Best and Worst Walk-Behind Lawn Mowers

To get you ratings and reviews of the latest models by early spring, our testers travel to our mower-testing facility in Fort Myers, Fla., to conduct tests in late winter at grounds we prepare each year. We plant 1,800 pounds of grass seed (predominantly annual rye, prized for its dense growth) and cut 500,000 square feet of grass in three modes—mulching, side-discharging, and bagging (a total of 3,000 pounds of clippings). We mow both level turf and slopes to get a feel for each model’s performance and review the convenience features.

The Overall Score incorporates all that performance data, along with predicted reliability and owner satisfaction ratings from our latest member surveys, fielded in the fall of 2019, 2020, and 2021. In all, we collected CR member feedback on nearly 44,000 mowers purchased between 2011 and 2021, reflecting experiences with more than 32,500 gas mowers and more than 11,500 battery mowers.

If you’re not sure which type of lawn mower is right for your needs, start with our lawn mower buying guide.

CR members can read on for ratings and reviews of this year’s very best walk-behind mowers from brands such as Cub Cadet, Ego, Honda, Greenworks, Kobalt, Ryobi, and Toro. Along with top-rated models, we’ve included high-performing models that represent value as CR Best Buys. For even more options, CR members can check out our comprehensive lawn mower and tractor ratings.

Following our recommended picks, we’ve listed several models that fall at the bottom of our ratings.

More than half of the walk-behind mowers in our ratings perform well enough for CR to recommend. Others struggle in our exhaustive cutting tests. Here, we list a few of them. Check CR’s mower ratings for a more complete list.

Is your lawn mower failing to make the cut? On the "Consumer 101" TV show, Consumer Reports expert John Galeotafiore explains to host Jack Rico how to find the best mower for your needs.