Outdoor kitchens have had a serious boom over the past few years, so much so, that some people don’t even cook inside anymore. But if you have a small outdoor space or you’re on a tight budget, you might not want to clutter your garden or balcony with too many appliances.

I’m lucky to have both a barbecue and pizza oven in my garden, but they do take up a lot of room. While I use both consistently throughout the year, I tend to use my pizza oven for a lot more than just pizza, so being able to combine a barbecue and pizza oven together is something that would save me space while offering multiple ways of cooking outside.

If you have a Masterbuilt barbecue, I just found a handy accessory that can convert your existing grill into a pizza oven – and it’s pretty affordable, too. The Masterbuilt Pizza Oven Attachment is a grill insert with a pizza stone that slots into your barbecue so you can make pizzas on the grill.

The Masterbuilt Pizza Oven Attachment looks like most pizza ovens on the market, except it doesn’t have any controls. Instead, you use your barbecue’s controls to fire up the pizza stone so you can cook pizzas in as little as five minutes while still getting that authentic flavour.

You don’t just have to use the Masterbuilt Pizza Oven Attachment for pizzas, either. It can also cook bread, steak, cookies and even lasagne – see 9 surprising foods you can cook in a pizza oven for more details. The mouth of the pizza oven is wide and spacious, so it can fit up to 12-inch pizzas inside.

When used with a Masterbuilt barbecue, the Masterbuilt Pizza Oven Attachment has 360° airflow so it whips around your food while it’s cooking to give you a consistent cook without you having to rotate it. It’s made from stainless steel and porcelain that looks premium, and matches Masterbuilt’s line-up of barbecues.

The Masterbuilt Pizza Oven Attachment is compatible with most of its gas, pellet and charcoal barbecues, including its Gravity Series. The bad news is if you have the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 – which we gave five stars in our review – you won’t be able to use the pizza oven accessory.

The Masterbuilt Pizza Oven Attachment is available to buy for £179 at Masterbuilt and select retailers like BBQ Land and Pro Smoke. Barbecues and pizza ovens come with a pretty hefty price, so if you’re on a tight budget, a pizza stone accessory like this one from Masterbuilt means you get two exciting ways to cook outdoors in an affordable and convenient way.

Dimplex has just launched its new eXtreme Electric Infrared BBQ, and I think it could win over even the most traditional barbecuers. With its generous cooking space and high temperature range, the Dimplex eXtreme Electric Infrared BBQ can cook just about anything – even a full rotisserie chicken.

When I first started testing barbecues for T3, I came up against one major issue – I didn’t have a garden. This was during the pandemic, so it was hard to get outside anyway, but I did have a small balcony which I used to my full advantage.

Despite my small outdoor space, I was pleased that between 2020 - 2022, electric barbecues finally started to get popular, despite barbecue purists' annoyance. One issue some people have with electric barbecues is they can struggle to get really hot which is what you want to get those authentic barbecue flavours and smokiness.

But the Dimplex eXtreme Electric Infrared BBQ seems to have sorted this problem. This compact, portable electric barbecue can reach temperatures over 300°C to get that perfect sear, and its high hood with a warming rack means it gets hot and big enough to cook whole birds and large cuts of meat.

Using infrared technology, the Dimplex eXtreme Electric Infrared BBQ has two 1100W carbon fibre infrared elements which allow it to get up to this high head. It gets up to temperature very quickly, and as there’s no flames involved, it produces less smoke, making it great for smaller gardens, balconies and patios.

The Dimplex eXtreme Electric Infrared BBQ has a large 2772cm² grill area, so you can cook for plenty of people. Thanks to its heating technology, the cooking surface stays consistently hot across the entire grill for even cooking. It also comes with a built-in meat probe for more accurate cooking.

The design of the Dimplex eXtreme Electric Infrared BBQ is simple yet effective, with its all-black colour with silver accents. It has a digital display at the front which allows you to adjust its settings and see the grill’s real-time temperature.

Compared to other electric barbecues, the Dimplex eXtreme Electric Infrared BBQ has quite a high price tag, but it’s currently on sale. The Dimplex eXtreme Electric Infrared BBQ is available to buy for £499 at Dimplex. As of writing, it’s discounted to £349, saving you £150.

The griddle revolution continues! Char-Broil has just debuted its new Griddle 3400, its most versatile griddle to date. Designed to cook any meal you could think of, the Char-Broil Griddle 3400 has a large grill surface made from porcelain-coated cast iron, making it ultra durable and ensuring even heat distribution.

As outdoor kitchens have surged in popularity, griddles have become the fastest growing barbecue trend of 2026. With more and more people wanting to cook outside for breakfast, lunch and dinner, griddles are the go-to way to do that, due to their easy, versatile surfaces that can cook just about anything.

The Char-Broil Griddle 3400 is a perfect example of that, as Char-Broil claims you can use it to cook pancakes, tapas, paella, tacos and more on its durable one-piece grill plate. The surface of the Char-Broil Griddle 3400 is also smooth enough that you could even cook on it using pots and pans.

The Char-Broil Griddle 3400 is powered by gas, but it has an electronic ignition for quick and safe cooking. The grill measures 48cm x 68cm, so it can cook a generous amount of food on it, plus it has stainless steel three burners that distribute heat evenly across the surface.

The design of the Char-Broil Griddle 3400 is much like a barbecue, with a foldable lid, steel cart and swivel wheels. It also offers plenty of preparation and storage space, thanks to its side shelves with hooks and raised bottom shelf.

The Char-Broil Griddle 3400 is available to buy for £449.99 at Char-Broil and select retailers, like Amazon and Argos. Compared to full-sized gas barbecues, this price is pretty affordable – but should you choose a griddle or a barbecue?

Griddles and barbecues are similar pieces of outdoor cooking equipment, but they differ in their cooking surface. Griddles use a large, solid cooking plate that comes in direct contact with your food, while a barbecue has open-grates that allows your food to be cooked directly over smoke or flames.

Depending on your tastes, a griddle is recommended for more ‘delicate’ cooking, similar to that of a frying pan, whereas a barbecue is a lot more intense, giving food a smoky flavour. Personally, I’ve tried both griddles and barbecues, and it all comes down to how much you plan to use them.

If you’re looking to cook all your meals outside rather than using a hob or oven, then a griddle is a great choice. For cooking up a storm on weekends or during the summer, a barbecue will serve you well. If you have the budget, both are an option, too – and the Char-Broil Griddle 3400 would be a great addition to your outdoor kitchen.

Roborock has spent the last few years building a reputation for itself as one of the best robot vacuum brands in the business. Now the company has brought its expertise in navigation, obstacle avoidance and app design to your garden.

Arriving in the form of the RockMow Z1, the brand's new flagship robot mower is certainly not some half-assed attempt at bringing its vacuum tech outside the home. It's clear from the moment you lift it out of the box that this thing means business.

The Z1 range comes in three sizes: the Z115 (for lawns up to 1,500 sqm), Z130 (up to 3,000 sqm) and Z150 (up to 5,000 sqm). The only difference between each model is battery size and coverage area, everything else is identical, boasting the same four-wheel drive, active steering, cameras, app, and everything.

I've been testing the Z150, the biggest and most capable model, across my garden for the past few weeks to see whether Roborock's indoor smarts translate to the great outdoors. Here's how I got on.

Roborock RockMow Z1 review: price and availability

The Roborock RockMow Z1 range is available now in the UK direct from Roborock's official RockMow site. There are three different models each aimed at different garden sizes and with varying price points: the Z115 starts at £1,699, the Z130 sits at £2,299, and the Z150 I tested comes in at £2,999. In the US, you can expect to pay up to $3,500.

First off, let’s address the elephant in the room: that's a lot of dosh for a robot mower, putting the flagship model, the Z150, well above rivals like the Segway Navimow i215 LiDAR (£1,199) and closer to premium territory occupied by the likes of Husqvarna's Automower range. The entry-level Z115 is more competitive, but you're still looking at something that’s more of an investment than a nice-to-have garden gadget.

One thing worth mentioning is that the brand’s PreciEdge module, which allows the mower to cut within 3cm of edges and walls, is sold separately at £150. Given how much the mower costs, this feels like it should be included as standard. Without it, the mower leaves a roughly 10cm strip of uncut grass along boundaries, which means you'll still need a strimmer for the finishing touches. Ugh.

Nevertheless, the Z1 also comes with three years of free 4G data, so it can operate and be controlled remotely even without Wi-Fi in the garden, which is a nice touch.

Roborock RockMow Z1 review: design and build

The first thing you notice about the RockMow Z1 is that it has a much different vibe to anything else in the robot mower market. It definitely looks the part, so much so that if you don’t have a sprawling garden of several acres then it will seem a bit overkill. In what can best be described as a tank, the Z1 has a low, aggressive stance with chunky treaded wheels, front-facing cameras that almost look like eyes, and an overall design that is very “rugged”. Even so, it’s still sleek and premium.

Where the RockMow Z1 really shines, though, is its build quality. At 21.5kg, it's a seriously heavy machine, and every gram of that weight feels worthwhile. Nothing creaks or wobbles, and the IPX6 waterproof rating means it can handle rain, mud and a blast from the garden hose without a grumble. There's also a rain sensor that sends it back to the charging station when the weather turns, ready to resume its day job once things dry out.

The four-wheel drive system is the headline feature here, though. This means that each of the mower’s wheels has its own hub motor, with the front wheels boasting active steering motors that allow for incredibly tight turns without leaving scuff marks on the grass.

The rear wheels sit on independent spring suspension, keeping the body stable and the cutting deck level even over bumps and dips. It almost seems to move like a miniature all-terrain vehicle. Turning it over, you’ll find a floating cutting deck with six blades, a 24cm cutting width, and an adjustable cutting height from 20-70mm that you set via the app. There's also an anti-clog disc designed to prevent grass build-up.

My only real gripe here is the sheer size of the thing. At 661 x 475 x 294mm, the Z1 is a meaty piece of kit that takes up a good chunk of space in the garden. If you've got a compact urban garden, it's going to dominate. In fact, if this is you, I’d recommend against buying one entirely as this beast is designed for bigger uneven gardens that more bog standard robot mowers would struggle with. Plus, at 21.5kg, moving it manually is not something you want to be doing often. On the other hand, if it’s a large unruly garden you have, then this is definitely the machine for you.

Roborock RockMow Z1 review: performance and features

Setting up the RockMow Z1 was surprisingly easy. Roborock includes a generously long cable so it doesn't have to sit right next to the charging station, and once it’s docked and charging, it’s on to the initial pairing via the app, which is super quick. For me, with a relatively modest yard, the whole process from unboxing to first mow took about half an hour, but this might vary depending on your setup and garden size.

The one thing I couldn't find was an auto-mapping option. I had to manually drive the mower around the perimeter of my garden via the app to teach it the boundaries, which - as something that claims to be so high tech and is outrageously expensive - I was surprised at. Still, this worked fine, but for a machine with supposed AI-powered mapping, I was expecting to be able to let it figure things out on its own. (Other reviews have since reported that AI mapping has been rolled out via a software update, so perhaps this is yet to arrive.)

Once mapped, though, the Z1 is seriously impressive. When up and running, you’ll see just how nimble it is. Cutting grass evenly and responding instantly to your commands in the app even when changing settings, such as the cutting length, mid-mow. The active steering means it navigates around obstacles smoothly, making tight turns without chewing up the turf, and the four-wheel drive powers through slopes and uneven ground without needing to stop and think about it.

The Quad Vision obstacle avoidance system uses four cameras (two front, two side) and works well. It spotted and avoided garden furniture, plant pots, and the like without a problem. It's perhaps a touch over-cautious at times, however, leaving quite a wide berth around objects, which means a bit more untouched grass than you might expect.

I found cutting performance to be clean and consistent. The floating cutting deck adapts to the contours of the ground, and after a few sessions the lawn looked noticeably more even and well-maintained.

While it’s a feature that most robot mowers lack, the RockMow Z1 doesn’t collect grass during a cut. Instead, it mulches the clippings and leaves them on the lawn. This is fine for lawn health if the mower runs regularly enough to keep clippings tiny, but if you've let the grass grow a bit between sessions, you'll find yourself raking up afterwards, which somewhat defeats the brand’s "set it and forget it" mantra.

As I mentioned earlier, the Roborock app is a pleasure to use. It's clean, intuitive and gives you control over schedules, cutting height, zones, mowing direction and more. You can track the mower's progress in real time on a map, set no-go zones, create passages between separate lawn areas, and even choose mowing patterns. There's also a nifty anti-theft system with PIN lock, lift alarm and 4G tracking, plus it supports Apple Find My for location tracking.

As for battery life, the Z150 is generous at 200 minutes per charge, with a 60-minute charging time. For my garden, one charge was more than enough per session, and the mower returns to its dock automatically when the battery gets low, resuming where it left off once topped up.

Roborock RockMow Z1 review: verdict

The Roborock RockMow Z1 is one of the most capable and well-built robot mowers I've had the pleasure of testing. The four-wheel drive, active steering and dynamic suspension handle terrain that would leave most competitors spinning on their backs, and the build quality is exceptional. Meanwhile, the app is polished and packed with useful features, the cutting performance is clean and even, and the obstacle avoidance is reliable.

However, it’s imperative to note that this machine only makes sense for the right garden. At £2,999 for the Z150 that I reviewed, it's a serious investment, and the size and weight mean it only really makes sense for larger, uneven and more demanding outdoor spaces. If your garden is small, simple and flat, you'd be far better off with something like the Segway Navimow i208 LiDAR or even Roborock's own smaller RockMow S1.

Still, if you've got the budget as well as a big, hilly, obstacle-ridden garden and you're tired of spending your weekends pushing a mower around it, the RockMow Z1 is built for exactly that job. It's just a shame the PreciEdge module isn't included at this price.

Over the past month or so, the UK has experienced some intense heatwaves. While keeping cool has been a top priority, so has taking care of your garden, as the high temperatures and bright sun can have damaging effects on your lawn, plants and decking.

My garden is full of plants – which I’ve been watering obsessively every morning to keep them happy and hydrated – but it’s also made up of wooden decking which is currently looking a little worse for wear. Whether it’s wooden or composite, decking can warp, shrink and splinter in the hot weather, and the surface can get excessively hot which can burn your feet and your pets’ paws.

To protect your decking from the next heatwave, here’s three ways to look after it, including when is the best time to make these improvements.

P.S. If you have a grassy garden, check out these 3 tips for stopping your lawn turning brown in a heatwave.

1. Create temporary shade

Unfortunately, you can’t pick up your decking and put it inside, so an easy way to stop it from getting too hot or drying out is to create temporary shade. There are a few ways you can do this, but as long as you’re blocking your deck from direct sunlight, it should be well protected.

One way to create temporary shade is using a gazebo, awning or parasol. If you don’t have this type of outdoor structure, you can make it even simpler and cover your decking with an outdoor rug. Not only will this prevent your deck from warping, but it’ll also protect your feet by keeping the temperature down.

Another handy way is rearranging or strategically placing your plants. Plants and trees can easily shade your garden while also getting the sunlight that they need – make sure you water them at the right times to keep them happy, too.

2. Apply a UV-blocking oil or stain

As mentioned, I have wooden decking at home and treating it has always been a task I’d rather avoid. But applying a UV-blocking treatment, like an oil or stain, can protect your decking from direct heat while also preventing drying and splintering – think of it as suncream for your deck!

Before you stain your decking with a UV blocker, make sure to treat it on a less hot day or in the early morning or late evening, ideally when the sun has gone down or hasn’t risen yet. This timing prevents the UV blocker from drying too quickly and leaving a film on top of your decking which does more harm than good.

3. Water your deck – yes, really

You’ve heard of watering your lawn, but have you heard of watering your deck? I hadn’t either, but it turns out you can cool your decking by giving it a quick rinse. Lightly spraying or misting your deck in the evening is most recommended and effective, as it cools the surface, prevents warping and expanding, and can wash away dirt and pollen after a long, hot day.

Char-Broil has just launched its latest electric barbecue, a portable, compact model that gives patio, balcony and small garden owners a convenient way to grill this summer. The Char-Broil Patio Bistro Cube E Barbecue is a small yet powerful electric grill which quickly reaches high temperatures for searing, roasting and more.

During the pandemic, I lived in a small flat with an even smaller balcony, but my teeny tiny outdoor space got me through the months of lockdown. It was just about big enough for a miniature table and chairs, but around this time was when electric barbecues got really popular.

Lucky for me, I got to test an electric barbecue during this time, and it quickly became my go-to cooking method. Like other barbecue enthusiasts, I didn’t think an electric grill could produce authentic barbecue flavours, but I was proven wrong.

For those who live in small flats and homes but still want the chance to grill, the Char-Broil Patio Bistro Cube E Barbecue is sure to solve your problems. Measuring just 47.4cm in height, 47.1cm in width and 53.6cm in diameter, this electric barbecue is small yet mighty, and its three metre cord means you can plug it in and use it anywhere.

Despite its compact size, the Char-Broil Patio Bistro Cube E Barbecue has a generous cooking capacity. Its grate has a diameter of 38.4cm and can cook for up to three people at a time.

With 1500 watts of power, the Char-Broil Patio Bistro Cube E Barbecue can reach up to a maximum temperature of 280°C in under 20 minutes. This temperature is recommended for quick grilling sessions, but the Char-Broil Patio Bistro Cube E Barbecue can reach up to 320°C for intense searing.

To lock in the temperature, the Char-Broil Patio Bistro Cube E Barbecue comes with a dome-like lead which seals in heat and flavour. It uses TRU-Infrared technology to distribute heat evenly across the grate, and the lid has an integrated analogue temperature gauge so you can monitor the heat at all times without disrupting your cooking.

The Char-Broil Patio Bistro Cube E Barbecue is available to buy for £229 at Char-Broil and select retailers, like Amazon and Very.

Kärcher is expanding its award-winning line-up of pressure washers with its new Flex eco!Booster models. Available in four sizes, and versions specifically for your home and car, the new Kärcher Flex eco!Booster range strikes the perfect balance between power and delicateness.

Despite being an expert in lawn mowers, I don’t actually have a grassy garden. Instead, I have wooden decking which I’ve been treating every year to keep it in top condition. I’m due another round of deck treatment soon, but the last time I used a pressure washer, things got a little out of hand.

The pressure washer that I used was far too powerful for my wooden decking. Using too much pressure on decking can cause the wood fibres to grain and splinter, and I think that’s what’s happened to mine as it’s looking a little worse for wear.

But the new Flex eco!Booster range from Kärcher looks like the answer to my decking problems. The collection features K3, K4, K5 and K7 models, with the K3 better suited for smaller gardens, the K4 and K5 for medium-large gardens and K7 for larger outdoor spaces.

For my size deck, the Kärcher K4 WCM Flex eco!Booster looks like it could fit the bill. Designed for use on moderate dirt, the Kärcher Flex eco!Booster can be used on furniture, paths and cars, and has a water-cooled motor that’s powerful and durable.

What I like the most about the new range is its eco!Booster lance which attaches to the main pressure washer body. This attachment is best for delicate surfaces – my decking would certainly benefit from this – yet it still offers an impressive cleaning performance that’s both energy and water efficient.

For more powerful cleaning, the Kärcher Flex eco!Booster comes with a dirtblaster lance for when you need extra power to get rid of tough stains.

The Kärcher Flex eco!Booster comes with an 8m high-pressure hose and a built-in water filter. Prices on the new pressure washers start at £159.99, and you can already find some models discounted on the Kärcher website.

The UK heatwave is back, and whilst many of us are enjoying the sunshine, your lawn might not be feeling quite as happy. Rising temperatures and dry conditions can quickly turn healthy green grass into a brown mess if it's not looked after properly.

The good news is you don't need to spend hours working on your garden or invest in expensive products to help your lawn survive the heat. A few simple changes to how you water, mow and maintain your grass can make a big difference, and I've listed the three easiest things down below so you can get started.

1. Water your lawn at the right time

One of the biggest mistakes people make during a heatwave is watering their lawn at the hottest time of day. Just like with plants, much of that water can evaporate before it reaches the roots when temperatures are high.

Instead, water early in the morning or later in the evening when the sun is weaker and the soil has more time to absorb the moisture. A deeper watering less often is also better than a quick daily sprinkle, as it helps the grass develop stronger roots and cope better with dry conditions.

2. Raise your mower cutting height

During a heatwave, your lawn needs to hold onto as much moisture as possible, and one easy way to help is by raising the cutting height on your mower.

Whether you're using one of the best cordless mowers or the best robot mowers, cutting your grass too short can leave it more exposed to the sun and cause it to dry out faster. Keeping your grass slightly longer helps provide shade, reduces moisture loss and keeps your lawn healthier.

3. Avoid heavy lawn maintenance during extreme heat

When temperatures rise, your lawn is already under stress, so avoid putting it through too much extra work. Try to hold off on jobs like scarifying, heavy mowing or applying treatments until the weather cools down.

If you do need to mow, do it in the evening when it's cooler and avoid cutting too much grass at once. Leaving some grass clippings behind can also help, as they return moisture and nutrients back into the soil.

Aldi has launched a huge range of outdoor garden lights as part of its latest Specialbuys. Most are solar-powered, whilst a handful are rechargeable, giving you plenty of options depending on your outdoor setup.

This isn't the first summer-friendly launch we've seen from Aldi recently. Following its budget beer dispenser and affordable range of fans, and these new garden lights are another great example of the retailer offering seasonal essentials at wallet-friendly prices.

