--- title: "The Best Battery-Powered Riding Lawn Mowers of 2026, Expert-Tested and Reviewed" description: "The best battery-powered lawn mowers deliver power, runtime, and comfort. See how the top models performed in our tests." date: "2026-04-23" modified: "2026-04-23" authors: - name: "Mark Wolfe" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.bobvila.com/authors/mark-wolfe/" url: "https://www.bobvila.com/reviews/best-battery-powered-riding-lawn-mowers/" categories: - "Lawn & Garden" - "Lawn Care" - "Lawn, Garden & Pool" - "Mowers" - "Reviews" tags: - "Commerce" - "MPR" --- # The Best Battery-Powered Riding Lawn Mowers of 2026, Expert-Tested and Reviewed ![A person riding a craftsman battery ride-on mower]() *Poto: Jacob Wolfe for BobVila.com* If you’re willing to spend a premium price for a battery-powered electric riding mower, you should expect quality in return. I can attest to the quality and performance of the four models in this guide because I spent 5 to 6 hours mowing 13 acres with each one. Some of their standout features include deep-cycling lithium batteries, efficient brushless motors, plush seats, and simple controls. But what distinguishes them from lesser models is their speed, smooth operation, and reliability. While all four models performed well, my top pick is the [John Deere Z370R Electric ZTrak Mower](). It consistently cut up to 2 acres per charge, delivered a clean, even cut, and was comfortable to operate. Its smart charging system works with any standard 120V outlet and grounded extension cord, making recharging easy and convenient. Earlier battery-powered riding mowers came with serious limitations in terms of range and operator comfort, but the latest batteries, motors, and software have addressed many of those shortcomings. Rechargeable battery technology has finally matured to become a competitive option for riding lawn mowers. In the review ahead, I’ll provide an overview of the best battery-powered riding lawn mowers for most [lawn care]() needs and share the highlights from my tests. ## - **Top pick: John Deere Z370R Electric ZTrak Mower.** Offers up to 2 acres per charge with a smart charging system and smooth operation. - **Battery tech has matured.** New models address past limitations, offering competitive range and comfort. - **Ego Power+ Z6 excels in speed.** Features adjustable blade speed and removable batteries for extended range. - **Ryobi 80V HP offers versatility.** Includes premium features like an LCD screen and towing hitches, but has deck height adjustment issues. **Bottom line:** Battery-powered riding mowers have evolved, offering efficient, comfortable, and eco-friendly options for various lawn care needs. 1. **BEST OVERALL:** [John Deere Z370R Electric ZTrak Mower]() *[↓ Jump to Review](<#john-deere-z370r-electric-ztrak-mower>)* 2. **BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK:** [Ego Power+ Z6 Battery-Powered Zero-Turn Riding Mower]() *[↓ Jump to Review](<#ego-power-z6-battery-powered-zero-turn-riding-mower>)* 3. **BEST LAWN TRACTOR:** [Ryobi 80V HP Electric Lawn Tractor]() *[↓ Jump to Review](<#ryobi-80v-hp-electric-lawn-tractor>)* ![A person using the best battery-powered lawn mower option to mow a large lawn.]() *Photo: Craftsman.com Photo: craftsman.com* ## Battery-Powered Riding Lawn Mower Comparison | **Product** | **Battery** | **Deck** | **Top Mowing Speed** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [**John Deere Z370R Electric ZTrak Mower**]() | 58V lithium-ion battery, 3.56 kilowatt-hour max | 42-inch | 7 mph | | [**Ego Power+ Z6 Battery-Powered Zero-Turn Riding Mower**]() | Four 56V 10Ah, removable | 42-inch | 8 mph | | [**Ryobi 80V HP Electric Lawn Tractor**]() | Three 80V 10 Ah lithium batteries | 42-inch | 7 mph | ## Our Top Picks This roundup includes some of the newest and best battery-powered riding lawn mowers available. Whether you’re in need of a lawn tractor or a zero-turn riding mower, you will find a clean and quiet electric option here. John Deere is a trusted name in lawn and garden equipment, so it’s no surprise that the Z370R Electric ZTrak Mower earned the top spot among the best battery-powered riding mowers. Equipped with a 58-volt lithium-ion battery, this model can mow up to 2 acres before needing a recharge. It boasts a 42-inch Accel Deep deck with adjustable cutting heights of 1.25 to 4.5 inches. It charges like a dream, featuring a built-in smart charger that connects to any standard 120-V outlet via a grounded extension cord. I tested this mower on a 1.5-acre yard and couldn’t be more impressed with how smoothly the lap bars operated and how nicely the mower rode. Best of all, though, was the mower’s cutting ability. It evenly cut my grass, even in weedy areas. For a more demanding job, I used it to rough-cut an overgrown patch that had grass and weeds as tall as 18 inches. I raised the mower deck to its highest setting, increased the mower blade speed, and slowly went over the grass. While the battery drained much quicker than it would for a regular lawn mowing job, the mower successfully completed the task. The John Deere Z370R was efficient, comfortable, easy to charge, and easy to operate. The only issue was mowing around curved edges. Since the mower deck only slightly protrudes past the wheels, it couldn’t reach tight spaces, requiring a string trimmer to finish the job. ***Read our full review:*** [**John Deere Z370R Electric ZTrak Mower**]() **What our tester says: “**I tested this John Deere electric zero-turn mower in a large residential lot, with an acre of open grass and a half acre where the grass was broken up with structures and landscape beds. The experience was excellent. The ride was comfortable, the cut was crisp, and charging could not have been easier.” --Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer **Get the John Deere battery-powered riding lawn mower at** [**John Deere**]()**.