Gas vs. Electric Lawn Mower: Which Is Better?

Before we look at performance—as measured in our extensive testing—let’s consider some key differences between gas and battery (electric) mowers.

For this article, our engineers took years’ worth of lawn mower testing data to build a tool that allows us to compare performance scores from dozens of models, both gas and electric. We compared average scores for gas and electric walk-behind mowers in tests of cutting evenness, side discharging, mulching, bagging, and handling. The scores have a numeric value from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). We also looked at charge times and cut times for every electric model, and across electric models in general.

One thing to note: Averages can be misleading because they include outliers that are either exceptionally good or exceptionally bad. Bell curves show where a majority of models of each type fall in terms of performance. Keep in mind that we devised this head-to-head to compare models across categories. In your own yard, the only thing that matters is the performance of the specific mower you choose. For that reason, we’ve included some top-rated models of each type at the bottom of this article. Here’s how electric and gas models overall compared in our tests, and which came out on top:

Our evenness of cut score reflects how close a mower comes to leaving behind an even, carpetlike surface on your lawn. 

Which is better? Gas mowers score very slightly ahead of electric for even cutting, with an average of 4.7 to electric’s 4.5. As a group, all gas mowers we tested scored in the top half of our scale. (The lowest evenness score for a gas mower was still a solid 3.5.) Electrics fell into a broader range (from 5 down to 2). The takeaway: There are plenty of electric mowers that match the best gas models when it comes to even cutting; though there were some underperforming electrics, all but two models scored very good or excellent. That said, no gas mower we tested scored below 4.

CR recommends leaving your mown grass clippings on your lawn to fertilize it. We look at how far and how evenly those clippings are dispersed from the guide chute.

Which is better? No winner here—and that’s good news. The averages for gas and electric are nearly identical, a solid "very good." The lion’s share of both types ended up in the top tier in this test.

Grass clippings are good. Grass clumps are not. Our mulching test reflects how fine the clippings are after cutting, and how well the mower distributes them over the lawn’s surface.

Which is better? They’re essentially tied. Gas has an average score of 4.6 vs. 4.5 for electric. As with cutting evenness, the bulk of electrics scored in the 4 range, with some under-performers scoring as low as 2. But almost all of the gas mowers we tested ranked at least at a 4.

If you prefer to bag your clippings, you’ll want a mower that fills its bag to the max so that you don’t have to empty it as often. Our test measures how much the bag held before it was filled completely or the chute clogged.

Which is better? Gas edges out the electrics here, with a few models attaining a score of 4.9 against the electrics’ top score of 4.3. But for both types, the truth lies mostly in the middle: The bulk of models of both types settle in the area of “good,” ranging from  2.3 to 4.3 for electrics and 2.5 to 4.9 for gas.

This judgment includes ease of operating drive controls (on self-propelled models), pushing and pulling, making U-turns, and maneuvering the mower in tight spots. 

Which is better? Electric takes the lead in ease of handling, with an average score of 4.4 to gas mowers’ 4.0. "I suspect weight and the way the controls work are probably the biggest factors," Trezza says. "Battery self-propelled mowers tend to be easier to put into gear."

We measure mower noise at the ear and at 25 feet away to represent a neighbor’s exposure. Models scoring fair or poor in our tests exceeded 85 decibels at the ear, a measure at which hearing protection is recommended. Unlike the other scores, the noise score runs from .5 to 5.5.

Which is better? If you value your hearing and neighborhood tranquility, you’ll switch to electric at the speed of sound. Here we find the biggest spread between average scores: 4.9 for electric against—wait for it—2.3 for gas when measured at the ear. The gas models that were noisiest scored 1 (poor) against the noisiest electric models, which scored 2.7 (good). 

The story is even more compelling at a distance of 25 feet, with an average score of 5.4 for electrics and 2.9 for gas models. The quietest gas model scored 4.2 to the quietest electric’s 5.5, and the noisiest gas scored 1.6 to the noisiest electric’s score of 3.9. In other words, the noisiest electric mower was easier on the ears than the quietest gas model.

For mulching and side-discharging, both electric and gas walk-behind mowers are about even.

For cutting and bagging, gas walk-behind mowers slightly outmatch electrics. And pricewise, you’re more apt to find a great gas machine for a lower up front cost. 

When it comes to factors, including noise, smell, maneuverability, and ease of maintenance, electric mowers have the advantage. Over the long term, models at lower and average prices also can be more cost-effective than gas, even more so if fuel prices rise and batteries continue getting better and cheaper. And if the environment is important to you, this type of mower is the only way to go.

But because the choice remains with you, here are the best gas and electric walk-behind mowers from our exclusive ratings.

These two Honda mowers: a push and a self-propelled model, are recommended by Consumer Reports for their solid overall performance.

Both of these battery-powered mowers have earned CR’s Green Choice designation. That means they have a lower environmental impact than other battery mowers and tractors based on their energy usage, rechargeability, deck size, noise production, and other factors.

Every February our testers head down to Florida, where we put that year’s crop of new lawn mowers to the test on 500,000 square feet of grass at our testing grounds. We test each mower for how well it handles mulching, side discharging, and bagging (collecting 3,000 pounds of clippings in the process). We also see how each mower handles varied terrain by running it over slopes and ditches as well as level ground. And we assess its convenience features.

Then we combine the results of our field testing with CR members’ feedback on reliability and owner satisfaction from our annual member surveys. This data enables us to arrive at the Overall Score you’ll find in our ratings.