As with all Aldi Specialbuys, availability is limited, so once they're gone, they're gone.

There comes a time when all of us start to gain an unhealthy obsession with a well-manicured lawn. Staring out onto a trim bed of blades formed into neat striped patterns is inherently satisfying.

Recently, I've been testing out the Stihl RMA 448 RV. That's a high-end lawn mower from the brand, which offers a wealth of features in a battery-powered device.

Stihl RMA 448 RV review: Price and Availability

The Stihl RMA 448 RV retails for £829 (approx. €970 / US$1,110 / AU$1,595). It can be purchased via the brand's website.

Stihl RMA 448 RV review: Features

While it's a relatively simple mower overall, the RMA 448 RV does offer a range of feature to help you sculpt the cut you want. Think of it like a bevy of options for the final 5%, more than fundamental changes to the overall experience.

First and foremost, that includes a five-option cutting height adjustment. That allows you to pick how tall you want your lawn to be with decent precision, and is selectable via a push-button lever which can be operated with one hand, but doesn't feel like it'll be changed by accident.

There's also an Eco mode, which allows the user to prioritise battery life over all else. This setting automatically adapts the motor speed to what's needed for the job, rather than full power. It's a neat addition, and will be a lifesaver for those with lawns large enough to almost max out a battery.

You'll have two options with regards to grass collection, with a switch to choose between mulching or collecting. The collection happens within a box at the rear of the machine, and holds a decent amount of material.

Last, but by no means least, is the Vario Self-Drive engine. That allows you to divert some of the power to propelling the mower, significantly reducing the effort required to move it.

Stihl RMA 448 RV review: Performance

I'll start with a gripe because it was the first thing I noticed – this is a heavy unit. At 27kg, it'll take some effort to move it around, particularly if you need to carry it over steps or ledges. In comparison to other similar-sized mowers it's not too bad, but if you want a truly lightweight mower, this isn't for you.

Still, once you've broken a sweat to get it onto the lawn, everything else feels remarkably simple. The rear box constructs with ease, and clips into place with a reassuring click.

Do make sure you double check the setting of the mulch/collection switch before you start. I didn't on the first go, and ended up baffled when my entire lawn only left a smattering of grass blades in the box.

I'd also recommend being more generous than you think you need to be with the cutting height, especially if you've got a lawn which isn't flat. I found that mine scarred a lot of patches, simply because of how much it undulates – the wide 46cm cutting section is too broad to run over them without issue.

One aspect I really have loved about this mower is the Self-Drive function. It offers a range of settings from tortoise to hare – a playful touch which is more endearing than a numbered selection – to divert some of the power into propelling the machine.

I love this – as someone with a sloped lawn, it makes it easy to travel in both directions with pretty much the same level of effort. However, I'd again recommend proceeding with caution – the higher speed settings are pretty nippy, and could quickly run away from you if you're not nimble.

Fortunately the safety mechanism built into the handle means you should be able to avoid most accidents. You'll need to press a button on the side of the handle and pull up the rear bar to start the mower, with a further front bar pulled up to activate the Self-Drive. Letting go is enough to kill the engine, which makes it handy if you're about to accidentally tear through a lovingly curated border of petunias (don't ask me how I know).

My lawn isn't the biggest, and I do think the benefits of this machine would be reaped in a larger space. The turning circle isn't amazing, so you'll often find yourself doing a five-point turn to get into the right spot. It's certainly not the biggest issue in the world, but if you've got a smaller space, it's worth considering one of the brand's smaller machines to save on weight and size.

Stihl RMA 448 RV review: Verdict

All in all, I think this is a killer lawn mower. It's a beast of a unit and enjoys enough features to make sure you can get the perfect cut every time.

If you're on the hunt for a lawn mower which is built like a tank and ready to mow large lawns with ease, look no further. This is a solid pick for those with deep enough pockets.

Stihl RMA 448 RV review: Also Consider

If you're looking for a decent cordless mower on a budget, the Hawksmoor 36V Brushless Cordless Lawnmower is a solid option. It earned an impressive five-star rating when our reviewer got their hands on it, offering exceptional value for money.

Alternatively, the Worx Nitro WG761E 80V mower has been top of our guide for a while, and it's not hard to see why! Good looks and an impressive feature set make it hard to ignore – even if it outstrips this model for price.

The humble smash burger appears to have become the unlikely catalyst behind a surge in popularity for gas-powered griddles (or planchas) that goes well beyond the campsite where these versatile outdoor barbecue alternatives have been in use for years. That signature burger technique – pressing a ball of mince onto a flat, searingly hot surface to create a crisp, flavour-packed crust – demands intense, even heat that only a heavy-duty metal plate can provide.

Consequently, what began as a street-food trend has evolved into a much broader movement that seems to be reshaping outdoor cooking and pushing major barbecue brands to offer a more versatile, high-heat solution. And it's not just smash burgers, because you can cook almost anything on a griddle – juicy steaks with caramelised crust and perfectly cooked centres, delicate fish, bacon and eggs, toasties, fruit, you name it.

In this State of the Art, we're focusing on user-friendly, gas-powered table-top griddles from the likes of Pit Boss, Weber and Campingaz. While their locomotive-grade metal plates add a lot of weight, all of these models are portable by car, which means you can also take them camping and picnicking. What's not to like?

WHAT'S ON TEST…

PIT BOSS ULTIMATE LIFT-OFF PLANCHA

Pit Boss brings flat-top freedom with exceptional flexibility

The Pit Boss 2-Burner Ultimate Lift-Off Plancha is exactly the sort of product that feels engineered to capitalise on the current flat-top cooking boom, while meeting the needs of novices who may have never used a griddle before. As a consequence, this US-sourced model is equipped with a non-stick armoured ceramic cooktop that requires no pre-seasoning. At 58.7cm x 46.3cm, this silky-smooth plate has enough space for six to eight hungry gannets while requiring little to no oil.

This is an appealingly civilised approach when compared to the cast-iron norm; during day-to-day use, this style of cooktop is impressively low-maintenance, requiring little more than a wipe-down after cooking. The coating also resists rust better than traditional steel plates, though ceramic surfaces are best used with nylon polymer spatulas and scrapers rather than traditional steel, which could remove the ceramic coating over a period of time. Pit Boss produces a full set of nylon griddle tools designed specifically for this model.

With a colossal 7.63kW of output delivering an average cooking temperature of around 260˚C, this beast has no trouble delivering the high temperatures needed for smash burgers or seared steak. Heat distribution is generally consistent, and the dual-burner setup offers enough control to juggle multiple ingredients. The robust hinged lid, too, is an excellent feature for the onset of rain.

One of the very best facets of this model is its Lift-Off party trick: the whole cooktop and lid can be easily removed from its stand, transforming it into a portable unit. Build quality throughout is exceedingly good, with practical touches on the stand section like folding shelves with tool hooks, a paper towel holder, a bin-liner holder, a bottle opener and a removable steel grease catcher at the front for easy access.

The Pit Boss 2-Burner Ultimate Lift-Off Plancha is inarguably the most versatile griddle system on the market right now. It takes a while to assemble, while its conspicuous design won't appeal to everyone, but for ease of use, portability and everyday practicality, this is an impressively designed combo that will doubtless serve you extremely well in the long term.

WEBER SLATE GP 56CM GRIDDLE

Premium griddle cooking from the king of barbecue brands

The Slate GP 56cm brings barbecue behemoth Weber into the increasingly fashionable world of portable flat-top cooking, and it's clear that the US brand has no intention of doing things by halves. Where rivals like Blackstone lean towards a more utilitarian design approach, the Slate GP looks elegant and feels reassuringly premium, with a well-finished body, a weighty 56cm porcelain-enamelled cooktop, and a lightweight lid that's ostensibly for weather protection only and not for cooking.

The Slate GP is designed for tabletop use, though Weber also produces a 76cm option with stand for those with more space on the patio. At 56cm in width and 41.5cm in depth, the Weber we've got here is rust-resistant, though its porcelain-enamel cooktop isn't as slippery as the ceramic Pit Boss – some foods may stick if you don't apply enough oil – but it doesn't require any pre-seasoning and is very easy to clean.

The Slate takes between 10 and 15 minutes to reach cooking temperature and, as with all griddles, the heat is mostly consistent across the entire plate, with just a few cooler spots here and there. The Slate works with any standard refillable propane gas bottle and ships with a standard regulator and hose pre-fitted.

As is the case with all griddles, the Weber is also equipped with a grease management system comprising a cut-out on the front left of the plate and an easily removed grease catcher beneath. The addition of top-quality adjustable feet can be considered a major bonus, especially if it's being used on an uneven surface.

Granted, at around 24 kg, the Slate isn't the lightest or most compact option around (Weber also produces a smaller 43cm single-burner version in case you're interested), but there's no doubting that this is an amazingly well-engineered griddle that lives up to Weber's reputation for exceptional build quality and impressive functionality, even when used in cooler weather or when there's some wind in the air.

For those tempted by the smash burger revolution or anyone simply looking to broaden their outdoor cooking repertoire, the Slate GP 56 is a confidence-inspiring option that will not disappoint.

CAMPINGAZ SIGMA 1 CV

A practical, space-efficient option for camping, balconies and small patios

While it lacks the premium finish of more expensive rivals, the budget-priced Sigma 1 CV is perfect for car camping, picnics or those without much space at home. Unlike some griddles that ship with untreated cooking plates, the Sigma comes with a reassuringly weighty 45cm x 30cm enamelled cast-iron plate that requires only a gentle spritz of cooking oil to prevent any sticking.

The Sigma's single 2.8kW Blue Flame burner does a commendable job of distributing heat while keeping cool spots to a minimum. The plate got up to just above 260˚C – perfect for creating that all-important caramelised crust on smash burgers and steaks.

Naturally, there are limits with a single-burner system like this. You don't get the luxury of dual-zone cooking, and the smaller 1,350cm² cooking area itself, while perfectly adequate for a family of four to six at a pinch, is certainly not built for feeding a crowd; unless, of course, you're doing bacon and egg baps, in which case you'll be the toast of the campsite.

The integrated hinged lid, meanwhile, genuinely improves the cooking experience. It acts as a wind shield, speeds up the heating process, helps retain heat in cooler weather and dramatically reduces spitting fat – a feature anyone cooking on a balcony or heritage stone patio will come to appreciate. And when you've finished cooking, the lid also offers basic protection against rain.

The Sigma comes with the obligatory grease management system with a dishwasher-safe collection cup, battery-powered ignition and four height-adjustable griddle plate pins that, while fiddly to access, are cause for a little celebration, mostly because a wonky flat-top is no fun when frying eggs and other wet ingredients that can very easily meander across the cooking area.

Moreover, the use of easily-sourced disposable CV470 gas cartridges makes setup refreshingly fuss-free – simply pop a canister in the steel basket provided, push in the regulator and twist its sleeve to lock it in position. This type of gas system also lends itself perfectly to spontaneous use, whether you're sizzling bacon beside a camper van, flipping burgers on a city balcony or whipping up an outdoor breakfast at home.

In a nutshell, the Campingaz Sigma 1 CV delivers proper flat-top cooking in a compact package that is easy to carry a short distance, quick to heat up and effortless to use.

The overall winner is…

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT GRIDDLING

GRIDDLE OR PLANCHA?

Planchas are designed with a powerful hob-style burner directly under the centre, or either side if it's a two-burner. This creates an intense searing zone in the middle, while the edges remain cooler. A griddle's heat source is provided by a burner tube that snakes around just below the plate, like most gas barbecues. In general, griddles aim for edge-to-edge consistency, which is ideal for when you want everything to cook at roughly the same rate.

SHOULD I SEASON IT?

If it's of the cast-iron or steel variety, one of the first things you need to do is to season it by rubbing high-smoke-point vegetable oil (avocado, rapeseed, sunflower or peanut) over the entire cooking plate using a paper towel while the plate is piping hot. This process seals the plate with a dark burnt-in coating that creates a non-stick layer and helps prevent rust. In general, you won't need to season a ceramic-or enamel-coated model.

PREHEAT

Preheating a griddle for 10 to 15 minutes ensures even heat distribution. It also helps prevent sticking and improves caramelisation of foods.

WHICH TOOLS?

A quality griddle tool kit includes a wide stainless-steel spatula, a scraper for quick cleaning, heat-resistant tongs, a squeezy oil bottle and, for doing smash burgers, a suitably strong burger press. On a ceramic or treated cooktop consider using nylon polymer tools, as they are less prone to scratching the surface.

CLEAN IT UP

On a cast-iron or steel plate, scrape off residue while the surface is very hot. Pour a little water on stubborn spots to loosen debris, then wipe bone dry because moisture is the enemy of cast-iron cooking plates. If using a ceramic-coated or porcelain-enamelled model, use paper towelling to wipe it down when warm.

5 essential tabletop griddle add-ons

Get the most out of your new outdoor cooker with these handy cooking implements

1 WEBER GRIDDLE SQUEEZE BOTTLE SET

Griddling can be a messy business, especially if you use too much oil. This simple but useful squeezy bottle provides just the right amount of high smoke-point oil without smothering the ingredients.
£14, weber.com

2 OONI DIGITAL INFRARED THERMOMETER

An essential gadget for serious griddle and pizza perfectionists. Ooni's laser thermometer delivers accurate surface readings up to 550°C by simply pointing the beam at the griddle plate and reading the temperature in either Celsius or Fahrenheit. With its colour-coded display it removes the guesswork from griddle cooking in a trice. £50, ooni.com

3 FLASLD HEAT RESISTANT TABLE MAT

Tabletop griddles create a lot of heat and this can be an issue if the unit is placed on a plastic or delicate wooden table. Comprised of a silicone-coated fibre sandwich with a layer of insulating cotton in between, this mat is a cheap, simple and effective solution for shielding outdoor tables from heat, grease and scratches during the cooking session.
From £14, flasld.com

4 BURGER PRESS

This heavyweight burger press genuinely takes the strain out of burger smashing, and is perfect for making panini and toasties, too. Made from 100% cast-iron, its textured base helps prevent sticking while delivering even pressure and a superb crust.
£40, weber.com

5 CHAR-BROIL GRIDDLE STARTER KIT

A smart companion for anyone stepping into the sizzling world of flat-top cooking. Char-Broil's sturdy three-piece stainless steel set includes essential tools for flipping burgers, smashing patties and scraping down the cooking surface.
£43, charbroil.co.uk

I’ve tested lots of outdoor cooking equipment during my time as Home Editor for T3, and when I’m asked about the best thing I’ve ever reviewed, I always say my pizza oven. Not only do I still use it on an almost weekly basis, but it sits in pride of place in my garden and is a real crowd-pleaser when I have guests over.

Despite my pizza oven being my prized possession, I can’t deny that they are expensive. From big name brands like Gozney and Ooni, you can expect to pay between £300 - £2,000 for a pizza oven which isn’t in everyone’s budgets. But I recently tried the Vonhaus Outdoor Wood Pellet Pizza Oven and was pleasantly surprised by its functionality, especially considering its budget price tag.

At £109.99, the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven is one of the cheapest pizza ovens you can buy today. It’s well-built, comes with a nice range of accessories, and can cook up to 12-inch pizzas. So, how does it perform? I spent some time with the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven to find out.

Vonhaus pellet pizza oven review: price and availability

The Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven is available to buy for £109.99 at Vonhaus and select retailers, like Amazon and Argos. It comes with the main pizza oven and a square pizza stone, a stainless steel pizza peel and cutter, a bamboo chopping board, and a polyester storage bag.

Vonhaus pellet pizza oven review: unboxing and setup

Setting up the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven was incredibly easy. It arrives with the main pizza oven body already put together, but some assembling is involved, like attaching the chimney and fuel box.

To get started, I unfolded the legs of the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven to make it easier to assemble everything. Next, I used the screws to attach the wood pellet charger to the top of the pizza oven – this is where you can add more pellets if needed and let out some of the smoke.

The chimney was easy to insert as it slotted into the hole at the top of the pizza oven. The fuel drawer only needed to be put in its drawer at the back of the oven, and then I added the pizza stone inside. I then attached the handle to the oven door and attached it to the front of the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven.

Aside from the pellet charger which fixed on permanently, everything else on the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven was removeable. When I wasn’t using it, I detached the removable parts, folded the legs away and packed the pizza oven inside its storage bag which was also quick and easy to do.

To use the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven, you start by closing the front door of the oven before adding 250g of wood pellets to the fuel drawer. From there, place a firestarter in the drawer and light it before placing the drawer in the oven. Next, you simply wait for the pellets to ignite and for the temperature gauge on the top of the oven to show 350°C before adding your food. Vonhaus claims this takes up to 25 minutes.

Vonhaus pellet pizza oven review: design and features

Made from stainless steel with a black coating, the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven is a good-looking model that seems to take style inspiration from Ooni. The main body of the pizza oven is black while steel accents include the door, chimney, fuel drawer and pellet charger.

Measuring 55cm in height, 40.4cm in width and 60cm in diameter, the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven is surprisingly compact and takes up minimal space in your garden. Weighing just 9.8kg, it’s not very heavy either, and I found it comfortable to move around when it was assembled, as well as in its storage bag.

The Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven has a spacious internal capacity which can cook up to 12-inch pizzas, as well as other foods, like flatbreads, vegetables and meat. A temperature gauge is located at the top of the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven, and it can reach up to 400°C for intense and quick cooking in as little as 90 seconds.

With the wood pellet box located at the back of the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven, the flames run across the top of the pizza while the edges get hotter to cover the crust. The pizza stone base is made from cordierite to absorb and distribute heat for a crisp base. The heat is consistent, although you can’t adjust the temperature in any way as there are no controls.

The Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven doesn’t come with wood pellets so I used Weber Grill Academy All-Natural Hardwood Pellets.

Vonhaus pellet pizza oven review: performance

As mentioned above, setting up the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven was incredibly easy, and I enjoyed how quickly it could be assembled and taken apart for storage. Those with smaller gardens will definitely enjoy it as it has a compact size despite its spacious interior, and its foldable legs make it easy to store.

Using the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven was a little tricky in places. The wood pellets took some time to light as expected, but once they were lit, the pizza oven itself took a long time to heat up. The instructions stated that it would take up to 25 minutes to get up to 350°C but it took up to 45 minutes for me and I had to replenish the wood pellets multiple times.

When the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven finally got up to temperature, I found that it lost its heat quite quickly. The body of the pizza oven got extremely hot, especially the steel parts on the pellet charger and chimney so you’ll want to be extremely careful with this.

I found the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven to work best on pre-made pizza but it crisped up my homemade pizza well, too. The interior was a good size and easily fit both pizzas comfortably, and the pizza peel slid the pizza nicely inside and onto the pizza stone.

I was surprised that the interior stayed relatively clean, but the pellet charger and fuel drawer which came into contact with the flames and smoke got extremely dirty. It was relatively easier to clean but it looked pretty filthy. I also enjoyed the accessories, especially the pizza peel and cutter, although after only a few uses, the logo on the bamboo board faded and the material started to fray.

Vonhaus pellet pizza oven review: verdict

The Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven ticks a lot of boxes, particularly if you have a small garden and you’re looking for an affordable, budget-friendly model. If you want another smarter or simply a way to control the flame, you’ll want to pay a bit more money as the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven is extremely simple.

However, in terms of value for money, you definitely get what you pay for with the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven. Its accessories are good, the pizza oven itself looks great, and its portability makes it easy to set up and use.

The main downside of the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven is it takes a long time to heat up. If you have the time, then you won’t mind waiting for it to come to temperature, but it’s worth keeping in mind.

Vonhaus pellet pizza oven review: alternatives to consider

A good alternative to the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven is the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven. It’s an electric model but it also comes with wood pellets which you can use to enhance the flavour of your food. It’s also compact and reasonably priced at £349.

The Gozney Roccbox is similar in size and portability to the Vonhaus Pellet Pizza Oven. It runs on gas or wood pellets so you can get more control over your cooking, and cook quickly using gas and add extra flavour with pellets.

The T3 Awards 2026 are back, and this year, we’re pulling out all the stops as this award season also coincides with T3’s 30th anniversary. This past year has been full of exciting innovations across tech, active and home, so to kick off this week’s announcement, we’re starting in the kitchen and out in the garden.

This year’s Kitchen and Garden Award winners, highly commended and nominees have really impressed us. T3’s Home team have had the joy of testing (too many) large and small appliances, including AI air fryers, high-powered blenders and ramp-climbing robotic lawn mowers – it’s a hard job but someone has to do it!

After countless hours of testing and reviewing later, we’ve finally narrowed down our Kitchen and Garden winners for the T3 Awards 2026.

Best Air Fryer / Multi-Cooker

Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer

One of the biggest air fryer trends in the past year has been stacked baskets where two chambers or drawers are stacked atop one another rather than sitting side by side. This space-saving design is already ingenious, but the brand that did it best and is now winning the T3 Award for Best Air Fryer is the Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer.

Philips’ first air fryer with a stacked design is truly impressive. Its compact size means it takes up minimal space in your kitchen, although its black and gold finish will make you want to display it anyway. The dual baskets cook a great deal of food, and their viewing windows, built-in lights and intuitive controls make everyday cooking that much easier.

Read our Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer review for more details.

