We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Shopping People Tested The 6 Best Walk-Behind Lawn Mowers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed Keep your yard looking pristine with our top picks By Camryn Rabideau Camryn Rabideau Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer specializing in home, kitchen, and pet products. In her 6+ years of experience as a product tester, she's reviewed hundreds of items firsthand, and her work appears in publications such as PEOPLE, The Spruce, Homes & Gardens, and more. Camryn is also the proud owner of a small homestead in Rhode Island, where she spends her spare time gardening, tending her many animals, and working through a never-ending list of home improvement projects. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 7, 2024 11:27AM EST In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Our top picks Reviews Things to Consider How We Tested FAQ Why Trust PEOPLE? What Is People Tested? People / Lauren Meyers Warm-weather months are almost upon us, which means it’s time to start thinking about lawn care. You can use a wide variety of lawn mowers to keep your backyard looking pristine, but it’s important to find the right option to fit your yard — and your budget. If you have a small to midsize yard, a walk-behind lawn mower generally provides the right balance of value and efficiency. Nicole Durden, senior merchant of outdoor power at The Home Depot, says that both gas and electric mowers can make lawn care an easier chore. “Depending on your yard's size and terrain, a walk-behind mower is ideal for a yard that’s 3/4 of an acre or less," she adds. Today, you can find walk-behind lawn mowers that are powered by gas, batteries, or even an extension cord. To help you select the best product for your yard, we tested nine popular gas, electric, and battery-operated models, putting them through the paces in different yards and terrains over 10 hours of testing. After many hours of mowing, we evaluated each walk-behind mower on its design, performance, usability, safety, and value. The following are the best walk-behind lawn mowers that PEOPLE Tested. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Honda 21-Inch Gas Self-Propelled Lawn Mower at Northerntool.com (See Price) Jump to Review Best Budget: Sun Joe Electric Lawn Mower at Amazon ($149) Jump to Review Best Electric: Greenworks 20-Inch 3-in-1 Corded Lawn Mower at Amazon ($230) Jump to Review Best Battery-Powered: EGO Power+ 21-Inch Self-Propelled Mower at Amazon ($549) Jump to Review Best Gas: Honda Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower at Home Depot ($799) Jump to Review Best Self-Propelled: Ryobi 21-Inch Dual-Blade Self-Propelled Mower at Home Depot ($599) Jump to Review Best Overall Honda 21-Inch Gas Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Lowe's View On Northerntool.com View On Home Depot $549 Our Ratings Design 3.7/5 Performance 4.8/5 Usability 4.2/5 Safety 5/5 Value 4.5/5 Pros The mower can cut through dense and wet grass on the first pass. It starts quickly and reliably with just one pull. The mower has excellent mulching abilities even with wet leaves. It's a good value for a lawn mower because of its size and power. Cons The bag latch can become clogged with clippings and may need to be cleaned out before reinserting the bag. The mower's self-propelled speed doesn’t respond well to slight increases. In terms of all-around performance, our top-recommended walk-behind mower is this model from Honda. The gas mower has a self-propelled design that’s powered by a four-stroke 166cc engine, yet we found that it was extremely easy to start up, only ever needing one pull to get the motor going. The tool has a 21-inch cutting deck and weighs around 75 pounds, but despite its substantial weight, the self-propelled design made it easy for us to operate and navigate around obstacles in the yard. This Honda lawn mower did a phenomenal job while cutting, and it was able to cut through dense patches of grass and weeds in a single pass. Less time spent mowing means the sooner you can break out your favorite grill and the rest of your summer outdoor gear. We even tested it in slightly damp conditions, and it didn’t get bogged down at all. You can choose between rear discharge, bagging, or mulching grass clippings, and we loved that the mulching setting cut debris up into fine pieces that will help feed nutrients back into the lawn. It's a great value for its size and power, the mower was even able to mulch wet leaves and grass without any issues. While we were impressed with this mower’s overall performance, there are a few small caveats worth noting. The area where the collection bag latches to the mower frequently got clogged with grass pieces, and we had to clean it out before reattaching the bag. Additionally, the self-propulsion doesn’t respond well to gradual increases in speed — it tends to go from slow to fast with no options in between. Power Source: Gas | Cutting Width: 21 inches | Weight: 74.75 pounds | Self-Propelled: Yes | Clipping Options: Rear discharge, bag, mulch People / Lauren Meyers The Spruce / Lauren Meyers People / Lauren Meyers Best Budget Sun Joe Electric Lawn