Ecovacs Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro review: the robotic mower that tackles lawn edges

Harriet M. Ashford • September 12, 2026 09:23

A line trimmer on a wire-free robotic lawn mower was a bold move. With the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro, Ecovacs claims to solve one of these machines’ final shortcomings: the few centimetres of grass left along edges. After two months in our garden, we now know whether this innovation can genuinely retire the manual edge trimmer.

In only a few years, robotic lawn mowers have expanded their capabilities at remarkable speed. Most now work without an RTK antenna, automatically map a garden and avoid all manner of obstacles. They can also climb steep slopes or provide a live video feed, as we explain in our guide to choosing a robotic lawn mower in 2026.

One issue remains unresolved, however: edges. The explanation is straightforward: their cutting disc sits beneath the chassis, meaning it can never reach fully flush against a fence, flower bed or patio. Until now, manufacturers have mainly tried to narrow this strip of grass through more accurate routes, twin cutting discs and dedicated modes. The aim has always been to bring the main blades as close to the edge as possible.

Ecovacs takes a different approach with its Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro. The manufacturer has fitted a genuine line trimmer directly to the side of the robot, with its line extending and retracting automatically. Called TruEdge, this feature cuts what the main blades cannot reach. Its promise is simple: no more final lap around the garden with a handheld edge trimmer.

The question is whether this system truly transforms edge cutting and, beyond this innovation, whether the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro is equally convincing in the rest of its role.

What we liked about the Ecovacs Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro

An edge trimmer that finally delivers

Before it can tackle your edges, you need to install this unusual attachment on the mower’s left-hand side. It is a quick job: secure the module with three screws, then clip on the brush. The brush prevents grass clippings from collecting around the line trimmer. Crucially, this function never operates at the same time as the main blades. In the Ecovacs Home app, edge cutting is therefore a separate task.

The first option is to schedule a dedicated automatic run. This is the setting we favoured alongside walls and wire fencing. The robot then independently retraces the selected edges. The line trimmer considerably reduces the remaining strip of grass, although physics inevitably still applies. As the chassis meets vertical obstacles, a few blades remain. Even so, the amount is minimal: only 2 or 3 centimetres.

The alternative is manual mode. Its principle resembles that offered by models such as the Mova ViAX 250, where you steer the robot yourself to revisit the edges. Here, however, the side-mounted line reaches much further than the cutting disc concealed underneath the machine.

We mainly used this mode around passable edges, including our level patio and certain gravel paths. By steering the robot, you can let it slightly overlap the hard surface. The line can then trim right along the entire boundary.

Across our large 586 m² area, the two methods complemented each other perfectly. Automatic mode was enough for most of the perimeter, while manual control was useful for finishing specific edges. It does admittedly add some work. Nevertheless, among every robotic mower we have tested over the past two years, none has been as effective at this task.

Navigation that is simply astonishing

As is usual with Ecovacs robotic lawn mowers, setting up the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro will not take all afternoon. Once the base station is fixed to the ground and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections are complete, mapping can begin immediately.

In areas with clearly defined boundaries, automatic mapping handled the work on its own, requiring only two or three minor adjustments afterwards. On more intricate sections, such as the area separated by a narrow passage at the end of our garden, we preferred taking control with the joystick to draw the boundaries manually. We recommend this approach as soon as the limits become less obvious.

For positioning, the Goat uses two LiDAR sensors. The rotating dome on its cover scans the surroundings through 360 degrees and builds a map of the garden, while a second sensor at the front measures anything appearing at close range. An AI camera completes the system, identifying encountered obstacles more precisely, with support for more than 200 categories.

The results continued to impress us week after week. During two months of use, we did not need to free it even once. Under our trees, beside walls and through the narrowest passages, the machine always retained its bearings.

Even when foliage hides much of the sky, its route remains neat and consistent. Obstacles are detected early enough, including smaller items left on the lawn. It then skirts closely around them without ever making contact.

A wide cut with settings tailored to each square metre

Well-trimmed edges are welcome, but the rest of the lawn must also be cut properly. To achieve this, the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro uses two cutting decks, each fitted with three pivoting blades. Together, they provide a 33-centimetre cutting width. That is a fitting size for the mower’s price positioning. For example, the Navimow i208 LiDAR (€1,199) is limited to 22 centimetres, while the Dreame A3 AWD Pro 5000 (€2,999) reaches 40 cm.

Throughout our weeks of mowing, we never found uncut strips or changes in cutting height between different parts of the same area. The Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro performs properly on this ground partly because of its extensive mowing settings.

From the app, each zone can receive its own settings. Cutting height from 3 to 9 centimetres, travelling speed and mowing direction can all be configured separately rather than fixed for the whole garden.

This breadth of adjustment is particularly useful for protecting a more fragile part of the garden or one exposed to too much sun. Conversely, you can allow grass to remain slightly longer beneath trees and in shaded areas.

One final setting won us over: the detection threshold. You enter the average height of your lawn, and the machine determines the size at which an object should be treated as a hazard. Without this safeguard, a simple clump of wild grass can be mistaken for an obstacle and carefully avoided.