** As grass cutting specialists, zero-turn mowers are prized for their speed and maneuverability. The Ego Power+ Z6 battery-powered zero-turn riding lawn mower turns on a dime without tearing up the lawn and mows at speeds up to 7 mph. It’s one of the best options for mowing lots of grass in less time. The Ego Power+ Z6 was the first [battery-]()[powered riding mower]() I tested, and features removable batteries. It comes equipped with four 10Ah batteries, which gives it enough power to mow almost 3 acres per charge, but has slots for two additional batteries for even greater range. The Ego zero-turn rechargeable lawn mower stood out as one of the fastest in the test group. It lets the user adjust the blade speed up or down as the conditions warrant. This allows faster mowing through tougher conditions (to a point) by increasing mowing power as needed, or the ability to conserve battery life by reducing blade speed in easier conditions. Another subtle difference that gave the Ego zero-turn mower a competitive advantage was its deck. It delivered better airflow than the other battery riding mowers, which helped it cut taller grass more efficiently. Although this mower features adjustable seat suspension and armrests as standard equipment, the seat cushioning and contours were not the most comfortable in the test group. Still, this was a really nice zero-turn mower with plenty of power and runtime to get the grass done quickly and make better use of the weekend. **What our tester says:** “With some other battery-powered mowers I tried, I had to mow overgrown grass twice to get a perfect cut, but with the Ego Power+ zero-turn, I could bump up the blade speed and slow down the travel speed to get great results the first time.”--Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer ****Get the Ego Power+ battery-powered riding lawn mower at [Amazon]().**** The Ryobi 80-volt (V) HP electric lawn tractor features the familiarity of a traditional lawn mower with upgraded features for enhanced comfort and performance. It includes a premium seat for rough terrain, an LCD screen to monitor battery life, towing hitches on both ends, LED headlights, and a cross-cut mowing blade system for cleaner cuts. It also features onboard storage, including a compartment under the hood and a mini storage bed behind the seat, for hauling tools or garden supplies. Thanks to its brushless motors and trio of 10Ah batteries, the Ryobi battery-powered riding lawn mower rivals gas models, delivering power equal to a 21-horsepower gas engine. During testing, I was able to mow a little over 2 acres in about 1 hour and 15 minutes before the batteries ran out. The batteries are removable (which is optimal if one eventually needs replacing), but the included Hyper Charger also allows for on-board charging. It took about 2.5 hours for the batteries to charge from 0 to 100 percent. This Ryobi produced a clean, even cut under regular mowing conditions. However, I encountered an issue with the deck height adjustment. It didn’t come calibrated, and even though there are 13 deck height positions, I could only get about half of them to work, limiting the cutting range to approximately 1.5 to 3 inches. That said, the mower rode well over all types of terrain and varying slopes. It also pulled my dump cart smoothly. ***Read our full review:*** [**Ryobi 80V HP Electric Lawn Tractor**]() **Get the Ryobi battery-powered riding lawn mower at [The Home Depot]().** ## [Jump to Our Top Picks](<#recap>) ![Person in brown t shirt driving Ryobi 80V HP Electric Lawn Tractor on grass in front of trees]() *Photo: Debbie Wolfe for BobVila.com* ## How We Tested the Best Battery-Powered Riding Lawn Mowers | **Testing Stats** | | | --- | --- | | Products tested | 7 | | Hours/Weeks/Time spent testing | 4 months | | Tests performed | 3 | | Price range | $5,000 to $7,000 | In this guide, we wanted to showcase the most up-to-date battery-powered riding mowers available. We researched offerings and tested seven battery-powered riding mowers before finally settling on the four models showcased here. Each of the models we chose was newly released in 2021 or later. We limited our selections to riding lawn mowers that are powered by lithium-ion batteries because of their longer battery life, higher efficiency, deeper cycling ability, and rapid discharge capability compared to older sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries. For a mower to be considered, the manufacturer’s specifications had to show that it could cut at least one acre of grass per charge in a half hour or less. We spent 4 months putting each mowing machine through a series of tests on a 2-acre property, mowing a combined total of more than 52 acres in the process. Starting with a full charge and grass at the typical height before mowing, we cut as much of the grass as possible until the battery ran out and recorded the total area mowed and runtime per charge. Again with the grass at normal height, we tested the maximum mowing speed on a 1-acre obstacle-free portion of the lot. Finally, we let the grass grow out for 3 weeks and mowed again to find out how extra-long grass would affect battery life and cut quality. Throughout testing, we recorded observations regarding comfort, handling, control layout, noise, and cut quality. ## What to Consider When Choosing a Battery-Powered Riding Lawn Mower When it comes to battery-powered riding lawn mowers, buyers