Segway Navimow H1500E robotic garden mower overview

Robotic garden mowers have been round for some time now, however in that point, they’ve come alongside manner by way of what they provide and the way simple they’re to make use of. They’re most undoubtedly a luxurious reasonably than a necessity – very similar to their robotic vacuum cousins – however after you have one, you will not return to digging that conventional mower out of the shed.

They don’t come low cost although, and there are a selection of choices available on the market today, so how have you learnt which one to purchase? Segway could be a newcomer to the world of robotic garden mowers however the Navimow (H1500E) robotic garden mower has been maintaining my again backyard in examine for the final couple of months and it – or one of many Navimow fashions – ought to undoubtedly be in your shortlist.

Easy setup

One of many issues that has plagued robotic garden mowers up to now is how extremely troublesome they’re to setup. Positive, as soon as you’ve got arrange all of the perimeter wire and you have then spent a number of hours fixing it after an animal has entered your again backyard and ruined it, you might need your self a stable grass trimmer in your palms. The issue is, there’s additionally an excellent probability you would possibly surrender earlier than then.

That is not the case with the Segway Navimow mowers although. No wire is required with all Navimow fashions utilizing a GPS sign as a substitute. There are a selection of steps it’s a must to full with a purpose to arrange the Navimow mowers, one among which entails manually mapping your backyard/yard through the use of your smartphone and the Navimow app to information the robotic garden mower across the boundary.

The method initially entails organising the Navimow’s base and the GPS pole, that are related by an antenna cable so that they must be shut to one another. You will want energy and you will additionally want to verify the bottom and the GPS pole each have a transparent view of the sky. It is a little annoying as whereas I might have anticipated it for the GPS pole, I hoped the Navimow’s base would sit beneath the trampoline in our backyard and out of the way in which. That wasn’t to be nevertheless, and it might probably’t be positioned below a tree both so maintain that in thoughts if you’re putting in it.

After getting the inexperienced gentle – actually, it seems as a Segway emblem on the entrance of the bottom – you may then stick a cardboard ruler above the Navimow’s proper wheel, below the marked arrow. That is designed to ensure you do not get too near the boundary of your backyard if you carry out the mapping course of. It additionally simply will get taken off when you’re finished. Mapping by way of the Navimow app is simple – it is a bit like driving a distant managed automotive along with your cellphone. You employ the arrows to steer the Navimow and you will must information it across the total perimeter of your backyard to mark the boundary. If in case you have a path in the course of your backyard for instance, you may must map each halves individually and create a channel. It’s also possible to add numerous maintain out zones, equivalent to a tree or climbing body, so the Navimow is aware of to keep away from these areas, and they’re simple to delete from the map on the app if something adjustments.

Placing design

The Segway Navimow’s design is beautiful and it seems nice on its base within the backyard, so you do not have to fret about hiding it away. It is a predominantly orange and gray color scheme – definitely within the case of my overview mannequin which is the H1500E – with the orange components complimenting the gray properly and making for a putting end total. I beloved the primary orange wheels, that are rugged sufficient to deal with numerous backyard terrains nicely – although not porcelain sadly, extra on that in a minute. The 2 major wheels are supported by two smaller wheels, permitting for straightforward manoeuvring. There’s additionally a deal with on the again that lets you pull the Navimow round simply if it is advisable to.

The controls sit on high of the Navimow, with a big cease button for if you want the Navimow to cease instantly, in addition to a house button, Mow button and OK button. You will want to make use of these controls to enter a code if the Navimow is locked, which can then let you management it from the app. In any other case, I did not discover myself utilizing the on-device controls in any respect because the app is a a lot less complicated methodology of operation. You’ll be able to nevertheless press Mow and OK to start out mowing instantly, if you do not have your cellphone o hand.

As you’d anticipate, the Navimow fashions are all weatherproof (IPX6) so that you need not fear about leaving them outdoors when it is raining. You would possibly discover that the digicam on the entrance – in addition to on the VisionFence if in case you have put in that – wants wiping after heavy rain nevertheless. Sometimes, rain left water marks throughout the digicam lenses so that they wanted wiping to ensure that the Navimow to have the ability to begin a mowing schedule, which was a bit irritating.

There is a bumper on the entrance of the Navimow, whereas the blades sit beneath, tucked away as you’d anticipate. On the highest, alongside the controls, there is a round component that homes the BladeHalt sensor system and the Actual Fusion Finding System (EFLS), and it options an LED ring round it that flashes numerous colors relying on the mower’s standing. There isn’t any technique to flip this off totally, however it’s also possible to regulate how brilliant the LED gentle is at evening by way of the app.

Good options

The Segway Navimow has plenty of options on board, all of which contribute to this robotic garden mower being a terrific computerized grass trimmer. I will begin with the Segway Navimow app as that is really good and it is a key component to utilizing the Navimow. It is easy to make use of and there is plenty of additional capabilities inside it that contribute to the Navimow’s efficiency. Utilizing the app, you may create a schedule (one thing I undoubtedly advocate organising), in addition to regulate the reducing top. The reducing top choices differ between 60mm and 30mm, with increments of 5mm. I had our garden set to 30mm, although I might prefer to have had a 25mm choice given a alternative.

There is a rain sensor within the app which can cease the Navimow from mowing within the rain when turned on, and you’ll flip the BladeHalt sensor on or off too. This latter component is off by default, however in the event you flip it on, the blades will cease spinning as quickly because the sensor space is touched. I stored this off, however the choice is there if you wish to add additional security measures.