What we liked less about the Ecovacs Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro

Two-wheel drive and 4G sold separately

The robot is driven solely by its two treaded rear wheels, with the two front castors simply following behind. The manufacturer nevertheless promises operation on slopes of up to 50% and the ability to cross obstacles measuring 4 centimetres. On dry ground, it does indeed climb without complaint. After a few rainy days, however, its 17.8 kg weight sinks into the ground and even a modestly steep ascent becomes difficult.

If parts of your garden are sharply sloped and prone to holding water, all-wheel drive will be a better choice. This type of traction is available for the same budget from Mammotion with the Luba Mini 2 AWD 1000 (€1,499), or for slightly more from Segway with the Navimow i210 LiDAR Pro (€1,599). Both are limited to 1,000 m², though, compared with 1,600 m² here.

Connectivity is another drawback that comes at a cost. Once the robot ventures too far from your router, video streaming and anti-theft location tracking require a €150 module. At that price, a SIM card is not even included. You must therefore pay for a subscription suited to connected devices yourself.

At Mammotion, the module costs €99 and includes three years of 4G service. Segway, meanwhile, builds 4G directly into its Navimow models, with the first year included and then an annual charge of €29.99.

Disappointing battery life narrowly rescued by fast charging

This is our main criticism of the robot. At only 96 Wh, its battery seems rather small for a machine said to handle 1,600 m². On our lawn, after one hour of work and around 190 m² covered, the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro already needs to return to its base station for a recharge.

On our largest area, measuring 586 m², it consistently needed more than three cycles to finish the job. The many settings available in the app can further affect this result. Fortunately, the Goat does not linger at its charging base.

In our measurements, around 50 minutes was enough for it to return to work. That is especially quick for this category. By comparison, the Navimow i208 LiDAR and Dreame A3 AWD Pro both require roughly two hours.

For the 1,600 m² claimed by Ecovacs, you should therefore expect more than eight runs. With standard settings and charging time included, covering that area will take 15 to 16 hours. This estimate will naturally vary according to cutting height, speed and the spacing selected between passes.

It is worth remembering that the line trimmer operates in separate sessions. Its own operating time must therefore be added to this total, meaning mowing will be spread out and work will need to be divided between several zones.

A bulky and noisy line trimmer

Once fitted, the TruEdge module is intended to remain in place. It is not really designed to be removed and refitted between mowing sessions. As a result, it makes an already sizeable Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro even wider. In tight corners and narrow passages, it sometimes struggled, needing several manoeuvres to find its turning angle.

The other consequence is audible. When the line trimmer starts operating, Ecovacs quotes a noise level of 82 dB. The manufacturer is not understating the figure: the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro makes a noticeable racket when tackling edges. It is therefore best not to schedule this task early in the morning or late in the evening if you want to remain on good terms with your neighbours.

Price, availability and rivals

Launched at €1,499, the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro sits in the middle of Ecovacs’ LiDAR Pro range. The manufacturer also offers the more compact O1200 LiDAR Pro for gardens up to 1,200 m², along with the A3000 LiDAR Pro for large properties of up to 3,000 m². Crucially, the A1600 does not have exclusive use of the line trimmer, as this feature is also available on both of those models.

Competition is plentiful at this price, however. The Segway Navimow i215 LiDAR (€1,399) covers 1,500 m², but has no line edge trimmer. For buyers prioritising traction, the Mammotion Luba Mini 2 AWD 1000 (€1,499) and Segway Navimow i210 LiDAR Pro (€1,599) drive all four wheels, at the expense of reducing coverage to 1,000 m².

Our verdict on the Ecovacs Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro robotic lawn mower

Ecovacs is not the first manufacturer to address the issue of lawn edges, but it is among the few to offer such a radical answer. Attaching a genuine line trimmer to a robotic lawn mower may have seemed excessive. After two months, though, it is difficult to deny its effectiveness. On passable edges, it genuinely allows you to put away the manual edge trimmer, while alongside walls and fences it reduces the remaining work to an absolute minimum. It is an innovation-and, above all, a genuine hardware risk-that deserves recognition.

That said, this good idea still needs refinement. The line trimmer is genuinely loud when activated and adds yet more bulk to an already large robot. More broadly, battery life is mildly disappointing for a model rated for 1,600 m². Its two-wheel drive also occasionally reaches its limits on steep slopes, while the cost of the 4G module is slightly frustrating.

The Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro is therefore best suited to large, relatively flat gardens where edges require substantial touch-up work. On land that is very hilly, frequently muddy or especially fragmented, a four-wheel-drive model will make more sense.

Otherwise, it is difficult to find much fault with it. Its twin LiDAR system delivers exceptional navigation, mapping is fast and its two decks provide a combined 33 cm cutting width for a clean, even finish. It fully deserves its place in our comparison of the best robotic lawn mowers of 2026. Ultimately, the most interesting point may not be that Ecovacs added a line trimmer to its robot, but that it managed to do so without sacrificing too much elsewhere.