Sunseeker Elite X4

Design and Features

• 3D LiDAR for accurate mapping
• Able to mow a huge 1,200 m²
• Manual mowing height adjustment only

Things have moved a long way since I started testing robot lawnmowers. First there were fiddly boundary wires that made you crawl about the lawn. Happily, they were soon replaced by GPS receivers, but they still needed open sky and pinpoint placement in the garden to work.

So, now we’re on to the next generation of lawn mapping: LiDAR. The technology that makes self-driving cars and robot vacuum cleaners work does a great job of keeping a robot on the grass, too. Coupled with AI-enhanced obstacle-avoidance cameras, the Sunseeker Elite X4 is a pretty idiot-proof piece of technology.

Starting with the styling, I like the futuristic but friendly face with LED light bars for eyes. The aggressive rear wheels have fancy orange coil-spring suspension, which adds a bit of off-road ruggedness without going over the top like some sci-fi-inspired robot lawnmower designs.

The charging dock is equally understated, decked out in matt black plastic and featuring a very clever LiDAR dome brush built into the ceiling. It means that every time the robot drives in and out, it gives the dome a little clean.

Weighing just over 12 kg, the lawn mower easy enough to pick up and carry around by the hidden handle underneath. However, for a premium robot with a price to match, it’s surprising that it still has a manual height adjustment dial. It means that you can only set one cut height for the entire space. I really like being able to set different garden zones at different heights. Being able to have short, pristine patches, while allowing some others to grow longer and host more wildflowers, is a huge benefit.

The X4 can be integrated into your smart home setup as it’s compatible with both Alexa and Google Home, if you want to ask it to mow rather than open the app. The app is easy enough to work out and has some excellent features. However, it lacks some deep customisation found in other robot lawnmower apps.

It has the usual rain sensor on top to avoid going out when the grass is sodden, although its IPX6 rating means it’s happy outdoors in all weathers. You can even clean it off with a pressure washer.

Connecting up to your phone via Bluetooth, and getting information via Wi-Fi and an inbuild 4G SIM card, it promises to stay connected at all times, all over the garden. If you want to check out a robot lawn mower that can tackle huge lawn sizes up to 6,000 m, the EGO AURA-R2 is a big robot with a huge battery. 

Performance

• App is simple but easy to navigate
• Pinpoint accuracy when mowing parallel stripes
• Struggled to recognise some steep slopes and borders

My test lawn for the Sunseeker Elite X4 was a particular challenge for any robot lacking All-wheel drive. A large expanse of rough lawn with mature trees, hidden slopes, and even a few rabbit holes, it really put the X4 to the test.

“Drop and go” is written on the side of the big box this mower comes in. It’s the gold standard for robot lawnmowers, especially for anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable fiddling with apps and settings.

I took the X4 out of the box, plugged in the charging base, charged up the robot, and downloaded the app. The rather simple app is ideal for those who don’t want deep, granular settings to play with. It asked me if I wanted to “auto map” and I pressed “yes”.

The X4 then simply trundled off across the grass, mapping as it went. I hadn’t even set up Wi-Fi, the robot’s 4G connection handled everything, data-wise. I was really impressed with how easy it was to get started. It would be ideal if you have a reasonably flat but large lawn without drops or holes.

However, I didn’t want to map all the huge test garden I was in. So, I had to recall the X4 and drive it to another section, to test out its other mapping features. The section I had in mind was a flat section of lawn. It’s surrounded by steep, almost 45° drops on either end.

In auto mapping mode this robot lawnmower threw itself up and down these hills as if it couldn’t see the slopes. Although it didn’t flip over, it was enough for it to send an error message. It needed picking up and putting back more than once. 

I changed tack and mapped by driving around the edge of the lawn like a remote control car. I played with the mapping features like choosing a straight line, and it worked well enough to define the edges of the mowing area. Creating channels back to the docking station was less intuitive than other mowers, but it worked out in the end.

Once set up, the X4 showed its true colours. Even without an on-site RTK station to guide it around, it was able to mow perfectly straight parallel lines that would show up any human groundsman.

It repeated its straight lines over the next few weeks of testing. I also got to play with some of the other app settings. I was able to fine tune the mowing angle to precisely match the orientation of the lawn and fiddle with the width of the lines via the app. By changing the line spacing, I got rid of any furrows left by the wheels. It was nice to see a bit of customisation in the app, but it might not be enough for users who want to tinker with all aspects of their robot mower.            

Obstacle avoidance worked well. However, even though it got close to edges with fences, tufts of grass were left behind at the edge of the lawn. Overall, it left a clean cut that only improved over time. 

Should you buy it?