Robot mowers that work without a buried perimeter wire were a growth spot in lawn care going into 2026. Segway Navimow said in April 2026 that it had built its one millionth robotic mower, and Husqvarna Group sold more robotic mowers in the first half of 2026 even as its wheeled products declined.
Then the rules changed. On July 28, 2026 the Federal Communications Commission added “foreign-produced advanced robotic devices” to its Covered List. Here is what that does, what it leaves alone, and how to shop now.
Trend Signal
58/100 Steady momentum
- Emerging
- Rising
- Mainstream
- Peaking
- Cooling
Demand still growing, but new foreign-built models are frozen
Segway Navimow said it had produced 1 million robot mowers by April 2026, but on July 28, 2026 the FCC barred new foreign-produced robotic devices from equipment authorization unless the Department of War grants an exemption.
Our editorial reading of the cited data, not a forecast. How it is scored
By the numbers
- 1MSegway Navimow robot mowers produced cumulatively, as of April 28, 2026Segway Navimow
- 16%Growth in Husqvarna Group robotic mower sales, first quarter of 2025Husqvarna Group
- 4.4 lbWeight threshold, device plus dock, in the FCC definition of an advanced robotic deviceMorgan Lewis
- 4Husqvarna mower platforms granted the first Conditional Approval, September 9, 2026Husqvarna Group
What the FCC did on July 28, 2026
The Covered List is the FCC’s roster of equipment that national security agencies judge an unacceptable risk. Listed equipment cannot receive FCC equipment authorization, which the FCC notes most electronic devices need before they can be imported, marketed or sold in the U.S. The national security determination warns that advanced robotic devices “collect data that could be leveraged by malign actors.”
The definition is what pulls in lawn equipment. As law firm Morgan Lewis summarizes it, a covered device moves on the ground, operates at a distance from a person, weighs more than 4.4 pounds with its dock, and has an environmental sensor, a network link of at least 200 kilobits per second and control software. K&L Gates says robot vacuums and robot lawn mowers are included if they meet that test, which describes the typical app-connected mower. Our smart home coverage follows the vacuum side.
“Foreign-produced” is about where the mower is made, not where the brand is based. The FCC applies it “regardless of the nationality of origin,” and a product counts as foreign-produced if it fails the Buy American domestic end product test, which generally requires U.S. manufacture and more than 65% domestic component cost.
The listing targets new models built outside the U.S., whoever owns the brand.
What stays on sale and what freezes
The listing is not a recall. The FCC says the action “does not affect any previously purchased devices” and does not stop retailers from selling, importing or marketing models it authorized earlier. Only new models are blocked. Morgan Lewis reports that a limited waiver lets devices authorized before July 28, 2026 keep receiving qualifying software and firmware updates through an end date that, by our count, falls about 29 months after the listing, which matters for a product that relies on firmware for mapping.
The exit ramp is a Conditional Approval from the Department of War. Applicants must disclose ownership and supply chain details and submit what Morgan Lewis quotes as a “detailed, time-bound plan to establish or expand US manufacturing for the product.” On September 9, 2026 the FCC announced approval for four Husqvarna Automower platforms, the 305V iQ, 310V iQ, 420V iQ and 440V iQ. Husqvarna says it expects to launch them in the U.S. in the calendar year after the approval, and that its models already on sale are exempt as well.
| Situation | Status after July 28, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Mower you already own | Keep using it |
| Model authorized before July 28 | Can still be imported and sold; updates allowed under a waiver |
| New foreign-produced model | Blocked unless granted Conditional Approval |
Why wire-free mowers were the growth story
Traditional robot mowers follow a perimeter wire laid around every edge of the lawn. The growth in 2025 and 2026 came from models that skip the wire and position themselves with satellite corrections, cameras or both.
Husqvarna Group launched 13 wire-free models in February 2025, for a range of 24 covering lawns from about 6,500 square feet to more than 12 acres. In the first quarter of 2025 it reported 16% robotic mower growth driven by those models, while cutting prices on some mowers that still use a boundary wire.
Segway Navimow, which builds in Changzhou and Nantong, China, and has added a line in Malaysia, went from deliveries in the thousands in 2022 to 1 million cumulative units by April 2026, sold in more than 40 countries and regions. Its authorized models can stay on U.S. shelves; future ones fall under the listing. Husqvarna calls North America a region with strong growth potential for robotic mowers and wants to accelerate U.S. penetration, so the freeze lands early in the category’s American growth.
Wire-free navigation drove the category’s growth, and most of that supply is built abroad.