Mower Amazon View On Amazon $149 Our Ratings Design 5/5 Performance 4/5 Usability 4.5/5 Safety 5/5 Value 5/5 Pros This lawn mower is very lightweight, and it feels similar to operating a vacuum. Its small form is easy to maneuver and can fit into tight spaces. The mower is extremely quiet. Cons Grass can get clogged underneath the mowing deck, which causes the mower to shut off. If you have a small yard, chances are you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a push mower. Luckily for you, the Sun Joe Electric Lawn Mower is an inexpensive option that’s unbelievably easy to use and maintain. This lawn mower is half the weight of many other walk-behind models we tested, and its corded design makes it easy to mow a small yard without worrying about running out of power. In testing, we found that it requires very little effort to push — we’d compare it to pushing a vacuum cleaner across the carpet — and were impressed by how quiet it is while mowing. This electric mower can get into tight spaces easily, thanks to its 14-inch cutting deck, but it can get stuck if you’re cutting thick grass. During testing, the mower shut off on us because the blades were clogged up. However, it was easy to clean out the cutting deck and continue mowing. The only major downside of this compact electric mower is that it solely bags grass clippings, and the collection bag is extremely small. We had to empty it two or three times while mowing a 400-square-foot area, which made the process take a little longer than expected. Power Source: Plug-in | Cutting Width: 14 inches | Weight: 29 pounds | Self-Propelled: No | Clipping Options: Bag People / Heather Norman The Spruce / Heather Norman People / Heather Norman Best Electric Greenworks 20-Inch 3-in-1 Corded Lawn Mower Amazon View On Amazon $230 Our Ratings Design 5/5 Performance 4.8/5 Usability 4.8/5 Safety 5/5 Value 5/5 Pros It's a good value for a larger corded mower. The mower performs well on both dry and damp grass, as well as tall weeds. It has no problem navigating over uneven ground. The mower is easy to push with one hand, even though it’s not self-propelled. Cons It can be a bit bulky to turn or maneuver around obstacles. Clippings often fall out when emptying the collection bag, even if it’s not full. The Greenworks Corded Lawn Mower is a great value if you don’t mind working around an extension cord as you mow. This electric model has a fairly large 20-inch cutting deck, and it offers side discharge, bagging, and mulching abilities, unlike other corded models we tested. We used it on dry and damp grass, and it had no problems cutting either one, breezing right through tall weeds. It also did a good job capturing grass clippings in the included collection bag, though some do spill out when you remove the bag for emptying. We tested this mower on a fairly uneven lawn, and thanks to its large rear wheels, it didn’t have any problem driving over divots that have posed a problem for other mowers. We were able to push the mower around with just one hand, holding the power cord with the other, but it does require two hands to turn the mower around, as it’s a bit bulky (and not self-propelled). Bottom line? With its affordable price and reliable performance, this mower is a good option for anyone with a smaller yard who wants a corded lawn mower with features. Power Source: Plug-in | Cutting Width: 20 inches | Weight: 56 pounds | Self-Propelled: No | Clipping Options: Side discharge, bag, mulch People / Abby Mercer Best Battery-Powered EGO Power+ 21-Inch Self-Propelled Mower Walmart View On Amazon $549 View On Acmetools.com View On Mscdirect.com Our Ratings Design 4.8/5 Performance 4.5/5 Usability 4/5 Safety 5/5 Value 5/5 Pros It still had power left after 50 minutes of use. The handle can be adjusted to different heights and angles for maximum comfort. It's easy to maneuver. It's a quiet, low-maintenance mower. Cons The mower did get bogged down on a wet patch of grass and ferns. Starting the mower is a bit complicated and hard to understand based on the directions. There are several benefits to battery-powered mowers like the EGO Power+ Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, including its lack of emissions, quiet operation, and minimal maintenance. It's a good choice if you want a more environmentally friendly option. This 21-inch lawn mower only comes with one 56-volt battery, but it was able to mow for 50 minutes with power to spare, making it a great option even for larger yards. On first use, we struggled to figure out how to start the mower — it’s not as simple as just pushing a single button — but once we conquered that hurdle, it was smooth sailing. The self-propelled design was easy to maneuver around the yard, and we loved that it requires minimal effort, so it won’t strain your back. The mower delivered a clean, even cut, even when the grass was damp, and it’s easy and intuitive to adjust settings like the cutting height and mower speed. We did find that the mower would occasionally get bogged down in thicker, wet areas (for instance, it had trouble cutting through a patch of ferns), but this is the case with many mowers, so we don’t think it’s a dealbreaker. Power Source: Battery | Cutting Width: 21 inches | Weight: 54.5 pounds | Self-Propelled: Yes | Clipping Options: Side discharge, bag, mulch People / Megan Wood People / Megan Wood Best Gas Honda Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower Homedepot View On Home Depot $799 Our Ratings Design 5/5 Performance 5/5 Usability 5/5 Safety 5/5 Value 5/5 Pros The mower is easy to start without priming or worrying about flooding the motor. You can lock in your desired speed on this motor so you don't have to hold down a lever. There’s a setting that allows you to half bag and half mulch the grass clippings. Cons It took a little trial and error to find the right deck height and speed setting. If you have a lot of ground to cover, we recommend this Honda HRX Lawn Mower. It’s powered by a 201cc engine that easily cuts through thick and dense grass, yet it’s incredibly easy to start up — we were able to get the mower going with a single pull, no priming needed. The Honda mower also has four-in-one functionality, meaning you can side discharge, bag, mulch, or shred grass clippings, and we like that there’s even an option to bag half and mulch half. This setting would definitely come in handy if you’re cutting longer grass. This mower also stood out thanks to its convenient self-propelled design. The control bar has a knob that lets you select the speed you want, essentially locking the mower at that pace so you don’t have to worry about holding the lever down at the right pressure. It can also go quite fast — we found that a medium speed was comfortable for walking, but you could dial it up for faster mowing if desired. Overall, we had very few complaints about this self-propelled mower. It did take a little trial and error to find the right deck height and speed setting, but once that was done, the mower delivered a nice even cut every time. Power Source: Gas | Cutting Width: 21 inches | Weight: 91 pounds | Self-Propelled: Yes | Clipping Options: Side discharge, bag, mulch, leaf shred Best Self-Propelled Ryobi 21-Inch Dual-Blade Self-Propelled Mower The Home Depot View On Home Depot $599 View On Ryobitools.com Our Ratings Design 5/5 Performance 4.3/5 Usability 4.8/5 Safety 5/5 Value 4/5 Pros This mower was particularly quiet during operation — it almost sounded like a white noise machine. The battery-powered mower offers comparable power to a gas mower. The batteries lasted for more than three mowings (42 minutes total) without needing to be recharged. Cons The grass collection bag is fairly small and needs to be emptied frequently. The Ryobi Dual-Blade Self-Propelled Lawn Mower is our top pick for anyone with a hilly yard, as its self-propulsion abilities outperformed the competition in our testing. This electric mower has a standard 21-inch deck, and we found that it performs just as well as gas mowers thanks to its two powerful 40-volt batteries. It offers variable speed self-propulsion that lets you match the mower to your pace, and it has no problems tackling hills during testing. In fact, the feature can be too fast on straightaways if you turn it to max speed — we had to jog to keep up with it! Because this mower is battery-powered, it’s much quieter than a gas mower, almost sounding like a white noise machine. It also impressed us with its runtime — we were able to mow a 2,000-square-foot yard three times without needing to recharge the batteries. While we loved the convenience and easy operation of this mower, it wasn’t totally perfect. The main negatives we discovered were that the grass collection bag was quite small and needed to be emptied frequently while mowing, and the mulching setting left behind quite a few dry leaves on the lawn. Power Source: Battery | Cutting Width: 21 inches | Weight: 75 pounds | Self-Propelled: Yes | Clipping Options: Side discharge, bag, mulch People / Jennifer May People / Jennifer May Things to Consider Before Buying a Walk-Behind Lawn Mower Power Source There are three main styles of walk-behind lawn mowers: gas, battery, and electric, also called corded. Gas mowers are usually the most powerful option, boasting large motors that can power through thick grass and weeds, but they’re also loud and require frequent maintenance, including oil and spark plug changes. For these reasons, battery-powered models are becoming more popular: “Homeowners have been gravitating to battery power for a few years, and we’ll be seeing even more of that in 2023 with various laws and regulations and even HOA restrictions aiming to limit the use of gas,” explains Durden. “Advancements in technology are making it possible and practical for everyone to make the switch — we have several battery mowers that offer the same (or better) power than gas mowers today.” Battery-powered mowers are also quieter and don’t give off any harmful emissions, but they do have a limited runtime. Our top pick for a battery-powered mower is the EGO Power+ Lawn Mower. Finally, there are corded walk-behind mowers, which tend to be the most affordable. These use an extension cord to plug into an electrical outlet, giving them an unlimited runtime, but you have to navigate around the cord as you mow, which is why they’re recommended for small yards. Yard Size The size