--- title: "The Best Push Mowers of 2026, Tested by Lawn-Care Experts" description: "The best push mowers are easy to use and provide consistent results. See how our top picks performed in real-life tests." date: "2026-06-15" modified: "2026-06-15" authors: - name: "Mark Wolfe" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.bobvila.com/authors/mark-wolfe/" - name: "Tom Scalisi" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.bobvila.com/authors/tom-scalisi/" url: "https://www.bobvila.com/reviews/best-push-mowers/" categories: - "Lawn & Garden" - "Lawn Care" - "Lawn, Garden & Pool" - "Mowers" - "Reviews" tags: - "Commerce" - "MPR" --- # The Best Push Mowers of 2026, Tested by Lawn-Care Experts ![A person using the best push mower to mow a lawn]() *Photo: Amazon* Over the last couple of years, we've tested more than 30 lawn mowers, trimming rows and rows of a 2-acre plot to find the best mowers of every type, including these seven push mowers. Traditionally, push mowers were considered a specific category of walk-behind mowers that required you to push them manually. Today, though, most people also use the term for self-propelled walk-behind models, which assist with forward motion. This guide breaks down the key features to look for in these [lawn care]() tools and reviews the seven models that rated best in our tests. Our top pick is the [Greenworks 80V 21" Brushless 3-in-1 Push Lawn Mower]() for its efficient battery power, excellent cut quality, virtually noise-free operation, and great overall value. No matter how you define them, one of the best push mowers from the following list is sure to meet your needs. 1. **BEST OVERALL:** []()[Greenworks 80V 21" Brushless 3-in-1 Push Lawn Mower]() *[Jump to Review](<#greenworks-pro-80v-21-inch-push-lawn-mower>)* 2. **RUNNER-UP:** []()[Ego Power+ 21" Self-Propelled Mower]() *[Jump to Review](<#ego-power-21-inch-self-propelled-mower>)* 3. **BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK:** []()[American Lawn Mower 14" 11-Amp 120V Corded Mower]() *[Jump to Review](<#american-lawn-mower-14-inch-11-amp-120v-corded-mower>)* 4. **BEST FOR LARGE YARDS:** []()[Greenworks 40V 21" Cordless Self-Propelled Lawn Mower]() *[Jump to Review](<#greenworks-40v-21-inch-self-propelled-lawn-mower>)* 5. **BEST GAS:** []()[Craftsman 21" 150cc Gas Self-Propelled Mower]() *[Jump to Review](<#craftsman-21-inch-150-self-propelled-mower>)* 6. **BEST REEL:** []()[Scotts 20” 5-Blade Push Reel Mower]() *[Jump to Review](<#scotts-20-5-blade-push-reel-mower>)* ![A person using the Fiskars StaySharp 18-Inch Max Reel Mower to mow a lawn.]() *Photo: Amazon Photo: amazon.com* ## Push Mowers Comparison | **Product** | **Power Source** | **Deck Size** | **Cutting Heights** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Greenworks 80V 21" Brushless 3-in-1 Push Lawn Mower]() | One 80V 4.0 Ah battery | 21 inches | 1.38 to 3.75 inches in 7 positions | | [Ego Power+ 21" Self-Propelled Mower]() | Two 56V 4.0 Ah batteries | 21 inches | 1.5 to 4 inches in 6 positions | | [American Lawn Mower 14" 11-Amp 120V Corded Mower]() | 11-amp corded motor | 14 inches | 1.5 to 2.5 inches in 5 positions | | [Greenworks 40V 21" Cordless Self-Propelled Lawn Mower]() | Two 40V 4.0 Ah batteries | 21 inches | 1.38 to 3.75 inches in 7 positions | | [Craftsman 21" 150cc Gas Self-Propelled Mower]() | 150 cc Briggs & Stratton gas engine | 21 inches | 1.25 to 3.75 inches in 6 positions | | [Scotts 20” 5-Blade Push Reel Mower]() | Manual | 20 inches | 1 to 3 inches in 9 positions | ## Our Top Picks ​​With the best push mower, keeping a lawn neat and orderly isn’t difficult. Here's how our tested models stack up. **Our Ratings:** Ease of Use **4.5/5**; Cut Quality **4/5**; Noise **5/5**; Grass Disposal **5/5**; Value **4.7/5** This Greenworks 80V 21" battery-powered lawn mower comes equipped with a 4.0 Ah battery that provides up to 40 minutes of runtime, with a quick 60-minute recharge using the included rapid charger. Built for power and efficiency, it has a 21-inch-wide steel deck and Greenworks' SmartCut technology, which automatically adjusts its motor speed based on cutting load. That means more efficient battery use and better cut quality across varying grass conditions. It also offers seven cutting-height positions, three grass-disposal options (bagging, mulching, and side