Highly Commended: Tower Air X

Best Air Fryer Shortlist: Panasonic Flex NF-BC1000KXC Air Fryer, Cosori Turbo Tower 10.8L air fryer, Cuisinart AirTwin XXL Dual-Zone Air Fryer, Instant Pot Classic Mini 3.8L Multi-Cooker

Best Coffee Machine

Sage Oracle Dual Boiler

With the rising price of takeaway coffees, more and more households are finally upgrading their home coffee set-up by introducing bean to cup coffee machines to their kitchen. One coffee machine brand that continues to do exciting things in the coffee machine space is Sage – and its Oracle Dual Boiler is taking the win for the Best Coffee Machine for 2026.

Sage’s Oracle Dual Boiler might look a little daunting at first, with its luxury design, built-in grinder and portafilter, but it couldn’t be easier to use. It comes with plenty of coffee-making options, and talks you through the entire process – and there are also extensive manual controls for expert baristas to get their teeth stuck into.

Read our Sage Oracle Dual Boiler review for more details.

Highly Commended: De'Longhi Eletta Ultra

Best Coffee Machine Shortlist: Philips Baristina, Cuisinart Grind, Tamp and Brew Espresso machine, Lavazza Assoluta, Gaggia Classic UP, Dreame Ecceluxe Slim Fully Automatic Espresso Machine

Best Blender / Mixer

Beast Mighty 850 Plus

As a self-confessed smoothie addict – I’m rarely seen without one in the office – testing the best blenders is a great perk to the job. Over the past year, I’ve blended, pulsed and pulverised an insane amount of fruit and vegetables, and found the Beast Mighty 850 Plus to be the best of the bunch.

Beast Health only arrived in the UK last year, but it’s already impressed many customers with its speedy, portable and easy-to-use blenders, like the Beast Mighty 850 Plus. Using a 850w blender base and stainless steel blades, this small yet mighty blender can quickly and easily cut through fresh and frozen ingredients. Where it really shines is its accessories, including multiple vessel sizes, lids, spouts and straws, that make it easy to take with you on-the-go.

Read our Beast Mighty 850 Plus review for more details.

Highly Commended: KitchenAid Pure Power Blender

Best Blender / Mixer Shortlist: Ninja BlendBoss, Tefal Blend Up Mini Blender, Cuisinart Blast & Go Portable Blender

Best Barbecue

Weber Searwood XL

Outdoor cooking has had a real spike in popularity in the past few years – maybe because the UK is finally getting some decent weather. Getting outside and firing up the best barbecue has never been easier or smarter, and for this year’s awards, the Weber Searwood XL takes the crown.

A pellet grill option, the Weber Searwood XL can grill, smoke and sear anything you throw on it. It strikes an impressive balance between power, precision and ease, and can be used by seasoned experts to complete beginners, thanks to its simple manual and smart controls.

Read our full Weber Searwood XL review for more details.

Highly Commended: Campingaz 3 Series Onyx S Gas BBQ

Best Barbecue Shortlist: Char-Broil Versa Tile, Pit Boss Titan Competition Series, Traeger Woodridge Pro, Ninja FlexFlame

Best Outdoor Cooking Appliance

Gozney Tread

When it comes to the best pizza oven you can buy, Gozney is a tough brand to beat. In the past year, Gozney has launched new Arc and Dome models, but the one that caught our attention the most was the Gozney Tread, the brand’s most portable model yet.

I know what you’re thinking – taking a pizza oven with you on holiday is crazy. But with the Gozney Tread’s lighter design, easy storage and carry handles, it’s a no-brainer to pack it with you for your next beach or camping trip. It has a generous capacity which makes 12-inch pizzas, and its gas-powered flames are easy to control and produce quick, tasty results.

Read our Gozney Tread review for more details.

Highly Commended: Delivita Flow

Best Outdoor Cooking Appliance Shortlist: Ninja Artisan Electric Pizza Oven & Air Fryer, Ooni Volt 2, VonHaus pellet pizza oven

Best Lawn Mower

Eufy E15 robot lawn mower

Before you fire up your barbecue or pizza oven for your next outdoor party, it’s important that your garden looks the part. Mowing the lawn isn’t exactly the most fun or easy job, but if you have a robot lawn mower, the process is an absolute breeze – especially if you have the Eufy E15 robot lawn mower to hand.

Eufy continues to impress us across the smart home and robotics space, and its Eufy E15 is no exception. This wire-free lawn mower is easy to set up and uses TrueVision technology to map your garden completely autonomously. If you’ve always wanted that striped lawn look, the Eufy E15 will achieve that for you easily, and it’s quiet enough that you’ll barely notice it even when you’re hosting.

Read our Eufy E15 robot lawn mower review for more details.

Highly Commended: Husqvarna 308V Robot Mower

Best Robot Lawn Mower Shortlist: Vonhaus 171cc Petrol Lawn Mower, Stiga Twinclip 950e V Kit Cordless Lawn Mower, Sunseeker Elite X4

Earlier this year, Husqvarna unveiled a new range of robot mowers designed to make automated lawn care more affordable and accessible. Since then, we've put the Automower 308V and Automower 312V to the test, and now it's time to turn our attention to the Automower Aspire R6V.

As the most affordable model in the lineup, the Aspire R6V promises the same efficient mowing experience and smart app-controlled features as its siblings, but in a more compact package aimed at smaller gardens.

The big question is whether it delivers the premium Husqvarna experience for less, or if the lower price comes with too many compromises. I've been putting it to work in my own garden to find out.

Price and availability

The Aspire R6V is the most affordable model in Husqvarna's new range, priced at £999, sitting below the Automower 308V (£1,249) and Automower 312V (£1,499). It's still not cheap, but it's a great price for a robot mower from Husqvarna.

It's available directly from Husqvarna, as well as specialist retailers including Platts Robotics and Revill Robotic Mowers.

Unboxing and setup

Getting the Aspire R6V up and running was very straightforward. Following the on-screen instructions in the Automower Connect app, I created a map of my garden by driving the mower around the perimeter and dropping virtual pins at each corner.

If your lawn has lots of curves or awkward angles, I'd recommend adding a few extra waypoints during setup. That said, it's no problem if you don't get it perfect first time, as you can easily edit, move or add waypoints later. I found myself tweaking the boundaries over the following days to improve edge coverage, and the app makes this very easy to do.

As the Aspire R6V is designed for smaller gardens, Wi-Fi is also less likely to be an issue. The entire mower range relies on a stable wireless connection across your lawn, but my medium-sized garden had strong coverage throughout, so setup was absolutely fine.

I know patchy Wi-Fi has been a sticking point for some users of the 308V and 312V, although those models can be paired with Husqvarna's RS1 EPOS module, which removes the need for strong Wi-Fi at the far end of your garden.

Design and features

As mentioned, the Aspire R6V is aimed at smaller gardens, covering up to 600m² – or 400m² in more complex layouts. Rather than using physical boundary wires, it creates virtual boundaries through the Automower Connect app using satellite positioning.

One of the Aspire R6V's standout features is its built-in AI Vision camera. Instead of relying solely on satellite positioning, the camera works alongside AI-powered object detection to recognise and avoid obstacles on your lawn. It also helps maintain accurate navigation in areas where satellite coverage isn't quite as strong, resulting in more consistent mowing.

Like every Husqvarna robot mower, the Aspire R6V is controlled entirely through the Automower Connect app. Here you can create virtual boundaries, define multiple mowing zones, set temporary stay-out areas, schedule mowing sessions and even choose different mowing patterns. If your lawn has separate sections, you can also configure secondary work areas.

The Aspire R6V can further detect narrow passages, automatically adjust mowing frequency based on grass growth using Weather Timer, and uses Spiral Cutting to tackle longer patches more efficiently. It also includes GeoFence anti-theft protection, receives over-the-air software updates, and works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home for voice control and status updates.

When the battery gets low, it quietly returns to its charging station before heading back out to finish the job once it's recharged.

Performance

One of my favourite things about the Aspire R6V is how little attention it needs. Once I'd set up a schedule, I stopped thinking about mowing altogether – no longer having to worry about fitting it into my weekend.

The mapping system deserves particular praise. Creating the initial map was quick, but what really impressed me was how tweakable everything is afterwards. Being able to move a boundary by just a few inches makes a huge difference, and I've continued fine-tuning the edges to maximise coverage.

It also handled uneven terrain much better than I expected. My garden has plenty of bumps and slopes, but the Aspire R6V tackled them confidently without getting stuck or digging into the lawn. Combined with the excellent app controls, it's easy to tailor exactly how and where you want it to mow.

The AI Vision camera also worked well during testing. It consistently spotted low-hanging branches that were inside the mowing zone and steered around them without issue. Whilst I haven't encountered every possible obstacle yet, it looks promising, and is able to detect objects from around 5-10cm away.

Charging from empty took roughly three hours, which delivered around two hours of mowing time. That felt like a fair trade-off to me, particularly as the app lets you monitor charging progress and battery levels during this time.

My biggest criticism is that it can struggle with particularly complex garden layouts. My lawn includes patios, raised beds and several awkward protruding sections that require very sharp turns. In these areas, the mower couldn't always reach every corner, meaning I still needed to tidy up with a strimmer every couple of weeks – which I'd already been doing around the edges anyway.

Curved borders also require a little extra patience during setup. If you don't place enough waypoints, the mower joins them with straight lines, which can leave parts of curved edges untouched. Thankfully, the app makes it easy to add extra points or reposition existing ones until you've got the shape exactly right.

Verdict

The Husqvarna Automower Aspire R6V combines effortless setup and consistently impressive cutting performance into a compact package that's perfect for smaller gardens. It isn't flawless, but the compromises I've listed are easy to forgive considering the price. If you've been curious about wire-free robot mowers but couldn't justify the cost of that comes with premium models, the Aspire R6V hits a sweet spot, delivering everything most homeowners need for significantly less money.

Alternatives to consider

If you're after a robot mower that can tackle almost any terrain, I'd recommend the excellent Mammotion Luba 2 AWD – provided your budget stretches that far.

If you're looking to spend less, the LawnMaster L10 is a brilliant budget alternative for lawns up to 400m². It doesn't have the same level of smart features, but for considerably less money, it delivers impressive results on smaller gardens.

In the age of the best robot lawn mowers, it's easy to forget that cordless and petrol models still have plenty to offer. Robot mowers are of course hard to beat when it comes to convenience, but there's something very satisfying about mowing the lawn yourself. They also cost a fraction of the price of most robot mowers, especially if you can find one that delivers without costing the earth.

The latest model to impress me is the Hawksmoor 36V Brushless Cordless Lawnmower, and after spending some time with it, I believe it could be one of the best value cordless mowers around.

Price and availability

Priced at £249.99 and available exclusively from Toolstation, the Hawksmoor 36V Brushless Cordless Lawnmower sits firmly in the affordable end of the best cordless mower market.

Unboxing and set up

The mower arrived in a fairly substantial box, but most of it came pre-built, so all I had to do was attach and secure the handle using the locking knobs and washers. I then clipped on the grass collection box and charged the two included 18V batteries before inserting them. They already had some charge straight out of the box, so they only needed a quick top-up before I was ready to start.

Before setting off, you'll also want to choose your cutting height. There are six positions ranging from 25mm to 75mm, all adjusted using a single central lever. I started in the middle at setting three, as I could easily tweak it depending on how my lawn looked after the first pass.

Design and features

The Hawksmoor has a durable polypropylene deck that makes it lightweight enough to push around the garden whilst still feeling stable. Two large rear wheels make it much easier to take on uneven ground, and the foldable handle is useful for storing. Like most quality mowers, the handle can also be adjusted to suit your height.

Power comes from a 36V battery system, made up of two 18V batteries, paired with an efficient brushless motor. Being cordless also means you're free to move around the garden without dragging an extension lead behind you. The batteries also have LED lights that are red whilst charging and switch to green when they're fully charged, so you know when they're ready.

Grass clippings are collected in a generous 40-litre collection box, and there's also a built-in rear roller that leaves attractive lawn stripes. The only notable omission is a dedicated mulching mode, but that's unlikely to be a dealbreaker for most people.

At 12.3kg, the Hawksmoor isn't the lightest cordless mower on the market, but it's by no means the heaviest either. For a mower with this level of power and a 40-litre grass box, the weight feels perfectly reasonable and never became an issue whilst mowing.

Performance

After several weeks of use, I came away very impressed with the Hawksmoor 36V Brushless Cordless Lawnmower. It's not the most compact model available, but the adjustable handle made it comfortable to manoeuvre and the controls were simple to use. Starting and stopping the mower was very easy, and once I got going, it was immediately obvious that the brushless motor had plenty of power in reserve.

Battery life was another pleasant surprise. After the initial charge, I managed around four to five mows of my medium-sized garden before needing to recharge the batteries. Once depleted, they took roughly two hours to charge back to full, which is a respectable turnaround.

Performance also remained consistent, and the motor never felt like it was struggling, even when tackling thicker patches of grass. The large collection box also meant I only needed to empty it once at the end of each mow rather than stopping halfway through, which has often been the case with smaller mowers I've tested.

Verdict

The Hawksmoor 36V Brushless Cordless Lawnmower proves you don't have to spend a fortune to get a capable cordless mower. It delivers strong cutting performance, impressive battery life and useful features, including a rear roller and a generous 40-litre grass collector. Whilst it's not the most compact model on the market and lacks a mulching mode, those are easy compromises to make considering the price.

Alternatives to consider

If you're considering alternatives, the Gtech CLM50 is another excellent cordless mower that offers similar performance, dimensions and pricing.

If you have a larger garden, I'd recommend taking a look at the Husqvarna LC 251iS. Its spacious 65-litre grass collector makes it better suited to larger lawns, and because it runs on Husqvarna's 36V battery platform, it's an especially good option if you already own other Husqvarna cordless garden tools.

Seeing as both the Ninja Woodfire Electric Outdoor Oven and Electric Smoker went down extremely well at T3 Towers, we have been chomping at the bit (or should that be burned sausage?) to have a go with Ninja’s take on a propane grill.

But like the two aforementioned five-star items, Ninja cleverly pairs its expertise in electricity with the support of propane gas to create what it claims to be a true 5-in-1 outdoor cooking solution that’s just as happy banging out burgers and searing steaks as it is slow-roasting an entire bird.

The premise is relatively simple: it fuses a standard three-burner system with a cyclonic fan that gets the unit up to temperature in record time, as well as circulating heat and smoke evenly around the food inside. Flavoured smoke comes courtesy of a small pellet burner that sits next to the unit, which pumps out smoke for the fan to draw in and swirl around the culinary masterpiece for genuine barbecue flavours.

Ninja’s claim of 5-in-1 versatility also comes from the fact that it will sell you a pizza stone and flat-plate or plancha griddle separately, which adds a further three cooking methods to the existing grill, smoke and roast functions.

It’s a handsome unit, available in four colours (the blue and green look the smartest), but it’s not exactly cheap and, as you'll see in this review, it takes a fair amount of assembly to get it set up. But before I give anything away, here's my full Ninja FlexFlame review.

Ninja FlexFlame review: price and availability

In the UK, the Ninja FlexFlame currently costs £999.99 / $999.99, but this is for just the barbecue itself. Ninja throws in a small bag of wood pellets for free, which is enough for one cook.

There’s also a 5-in-1 bundle, which is very much worth the extra money, as it includes a plancha grill surface, pizza stone, pizza peel and a waterproof cover — important if you want the FlexFlame to stay looking fresh after a few winters.

This bundle is currently priced at £949.99, down from its original RRP of £1,249.99, although the items can all be purchased separately.

It is worth noting that you’ll need patio gas to run it, as well as access to mains power, although it will work if you happen to have portable power stations, such as those from EcoFlow and Jackery, which are capable of delivering DC output.

Ninja FlexFlame review: design and build

The Ninja FlexFlame arrives in an enormous box, which will require at least two people to lift into position. While the stand and panels aren’t particularly heavy, the main cooking grill weighs a ton, so you’ll need to rope those friends back in when it comes time to build.

For me, this was the most annoying part, as constructing the FlexFlame is akin to embarking on a complicated Ikea flat-pack project — the instructions are clear and simple, but set aside around two hours to get it done. There’s also a lot of packaging to store or get rid of afterwards.

Once built, it’s a handsome-looking thing and most of the surfaces feel robust and well made. The brass-coloured handle for the grill lid is a nice touch and the digital display for the precision burner control is easy to read in the sunshine.

If I was to get picky, the metal used for the side-mounted prep tables and front doors feels thin and flimsy, while the plastic dials would look and feel much better if they were made from something more robust.

As previously mentioned, it is well worth heading out to purchase a cover, as I am not convinced it wouldn’t start rusting after a few torrential downpours. Similarly, the half- or full-griddle optional extras feel like essentials, as the gaps in the metal grill surface are large enough for kebabs and other smaller food items to easily fall between.

Alternatively, you can save a bit of money and pick up some inexpensive non-stick grill mats, which do a very similar job to a plancha for a fraction of the price.

Ninja FlexFlame review: performance and features

The first thing to hit any new owner is just how fast the FlexFlame gets up to temperature, with Ninja suggesting a 10-minute pre-heat, but it can be far less if you’re happy not cooking on a molten 315°C searing surface.

Once plugged into the mains (or portable power, like I had to while my patio was being ripped up), it’s simply a case of selecting from the pre-set cooking modes via the precision burner dial. These include roasting or baking, low-and-slow cooking, and grilling or searing.

There’s further control over the temperature via a dedicated temperature dial, while the digital read-out indicates which gas burners are active. This is another clever and well-thought-out feature, as it allows for precise, slow roasts with the middle burner deactivated in bake or roast mode to ensure outer layers or skins of meat aren’t burnt to a crisp.

It’s also possible to cook with just the front two burners running, allowing vegetables and other more delicate foodstuffs to cook slowly at the rear.

During one cook-out, I placed some fresh corn on the top rack, well away from the grill surface itself, and, over the course of a full BBQ session (chicken, pork belly and some burgers, yum), it was beautifully soft with a tasty exterior crunch (yummier).

The woodfire smoker box also allows budding chefs to inject more flavour, with plenty of control over how much smoke is entering the cooking chamber. Simply fill the small hopper with Ninja-approved pellets, hit the big button and wait around 10 minutes for it to ignite.

It generally kicks out a lot of smoke and you’ll need to leave the lid down to get the most out of these aromatic flavours (the cyclonic fan automatically shuts off when the lid is opened anyway), but it’s potent enough to give a light woodfire hint to burgers, steaks and chicken when grilling.

Set the FlexFlame to low-and-slow or roast mode and the charring really penetrates the meat or vegetables that you have in there. I roasted a whole chicken one Sunday with Ninja’s All-Purpose Blend pellets and the meat was delicious — a rich, smoky flavour to the crispy skin, but with fantastically moist meat underneath.

The possibilities are near endless when it comes to cooking an array of food in a variety of styles and, while it is difficult to beat a real charcoal barbecue, the addition of these woodfire pellets aims to make up for some of the shortcomings.

Ninja FlexFlame review: verdict

The Ninja FlexFlame is incredibly easy to use and works brilliantly as a standard outdoor gas grill, but it also makes up for its lofty price tag with the ability to cook in multiple ways.

More adventurous chefs can spend hours slowly smoking an entire pork shoulder, while family pizza night is dead simple if you throw a pizza stone onto the surface.

Simply because it ignites and heats up so quickly, I found myself using it whenever the weather was good enough to cook outdoors. It’s very easy to clean, requiring only a quick scrub of the enamel-coated cast-iron grates and the occasional emptying of the included fat tray, which can also be tossed in the dishwasher.

In essence, it takes everything that’s brilliant about Ninja’s electric barbecue grill and smoker technology and beefs it up with a 425-square-inch cooking surface and the ability to open the lid and cook just like you can on a good old-fashioned gas grill.

Aldi has become something of a master at launching affordable versions of products everyone seems to be talking about. We've seen everything from the Ambiano 2-in-1 Microwave Air Fryer to the Aldi Wellness Lamp, and now the retailer has turned its attention to garden lighting.

The latest addition is the new Stainless Steel Spotlight, a simple but practical outdoor light designed to brighten areas of the garden that could benefit from further illumination. It's currently available in stores whilst stocks last and, at just £5.99, could easily be one of the cheapest solar-powered spotlights we've seen this year.

As with many Aldi Specialbuys, availability is limited, so if you're interested I'd recommend heading to your local store sooner rather than later. You can also use Aldi's stock checker online to see whether it's available before making the trip.

The Aldi Stainless Steel Spotlight features a durable metal construction and comes with an integrated ground stake, allowing it to be positioned almost anywhere in the garden. It's powered entirely by solar energy and uses three white LED bulbs to provide illumination once the sun goes down.

During the day, the spotlight charges in direct sunlight, storing energy ready to power the LEDs after dusk. That makes it a low-maintenance and energy-efficient addition to your outdoor space, with no wiring or electrical installation required.

With the weather finally starting to clear up, it’s time to get outside and fire up your barbecue! Whether you have a gas, charcoal, wood pellet or electric grill, it’s always helpful to have the right tools and accessories to hand to ensure you have a successful barbecue.

But what equipment do you actually need? And most importantly, is there any kit that you actually don’t need? To help you get the best cooking results from your barbecue this summer, these are the five BBQ accessories you actually need, and three that you can live without.

Before I get into the list, it goes without saying that you’ll need the correct fuel type for your barbecue to work. For gas barbecues, you’ll need a gas canister, regulator, hose and ignitor while for charcoal smokers, you’ll need charcoal and a chimney starter. Pellet barbecues require wood and an electrical power source, the latter of which is the only thing required to use an electric barbecue.

