Eufy C15 robot lawnmower review: simple setup, smart AI mowing, and sub-£1,000 appeal

I'm not sure why I was surprised to see Eufy had launched a robot lawnmower, because it's a brand that's been monstering the robot vacuum sector for a long time now.

But there I was staring down the spec sheet of a high-spec mower launched this year that promises to take all the best tech and put it into a more compact, more affordable, and effortlessly simple package. Eufy's good at that sort of thing.

It's called the C15 and it's not actually Eufy's first foray into lawn-based automation. The E15 and E18 have been part of the landscape for a little while now, but this new version caught my eye for a few reasons.

Firstly, it couldn't be simpler to set up. We're way past the boundary-wire days now, where you had to bury a cable beneath the surface of your grass and just hope it didn't get mown up one day (it usually did). We're also weaning ourselves off the GPS era, which has been fiddly, unreliable, and a pain to get right.

The new C15 uses AI-based camera technology to effectively "see" where it's mowing, what it's mowing around, and what it has left to do.

It's an obvious progression, because the best robot vacuums have used LiDAR for a few years now, and this similar technology is a great way to let a robot lawnmower carry out its duties.

Another thing I love about the C15 is it's relatively affordable. Given how high-tech it is, it's quite small and compact, aimed at lawns up to 500m2, and it can be bought for £999 (or £799 if you can catch a special offer that seems to be regularly available).

That's actually quite cheap compared to some boundary-wire and GPS models, so to have the latest in robomow tech built in for that money is something to be excited about.

And I was indeed quite excited as I unboxed the C15, which is bigger than you'd expect, but still nice and easy to lug around.

To get it going, you just plug in its garage, link it to the app, and you're ready to run. Eufy says it takes just five minutes, and they're not exaggerating here. It's a doddle.

You can choose to map the lawn, or let it go through an auto-mapping process. I'd recommend you create a map if you've got lots of obstacles, but there's really no need. This is a very clever robot.

A more expensive robot would have LiDAR, which is a fabulous technology, especially when it comes to avoiding things. But Eufy's in-house camera system is nearly as good. I say "nearly", because it does sometimes leave a bit of a wide berth around larger obstacles, and it has missed a few smaller obstacles. You also need decent light to run it in, which isn't a limitation of other systems. No midnight missions with this one, then.

None of this should be enough to put you off, though. No system I've tested has ever been infallible. And I've tested a lot.

Battery life is also impressive, as is the rain-sensor, which is customisable. So in a light drizzle, you can allow it to ignore it, and if it's been raining heavily, you can set up a delay to ensure the grass will be dry enough. Scheduling is a doddle, but this built in resting ability is seriously clever.

There's good slope-climbing capability, manual height-adjustment - which I prefer, and it's good at cutting to edges, rather than excellent.

Ultimately, you'd choose the Eufy C15 because you value simplicity, as much automation as possible, and you don't have thousands to spend.

It can cope with surprisingly large lawns, it can cope with fairly hefty gradients, and it will keep your lawn looking nice without you having to lift a finger.

Is it worth spending a bit more for something with LiDAR? I don't think so. Eufy's system is very good, perhaps with a few shortcomings, but nothing that will give you sleepless nights.

Is it worth £1,000? It depends how much you value the newer technology and the simplicity. And, of course, the backup of a brand that's nailed domestic automation for so many years.

If you can catch the offer, though, and get one for £799, this is one of the most impressive sub £1,000 mowers out there. Simplicity, after all, is what we buy robot helpers for. Taking a chore out of your hands and making it as easy as possible.

And in that sense, the Eufy C15 definitely delivers.