taken a maximum of 10 minutes. At this estimation, I'd expect one battery life to offer 2-3 uses for me.

Lawn mowing

Corners

Let's talk about edges, in particular: edges around a patio. Now, I wasn't too sure what to expect when it came to this part of mowing my lawn. I went around the edges first, so this was pretty much my first impression of using the mower.

The before photo shows just how long and thick my grass was before tackling it with this mower. This particular corner was quite tough, but the lawnmower tackled it with ease.

Initially, I set my lawnmower to cutting height 5 and went over this patch as there were a couple of visible weeds. It tackled these with no problem, and then I set it to cutting height 1. It was then that I felt that it was finding it harder work, but still, it managed to cut well, and the results were pretty much perfect.

While I will still be going around the outline of my patio with my grass strimmer, this is admittedly impressively tidy, and I was pleased that the mower managed to reach into the corners of the patio quite well.

Decking edging

I then used this mower to trim the grass around the edge of my decking, as I wanted to see whether it would really reach the edges, or if I would need to dig my strimmer out of my shed to tackle this job.

It did a good job of reaching deep into the sides, especially as the ground is slightly uneven on this side of my garden. I did have the mower on cutting height 5 at this point in time. There were a few small spots I found I had to go over with my strimmer, just to make sure the grass was totally level, but otherwise, I was impressed at its edge-to-edge ability to trim around decking.

Collecting leaves

The second time I used this mower, we had recently trimmed our laurel hedges in our garden. This meant that a few leaves had fallen and were sitting on my lawn. Instead of picking them up, I had read in the manual that this mower can also tackle leaves, and it just mulches them, which I thought I would put through the test on a particularly leafy part of my grass.

To my surprise, and my convenience, the mower managed to collect all of the large leaves from my hedge. I was super impressed!

Weeds

I had quite a few weed patches in my garden, in particular around the edges. This mower managed to tackle them well, and initially, I went over them at cutting height 5. I then worked my way down to cutting height 1. For most of the weeds, two mows were enough. But for one larger spot, I had to go over it about four or five times, but it did eventually break.

General grass cutting

When it came to general grass mowing, excluding weeds, sides and leaves, this mower did a great job. After I'd tackled the tricky bits, I set it to setting 1 to go around the entirety of my garden, and I was impressed.

It worked fast; I was able to ever so slightly see where I had already mowed, and it was easy to turn around corners. At one point, I even managed to do it one-handed so I could also take photos at the same time.

Cleaning

This mower does require minimal cleaning, and especially so if you're using the mulching attachment, as its collection box won't even need emptying.

I found that the exterior didn't really require a brush-down after using it with the mulching attachment. It was pretty clean, but some people might like to clean the wheels before rolling them into a shed.

Maintenance-wise, all you really need to do is ensure that the battery is charged before each use. Also, you won't want to store the battery or its charger in an outbuilding such as a shed. So keep that part indoors.

If you are using the collection box, you need only slide it upwards to detach it from the mower (initially, you might find this tricky, but once you get used to doing it, it's fine) and empty it in your garden waste or wherever else.

It has a handle to make this easy. After cleaning my entire lawn with the grass box attached, I detached it, and it was half full.

Storage and maintenance

This lawn mower is quite sizeable before folding its handle and removing its collection basket. That being said, once both of these have been done, it's a lot smaller and it will fit into a smaller shed.

To fold the handle down, you need to loosen the orange locking levers. Once these are loose enough, the handle will fold over the unit, resting near the handle on the main part of the mower. Then, using this handle, you can lift it to where you'd like it.

Its manual doesn't say anything about wall mounting, so I would be hesitant to do so. The only accessory included is the mulching attachment, and when not in use, this stays attached to the mower.

When you don't want to use it, you just lift the flap before inserting the grass collection basket, to allow the mulch to reach into this basket.

Maintenance-wise, all you really need to do is ensure that the battery is charged before each use. Also, you won't want to store the battery or its charger in an outbuilding such as a shed. So keep that part indoors.

How does it rate online?

You can only buy this lawnmower from Vonhaus' website, and here it has 102 reviews and a 4.5-star rating. Most reviewers agreed that it's easy to assemble, lightweight and simple to use.

Shoppers love its 25-minute battery life and the fact that you can use this battery with selected tools from VonHaus. Otherwise, out of the 102 reviews, only 12 people rated it less than 4 stars out of 5.

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

VonHaus only sells two cordless lawnmowers, and the other one is a mini lawnmower. The VonHaus Mini Cordless Lawnmower costs £129.99 and offers 18V of power. This is brilliant for tiny spaces as its cutting width is 21cm (VS 33cm for this 40V mower). It offers 3 cutting heights and a similar run time of 25-30 minutes, but a longer charge time of 2 hours. It weighs half the amount at 4.9kg, and its handle dismantles, so it takes up minimal storage space. 21 reviewers have given it a 4.5-star rating.

When compared with our best-rated lawnmower, the Husqvarna Aspire LC34 P4A, which is £259, this VonHaus model offers a lot of the same specs for a much cheaper price tag. The Husqvarna Aspire is slightly heavier at 11.8kg, but both offer a 30L basket and the option for mulching. It offers just 4 cutting heights from 25mm to 65mm, whereas the VonHaus offers 5. When it comes to battery life, both offer 25 minutes of runtime. The Husqvarna can be wall-mounted in a shed and folds for easy storage, and it's slightly quieter than the VonHaus when in use.

Should you buy the Vonhaus Cordless Lawn Mower 40V?

If your lawn is considered small or medium, and if you want something that's affordable and easy to use, then this lawnmower is a great option. In comparison with our top-rated option, it's a lot cheaper at under £200, while it's extremely customisable as it offers 5 cutting heights, handle adjustments, and you can either collect the grass you cut or mulch it.

It's a great pick for anyone concerned about weight, as it's just 10.4kg (empty) and where battery life is concerned, it lasts for 25 minutes and has a short charge time of one hour. Tons of reviewers say they managed to cut their grass twice on just one charge. No lawnmower is quiet, but this one operates at 96dB so as not to upset the neighbours. Storage is simple: its handle folds, and its grass box detaches.

It's not the best pick for large lawns or if you need a mower that you can wall-mount in your shed. It could also be too large for a tiny lawn, but there is a mini version of it available, too.

My mum is an avid gardener, so when she recommends a tool, I listen. Right now, she’s raving about one of WOLF-Garten’s multi-change® weeding tools – and it’s safe to say she’s impressed.

The WOLF-Garten multi-change® Weed Extractor, £19.50, available at Amazon, makes light work of weeding in the garden. It’s designed for stubborn, deep-rooted weeds in lawns, flowerbeds and borders, which means it’s a brilliant way to get rid of weeds naturally, without the need for chemicals.

My mum has always been a fan of WOLF-Garten’s multi-change tools, and when she recently gave the Weed Extractor a whirl, she couldn’t believe how easy it was to, well, extract the weeds in her garden.

One of the best things about the WOLF-Garten multi-change® weed extractor is how simple it is to use – and how satisfying.

To use it, you push the tool into the ground, turn it clockwise around the weed, and then pull it out. The chrome blade is sharp, so use it carefully, but that makes it easy to insert into the ground.

My mum did find that it was a little trickier to remove the weeds from a hard, dry lawn, though – it’s much easier when the ground is soft, so it was more successful after a spell of rain. It did a brilliant job in her garden border, though.

It’s also worth noting that the Weed Extractor is designed for larger weeds. My mum tried it on a rogue piece of fennel in the border, and it slipped through the extractor without touching the blades.

That said, for larger weeds (which are usually the toughest to remove), it’s an absolute star in the tool shed. The simple push, twist, pull mechanism is what we love about the WOLF-Garten multi-change® weed extractor, and it removed even the deeper taproots that are often hard to extract with regular weeding tools. If you’re trying to get rid of dandelions in a lawn, for example, this might be the weeding tool for you.

Like the other tools in the range, the WOLF-Garten multi-change® weed extractor comes with a 35-year guarantee, and at just £21 from Amazon, it’s safe to say you’ll get more than your money’s worth with all the weeds it'll pull over the years.

Plus, the blade is made of high-quality steel and long-lasting anti-rust chrome, so the tool looks as good as it is durable.

We used the WOLF-Garten multi-change® Roller Moss Removal Rake to scarify and transform our lawn last year, and it’s safe to say the brand makes tough tools that can withstand some of the more taxing jobs in the garden.

The only caveat is that you’ll need to buy the handle separately – but once you’ve got that, you can simply swap the handle onto whichever tool head you need (if you start building up a collection of WOLF-Garten tools, that is!).

Actually, the variety of handles available is another thing I love about WOLF-Garten’s multi-change tools – it makes your garden equipment totally customisable, whether you’re looking for a shorter handle, an FSC-Certified Wooden Handle or a D-Grip Aluminium Handle, which we use.

My mum found that the aluminium handle, paired with the Weed Extractor, was lightweight to carry and use in the garden. All WOLF-Garten multi-change® tools simply click into place on the various handles available.

Other weeding tools to try

WOLF-Garten's multi-change® Weed Extractor is a firm favourite in my mum's shed. If you're after a sleek-looking tool that can make light work of removing weeds in the garden, it's worth giving this one a try.

While I love the large collection of plants and greenery that I’ve amassed outdoors on my patio and deck, when it comes to keeping the containers well watered (especially in the current hot spell), it can take a good while going back and forth with the hose and watering can each evening.

So when I heard about these terracotta watering spikes, £20.99, from Amazon, I was up for giving them a go to see if I could save some time on the daily watering routine. Plus with a long weekend away coming up and thinking about how to water plants when on holiday over the summer, I figure that any time-saving hack for keeping my plants hydrated and healthy while it’s hot is definitely worth a shot.

While investing in a smart watering system that keeps plants irrigated automatically is a sensible option, these systems can be pricey and time-consuming to set up initially. The immediate bonus of the terracotta watering spikes is that they can be put into action straight away with no tricky set-up involved, aside from the addition of a few empty glass wine bottles (which was no hardship to provide).

Using the terracotta watering spikes

So how do the terracotta watering spikes actually work? They are based on a slow watering system and ancient practice called the Olla irrigation method, which dates back over 4000 years and was used to water olive trees in hot climates.