discharge), and large 10-inch rear wheels for better traction and maneuverability. During testing, this Greenworks bagging push mower required a bit more physical effort to move than the self-propelled mowers, especially on slopes. Still, its powerful motor offered the most “gas-like” performance of any of the electric push mowers we tested. It cut easily through dense, weedy grass up to 10 inches tall and left one of the cleanest finishes in our lineup. No matter which disposal mode we used, it produced smooth results with no uneven spots or stringy weeds left behind. Plus, it mulched thick grass into virtually invisible clippings. The only drawbacks we noticed were reduced runtime on hilly terrain (because we had to slow down, not because of motor strain) and the fact that the side-discharge chute fit loosely and was easy to knock off during use. **What our tester says: "**This push mower delivers the strongest mowing capability of all the mowers we tested. It leaves our grass perfectly smooth, and we don't mind manually pushing it. Plus, the price is quite a bit lower than most others."—Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer **Get the Greenworks 80V push lawn mower at** [**Amazon**]() **or** [**Greenworks**]()**.** **Our Ratings:** Ease of Use **5/5**; Cut Quality **4/5**; Noise **4/5**; Grass Disposal **5/5**; Value **4.7/5** With Ego Power+'s advanced battery power and feature upgrades typical of more expensive models, this is one of the best mowers on the market. Its high-efficiency brushless motor offers up to 65 minutes of runtime using the two included 56-volt 4.0 Ah batteries, and it's also compatible with 5.0, 6.0, 7.5, and 10.0 Ah batteries. In terms of features, it has intuitive lever controls built right into the handle, a variable-speed self-propel system that can mow more than 3 miles per hour, and a load-sensing system that automatically adapts to the conditions. The handle height is adjustable, and this pick folds down for storage, features three grass-disposal options, and even has two bright LED headlights. We really appreciated this machine’s blend of mowing ability, operator comfort, and rapid recharging ability (it returned our battery to full in under an hour). It easily mowed down tall weeds and traversed steep slopes, and its battery life appeared less affected by the added workload than other mowers. In tough conditions where we experienced declines in battery life of up to 50 percent with some other models, the Ego Power+ mower only lost about 25 percent of its runtime. On the other hand, the self-propel feature cut battery time by about half compared to manual mode, though having a second charged battery meant that was much less of an issue. In addition to a slightly higher price than our top pick, this model also made a bit of a whiny noise when we engaged the self-propel system. Still, it's always nice not to have to manually push a mower, especially on hills or slightly larger lots. ***Read our full review:*** [**Ego Power+ 21" Self-Propelled Mower**]() **Get the Ego Power+ push lawn mower at** [**Amazon**]() **or** [**Lowe's**]()**.** **Our Ratings:** Ease of Use **4.5/5**; Cut Quality **4/5**; Noise **5/5**; Grass Disposal **4/5**; Value **4.3/5** American Lawn Mower Company’s corded electric lawn mower is a compact, budget-friendly mower for small yards. It features an 11-amp motor and a 14-inch cutting swath, which means it may take a few extra passes to cover your lawn, but it's also highly maneuverable and easy to store. Its lightweight body, adjustable fold-down handle, and oversized 7-inch rear wheels add to its ease of use. The cutting height adjusts to five settings, from 1 inch up to 2.5 inches, making it best suited to low-growing and warm-season grass types. In testing, we liked the nonslip grip handle for comfortable control as well as the large wheels and lightweight design for navigating tight spaces. We also liked that this push lawn mower with bagger has mulching and side-discharge grass disposal options and that it features a safety shutoff if you release the handle while mowing. Performance-wise, it had no problem mowing thick, weedy grass, but it struggled with tall grass since the tallest setting is just 2.5 inches. Since it's corded, you'll also need a long enough 12- or 14-gauge exterior extension cord (not included) to cover your entire lawn. Overall, though, this is a good low-priced push mower for those with small yards and limited storage space. **Get the American Lawn Mower Company push lawn mower at** [**Amazon**]()**.