The BBQ tools you need

1. Long-handled tongs

Tongs are essential tools for both outdoor and indoor cooking. Handy for grabbing, flipping and transferring food, tongs are especially handy for odd-shaped foods where you need a good grip, like sausages or corn-on-the-cob – two of the most common barbecue foods.

If you’re using tongs on a barbecue, I’d recommend a long-handled pair of tongs. The length of the tongs ensures your hands and arms are safe from the heat.

2. Slotted spatula

Like tongs, a spatula is a common accessory found and used in the kitchen, but it excels at barbecue cooking, too. Spatulas are great for flipping burgers, and like tongs, the long handle keeps your hands away from the intense heat of the grill. I’d suggest a slotted spatula, as barbecues can get dirty and greasy. This way, you can remove some of the grease when you transfer your burgers to a plate.

3. Silicone basting brush

Barbecues aren’t just about sausages and burgers – you can use them for lots of different meals, including big cuts of meat and kebabs. If you’re cooking this food on your grill, a silicone basting brush allows you to add extra flavour by brushing butter or marinades directly onto your food as it sits on the barbecue.

Silicone is the best material for a basting brush, as long as you check that it’s heat resistant and barbecue-friendly. Compared to other materials, silicone won’t burn or shed, and it doesn’t hold onto food smells.

4. Meat thermometer

Nowadays, the majority of barbecues on the market will have meat thermometers built into the design. But if yours doesn’t, you definitely need one as a meat thermometer to make sure your food is properly cooked. Due to a barbecue’s high heat, it might look like your burger is cooked but oftentimes, you’ll find the outside is burnt but the inside is raw. That’s where a meat thermometer comes in, as it gives you quick, accurate readings so you don’t give yourself or your guests food poisoning.

5. Heat-resistant gloves

To better protect yourself, a sturdy pair of heat-resistant gloves is exactly what you need for barbecue season. When you buy them, make sure the gloves are barbecue-approved as a grill reaches much higher temperatures than kitchen appliances. Your barbecue might also experience the occasional flare-up so a heavy-duty pair of gloves are a must.

The BBQ tools you don’t need

1. All-in-one utensils

Don’t get me wrong, there is some value to all-in-one utensils but I have never found one that’s actually worked well. For barbecues, these types of tools combine a spatula, fork, baster, bottle opener and corkscrew in one. While they might save space and money, these all-in-one utensils aren’t the most comfortable to hold and use, and aren’t the best quality. They’re also quite tricky to clean.

2. Grill press

Smash burgers are all the rage at the moment, and it’s extremely easy to make your own smash burgers on a barbecue. But what I wouldn’t suggest is buying a dedicated grill press for them. While they are handy, you can get the same results by using a heavy-duty pan or skillet, or even a weighted spatula.

3. A spritzer

A barbecue spritzer or spray is designed to keep the surface of the grill non-sticky and prevent burning during longer cooks. But you don’t necessarily need to use a spritzer on your barbecue, and oftentimes, it’s hindering your cooking. Over-spritzing your food can remove the marinade or rub that you put on it before adding it to the grill, minimising its flavour. It can also make your food and surface too wet which can prolong your cooking time.

We’re in a bit of a strange weather limbo at the moment in the UK. One minute it’s blazing sunshine with temperatures pushing into the early 30s, and the next it’s absolutely tipping it down. For us green-fingered folk, that can make it tricky to know when to water the garden – and whether the rain is doing the job for us or if we should still be stepping in.

We’ve already covered the benefits of collecting rainwater for the garden, but I’ve now spoken to experts at the RHS to find out the exact best time to water when the sun is out. Timing, it turns out, makes a big difference to how effectively plants actually use the water, so it’s well worth getting it right.

You’ll find the answer below, along with a few other handy watering tips for different times of day.

What time of day should I water my garden?

The experts say that watering early in the morning is the ideal time. That’s because there’s less evaporation, meaning more water actually reaches the roots, and plants have what they need to get through the day.

If that’s not possible, evening watering is also fine. However, it’s worth being cautious, as damp leaves sitting overnight can encourage pests and fungal diseases.

The most important thing to avoid is watering in the heat of the day. A lot of the water simply evaporates before it even reaches the soil, and in some cases, droplets can even intensify the sun and scorch plant surfaces – something you definitely want to avoid if you’re trying to keep your garden healthy.

Gozney has just announced its latest collaboration with paint brand, Tonester. The partnership reimagines four of Gozney’s iconic pizza ovens in four signature Tonester paint shades – but you’ll have to be quick if you want one.

The Gozney x Tonester collection is a fun, colourful collaboration between the two brands. Four of Gozney’s pizza ovens have been given a personal colour upgrade from Tonester to better display its colour, material and form. Each colour was specifically chosen for the way it shows up next to the pizza oven’s fire.

The four pizza ovens up for grabs are the Arc Lite, Tread, Arc XL and the Dome XL (Gen 2). The new colours are displayed on the main outer shell of the pizza oven, but it keeps the mouth, control panel and chimney accessories in Gozney’s usual black.

Starting with the Arc Lite, it now comes in Tonester’s ‘High at the Gala’ paint shade which is a rich, burgundy-like colour. The Tread sticks to the more neutral side of things in ‘Car Coat’ which is a warm, stone brown shade. It’s a minimalist colour that shines brightly in the light so it matches perfectly with Gozney’s portable pizza oven.

One of the brightest colours from the collection is ‘London House’ which is available on the Arc XL. It comes in a deep navy blue colour. My personal favourite is the ‘Black Orange’ on the Dome XL (Gen 2). Arguably Tonester’s most iconic shade, the colour is a rusty orange that looks amazing next to the pizza oven’s flames.

When speaking about working with the founder of Tonester, Tony Piloseno, Tom Gozney, founder and CEO of Gozney said: “The way Tony evokes emotion through his paint colours is exactly how I think about the material, form and finish of our ovens… We’re both trying to transform spaces in different ways: Tony through colour and atmosphere, and us through the moments of connection that happen around fire and food.”

Tony Piloseno added that “We spent a lot of time on which shades belonged with which oven. Each colour was chosen for the specific way it shows up next to fire — ember, shadow, ash and smoke – then matched to a single oven to carry as much weight on an outdoor focal piece as it does on a wall.”

As if the new colours weren’t cool enough, Gozney will be dropping the new pizza ovens in a very unique way. Starting on 15th June, Gozney will drop its Gozney x Tonester pizza ovens every day throughout next week. It’ll be starting with the Arc Lite followed by the Tread, Arc XL and Dome XL (Gen 2) which will be the last drop on 18th June.

The Gozney x Tonester collection will be priced the same as the original models and colours, so if you like a specific colour, you’ll need to be quick as this limited design series is expected to sell out fast – oh, and there aren’t any planned restocks so once they’re gone, they won’t be coming back.

CASO Design has just launched the PizzaChef 430, its latest indoor electric pizza oven that could give Ooni a run for its money. Quickly reaching temperatures of up to 430°C, the CASO Design PizzaChef 430 has top and bottom heating elements that can be controlled independently to quickly make delicious pizzas.

Due to the rising popularity of pizza ovens, more and more brands are introducing indoor models so those with limited outdoor space can still use and enjoy this type of cooking. One of the best indoor pizza ovens that we’ve tried is the Ooni Volt 2, because of its stylish looks, intense heats, easy presets and manual controls.

Now, CASO Design has taken inspiration from the Ooni Volt 2 and introduced the CASO Design PizzaChef 430. It has a similar compact style, a touchscreen display at the front and a triple-glazed glass door with integrated lighting so you can seal in the heat while still getting a clear view of your food’s progress.

The most impressive part of the CASO Design PizzaChef 430 is its temperature controls. With its 2200W heating system, the pizza oven reaches up to 430°C to replicate the intense heats you can expect from a traditional brick oven. The 32cm x 32cm pizza stone ensures fast and precise heat distribution, and looks the part, too.

This high heat and quick warm-up time allows the CASO Design PizzaChef 430 to cook 12-inch pizzas in as little as two minutes. For even more control, the top and bottom heating elements of the pizza oven can be independently adjusted, so you can get a consistent cook on the crust and toppings.

With eight pre-sets to choose from, the CASO Design PizzaChef 430 has settings for Neapolitan, New York-style and Pinsa Romana pizzas. It also has a memory function so you can save your own personalised settings, making it even smarter and easier to use.

While the CASO Design PizzaChef 430 is primarily an indoor pizza oven, it’s robust enough to be used outside – given it’s under a shelter and you have easy and safe access to a plug. It really is a clever pizza oven, and a great option for those with limited space – the price isn’t bad, either.

The CASO Design PizzaChef 430 is available to buy for £199.99 at CASO Design and Currys. At both retailers, you can already get £20 off the CASO Design PizzaChef 430.

Want easy and tasty on-the-go cooking for your next adventure? Then you need to upgrade to a portable barbecue.

I love my barbecue but it has one flaw – it’s so big that I can’t take it with me when I go away on a camping weekend. I may only go on one camping trip a year (tents and I don't mix well), but I hate having to buy a disposable barbecue for each trip, as they’re not environmentally friendly and tend to leave a large scorch mark on the grass.

I’ve decided I’m not contributing to this waste and mess this year, and instead, I’ll be taking a portable barbecue with me instead. Today, there are tons of portable barbecue options, including gas, charcoal and wood pellet models, that are easy to pack up and take with you camping, hiking, beaching and more.

Portable barbecues don’t just have to be for your holidays either. With their impressive power and tasty results, they can also find a permanent place in your garden, and they’re handy for people who have minimal outdoor space, like balconies or patios.

Without further ado, here are five portable barbecues you should invest in this year.

1. Weber Traveler

Best portable barbecue overall

When it comes to portable barbecues, the best of the best has to be the Weber Traveler. This gas barbecue has a large 2,65cm sq cooking area and a single burner that cooks food perfectly, and folds down seamlessly. Its compact folding mechanism means it can stow away in the boot of your car, and for manoeuvring, it has an attached cart so you can wheel it around.

Our trusted reviewer gave it five stars in our Weber Traveler review, and commented that “with its well-engineered, deckchair-like folding mechanism, the Weber Traveler is a practical and efficient gas barbecue, combining a generous cooking area with a minimal storage footprint.” It’s hard to beat really which is why it holds top spots in many of our barbecue guides, including the best gas barbecue.

2. Napoleon TravelQ 240

Best portable gas barbecue

Speaking of gas, the Napoleon TravelQ 240 is an impressive portable gas barbecue, and sits just behind the Weber Traveler which is also gas powered. Described as ‘small yet mighty’, the Napoleon TravelQ 240 uses a stainless steel burner to quickly heat up its large grilling area and produce high heats for searing.

The Napoleon TravelQ 240 is extremely compact, and is easy to clean up and store. It has a removable drip tray and collapsible legs so it can get even smaller if needed. It also has a small holder on the side for you to place your gas canister – Napoleon has thought of everything with this one.

3. Traeger Ranger

Best portable pellet barbecue

If it’s pellet power you’re after, the Traeger Ranger is our pick for the best portable pellet smoker and grill. It’s quite heavy so you’ll need some muscles to heft it around, but the Traeger Ranger folds down nicely, so much so that you might mistake it for one of your suitcases.

Once in action, the Traeger Ranger can grill, smoke and roast meat and vegetables to perfection. In our five-star Traeger Ranger review, our reviewer commented that “this portable pellet griller and smoker impressed us from the word go” – high praise, indeed.

4. Ninja Woodfire BBQ Grill and Smoker

Best portable electric barbecue

Nowadays, a lot more campsites have electrical outlets that you can plug an electric barbecue into. Our top pick is the Ninja Woodfire BBQ Grill and Smoker which – in true Ninja style – has multiple cooking functions under its hood, including grilling, smoking and even air frying.

With its oversized handles on either side, the Ninja Woodfire BBQ Grill and Smoker is easy to set up and move around. It also has a smoker box lid where you can add flavoured wood pellets to enhance the taste of your food. It also got five stars in our Ninja Woodfire BBQ Grill and Smoker review.

5. Campingaz Party Grill 600

Best budget portable barbecue

For those on a tight budget, the Campingaz Party Grill 600 is a good affordable portable barbecue option. It offers multiple cooking options, including a grill, griddle, plancha and stove top, and it all conveniently packs away with its lockable lid and detachable legs.

The Campingaz Party Grill 600 runs on gas, and more specifically, Campingaz gas cylinders. Luckily, these are easy to find as Campingaz is sold at multiple outdoor retailers so this shouldn’t be an issue. Its piezo ignition is also quick and match-free, so you should be up and running in no time.

After last week's heatwave, many gardeners will be relieved to see cooler temperatures and a welcome spell of rain. However, according to David Denyer, flower and garden expert at Eflorist, this is exactly when you should be thinking ahead.

With the Met Office's latest long-range forecast pointing to an increased chance of further heatwaves this summer, David is encouraging gardeners to start collecting rainwater now rather than waiting until their plants are already showing signs of stress.

We've already rounded up the five common watering mistakes many gardeners make, but by making the most of this weekend's rainfall, you can build up a useful reserve and put your garden in a much stronger position for whatever the rest of summer brings.

1. You'll have your own free reserve

It might be tempting to look at a rainy week and assume your garden has all the water it needs, but that's exactly why now is the ideal time to prepare for the next dry spell.

Once temperatures rise, many gardeners find themselves struggling to keep thirsty plants alive. Collecting rainwater now gives you a free reserve to use later in the summer, helping you stay ahead of future heatwaves rather than reacting to them.

2. You can get ahead of future heatwaves

Last week's record-breaking temperatures were a reminder that hot weather can return quickly. Waiting until another heatwave arrives – or until hosepipe bans start being discussed – often means missing weeks' worth of rainfall that could have been stored.

By building up a reserve now, you'll be in a much better position to keep your garden healthy when temperatures rise again.

3. You'll protect the plants that need the most water

Stored rainwater can make a huge difference to plants that struggle during hot weather. Containers, hanging baskets and moisture-loving plants are often the first to show signs of stress when conditions turn dry.

Having a supply of collected rainwater ready to go means you can keep these plants hydrated without relying entirely on tap water, while also giving acid-loving plants a water source they often prefer.

Whilst everyone is searching for the best barbecue upgrade this summer from the brands they already know, IKEA has quietly launched its own option for an incredibly affordable price. The new Soluppgång Barbecue costs just £45 and features a cast iron design that's designed to distribute heat evenly across the grill for more consistent cooking.

Although IKEA has made headlines recently with its growing range of affordable smart home gadgets, the retailer has never shied away from kitchen and outdoor cooking products either. Last year, the Gåtebo 3-in-1 Microwave Oven proved surprisingly popular, and the new Soluppgång Barbecue could easily attract a similar following.

The Soluppgång Barbecue is available now for £45 in the UK and $79 in the US via IKEA's online store and in-store.

IKEA already sells a number of barbecues, including both gas and charcoal models. However, aside from the compact Korpön Portable Charcoal Barbecue, the Soluppgång is one of the cheapest grilling options currently available from the retailer.

Measuring 43 x 20 x 21cm, it's on the compact side, making it well suited to smaller gardens and patios, or whilst camping. Practical carry handles make it easy to move around, whilst built-in ventilation openings help increase airflow through the charcoal bowl.

Despite only recently launching, the Soluppgång has already picked up some impressive reviews. One early buyer described it as a "superb little BBQ that gets hot and stays hot – very easy to use, heavy-duty and good-quality cast iron."

Move over, Ninja – Cuisinart has launched its three-piece portable barbecue line-up, designed for delicious, authentic grilling on-the-go. Featuring both gas and charcoal models, Cuisinart’s portable barbecues have wide cooking spaces, easy heat controls, and stylish designs – and the prices are pretty good, too.

I’m a big fan of Cuisinart appliances, and recently covered its new 3-in-1 BBQ, Grill and Pizza Oven. Part of the brand’s new portable line-up, the Cuisinart 3-in-1 BBQ, Grill and Pizza Oven has a dual-hinged lid that takes it from a grill to a pizza oven and back again. It also packs away nicely for storage and travel.

The new additions that I’ve recently spotted are the Cuisinart Portable Charcoal Grill and the Cuisinart Venture Portable Gas BBQ. Starting with the former, the Cuisinart Portable Charcoal Grill has a 35cm cooking area that can cook up to 12 burgers at once.

Powered by charcoal, the Cuisinart Portable Charcoal Grill has a round, lightweight design that features a chrome-plated grill grate that offers even heat distribution and rust resistance. Weighing just 1.8kg, it can easily be carried around for camping trips, beach days and festivals, and it won’t take up much room in your garden, either.

The Cuisinart Portable Charcoal Grill uses dual air vents to give better control over the barbecue’s heat and airflow. It can be used to cook all your barbecue favourites, and it can slow cook, roast and sear. Its enamel-coated firebox and integrated ash catcher keeps everything mess-free, and the lid has three locks to keep its components safe during transport. At just £34.99, it’s an absolute steal.

If gas is your barbecue preference, the Cuisinart Venture Portable Gas BBQ is a great choice. With a large handle for transportation, the Cuisinart Venture Portable Gas BBQ looks like a mini suitcase but it has a surprising amount of features under its hood.

The hood in question is a wooden lid which can double as a chopping board or serving tray. It covers the Cuisinart Venture Portable Gas BBQ’s Stack ‘n Go design which stacks all parts of the grill in one place, including its 993 cm² cast iron cooking surface.

Powered by a 2.6kW stainless steel burner, the Cuisinart Venture Portable Gas BBQ has a quick twist-start ignition and it delivers consistent heat during the cooking process. Transporting large gas canisters might sound tricky, but the flip-out rack and hose clips on the Cuisinart Venture Portable Gas BBQ are designed to hold and stabilise a 450h propane tank.

The Cuisinart Venture Portable Gas BBQ is slightly more expensive than the Cuisinart Portable Charcoal Grill at £199.99. Overall, both barbecues promise powerful and tasty results, and are half the price you’d be expected to pay for other big name brands.

With summer finally arriving properly, I’ve found myself spending far more time out in the garden recently, which has naturally led to me slowly upgrading almost every part of it. The thing is, creating a garden that actually feels enjoyable to sit in doesn’t always require a huge renovation or thousands of pounds worth of landscaping. Sometimes, it’s the smaller upgrades that completely change how the space feels day to day.

Over the past year, I’ve tested everything from smart garden gadgets to budget-friendly furniture, and there are a handful of additions that have actually transformed how much I use my outdoor space. Some make entertaining easier, some improve the atmosphere, and others have simply made gardening itself far more enjoyable.

So, if you’re looking to give your garden a bit of a refresh this summer without completely emptying your bank account, here are the simple upgrades I think are worth it.

1. Invest in a good BBQ

Al fresco dining really is the heart of any great outdoor space. If you can eat, drink and entertain in your garden, then you know you’ve created somewhere actually worth spending time in. However, whilst there are plenty of flashy outdoor appliances out there now, I still think the best place to start is with one of the best barbecues.

I’m quite lucky in that I get to test a lot of different models, but the one I always end up going back to is the Weber Compact Kettle Charcoal Barbecue. I really enjoy the sear it gives from cooking close to the coals, and the lid is brilliant at locking in heat too, which makes a huge difference for slower cooks.

Weber Compact Kettle Charcoal Barbecue 57cm, £139.99

2. Upgrade your garden furniture

Garden furniture is one of those upgrades where it really doesn’t pay to go too cheap, because if you choose well, it’ll completely change how often you actually use your outdoor space. I’d normally steer clear of lower-priced sets, but this Rattan Garden Sofa Set from Argos has really impressed me.

It comes in both natural and grey finishes, and I opted for grey purely because it tends to hold its colour a little better over time. One of the things I liked straight away was how you can choose which side the L-shape sits on, which makes a massive difference depending on your garden shape and where the sun hits throughout the day.

It’s also far sturdier than I expected for the price. You’ll absolutely need two people to build it, but once assembled, it feels strong and has held up brilliantly through regular use, bad weather and more than a few evenings spent outside longer than planned.

Argos Home 4 Seater Rattan Effect Garden Sofa Set, £299

3. Buy a smart bird feeder

A smart bird feeder definitely wasn’t on my garden wishlist originally – until I actually tried one. I decided to fully lean into the idea and went for an AI camera model, and Birdfy was the brand that kept appearing everywhere I looked. After a bit of browsing, I settled on the bamboo version because it looks far nicer in a garden than most of the plastic alternatives.

The installation options really impressed me too. You can attach it to a tree, mount it to a wall or simply fix it onto a fence depending on your setup, and there’s also the choice between solar charging or a standard rechargeable battery. I ended up placing mine on a fence near the corner of the garden where birds already tended to gather.

The battery life is excellent, but the standout feature is easily the app. The AI bird recognition is surprisingly accurate, and I now find myself checking which birds have visited before I even open Instagram in the mornings, which probably says a lot!

Birdfy Feeder Bamboo, £199.99

4. Outdoor lighting for the win

The best outdoor lights are probably one of the quickest and easiest ways to completely change the atmosphere of a garden, and I’ve found solar smart lights to be one of the best low-effort upgrades you can make. After already adding string lights and a few pedestal lamps over the years, I decided my flower beds were next in line.

I ended up going for three of the Paulmann UFO LED Garden Spotlights, and they’ve created a gorgeous soft glow across my garden in the evenings. What stood out to me immediately is that they don’t feel flimsy or cheap like so many solar lights do. They’re made from stainless steel and glass rather than lightweight plastic, which instantly gives them a much more premium look.