have many of the same options at their disposal as those shopping for gas mowers, including power sources, style, size, and more. To get the best results, consider what’s most appropriate for your yard and work habits. ### Battery Older and less expensive pieces of battery-powered lawn equipment use SLA batteries, very much like those used in old-style golf carts. They are cheap and reliable, but they are quite heavy and typically have a shorter lifespan than lithium-based batteries. Lithium-ion and lithium-iron batteries are the best power sources for electric riding lawn mowers at this time. Compared to SLA batteries, lithium-based batteries weigh less, run longer per charge, discharge more energy faster, and have a longer lifespan. The upfront price of the battery is higher, but the cost is lower in the long run. When it comes to battery sizes, don’t let the ratings be a source of confusion. A watt-hour rating is an apples-to-apples metric that can be used to compare batteries. To calculate a battery’s watt-hour rating, multiply the battery’s voltage by its Ah. For instance, a 56V 60Ah battery has 3,360 watt hours, while an 80V 10Ah battery has 800 watt hours. When a mower uses multiple batteries, sum the watt hours for all batteries. ### Riding vs. Zero-Turn For many shoppers, a “[riding mower]()” means either a lawn tractor with its engine in the front or a compact rear-engine riding mower. Zero-turn riding mowers are quite different, in part because they’re designed with different goals in mind, and in part because they usually cost significantly more money. Which one a particular shopper should buy depends on several factors, including their lawn’s acreage, landscape layout, usage patterns, and personal preferences. Traditional riding mowers make sense for a wide range of landscapes, especially those between half and 2 acres. They mow at a moderate pace, store in a moderate space, and can be used for towing and hauling in addition to mowing. The design of the machine is generally well balanced for use on moderately sloped terrain, so they are the better choice in hilly areas. [Zero-turn riding mowers]() are grass-mowing specialists. They work fast and require more storage space. These machines are ill-equipped for working on slopes due to their lightweight build, and narrow passages can be problematic because of the deck layout. Although zero-turn mowers may come equipped with a rear hitch, their towing weight capacity is generally quite limited. These machines are best used on large, relatively flat yards. ### Deck Size and Discharge Most battery-powered riding mowers are equipped with decks in the 38- to 54-inch range. Deck size, along with mowing speed, is one of the most important contributors to fast mowing times. With battery mowers, deck size (along with blade length and number of blades) is inversely correlated with battery life. Larger decks, longer blades, and more blades require more power. There are numerous mowers with 42-inch decks at similar price points but few larger decks because of the proportional increase in battery consumption and the associated increase in cost that occur by increasing deck size. Like other mowers, battery-powered riding lawn mowers can be configured for side discharge, mulching, or bagging the clippings. Side discharge is the standard configuration, but mulch kits and bagging kits are available from most manufacturers. Mulching and bagging may decrease runtime per charge. ### Additional Features Battery lawn equipment brands offer many of the same operator comforts available on gas-powered mowers, such as premium high-back seats and cup holders to go along with quiet and exhaust-free operation. And where gas mowers often come equipped with some type of fuel gauge, electric riding mowers also include a “fuel gauge” in the form of a digital charge indicator on the control panel. We preferred those with a numerical readout of the charge percentage, but some use a bar graph indicator instead. Other features to consider include the onboard charging system, deck-height adjustment system, and LED headlights. The models we tested all included 10-foot charging cords or pod chargers, but we also had to take into account the placement of the charging port when parking the mower. Additionally, we had to determine whether it was necessary to pull in, back in, or approach the outlet on the right or left side of the mower. The deck height levers were comparable in operation, but we preferred those positioned on the right side (the discharge side) of the mower. The left side (the edging side) of the mower comes closer to fences, shrubs, and other obstructions that risk entanglement. For zero-turn mowers, consider those equipped with a foot-operated deck lift lever to reduce strain and stress. ## FAQs If you have a few lingering questions about battery-powered riding lawn mowers, especially when considering a [gas versus electric lawn mower](), rest assured that you are not alone. We’ve answered some of the most common questions in the segment below. ## Meet the Tester Mark Wolfe is a writer and product tester with an extensive background in the nursery and landscaping industry. For more than 20 years he mowed, edged, planted, pruned, cultivated, irrigated, and renovated beautiful landscapes. Now he tests and writes reviews about the latest outdoor power equipment, hand tools, lawn care products, and other outdoor-living goods. ## Author Mark Wolfe is a BobVila.com staff writer with an extensive background in the horticulture industry. Since 2020, he has contributed numerous gardening and home improvement articles, along with a variety of tool and product reviews.