On the primary app display, you may see a map of your backyard primarily based on what you initially setup, together with a big orange button to start out mowing. You will additionally see the battery capability of your Navimow, the progress share when you begin mowing and the protection in metres squared, although you may change the unit measurements within the app too if you wish to.

By way of the mower itself and the options it affords, there is a Good 4-Module GNSS Positioning System, an Abnormality Alarm and an Angle and Heading Reference System (AHRS) that make up a number of the Navimow’s smarts. There’s additionally the Actual Fusion Finding System (EFLS) I discussed, which isn’t solely used for correct mapping and guaranteeing the Navimow mows in probably the most environment friendly sample attainable, however it is usually used for anti-theft on the H1500E and H3000E fashions. If the Navimow strikes outdoors of the digital boundary you’ve got set, you may get an alert in your cellphone, together with real-time location data throughout the app. There’s additionally a pin code on the Navimow so whether it is stolen, it will be ineffective if somebody did not know the code.

The Navimow has an computerized mowing path optimisation system that permits it to pick an optimum mowing path, while robotically altering the mowing course after it has accomplished a job. This implies the Navimow’s wheel tracks do not at all times observe the identical path, defending your garden.

On the subject of sensors, there are a number of on board the Navimow fashions, together with the BladeHalt sensor I discussed beforehand that’s switched on by way of the app, alongside plenty of others that detect the setting and permit the Navimow fashions to adapt in actual time.

If a tough object is detected, for instance, the Navimow will reverse and proceed in one other course, although this can be too late as my hose quickly discovered. The highest-of-the-range Navimow mannequin (H3000E) comes with an Ultrasonic sensor that detects objects earlier than it goes over them with a purpose to keep away from working over them, and this sensor will also be purchased individually and retrofitted to different Navimow fashions, which I might undoubtedly advocate.

Efficiency

My overview mannequin – the Navimow H1500E mannequin – is claimed to have the ability to service 1500m2 of garden and it comes with a 7800mAh battery. I’ve a 100m2 again garden and it used between 10 and 15 per cent battery for every mow. The H1500E isn’t the highest mannequin within the Navimow vary, however it’s not the underside mannequin both. The most important distinction between the fashions is the garden capability, batteries and a few additional options, just like the Ultrasonic sensor on the highest mannequin and one yr free 4G connectivity, together with the anti-theft system on this mannequin.

All fashions have a 54dB noise emission – which could be very quiet in operation primarily based on my expertise, a lot so that you simply barely hear it or discover it, that means you may run it early within the morning. All Navimow fashions can even deal with a max slope of 45 per cent too, due to their hub motors and 14-bit excessive precision positioning sensors. I’ve a really flat backyard so I wasn’t in a position to take a look at the Navimow’s skill to deal with this, although I can say it affords glorious efficiency, with improbable reducing leads to the areas it might probably attain.

The one terrain the Navimow H1500 did battle with nevertheless, was porcelain tiles. I’ve a path on the left of my backyard with porcelain tiles embedded into the grass and grass in between every tile. Naturally, you’d hope that the grass in between was lower concurrently the remainder of the garden. The Navimow’s base is on one among these tiles, although it by no means managed to chop in between the tiles, regardless of them being throughout the perimeter. This was as a result of the wheels slipped on the tiles – even when dry – which led to the sections between the tiles being ignored and the Navimow shifting to a different a part of the backyard. I think if the trail had been within the centre of my backyard, it will have been okay, however because it was on the edge, the angle the Navimow needed to flip at wasn’t one thing it might deal with.

Elsewhere, I briefly talked about the digicam lens needing to be cleaned after rain, and that was one other space of frustration as this impacted the scheduling typically. The Navimow would not run till it was cleaned so whereas I might have had the Navimow mow the garden at 6AM earlier than anybody was up and about, this wasn’t at all times attainable if there had been heavy rain in a single day. The Navimow can also’t run at evening. It wants extra gentle than you’d suppose too, so even nightfall is a battle.

One other factor to think about is you really want to have a transparent garden. For some individuals, this may not be an issue in any respect, however for anybody with children or pets, that is extra of a problem. As talked about, I misplaced a hose head to the Navimow because it was in its path and whereas the Navimow stopped as soon as it realised, the injury was already finished to the hose. Shopping for the Ultrasonic sensor as an extra additional will assist shield in opposition to this, and it is also value contemplating the VisionFence sensor. That is positioned on high of the Navimow and helps it to see extra, providing a clearer view from greater up.

Total, the efficiency of the Navimow H1500 is great although. You’ll nonetheless must get a strimmer out to tidy the sides of your garden that the Navimow cannot attain, and you will want to verify your garden is spotless and free from litter, like hoses or toys, however in any other case, the Navimow does a sterling job of maintaining issues neat and tidy.

Verdict

The Segway Navimow has lots going for it. Its design is beautiful, its efficiency is great and the app is so easy and straightforward to make use of that it’s going to enchantment to a broad spectrum of customers. It would not come low cost – particularly in the event you contemplate a number of the add-ons, however it’s possible the underside of the vary mannequin is greater than enough for many individuals too, overlaying 500m2 of garden and nonetheless providing most of the identical options because the high quality fashions, just like the H1500E being reviewed right here.

Sometimes having to wash the digicam lens after rain is a little bit of a ache, and it not dealing with my porcelain tile path was additionally annoying, as is at all times needing a spotless garden, but when you can also make this stuff be just right for you, the Segway Navimow is a superb addition to any backyard. There’s rather a lot to like and it does a sterling job of delivering a pristine garden (in the event you ignore the sides).