They’ve also held up really well outdoors. They’re IP44 rated, so rain and heat haven’t been an issue at all – even during the recent heatwave. The warm white 3000K glow creates a really cosy ambience in the evenings without feeling too harsh, and considering the price, they’re one of the most effective garden upgrades I’ve made.

Paulmann UFO LED Garden Spotlight, £35.95

5. Grow your own

The newest addition to my garden this year has been a greenhouse – although probably not the traditional glass one you’re imagining. Instead, I’ve been using the VonHaus Walk In Greenhouse, and it’s turned out to be such an easy and affordable way to start growing my own plants properly.

It’s simple to put together, lightweight enough to move around if needed, and much less intimidating to manage than a full-sized greenhouse. I’ve been using it for everything from dahlias and ranunculus to strawberries and rocket, and it’s made the whole growing process feel far more approachable.

VonHaus Walk In Greenhouse, £34.99

Pellet smokers have been gaining momentum in the UK for a while now, but they're still a relative niche compared to the gas and charcoal BBQs most of us grew up with. The appeal comes down to the results. Anything cooked in wood pellets, especially meat, will offer up a proper wood-fired smoky flavour without having to babysit a fire all afternoon. Just fill the hopper with hardwood pellets, set a temperature, and let the machine do its thing. This "set it and forget it" promise helped turned Traeger into one of the biggest names in outdoor cooking.

The company has been doing their thing for 40 years now, but the Woodridge series is the brand's latest lineup, designed to bring its premium features down to a more approachable price. The Woodridge Pro sits in the middle of the range, slotting between the entry-level Woodridge and the top-spec Elite. It packs 970 square inches of cooking space, a Super Smoke mode for maximum flavour at low temperatures, Wi-Fi connectivity via Traeger's WiFIRE companion app, a digital pellet sensor, and a clever EZ-Clean grease and ash collection system.

I've been using it in my garden for the past few weeks now, including over a Bank Holiday heat wave, testing it across a mix of slow smokes and quicker grills to see whether it lives up to its maker’s reputation. Here's how I got on.

Traeger Woodridge Pro review: Price and availability

The Traeger Woodridge Pro is available to buy now in the UK, US and Australia. Being a US brand, the pricing is noticeably steeper on this side of the Atlantic. In the US, it has an RRP of $1,150 and is regularly discounted to $999.99. In the UK, however, it sits at a firm £1,399 and can be picked up from retailers like John Lewis, Stoves Are Us and BBQ World, with no discount in sight at the time of writing. (Although some retailers do throw in a free rain cover.) In Australia, it comes in at AU$2,399 direct from Traeger's Australian store, also with no discount listed.

For context, the entry-level Woodridge BBQ (which lacks the Pro's Super Smoke mode, folding side shelf, Keep Warm function, and has a smaller 860 sq in cooking area) starts at around £1,099 / $799.99 / AU$1,899. Meanwhile, the top-end Woodridge Elite has all the Pro features but boasts an infrared sear station and costs £1,699 / $1,599.99 / AU$2,999 RRP.

Rival pellet grills from Weber, Pit Boss and Camp Chef sit at similar or lower price points, so you are paying a premium for the Traeger name. That said, the build quality and feature offering go a long way toward justifying the cost, in my opinion, especially with the 10-year warranty, which is reassuring.

One thing worth flagging before buying is the ongoing cost of pellets. Pellet smokers like this require hardwood pellets specifically, which are pricier than softwood. I paid around £25 for a 9kg bag, which lasted me roughly three medium-sized cooks at around 240 degrees with the rack half full. There was a bit left over, but definitely not enough for another full session. It's not wallet-busting by any means, but it does add up over a summer of smoking, so it's worth factoring in if you’re considering buying a BBQ like this.

Traeger Woodridge Pro review: Design and build

The Woodridge Pro is a whopping bit of kit. At 79kg / 174lbs, it's not something you'll want to have to move around often, or keep hidden away to keep pulling out and dusting off when there’s a heatwave on the way. Still, if you do need to do that, it does sport two large wheels and two casters, which make repositioning it on the patio manageable enough.

Build quality is where this thing really shines, though and this will be obvious from the minute you unpack it and start assembling it. Everything feels properly sturdy and well-made. The steel feels thick and solid, the prep shelves are stable, and the whole unit has a reassuring heft that screams high quality. It really feels worth the money.

Assembly is a big job, mind. It arrives flat-packed in many pieces and you'll want to allow a good two hours with a second pair of hands. That said, Traeger has clearly put a lot of thought into making the process as painless as possible. The inside of the main box is printed with a layout showing where everything goes, and all the component boxes are labelled with animal icons (pig, chicken, deer, cow) sorted into four corners. You follow the images on each box to assemble step by step. It's probably one of the best unboxing and assembly experiences I've had with any product, and it makes this flatpack BBQ feel even more premium.

Once built, you've got a huge cooking area split across a main grate (585 sq in) and an upper shelf (measuring 385 sq in), plus two prep surfaces (one folding). There’s also a lower storage shelf running along the bottom to hold whatever BBQ paraphernalia your heart desires, and plenty of hooks to store cooking accessories, all of which ensure it’s practical as well as cool looking. Then, the grill’s hopper sits under the right-hand prep surface and holds 10kg / 24 lbs of pellets, which is more than enough for a couple of long smokes. There's also a digital pellet sensor built in so you can monitor levels without lifting the lid.

The EZ-Clean Grease and Ash Keg is also worth a mention here. This clever design feature collects drippings and pellet ash into a single removable and disposable container, which makes post-cook cleanup a lot less grim than scraping out a traditional BBQ. That said, the grill plates themselves are pretty big, and getting them properly clean does take time and effort. It's definitely not a quick wipe-down job.

Overall though, it really looks the part. It's a beast of a thing, but a stylish and robust one at that. Anyone that spots the Woodridge Pro sitting on your patio will assume you mean business, that’s for sure.

Traeger Woodridge Pro review: Performance and features

Let's start with what the Woodridge Pro does best, and that’s smoking. Set it to a low temperature, fill the hopper, turn on Super Smoke mode, and walk away. That's genuinely all there is to it. The auger feeds pellets into the fire pot automatically, the temperature holds steady, and the smoke does its thing. After what I know about more traditional wood pellet BBQs requiring you to manually feed wood into offset smokers or faffing with charcoal, this felt almost too easy.

And the results speak for themselves. My Wagyu burgers came out with a brilliant smoky flavour and tender texture, and slow-cooked chicken drumsticks had a proper wood-fired taste you'd expect from a dedicated smoker. This is down to the grill’s Super Smoke mode, which works below 107 °C / 225°F pumps extra smoke over the food to really add flavour intensity. It's the feature that separates the Pro from the base Woodridge, and it's worth the step up on its own, in my opinion.

Temperature control is impressive, too. The digital controller lets you set anywhere from 74°C / 165°F to 260°C / 500°F, and in my experience it held steady. Recovery time after opening the lid was quick, and the pellet consumption at lower temps (roughly 0.5kg / 1lb per hour at 107°C / 225°F) felt efficient. The control panel on the front of the grill is clear and easy to use, too, touting a digital readout, a dial for temperature, a connected temperature prong, and buttons for ignition and Super Smoke. It's a bit retro-looking with its dot-matrix style display, but I like that and it does its job with ease.

For grilling at higher temperatures, the Woodridge Pro might be perfectly capable but it's not its strong point. You can get it up to 260°C / 500°F and cook burgers, joints, chicken thighs and the like without any issues, and you'll get a decent sear from the hot grates. But because there are no direct flames beneath the cooking surface, you won't get that flame-licked char you might be used to from a gas or charcoal grill. This is something to make sure you’re well aware of before buying – as expectations could be ruined if you’re expecting that traditional BBQ finish to your meat. If high-heat searing is your priority, you'll want the Woodridge Elite with its infrared side burner, or a separate grill entirely.

Finally, let’s talk about the app. Traeger's companion app, called WiFIRE, is widely praised and I can see why as it lets you control temperature, monitor pellet levels, set timers and access recipes, all from your phone.

I should mention that I initially struggled to get the grill to connect. Despite multiple attempts over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, my phone simply wouldn't recognise it, which was pretty frustrating. After persisting with it, though, I eventually got it paired, and once connected it worked brilliantly. The app itself is well designed and intuitive, with a clean layout that makes it useful rather than a gimmick and not only for controlling the grill remotely but for relevant recipes, cooking guides and the like. Being able to adjust the temperature or check pellet levels from inside the house while the Woodridge Pro does its thing in the garden is a convenience that would make it very hard to go back to a conventional BBQ!

That said, if you're not one for connected experiences, the Woodridge Pro works perfectly well using just the physical controls on the unit. Everything you need is right there on the front panel, so the app is a bonus rather than a necessity.

Traeger Woodridge Pro review: Verdict

The Traeger Woodridge Pro is one of the most impressive BBQs I've used. The build quality is outstanding, the smoking performance is fantastic, and the whole “set-it-and-forget-it” experience means that wood-fired cooking feels accessible and in a way that traditional smokers don't.

The grill is not without its niggles, though. The pellet costs are an ongoing expense that adds up, especially with the pricier hardwood pellets this machine requires. What’s more, the grill plates are a faff to clean, and if you want proper high-heat searing, you'll need to look at the pricier Elite model or supplement with a separate grill.

Nevertheless, anyone who wants to smoke ribs, brisket, pulled pork or anything else low and slow with minimal effort and maximum flavour, the Woodridge Pro delivers and then some. It's a serious piece of outdoor cooking kit that not only looks the part but feels every bit as premium as its price tag.

For many homeowners, a beautifully striped lawn is the ultimate way to make a garden look neater, healthier and professionally maintained. However, whilst many of the best cordless mowers and the best robot mowers can create subtle striping effects, there’s actually one specific type of mower that delivers the very best results.

The secret to striped lawns lies in the rear roller. As the mower moves across the lawn, the rear roller gently bends the grass blades in different directions. Grass bent towards you reflects more light and appears lighter, whilst grass bent away looks darker, resulting in the classic alternating stripe effect.

To find out more, I spoke to the experts at Cobra Garden Machinery, who explained why rear-roller mowers make such a difference – and shared their top tips for achieving professional-looking lawn stripes at home.

1. Mow little and often

Frequent mowing is one of the biggest secrets to creating defined lawn stripes. Cutting the grass regularly encourages denser growth, which helps the roller create much clearer patterns across the lawn. Letting the grass grow too long between cuts can make stripes appear uneven and far less visible overall.

2. Alternate your mowing direction

It might seem strange, but mowing in the exact same direction every time can actually flatten the grass over time. Changing your mowing direction slightly with each cut helps keep the lawn healthier and fuller, whilst also preventing permanent leaning lines from forming.

3. Start with a straight guide line

The first stripe is always the most important because every other pass follows it. Using a fence line, patio edge or garden border as a visual guide can help keep the first cut perfectly straight, making the entire striped pattern look far more professional once finished.

4. Overlap each pass slightly

A small overlap between each mowing pass helps avoid missed strips of grass and keeps the stripe widths looking consistent across the entire lawn. Even a slight gap can interrupt the pattern, so taking your time here really helps create a cleaner finish.

5. Keep your mower blade sharp

Sharp mower blades don’t just improve cutting performance – they also make lawn stripes look much crisper. A dull blade tears the grass instead of cutting it cleanly, which can leave the lawn looking ragged and unhealthy. Keeping the blade sharp helps maintain both the appearance of the stripes and the overall health of the grass.

If your mower blade is looking a little worse for wear, check out our guide on the 5 simple steps to sharpening your mower blade next.

When the sun comes out to play, so too do barbecues! After all, who wants to cook in a hot-and-stuffy indoor kitchen? As the UK has seen searing levels of heat this past week, so too has the nation's passion for outside cooking been ignited.

While I really enjoy making meals at home, I've never really been one for outside cooking – I've found basic barbecue ovens too unpredictable and too time-consuming to achieve decent results (even not-so-decent ones). But this weekend just gone all of that changed for me.

That's because I had a Weber BBQ delivered to my house as part of a work project. It's called the Genesis EP-335W and it includes an app-based monitoring system. Sounds like a gimmick, right? I was sceptical at first, for sure, but after using this gas-powered BBQ for the first time I realised that it's actually far better than my kitchen oven.

The EP-335W is a triple-burner grill – you could call it five-strong if including the Sear Zone addition, plus the enclosed side gas hob – with a built-in digital thermometer. It's this ability to monitor temperature which makes this outdoor oven a breeze to use – but, better still, you can real-time monitor the temperature within the app.

Furthermore, there's an included probe which you can insert into the centre of whatever you're cooking and that produces a second real-time monitor of the internal temperature. So there's no more guesswork – you can cook that perfect medium rare steak to 55°C with precision. No app? No problem. The digital thermometer display on the side of the unit is easy to see and toggles between the two temperatures.

Like so many people, I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to BBQ cookery. After all, nobody wants to fall victim of foodborne illness due to undercooked meats, in particular. Overcooking is the obvious outcome, which brings with it undesirable qualities – namely tough or dry results, even too much char. But that's now an issue of the past with this Weber.

After a weekend's early-morning cycling workout, I wanted to make some sausage sandwiches – and the Genesis EP-335W was the more obvious choice than using my kitchen oven. It heats up faster, the probe ensures precision temperature readings, while the design means dripping fats cause flames to spark and add additional flavour. The result? Sensational sarnies.

There are inevitable downsides in owning such a product, of course, in that it costs a lot to purchase in the first instance, you'll need the right cover (sold separately) to protect it, correct cleaning tools to ensure the enamel coating on the grills lasts, and a separate gas cannister is no doubt pricier than your household supply. The boasting rights might be worth it, though.

If this UK heatwave keeps up, then I might end up cooking everything on this outdoor grill – lunch and dinner. This Weber barbecue has changed my opinion about outdoor cooking so considerably that I can barely believe it. There are other options within the range to cater for smaller and larger scales, at varying budgets. But if you're on the hunt for the ultimate BBQ then Weber's app-connected range is a scorcher.

The new Eufy C15 robot mower has officially launched following Anker’s huge product event last week. Originally unveiled back at MWC in March, Eufy had only confirmed that the mower would arrive sometime between late March and late June – and now it’s finally arrived across both the UK and Europe.

The C15 now becomes the most affordable model in Eufy’s growing robot mower lineup, sitting below the Eufy E18 and Eufy E15, which earned a five-star review from us last year.

As with many of Anker’s recent launches, there’s also a decent launch deal attached. Eufy is currently knocking £100/€150 off the standard retail price, making the C15 an even more tempting entry point for anyone curious about switching to automated lawn care.

Like its pricier siblings, the C15 uses Eufy’s Vision FSD navigation system, involving a camera-based setup that allows the mower to map and navigate without needing a physical boundary wire. It's also designed for smaller gardens up to 500m² and can handle slopes of up to 32%, whereas the E15 and E18 stretch to 800m² and 1,200m² respectively. Still, for smaller outdoor spaces, that’ll likely be more than enough.

Control is handled through the Eufy app, where users can manage mowing schedules, edit maps and adjust settings remotely. There are also onboard controls directly on the mower itself for quicker manual adjustments while out in the garden.

As we head into peak mowing season and gardens start growing faster than ever, keeping your lawn mower in top condition becomes far more important. Even the best cordless mowers will struggle to give you a healthy-looking lawn if the blade has become dull over time, leaving your lawn looking uneven and even causing the tips to turn brown in warmer weather.

The good news is that sharpening your mower blade is much easier than many people think, and it can make a huge difference to both cutting performance and the overall health of your lawn. Better still, the same basic advice applies whether you own a cordless mower, a corded electric mower or even a petrol model.

Whilst the removal process may vary slightly depending on the mower design, the sharpening technique itself is largely identical across all three types, and you'll find the exact steps below.

1. Safety first

Before you start anything, the first and most important step is safety. Make sure the mower is completely powered off and remove the battery entirely before doing anything else. You should then put on some protective gloves before moving onto the initial checks.

Once that’s done, tip the mower carefully onto its side (ideally with the air filter and motor side facing upwards) and inspect the blade for any major damage, dents or cracks, as badly damaged blades are usually better replaced than sharpened.

2. Remove the blade

If you've decided the blade just needs sharpening instead of replacing, check your mower's manual to find out how to safely remove it. This usually involves using a socket wrench or spanner, but it will differ with each brand of mower, so make sure you check first.

Once the blade is removed, clean off any built-up grass, mud or debris with a brush or damp cloth so you can clearly see the cutting edge.

3. Time to sharpen

To sharpen it, you can either use a metal file by hand or a drill attachment/bench grinder if you want a quicker option. The key is to follow the blade’s original angle rather than creating a completely new edge.

Work evenly along both cutting edges using smooth strokes, and avoid over-sharpening. This is because mower blades don’t need to be razor sharp like kitchen knives, as a slightly blunt but balanced edge actually holds up better against stones and tougher grass.

After sharpening, it’s also important to check the blade balance by resting the centre hole on a screwdriver or balancing tool. If one side dips lower, file a little more off that side until it sits evenly.

4. Reinstall and retry

After sharpening, simply reinstall the blade securely back onto the mower, making sure it’s fitted the correct way round and tightened properly. Reinsert the battery and give the mower a quick test on a small patch of grass.

A freshly sharpened blade should leave the lawn looking cleaner and healthier, with far fewer torn or ragged grass tips.

5. Stay on top of things

Maintaining your mower's blade depends on how often you mow and whether you regularly hit twigs, stones or tougher terrain. However, as a general rule, they should be sharpened every few months during peak mowing season.

If you plan on staying on top of mowing this summer, I'd strongly recommend sticking to this, especially if you want your mower to last.

The last UK May bank holiday is upon us, and it’s going to be a scorcher. With the weather this nice, chances are you have plans to fire up the barbecue to enjoy some delicious food in the sun – but if your barbecue does this, it’s the biggest warning sign it could give you that it needs cleaning or even replacing.

According to barbecue experts at Vonhaus, there are many common warning signs that your grill is past its best. The most obvious warnings are if your barbecue is looking extremely rusty even after you’ve cleaned it, and if the grill catches fire during cooking.

But the biggest warning sign that your barbecue needs cleaning or replacing is if your food cooks unevenly. Of course, if you’re a barbecue beginner, there is some trial and error involved when it comes to your first few grills, but if you notice your burgers burning heavily on one side while staying raw on the other, this is a huge sign that your barbecue isn’t performing as well anymore.

The main reason for your barbecue cooking unevenly is due to the burners. After years of use, your barbecue’s burners can become blocked which will cause the flame and airflow to weaken. This then triggers other parts of your barbecue breaking down as they’re working overtime to keep everything working.

When asked about this issue, Liam Glennon, Head of Buying at Vonhaus explained that “You should not have to constantly move food around the grill just to get it to cook evenly. If certain areas are getting much hotter than others, it’s often a sign the burners or airflow system are no longer working properly.”

In most cases, a deep clean of your barbecue can prevent these issues from happening. In general, if you haven’t used your barbecue in a while, the first thing you should do is check its condition. This is particularly important if you use a gas barbecue, as the fuel type will require a leak test to ensure the fuel hose, canister and connectors are all in top condition, otherwise you’ll need to find replacements.

Regardless of the type of barbecue you own, cleaning it regularly is a necessity otherwise your grill could become a breeding ground for food poisoning. To do this, check out our guide on how to clean a barbecue for a seven-step tutorial.

If after you’ve cleaned your barbecue, you’re still experiencing the same uneven heat and cooking, this is another indication that “the internal components are beginning to fail.” For more barbecue advice, here are 6 telltale signs your barbecue is past its sell-by date.

The new Lymow One Plus is officially available to buy following its debut at CES earlier this year. It features a tracked drive system, allowing it to tackle uneven terrain and slopes of up to 100% (45 degrees).

The Lymow One Plus comes in two different versions. There’s the 5A model, which can mow up to roughly 1.1 acres per day, and the more powerful 10A version, capable of covering 1.8 acres. Considering many of the best robot lawn mowers on the market offer significantly less coverage than this, it’s clear the One Plus is designed with much larger gardens in mind.

Both models are available now via Lymow’s online store, with the 5A version priced at £2,799 and the larger 10A model priced at £2,999. However, both are currently discounted as a part of a launch offer, reducing them each by £300 respectively.

The mower uses a mulching system equipped with two SK5 rotary blades and a wide 40cm cutting deck, designed to power through taller and denser grass with ease. Each blade is powered by its own dedicated motor, delivering a peak output of 1,785W for more aggressive cutting performance than many traditional robot mowers.

The floating mowing deck can also automatically adapt to uneven terrain, with adjustable cutting heights ranging from 30mm to 100mm to help maintain a more even finish across different garden types.

For navigation, the mower combines RTK satellite positioning with VSLAM-based visual mapping, AI-powered image processing and ultrasonic obstacle detection sensors. This essentially means it’s designed to navigate complicated gardens much more accurately whilst avoiding obstacles more intelligently along the way.

Watch out, Ninja – Cuisinart has just debuted the 3-in-1 BBQ, Grill and Pizza Oven, and it might be my new favourite outdoor cooking gadget for 2026. As a 3-in-1 appliance, it has a clever dual lid design that transforms it from a barbecue, grill and griddle and into a pizza oven – here’s how it works.

This year’s barbecue launches have been heating up, with a main focus on griddles and multifunctional appliances. Taking a page from the (not so) humble air fryer’s book, the latest barbecues can now do so much more than just grill and Cuisinart’s latest model is the perfect example of that.