** **Our Ratings:** Ease of Use **4.7/5**; Cut Quality **4.5/5**; Noise **5/5**; Grass Disposal **4/5**; Value **5/5** With up to 60 minutes of runtime per charge and a 21-inch mowing swath, this cordless lawn mower from Greenworks is built for efficiency on yards up to half an acre (or even larger if your lawn is flat and well maintained). It runs on two 40-volt 4.0 Ah batteries and includes a single-port charger that recharges each in about 2 hours. It only uses one battery at a time, though, and automatically switches over as needed. It also has a pressure-sensitive handle that adjusts to your walking pace, a single-lever height adjustment that lets you choose from seven deck positions between 1.38 and 3.75 inches, and a bagger, side-discharge chute, and mulch plug for flexible grass disposal. During our tests, this pick performed surprisingly well, delivering similar power and cut quality to options with significantly more battery power. It did bog down a little in mulching mode on dense grass, but with the discharge chute in place, we easily mowed overgrown, weedy areas. Only the most difficult grass patches required a second pass, and our average runtime was 20 to 30 minutes per battery, depending on our pace, terrain, and overall mowing conditions. If you need a bit more time to finish your lawn, switching off the self-propel feature can help stretch out battery life. Overall, though, the self-propel system is worth using. As with most pressure-sensitive handle systems, it's not perfect, and the sliding-handle mechanism wasn't totally smooth, which led to some uneven acceleration going uphill. It also sometimes felt like the mower was running away a little bit on downhills rather than decreasing speed to match our pace. Still, it was much easier to adjust to those quirks than manually pushing the mower for an hour at a time. **What our tester says:** "We love this mower for its excellent runtime and battery-management capabilities. It's great when we need to do the entire 2 acres, and it consistently delivers excellent cuts."—Mark Wolfe, Product Reviews tester and writer **Get the Greenworks 40V push lawn mower at** [**Ama**]()**[z]()**[**on**]() **or** [**Walmart**]()**.** **Our Ratings:** Ease of Use **4/5**; Cut Quality **4/5**; Noise **4/5**; Grass Disposal **5/5**; Value **5/5** Craftsman is a well-established, well-respected brand in the world of lawn mowers, and this [gas lawn mower]() lives up to that reputation. With a 21-inch mowing deck, this pick boasts a powerful 150cc engine ideal for yards up to a half acre. Large 8-inch rear wheels with heavy tread help it move through tough terrain, while six cutting heights offer versatility. It also has three disposal settings: mulch, side discharge, and bag. In testing, we appreciated the affordability and simplicity of this gas push mower, which only required about 20 minutes of easy assembly. The handle configuration is less refined in appearance than we would have liked, though, since the blade and drive control cables are retained on it by heavy-duty cable ties. More noticeably, the grip area is unpadded metal, which felt less comfortable than other mowers. On the good side, after we added oil and gas, the mower started easily on the first pull. It had impressive power for cutting average lawn grass and moving uphill, but it slowed down ever so slightly in tall, overgrown grass. The front-wheel drive made turning easy, but it's important to note that a fully loaded bagger could weigh down the rear and cause it to lose traction, though we didn't have that happen. The fuel tank size is adequate to mow about a half-acre per fill, making this an excellent option for a budget-minded shopper with a small- to medium-sized yard. **Get the Craftsman push lawn mower at [Lowe's]().