Robot Mower Theft: How Each Brand Protects It, and What You Can Add

A robot mower works alone in your yard, often in full view of the street, so it's natural to worry about theft. Both Ecovacs and eufy say theft is relatively uncommon, mainly because a locked, tracked mower is hard to use or sell. Here is what current mowers do to protect themselves, from the makers' documents, and what you can add.

Built-in protection by brand

Five settings to check today

1. Set your own PIN. Ecovacs notes that leaving a default PIN or switching off alarms weakens the protection.
2. Turn on alarms and notifications, including lift and out-of-boundary alerts.
3. Enable location tracking and, where offered, a geofence that warns you when the mower leaves your yard.
4. Keep the data connection alive. Remote tracking needs cellular data once the included period ends.
5. Register the mower with the maker so a stolen unit can be blacklisted, as eufy advises.

Habits that help

• Anchor the charging station and place it where it can't be seen from the street.
• Fences, gates and hedges stop opportunistic grabs; cameras and motion lights deter.
• Store the mower indoors overnight, on vacation and over winter.
• Check that your home insurance covers it.

If it's stolen

Ecovacs' advice: check the last location in the app, report it to the police with the serial number and tracking data, lock it remotely, ask the dealer or maker to blacklist it, and contact your insurer.