UK garden reality check
Two gardens with the same lawn size can behave very differently. Clay-heavy lawns (common in areas like Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire) are more prone to wheelspin and turf marking in wet spells. Free‑draining soils seen in parts of Surrey and Kent can be more forgiving. If you’re unsure, an installer can confirm what matters in your specific garden.
The straight answer
Neither option is ‘best’ for everyone. Boundary wire systems are often the most reliable choice for tricky UK gardens (heavy tree cover, tight edges, awkward shapes). Wire‑free systems can be a great fit for open lawns where you want fast installation and easy boundary changes — but they need the right signal conditions and sensible base station placement.
The right question is: what are the likely failure modes in your garden, and which setup avoids them?
This guide compares the two in plain English, without pretending one technology wins every time.
Quick decision box
Choose boundary wire if you prioritise reliability, have heavy tree cover, or your layout is complex with narrow passages and awkward edges.
Choose wire‑free if your mowing area has decent sky view, you want flexible virtual boundaries, and you’re comfortable with a slightly more ‘tech’ setup experience.
If you’re on the fence, ask installers to explain their recommendation based on your layout — not based on what they happen to sell most often.
Not sure if your garden is suitable?
Most robot mower headaches come from mismatching the mower type to the layout. A quick assessment can save you money and frustration.
- Check slopes and rough ground
- Decide wired vs wire-free
- Get realistic cost ranges for your garden
- No obligation
Vetted UK installers • No sales pressure • Takes about 60 seconds
How boundary wire systems work (and why they’re still popular)
A boundary wire creates a loop that tells the mower where it can and can’t go. It’s mature technology. That’s a feature, not a flaw. It works in shade, under trees, and in gardens surrounded by buildings.
Most ‘wired’ issues come from installation mistakes: wire too close to edges, messy corners, weak joins, or cable damage from aeration or garden work.
The upside is that wired faults are often diagnosable and fixable. Many problems are a straightforward repair rather than a mystery.
How wire‑free systems work (and why results vary)
Wire‑free systems typically use satellite positioning (often RTK/GNSS) plus sensors (camera/LiDAR/ultrasonic depending on model) to navigate within a mapped area. Virtual boundaries replace the physical wire.
The mapping is only as good as your conditions. Tree canopy, tall buildings, and where you place the base station/antenna can change accuracy and reliability.
Wire‑free can feel magical when it’s a good fit — and frustrating when a garden has ‘dead zones’. That’s why feasibility checks matter.
Thinking about going wire-free?
Tree cover, base station placement and signal conditions make a big difference. Get an installer to confirm it’s viable before you commit.
Check wire-free suitabilityQuick check • No obligation
Reliability: what goes wrong with each option
Boundary wire tends to fail physically: cable breaks, joins degrade, or gardening work damages the loop. The fixes are usually tangible: locate the break, repair the join, test the signal.
Wire‑free tends to fail logically: positioning drops out, boundaries drift in certain corners, or mapping needs re‑doing after changes. Sometimes an update fixes it. Sometimes it’s a garden condition problem that doesn’t go away.
If you want the lowest‑maintenance experience, wired remains the safer default in difficult gardens.
Edges and finish: the part marketing overpromises
Wire‑free doesn’t automatically mean better edges. Edge finish is more about mower design and how boundaries are set. A well‑installed wired system can do an excellent job on tricky borders.
Set expectations: many gardens still need occasional edge trimming, especially around raised borders, brick edging, or narrow strips.
If ‘neat edges’ matters to you, tell the installer. They can tune offsets and routes to reduce missed strips.
Installation effort: where the time really goes
Wired: more physical labour upfront (routing/pegging/burying cable), but the system is stable once fitted.
Wire‑free: less trenching/pegging, but more attention to signal planning, mapping, and testing. In gardens with weak satellite zones, you can spend time chasing stability.
In both cases, the first week of operation is part of the install story: small tweaks are normal. Good installers include this in their process.
Cost: how the choice affects budget
Wire‑free systems often cost more up-front because the technology is newer and many models sit higher in ranges. Wired systems can be more cost-effective, especially if your garden is complex and you value reliability.
Installation cost depends heavily on time. Complex gardens cost more to install in both categories — just for different reasons (cable routing vs mapping/signal work).
If budget is tight, don’t assume wire‑free saves money. Get quotes and compare what’s included.
Who should avoid wire‑free (honest list)
Be cautious with wire‑free if: most of your lawn sits under dense tree canopy; you’re in a tight urban plot surrounded by tall buildings; you have narrow corridors where mapping needs to be perfect; or you want a ‘fit and forget’ experience with minimal troubleshooting.
Wire‑free can still work in some of these situations — but it should be a considered choice, not a default.
An installer who’s willing to recommend wired in the right circumstances is usually one you can trust.
