A roof over the base station, in wood or in metal

Robot mower garages, compared

A robot mower lives outdoors all season on a base station that is usually a plastic plate with two charging contacts, and a garage is a roof over it. What it protects against is not rain in the abstract — the robots are weatherproof — but standing water on the contacts, leaf litter in the mechanism, and above all sun: a black machine parked in full afternoon light gets hot enough that its battery management stops it charging. The shelf divides on material. Galvanised or powder-coated metal, which lasts and gets hot; wood, which looks like garden furniture and needs treating; and a folding fabric-and-frame version that stores flat. The dimensions are the buying question, and they are external on most listings and internal on a few, which is the classic trap: a garage 90 cm wide outside may not swallow an 80 cm robot with its charging plate. The fits column carries the model lists — one maker here sells a garage specifically for its own O600, O800 and O1200 machines, the rest are universal boxes sized generously — and a universal box that clears the robot but not the docking plate is the commonest mismatch. Two details separate the good from the ordinary. The mounting: a garage has to be pegged or weighted, because an empty metal box in a gust becomes a sail over the lawn. And the ventilation, which is why a roof with an open front and a gap at the back is better for the battery than a sealed shed. We compare material, dimensions, fits, mounting and ventilation.

Every part here, laid out figure by figure

1. 

   tectake 406256

   The largest footprint here, in galvanised steel and polycarbonate, with both ground screws and pegs supplied.

   Material

   Coated galvanised steel frame, UV-resistant polycarbonate roof, coated aluminium

   Dimensions

   81 × 100 × 48 cm external; internal dimensions not published

   Fits

   Not published as machine names — sold on its footprint

   Mounting

   Ground screws or ground pegs, both supplied

   Ventilation

   Not published — an open construction is implied by the roof form

   Amazon reference

   B0GJF5K2N9 (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4061173305695

   • The largest floor area here, stated to take the robot and other tools
   • Two anchoring methods supplied — screws for a hard surface, pegs for turf
   • No internal dimensions, so whether a given machine and dock fit is unknown

   Best for: A large robot with its dock, or a corner that should also swallow a strimmer and a watering can

   Check price on Amazon
2. 

   KESSER Mähroboter Garage

   Polycarbonate over powder-coated steel, with a brush set and gloves in the box for cleaning the machine.

   Material

   Powder-coated steel, robust plastic and aluminium elements; impact-resistant UV-stable polycarbonate roof

   Dimensions

   82 × 103 × 47 cm; internal dimensions not published

   Fits

   Stated as suitable for nearly all common robot models including the docking station

   Mounting

   Ground pegs supplied

   Ventilation

   Open construction, stated to allow unimpeded entry and exit

   Amazon reference

   B0DTZ46F72 (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4255598356039

   • A brush set and gloves in the box — the tools the machine actually needs monthly
   • Explicitly states it covers the docking station as well as the robot
   • No internal dimensions

   Best for: A robot on turf, for an owner who has not yet bought anything to clean it with

   Check price on Amazon
3. 

   dobar 56193e

   The only wooden garage here, and the only listing on this shelf that publishes its internal dimensions.

   Material

   Colour-glazed softwood

   Dimensions

   78.5 × 74 × 52.5 cm external; 71 × 66 × 35 cm internal

   Fits

   Not published as machine names — the internal dimensions are given instead

   Mounting

   Not published

   Ventilation

   Not published — the roof is removable

   Amazon reference

   B086Q989F2 (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4055894561935

   • The only listing on this shelf to publish internal dimensions
   • A removable roof, so the machine and its buttons are fully accessible
   • Wood outdoors needs re-treating, which none of the metal garages here do

   Best for: A garden where the garage will be seen, and a robot measured against 71 × 66 × 35 cm first

   Check price on Amazon
4. 

   Gardebruk DB-109177

   Hot-dip galvanised metal with a gas-strut roof that lifts, a rubber-protected cable route and edge protection throughout.

   Material

   Hot-dip galvanised metal, with edge protection throughout

   Dimensions

   89 × 90 × 54 cm external; 77 × 85 cm floor area stated

   Fits

   Not published as machine names — a 77 × 85 cm floor area is stated

   Mounting

   4 ground pegs supplied for turf; standard screws for paving or concrete

   Ventilation

   Not published — a sloping pentroof sheds water to the rear

   Amazon reference

   B0B1QHLZ5Z (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4251776601939

   • A gas-strut roof that lifts, so the robot’s keypad is reachable while it is docked
   • A stated cable route with a rubber guard — the only listing here to address it
   • A floor area is given rather than an internal height

   Best for: A robot with physical controls, on a lawn or a paved base, where the roof will be opened regularly

   Check price on Amazon
5. 

   ECOVACS GOAT Garage

   A manufacturer’s own shelter naming eight of its robots — and publishing no dimensions at all.

   Material

   Not published — described as a robust construction

   Dimensions

   Not published

   Fits

   Eight named machines from the same maker

   Mounting

   Not published

   Ventilation

   Not published

   Amazon reference

   B0DQY66Z9N (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   6970135035359

   • The maker’s own part for eight of its own machines — no measuring required
   • Designed around the specific dock, which a universal shelter cannot be
   • No dimensions, no material and no mounting method published

   Best for: One of the eight named machines, where the fit should not be a question

   Check price on Amazon
6. 

   WORX WA0810

   The maker’s own carport with a hinged roof, naming the models it fits and the one range it does not.

   Material

   Metal and plastic, as stated

   Dimensions

   Given twice: 39.4 × 54.8 × 68.8 cm (W × H × D) and 70.65 × 55.4 × 39.75 cm (L × W × H)

   Fits

   All of the maker’s S/M/L robot models, five named — explicitly not the vision range

   Mounting

   Not published

   Ventilation

   Not published — an open carport form

   Amazon reference

   B088C32FKW (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   6924328394884

   • States which range it does **not** fit, in the title
   • A hinged roof giving full access to the control panel while docked
   • The dimensions are given twice in different orders and different figures

   Best for: A Landroid S, M or L with its dock — and not the vision model

   Check price on Amazon
7. 

   MOVA MMGM10

   The maker’s own shelter with the full parts list published — roof, two frames, eight pegs, ten clips and an Allen key.

   Material

   Not published

   Dimensions

   Not published

   Fits

   Seven named machines from the same maker

   Mounting

   8 ground pegs and 10 quick-release clips supplied, with an Allen key

   Ventilation

   Not published — the listing warns against signal interference

   Amazon reference

   B0DW9FL2RC (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   6977973410188

   • The complete carton contents are listed item by item, with quantities
   • Seven named machines from the manufacturer of both
   • No dimensions and no material published

   Best for: One of the seven named machines, where the parts in the box should be known before it arrives

   Check price on Amazon