When it comes to robotic lawn mowers, you can forgive me for saying I’ve always thought they were a bit of a gimmick.
Robot vacuum? Sure. I would never give mine up.
But a robot that mows your lawn? Surely it would neither do a good and reliable job or was truly necessary.
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Then, I moved into a detached family home in Sydney’s Northern Beaches with a steep and rocky block, and discovered that during the spring, summer and well, almost all, months, the grass grew — and it grew quickly.
My husband and I went from spending our weekends at the park with the kids, at the beach or out running to spending full days out in the garden, both cutting the lawn, planting and weeding the endless things that sprung up.
So when I was offered the chance to review a robot lawn mower, I didn’t so much jump at the idea so much as scream “YES PLEASE and how long until I get it?”
I’ve been using the MOVA LiDAX Ultra AWD Flex (currently $2,999) for the past month. Here’s how I’ve found it.
MOVA LiDAX Ultra AWD Flex tech specs
When it comes to how this robovac works, there is much to be impressed with.
Engineered for intelligent lawn care, the robotic lawn mower has varying levels of tech for precise positioning and mowing.
It has also been equipped with a 360 degree 3D camera for helping with mapping and operating reliably in any light, on any different kind of terrain.
MOVA say that the camera’s AI capabilities mean that it can create accurate maps of your garden, while the all-wheel drive system handles slopes of up to 80 per cent and obstacles up to 6cm.
Sounds ideal for my Seaforth garden.
Finally, something called UltraTrim 2.0 enables edge cutting as close as 3cm for that pristine clean finish, and the smart U-shaped path mowing maximises efficiency.
The adjustable range of 3–10cm accommodates seasonal changes and various grass types, helping you achieve a clean, neat lawn.
Out of the box
After opting for the $2,999 lawn mower alongside one of MOVA’s stylish Robot Lawn Mower Garages ($229) so we can store it up the top of our back garden, my husband and I set about getting the MOVA LiDAX set up.
Thankfully, it wasn’t nearly as long, arduous or confusing as I thought it might be, and we were mowing the lawn well within an hour of taking it out.
Connecting the mower to the MovaHome app is even easier. The app recognised the mower immediately and started pairing it.
It then gave us the option of automatic and manual mapping so that we could get the area of our 168 square metre garden sorted.
We tried AI, but with a relatively difficult lawn, found the manual mapping process easier.
Among the many pieces of good news surrounding the lawn mower, I particularly enjoyed the fact that it isn’t too heavy or cumbersome.
I also love the little garage so you can store it like a car and don’t need to lift it out of the garage every time you want to use it, instead just pressing a button and letting it go.
Upon first use, I was impressed with how quickly and easily the LiDAX navigated our steep and rocky terrain.
It doesn’t seem to blink when it goes over uneven patches, instead doing as neat a job as possible with something that isn’t even a strimmer.
7You tests
One of my favourite features of this lawn mower is its AI capabilities.
No sooner had it cut the lawn of my garden once, than it knew exactly what is was doing.
The satisfying stripes of freshly-cut grass were the icing on the cake, as was the fact that this thing does not hate steep or rocky ground.
In fact, it’s pretty much made for those medium to large blocks that you would think a robot lawn mower should struggle with.
This lawn mower travels systematically up and down my lawn now, leaving perfectly cut grass in its wake.
Even better, it perfectly respects any boundaries you make on your lawn and goes right to the edges — something I thought a non-manual machine would struggle with.
I love setting it up to go on the app and walking away from the garden to get a cup of coffee, only to look up at the garden and see it doing its thing.
Should you buy one?
At $2,999, this is an expensive piece of tech.
And while many of the readers of this piece will not need a robot lawn mower that is as advanced as this, if you have a medium to large garden, uneven terrain and rocky ground, this thing will become your new best friend.
My husband and I have spent our Saturdays marvelling at how well it handles slopes and uneven ground, making our garden look fantastic and well-looked-after in well under an hour.
I would whole-heartedly recommend this mower to someone with a biggish garden who wants a little bit more time back to do the things they love.
It has certainly done that for us.
For more information and to shop the MOVA LiDAX Ultra AWD Flex for yourself, head here now.