The new Cuisinart 3-in-1 BBQ, Grill and Pizza Oven is a clever 3-in-1 gadget that combines a barbecue, grill and pizza oven into one surprisingly compact device. As a gas barbecue, it has a 260 square meter cooking surface with a 4.4kW burner which delivers consistent temperatures and a quick heat-up time for versatile outdoor cooking.

Perfect for entertaining large parties, the Cuisinart 3-in-1 BBQ, Grill and Pizza Oven can cook up to 12 burgers at once on its large cast iron grill which measures 46cm x 34cm. On that same surface, you can swap it for the griddle plate, a cast-iron flat surface that’s great for cooking vegetables, steak, bacon and pancakes.

The best part of the Cuisinart 3-in-1 BBQ, Grill and Pizza Oven is its dual-hinged lid that switches it from its barbecue and grill into a pizza oven. The lid lifts for grilling and griddling, and has a front door that flips down for making pizzas. Inside the oven is a 13-inch pizza stone which can cook up to 12-inch pizzas or two smaller ones.

The door of the Cuisinart 3-in-1 BBQ, Grill and Pizza Oven traps in the heat to allow for even cooking. The pizza oven can also reach up to 370°C to make delicious, authentic pizzas in as little as eight minutes.

Once you’re done cooking, the Cuisinart 3-in-1 BBQ, Grill and Pizza Oven is easy to clean and it packs away nicely so you can even travel with it on camping trips and weekends away. It’s easy to store too, and as summer 2026 approaches, it’s a premium, versatile gadget that offers everything you could want from an outdoor cooking appliance.

The Cuisinart 3-in-1 BBQ, Grill and Pizza Oven is available to buy for £249.99 at Cuisinart and select retailers, like Lakeland.

Napoleon, one of T3’s favourite gas barbecue brands, has quietly launched its latest outdoor kitchen, and it’s quickly jumped to the top of my garden must-have list. The Napoleon Oasis 106 Modular Island Kit is a full-sized all-in-one outdoor kitchen, complete with a gas grill, built-in rotisserie and sizzle in one – but it’ll cost you a small fortune.

Designed to elevate your alfresco dining experience, the Napoleon Oasis 106 has everything you could possibly want from an outdoor kitchen. At the heart of the design is the 700 Series 32-inch gas grill, complete with four stainless steel burners and offering a massive 3432 cm² cooking area.

As you can imagine, the Napoleon Oasis 106 is a pretty sizable piece of equipment, but it’s easy to install and can fit in most gardens. As it has multiple cooking methods in one, it can also replace your current barbecue.

Aside from the main grill which has two shelves for multi-level cooking, the Napoleon Oasis 106 features a Sizzle Zone and a 25.5cm infrared side burner for even more grilling space. My favourite feature is the integrated rotisserie that sits above the grill area which is ideal for roasting chickens.

For accurate cooking, the Napoleon Oasis 106 has a temperature gauge and easy controls for levelling the gas flame. As an outdoor kitchen, the Napoleon Oasis 106 is basically an elaborate countertop which also provides cupboard storage and worktop space to store cooking tools and prep your food.

For durability, the cabinets of the Napoleon Oasis 106 are made from strong, galvanneal steel. It’s the ultimate outdoor kitchen, and as they continue to soar in popularity, I now desperately want one for my own garden – although it’ll cost me an arm and a leg so I better start saving!

The Napoleon Oasis 106 is available to buy for £6,599.99 at Napoleon.

There has been an explosion in popularity for design-oriented pizza ovens of late, predominantly spurred on by the success of the Gozney’s breakout Roccbox (and subsequent gas-powered models), as well as the best pizza ovens from the likes of Ninja, Witt and cheeky Italian chef Gino D’Acampo.

British brand Delivita offers a neat line of incredibly handsome domestic pizza ovens that includes the gas-only Diavolo and the Origin wood-fired, which fuses thoroughly modern looks with an undeniably old school method of cooking restaurant-quality pizzas.

The Flow Dual Fuel Oven is arguably the best of both worlds, with the ability to stoke it up with wood pellets and small logs, or opt for the convenience and cleanliness of gas power.

A large stone can handle 14-inch pizzas, although it general classic design means it’s one of the larger domestic ovens out there. At 45kg, it’s also a bit of a beast to heft around, so best find a suitable location and stick with it.

It is also priced in such a way that it attracts a lot of very accomplished rivals and, by the time you’ve invested in a number of essentials, it quickly becomes a very expensive way to enjoy a slice of pepperoni.

Delivita Flow Dual Fuel review: price and availability

At £699 for just the oven, the Delivita Flow Dual Fuel is £100 more expensive than the gas-only but extremely capable Gozney Arc. Those savings go a long way towards a transportable stand from the rival brand, which makes life with an outdoor pizza oven a lot easier.

Similarly, the smaller but eminently popular Gozney Roccbox ticks the dual-fuel boxes and starts at around £400. For those that can’t be bothered with either gas or wood, there are also options from Ooni (the Volt 12) and the Ninja Woodfire Electric Outdoor Oven to consider.

Plus, it’s worth noting that many Delivita customers will also want to look at accessory bundles, which start at around £130 for the essential paddle and pizza turner, as well as a cover for keeping the unit clean when storing outdoors.

However, it’s easy to spend the best part of £1,000 when you factor in things like a stand and a wood shelf, which is a worthy investment for keeping embers away from both the pizza and your gas burner outlets.

Delivita Flow Dual Fuel review: set up

The Delivita Flow comes preassembled, so be prepared to take delivery of a very large box. But inside you’ll find everything you need to get started, aside from the low-pressure butane or propane gas, or LPG mixtures, that fuel the thing. You’ll have to pop to your local garden centre or gas supplier to grab a typical patio bottle if you don’t already own one.

Delivita provides the regulator, which simply pushes on the gas bottle’s outlet. Once in place, Delivita suggests ‘curing’ the oven for four hours on the lowest heat setting, which rids the clay construction of any moisture and gradually strengthens it.

Admittedly, it’s a bit of a pain and uses up a chunk of gas, which isn’t cheap these days, but this prevents any major cracks or defects from forming on your stylish new pizza oven that could result from bumping it up to max temperatures from the outset.

If you haven’t opted for one of the stands or tables Delivita will happily sell you, it’s worth finding a sturdy and stable flat surface that can handle 45kg.

The only thing I had to hand was a glass-topped outdoor dining table, which I placed a few large wooden chopping boards on top of to prevent the heat from causing any damage. Not ideal and a bit of a pain to pack away afterwards.

I would definitely invest in a transportable stand with a weatherproof cover, as this allows the oven to be wheeled in and out of a garage or shed.

Delivita Flow Dual Fuel review: Design and features

There is no denying that the Delivita Flow is a stunning piece of kit, its curvaceous, dome-like shell coming in six eye-catching colours. I went for a more subdued grey, but retina-searing reds and outrageous oranges are also on the cards for more outgoing gardens or patios.

The metallic front fascia adds a nice dose of bling to proceedings and the oven control knob feels chunky and well made. All in all, Delivita has done a great job of producing an oven that justifies its asking price.

Aside from that, there’s the typical cooking stone, which is large enough to handle 14-inch pizzas, and an ignition (built into the temperature control knob) that provides the spark to ignite the gas burner.

However, many pizza ovens out there (some of which are less expensive) offer a built-in digital thermometer, which gives a visual cue for when the stone is at the correct temperature to perfectly cook a pizza.

Delivita markets the Dual Flow as a versatile piece of kit that can roast, barbecue and even slow cook a curry, but without the additional infrared thermometer accessory, it is difficult to ascertain the right temperatures to do any of those things.

This is particularly important when heating the oven up with wood or pellets, as this often takes much longer (and requires a lot more effort) than using gas power. Wood-fired pizza lovers arguably need a much tighter handle on operating temperatures.

There are very few fancy features here, just the ability to casually select from the simplicity of gas power to a more complex wood-fired cook-out.

An idiot-proof temperature control knob takes the guesswork out of gas cooking, with a Max mode that gets the stone up to temperature in around 15-20 minutes, while rotating it to the ‘cook’ setting keeps things at the optimal heat for creating delicious pizzas in minutes.

That said, and as previously mentioned, there’s no digital thermometer, but Delivita will sell you an infrared thermometer that you can point at the oven to determine when it’s ready.

Pizza paddles, turners and cutters are also all optional extras, but you won’t get very far without them, as anyone that has tried a pizza oven will attest to how easy it is to haphazardly flop fully laden dough onto the red hot stone, only for everything to stick and burn, resulting in a calamitous Calzone.

For those that really want to take the guesswork out of pizza production, the Revolve Pizza Oven and the Witt Etna Rotante remove much of the sweaty, flour-laden labour out of proceedings, but it is nowhere near as fun.

Delivita Flow Dual Fuel review: Performance

It is worth reiterating here that Delivita Flow Dual Fuel is a heavy beast, and even the simple act of getting it out of the box and set up in the desired location requires some big guns, or at least some help from a friend.

Because of this, it feels very much like a proposition that you get situated in a preferred spot and leave, likely taking pride of place in a bougie outdoor kitchen set-up, complete with a cover thrown over when not in use to keep it clean.

With that in mind, I’d highly recommend the Delivita stand with side tables (a £249 extra), as this allows the heavy oven to be wheeled around with ease and stored.

As for the performance, it really is a fantastic piece of kit, getting up to temperature quickly and proving an absolute doddle to use when running on gas. The heat circulates perfectly and cooks fresh pizza in a matter of minutes.

I found I only really had to turn a pizza once or twice to get a nice even cook throughout, while controlling temperature proved easy with the small dial on the side and when armed with an infrared thermometer to keep an eye on things.

Perhaps the only minor downside is the relatively small aperture at the front of the oven, which means you have to be fairly precise when loading pizzas into the front. I found it easier to slide pizzas into the front of a Gozney Arc XL that I have tested previously, for example.

Cooking with wood also requires a deft hand, not simply to get the thing lit and the oven up to temperature, but I also found that wood takes up a lot of room in the oven itself, meaning you are limited to the size of pizza you can cook.

That said, I did use the method to add some smoky flavour to a couple of short rib recipes, placing a chunky iron skillet on the stone, and it worked a treat. Sweeping all of the embers out afterwards wasn’t quite as fun, though.

Delivita Flow Dual Fuel review: Verdict

If you want to make a statement in your garden with a pizza oven that looks like it has been transported from a professional pizzeria, the Delivita Flow Dual Fuel really is the one to opt for. It’s such a good-looking piece of kit.

Thankfully, it also delivers professional-grade results, with fantastic temperature control and extremely even cooks across a wide variety of recipes, not just gourmet pizzas.

Working with wood can be a bit fiddly, and takes some patience, while the wood itself takes up a fair amount of room inside the oven, but for a beautifully smoky flavour on meats and other barbecue favourites, it’s well worth the effort.

Perhaps one for the budding outdoor chefs, rather than casual pizza-makers.

Delivita Flow Dual Fuel review: Alternatives to consider

The Delivita Flow requires a healthy budget and is predominantly aimed at those keen outdoor pizza chefs looking to raise their dough game. As a result, there are plenty of alternatives to consider.

If cooking solely on gas, the Gozney Arc and Arc XL would be our recommendations, but the tri-fuel, second-generation Dome and Dome XL are also state-of-the-art ovens for pizza connoisseurs.

The Gino D’Acampo Carbonio Pizza Oven came out on top for its good looks, excellent build quality and simplicity of use. Plus, it comes in well under budget when compared to Delivita’s much larger oven.

Finally, it is also worth noting the Ninja Woodfire Electric Outdoor Oven if you want something that is both a little easier to use and arguably offers more longevity.

This ace little gizmo has eight settings, including max roast, gourmet roast, top heat, bake, smoker, dehydrate and keep warm for maximum outdoor cooking versatility.

I’m sure there are folks who love pushing the mower up and down, up and down, but for those of us less thrilled by the prospect of cutting the lawn, a robot lawnmower is a tempting proposition. So when the TerraMow V600 arrived at my house, I was excited to see what it could do – especially as it costs considerably more than my traditional mower.

While you might not have come across TerraMow before, the team behind it originally worked at drone company DJI, and they spent three years developing and prototyping the first TerraMow products before launching on Kickstarter in 2024.

The V Series is the firm’s latest robotic mower lineup, introduced in the second half of 2025 and featuring the upgraded TerraVision 2.0 Navigation System. This new AI-powered system is more advanced than its predecessor, with improved object recognition, richer lawn mapping and more accurate positioning thanks to its ability to capture greater environmental detail.

After spending time testing it, you’ll find my full thoughts below on whether one of the range's best models is actually worth the upgrade.

Price and availability

The TerraMow V600 price is £899 ($1,199) and it’s available directly from Terramow's website in the UK and US – although at time of writing it’s currently out of stock in the US.

If you have a particularly large area you need cut, you’ll want to check out the TerraMow V1000 at £1,099 ($1,399), which has the same features as the V600, but boasts a larger mowing area of up to 1200m².

Unboxing and set up

The V600 arrives smartly packaged, ensuring the mower and its base station are protected in transit, but also easy to remove from the box. I liked the double-sided, A3-sized quick start guide providing clear visuals on how to get the base station setup, the V600 docked and charged, and the app required to control the mower’s functionality.

It stops short of in-depth explanations and detail though, including what’s required to get your lawn mapped for the first time. For deeper information you need to turn to the rather intimidating 100+ page manual which also gets included in the box. It is at least well written, with clear guidance, and there’s a fair chunk dedicated to troubleshooting and safety disclaimers.

The base station has a long power lead, which means placement doesn’t need to be right near your external power outlet, which is fortunate for me as otherwise it would be blocking my gate. The power block is a little chunky though, so might not fit smaller outdoor waterproof socket enclosures.

The station comes with a roof too, which slides on the base and is secured with four screws. The screws have a hand twist design, but I found I needed the force of a screwdriver to get them to engage properly.

Once the base station is plugged in and you’ve placed the TerraMow V600 inside, ensuring it engages with the charging pins, you can complete setup on your phone using the TerraMow app.

It’s a straightforward offering with a simple guide to get you connected to the mower, and the mower to the internet. From there I was prompted to download a firmware update before I was able to do anything, which took about 20 minutes. Once updated I could then set the mower off to map my garden, which it did with great efficiency, accurately plotting my 113m² lawn in 17 minutes.

The TerraVision 2.0 Triple-Camera AI Vision System works impressively well, with the V600 instantly recognising it was on the patio to begin with, holding off mapping until it reached the grass. It expertly navigated along flower beds, fences, and round a tree without issue, with no need for guide wires or GPS.

Design and features

The TerraMow V600 is a fetching looking thing, with a cutesy robot ‘face’ design plus a useful carry handle. At 11.8kg, it’s also not too heavy to move about manually.

The base station is more of a muted affair with its black finish, and while the canopy is a good size, covering the entire mower, it does block the controls and LED lights on top. That means you have to bend over to see the charge level or press go – although the battery can be checked, and the mower controlled, from the smartphone app.

The V600 can mow an area up to 600m², which means it might lose Wi-Fi connection when it’s away from your router. TerraMow has a solution though, as there’s a SIM card included in the mower and you get free cellular data, allowing you to communicate with the robot from your phone even when it’s out of Wi-Fi range.

An interesting inclusion on the bottom of the mower is a slot for you to slide in an AirTag (you’ll have to buy one, it’s not included in the box) to provide additional tracking capabilities if the V600 is stolen.

Underneath, you’ll find a single spinning disc with three razor blades attached to it. I was pleased to see an additional six blades included in the box, giving you two full refreshes once the current set of blades wear out.

The disc provides a 203mm (8 inch) cutting width, which isn’t the widest on the market, but is more than adequate for the job. You can also adjust the cutting height via the app to between 25mm and 75mm (1-3 inches).

There’s IPX6 protection which keeps things safe during rainfall, and from hoses and sprinkler systems, while a rain sensor on top of the TerraMow V600 will tell the mower to return to base if precipitation starts to fall during a cutting routine.

It can also handle slopes with a maximum incline of up to 32.5% (18°), and TerraMow claims the V600 can operate in temperatures between 0°C and 50°C.

A fun inclusion is the live camera feature, allowing me to view a video stream from the camera on the front of the V600. For those with bigger plots, it’s a useful addition to check on how the mower is getting on, especially if it might have appeared to stop or get stuck. You can even turn on an LED light, to improve visibility in low light.

In terms of run time, you’re looking at between 80-120m² (depending on lawn complexity) per hour, with a full charge allowing for 130-250m² of lawn to be cut before the V600 needs to return to its base station to charge. A full recharge takes around 100 minutes.

App

The free TerraMow app (available on Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store) is well designed, with a simple guide to get you connected to the mower, and the mower to your Wi-Fi.

You get a nice visualisation of your lawn once mapping is complete, and I was able to add no-go zones and grass-cutting zones, to finesse where I wanted the mower to go. There’s the option to add multiple lawns too, if you have a large property with several areas which need cutting.

There’s even a scheduling tool, allowing you to set frequent cuts without you having to remember to set the bot off.

You can fine tune how the TerraMow V600 cuts from the app as well. This includes adjustable cutting height, edge cutting distance, speed, spacing, and disc rotation. You can also set the mowing direction depending on how you want the stripes left by the wheels to look.

Performance

The TerraMow V600 performed well during my weeks of testing, making it a robot mower worth considering. However, before you get going, you need to make sure your grass is 9cm or shorter, otherwise the V600 will have issues, and you should remove various toys, leaves, debris and obstacles from your lawn before it sets off to ensure the best mowing performance.

On the underside of the mower is a single cutting disc, with three razor blades mounted to it, and while I was sceptical at first just how well the blades would do, they performed well. TerraMow recommends replacing the blades every one to two months to ensure safety and maintain optimal mowing performance.

For the first cut I sent the V600 out on, I set the cutting height to 50mm with a 1cm edge, as I didn’t want to risk the robot taking a tumble into my flower beds. After 80 minutes I received a notification on my phone to say the V600 was returning to base station after completing a mow of 107.3m².

Now that’s not quite the entirety of my lawn (the V600 measured it at 113m²), but it wasn’t able to get right to the edges next to the fences and some of the flower beds where plants were hanging over the grass.

That’s a minor point, as the cut itself was clean and my lawn looked better for it. This robot doesn’t come with a hopper to collect the clippings, with the loose pieces of grass left on the lawn. This isn’t a problem, as the grass length wasn’t long to start with, so the fine trimmings faded away after a few days.

Just under a week later I returned for the second cut, and adjusted the cutting height to 35mm via the app. The V600 dutifully lowered its height to accommodate the new setting, and set out once again. This time it needed to return to the base station to recharge part-way through, but once it had topped up it set off to finish the job.

And subsequent cuts went just as smoothly, with the V600 expertly navigating round the tree in the middle of my lawn. It did clip a plant pot on my patio near its base station a couple of times, but I purposefully left it there to see just how manoeuvrable the mower is. It was only a light brush, and not something I’m concerned about.

It's quiet too, at just 54dB when mowing making it nowhere near as loud as a traditional mower. It meant my cats were comfortable being outside while the V600 trundled round the garden.

While I was impressed with the overall cut, the V600 suffers the same issue as many robot mowers, and that’s their inability to get right up to the edge of the lawn when it meets a fence, wall, or other obstruction.

You’ll find a dedicated ‘Edge’ mode in the app, which sets the V600 off to do three laps around the edge of your lawn. I set the edge cutting distance to 6cm, allowing the bot to overhang the lawn boundary by the set amount. While this mode did improve the cut on the edges which bordered my patio, it physically wasn’t able to get right up against the fences.

After its three laps, it remembered to take a spin round the tree in the garden to reduce the long grass there too. It did improve things, but you’ll still need to invest in a strimmer to ensure neat edges all the way round.

Verdict

The TerraMow V600 is a fantastic all-round robot lawnmower, which gets the job without fuss or complicated setup. For anyone with a lawn over 100m² (and up to 600m²), the V600 is possibly the best bang-for-buck mower in its class.

Pricer models can deliver a more precise cut (and is some cases, cover an even larger areas, including TerraMow’s own V1000 model) and feature more advanced mapping tools such as LiDAR and satellite connectivity – but unless you’re after a very specific requirement, the V600 will fit the bill for most.

Of course, its price tag is still a significant amount to drop on a robot lawnmower, as the V600 finds itself priced at the lower of the top-end of the market. For those who have smaller lawns, with a simple layout, a cheaper robot mower might well deliver a similar quality cut for less of an outlay. Yet, for those after a feature-packed, hassle-free robot lawnmower, the TerraMow V600 is a worthy contender.

Alternatives to consider

There are plenty of competitors to the TerraMow V600, with the Sunseeker Elite X4 offering a similar array of features, with the added bonus of a LiDAR which can produce a 3D map of your garden for greater accuracy.

If you have a vast area that your mower needs to cover, the GPS-powered Husqvarna Automower 405XE NERA can provide pin-point location mapping (provided it has a clear view of the sky) even when it’s nowhere near home.

For more rugged environments, the four-wheel drive Mammotion LUBA mini 2 AWD 1000 can traverse more challenging lawns and has the memory to remember up to 10 layouts, allowing you to share it with friends and family. However, if you're after the Rolls-Royce of the robot lawnmower world, and have the budget to match, you can’t go wrong with the Mammotion LUBA 2 AWD.

I’ve been covering barbecues on T3 for years, and I’ve never seen one quite like this. The Bertha Original Freestanding Outdoor Charcoal Oven is a full charcoal barbecue and smoker that looks (and acts) like a vault to seal in heat and flavour – and it’s just arrived at John Lewis.