Porous, unglazed terracotta pots were sunk into the soil and filled with water, so when the surrounding soil dries out, water slowly seeps out of the pot and provides a consistent source of moisture into the soil and to the roots of the surrounding plants.

The advantage of a slow-release system like this (aside from saving physical time on watering) is that water soaks deeper down into the soil, which encourages plants to develop deeper roots. Evaporation through the topsoil is also reduced, and less water is needed compared to above-ground watering, which is good news, especially in the current hot spell when watering plants in the sun is not advised.

Before using the terracotta watering spikes, simply soak the spikes in water for an hour or two before you start (this helps to ensure the terracotta is thoroughly saturated). Next, just push a spike into the soil of the soil, leaving just the top section visible in your container garden.

Then it’s time to grab your empty bottle. I’ve found that it's best to use a fairly long-necked bottle (a wine bottle is ideal) with glass bottles better than plastic as they are weightier and won’t wobble around if it's windy (which could damage the terracotta).

Then simply fill your bottle with water, hold your hand over the opening while you turn it upside down and then place the neck of the upturned bottle into the terracotta spike.

And that’s it. The porous terracotta spike then slowly distributes water into the soil, allowing it to permeate the soil deeper down where it's needed most and keep the plants hydrated and the containers moist so that they don’t need daily watering and solve the dilemma of whether to water plants in the morning or at night.

The filling frequency of the glass bottles will depend on how thirsty the particular plant is, how hot the weather is and also the size of the container. I gave my pots a good watering before popping the terracotta spikes into the soil and over the first weekend of use, the water level of one of the bottles (in a potted rose container) only went down by just over a quarter, with the soil still feeling quite damp.

I’ve found the terracotta spikes to be really useful for keeping the container plants on my small garden deck area watered - which is at the end of the garden and means dragging the hose down to water everything, which can be a pain. You get six terracotta watering spikes per pack, so I have allocated one to each of my palms so I can leave them off the list when it comes to the evening watering routine.

The one small downside of the terracotta spikes is that it does mean that there is a glass bottle sticking out of the pot (which some people might not like) but I got round this by opting for green or brown glass bottles as I think the darker colour blends into the foliage better - although this did mean consuming a few extra bottles of red wine, but I coped.

Shop similar easy watering picks

How's that for zero effort? Have you any easy watering hacks to share? Let us know in the comments!

While ‘getting your hands dirty’ as a gardener is all part of the fun, the mud-caked fingernails and thorny scratches soon start to lose their appeal after a while, so finding the best gardening gloves to keep your hands protected is a must.

There are plenty of reasons why gloves are an essential gardening tool to buy and wear while working outdoors. Earth and compost can be full of bacteria and soilborne diseases, so a trusty pair of gloves will keep hands clean and shielded from cuts and scratches, not to mention protecting thorny roses or plants you should never touch. And a sturdy pair will also come in very handy for tackling tougher outdoor jobs like landscaping, heavy lifting or garden clearance.

Choosing the best gardening gloves will depend on the tasks you plan to use them for. Thin, lighter-weight gloves will give greater dexterity for finer gardening jobs like potting up and weeding, while still keeping hands clean and scratch-free. Heavier-duty gardening gloves made of tougher materials and with extra padding are a must if you are working with heavy gardening equipment or need protection from coarse materials or spiky foliage.

I tested six gardening gloves below, with lightweight gloves, budget buys and heavy-duty options. Keep on reading to find the right pair of gardening gloves for you.

Best gardening gloves

How we tested these gloves

These gloves were tested by Ideal Home Content Editor Lisa Fazzani, in her Kent garden. The gloves were assessed for comfort and fit, materials, grip and protection, as well as if the gloves were waterproof or washable.

FAQs

Do thorn proof gloves work?

For thornproof gloves to work, they need to be made of a durable material that won’t let thorns penetrate, such as leather, suede or a tightly-woven synthetic material. Because the material of the gloves needs to be very thick and impenetrable, gloves don’t tend to have as much flexibility as a regular gardening glove. It is also important that gloves offer some protection for the arms as well as hands, so gauntlet-style gloves that cover the forearm are best.

What gloves are best for weeding?

If you’re doing fiddly gardening tasks like weeding or finer work like potting up delicate seedlings, then a lighter-weight gardening glove is the best choice. Usually made from tightly woven cotton or polyester, woven gloves will fit more snugly, offering greater dexterity than bulkier, heavyweight designs.

Gloves with nitrile coating on the fingertips and palms give extra grip (even when wet), so you can work nimbly, while the coating still gives some resistance to punctures and tears.

We've tested a range of gloves to suit varied gardening tasks. Will you be buying a new pair of gardening gloves this summer?

Along with putting the bins out, tending to the grass is on my husband's (very short) list of household chores, so when I was asked to test the Vonhaus G series cordless grass trimmer, you can only imagine how pleased he was when he realised there was another thing he was getting out of doing every weekend.

I'll be honest: my knowledge of garden tools goes about as far as knowing the difference between one of the best cordless strimmers and a lawn mower. Alas, I vowed to push myself out of my comfort zone, and now I can confidently say: the VonHaus G-Series Cordless Grass Trimmer, RRP £64.99, is so easy to use, in fact, it's the best grass trimmer for dummies (AKA me).

I used this grass trimmer to tend to my very overgrown lawn, to trim the sides, get rid of the weeds and cut the edges, and honestly, I can't quite believe I managed to do this job myself. You can find me for the foreseeable future showing my hard work off to my friends. Well, until it's outgrown again next week, that is.

This VonHaus strimmer isn't only easy to use, but it's super lightweight that even my Nan could use it, though I enjoyed it so much I'll offer to do it for her (don't tell my Husband). It's convenient to store as its handle extends, plus the fact that it's cordless means you won't find yourself tripping over a cord, and you don't need an outdoor socket (win!).

It's comfortable to hold, even for longer periods, though it does have a trigger pull, so you need to keep your finger on this at all times. Conveniently, the battery it uses also powers other Vonhaus tools, and it holds 50 minutes of battery life with a one-hour charge time. Here's what else I loved about using this trimmer — as well as some satisfying before and afters, plus whether I'll be using it to keep my garden tidy again.

In a nutshell

All in all, this trimmer is well worth the price tag. It can be used for trimming patches of grass as well as weeds, and it has an edge wheel for achieving those satisfying lines. Its flower guard proves useful when trimming around delicate areas, and I found it helpful while trimming around my decking.

It's easy and comfortable to use, and its battery life is incredible — 50 minutes of power from a one-hour charge. Maintenance-wise, it works with disposable spools, so you might find you need to replace these several times in one cutting session, but these are affordable and available to buy separately. When it comes to storing, it's nice and lightweight and can sit in the corner of a shed or garage, taking up minimal space.

The only complaint I have about it is that it doesn't have an indicator of when you need to replace the spool, as sometimes it's not super obvious that it's broken. But this isn't a huge issue as long as you remember to keep checking it while moving around your garden.

Specifications

• Dimensions: H90-122cm x W32cm
• Weight: 2.7kg
• Motor speed: 8500RPM
• Voltage: 20V
• Run time: 50 mins
• Charge time: 1 hour
• Material: Plastic, Steel
• Working diameter: Max 250mm
• Number of batteries: 1

Unboxing the VonHaus G-Series Cordless Grass Trimmer

Unboxing this grass trimmer set the par for the course: there was virtually zero packaging making it a total breeze to open. The main unit was just popped into the box, as was the blade part as it was unattached to the main unit. Both the battery and the charger for the battery came in small cardboard boxes.

There was an instruction manual included which is mostly full of safety warnings and precautions. There are a few easy-to-digest diagrams for setup, otherwise, the parts are explained well. In this manual, it explains how to operate the unit, as well as how to use the edge guide wheel and the flower guard.

I won't lie: the main unit doesn't initially feel super sturdy as it's made from a mix of plastic and steel. The telescopic pole is steel, and the rest (including handles) is plastic. But both handles are tough, and when you're using it, it doesn't feel flimsy at all. The spools are plastic, and you get 12 included because they can break from stones and general wear and tear. These are available to buy separately via VonHaus.

The battery arrived fully charged, which was very much a plus as it meant we could get to trimming straight away. All we needed to do was insert a blade, attach the safety guard in position, pop the battery in and set the handle to the perfect height.

Who will it suit?

To put it simply, this grass trimmer will pretty much suit anyone. It's cordless, so it's perfect for small, medium or large-sized gardens. Its battery life lasts for 50 minutes, which should provide enough time for edges and weed spots. Plus, it's lightweight at 2.7k kg, so even if you struggle to carry heavy items, its ergonomic handle should make it even easier to use. No matter whether you're short or tall, its handle extends to ensure your back is straight at all times.

If you're looking for a trimmer that gets the job done fast and easily, then this is it. It has a trigger operation, so while in use, you need only initially press a button and then pull the trigger; you can then release your finger from the button, so it's a one-finger operation. Lastly, with an RRP of £74.99 (including the battery), this is a total steal, so it's great if you're on a budget.

What is it like to use?

After a short and definitely not sweet lesson from my husband on how to use a trimmer, plus a skim through of the safety instructions, I was off. I also had a little play around with the few buttons it has. The big orange buttons by its head let you adjust the angle of its head, as seen in the photos below.

You need to push the button on the unit and then pull the trigger for the strimmer to start. This is a safety precaution so that you cannot accidentally turn it on. Once it has started, you can then release your hand from the button, but you need to keep pulling the trigger for it to work. A bit like your Dyson vac, really.

To trim my medium-sized lawn, I used four spools. One completely flew off and I didn't manage to find it, two snapped in half, and the other is still in great nick and is attached, so I'll use it next time.

I managed to trim my entire garden, big weeds and thick patches of grass included, and afterwards the battery had only dropped one level. It still had 2/3 of its bars remaining. I was seriously impressed.

Grass trimming

This trimmer really is so easy to use. Once you get used to the buttons you need to hold then it's just a case of hovering it over your grass and watching it work. It works fast, the cuttings don't fly too far away and as you go, you'll find you get used to the height you need to hover it in order to get the best trim height.

Trimming grass and smaller weeds was definitely the easiest to do. I found that I rarely had to replace a spool when just trimming the grass or going over longer patches. It did get noisier when used to cut through thicker patches of grass, though.

