Bigger isn't always better, sometimes small can do the job just as well
The Husqvarna Aspire R4 might be small and compact, but it cuts grass virtually flawlessly and maintains your lawn without you barely having to think about it once you've setup scheduling. Setting it up takes some work due to the requirement for a boundary wire, and having app-controlled cutting height adjustment would be welcomed, but both are small grievances for a product that otherwise offers smart features, a sleek design, and superb mowing. The Husqvarna Automower Aspire R4 is by no means cheap, but the free time you gain alongside the spick and span lawn makes it a worthwhile investment.
Pros
- Compact and discreet design
- Great features in app
- Excellent performance
- Alexa and Google Assistant integration
Cons
- Boundary wire takes a while to setup
- No on-device screen
- Manual cutting height adjustment
Husqvarna Automower Aspire R4: Introduction
- Type: Robot lawn mower, boundary wire
- Docking: Plugged in, 1 A charging current
- Navigation system: Singlesearch
Robot lawn mowers might not be at the top of your shopping list, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be. They are without a doubt one of life’s luxuries, but they are also exceptionally low maintenance once setup and they take care of a necessary chore, giving you the gift of time. Having putting various models through testing in the past year, I’m a convert, despite their hefty price tags.
Husqvarna was responsible for introducing the first ever robot lawn mower way back in 1995, so the company is to robot lawn mowers what Philips Hue is to smart lighting.
Things have come on along way in 30 years however, and while the company offers a variety of models for most domestic (and professional) needs, the smaller options in its portfolio are more than adequate. Among the compact choices is the Automower Aspire R4, and it performs admirably. Here’s my review having used it for over eight months.
Setup
- Boundary wire required
- Compatible with Automower Connect app
Just like robot vacuums, robotic lawn mowers have become much smarter in recent years. But while robot vacuums navigate your house like small cleaning ninjas and even avoid cables and shoes these days, some robot lawn mowers still rely on old-school tech to get the job done and the Aspire R4 is one of those.
Husqvarna does offer wire-free models now after it announced them earlier this year, using GPS instead of boundary wire, but the Husqvarna Aspire R4 sticks with a boundary wire which utilizes an electric current to guide the mower around your lawn.
Setting up the boundary wire is a bit of a chore, so it’s one to be prepared for, but in my experience, boundary wire is more reliable than phone-based GPS.
The Aspire R4 can’t physically breach the electric current fence you create, so there’s no need to worry about rogue mower adventures with this lawn mower.
Husqvarna has great step-by-step videos, but depending on your garden size, buckle up for a few hours of work when it comes to installing the boundary wire. It took me three hours so it isn’t a quick job you can do at 5pm on a Sunday evening.
The wire needs to go around your yard’s edge and any obstacles like ponds, children’s climbing frames, flower beds or other permanent structures you don’t want mowed. You’ll also need to hammer in little plastic pegs every few centimetres to keep the wire close to the ground and reduce the risk of the lawn mower chomping the wire too.
I’d recommended digging a shallow trench around the edge and bury the wire if you’re in the business of doing things properly.
It takes longer, but you’ll be less likely to accidentally nick the wire with the mower blades or have curious animals yank it up (both of which have happened to me more than once). Along with the boundary wire, there’s a guide wire that connects to it and runs through the middle (or another clear path) of your yard. This helps the Aspire R4 find its way back to its charging station.
Again, burying it is a good call if you don’t fancy a random wire running through your garden, though I must admit, over time, the boundary wire and guide wire have become invisible in my lawn.
Once you’ve wrangled both wires into place, it’s smooth sailing with the installation of the boundary wire taking up the majority of install time.
Connecting the Aspire R4 to the Automower app meanwhile, takes just minutes. The mower will appear under “Available Mowers” as long as you’re close by and within Bluetooth range. Set the time and date, and you’re ready to schedule mowing and explore some of the other smart features (I’ll go into that a bit further down).
Design and components
- No on-screen display
- 550 x 330 x 220mm, 5.9kg
- IPX5
The Husqvarna Automower Aspire R4 is the compact champion of Husqvarna’s Automower line. This lovely small mower packs a punch, making it perfect for yards of all sizes, from cosy backyards to Downton Abbey-style estates – though the company does offer larger options more suitable if you have acres of land. It’s sleek, sophisticated, and most importantly, discreet, blending in seamlessly.
The Aspire R4 hits the sweet spot on size however. It’s smaller than its Husqvarna Automower 305 sibling and a far cry from the behemoth that is the Segway Navimow H1500E.
Sticking with the classic robotic mower color scheme, the Aspire R4 sports a sleek grey and orange combo that looks great and works with your garden greenery. The back boasts a charging point for easy docking, while the front displays the Husqvarna logo.
