There are a few things that seem to happen as you get older…
You start discussing compost with alarming enthusiasm. Garden centres become a legitimate day out. And, if my husband is anything to go by, you develop a deep fascination with other people’s robot lawn mowers.
For at least the last two summers, there has been a noticeable pause whenever we visit friends who own one. Conversations are interrupted. Demonstrations are requested. Questions are asked.
“How does it know where to go?” “Does it cope with slopes?” “Can you control it from your phone?”
The answer, it seems, is increasingly yes. And so, when we received a press release from MOVA we felt compelled to write something…
Smarter Gardening, Less Mowing
As someone who has only recently embraced gardening myself (and still feels disproportionately proud when something survives), I can appreciate the appeal of anything that frees up more time to actually enjoy the garden rather than maintain it.
MOVA’s latest range aims to do exactly that. Unlike older robot mowers that often required perimeter wires to be installed around the edge of the lawn, the new models use intelligent navigation systems, AI technology and app-based controls to map and manage mowing automatically.
Which means less digging, less setup and, importantly, another app for the gadget lovers amongst us to become obsessed with.
Which One Is Right for Your Garden?
The new collection includes three models designed for different garden sizes.
The MOVA ViAX 300 (£519) is designed for smaller gardens up to 300m² and offers wireless setup, virtual boundaries and intelligent mowing paths.
The MOVA ViAX 500 (£699) steps things up for medium-sized gardens, covering up to 600m² and adding enhanced navigation through 360° LiDAR and AI vision technology, helping it navigate more complex layouts and narrower spaces.
For larger gardens, the MOVA LiDAX Ultra 800 (£799) is the flagship model. Designed for areas up to 800m², it combines advanced LiDAR, AI vision and GPS-independent navigation with obstacle detection and multi-zone management. In simple terms, it’s the clever one.
The Appeal of Letting the Garden Get On With It
What strikes me most about robot lawn mowers isn’t necessarily the technology itself. It’s what they represent.
We’re all looking for little ways to reclaim time. Whether that’s a robot vacuum tackling the crumbs indoors (absolute godsend!) or a mower quietly trimming the lawn outside, there is something appealing about handing repetitive jobs over to technology and getting a few hours back in return.
Particularly during summer, when the grass seems to grow at a speed that defies logic. Of course, there will always be people who genuinely enjoy mowing the lawn. My dad certainly did, although I suspect that had less to do with achieving the perfect stripe and more to do with the fact it guaranteed an hour or two of peace and quiet.
But for everyone else, the prospect of a quiet, emission-free robot doing the job while you enjoy a cup of coffee (or G&T) in the sunshine is becoming increasingly attractive.
Do We Need One?
Need is probably a strong word. But judging by the longing looks directed at our friends’ robot mowers over the years, I suspect there may well be one arriving in our garden at some point.
And if it happens to come with another app to monitor and optimise performance? Well, that will simply be an added bonus for some.
The MOVA robot lawn mower range is available now from retailers including Currys, Amazon, B&Q, AO, Wickes and Very, with prices starting from £519.