Edging

There's a dedicated edging guide wheel on this trimmer that allows you to create the perfect cut lines around places like patios, decking and flower beds. I can confirm this works — and it might be the most satisfying thing I'll ever do in my garden.

It did take a phone call to my husband and about 20 minutes of glancing at the photo in the instruction manual for me to get the gist, and it turned out that I had it right all along.

Essentially, you need to angle the head so that its wheel rolls along the floor as you move, not the grass. This orange plastic wheel won't fully touch the floor; only the edge of it will, but it will roll as you move along the edge of your lawn. Once you start trimming, you'll feel if you're holding it right, and you can visibly see if you're too close or too far away from the edge you want to perfect.

You can also use the flower guard to protect the blade from edges, which I ended up using around my decking. I didn't have any unprotected flower beds to test this on, but it was handy for use here. It just folds down and back up again.

Arguably, edging did make me use two spools as it's quite hard to initially gauge how close you want to be to the edge of your patio, sleeper or deck. So be prepared to replace spools during this step.

There's annoyingly no indicator to tell you when it needs replacing, but you will hear a change in noise, which is how I first realised that one had snapped.

Cutting weeds

Cutting weeds was arguably the trickiest part of the entire process for me. Mostly because I did find that this was the part the strimmer struggled with. Thicker and larger patches of weeds were proving harder to cut, and you could feel it while hovering over them.

I also struggled with finding the perfect height to hover the unit over the weeds, as I accidentally removed quite a lot of grass around one of the weeds.

Be sure to check your spools after you've removed each large weed as these can sometimes break them or even worse: make the spool fly off completely.

Cleaning

There's not much guidance on maintenance in the instruction manual, but it does explain how to remove the safety guard — you're going to need a screwdriver, though.

For me, after use, I found that the main unit was perfectly fine and didn't require any maintenance. I used my outdoor dustpan brush set and brushed any grass cuttings off the head. The underneath of the head was harder to clean as it seemed the grass had dried to it. After a good few uses, I imagine this will need cleaning with soapy water or a wipe.

Storage and maintenance

If you're concerned about storage space in your shed (realistically, who isn't?), then this is a grass trimmer for you. Storage-wise, its telescopic handle makes it smaller to store, while it doesn't have any other attachments, except spare blades, which are stored on board. You could wall mount it due to the fact that it's lightweight, but it doesn't come with any tools included to do so.

How does it rate online?

With 636 total reviews of this trimmer online, it has an impressive 4.5-star rating — and I'm hardly surprised. Most reviewers rave about how easy and lightweight it is to use, with some people mentioning that it's handy that the battery is universal, as they own other VonHaus tools.

Shoppers also love the edging guard for a perfect finish, and though some moan about the blades breaking easily, others like the idea of the disposable blades as it rids the need of feeding a line. Overall, shoppers love it because it's reliable and does what it says on the box.

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

As well as the G-Series, VonHaus also sells three other grass trimmers. The F-Series is the cheapest at £44.99, and it's still cordless. This trimmer only has a runtime of 30 minutes as it comes with a different charger, and it takes 1 hour and 15 minutes to charge. At 2kg, it's a lot lighter than the G-Series, and its cutting path is slightly smaller at 21cm, VS 25cm for the G-Series. This trimmer is best for quicker, smaller jobs as it only boasts 12V of power.

There's also the VonHaus Grass Trimmer & Brush Cutter, RRP £89.99, which is corded and boasts a 10m cable. With this comes more power at 1,000W, as well as a wider cutting path width of 23cm to 38cm. It's heavier at 5.6kg, and its handle isn't extendable. At £89.99, it trims and brushes your grass, and it works with a line instead of disposable spools.

Lastly, coming in at £129.99 is the VonHaus 36V Cordless Trimmer & Brush Cutter. This requires two batteries (both included), which makes it more powerful than the G-Series at 36V. It only has a runtime of 30 minutes but a charge time of 60 minutes. Its cutting width is wider than the G-Series at 25.5cm to 34cm. Do note that its handle isn't extendable, and it's the heaviest of the bunch at 5.9kg.

When in comparison with a bestselling grass trimmer, the G-Series is a top competitor. The SMILOVII 24V Cordless Strimmer is Amazon's bestselling cordless grass trimmer and costs £89.99 RRP. It's very similar to the G-Series in the way it boasts an extendable handle and an auxiliary handle. It comes with two batteries but boasts a 60-minute battery life. Blade-wise, it offers three to choose from: spools, a metal saw and a metal circular saw blade, depending on what you're cutting. Its speed, in comparison with the G-Series, is surprisingly slower at 6,000RPM vs 8,500RPM. It has a 4.1-star rating out of 5.

Should you buy the VonHaus G-Series Cordless Grass Trimmer?

The VonHaus G-Series Cordless Grass Trimmer is a great piece of kit at a very fair price tag. If you're looking for something to tend to and tidy your edges, then it's more than convenient as it's cordless and powerful at 20V, plus easy to use. Its disposable spools make easy work of maintaining the trimmer while it's comfortable in use, thanks to its telescopic handle that's also extendable.

I'd say this trimmer is suitable for pretty much any outdoor space, but particularly if you need to do a lot of edging and if you have flowers you'd like to avoid. It's also great for anyone looking for a lightweight tool, as it weighs just 2.6kg.

About this review, and the reviewer

They have similar roles, but what’s the difference between pruning shears and scissors?

If you’re in the market for some new garden tools, it’s important to make sure you’re buying the ones that will best meet your gardening needs. You might know your spade from your shovel, but things can get a little more confusing when it comes to pruning tools.

To help you decide which pruners you should buy, I spoke to the experts to find out the difference between pruning shears (often referred to as secateurs) and scissors in the garden.

While both pruning shears and garden scissors are used for pruning jobs in the garden, they’re built for slightly different types of pruning. You’ll need to get familiar with the difference between pruning and deadheading.

‘Garden scissors are smaller, more delicate tools used to make precise cuts to herbs, flowers, or plant stems – perfect for the daily deadheading of flowers or flower arranging,’ explains Mark Sage, B&Q’s horticulture expert.

There are plenty of plants you should deadhead for a second bloom, so if you haven’t got a pair of garden scissors in your toolkit, it’s worth buying some. They’re a lot smaller than pruning shears, and much more delicate.

Where to buy garden scissors

Pruning shears, on the other hand, tend to be for heavier pruning jobs. They're commonly known as secateurs, and you've probably already got a pair in your shed (in which case, it's worth learning how to sharpen secateurs).

‘Pruning shears have a strong, spring-loaded mechanism and chunky blades, designed for cutting through tougher stems and small branches,’ explains Liam Cleary, outdoor plants expert at Old Railway Garden Centre.

Where to buy pruning shears

Whereas garden scissors are better suited to softer flower stems, pruning shears are designed to work on the bulk of the plant.

‘They’re ideal for shrubs, roses or fruit bushes,’ says Liam.

If you’re looking for a deadheading tool, garden scissors are your best friend – but if you’re hoping to invest in some heavy-duty pruners, pruning shears (or secateurs) are the way forward.

It’s worth having both in the shed!

I don’t know about you, but pretty garden water butts are the surprising garden feature I didn’t know I wanted until the Ideal Home team spotted one at B&Q recently.

Any gardener will know how important a installing a water butt is for providing a fresh, free water source to help your garden flourish - as especially as the weather heats up and the possibility of hosepipe bans start rearing their heads.

However it’s fair to see that great big plastic water butts can be a little ugly. While there are things you can do to make a water butt more attractive, these pretty water butts require no additional effort.

These styles have clever planting space in the top so you can increase the physical appeal of butt and add some extra planting space to your garden at the same time.

As a home journalist, one of the best parts of the job is getting to view the upcoming releases of our favourite brands. It was at B&Q’s summer preview where we spotted the Amesbury water butt, which sparked my interest in pretty water butts - I never knew how much I wanted one until now.

The Amesbury water butt is not currently available to buy at B&Q, however I have seen an Amesbury Water Butt for £83 at Wicks. However, B&Q has two other alternatives that nail the pretty water butt or decorative water butt trend.

The Rainwater tank Water butt (£169 at B&Q) is both practical and stylish. It comes as a two-in-one set that includes an insert that can be inserted into the form of the pot so you can showcase your favourite flowers and plants. The clever feature means that not only does your garden have extra growing space, but your water butt will look less bulky.

Not only is this tank pretty, but it’s incredibly functional, too, holding 240 litres of water. The plastic is highly durable and frost-resistant, meaning you won’t have lost substance to style.

Similarly the Rainwater Tank Water Butt Plastic Container Garden Storage Barrel (£146.29 at B&Q) can hold 210L water whilst looking like a stunning terracotta pot. It’s also an integrated planter, meaning you can add plants, flowers and herbs for visual appeal and is made from weatherproof materials. If you’re not a fan of bulky, plastic butts, this one is perfect for enhancing your Mediterranean garden ideas.

I’m a little enamoured with the pretty water butt trend, but if you want to go even futher with upgrading your water harvesting ideas you can try making a rain pot out of a large terracotta pot and rain chain.

However, for now I'm giving my DIY skills a break and picking up one of these water butt turned planters for my outdoor space.

If you’ve found yourself down a leaf blower vs leaf vacuum rabbit hole, you wouldn’t be the first – they look very similar, and it can be tricky to know which one to go for.

Before you track down one of the best leaf blowers on the market, it’s worth considering the benefits of a leaf vacuum in the garden. Both are handy garden tools, but they operate a little differently from each other.

I spoke to the experts to unpack the differences between a leaf blower and a leaf vacuum, and the perks and drawbacks, to help you decide which one to buy.

Well, the clue is in the name: leaf blowers blow air to round up stray leaves, while leaf vacuums collect them. Deciding which one to go for will often depend on the size of your space.

‘A leaf blower moves leaves and debris into piles for collection, making it ideal for clearing large open areas quickly,’ explains Ryan Petterson, UK product manager at Husqvarna. So, if you've been wondering whether you should remove leaves from your lawn, a leaf blower is a great option.

Where to buy a leaf blower

That blast of air can come with a few drawbacks, though.

‘A leaf blower doesn’t pick up the leaves, can be loud, and can sometimes bother pets and neighbours or stir up dust and debris that’s already in your garden,’ says Andy Matthews, garden tools buyer at British Garden Centres.

