There are more and more robotic lawn mowers without annoying boundary wires on the market. After all, demand has risen sharply in recent years due to the significantly easier commissioning. However, technologies such as GPS reception and LiDAR sensors also come at a price, which is why wireless models are usually significantly more expensive. However, cheaper devices are now also available on the market. In the MOVA 600 test, we took a closer look at one such robot mower.
Technical data
| Model | MOVA 600 |
| Dimensions | Robot mower: 643 x 419 x 279 mm Charging station: 770 x 481 x 309 mm |
| Weight of | Robot mower: 10 kg Charging station: 2.6 kg |
| Mapping and navigation | UltraView technology for environment detection |
| Obstacle avoidance | 3D LiDAR |
| Mowing capacity | 600 m² |
| Route planning | U-shaped path planning |
| Mowing efficiency | Standard mode: 600 m²/24 hrs. Efficient mode: 1,000 m²/24 hrs. |
| Cutting width | 20 cm |
| Max. Slope | 45 % (24°) |
| rechargeable battery | Capacity: 2.5 Ah Charging time: 90 min |
| Weather resistance | IPX6 |
| Price | € 949.00 * |
Scope of delivery
- Mova 600 robotic lawnmower
- Charging station
- Mains cable and mains adapter (station)
- Cleaning brush
- pegs
- Allen key
- 9x spare blades
- Operating instructions + quick-start guide
MOVA 600 test: design and workmanship
With a price of less than € 1000, the MOVA 600 is an attractive bargain in the field of robotic lawn mowers without a perimeter wire. This puts it on a par with competitor models such as an Ecovacs GOAT (Review | € 899.00 *) or a Segway Navimow i105E (Review | € 989.00 *).
A RoboUP T1200 Pro (Review | € 1,649.00 *), on the other hand, is significantly more expensive. However, when you see the MOVA 600 for the first time, you might get the impression that it is an expensive piece of garden technology. After all, the robot lawn mower impresses with a damn cool design.
Although everything here is made of plastic, the carbon applications in combination with the dark, matt gray and black give the sporty Robo a really cool look. Connoisseurs of robotic lawnmowers will be reminded of the Dreame A1 (€ 1,299.00 *) by the 64 x 42 x 28 cm garden helper.
This is not surprising. After all, MOVA is a subsidiary brand of Dreame. Weighing just under 10 kg, the Robo is also easy to carry from A to B. In my opinion, this is very important for robotic mowers. A practical handle at the rear makes transportation even easier. There are some controls on the top. MOVA has designed the emergency stop button in the usual eye-catching red.
Above it are four control buttons that can be used to make rudimentary inputs. For example, you can send the Robo to its charging station by pressing a button. You can also set the mowing height using the rotary control and switch the robot on and off using another button. The controls are located under a practical cover, which effectively prevents damage from the weather.
The LiDAR sensor, which comes with a practical cover, is located at the front of the top. Of course, you have to remove it during operation. The underside is again quite unspectacular. There are two large wheels at the back, which have a thick profile and promise a lot of grip. Their counterpart is located in the upper area.
Two smaller wheels are located here, which are movable and thus enable the mower to be steered. The mowing disc is located in the middle. This has three fairly thin blades. Unfortunately, these do not make the longest-lasting impression. Fortunately, replacement blades are included in the scope of delivery.
MOVA 600 test: Commissioning
The MOVA 600 is not the first robotic lawnmower I have used in my life. That’s why setting it up went quite quickly. But even newcomers to this area will have the garden helper set up in no time at all. The first step is to assemble the station, which is done in a flash. You then anchor it in the desired location using the pegs.
Once this is done, connect the station to the power supply using the power supply unit and power cable. Then push the MOVA 600 into the station and the setup is complete. Now you should take out your smartphone. Continue with the MOVA app available for Android and iOS. Here you need to pair the Robo with the app.
What may sound easy in theory proved to be a little tricky in practice. After all, the Robo didn’t want to establish a connection despite recognizing the WiFi network. I still don’t know why this was the case. But after three quarters of an hour of experimenting, it finally worked and the app showed me the three desired green ticks.