Two chunky front wheels, each featuring the Husqvarna symbol, take center stage, with a smaller rear wheel keeping things stable. Tucked underneath is the business element of the mower: the blades.
These offer four cutting heights, but adjustments are manual not through the app so choose wisely. I learned the hard way that the lowest setting can get a little too friendly with the boundary wire so I have now settled on number two for a nice, clean cut without any accidental wire trimming.
The Aspire R4 also boasts two handy mounting holes on the underside. This lets you hang it up when it’s not on mowing duty throughout the winter.
You can either give it its own dedicated spot in the garage or shed, or get fancy with the Husqvarna Aspire Storage system, which is a clever rail that allows you to hang the Aspire R4 alongside other Husqvarna devices like a strimmer, keeping everything neat and organized.
Perhaps the biggest thing to note on the design of the Aspire R4 is that it keeps things refreshingly simple.
There’s no flashy display or control panel cluttering the top. After all, that’s what the Automower Connect app is for. You do get a big, red Stop button for those ‘oh-no, not the dog’s…’ moments, along with a few manual controls like Start, Lawn Coverage, Mow, and Park. These buttons also sport tiny numbers in the corner – a little detail, but important to know for entering your pin code.
Features
- Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT integration
- Manual cutting height adjustment
- Multiple features through Automower app
The Husqvarna Automower Aspire R4 might look unassuming, but there’s plenty on offer when it comes to features. As I mentioned, it lacks an on-device screen – something the Automower 305 does offer – so many of these features are accessed through the Automower Connect app.
The app lets you control everything from basic scheduling to smart home integration. Yes, with a little setup, you can tell Alexa to mow your lawn with the Aspire R4.
The app offers a variety of basic functions. You can define a “mowing border” – the distance the Aspire R4 will venture past the boundary wire.
There’s also a Frost Guard that delays mowing during frosty mornings and a weather timer that automatically adjusts the schedule based on how much your lawn is growing. For those overgrown patches, the Aspire R4 has a Spiral Cutting feature that changes its mowing pattern to tackle tall grass more efficiently.
Beyond the basics, the app unlocks a range of operational tweaks. You can set the starting point distance from the charging base, for example. Mine is set at a conservative 60 centimeters, but you can have the Aspire R4 practically start mowing the moment it leaves the dock if you prefer.
Feeling like a specific area needs some extra love? The Lawn Coverage function lets you manually guide the Aspire R4 to remote corners or different guide wire zones, ensuring your entire lawn gets a trim.
While the cutting height adjustment remains a manual affair (unlike app control on the Segway Navimow and a quick turning knob on the Automower 305), the Aspire R4 shines with its smart features. Remember I mentioned Alexa and Google Assistant integration?
Well, that’s a breeze to set up, and the Aspire R4 is also compatible with IFTTT. This lets you create custom automations so you could, for example, link your Aspire R4 to your Google Calendar. If you have “Garden Party” or another keyword in your calendar, the mower will hold off until the festivities are over.
You can even use IFTTT to create a nighttime mowing curfew for friendly hedgehogs, or connect it to a weather app to avoid mowing during downpours or potential frost. Meanwhile, if you’re feeling neighbourly, the Aspire R4 can even send an email alert to your neighbor if it encounters a problem when you’re not home.
Speaking of schedules, this is a core function of any robotic lawn mower and the first thing you’ll want to set up. It’s what keeps your lawn looking superb with minimal effort on your part. I have mine programmed to mow between 8:00am to noon, and 4:00pm to 6:00pm daily, but don’t worry, it won’t mow for a solid six hours straight (more on that in a minute).
It’s also worth activating Frost Guard when winter approaches as sensors built into the Aspire R4 will then monitor the temperature and pause mowing if it dips below 5 degrees Celsius.
Performance
- 59dB
- No obstacle detection
- 500sqm, 25% incline
The Husqvarna Automower Aspire R4 isn’t just a great performer, it’s a stealthy one. At a mere 59 decibels, it’s no louder than a normal conversation, so you can set it loose at sunrise without upsetting the neighbors.
All you’ll hear is a gentle hum and the satisfying snip of grass being cut – and only if you’re standing right next to it.
I did have some bumps in the road during the first two weeks of the Aspire R4 mowing my lawn. Some sections of the boundary wire weren’t snug enough in the ground, as I mentioned, and there were also a couple of Bluetooth hiccups, where the connection dropped with the app.
A restart on the Aspire R4 and a re-entry of the pin code got things working again, but it’s worth noting you may need to do that occasionally to keep things running smoothly.