If you’re using a leaf blower, you’ll need to use a rake to collect the leaves once they’ve formed a pile manually. That’s fine if you’re happy to add the task to your list of jobs to do in the garden in June and beyond – but if you’re hoping for a swifter tidy-up, a leaf vacuum might better fit the bill.

‘Leaf vacuums suck up leaves, cut them into mulch and store them in a collection bag attached to the power tool,’ explains Hayden Salt, garden centre manager at Jacksons Nurseries.

While leaf blowers are handy for larger gardens, leaf vacuums are more effective in smaller areas.

‘A leaf vacuum sucks up and collects debris in a bag, great for tidier cleanup in smaller spaces,’ says Ryan from Husqvarna. Think flower beds and narrow garden borders.

Besides collecting leaves, leaf vacuums have a few other benefits.

‘Leaf vacuums are usually quieter and cleaner to use,’ says Andy from British Garden Centres.

Better still, leaf vacuums often double up as a blower-vacuum with both functions, like Vonhaus's Leaf Blower with Vacuum and Mulcher.

Where to buy a leaf vacuum

Of course, as with most garden tools, there are a few drawbacks. You’ll still need to empty a leaf vacuum, for example.

‘It could be argued that the downside to having a leaf vacuum is that there is often limited collection capacity,’ says Rebecca Smith, buyer at Vonhaus. ‘It’s important to choose a leaf vacuum that has a good-sized collection bag.’

Wet leaves can also clog a leaf vacuum, so just as you need to clean other garden tools, it’s important to keep it well-maintained and watch what you’re collecting.

So, a leaf blower vs a leaf vacuum – what will it be? Both make garden maintenance a lot easier, but a leaf vacuum will save you from having to collect the leaves manually.

If you’re working with a larger space, though, a leaf blower can be more effective – you'll just need to factor in time to rake them all up!

It’s one of the most popular garden tools out there, but what is a garden fork used for, exactly?

If you haven’t already, you’ll want to add this garden tool to your shed. I recently explored the differences between a shovel and a spade, but the garden fork stands out as a distinctly recognisable piece of equipment. It has a few different uses, though, so I thought I’d take a closer look.

I’ve spoken to the experts to pinpoint what a garden fork is used for and its various benefits in the garden.

1. Preparing your soil

When it comes to cultivating soil for gardening, a garden fork is a staple.

‘Also referred to as a border fork, a garden fork is used for cultivating and preparing the soil, allowing air and water to penetrate,’ says Hayden Salt, garden centre manager at Jacksons Nurseries.

If you’ve been wondering how to improve clay soil for gardening, a garden fork is one of the most important tools to have in the shed.

‘Garden forks usually have four slender tines which are ideal for breaking up compacted soil,’ Hayden adds.

Where to buy a garden fork

2. Lifting plants and harvests

The tines on a garden fork make it perfect for lifting and transplanting plants.

‘You're much less likely to cause damage to root systems when digging up plants with a garden fork than a spade, because the tines won't cut roots off or tear right through them,’ explains Morris Hankinson, managing director and founder of Hopes Grove Nurseries.

A garden fork can also be used to lift potatoes and other root vegetables from the soil when it comes to harvest time.

3. Aerating your lawn

If you’re learning how to aerate your lawn for the first time this year and don’t own a manual or electric aerator, a garden fork will do a brilliant job.

‘Garden forks are perfect for many light tasks around the garden,’ says Hayden. ‘This includes aerating a lawn, thanks to their long and slender tines.’

Making holes in your grass with a garden fork might seem counter-productive, but it’s actually one of the best ways to improve lawn drainage.

4. Turning compost

If you’ve learned how to make compost and amassed a large heap, a garden fork is ideal for turning it over.

Turning your compost regularly can actually aid decomposition and achieve that rich, crumbly organic matter even faster.

If you're in the market for a compost bin that you don't need to fork over manually, you can pick up an Outsunny 160L Tumbling Compost Bin for £52.99 from Amazon, which has a rotating chamber.

5. Weeding

If you’re keen to get rid of weeds but don’t have a dedicated weeding tool to hand, a small hand fork like Draper's Carbon Steel Heavy Duty Weeding Fork from Amazon can be an effective alternative.

‘Garden forks are great tools to use when weeding, as they can pull up all the roots to prevent them from growing back,’ says Morris.

FAQs

What is the difference between a garden fork and a digging fork?

They’re very similar, but generally, a digging fork is the larger version.

‘In contrast to a lighter and slightly smaller garden fork, a digging fork is for heavy-duty garden tasks,’ explains Hayden from Jacksons Nurseries. ‘They tend to have shorter and thicker tines which are more durable to work through hard or compacted soil, and a wider head.'

Digging forks are usually reinforced, which means they’re slightly heavier than other garden forks.

So, what is a garden fork used for? Countless garden tasks! It's definitely one to add to your list.

The spade vs shovel distinction is a tricky one: at a glance, both garden tools look much the same. But what is the difference between a spade and a shovel, exactly?

Both are important garden tools, and their function is similar: they can both be used to dig, for example. But the crucial difference lies in the shape of each tool, and that gives each its own strength in the garden.

I checked in with the experts to explore the difference between a spade and a shovel and help you find the tool you need.

The spade vs shovel query is a common one, so let’s get straight to it: the main difference between a spade and a shovel is actually the shape of the blade.

‘A spade has a flat, straight blade that’s great for digging neat holes, cutting through soil, or making clean edges around your garden beds,’ explains Andy Matthews, garden tools buyer at British Garden Centres.

'A spade is best suited for digging, cutting through roots, edging borders, and creating defined planting holes,' agrees Mark Hewett, Wilkinson Sword sales manager for garden tools and accessories. 'It’s the go-to tool for tasks that require precision and force.'

So, a spade is the more favourable candidate for seeing those garden edging ideas to fruition. But what about a shovel?

Where to buy garden spades

‘A shovel has a curved, scoop-shaped blade which is perfect for picking up and moving loose soil, compost, or mulch,’ says Andy.

If you’re after a traditional digging tool, then a shovel is the more traditional choice. The scooped blade is ideal for mulching and planting bare-root trees, as well as various other plants.

The blade isn’t the only distinguishing feature, though – the handle can be a tell-tale feature, too.

Where to buy garden shovels

‘A spade usually has a shorter handle, sometimes with a T or D shape at the top, which helps you push down into the ground with more control, especially in tight spots or when you need to be precise,’ explains Andy.

A shovel, on the other hand, is more suited for digging action.

‘Shovels often have a longer handle, which makes it easier to lift and scoop material,’ Andy says.

While they're alike, spades and shovels have slightly different purposes in the garden.

'Think of the spade as your surgical instrument for neat, clean cuts, and the shovel as your workhorse for heavy lifting and shifting,' Mark summarises.

So, while a spade and a shovel are very similar, each has its own strengths. Go for a spade for tougher, precision jobs, and a shovel for tasks that require lifting and, well, shovelling.

If you’re looking for a lightweight grass trimmer that’s easy to handle, the Gtech GT50 grass trimmer, £126 on Amazon could be just the tool for the job. Weighing in at just 1.8kg, it’s one of the lightest cordless strimmers on the market – ideal if you struggle with heavier tools or have a lot of awkward edges to reach.

With a safety switch, ergonomic handle, adjustable loop harness and a swivelling head that makes it simple to switch from trimming to edging, the GT50 offers safety and comfort alongside portability. It also ditches the traditional line or string of a strimmer in favour of easy-to-fit plastic blades.

I put the GT50 to work in my small city garden and a local community vegetable garden for a few weeks in April, in dry and warm conditions for the time of year. I evaluated its cutting quality, ease of use, manoeuvrability, as well as runtime and charging time. Discover how it performed during testing and learn more about its features, advantages, and limitations.

In a nutshell

The Gtech GT50 grass edge trimmer is a super-portable garden tool that takes the heavy out of heavy lifting when it comes to keeping your lawn trim. Powered by a rechargeable 18V lithium-ion battery, it offers up to 30 minutes of runtime, ideal for quick tidy-ups.

With an adjustable and ergonomic handle, a safety harness and a weight of just 1.85kg (just over four pounds), the GT50 is around the same weight as a laptop, making it a great lightweight option for smaller lawns that don’t need the heft of a lawnmower. Plus, you can switch from trimming mode to edging mode with just a quick swivel of the GT50’s head.

On the flip side, it takes a long time (four hours) to charge up, which can make spontaneous trims challenging, and the plastic blades can shoot off in all directions if they get too close to hard surfaces.

Specifications

• Measurements: (H)14 cm x (W)136 cm x (D)18 cm
• Weight: 1.85kg (4.08 lbs)
• Type: Cordless
• Battery voltage: 18 V
• Runtime: 30 minutes
• Charging time: 4 hours
• Material: Plastic
• Safety switch: Yes
• Cutting modes: 2 (edging and trimming)
• Cutting width: 23 cm (9.05 inches)
• Cutting speed: 9000 RPM
• Cutting reach: 120 cm (1.31 yards)
• Extra battery? No
• Warranty: 2 years

How I tested

Unboxing and setting up

The Gtech GT50 grass trimmer arrived in a cardboard box. Everything inside was well packaged and secure. Most of the packaging was recyclable, while two plastic bags could be recycled at larger recycling centres.

Inside the box you'll find the pieces that slot together to create the grass trimmer, including an ergonomic handle and pole, the trimmer head, a removable, rechargeable battery and charging plug, a 'shroud' for the trimmer head, a pack of 20 replacement blades and a safety harness, which clips onto the handle. There's also a product manual.

It's incredibly easy to slot everything together, and it all feels well-designed and robust. The shroud is a little trickier to clip on; you'll need to ensure all three clips are in place at once before pushing down and securing the shroud to the trimmer head. In all, the set-up takes just a minute or two!

Although the trimmer comes with some charge, you'll want to make sure it's fully charged before your first cut. After all, a full charge only gives you 30 minutes of runtime.

Design

While everything, right down to the blade, is made of plastic, it doesn't feel cheap. There's enough heft to the tool's weight that gives confidence during use, while still being incredibly easy to lift, manoeuvre and control.

The GT50 has Gtech's distinctive green, white and back colourway. Triggers and buttons that allow you to swivel and move the handle and trimmer head are highlighted in bright green, making them easy to spot and use quickly without fiddling around.