** **Our Ratings:** Ease of Use **4/5**; Cut Quality **4/5**; Noise **5/5**; Grass Disposal **N/A**; Value **4/5** Although reel mowers are mostly limited to smaller yards, the Scotts 20-inch reel mower has a wider cutting reel than many other options and includes several design details that make it more suitable for extended use over varying terrain. It’s equipped with 6-inch rear tracking wheels instead of rollers, which help it cover bumpy ground more easily, and it features two quick-snap levers that let you adjust the height between 1 and 3 inches. In our tests, its 34-pound weight also made it heavy enough to “stick” to rough ground instead of bouncing around like many lighter-weight models. We also liked the ergonomic raised loop handle, which allowed for multiple grip positions to relieve strain during longer mowing sessions. This reel mower’s traditional gear-drive system does make it somewhat susceptible to jamming from debris. However, possibly due to the increased effort required to push the wider mower in the first place, we experienced less jamming compared to most of the other reel mowers we’ve tested. Our overall impression was that this mower would make a good choice for those who care for midsize lawns up to a quarter acre or so. **Scotts push lawn mower at** [**Amazon**]()**, [Ace Hardware](), or** [**Walmart**]()**.** ## [Jump to Our Top Picks](<#recap>) ![A person using One of the models of the Best Push Mower]() *Photo: Amazon* ## How We Tested the Best Push Lawn Mowers | Products tested | 30 | | --- | --- | | Time spent testing | 6 weeks | | Tests performed | 4 to 6 | | Price range | $140 to $800 | Before testing top push mowers for our list, we narrowed down the dozens of popular options that looked like they'd offer exceptional performance based on features, consumer reviews, and our own experience to just nine. We considered push mower brands and made sure the products we chose had a variety of user needs in mind by including mowers of various sizes and power outputs. We then put these mowers to the test, evaluating ease of use, cut quality, noise, grass disposal, value, and any special features. We mowed our test area over several weeks before handing out awards to the best push mowers based on their strengths or ideal uses. | **Product** | **Ease of Use** | **Cut Quality** | **Noise** | **Grass Disposal** | **Value** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Greenworks 80V 21" Brushless 3-in-1 Push Lawn Mower]() | 4.5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.7 | | [Ego Power+ 21" Self-Propelled Mower]() | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4.7 | | [American Lawn Mower 14" 11-Amp 120V Corded Mower]() | 4.5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4.3 | | [Greenworks 40V 21" Cordless Self-Propelled Lawn Mower]() | 4.7 | 4.5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | | [Craftsman 21" 150cc Gas Self-Propelled Mower]() | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | | [Scotts 20” 5-Blade Push Reel Mower]() | 4 | 4 | 5 | n/a | 4 | ## What to Consider When Choosing a Push Lawn Mower ![a person using of one of the Best Push Mower models ]() *Photo: Amazon* Choosing the best push mower takes a bit of research. The following tips can help you decide which lawn mower may work best for your yard. ### Type The [best lawn mowers]() come in several varieties, each with pros and cons: - Gas-powered push mowers are loud and require a bit of maintenance. The exhaust can be stinky, but they are powerful, and you can refill a gas tank faster than a battery recharges. - Corded electric push mowers require an extension cord, but they’re quiet and require little maintenance. On the downside, because they're tethered to an outlet, they tend to work best only for smaller yards. - [Battery-powered mowers]() can go anywhere, and some battery-powered mower kits include extra batteries, extending the runtime. Batteries don’t last forever, though, and some may be difficult to replace over time. - [Reel mowers]() use old-school technology—gears and drive wheels—that spin a set of cylindrical blades when the mower is pushed. These mowers require more manual effort but need less maintenance and downtime. ### Runtime Runtime refers to how long a mower can operate before it needs fresh batteries or gasoline. Gas-powered models can go for a few hours before refueling. Some battery-powered lawn mowers come with two batteries in the kit to provide an hour or more of total runtime. ### Engine Size Gasoline-powered engines come in varying sizes. In push mowers, power is usually relative to engine size. For the mower to have enough power to avoid bogging down