UK Buyer's Guide · Updated May 2026
Best Hover Lawn Mowers UK 2026
Hover mowers exist to answer one very specific question: how do I cut a steep bank, a rough lawn, or an awkward little garden where a wheeled mower keeps catching on lumps and dips? They were invented in the UK back in the 1960s, and Flymo still dominates the category sixty years later. Here are the five we recommend without hesitation — yes, most of them are Flymos. The rivals just haven't caught up. Sorry.
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What is a hover lawn mower?
No wheels. That's the whole trick. A fan attached to the spinning blade kicks up a cushion of air under the deck that lifts the whole mower a few millimetres off the grass — like a tiny lawn-mower-shaped hovercraft. Instead of rolling it forward and back, you glide it side-to-side. End result: a mower that floats over uneven ground and works on slopes a wheeled mower would slide straight down.
Funny story — the UK basically invented this category. Karsten Solheim filed the patent in the US in the 1960s (he later went on to invent Ping golf clubs, oddly enough), but it was Flymo who actually got hover mowers into British gardens in 1965. Bright orange, plastic deck, mains-powered. The basic design has barely changed in sixty years. Why mess with what works?
When does a hover mower make sense?
Hover mowers are not all-purpose mowers. They are the right answer in three specific situations:
- Steep banks and slopes — anything over 25% gradient where a wheeled mower would slide
- Rough or uneven lawns — fields, paddocks, neglected gardens with lumps and dips
- Awkward small gardens — lots of corners, narrow strips, raised beds — where the side-to-side motion is faster than turning a wheeled mower
For a flat, conventional lawn, a wheeled mower will do a better, faster, more even job. Don\'t buy a hover for a normal back garden.
Best hover lawn mowers for 2026
Flymo Hovervac 250
Flymo
The Hovervac is the default UK hover mower. £99, glides over uneven ground that wheel mowers stall on, and the 20 L collection bag means you actually pick up clippings (most hover mowers don't). Best on small lawns under 200 m² with awkward levels or a steep bank.
Pros
- + Properly floats — useless on flat lawns, brilliant on slopes
- + Light at 6.6 kg
- + Includes 20 L grass collection bag
Cons
- − Cable management same as any corded
- − Stripeless
Flymo EasiGlide 300
Flymo
The mid-tier Flymo hover. The 30 cm deck cuts more than the 250, the fold-flat handle saves shed space, and at £139 it sits in a sweet spot for anyone whose entire lawn is a slope.
Pros
- + 30 cm cutting width
- + Folds flat for storage
- + Genuinely floats
Cons
- − Plastic deck flexes
- − Collection bag is small
Flymo Ultraglide
Flymo
The biggest practical hover mower. At a 37 cm deck the lift effect starts to fade compared to the 250, but if you have a large sloped or undulating lawn this is the hover to buy.
Pros
- + 37 cm cutting width
- + 40 L collection bag
- + Powerful 1,800 W motor
Cons
- − Heavier — feels less floaty than the 250
- − Deck width on the limit of what hover comfortably handles
McCulloch MHT 5622
McCulloch
Petrol hover mowers are a tiny category — McCulloch and a couple of Atco models. If you have a steep bank that is too far from a power socket and too dangerous for a wheel mower, this is one of the few sensible options.
Pros
- + Petrol — no cable on a bank
- + 56 cm cutting width
- + Honda-clone OHV engine
Cons
- − Heavier than electric hovers
- − Niche product, fewer dealers
Allett C20 Cylinder Mower
Allett
Strictly speaking the Allett C20 is a cylinder mower, not a hover, but it's the closest you can get to bowling-green finish on a small UK lawn. We include it here because the buyer profile overlaps — owners of small, awkward, perfectionist lawns.
Pros
- + Cylinder cut — finest finish on this page
- + Hand-built in Stafford
- + Steel chassis
Cons
- − Not technically hover, but works similarly on small lawns
- − Pricey for a small mower
What to look for
Cutting width
25–30 cm hover mowers float properly. 35–40 cm models start to feel heavy and lose the lift advantage on uneven ground. There is a reason Flymo\'s bestsellers are 25–30 cm.
Collection or no collection?
If your lawn is ornamental, get a model with a grass bag (Hovervac 250, EasiGlide 300, Ultraglide). If it\'s a paddock or a bank you don\'t care about clippings on, the cheaper bag-less mulching hovers are fine.
Cable
Almost all hover mowers are corded mains. Get a 25 m or 50 m RCD-protected outdoor extension reel. Drape the cable over your shoulder so it doesn\'t get caught — hover mowers love cable.
Petrol or cordless hover?
Both exist but the categories are tiny. McCulloch makes the only mainstream petrol hover; Mountfield introduced a cordless hover in 2024. For a slope far from any socket, the petrol hover is the practical answer.
Brands worth shortlisting
- Flymo — owns the category. 80% of UK hover mowers are Flymos.
- McCulloch — petrol hovers, niche but real.
- Mountfield — entered cordless hover in 2024 with the HP 41 LI.
- Atco — premium British, makes a small range of hover mowers.
- Allett — cylinder mowers — different category but similar buyer profile (small, awkward, perfectionist lawns).
Related guides
- Best electric lawn mowers — for flat small lawns
- Best petrol lawn mowers — for bigger gardens
- Lawn mowers by garden size
- Lawn mower safety on slopes