The rechargeable battery simply clicks into place, and the LED dial shows you how much charge is left in a simple 'Simon says' game design.

I like the bright and breezy design aesthetic of the Gtech GT50. You're unlikely to lose sight of it in a dark shed, and you can also disassemble it for easy storing in a cupboard, making it perfect for smaller homes with limited storage.

Using the GT50 is a dream. It's so light (just 1.8 kg - around the same weight as a laptop) that you can simply glide it about your lawn. However, the safety harness makes it even easier, reducing the strain on your back and helping you get an even cut.

Many cordless grass trimmers available on the market typically weigh between 2.5 kg and 4 kg, depending on their battery size, motor power, and build materials. For example, models from brands like Bosch, Black+Decker, and Ryobi often fall within this weight range. The GT50's lighter build is particularly brilliant if you're looking for ease of use.

If you're used to the old days of trimming strings, you may be surprised by the plastic blades that the GT50 employs. These brightly coloured green plastic blades simply clip into place on the trimmer head. There's no detangling or fiddly insertion needed.

One thing you'll need to ensure is to wear safety glasses. It would be great if these were supplied with the GT50, but thankfully, I had some on hand for DIY projects. Even the smoothest of lawns can contain twigs or stones, and the slightest movement from the trimmer blade can pelt these in all directions, so it's important to protect your eyes.

Performance

First up, I took the GT50 out to my tiny city garden lawn for a test run. The lawn has seen better days since my Golden Retriever likes to use it as a toilet, but there's still enough grass to test out the GT50's capabilities and plenty of edging to tidy up.

The GT50 has a 23 cm cutting width and operates at 9,000 RPM, making it very efficient at tackling longer grass. Although there's no way to set a cutting height, like with lawn mowers, I found the cut to be sharp and consistent, largely because the unit is so light that it's easy to control.

You can set the angle of the trimmer head by pushing in the green button and moving the head to click into place. It's ideal if you have a sloping or hilly lawn, as you can simply adjust the angle to suit the incline.

Because my lawn is so small - only around four metres squared, I was able to tackle the whole area in one go. But I think anyone with a larger lawn would struggle to finish mowing in the 30-minute runtime, especially if you want to edge the lawn at the same time.

Speaking of edging, it's super-easy to turn the GT50 from a trimmer to an edger. Just swivel the trimmer head and you've got a separate tool. I used the edger to trim the parts where grass (and even soil) has started to creep over the wooden frame that boxes in the lawn.

As you can see, the GT50 cut straight through the grass and soil to trim the edge and reveal the woodwork, now in need of some restoration!

I did find at first that the trimmer mangled a few millimetres of the lawn itself, but that improved as I became more confident about where to place the blade at the edge.

The ease of control allowed me to use the edging function to quickly and easily trim around curves, neatening up the edges and sharpening the lawn's contours.

You can also use the trimmer to cut away the bulk of weeds that have taken over your beds. I used it in my local community garden to clear weeds from a bed earmarked for tomatoes. It halved the time it would have taken to pull weeds out by hand and also reduced the amount that went into the compost bin.

Another advantage of the GT50 is that it allows grass clippings to stay on your lawn, rather than bagging them up. Grass clippings are full of nitrogen, one of the key nutrients your lawn needs to stay green and healthy. As the clippings break down, they return nutrients to the soil, reducing the amount of fertiliser you need to buy and apply. A light layer of clippings acts like a natural mulch, helping the soil hold onto moisture. This can be especially helpful during dry spells.

You won’t need to stop mowing to empty a grass box, and there’s no need to drag bags of clippings to the bin or compost heap. It’s just easier to let them lie!

There was one downside to the GT50's performance for me, though. I found that the plastic blades flew off quite easily, especially if they hit rock, wood or dense soil. During my testing, I managed to get through no fewer than eight blades.

Thankfully, the blades are easy to fit on quickly. Plus, the GT50 comes with 20 blades, and you can buy 50 replacement blades at the Gtech site for just £3.99 with free delivery. However, I'm not pleased about bits of plastic flying into my lawn and shrubs, most of which I couldn't find again.

Ease of use

I've tested and reviewed a variety of garden tools over the years, and I've been pleased at how manufacturers have worked to make these tools lighter and easier to manoeuvre, so that they're accessible to more people, especially those with limited mobility.

The GT50 is at the top of its game when it comes to ease of use. Not only is it light and simple to operate, but the adjustable ergonomic handle means that you can customise how you hold the trimmer to suit your height and level of comfort, minimising strain on your back and shoulders. The harness helps to evenly distribute weight, too, giving you even more control.

The swivel head allows for almost seamless switching between trimming and edging without having to reach for extra tools or accessories, while the simplified blade system ends the struggle of detangling nylon wires and strings.

The built-in safety switch also prevents accidental start-ups (you need to actively press it before engaging the power trigger), so you can feel safe and confident during operation.

Hands down, it's one of the simplest and easiest gardening tools I've ever used.

Noise levels

The GT50 operates at around 90-94 db, which is comparable to the noise level of most petrol-powered trimmers or a loud vacuum cleaner. It's not whisper-quiet, but it's certainly not the loudest tool in the shed either. The noise level feels typical for cordless trimmers and shouldn't be a deal-breaker for most users.

Storage and maintenance

When it comes to storing the Gtech GT50, I couldn’t ask for anything simpler. It’s compact and super lightweight, so it doesn’t take up much space in the shed or under the stairs. Because it’s cordless, I don’t have to worry about tangled wires or dragging extension cables around either.

If you wish, you can even take the trimmer apart and store the separate pieces in a cupboard, as everything clicks smoothly together again without any fuss. Or you can hang it on a hook off the floor in your shed or garage for even more space-saving.

I give it a quick brush and then a wipe-down with a damp cloth after each use to keep it clean, and I store the battery indoors to protect it from any frost or damp.

That’s pretty much it - no oil changes, no spark plugs and no drama. If you’re after a no-nonsense trimmer that won’t ask much of you, this one's a dream.

Energy use

One thing I really appreciate about the Gtech GT50 is how energy-efficient it is. Because it's battery-powered, I don’t have to mess about with cords or extension leads - I just pop the battery on charge and I’m good to go.

It runs on an 18V lithium-ion battery, which gives me up to 30 minutes of trimming time once it’s fully charged. Charging takes about four hours, which can rather take the spontaneity out of gardening, but that's ok.

As for electricity use, it’s incredibly low, roughly the same as a laptop. So I’m not worried about a spike in my energy bills. Plus, it feels good knowing I’m using something that doesn’t pump out emissions like a petrol trimmer would.

How does it rate online?

At the time of writing, the G-Tech GT50 cordless grass trimmer rates very highly with happy customers. With over 1000 reviews on Amazon, it has an overall star rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars.

Customers note its ease of use and effective performance, and appreciate the trimmer's power and comfort during use. They also rate the cordless design and ergonomic handle.

On the Gtech website, over 3,000 happy customers have given it a 4.4-star rating out of five, while many praise the trimmer for its robustness. However, quite a few customers express disappointment with how easily the blades fly off during use, and others say they would prefer a longer battery life and faster charging time.

Should you buy the Gtech GT50 cordless grass trimmer?

If you’ve got a small garden and want a grass trimmer that’s light, easy to store and simple to use, the Gtech GT50 is well worth considering. It’s one of the lightest cordless models on the market – perfect for quick tidy-ups and tackling edges without breaking a sweat. It’s ideal for older users, those with limited mobility, or anyone short on storage space who wants a tool that’s light, compact and ready to go.

The ergonomic handle, safety harness and easy-swivel head make trimming and edging a doddle, while the plastic blades are a breeze to fit. Setup takes minutes, and everything feels sturdy and well-designed, despite the all-plastic build.

But there are some trade-offs. The 23cm cutting width is narrower than rivals, and the 18V battery takes four hours to charge for just 30 minutes of use. Plus, the battery only works with two other Gtech tools, limiting its versatility.

Buy it if you want a lightweight, no-fuss trimmer for small lawns. It’s not one for big gardens or long sessions, but for neat edges and quick trims, it gets the job done.

I love pressure washing, especially the first clear down of the season, when all that nasty winter grime gets sluiced away in readiness for a summer of BBQs and day drinking on the patio! So satisfying. I also love that I got paid to conduct an independent review of the Greenworks G40 pressure washer, £209 at Currys, a compact cleaning tool designed for domestic home and garden use. Double win!

Packing a 1900W motor, it delivers a maximum pressure of 135 bar and a flow rate of 420 litres per hour, which should be absolutely ideal for cleaning patios, driveways, cars, and all those other outdoor projects that suddenly feel urgent once the sun brightens in the sky. With acres of patio to de-gunk and plenty of vehicles to keep clean, I was also excited to try out the 12” patio cleaner, soap dispenser and brush attachments – who doesn’t love pressure washer accessories? Just me then…

I had lots of fun testing the Greenworks G40 over a warm spring weekend, on the patio, garden fencing, cars and an exceptionally filthy horse lorry – I even got my husband Nick in on the action. I’ve used loads of pressure washers over the years, some I’ve bought, others I’ve had on review and either returned or sold. The model I have yet to beat is the Stihl RE 120 Plus (sadly, mine was stolen when we had a break-in last year, sob!), which has a very similar spec on paper. As the Greenworks G40 retails at half the price, I was especially interested to see how it would compare.

Would it earn a spot in our highly contested best pressure washer line-up, or turn out to be a bit of a damp squib? Stick with me to find out…

Specifications

• Model number: PWA111
• Dimensions: H60cm x W31cm x H38.5cm
• Voltage: 230V
• Wattage: 1900W
• Weight: 11.5kg
• Cable length: 5m
• Hose length: 6m
• Pressure (max): 135 Bar
• Flow rate (max): 420 L/H
• Nozzles: 2
• Accessories: Patio cleaner, foam sprayer, brush

In a nutshell

Given its price just under £200, Greenworks G40 pressure washer’s performance in cleaning everyday outdoor areas – cars, patios, driveways, and garden fencing – is surprisingly good, especially when dealing with winter’s grime. Its compact size, affordable price, and good range of accessories make it a compelling option for budget-minded users or first-time buyers.

However, the setup can be frustrating due to excessive plastic packaging, fiddly assembly (notably a troublesome spray wand connection), and overall build quality that relies heavily on plastic components. While it delivers on cleaning power, its assembly and durability fall short compared to more premium models.