of your yard will dictate which type of walk-behind lawn mower is best for your needs. If you have a small yard that’s less than 1/4 acre, a corded push mower will generally meet your needs. These are usually lightweight, have smaller decks, and are easy to operate and store. For larger yards, you may want to upgrade to a self-propelled walk-behind lawn mower, such as the Ryobi Multi-Blade Lawn Mower, which moves forward on its own using power from the motor. This means you don’t have to physically push the mower to move it around your yard, making the process less strenuous. In terms of gas vs. battery-powered models, battery mowers have a limited runtime — typically less than an hour, but it will vary by product — which may not be enough for yards that are an acre or more. However, keep in mind that you can always buy backup batteries if needed. Terrain The terrain of your yard is another factor to consider as you shop for a walk-behind lawn mower. “If your yard is flat, a push mower will be the most affordable choice,” recommends Durden. “If your yard has hills, you may want to invest in a self-propelled mower that takes less manual effort.” Walk-behind lawn mowers with larger rear wheels — like the Greenworks Electric Corded Lawn Mower — tend to handle better on uneven ground, so you may want to look for this feature if your yard has a lot of divots or ruts. Clippings There are three main options for handling grass clippings while you’re using a walk-behind lawn mower: discharging them out the side or back, bagging them up, or mulching them into fine pieces that will decay back into your lawn. Some walk-behind lawn mowers, such as the Sun Joe Electric Lawn Mower only offer one option, while other models like the Honda Nexite Gas Lawn Mower offer all three. If you want a bagging walk-behind lawn mower, pay careful attention to the size of the collection bag in comparison to your yard. If the bag is too small, you may find yourself stopping to empty it frequently — a problem we ran into when testing the Ryobi Multi-Blade Lawn Mower. People/Jennifer May How We Tested We researched today’s most popular walk-behind lawn mowers, and we selected nine top-rated models for testing, including three battery-operated, two corded, and four gas options. Real-World Testing: We sent each walk-behind lawn mower to the homes of our testers, who are located in seven different cities across three states, and they tested each walk-behind lawn mower over several days.Evaluation: We used each walk-behind lawn mower three times, evaluating them on their ease of use, performance, power, safety features, and more. Each product was then scored on its setup, design, performance, usability, safety, and value, and the highest-scoring products were selected for this article. Frequently Asked Questions Are self-propelled walk-behind lawn mowers better? If you have a larger yard or a lot of hilly terrain, a self-propelled walk-behind lawn mower will take a lot of the manual effort out of mowing your grass. “Self-propelled mowers are designed to automatically move forward from 1 to 3.5 miles per hour,” explains Durden. “They‘re recommended for yards of more than half an acre, especially those that are hilly or sloped. Some mowers offer variable speeds that come in handy when working near trees and garden beds.” Our top pick for the best self-propelled walk-behind lawn mower is the Ryobi Multi-Blade Lawn Mower. How much should I pay for a self-propelled lawn mower? In general, you can expect to pay between $400 and $1,000 for a self-propelled lawn mower, and the more you’re willing to spend, the more power and features your mower will have. However, some of our top-rated models are at the lower end of the range, so don’t feel like you have to splurge to get a great tool. How big of a yard do I need to justify buying a walk-behind lawn mower? If your lawn is only a few hundred square feet, you can probably get by with a reel-style lawn mower, but if it’s over 1/4 of an acre, a walk-behind mower will make weekly maintenance much easier. The great thing about walk-behind lawn mowers is that there’s an option for every lawn size and budget. If you have a small yard, an inexpensive option like the Sun Joe Electric Lawn Mower will make quick work of your grass without breaking the bank. Why Trust PEOPLE? Camryn Rabideau has been a professional product tester for six years, and she’s previously tested ride-on lawn mowers from popular brands like Ryobi and Husqvarna. While writing this article, she relied on firsthand insights from the PEOPLE Tested team who used these walk-behind lawn mowers for a total of 10 hours. She also spoke with Nicole Durden, senior merchant of outdoor power at The Home Depot, for tips on selecting the right lawn mower for your home based on factors like your yard size, terrain, and budget. Meet Our Expert Nicole Durden is the senior merchant of outdoor power at The Home Depot. What Is People Tested? We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs. But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square. In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase. We Tested the Best Electric Leaf Blowers for a Yard Your Neighbors Will Envy