in thick patches of grass, it needs an appropriately sized engine. Most basic gas-powered mowers do well with a roughly 140cc engine, though self-propelled models benefit from more power (150cc and up). The larger the mower, the more fuel it will use, and more fuel means greater emissions. [Electric mowers]() have motors instead of engines. Look for a battery model that runs off a 36-volt or greater battery system or a corded model with a rating of 11 amps or more. ### Yard Size and Terrain Some yards slope or are generally uneven, so push mowers are built to handle dips, depressions, ruts, and other types of rough terrain. To handle this terrain, some push mowers have oversized wheels, typically in the back, which prevent the mower from getting stuck in a rut or hung up on a walkway. Some even have oversized wheels on all four corners to provide an easier rollover. ### Cutting Deck Width and Height When choosing a push mower, consider the mower’s cutting deck—the part of the mower that houses the blades. A small push mower, such as one with a 16-inch deck, may fit through small garden gates and flower beds, but it’ll require more passes to mow a yard. A larger mower, such as one with a 21-inch deck, can make short work of a larger yard but might be harder to maneuver in tight spaces. Push mowers, like all mowers, have adjustable cutting heights. Users can adjust the mower deck height to the desired grass height with the levers attached to the wheels. Shorter grass requires less frequent mowing, but the sun’s intense heat during the summer can burn a lawn cut too short. ### Push vs. Self-Propelled Push and [self-propelled lawn mowers]() used to be defined differently, with push mower wheels powered only by the user and self-propelled mower wheels powered by the engine or motor. Today, however, it's common for both types of walk-behind mowers to be considered push mowers, meaning it's fair to say you can find a good push mower that's also self-propelled. No matter how a mower is categorized, for some folks, pushing lawn mowers across the lawn can put stress on their arms, hands, and lower back. That's particularly true if they're mowing large or hilly yards. For overall ease of use, the best option for many may be a self-propelled mower, which helps reduce the physical stress of mowing. You simply need to walk while lightly pushing the mower and manipulating it around turns and corners, releasing the throttle to stop it. Some self-propelled models have adjustable speeds that allow you to move at whatever pace is comfortable behind the machine. ### Grass Disposal Options There are three ways to dispose of grass clippings as you mow: mulching, bagging, or discharging through a side chute. [Mulching lawn mowers]() keep the grass clippings under the deck, allowing the blade to cut them multiple times to produce a fine mulch that quickly incorporates nutrients back into the soil. To bag grass clippings, some mowers include a bag that connects at the rear of the mower, and the mower shoots the clippings into the bag. This prevents unsightly clumps of clippings on the yard and helps prevent thatch buildup on a lawn. Finally, some mowers include a chute that connects to the side of the mower. In side-discharge mode, the mower shoots the grass clippings through the chute, providing an even dispersal of grass clippings. Mowers may include one, two, or all three of these options. ### Safety Any push mower, whether corded, battery-powered, or gas, can be dangerous. All mowers have some sort of fail-safe lever to hold down that allows the motor to operate. Releasing the lever causes the mower to stop. Since many electric and battery-powered options start very easily, manufacturers include removable safety keys that act like kill switches when removed. These keys prevent a small child from accidentally starting the mower. ## FAQs Even with all this background on how to find the best push mower for you, you might still have a couple of questions. Here are answers to the most frequently asked queries about push mowers. ## Meet the Tester Mark Wolfe is a writer and product tester with a background in the nursery and landscaping industries. 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. *Additional research provided by Tom Scalisi.* ## 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.