It does come with a three-year warranty, so you might decide it's worth a punt.

Unboxing the Greenworks G40 pressure washer

I’m not going to lie, my first impressions of the Greenworks G40 pressure washer were not great. First up, the packaging was rammed with polyethene plastics – everything that could be wrapped in plastic was wrapped in plastic.

Some of it was widely recyclable 02 plastic, but a lot of it was less easy to recycle 04 plastic, plus it was annoying to have to unbag stuff that really didn’t need to be bagged in the first place.

Once I’d wrestled it all free from the packaging, I then had to put it all together, including screwing in the front pedestal holder, which was easy enough to do but not something I’d been expecting. I’m more used to just connecting the spray wand hose and getting straight on with the cleaning! The operator manual has teeny tiny print and comes with an A4 sheet of diagrams that do make sense, but could be bigger for the sake of my squinting eyes.

Things got worse when I just could not get the spray wand to connect to the hose. The instructions say, “engage the gun holder into the slot until it locks into place”. It did not and would not slot into place. I gave up and waited for Nick to come home and take a look. He managed to jiggle something down inside the connector, and, after using his full body weight to push the hose on, it finally clicked into place.

When connecting all the other parts, it soon became clear how the Greenworks G40 pressure washer can have such a bargain price tag. I’m used to brass fittings on this type of garden tool, not least because a tight seal is important when you’re dealing with high water pressures, but apart from one brass high pressure hose connector at the back of this machine, they are all plastic fittings, and they don’t click together with any kind of reassuring firmness or ease.

Overall, the build quality was disappointing, with a gaping joint gap on one side and a stiff, high-pressure hose that curled together in an annoying manner. Even the pull-up handle used to trolley it around doesn’t stay up and locked in place like I’d have expected. It took me about 20 minutes to get it all unboxed and assembled (not including the wait for Mr Muscle). Not a great start.

Who will the Greenworks G40 pressure washer pressure suit?

You do get what you pay for with this machine and it would suit anyone on a budget looking for their first pressure washer. It’s fairly compact, so won’t take a lot of space in your garden shed, and the pressure it delivers is sufficient for all but the very worst ground-in dirt and stains.

What is it like to use?

After a pretty shaky set-up, I wasn’t expecting a great performance from the Greenworks G40 pressure washer, but this is where it shone (thank goodness).

I connected the electric plug to our outdoor socket via an extension cord because you only get 5m of flex to play with, and then locked the garden hose into position using a standard Hozelock-type connector.

Then it’s just a case of turning the power switch on and squeezing the handle lever in. Oh, and grab some ear defenders, this beast is LOUD – recording an ear-splitting 91dBA on my iPhone decibel monitor App.

Greenworks G40 pressure washer pressure: Performance

Car

I decided to start testing on the car, which had about three weeks’ worth of dirt going on. The Greenworks G40 comes with two nozzle choices: fan jet (which can be adjusted to make it gentler) and rotary. The fan jet is designed for cars and larger surface areas where you want to work quickly, and the rotary is a more intensive nozzle that cyclones the water for removing stubborn dirt.

Connecting the fan jet nozzle, I went in for an initial rinse down to get off the worst of the muck, getting in close around the wheel arches and step plate. Next, I popped on the soap dispenser. I say popped, I found it incredibly hard to remove and connect things to the spray gun – you line up the pins and then push down with all your strength before it will twist into position. There may have been swearing.

The soap dispenser was loaded with car detergent that had been supplied by Karcher for a different product test, there was none included with this Greenworks order.

The dispenser works pretty well; it foams nicely, although it did whack through the detergent, so I’d probably dilute it next time.

Once it was all soaped up, I wrestled on the brush attachment and went over the car to see how well that worked. It could have had softer bristles. I was slightly concerned for the bodywork of our car, and the angle wasn’t great.

I had to stand in a funny sideways gait that soon became uncomfortable on my arms. However, it did remove the last vestiges of mud. Nick then stepped in to give it the final spray off, so I could photograph, and we were both pleased with our efforts.

Lorry

OK, so perhaps this was a bit of a niche test, but it was a good example of washing larger areas that are significantly muddy. The girls have been out and about all winter with their ponies, so it was good and dirty. I didn’t bother with the brush this time, but did switch to the rotary nozzle (again with difficulty) to nail some particularly stuck bird poop stains and it worked a bit too well, taking some of the paintwork off. Luckily, the lorry is old, so nobody noticed! I quickly reverted to the fan nozzle and finished the job, again, pleased with the results.

It's worth noting that the spray wand, while not excessively long (80cm), gave me just enough reach to get to the top of the lorry sides (although I am 5’10”, so that would have helped). I did find the tight curl on the high-pressure hose a bit unwieldy, and a few times had to give it a good yank to gain enough hose to move around the vehicle. I would also have appreciated a longer power cord.

Patio & stonework

Next, I had a go at our patio, which is natural limestone and badly in need of resealing. First, I tried the patio attachment, which is a 12-inch wide hoverboard type affair with a spinning sprayer that’s designed to cover a large area quickly and without the back-spray/mess you’d get without it.

I think if our slabs had been properly sealed, it would have been fine; there were a couple that came up nicely, but on the whole, the black stains and stubborn mildew/lichen/who-the-heck-knows refused to budge, and I had to admit defeat.

I then put on the most powerful rotary nozzle, and it did a better job on the slate-topped stone walls and steps down to the lawn, but there were still some deeply ground-in damage that hung on, and so the results were not terribly satisfying.

In fairness, I think our patio might require specialist help, perhaps sanding back and starting again.

Fencing

Now this task was a lot more satisfying, not least because the green algae coating our black driveway fencing had been winding me up on the regs all winter. Mindful that I didn’t want to take the paintwork off with the algae, I plumped for the fan jet nozzle and twisted anticlockwise to get the softest setting. This was also quite a wide setting, meaning I could whizz up and down the fence planks in seconds. Pure joy.

The algae came away easily, and I nailed most of it in less than half an hour. It’s quite an expansive area, and before my brain was getting fried by the noise levels. I definitely should have worn ear defenders, but I was really happy with the results.

What's it like to clean and store?

Cleaning and putting away any garden machinery or tools is not my favourite thing (I’m the same when doing any kind of decorating and DIY tbf). But I know how important it is for keeping your gear in good condition, especially those that use electricity and water.

So, I consulted the operation manual and read the usual advice about making sure all the water is drained out of pipes and nozzles, cleaning the latter with a soft brush and dislodging blockages with a paperclip. Nothing particularly gruelling is required. The main unit can be wiped down with a damp cloth if you feel the need, just don’t use any strong chemicals to clean it.

This isn’t a big machine, and the power cable wraps onto one side (manually), while the high-pressure hose can be tucked around the pull-up handle to create a neater silhouette. It won’t take up a lot of space in your shed, but it must be stored upright and in a clean, dry location away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. The extra nozzle and wand extension for the patio cleaner can be stored on the machine itself, but the patio cleaner head, brush and soap dispenser will take up extra space.

How does it rate online?

I went down a bit of an online rabbit hole to find out what other users thought of the Greenworks G40, and I wasn’t surprised by what I discovered. It tends to average around 3 out of 5 stars in customer reviews, with ease of use and portability being the main advantages and some concerns about build quality as the drawbacks.

Some anecdotal evidence (especially on forums like Reddit and a few review threads) highlights issues with assembly, less-than-robust hose/gun connections, and occasional durability problems when tackling heavier tasks, such as cleaning stonework. Most people seemed fairly happy with its capability when it came to everyday cleaning around the garden, but there were a few warnings not to expect too much!

Should you buy the Greenworks G40 pressure washer pressure?

I did enjoy pressure washing with the Greenworks G40 and can report that it is indeed well suited for cleaning patios, driveways, cars, and similar outdoor projects. While my first impressions weren’t all great, and I will never rate the build quality (it’s the main reason I gave it a 3.5 score overall), if you’re on a budget and need a powerful enough pressure washer for everyday cleaning tasks, the Greenworks G40 could be a good fit.

However, if you need a machine that’s more hardcore – one that can handle heavy-duty jobs without fuss – you might be better off investing in something more robust. For me, while the cleaning performance was solid, the setup hassles and build quality issues mean it’s only worth it if your needs aren’t too demanding.

How does it compare to similar pressure washers?

The most obvious comparison model for me is the Stihl RE 120 Plus, because I have tested it and absolutely loved it, but also because it offers the same 135 bar pressure and 2200W motor and similar accessories. If I were buying, I’d go for the Stihl again, hands down, and regularly curse the thieves who hot-footed it away with mine. Even though it costs about £200 more, the build quality is so much better, everything is easier to use, nozzles click together nicely, and it just feels robust and well-made.

If you are resolutely on a Greenworks budget, or just don’t have a lot of pressure washer needs, the Karcher K4 Universal Pressure washer (which I’ve also tested), offers much better build quality for a very similar price but you’ll lose a tiny bit of pressure (130 bar) and (depending where you shop) it doesn’t come with patio cleaning accessories.

About the review, and our reviewer

A lightweight, compact pressure washer will make all those summer cleaning jobs so much easier - and that’s exactly what Aldi is providing with the new pressure washer hitting the middle aisle this week.

The best pressure washers can transform outdoor spaces, from cleaning your driveway to patio paving slabs.

Landing in stores on 29 May, the Aldi 20V High Pressure Washer is cordless, lightweight and compact for all your garden cleaning needs. This is everything you need to know before you hunt it out instore.

At £29.99, Aldi’s pressure washer is an incredibly affordable option, making it an ideal choice. The pressure washer claims to be 4x more powerful than other garden nozzles and has multiple spray patterns from 0,15,24,40, and watering.

This powerful pressure water has a rubber-coated soft grip handle, a five-in-one nozzle spray attachment, a cleaning brush, a carry bag, one long lance, one short lance and one six meter water hose. The Aldi 20V High Pressure Washer also has a maximum pressure of 22 bar and a maximum water flow of 160 L/H.

The portable pressure washer doesn't include a water tank but instead can draw water from a bucket, sink, water bottle or even a lake.

If you’re still stuck on the fence, then perhaps the multitude of items you can pressure wash (even things you didn't know you could pressure wash) can change your mind. This essential garden tool may be great for restoring patios, but you can also use it to wash off bikes and sports equipment, your front porch, garden fence, and even to give your wheelie bin a facelift.