The Aspire R4 robot lawn mower also lacks obstacle detection. It will bump into anything in its path, be it your Amazon delivery person (yes, that really happened to me) or your furry friends. Pet waste? Consider it squashed.
The same goes for any toys or forgotten objects left on the lawn so just as you have to tidy up your home a little for a robot vacuum cleaner, you have to tidy up the lawn for the robot lawn mower.
When it comes to its core function – cutting grass – the Aspire R4 shines however. My front garden is a maze of bushes, flower beds, and a central path, but the Aspire R4 navigates it brilliantly. It tackles narrow passages with ease and handles uneven terrain without complaint.
My lawn has been the envy of our neighbourhood since the Aspire R4 started working its magic – it always looks excellent now. Sure, you’ll still need a separate trimmer for those tricky corners, and perfecting the boundary wire placement (or the distance the mower goes past it) might take some trial and error. But once you’ve got it dialled in, the Aspire R4 robot mower is a game-changer.
Husqvarna claims the Aspire R4 can handle a lawn size of 400 square meters with inclines up to 25 per cent. While my lawn is nowhere near that big and near enough perfectly flat, I mention it because it shows the capabilities of this little mower.
The battery provides about an hour of cutting time before it returns to its base for a recharge. That means even though I have mine programmed for four morning hours, it only mows for about half that time. It won’t budge again until it’s fully juiced up at 100%.
The same goes for afternoon mowing sessions – if it starts at 50%t charge, it will stay put until it reaches 100% before venturing out. During mowing, it will also return to the dock when the battery dips below a certain level and resume only after a full charge.
When it comes to maintenance, the Aspire R4 pretty much looks after itself. You will need to change the blades every so often, and cleaning the Aspire R4 every few weeks, especially after rainy spells, is a good habit to get into.
Mud and grass clippings love clinging to the wheels, and dust or dried mud can clog the charging port and pins, leading to charging difficulties. A quick rinse with a hose every couple of weeks will keep it running smoothly and looking sharp so try and do that to keep it looking as good as your lawn will.
Final thoughts
Don’t let the Husqvarna Automower Aspire R4’s small stature fool you – this little robot mower delivers exceptional grass-cutting performance, boasts refreshingly simple operation, and quietly becomes an indispensable part of your lawn care routine.
The initial setup requires some effort and app-controlled cutting height adjustments would be welcomed, but that’s about the extent of the drawbacks of this robot lawn mower. You get a treasure trove of smart features that elevate the robotic mower experience, the design is sleek and unobtrusive, and the overall performance is genuinely great.
Sure, the Husqvarna Aspire R4 might not be a budget-friendly purchase, but considering the time and effort it saves you, it’s an investment you won’t regret. Let’s face it, who wouldn’t trade a few afternoons of pushing a mower for a perfectly manicured lawn and more free time? The Aspire R4 delivers exactly that.
How we test
When we publish our reviews, you can rest assured that they are the result of “living with” long term tests.
Robot lawn mowers usually live somewhat independently of the rest of a smart home ecosystem, even if they can work within an ecosystem too. Because we’re testing smart home kit all day, everyday, we know what matters and how a particular robot lawn mower compares to alternatives that you might also be considering.
Our reviews are comprehensive, objective and fair and, of course, we are never paid directly to review a device. For this specific review, we have lived with this robot lawn mower for over eight months, giving us plenty of experience with it.
FAQs
Setting up the Husqvarna Automower Aspire R4 requires installing a boundary wire around your lawn, which is time-consuming, especially if you have a large lawn. Burying the wire is also recommended to avoid accidental damage by the mower or curious animals, and that takes a little longer. The mower itself connects to the app quickly and easily however, so once your boundary wire is down, maintenance is easy.
Yes, despite lacking an on-device screen, the Automower Aspire R4 boasts several smart features accessible through the Automower Connect app. These include scheduling mowing times, adjusting mowing borders, integrating with smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, and creating custom automations using IFTTT.
The Aspire R4 does not have obstacle detection. This means it will bump into anything in its path, including pets, objects left on the lawn, or even people. It’s important to clear your lawn before mowing and keep an eye on it during operation.
Husqvarna Automower Aspire R4: Specifications
| Type (Colours and style) | Robot lawn mower, Grey |
| UK RRP | £1,079 |
| US RRP | $1,100 |
| Size (Dimensions) | 550 x 330 x 220mm |
| Weight | 5.9kg |
| Release Date | February 2023 |
| Smart home Ecosystems | Google Assistant, Alexa, IFTTT |
| Coverage | 400m2 |
| Gradient | 25% |
| App controlled | Yes, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi |
| Boundary type | Wire |
| Dock type | Plug-in |
| Cutting width and height | 160mm, 20mm to 45mm |
| Charge time | 75 minutes |
