The best mulching lawn mowers

When mowing your lawn it’s well worth considering the range of benefits a mulching mower can have on the health of your green space. Instead of simply cutting the grass and disposing of the clippings, a mulching lawn mower produces a finer cut before pushing the loose grass back into the surface of your lawn. Here it will decompose, releasing nitrogen and other nutrients into the soil.

As grass is largely made up of water this means the lawn will require less watering and should grow to be healthier and greener. As well as saving you time, mulching the grass instead of collecting and disposing of the clippings elsewhere is also better for the environment.

What is mulching power?

Mulching works with the help of a purpose-built blade or mower add-on that cuts the grass more finely than a regular lawn mower. If the mower is not powerful enough to effectively chop the grass to a fine mulch and push it into the ground, this can create clumps on the lawn which can cause damage to the plants beneath.

We have picked out seven of the best mulching mowers that will save you time and ensure you get the best mulching as you mow.

Best mulching lawn mowers in 2023

Hyundai GardenTek 15"/38cm Roller Mulching Lawn Mower

The best affordable mulching lawn mower

• Buy now from Amazon (£139.99).

This GardenTek mulching mower from Hyundai sits in the more affordable price range without compromising too heavily on its features. The mower has a 380mm cutting width and a 10-metre power cable, making it a suitable choice for small or medium-sized lawns.

The mower's five adjustable cutting heights allow you to cut the grass to your ideal specifications and the rear roller mower will give your lawn that traditional, striped look. Plus, weighing under 13kg, the mower is easily a lightweight choice.

HRX426 PD EA Mulching Mower

The best lightweight mulching lawn mower

• Buy now from Just Lawnmowers (£559.00).

Suitable for those who want to cut around orchards and trees, this manoeuvrable mower has a lightweight, and compact design, ideal for reaching those less accessible spots in your garden, without compromising on durability thanks to its steel deck.

With a low running noise your neighbours will barely notice as you quickly zip around your garden, mulching in record time. It has a simple mulching design that features a side-discharge for easy flow of grass.

SP535HW V Mulching Lawn Mower

The best mulching mower for a large lawn

• Buy now from Masseys (£539.00).

If you have a large garden, this may be the best mower for you. It has six preset cutting heights, which are easy to adjust with a single lever, and a 53cm cutting width supported by 280mm rear wheels, which means it will take on large sections of longer grass with ease.

With a 70L collector it has the option of storing cuttings, discharging from the rear and the sides, or mulching the ground to access those nutrients.

Hyundai 46cm Petrol Lawnmower

The best versatile mulching mower

• Buy now from Amazon (£379.00).

Although this mower is powered by petrol, the 2.6kW (3.5hp) Hyundai OHV 4-stroke 139cc Euro II engine promises low fuel consumption and easy starting. It uses rear wheel drive with a 46cm cutting width, making it a perfect choice for larger lawns.

The mower has a mulching option along with rear and side discharge, with six cutting heights available between 25mm and 75mm. But, if you're ever mowing the lawn without the need for mulching, there's a 70L grass-collector bag, giving you the freedom to mow both ways without needing to stop to empty so often.

Yard Force Compact 400RiS Robotic Lawnmower

The best mulching mower for putting your feet up

The Yard Force Compact 400Ri prides itself on the most advanced collision detection around, with ultrasonic iRadar sensors as standard (rather than an option or add-on) that will detect and avoid obstacles rather than bump into them and make an escape or – worse – steam-roller over anything flat enough to climb over.

The Yard Force Compact Robotic Lawnmower was shortlisted in our review of the best robot lawnmowers.

JS63VC Mulching Lawn Mower

The best mower for manoeuvrability

• Buy now from Gables & Gardens (£845.00).

Fitted with lockable front castor wheels for increased manoeuvrability, this mulching mower will cut through your garden at whichever pace most suits you, with three different speed settings. The mower is crafted with a dedicated bell-shaped mulching deck and mulching blade, where the grass is cut then cut again before being pressed back into the earth.

Built with durability in mind, it has added protection against rust, and works well when cutting through long, damp grass.

R53S Recycling Mulching Lawn Mower Autodrive VS

The best mower for mulching and collecting

• Buy now from Green Stripe (£630.00).

One of the more versatile mulching lawn mowers, this can collect the clippings, mulch, or discharge the waste to the side, depending on your gardening goals.

It’s a particularly durable mower thanks to its steel deck, but still very easy to move around, due to an in-built feature that matches the mower’s speed to your own walking pace. There’s even a soft-grip handlebar to make the experience as comfortable and easy as possible.

Check out our selection of the best ride-on mowers and lawn scarifiers to keep your grass healthy.