Cordless pressure washers, like Aldi’s, are often considered easy to use, quieter than corded pressure washers and weigh a lot less than corded models, too.

The main drawback of cordless pressure washers is that they don’t pack quite as much of a punch as a corded model, meaning it may take a little more time to banish grime from surfaces. We haven’t tested the Aldi 20V High Pressure Washer, but for £29.99, it’s affordable enough to take the risk. Plus, Aldi is well-known for the quality of their Specialbuys.

All you need now is one of the best patio cleaners to pair with your new pressure washer for a sparkling outdoor space this summer. What do you say?

Ideal Home's best rated pressure washers

If you're not quite convinced by Aldi's pressure washer, here a few more, tried and tested by Ideal Home's trusted experts.

As much as I love getting busy outside and ticking jobs off my gardening ‘to-do’ list, weeding is the one chore that I’d happily give a miss. Getting rid of all the stubborn weeds growing in and around the gaps on my patio and paths is my absolute least-favourite garden task, so when I heard about the Weed Sweeper from QVC, I was itching to give it a go.

With its old concrete paving slabs, wide pathway and curved brick edging, my patio has endless cracks, crevices and annoying gaps in the grouting, which the weeds seem to love and are more than happy to take root in. And while I’ve tried countless methods for how to remove weeds from a patio, the problem is that they just keep on coming back.

I’m not a big fan of using harsh chemicals in the garden, especially with little ones or pets around, so when it comes to how to get rid of weeds naturally, I usually resort to grabbing a knife or screwdriver and digging the weeds out by hand. But stooping down to reach them or kneeling on hard concrete slabs (more often than not) can be hard-going on the knees and back, so a tool that promises to take on the job without all the effort… well, I’m here for it!

Using the Weed Sweeper

The electric Weed Sweeper works by using a powerful 140W motor that rotates a nylon or wire brush head, which then dislodges any weeds, moss and debris from the gaps in between slabs and paving or along path edges.

The setup of the Weed Sweeper was pretty straightforward, with the pieces slotting together easily. Sizewise, it’s similar to a strimmer with an easy-grip contoured handle and a second smaller handle to give extra leverage. And it’s lighter to hold than many strimmers at just 2.5kg, so easy to manoeuvre and no strain on the shoulders either.

The brush head discs are easy to fit and change using the wrench supplied. The nylon brush head (top) is recommended for lighter vegetation (such as the most common garden weeds) and more delicate surfaces like decks and patios that might be easily scratched; while the wire brush head (bottom) is suggested for tougher weeds and harder surfaces like concrete, paving slabs and driveways (two sets of each brush head are supplied).

Operating the Weed Sweeper was a doddle. The brush head sits on one side of the sweeper, while on the other side, there is a wheel that helps guide it along the line of your paving or pathway. Switch it on and it just whizzes along in a line with the brush head spinning around and dislodging weeds (roots and all) from in between the gaps, literally in seconds, leaving a clear, weed-free line.

Clearing the entire patio of weeds was a super-speedy job - unlike the time-consuming and back-breaking task that it usually is - and it’s weirdly satisfying seeing everything cleared out of the gaps in just seconds.

The wheel makes it easy to guide the weed sweeper along, plus there is a plastic shield guarding the brush head that prevents any debris from flying upwards. I found it easiest to work row-by-row when it came to my slab paving, going horizontally first, then vertically to cover all areas.

I was also impressed by the extra-long 10m cable, meaning that I could plug it straight in without the need for an outdoor extension cable (as with my lawn mower). The safety button feature is another bonus.

I found the nylon brush head worked well on my patio paving, but swapped over to the tougher wire brush when I moved onto the front garden path and pavement. The concrete slabs weren’t a problem at all for it, with the weeds cleared from the path in seconds again.

The last challenge for the weed sweeper was my brother-in-law’s driveway, with how to stop weeds growing in block paving a constant problem there. We found the smaller block paving harder work than clearing weeds from in between larger patio slabs, as there are many more lines (and weeds) and a larger area to cover.

But it achieved a pretty decent result (although it did take longer), and with water consumption a hot topic at the moment, we agreed it offers a low-effort alternative for clearing a driveway or how to clean a patio without a pressure washer.

The verdict? Now that I’ve discovered the Weed Sweeper, I wouldn’t be without it. Clearing my patio and paths of weeds was a job that I really didn’t look forward to doing, but now, if any weeds do appear, I can have the patio cleared in minutes.

Shop these Weed Sweeper alternatives

If the Weed Sweeper isn't quite what you're looking for, we have a few alternatives you can shop, including one with a variety of brush attachments.

Will you be investing in a Weed Sweeper? If not, what's your favourite weeding tool? Let me know in the comments!

The LawnMaster 1800W Electric Hover Lawn Mower is designed for medium to large-sized gardens and offers a lightweight, highly manoeuvrable solution for tricky lawns, curved edges and uneven ground. With a 36cm cutting width and a 26-litre translucent grass collection box, this powerful hover mower makes light work of regular mowing. It floats on a cushion of air, helping you glide easily over bumpy, compacted lawns where traditional wheeled mowers can struggle.

I tested the LawnMaster hover mower across the month of May, tackling a lawn that hadn’t seen rain in weeks and had been thoroughly churned up by a playful golden retriever. I focused on how well the mower handled tough grass conditions, how easy it was to push and steer around tight corners, and how cleanly it cut. I also looked at how easy it was to set up, adjust the cutting height (between 12mm and 33mm), and store away after use.

Read on to see how the LawnMaster 1800W performed under pressure, and discover more about the clever features that make it one of the best lawnmowers for a medium-sized garden.

Specifications

• Suitable for: Medium to large lawns
• Power: 1800W corded electric
• Propulsion: Manual push with air-cushion hover support
• Cutting options: Cuts, collects, mulches and compacts grass
• Deck material: Lightweight but durable plastic
• Weight: 8.38kg
• Dimensions: Compact and space-efficient (folds for storage)
• Cutting width: 36cm
• Cutting height: 12mm to 33mm (adjustable with spacers)
• Grass collection: 26L translucent box with compaction
• Cable length: 15m
• Blade: Reversible metal blade, sharpened on both sides
• Folding: Yes – handles fold over body for compact storage

How I tested

Unboxing and setting up

The LawnMaster 1800W Hover Mower arrived in a cardboard box, with just a few plastic ties and sleeves to dispose of – a win for anyone trying to keep their packaging waste low.

The assembly took a little patience. The instruction manual was clear enough, but connecting the upper and lower handles feels like a two-person job – trying to hold everything steady while tightening the wing knobs solo is doable, but super tricky.

Once in place, though, the handles felt solid, and the 15m power cable clipped neatly along the frame using the provided cable clips. A thoughtful extra: the height adjustment spanner conveniently clips onto the central bar, so you’re not rummaging through the shed when you need it.

Once set up, this mower really shines. There’s no waiting around for a battery to charge – you just plug in and go. The powerful 1800W motor gives it a satisfying boost, and the mower glides smoothly on its cushion of air.

What really impressed me was the option to switch to mulch mode. By adjusting the chute and flicking the mulch mode selector, you can prevent grass from being collected in the box. Instead, the finely cut clippings are scattered back onto your lawn, where they naturally break down and feed the grass. It’s a handy, eco-friendly option for when your lawn doesn’t need a full collection.

The 26-litre grass box clicks easily into place, and when you do want to collect clippings, it compacts them well to reduce emptying trips. Just close up the collection chute and switch out of mulch mode.

Lawn mowing

Once everything was assembled, it was time to get mowing. I didn’t need to worry about charging a battery — just plug in the generous 15m cable and off you go. It gives you plenty of range, especially in medium-sized gardens, without the constant hassle of unplugging and relocating. Plus, there’s no anxiety about your battery giving up on you mid-cut.

Before starting, I adjusted the cutting height using the supplied spanner. It was a quick and easy job: simply loosen the nut, add or remove a spacer, and retighten. I started with a mid-height setting – a good choice for giving the lawn a tidy-up without taking too much off the top. You’ve got four height options in total, from 12mm for a close cut to 33mm for longer grass, which makes this mower super flexible for different seasons and grass conditions.

Starting the mower was as simple as pressing the safety button and squeezing the handle. It’s worth noting this mower is on the louder side at 96 dB (that 1800W motor delivers real power), but it does make a fair bit of noise. You might want to consider ear protection if you're using it for extended periods, or at least avoid waking up the neighbours early on a Sunday morning.

The hover action made manoeuvring around flowerbeds and curved lawn edges easy. It felt lightweight and agile, even on sloping or uneven ground.

The 26L grass box was easy to lift out and empty, but what I really liked was the option to switch to mulch mode. A simple lever adjusts the chute, letting you return finely chopped clippings to your lawn — great for feeding the grass and cutting down on waste.

The foam-covered handle is comfortable and folds down neatly for storage, but it only comes in one fixed height. Taller or shorter users might find themselves bending slightly while mowing.

While the 15m power cable gives you loads of reach, there’s no built-in hook or tidy clip on the mower itself for stowing it neatly after use, so you’ll need to find a way to coil and store it. I wrapped it around the handles to keep it from getting tangled up in the shed.

Ease of use

Cutting the grass with the LawnMaster hover mower was a breeze. Once plugged in, it was ready to go – no waiting around for batteries to charge, just a quick press of the button and pull of the handle, and I was off.

The mower floated easily over most of my lawn, making light work of general mowing and gliding smoothly around borders and awkward curves.

That said, parts of my lawn have been seriously rutted by a boisterous golden retriever, and in those bumpier areas, the mower did struggle a little to maintain lift. I had to give it a nudge to keep it moving, but that’s to be expected with any hover mower on very uneven ground.

I tested the mower in mulch and collection modes, and both had their perks. When set to mulch, barely any grass ended up in the collection box, which was exactly what I wanted. The mulching feature worked brilliantly, letting airflow in and returning tiny clippings to the lawn as a natural fertiliser – ideal for a quick tidy-up without having to empty the box.

On a separate mow with the mulch mode turned off, the mower did a great job of collecting and compacting the clippings into the 26L grass box. Emptying was straightforward – it simply lifts out from the top, and tipping the contents into the compost bin was no hassle at all.