Measuring 1800mm x 600mm x 700mm, the Bertha Original Freestanding Outdoor Charcoal Oven is a pretty sizable barbecue. Inside, you’ll find two grill shelves, an ash drawer and grease tray, and the entire design is made from stainless steel and available in multiple colours, including green, blue, yellow, orange, aubergine and raspberry.

As a charcoal barbecue, the Bertha Outdoor Charcoal Oven is unlike anything I’ve seen before, but it’s got some serious credentials. Designed in the UK, the Bertha Outdoor Charcoal Oven is a fully enclosed oven that uses charcoal fuel to cook your food.

Like a vault or safe, the Bertha Outdoor Charcoal Oven closes and seals to keep intense heat locked inside its tall chamber. Not only does this enhance flavours and moisture, it also cooks faster and more consistently.

Similar to an air fryer, the Bertha Outdoor Charcoal Oven whips around heated airflow for even cooking. With its large capacity and adjustable racks, you can cook multiple meals at a time, and you can choose from multiple cooking methods, including smoking, roasting, baking, slow cooking and grilling.

Compared to open grills, the Bertha Outdoor Charcoal Oven is said to cook 40% faster with its enclosed design. Despite its big size, the Bertha Outdoor Charcoal Oven can actually be moved around your garden on its caster wheels. It's incredibly durable and robust, and while it’ll set you back around £5,000, it’s a charcoal oven that will last for years.

The Bertha Outdoor Charcoal Oven is available to buy for £5,499 at John Lewis and Bertha. As of writing, it’s been discounted to £4,500 at John Lewis.

Forget Ooni and Gozney – Kenwood has just launched its first-ever pizza oven, and it’s a must for those with minimal outdoor space. The new Kenwood My Pizzeria Pizza Oven might look like a waffle maker – and it kind of acts like one – but it’s got dual-sided heating zones to cook pizzas in as little as three minutes.

To say I was surprised to hear that Kenwood, the brand best known for its line-up of food processors and stand mixers, was making a pizza oven is an understatement. But after having seen the Kenwood My Pizzeria Pizza Oven, I’m seriously impressed and want one for my kitchen.

The design of the Kenwood My Pizzeria Pizza Oven is definitely unusual and a marked difference from traditional pizza ovens on the market today. Most crucially, it’s an indoor pizza oven, and it has a similar design to that of a waffle maker, with its dual-sided heating elements, dome shape and lid.

The Kenwood My Pizzeria Pizza Oven is surprisingly compact, measuring just 18.5cm in height, 35.2cm in width and 36cm in depth. It can sit comfortably on your countertops or be packed away in cupboards. It also has simple two dial controls, one which controls the time and the other that adjusts the temperature.

Inside the Kenwood My Pizzeria Pizza Oven is a 30cm ceramic stone which can be lifted out of the main oven. The oven reaches up to 400 degrees and can cook pizza and other foods, like quesadillas and flatbreads in as little as three minutes. It can also be used to cook homemade or frozen pizzas.

My favourite feature of the Kenwood My Pizzeria Pizza Oven is its ClearView window at the top of the lid, something that’s definitely inspired by air fryers. Instead of interrupting cooking by opening the lid, you can see into the oven to check your food’s progress.

The Kenwood My Pizzeria Pizza Oven is available to buy now in black or storm blue colours for £149.99 at Kenwood and select retailers, like Currys.

Watch out, Traeger – Napoleon has just launched its latest plancha griddle, and it’s got a seriously impressive size and price. The new Napoleon Freestyle 24 Plancha Griddle has three burners, tons of cooking and storage space, and the cooktop is even pre-seasoned for maximum flavour.

Griddles are the main barbecue trend of 2026, due to their versatility and ability to cook almost every meal you can think of on its durable, plancha-like cooktop. Many brands including Weber, Traeger, Blackstone and more have launched their own griddles, and now, Napoleon is joining the party.

The new Napoleon Freestyle 24 Pre-Seasoned Non-Stick Plancha Griddle is a full-sized gas griddle that offers a wide cooking space. Measuring 43.2cm x 59.7cm, the Napoleon Freestyle 24 Plancha Griddle can be used to cook meat, vegetables, fish, pancakes, eggs, burgers and more.

My favourite feature of the Napoleon Freestyle 24 Plancha Griddle is its pre-seasoned steel cooktop. Using natural food-grade oil seasoning, the Napoleon Freestyle 24 Plancha Griddle comes ready to use and adds extra, authentic flavour to your meals.

Underneath the cooktop are three gas burners that offer even heat distribution and retention from edge to edge. The burners allow the Napoleon Freestyle 24 Plancha Griddle to be used at high temperatures for searing or low heats for more delicate meals.

Each burner has its own controls, and the entire cooktop is quick to heat up, thanks to its fast electric ignition. On either side of the main cooking area are side shelves which can be used for food preparation and to store tools with their hooks. Alternatively, you can also fold the shelves down to save space.

Speaking of space, the Napoleon Freestyle 24 Plancha Griddle has plenty of storage on the side shelves and underneath the main griddle area. Its dual-pivot lid also folds down to protect the grill and the entire grill can be moved around with its two side wheels.

The Napoleon Freestyle 24 Plancha Griddle is available to buy now for £549.99 at Napoleon.

If you’re planning to upgrade your best barbecue setup this summer, you’ve probably realised just how many options are out there – and how quickly prices can climb once you start looking at more premium models. However, every now and then, a grill comes along that feels like it actually justifies the spend.

That’s exactly where the Campingaz 3 Series Onyx S Gas BBQ comes in. It promises premium build quality, smart design touches and reliable cooking, but does it actually deliver when you get it in your garden?

I’ve been putting it through its paces to find out.

Price and availability

The Campingaz 3 Series Onyx S Gas BBQ has an RRP of £799.99 and is available from a range of retailers, including Very, StovesAreUs and BBQ Land. You can also sometimes find it reduced, so don't forget to shop around before you make a purchase.

There are also a number of accessories you can add on, such as the Culinary Modular Pizza Stone, which will set you back around £25-£30 depending on where you shop.

Unboxing and set up

The barbecue arrived in a large (and very heavy) box, which became a pretty good indicator of its overall build quality. Once everything was unpacked and laid out, it was clear the Onyx S is a very well-made piece of kit.

Assembly was thankfully much more straightforward than I’d expected. The pictorial instructions were clear and easy to follow, and all the parts were labelled, which made the whole process far less stressful. It took me a couple of hours at a steady pace, and I’d definitely recommend taking your time (and maybe having a few mugs of tea along the way) to avoid having to backtrack.

Design and features

In terms of features, the Onyx S is a three-burner BBQ, although there’s also a four-burner version available if you need more cooking space. The stainless steel burners use Campingaz’s Blue Flame Power System, and there’s also a handy side burner that's great for preparing sauces or sides whilst the main grill is in use.

One of the standout features is the InstaClean Aqua system. This uses water-filled grease drawers that sit beneath the cooking surface, catching fat as it drips down and preventing it from igniting. Not only does this help reduce flare-ups, but it also makes cleaning much easier, as you can simply drain the water into a container below using a plug in the corner.

Cooking space is generous, with a heavy-duty cast-iron enamelled grid and a reversible griddle. You also get a useful full-width warming rack, and a sturdy foldable side table for extra prep space. The illuminated rotary controls are a nice touch, and the InstaStart ignition makes firing it up very quick and easy.

As mentioned, another highlight of the Onyx S is its Culinary Modular system. A section of the griddle can be removed to accommodate different accessories, like a wok or pizza stone, which adds a nice bit of flexibility if you want to experiment. There’s even the option to add a rotisserie.

In terms of design, the black finish is stylish, and details like the covered wheels and soft-close cupboard doors make it feel even more premium than it already is. The trolley is also sturdy enough to hold a 13kg gas bottle, and there’s plenty of practical storage space too.

Performance

When it came to actually cooking, the Onyx S didn’t disappoint. It fired up easily, and with the lid closed, it reached temperature impressively quickly. The built-in temperature gauge is also clear and easy to read, so I always knew where I stood.

I kept things fairly simple for the first run, focusing on chicken, burgers and sausages, but it handled everything brilliantly. The chicken cooked evenly without burning or drying out, and the fat drained away cleanly into the water drawer just as promised. Best of all, I didn’t experience a single flare-up, which made the whole process feel much more controlled and relaxed.

After that, it became much more intuitive as I got more comfortable. I found myself using the warming rack a lot, as it came in really handy for keeping food up to temperature whilst I focused on other bits. Being able to close the lid to build and retain heat when needed also made a noticeable difference to the overall cooking process.

Verdict

The Campingaz 3 Series Onyx S is a really impressive barbecue that delivers far more than just basic grilling. From its premium build quality to a clever grease management system, it makes outdoor cooking feel simple and controlled rather than unpredictable. The lack of flare-ups in particular stood out, which really made a difference when cooking multiple items at once. If you want a high-performing gas barbecue that’s easy to live with and consistently delivers good results, this is an easy one to recommend.

Alternatives to consider

If you like the sound of this, it’s also worth checking out the Ninja FlexFlame. It combines five different cooking methods, and like the Campingaz, has a range of optional accessories available that make it another versatile option for outdoor cooking.

Barbecue season is finally here, and if you’ve yet to upgrade to a new model, I’d recommend buying an outdoor griddle. Griddles or planchas are the fastest growing barbecue trend for this year, and have firmly made the move from indoors to outdoors, becoming a major part of many people’s outdoor kitchen.

So, why exactly has the griddle become so popular? Simply put, the versatility of a griddle is pretty unmatched, and with more and more people wanting to cook full meals outside, they’re the easiest option as they can cook almost anything, from pancakes to meat, and so on.

The majority of griddles are powered by gas, making them easy to use and set up. The wide, flat-top surface of the griddle is also convenient to cook on, and provides consistent heat from edge to edge, so you’re getting the best cooking result every time.

Without further ado, here are the five best outdoor griddles you can buy today, from the likes of Weber, Traeger, Ninja, and more.

1. Weber Slate

Best griddle overall

Part of Weber’s 2026 barbecue launches, the Weber Slate is a wide, 71cm griddle which can be used to cook burgers, seafood, breakfast, stirfries and more. It heats up to 260°C, and has three independently controlled burners for multi-zone temperatures across the surface.

At £749, the Weber Slate isn’t too expensive, and is made from premium, porcelain-enamelled materials. It has convenient side tables on either side of the griddle surface for preparation, and they even drop down to offer more space and easy storage. It looks the part, heats up quickly and is extremely precise and durable, so it’s hard to beat in my opinion.

2. Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle

Best large dual zone griddle

Currently only available in the US, the new Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle is large and in charge, with a big size and dual zone cooking. While it may be big, it’s actually smaller than its predecessor, offering a slightly smaller size, but you’ll still need a good sized garden to fit it in.

Using its gas ignition, the Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Griddle offers precise temperatures that heats quickly, eliminates cold spots and blocks out wind. The two U-shaped burners can be used independently or at the same time, and there’s plenty of prep and storage space on the sides and underneath the griddle.

3. Campingaz Sigma 1 CV Gas Griddle

Best small griddle

Just because griddles are migrating to the outdoors doesn’t mean they need to be huge. Case in point – the Campingaz Sigma 1 CV Gas Griddle has a griddle surface that measures just 30cm x 45cm so it can easily fit into smaller outdoor kitchens, gardens and patios, while still cooking for up to six people at a time.

The Campingaz Sigma 1 CV Gas Griddle uses a combination of gas cartridges and electric ignition for quick heat and set up. The griddle lid also acts as a heat insulator, and protective lid to block the wind and stop dirt and dust getting inside. It also has a grease drainer to keep things clean, and at £199.99, the price and size is pretty attractive to those on a tight budget.

4. Blackstone Omnivore Flex-Fold Cart Griddle

Best portable griddle

Who doesn’t want to take their barbecue with them on a camping trip or beach day? Well, with the Blackstone Omnivore Flex-Fold Cart Griddle, you can as it’s completely collapsible and can be folded down and wheeled around wherever you want to go.

The Blackstone Omnivore Flex-Fold Cart Griddle has a 22-inch cooking surface and its portable design is for those who want to ‘cook beyond the garden’. It also has dual zones that can be used together or independently to make mains and sides at the same time, and at different temperatures.

5. Ninja Sizzle Pro XL

Best indoor griddle

I know I said I’d be talking about outdoor griddles, but I thought I’d throw in an indoor one just for good measure. The Ninja Sizzle XL Pro is perfect for those who want that authentic grill taste and flavour but don’t have any outdoor space.

The Ninja Sizzle XL Pro has an extra-large grilling surface with two XL grill plates. It can cook up to 10 burgers at a time, and the grill plates include a flat model for sandwiches and pancakes, and a ridged one to get those groove grill marks on your food. ‘XL’ may be in the name but the Ninja Sizzle XL Pro can be packed away in a cupboard or sat quietly on your counter without taking up too much space.

Robot lawn mowers are by no means a new thing, but they still feel rather novel. Perhaps that’s because they’re hard to justify unless you’re blessed with a huge sprawling lawn. Plus, they're not the easiest devices to get up and running, and the setup process alone can be enough to put people off - with boundary wires to bury, RTK antennas to position, and connectivity to sort.

The tech has gradually been getting better, though, and 2026 feels like the year LiDAR navigation has properly arrived in this category, making everything just that bit easier.

One brand gaining ground in this niche robotic mowing space is Segway, with its Navimow range. The firm’s new i2 LiDAR series is its latest push to make robot mowers more accessible, straightforward to set up and easier to live with. Instead of relying on wires or satellite signals, it uses a solid-state LiDAR sensor paired with a 140-degree RGB camera to map and navigate your garden autonomously, even under tree cover and in low light.

The Navimow i208 LiDAR sits as the entry point in the LiDAR range, rated for lawns up to 800 square metres. It packs a 5.1 Ah battery, a six-blade cutting disc, off-road wheels rated for slopes up to 45%, and IP66 weatherproofing. I've been testing it across several weeks on my modest back garden to see whether it lives up to the hype. Here's what I found.

Segway Navimow i208 LiDAR review: price and availability

The Segway Navimow i208 LiDAR is available to buy now in the UK priced at £999 on Navimow's official site, reduced from an RRP of £1,099. At the time of writing, that price also includes a free Garage M weatherproof docking cover (worth £179), which is a nice bonus given that the garage isn't included as standard.

There are larger lawn variants available too - the i215 LiDAR (up to 1,500sqm), which costs £1,199, and the i220 LiDAR (up to 2,000sqm) coming in at £1,399.

Comparing those price points to competing LiDAR-equipped robot mower models, like the Mammotion LUBA 3 and Roborock X1 LiDAR, the Navimow sits at a similar level, while the AWD version of Navimow's own i2 range (which uses satellite rather than LiDAR navigation) starts from around £700 if you catch it in a sale.

It's not cheap by any means, but for a wire-free, antenna-free robot mower with this level of tech, you’re getting some good bang for your buck.

Segway Navimow i208 LiDAR review: design and build

The Navimow i208 LiDAR is a good-looking bit of kit. It has a sleek, low-profile design with clean lines and a subtle grey-and-orange colour scheme that feels modern without being too flashy. Everything about it feels premium, from the solid plastic shell to the rubberised off-road wheels, and the 2.4-inch colour LCD screen on top is sharp, clear and easy to read at a glance. It definitely looks expensive, and so it should for just short of a grand.

Build quality is also excellent. At 14.7kg, it's got enough heft to feel substantial without being a nightmare to move around, and the carrying handle is subtle but useful, and the charging station is compact and straightforward. Plus, the Garage M (if you get the bundle) gives it some extra weather protection when docked.

Turn it upside down and you’ll find a six-blade cutting disc that boasts an adjustable cutting height from 20mm to 70mm (that you can set via the app or on the mower itself). The off-road wheels are chunky and grip well, and - reassuringly - the whole thing looks and feels like it's been designed to last.

If there's a design criticism, it's that it's a reasonably large unit. At 635mm long and 445mm wide, you'll want to make sure you've got somewhere sensible to park the thing, as it’s going to sit in your garden for the best part of the year.

Segway Navimow i208 LiDAR review: performance and features

Let's start with setup, because it's the one hurdle that makes a lot of people put a robot mower back in the box before they've given it a fair chance. I’ve reviewed robot mowers in the past and always found the initial setup the biggest pain in the grass.

Thankfully, the Navimow isn’t as bad as I’ve experienced before but it doesn’t get off scot-free. The brand markets the i2 LiDAR as a "drop and mow" device, and while the app setup is relatively easy (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, firmware updates, all done in a few minutes), for me, the mapping step was more involved than that tagline suggests.

Maybe I’m an especially impatient person, but when setting up the device myself, I was pretty frustrated at how I had to manually drive the mower around the entire perimeter of my garden with the app so it could learn the boundary.

This surprised me, as Segway's own marketing says the Navimow boasts a 'drop and mow' function where it can auto-map the perimeter of your garden without you having to manually walk it around. For whatever reason, this didn't work for me, despite trying the auto-mapping option multiple times. I've since seen other reviewers online get it working without issue, so it may well depend on your garden layout, grass length, or just luck on the day. But it's worth knowing that it might not work for everyone, since it didn't for me.

Nevertheless, on my relatively small 7x4m lawn, this manual mapping didn't take too long (around 10 minutes including a bit of trial and error). It's not difficult, just a bit tedious, and I couldn't help wondering why the LiDAR and cameras weren't able to figure this out on their own.

For larger, more complex gardens with multiple zones, I can imagine this step taking considerably longer and requiring a whole lot of patience and determination to get right.

Once it's mapped, though, the Navimow really comes into its own. The LiDAR and vision system works brilliantly. It doesn't bounce around randomly like cheaper robot mowers. Instead, it mows in neat, methodical parallel lines, first doing a few laps around the perimeter before filling in the middle. After a couple of sessions, my lawn genuinely looked tidier and more evenly cut than it does when I do it manually with a push mower.

Navigation is impressive overall. The almost-cute mower toddles around handling trees, garden furniture, planters and fences without hesitation, being sure to slow down and adjust its path smoothly when it detects an obstacle. The VisionFence system claims to recognise over 200 object types with 1cm precision, and in practice I found it barely put a wheel wrong. I did find that quite small objects like stray cables could still trip it up, so it’s still worth a quick scan of the lawn before a scheduled mow.

The noise, or rather the lack of it, is one of the mower’s standout features, in my opinion. At 59 dB, the Navimow is genuinely whisper-quiet. I could hear it from my desk as a low, gentle buzz, but nothing like the grinding roar of a petrol mower or even a cordless electric one. You could comfortably run it in the evening with windows open and barely notice.

Cutting precision is good once you've dialled in the right height settings, but you’ll have to play around with this a little, I found. For example, the default 70mm setting barely seemed to touch my grass, and I had to drop it down to around 30mm before seeing a noticeable difference. Once set, though, the results are clean and even.

As for the Navimow app, this is well laid out and gives you solid control over schedules, cutting height, zones (up to 20), and even custom mowing patterns. It doesn't overcomplicate things, but there's enough depth for anyone who wants to tinker.

As with any appliance or gadget, the Navimow i208 does come with a few niggles, such as how well it handles the edges. The mower does a decent job of getting close to boundaries, but it still leaves a strip along the very edges that you'll need to hit with a strimmer. That's true of most robot mowers but it's worth knowing if you're imagining a completely hands-off experience.

Another thing worth raising is that it doesn't collect grass clippings. The cuttings are mulched and left on the lawn, which is fine for lawn health but means you won't get that freshly-mown tidy look unless the mower is running regularly enough to keep clipping size tiny.

As for battery life, the i208 is rated at around 110 minutes per charge, covering roughly 265 square metres before it needs to dock. For my small garden, that was more than enough per session. It returns to the dock automatically when the battery gets low and resumes where it left off once charged, which takes just under two hours.

Segway Navimow i208 LiDAR review: verdict

The Segway Navimow i208 LiDAR is one of the most impressive robot mowers I've tested. The LiDAR and vision navigation is excellent, the build quality feels premium, and the near-silent operation makes it a joy to have running in the background. Once it's set up and scheduled, it really does just get on with the job, and the results speak for themselves.

The initial mapping can be more of a faff than the marketing implies (depending on whether the auto-mapping feature plays ball for you), edges still need manual attention, and the lack of grass collection means you're committing to regular mowing schedules to keep things tidy. There's also the question of whether a robot mower makes sense at all for smaller gardens. My lawn takes five minutes with a cordless Ryobi, and spending £999 to automate that feels like solving a problem I don't really have.

But for anyone with a medium-to-large garden who genuinely wants to stop thinking about mowing, the Navimow i208 LiDAR is a seriously capable, well-designed machine that makes the whole process feel effortless. If that's worth the money to you, it delivers.

Update, 14 May 2026: This review has been updated to clarify that the Navimow i208 LiDAR does include an auto-mapping feature that can detect your garden's perimeter without manually walking it around. This feature didn't work during my testing, but I've since seen other reviewers use it successfully in their testing. The review has been amended to reflect this.

With summer around the corner and temperatures starting to climb, many of us are turning our attention to the garden and getting it ready for warmer days. It’s tempting to reach for a quick-fix solution like one of the best pressure washers to blast away months of grime, but experts say that when it comes to your shed, it could actually be doing more harm than good.

Sam Jenkinson, from garden building retailer Tiger, is warning homeowners to avoid using pressure washers on garden sheds altogether. Whilst they might seem like an efficient cleaning tool, the high-powered spray can cause long-term (and sometimes irreversible) damage across a range of shed materials.