A practical way to decide in 10 minutes
Stand at your likely charging station location and look at the sky. Is it mostly open, or heavily blocked by buildings and canopy? Then walk the lawn and identify choke points: narrow passages, tight corners, awkward edges.
If sky view is good and the lawn is open, wire‑free becomes attractive. If the garden is shaded and complex, wired becomes the safer bet.
Either way, your conversion move is simple: get 3 quotes and ask each installer to explain their plan for your specific choke points.
How to ‘stress test’ your garden for wire‑free in 5 minutes
Stand in the centre of the mowing area and look up: is the sky mostly open, or blocked by tall buildings and dense canopy? Then walk the boundary and identify corners where you’re tight to walls, fences, or thick hedges.
Wire‑free systems can struggle in ‘sky‑blocked’ corners. If your garden has a lot of them, either plan stay‑out areas or choose wired for fewer surprises.
Finally, consider future changes. If you remodel borders often, wire‑free’s flexibility is a real benefit. If your garden layout is stable, wired reliability tends to win.
A buyer’s checklist to bring to quote calls
Tell installers: your lawn area, your steepest slope, whether the lawn is split into zones, and whether you have heavy tree cover over the lawn.
Also tell them your priorities: ‘I want the least troubleshooting’ or ‘I want the cleanest edges’ or ‘I want to avoid trenching’ — these change the recommendation.
If an installer doesn’t ask questions back, they’re not designing a system. They’re selling one.
Next step: confirm feasibility for your garden
If you’re unsure, a quick assessment can tell you which approach is safer. Installers can spot dead zones and awkward edges quickly — things online guides can’t see.
Get quotes and compare the reasoning, not just the number. A cheaper quote with no plan for your tricky areas is often the expensive option.
Most common installation issues in UK gardens
- Wheelspin on damp clay (especially where the mower turns tightly on slopes or soft patches).
- Docking failures caused by a charging station placed on a slope, in a tight corner, or on ground that turns muddy.
- Boundary problems after landscaping (wire cuts, loose joins, or boundaries set too tight to edges).
- Narrow passages where the mower wastes time turning or repeatedly “chooses” the same route.
- Unrealistic edge expectations in raised-border gardens (many still need occasional trimming).
What installers assess on a site visit
A good installer will measure the steepest slope, check drainage and soil softness, identify choke points (narrow passages, tight corners), and confirm the safest charging station location. If you’re comparing installers, use the dealer directory and ask each one to explain their plan for your trickiest area in plain English.
Manufacturer and model reality (neutral)
Different manufacturers optimise for different constraints (traction, navigation, boundary behaviour). For example, some models from Husqvarna are well known for handling more demanding gardens — but suitability still comes down to your layout, soil, and installation quality.
Fast decision shortcut
If you want to avoid a mis-buy, get a feasibility check and quotes for your garden first. Use RobotMowerQuotes to request up to 3 installer quotes and compare the reasoning, not just the number.
FAQ
Is boundary wire ‘outdated’ now?
Not really. It’s mature and reliable. For complex or shaded UK gardens it can be the best choice because it ignores satellite conditions.
Will wire‑free work under trees?
Sometimes, but performance depends on canopy density and the system. A feasibility check is the safest way to avoid disappointment.
Can I change my mind later?
Often, yes — but switching can involve extra hardware or a re‑installation. Decide based on your garden constraints and your tolerance for troubleshooting.
Do I need Wi‑Fi for a robot mower?
Not necessarily. Many use Bluetooth for setup and work independently day-to-day. Some features (app control, alerts, updates) may work better with Wi‑Fi or mobile coverage, depending on model.
Will it replace edging completely?
Usually not. Many gardens still need occasional edge trimming, especially with raised borders, brick edging, or narrow strips the mower can’t reach safely.
Is professional installation worth it?
If you have slopes, multiple zones, narrow passages, or you want wire-free, professional installation usually reduces call-outs and improves reliability.
Do wire‑free systems need a subscription?
Some brands offer optional subscriptions for certain features. It depends on the model—confirm before buying.
Will a wired system be ruined by future landscaping?
It can be affected if digging cuts the wire. If you plan landscaping, tell the installer so routing avoids future digging zones where possible.
Is wire‑free easier to resell?
Potentially, because there’s no wire to leave behind. But resale depends more on model condition and support than installation type.
Related guides
Ready to see what would work in your garden?
Share a few details and we’ll match you with up to 3 installers who can recommend the right setup and provide quotes.
Get my 3 quotesFree • No obligation • UK-wide coverage
Sources & further reading
- Husqvarna: Automower NERA wire‑free overview
- TechRadar: robot mower market commentary
- T3: robot mower product coverage
Note: Specs vary by model and conditions. Confirm suitability on-site before purchase.