How to shop for a wire-free mower now
The mowers you can buy today are the ones the listing protects. The risk sits with models announced but not yet authorized for the U.S. Radio-equipped devices certified by the FCC carry an FCC ID, usually on the label or in the manual; confirm the exact model has one before you buy, then register it, since app access and firmware are part of the product.
- Navigation: satellite (RTK) models often need a reference antenna with an open view of the sky; camera or LiDAR models skip the antenna.
- Lawn rating: buy for your real mowing area, with headroom for slopes and narrow side yards.
- Support: look for U.S. service, spare parts and a visible firmware update history.
- Wired options: boundary-wire mowers are still sold, and Husqvarna cut prices on some in 2025.
Who should buy now and who should wait
Buy now if a model already on sale fits your lawn and budget. Its authorization is intact and qualifying updates are covered by the waiver.
Wait if you were counting on a next-generation model from a foreign maker that is not yet authorized. Husqvarna showed approvals are possible, but its first ones came about six weeks after the listing, and the process asks for manufacturing plans, not just a security review. We read the freeze as a drag on new features in U.S. stores, not on the availability of robot mowers overall.
What to watch next
- New Conditional Approvals for robot mowers, posted on the FCC Covered List page
- Whether Segway Navimow or other brands built in China announce U.S. assembly or win approvals
- When Husqvarna’s four approved platforms reach U.S. dealers, and at what prices
Where to start
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Wire-free and wired robot mower types compared
| Product type | Good fit for | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| RTK wire-free robot lawn mower | Fits open lawns with a clear sky view | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| Vision or LiDAR robot mower (no antenna) | Fits yards where an antenna is impractical | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| Boundary-wire robot lawn mower | Fits simple lawns on a budget | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
Product types that fit the trend described above, not tested models. Check the exact listing before you buy. How we pick them.
RTK wire-free robot lawn mower
Where to look: Amazon
Suits larger, open lawns. Confirm the exact model carries an FCC ID.
- No perimeter wire to lay
- Mapped zones and mowing patterns in the app
- Often needs a reference antenna
- Walls and tree canopy can weaken satellite signals
Vision or LiDAR robot mower (no antenna)
Where to look: Amazon
Suits yards with trees and tall fences. Buy a model already sold in the U.S.
- No antenna to site
- Onboard sensors handle obstacles
- Fewer models on U.S. shelves
- Depends heavily on firmware
Boundary-wire robot lawn mower
Where to look: Amazon
Suits a simple lawn where a one-time wire install is acceptable.
- Mature, predictable technology
- Some models discounted since 2025
- Wire must be laid and repaired
- Less flexible when you change beds
More: Garden and Backyard trends and how the Trend Signal is scored.
Sources
- FCC Updates Covered List to Include Foreign-Produced Advanced Robotic Devices and Power Inverters, fact sheet — Federal Communications Commission
- FCC Adds Foreign-Produced Advanced Robotic Devices and Power Inverters to Covered List, Opens Conditional Approval Process — Morgan Lewis
- FCC Adds Foreign-Produced Advanced Robotic Devices to the Covered List: Five Things to Know — K&L Gates
- Husqvarna Group first to receive FCC Conditional approval for foreign-manufactured advanced robotic lawn mowers in the U.S. — Husqvarna Group via PR Newswire
- Segway Navimow Reaches 1 million Units in Global Cumulative Mass Production — Segway Navimow via PR Newswire
- Interim Report January–March 2025 — Husqvarna Group
- Husqvarna Group Introduces its Largest Launch in History, 13 New Boundary Wire-Free Robotic Lawnmowers — Husqvarna Group
- Interim Report January–June 2026 — Husqvarna Group
Questions readers ask
Did the FCC ban robot lawn mowers?
Not the ones already on sale. On July 28, 2026 the FCC added new foreign-produced advanced robotic devices, which include robot mowers, to its Covered List. New models cannot get authorized, but models authorized before that date can still be imported, sold and used.
Will my robot mower still get software updates?
Yes, for now. Per Morgan Lewis, a limited waiver lets devices authorized before July 28, 2026 receive qualifying software and firmware updates, such as security patches, through an end date about 29 months after the listing, by our count.
Which robot mowers have an exemption?
On September 9, 2026 the FCC announced Conditional Approval for four Husqvarna Automower platforms: 305V iQ, 310V iQ, 420V iQ and 440V iQ.
Does a U.S. brand name make a mower exempt?
No. The rule turns on where a device is produced. It counts as foreign-produced unless it meets the Buy American domestic end product test, which generally requires U.S. manufacture and more than 65% domestic component cost.