Here are the top reasons why it’s worth putting the pressure washer away.

Why you should avoid pressure washing your shed

1. It can seriously damage timber structures

“Wooden sheds are particularly vulnerable,” explains Jenkinson. “Pressure washers can strip away protective treatments and force water deep into the timber.”

Once water penetrates the surface, it can lead to swelling, warping and eventually rot. Over time, this weakens the structure of the shed itself. Timber garden buildings are designed to be durable, but they rely on protective coatings and gentle maintenance to stay that way. Using excessive pressure can undo that protection in minutes.

2. It increases the risk of rust on metal sheds

If you have a metal shed, pressure washing isn’t a safer alternative. In fact, it can be just as damaging.

High-pressure water can strip away paint or protective coatings that are specifically designed to keep moisture out. Once that barrier is compromised, water can seep into joints, seams and fixings, which can lead to rust forming much faster than it normally would.

3. It strips away essential finishes and protection

Regardless of the material, pressure washing can be too aggressive for most shed surfaces.

“It can strip paint, stains and sealants,” says Jenkinson, “which not only affects the appearance but also removes vital protection against the elements.”

These finishes aren’t just cosmetic – they act as a shield against rain, UV rays and temperature changes. Once they’re gone, your shed is left exposed, meaning you’ll likely need to repaint or reseal it sooner than expected.

Whilst pressure washers are great for patios and driveways, they’re not the best choice for your shed. A gentler clean, such as a soft brush and warm soapy water, will keep it looking good without risking damage.

Looking to give your shed a proper refresh instead? Check out our guide to five expert-approved ways to organise your shed in time for summer.

Roborock has launched its first-ever robot lawn mower for the UK market. Designed for British gardens, the Roborock RockMow Z1 has advanced steering, mapping and navigation technology that sees it climbing slopes, adapting to the ground and riding over obstacles – but it’s the app that will impress you the most.

Best known for its robot vacuum cleaners, Roborock announced its first robot mowers for the UK at IFA 2025. The line-up included the RockMow Z1 which has now officially been launched, and its navigation skills and app are what makes it such an impressive model.

Designed for British gardens, the Roborock RockMow Z1 has four-wheel drive which can easily tackle demanding landscapes, and adapt to different terrain and its contours. The mower has oversized wheels, with the back ones being larger than the front, to give it a robust, durable design that can move around difficult gardens while protecting it.

For gardens with steep inclines, the Roborock RockMow Z1 can climb slopes up to 80% and ride over obstacles up to 8cm. Its Active Steering system allows the mower to make precise yet smooth turns, and the wheels and weight of the mower help it to avoid leaving marks or damaging your grass.

In terms of navigation, the Roborock RockMow Z1 uses RTK and VSLAM mapping technology to accurately map your garden and understand its different areas and needs. Its AI-powered maps that are available in the app takes into account your lawn boundaries and type of grass without using wires and with a minimal set-up process.

On to the app which – in my opinion – is the best part of the new Roborock RockMow Z1. The app stores your maps and allows you to set and customise mowing modes, and check in on your mower’s progress and completion time via the real-time dashboard.

This might not sound like anything new if you’re experienced with robot mowers, but the cool thing about the app is it lets you choose from pre-set mowing patterns or you can create custom designs. It gives you a choice to be as hands-on or hands-off as possible, and it even automatically pauses during certain hours so you don’t disturb your neighbours or nocturnal animals, like hedgehogs.

Another handy feature of the Roborock RockMow Z1’s navigation system is its Quad Vision Obstacle Avoidance. The mower detects obstacles and will actively avoid them, including static and moving humans, animals and other objects.

In terms of its actual mowing performance, the Roborock RockMow Z1 has a six-blade cutting mechanism, heavy-duty motor and a fast-charging battery that can cover up to 5,000m² a day. It cuts between 20-70cm in height, offers 3cm edge precision cutting for boundaries and has an anti-clog disc to avoid grass clumps.

The Roborock RockMow Z1 is available to buy for £2,999 at Roborock.

Dreame has added another robot mower to its growing lawn care range with the launch of the A3 AWD Pro, a successor to its A2 mower and a major step up in terms of specs.

Whereas the A2 can handle a 50% slope and comes with a single blade and two-wheel drive, the A3 AWD Pro adds full four-wheel drive, a 15.8in (40cm) dual-disc cutting system and the ability to handle slopes of up to 80% (38.7°).

Thanks to all-terrain wheels and active suspension, the A3 stays stable across even rough patches of grass and crosses obstacles up to 2.2 inches tall. Elsewhere, the use of what Dreame calls the EdgeMaster 2.0 tech means the A3 robot mower can get as close as 1.2 inches from fences, walls, paths, and edges, following every contour rather than leaving an uncut strip along the edges.

In terms of navigation, the robot lawn mowers bring over most of the technologies found in Dreame’s robot vacuum collection. Its OmniSense 3.0 system uses 3D LiDAR to map and navigate your lawn autonomously without the need for boundary wires, all with a 360-degree field of view and up to 230ft (70m) range.

Dreame then adds binocular AI vision on top to help with real-world object recognition and the A3 AWD Pro range can identify and avoid over 300 obstacle types including roots, branches, leaves and even hedgehogs.

The controls for the mower are all found in the Dreame Home app where you’ll find a range of mowing modes including all-area, zone-based, and manual control. There’s additionally a dual-schedule system that adapts to seasonal grass growth rates. Finally, a built-in security system links to this app with location tracking, movement alerts, and anti-theft notifications.

There are three models in the A3 AWD Pro range and the only real difference between them is the total lawn size they can manage.

The A3 AWD Pro 2500 is the cheapest of the three at $3,099.99 with a total lawn size of 0.62 acres. The $3,199.99 A3 AWD Pro 3500 covers 0.87 acres, while the flagship A3 AWD Pro 5000 covers 1.24 acres and costs $3,499.99. All three are available now.

Traeger has just introduced its new Irontop Series, its latest line-up of outdoor griddles for the 2026 barbecue season. Featuring two or four burner models, the Traeger Irontop Series offers edge-to-edge heat for versatile cooking – and the price will seriously surprise you.

Outdoor cooking has become increasingly popular over the years, with many people having full-blown outdoor gardens that they use to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner – regardless of the weather. With this in mind, griddles are the biggest barbecue trend for 2026 due to their versatile, flat-top, wide cooking surfaces.

Traeger is most definitely taking advantage of this trend, having launched the Traeger Flatrock 2 Zone Grill earlier this year. But now, Traeger is launching its Irontop Series, featuring two griddle sizes to complete your outdoor kitchen set-up.

Having built on the popularity and feedback of its first griddles, the new Traeger Irontop Series includes a two-burner and four-burner for even more versatility and flexibility. While the griddles aren’t small by any stretch of the imagination, the two-burner option is surprisingly compact, and both models have lots of storage and food prep space.

The griddle of the Traeger Irontop Series is extremely wide, so you can easily cook multiple meals on it, or large batches of cooking. The entire surface has edge-to-edge heat so you get a consistent temperature and cooking performance across the entire thing, something that the Irontop has taken from the Flatrock.

The controls of the Traeger Irontop Series are easy to use, with two or four circular knobs at the front to control the heat. The griddles get hot extremely fast so you can get cooking quickly, and the integrated wind guards keep the heat directly on the surface, so you don’t have to worry about flames blowing around in windy weather.

I love the look of the Traeger Irontop Series, especially the four-burner. It has two shelves on either side of the griddle which is great for prepping, but it also has hooks for utensils and containers on the side for oils and other condiments. The bottom of the Traeger Irontop Series has another shelf for storage which is where the gas container can conveniently sit in.

The lid of the Traeger Irontop Series has Traeger’s mountain logo on the inside, and it closes down neatly to trap the heat for more direct, intense cooking or smoking. It also ‘flattens’ the size down to make the griddle feel smaller for space-saving storage.

The Traeger Irontop Series will be available to buy in May 2026, with the two-burner costing $499 and the four-burner priced at $599. This is a pretty reasonable price considering the size and durability of the new griddles so you’re getting them for quite a steal, especially in comparison to other brands.

Watch out, Gozney! Delivita has launched its latest Flow pizza oven with dual-fuel cooking power and a tabletop design. Inspired by traditional Italian pizzerias, the Delivita Flow has a curved, dome-like shape and despite its compact size, it has a large cooking space that can cook up to 14-inch pizzas.

Although it launched back in 2016, Delivita is still a new brand to me, but I’d go as far to say its pizza ovens are probably the most true-to-form models on the market if you’re looking for a traditional Italian pizza oven – despite actually being British designed.

The new Delivita Flow is a dual fuel pizza oven that uses gas and wood to make your pizzas and other meals, depending on the flavour you fancy. Gas is recommended for low-smoke and fast cooking with consistent heat, while wood is best for authentic flavours.

What’s most exciting about the dual fuel power is you can cook with either and switch between them when needed. For example, you can start cooking with wood to get that rich smokiness and then switch to gas to speed up the process and better control the heat.

Speaking of temperature control, the Delivita Flow has dial-in controls that’s located on the side of the pizza oven. It has a maximum temperature of 550°C, and can heat up in just 15 minutes. The interior can fit up to 14-inch pizzas which can cook in as little as 90 seconds, plus it can be used to roast, smoke, bake, barbecue and even tandoor-style cooking.

I really love the design of the Delivita Flow. It has a powder-coated steel shell with stainless steel interior and clay-infused insulation, all of which is designed for good heat retention and durability. It’s available in multiple colours – including my favourite, Chilli Red.

Some pizza ovens can be quite big, but the Delivita Flow is surprisingly petite, measuring just 430mm in height, 638mm in width and 665mm in diameter. It weighs 45kg, and is portable enough that it can sit comfortably on a tabletop. If you want to, you should be able to move it around as well.

The Delivita Flow is available to buy for £699 at Delivita and select retailers, like John Lewis.

Welcome to our Sunseeker Elite X4 review. Before we dive into the details, it’s worth setting the scene. Cue Hollywood trailer music…

Robot lawn mowers have come a long way. The days of laying out perimeter wire around awkward borders and winding paths are, thankfully, long gone. That’s not to say there’s zero setup faff, though. Even now, antennas, signal quirks, and initial mapping runs can still add up to a slightly frustrating experience.

The Sunseeker Elite X4 is trying to sidestep most of that. Instead of relying on RTK GPS and an external antenna like many rivals, it uses a combination of 360-degree LiDAR and vision-based AI to understand where it is and where it needs to go... but does it actually deliver in practice?

I spent a month watching it diligently zoom around my garden to find out.

Price and availability

The Sunseeker Elite X4 comes in at £1299 in the UK, and is rated for lawns up to 1200m². That puts it firmly in the upper/mid-range of today’s robot mower market, particularly among newer wire-free models aimed at small to medium-sized gardens.

It's available to buy via Sunseeker's website and other selected retailers, including Winchester Garden Machinery.

Why you might want a robot mower like this

If you’re new to robot lawn mowers and already feeling a bit lost, here’s a quick crash course.

Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) systems use satellite positioning to guide the mower, which is why they typically require a separate antenna somewhere in your garden. They can be extremely accurate, but they’re not always the easiest to set up. Placement matters, and obstacles like trees or buildings can interfere, so there’s often a fair bit of trial and error involved.

The Sunseeker X4 Elite takes a different, antenna-free approach. Instead of relying on satellites, it uses a LiDAR sensor to scan its surroundings and build a live map of your garden, paired with an AI-powered camera for object recognition, allowing it to navigate smoothly without constant external signals.

Rather than cutting a large amount of grass once a week, robot mowers also work little and often – meaning no piles of clippings, no dragging a heavy mower out every few days, and almost no need to think about mowing at all. Well, almost.

I’ve yet to test a robot mower that can cut close enough to fences to completely remove the need for occasional manual strimming. However, compared to the time and effort of regular mowing, the convenience is still hard to overstate.

As for the Elite X4, it comes well equipped. It supports multi-zone mowing, scheduling, and full app control, along with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 4G connectivity. It also works with Alexa and Google Home, and adds useful extras like a rain sensor, night mode, and over-the-air firmware updates, meaning it should keep improving over time.

Installation and set up

Setting up the Sunseeker Elite X4 is a mercifully simple process. Beyond clipping the LiDAR dome cleaning brush to the charging station, there’s nothing to assemble and the mower itself is a very manageable 12.2kg.

The fact that there’s no antenna to install or correctly position is also a godsend. Compared to setting up an RTK aerial (where positioning and signal strength matter), it was nice not having to worry about an extra bit of kit.

The only real work you have to do when setting things up is using the supplied plastic pegs to secure the charging station into the grass. This was such an easy process that my five-year-old son managed to do most of them on his own, though we broke two of the supplied pegs before realising that I was trying to push them into a patch of rock under the grass.

As for the initial mapping of the garden, I managed to trip myself up early on by leaving the black rubber protective cap on the LiDAR dome, which meant the Elite X4 was trying to map the garden without being able to “see” properly. I had read about removing the protective cap in the instructions, but my brain failed me.

Wi-Fi was another hiccup. The thick stone walls of our house meant that the signal wasn’t quite strong enough at first, which caused interruptions during mapping. Moving our Wi-Fi mesh node onto the kitchen windowsill easily sorted that out, at least.

As for the mapping process itself, it’s great to see that auto-mapping is available. Typically, you drive robot mowers around the perimeter of your garden using your phone as a Bluetooth remote control. It’s quite fun, but having the process automated just adds to the convenience.

My garden is, unfortunately, a bit too unconventional for the auto-mapping feature to handle. While the lawn itself is quite small, it’s a few feet higher than the patio, with no barrier. During the auto-mapping process, I watched the Elite X4 drive straight over the edge when mapping near the drop. It didn’t flip over and no damage was done, but I decided to manually map the perimeter, making sure that I gave that pesky edge enough clearance to avoid it from ever happening again.

Design and features

The Sunseeker Elite X4’s design is fairly understated. It doesn’t have the aggressive, almost F1 car-inspired look of some other models, but it still feels well put together.

Build quality is strong, and it’s not too heavy either, tipping the scales at a very manageable 12.2kg. This makes the X4 much easier to pick up and move around compared to, say, my previous 18kg Luba 2 test unit. You’re obviously not supposed to be lugging robot mowers around regularly, but during setup, it makes a real difference, making it less intimidating to handle.

Elsewhere, the all-important LiDAR dome feels robust, and there are some thoughtful touches around it, too. The charging dock’s built-in brush cleans the dome each time the mower docks. Given how important a clear sensor is for LiDAR-based navigation, it’s a very useful addition indeed.

There’s also an LCD display and physical controls tucked under a flap on the mower itself, along with a manual height adjustment dial. While you’ll want to stick to the app most of the time, it’s nice having the option to kick things off manually.

That said, the blade height adjustment dial is the only way you can adjust them. Having gotten used to other mowers where blade height can be adjusted via an app, I was initially worried about the manual-only method.

It turns out that I rarely, if ever, change cutting height. Unless you’re set on tinkering with the height remotely, the manual adjustment shouldn’t be an issue, and it certainly contributes to keeping the X4 Elite’s cost down.

Navigation and performance

So, having said all that, how does the Sunseeker Elite X4 actually perform? Simply put, it just gets on with the job.

During testing, it never once seemed lost, and it confidently handles my garden's slope without issue. It slows slightly as it approaches objects, adjusts its path and carries on, rather than stopping abruptly or second-guessing itself. It also moves around everyday obstacles like toys and the washing line base without fuss.

Movement across the lawn is also methodical, rather than random. It works in clean, consistent passes, which helps with both coverage and the final finish. It doesn’t feel rushed, but it also doesn’t waste time doubling back unnecessarily. You can adjust the speed settings in the app, and I always prefer to go for the slowest, most thorough option – after all, it’s the machine doing the work, not me.

Most importantly, any concerns I had about the lack of RTK navigation have been quashed, with no navigational hiccups presenting themselves during testing. As mentioned, RTK can be extremely accurate, but it depends on signal quality and antenna placement – something the Elite X4 doesn’t need to worry about.

This doesn’t automatically make LiDAR better in every situation, of course, but it can make it a better fit for gardens with more obstacles, tighter layouts or less predictable signal conditions.

Overall, for my use case, I noticed no negative performance drops compared to an RTK mower. In fact, the Sunseeker Elite X4 seems simpler to set up, while offering the same performance as other RTK mowers I’ve tested.

Cutting performance and battery life

If you’re new to robot lawn mowers, it’s worth understanding how they work – by trimming little and often, with clippings left behind as mulch, rather than collected.

As for the Elite X4, its grass-cutting performance is strong. The finish is clean and consistent, with neat, straight lines across the lawn. It handled slightly longer grass – around two inches – without any issues. Turning is smooth as well, and it didn’t leave visible marks or churn up the grass during testing, which is a plus.

The 20cm cutting deck sits within the typical range for robot mowers, which often fall between roughly 16cm and 22cm. That means the Elite X4 isn’t exactly the quickest in terms of coverage per pass (especially compared to wider dual-disc models), but for my smaller garden, it didn’t make much difference in practice.

Better yet, it’s incredibly quiet during use – so much so, that you’d be forgiven for thinking it wasn’t actually doing anything. This is a machine you can set up to run at 8am on a Sunday without fearing the wrath of even the most sensitive of neighbours.

As for battery life, for my relatively small lawn, the Sunseeker Elive X4 completes a full, careful pass in around 40 minutes without needing to recharge, which feels about right for a mower in this class with a 5Ah battery.

App

Sunseeker’s app is simple, clean and easy to navigate, though compared to something like Mammotion’s app, it’s less feature-heavy. There’s less fine control and fewer settings to tweak, but that actually makes it quicker and less intimidating to use, without cutting back on any major features.

Mapping and zone management are also handled through the app, and there are detailed instructions at every step. It’s quite fun seeing the generated 3D LiDAR map of your garden too.

Overall, if you’ve never used a robot lawn mower before, the app is enough to guide you through setting everything up, letting you adjust parameters and set schedules without any issues.

Verdict

The Sunseeker Elite X4 isn’t trying to be the most advanced robot mower around, and that’s fairly reflected in its price. It’s focused on making the overall experience straightforward, and it nails the brief. Setup is quick, navigation is consistent, and once it’s running, it’s something you can trust to just get on with the job.

It’s not perfect, mind. Auto-mapping needs caution in gardens with drops, and edges, as with other robot mowers, still need a manual touch. However, if you want something that works without the extra complexity that can come with more involved setups, the X4 makes a strong case for itself. In short, for a smaller, everyday garden, it’s one of the easier robot mowers to live with.

Alternatives to consider

Robot lawn mowers take a few different approaches when it comes to navigation, and the X4 sits somewhere in the middle. At one end, you’ve got RTK-based machines like the Mammotion LUBA 2 AWD, which combine satellite positioning with cameras for obstacle detection. Newer models like the Mammotion LUBA 3 AWD step things up, mixing RTK, cameras and LiDAR into a single system. They’re impressively capable, but that added complexity also brings a higher price.

At the cheaper end, there are still plenty of boundary wire-based options like the Stihl iMow 5 Evo, which typically sits closer to the £2000 mark. It’s a well-established and reliable machine, but installation is more involved, and you lose some flexibility if you want to change your lawn layout later.

It’s pretty common knowledge now that many people are making the switch from one of the best petrol mowers to a cordless model. A lot of that comes down to environmental and cost benefits, but also the improved manoeuvrability and ease of use that cordless options offer.

However, before you dive into our best cordless mower guide and pick your next model, there are a few important things worth knowing first. These aren’t always talked about, as the switch is often seen as a simple, eco-friendly upgrade – but there are a few key considerations that can make a big difference.

You’ll find those five things below.

1. Battery life isn’t one-size-fits-all

Cordless mowers rely entirely on battery capacity, so run time will vary depending on the size of your lawn, grass thickness and mower power. Whilst many models claim 30-60 minutes per charge, tougher conditions can drain the battery faster.

This means if you have a larger garden, you may need a spare battery or a model with a higher Ah rating. It’s also worth checking recharge times, as some batteries can take a few hours to fully top up, which may interrupt longer mowing sessions.

2. They're so much quieter

One of the biggest advantages of cordless mowers is how quiet they are compared to petrol models. You won’t get the loud engine noise or fumes, making them far more pleasant to use – something your neighbours will thank you for!

However, don’t expect them to be completely silent, as the blade and motor still produce some noise, just significantly less than traditional petrol alternatives.

3. Maintenance is significantly lower

Switching to a cordless mower means you'll no longer have to worry about oil changes, spark plugs, air filters and fuel storage. Most cordless mowers require minimal upkeep, just including things like cleaning the deck and keeping the blade sharp.

That said, you will need to look after the battery. It's strongly recommended to store it inside, and occasionally check its health to ensure long-term performance.

4. Petrol will always be more powerful

Modern cordless mowers are far more powerful than they used to be and can handle most typical lawns with ease. However, they may still struggle with very long, wet or dense grass compared to a high-powered petrol mower.

If your lawn is particularly large or challenging, it’s worth investing in a higher-end cordless model or adjusting your mowing habits to cut more frequently.

5. They're lighter and easier to use

Cordless mowers are generally lighter and easier to manoeuvre than petrol models, making them a great choice for smaller gardens or users who want something less physically demanding. They’re easier to start too, usually involving just the push of a button.

That said, the battery does add some weight, so it’s worth checking the overall balance and feel if you can before buying.