As is usual for models without a perimeter wire, you must first create a map of the area to be covered before you can start. To do this, you steer the robot like a remote-controlled car over your lawn and drive along the edges. At the end of this procedure, you will receive a map that you can customize in the app according to your wishes.
MOVA 600 Test: MOVA App
I can only say good things about the MOVA app. You can just feel the relationship to Dreame here. After all, the software scores with a great overview, which is why even newcomers can find their way around in no time at all. There are plenty of setting options.
In addition to a schedule, you can also define details about the working method. You can adjust things like mowing direction, obstacle detection and mowing license according to your wishes. You can also see how far along the MOVA 600 is in the current mowing process.
MOVA 600 test: How it works
As already mentioned, the MOVA 600 does not use traditional boundary wires to navigate through the garden. Instead, the robot relies on its own UltraView technology. This uses LiDAR technology based on laser distance measurement, which is familiar from robot vacuum cleaners and other robot mowers.
In addition, the MOVA 600 uses other sensors to move safely and precisely through your garden. Unlike other wireless robotic lawnmowers, you don’t need to set up a large RTK antenna on your property. This makes commissioning even easier.
MOVA 600 test: Performance test
During the first mowing session, I focused on various aspects. First of all, I looked at how well the robot can orient itself. In this respect, I was briefly startled when the robot mower left the station for the first time. After all, it didn’t move at all at first. At first I thought it was a problem with the battery or that the Robo had lost the WiFi signal. But this was not the case. Finally, after just under two minutes, it started mowing.
Apparently it needs the starting time to get its bearings. Incidentally, the MOVA 600 did not only need this warm-up phase at the start the first time. It also had to orient itself the following times. A look at the app then cleared things up. The robot seems to recalibrate itself every time it starts up so that it can really find its way back to its station. To inform the environment that the blades have been switched on, the Robo emits a beep when it starts mowing.
Once the MOVA 600 is moving, however, these initial aches and pains are quickly forgotten. This is where the Robo proves it has the best orientation. It doesn’t drive over lawns chaotically, but systematically. The grass is systematically shorn in U-shaped parallel lines. Which mowing pattern you prefer can be conveniently defined in the MOVA app. The Robo also ensures a high level of safety at all times.
Thanks to reliable obstacle detection, objects such as flip-flops or footballs as well as people and animals were detected and avoided in the test. Only smaller obstacles can occasionally be overlooked by the MOVA 600. However, it does not drive over them, but at most touches them. Sometimes, however, I would have liked to see the use of camera technology with subsequent AI evaluation for obstacle detection.
After all, there are times when the robot interprets long blades of grass as an obstacle and then skips large areas. As experience has shown that lawns can become somewhat longer in edge areas, this resulted in a rather inadequate cutting pattern around lawn edges during the test. However, I am familiar with this problem from many robot mowers. After all, the majority rely on a centrally positioned cutting disc. So the MOVA 600 leaves a good, but not very good overall impression in practice.
Conclusion
The MOVA 600 proves to be an attractive robot mower for price-conscious buyers who want to do without boundary wires. With a price of less than €1,000, it offers solid performance, an attractive design and simple commissioning. Navigation using UltraView technology and LiDAR sensors works reliably, albeit with a short orientation phase at the start of each mowing run. Only very small obstacles can be touched, but not run over. The well-designed MOVA app, which offers numerous customization options and intuitive operation, is a particularly positive feature.
The mowing performance is good overall, although the MOVA 600 shows weaknesses along lawn edges. In addition, camera-based obstacle detection would be a useful addition, as tall grass is sometimes recognized as an obstacle. Overall, the MOVA 600 offers a convincing price-performance ratio for users looking for a cost-effective, wireless alternative – with minor compromises in terms of precision. If the mowing performance of 600 m² is not enough for you, the MOVA 1000 (€ 1,123.70 *) may be the right alternative. This is suitable for mowing areas of up to 1000 m².
PRO
CONTRA
The MOVA 600 scores points with its simple setup and control. It also offers a good cutting pattern. However, if you value a perfect lawn edge cut or have a very large garden, you will have to make compromises here.
MOVA 600
Design & processing
Hardware
Ease of use
Mowing performance
Price-performance ratio
90/100