Cleaning the mower afterwards was refreshingly easy. The underside of the deck is nice and simple, with no fiddly crevices, and the blade, which is impressively sharp, wiped clean with just a brush.

I did find myself wishing for a hook or clip to hang the mower off the ground neatly in the shed after use. The handle folds down flat, though, so it still stores away compactly.

During my time using it, the LawnMaster 1800W Hover Mower felt like a well-designed, no-nonsense mower that’s perfect for regular garden maintenance, especially if you’re short on time or patience.

Verdict

Overall, the LawnMaster 1800W Hover Mower is a powerful, lightweight, and surprisingly versatile machine that delivers a fuss-free mowing experience. From its easy plug-in start to its mulching option and compact fold-down design, it’s ideal for anyone who wants reliable results with minimal maintenance.

At under £150, it’s also great value for money, especially for a corded hover mower with enough power to handle uneven ground and tough patches. The 15m cable gives you plenty of reach for medium to large-sized gardens, and the reversible blade and adjustable cutting height add to its appeal.

There are a few niggles worth noting. The lack of a storage hook means you’ll need to get creative with cable management, and on very bumpy ground, the hover lift can falter slightly.

Assembly is a bit fiddly too, particularly if you're flying solo. I also found it tricky to extend and collapse the upper handle - you need to snap the upper handle into the grooves to get it to sit securely before tightening, which needs a little strength. Similarly, you'll need to pull each side out a few millimetres to allow the upper handle to collapse over the mower for storage.

Still, this mower impressed me with its performance, ease of use, and clever design touches - like the onboard spanner and mulch mode. If you’ve got a medium-to-large lawn and want the power of a corded mower without the bulk of a wheeled model, the LawnMaster 1800W is a smart and budget-friendly choice. Plus, once it’s packed away with the handles folded flat, it takes up surprisingly little room in the shed or garage.

My Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 review puts the brand's cordless mower through its paces – and I'm impressed with the results.

The Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 boasts an adjustable cutting height mechanism, a foldable design for compact storage, and a generous 420mm cutting width. It's powered by a 48V lithium-ion battery and has a collapsible 50-litre bin for grass cuttings.

If you're looking for one of the best lawnmowers on the market, or you're wondering whether a cordless lawnmower is worth it, you'll want to read on – I've covered ease of assembly and use, mowing performance, and the battery life, so you can decide for yourself.

Specifications

• Suitable for: Small to medium lawns
• Power: Cordless (battery-operated)
• Propulsion type: Manual
• Cutting options: Cut, collect
• Deck material: Poly
• Weight: 13.5kg
• Dimensions: H106 x W47 x D122cm
• Cutting width: 42cm
• Cutting height: 30mm to 80mm
• Battery: 1 x rechargeable lithium-ion (48V)
• Battery life: up to 40 minutes on a single charge
• Grass collection: 50L
• Noise decibels: 78-96dB
• Folding: Yes

How I tested

Getting started

My Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 arrived neatly packaged in a cardboard box with minimal packaging – just the essentials, like cardboard sleeves and protective plastic film here and there.

Setting up the mower was quite straightforward. To start with, I had to move the handle into place. There are two height settings for this, which was great news for me – I’m quite tall, and the higher setting meant I didn’t have to bend forward when using the mower.

Positioning the handles was fairly easy – I had to rotate the locking handles on the inside of each side and lock them into place. It was a bit fiddly trying to get the grip just right, but it was easy enough to loosen the lever and adjust it accordingly.

Then, it was time to attach the grass box to the back of the CLM50. I really liked the design of the box – it has a fabric base which is collapsible for easy storage. To set the box up, I simply slotted the metal pole into the soft holder beneath the fabric base, and it propped into shape. It’s easy to dismantle this part, too.

The grass box easily slots into the back of the mower. It was slightly fiddly trying to hold the plastic flap open on the rear of the CLM50 while I positioned it, though, and I struggled to hear the 'click' the manual described when the box was in place.

I also charged the battery up before I used the Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 for the first time. The charging base connects to the mains and the 48V lithium-ion battery itself easily fit into the holder. A flashing green light told me it was charging, and it didn’t take long for it to reach its full charge (it takes just one hour to reach a full single charge).

The battery fits into the front pocket of the CLM50 – I just had to lift the flap and slot it in. It takes a bit of force to make it ‘click’ into place, but a green light indicates that it’s positioned correctly.

Lawn mowing

With the battery fitted, I was ready to start mowing. But first, I had to choose my cutting height.

I really loved the adjustable cutting height feature – the handle was easy to move into the desired cutting height, with options ranging from 30mm to 80mm. I chose 60 for a happy medium – I didn’t want to cut the grass too short, but my lawn was in need of a good haircut!

Then, I had to turn the safety key to the unlocked position. The manual stressed the importance of keeping this key in the locked position while the mower isn’t in use (and removing it entirely before emptying the grass box or carrying out other maintenance tasks on the mower), so it's a really crucial safety feature.

Once I’d turned the key, starting the Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 was easy. I simply pushed the button on the side of the handle (a clear 'click' meant I’d pushed it in enough) while simultaneously pulling the thinner green lever on the top handle bar towards the thicker grey bar. It didn’t take much force at all, and the mower smoothly kicked into action.

I had to hold the two bars together while mowing, but that was effortless – even with my small hands! Whenever I wanted the mower to stop, I simply released the bars.

Mowing itself was really easy. I mowed up and down my lawn at a walking pace, and the machine did a swift job. I completed the entire thing in 10 minutes and didn’t have to retrace my steps for any missed patches.

The Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 includes Omniblade Cutting Technology, which Gtech describes as 'intelligent', because the blade rotates faster (to 3500RPM, ahead of the usual 2800RPM) whenever it senses that extra power is required.

The only niggle-point I could find was that the wheels on either side of the mower made it difficult to get a close cut next to border edging – but that's to be expected with a fair few other models on the market as well.

Ease of use

Cutting my grass with the Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 was a real treat. Pushing the mower felt light and easy, and it made quick work of the entire area.

The mower itself feels like a high-quality product. As it’s cordless, it already supports the corded vs cordless lawnmower debate in that it’s really faff-free without the lead. It was so easy to move around the garden with the CLM50, and I’d say it’s the smoothest mowing experience I’ve ever had.

Another feature I really loved was the light on the battery that indicated the charge level. By the end of my mowing session, three green lights were visible through the see-through plastic screen, so around 60% of charge remained after around 15 minutes of mowing. Gtech say that a one-hour charge provides up to 40 minutes of cutting time so that seemed to check out!

Before I stored the mower in my shed, I had to empty the grass box. This was really easy – I simply had to unslot the box, tip out the contents and give the mower a brush over.

Gtech advertises the Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 as a lightweight model at 13.5kg, and it certainly felt that way while mowing – but I did still find it a hefty unit to hand-carry to the shed once I’d finished. Still, I love the way the mower folds down for compact storage.

Verdict

Overall, the Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 is easy to setup, provides an effortless mowing experience, and offers faff-free features which make lawnmowing as straightforward as possible. Its adjustable cutting height mechanism, easy-to-read battery and ergonomic design mean it’s brilliant for novice gardeners as well as experienced lawn aficionados.

At £599.99, it is more expensive than other models on the market, but if you’re looking to invest in a quality cordless lawnmower, the CLM50 is a sturdy choice.

The only thing I'd say is that the mower itself can be a heavy unit to lift, and certain parts of the setup, like fitting the grass box beneath the rear flap, can be a bit fiddly.

Those niggle-points aside, it's a sleek, reliable mower. Other reviewers agree – the Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 gets 4.6 out of 5 stars on Currys, with customers commenting on its ease and manoeuvrability.

If you're looking for a sleek, easy-to-use cordless mower with great storage ability, the Gtech Cordless Lawnmower CLM50 is worth the investment. If you have a large garden, the 40 minutes of battery life might interrupt a full mowing session – but if you have a smaller garden and you're tight on storage room, the foldability makes the CLM50 a brilliant option.

I don’t know about you, but ‘Aldi’ and ‘robot lawn mower’ are not usually words I would include in a sentence together. But now I am, because Aldi is launching a robotic lawn mower.

Landing in the middle aisle on 1 May, I don’t expect this specialbuy to be on the shelves for long. Promising to keep your lawn pristine at minimal effort, it begs the question: Is Aldi coming for the crown of the best lawn mower this year?

The robotic mower offers higher-end mowing features at an affordable price, it’s £250 cheaper than B&Q’s Yard Force MB400 Robotic Lawnmower.

But is it worth investing in? This is everything you need to know about the Aldi robotic mower.

At just £199, the Aldi robot lawn mower is one of the cheapest models I’ve seen. If you’ve been wondering how much to spend on a lawn mower, experts typically recommend spending anything between £200 and £400, making this mower feel like a total steal.

The garden gadget claims to be hassle-free, keeping your garden in shape with minimal intervention from you. Controlled via app, which connects to the mower using a Bluetooth connection, you can sit back, relax and control the mower with your smartphone. You can even schedule the mower in advance.

Aldi states the lawn mower has a one-time setup, meaning it should be easy to connect every time you use it. It also comes with a charging station and clip-on cover for all weather protection.

The Aldi robot lawn mower has obstacle, tilt and turnover sensors so you don't have to worry about it falling over on your lawn. Plus, it has a maximum slope of 30%, meaning you can still use it if your garden isn’t flat. It has been designed with adjustable cutting heights to mow grass from 20-55mm with precision in gardens up to 400m.

The features of this robot mower all sound wonderful, but having not tested it myself, I can’t vouch for how good it is. But a long-time fan of the Aldi middle aisle, I can say I have always been left impressed by their products in the past.

At Ideal Home, our trusted reviews have tested robotic lawn mowers before - the Flymo EasiLife GO 250 Robotic Lawn Mower - and found robotic mowers are an effective bit of kit. They mow effectively and have a subtle presence.

However, robot lawn mowers typically are an investment. So, Aldi’s £199 price point makes it an affordable choice if you want to dip your toe into the world of smart homes and robot gadgets.

I’ll admit I’m completely intrigued by the Aldi robot lawn mower and quite fancy giving it a try. Has your arm been twisted too?

Robot lawn mower alternatives

The Aldi robot mower has been bought back for 2026, but these are a few alternatives we recommend instead.