Gardena Sileno models: City, Life and Sileno+ differences

Gardena was founded in 1961 in Ulm (Germany) and is part of Husqvarna Group. Since then, the brand has grown into one of the largest and most innovative market leaders in garden tools, including robot lawn mowers, a field in which they have specialized for 25 years. In addition, Gardena offers solutions for garden challenges such as irrigation, lawn care and pruning tools. Gardena tests all products several times before they are launched on the market to guarantee the best quality and a long service life.

A robot lawn mower makes it possible to outsource the maintenance and work on your lawn completely. You should still scarify your lawn once a year though; you can read more tips about this in "Verticuteren en beluchten van je gazon - tips en ervaringen".

In this article we take a closer look at Gardena robot mowers and compare the Sileno models. A robot lawn mower cuts and recharges completely autonomously and is designed for easy, effortless lawn maintenance. The Gardena Sileno range is reliable, fully automatic and also available as smart models for easy and safe remote control. The Gardena Sileno city, life and + are the successors to the R40Li, R50Li and other R..Li models.
 
Below you will find detailed specifications of the 3 Gardena Sileno robot mower models with all the information you need to compare them easily. In addition to the model-by-model information, this article also covers the benefits of a Gardena robot mower, safety and other tips to help you make an informed choice for maintaining your lawn.

Gardena Sileno City specifications and features

The Gardena Sileno City robot mowers take care of your lawn while you spend your time on more enjoyable things. These mowers cut lawns up to around 500 square metres fully automatically, reliably and evenly. Thanks to the SensorCut system, the robot mower delivers a streak-free mowing result. It can handle slopes up to 25% and narrow passages are no problem either. The swivelling rear wheel makes the robot mower very flexible and manoeuvrable; ideal for small and narrow gardens. A program assistant helps you via an intuitive menu and, once you have entered the required information, independently calculates a mowing schedule that the robot mower will follow. You can adjust this plan if needed. The charging station can be placed almost anywhere. Once the work is done, the mower automatically returns to the charging station. A PIN code and alarm protect the device against theft.

Specifications

Lawn size: 100 - 500 m2
Maximum slope: 25-35%
Software update possible: Yes
Battery type: Li-Ion
Battery voltage: 18V
Charging time: 60 min.
Mowing time: 65 min.
Cutting height: 20 - 50 mm
Mowing technology: cutting disc with 3 blades
Housing: high-quality plastic
Display: LCD with menu
Definition of mowing area: with boundary wire
Sensors: collision, lift and tilt sensor
Programming mowing times: via the display
Includes alarm and PIN code

Gardena Sileno Life specifications and features

The Gardena Sileno Life ensures you get a lush, green and healthy lawn. The 3 sharp blades cut a small piece of grass at a time, which then remains on the lawn as a natural fertilizer. The robot mower is also extremely safe. The boundary wire marks out the mowing area so the robot mower knows exactly where it has to mow. A very sensitive collision sensor ensures that the mower is not hindered by obstacles in the garden. When the device is lifted, the blades stop immediately to prevent injuries.
The Gardena Sileno Life automatically mows your medium-sized lawn, even when it is complex in layout. The robot mower is suitable for lawns from 500 to 1250 m².
Because the mower is compact and manoeuvrable, it handles narrow passages effortlessly. In addition, the device can cope with slopes of up to 35%, so you can also use it in a hilly garden. Thanks to the collision sensor, the Sileno Life stops mowing immediately when it encounters obstacles. You can easily set the mowing schedule using the clear menu. The program assistant immediately calculates a mowing plan for your garden. Cleaning is as simple as hosing it down, so maintenance won’t take you much time either.
Installing this robot mower is very easy. Place the charging station anywhere on the edge of the lawn. Then lay the boundary wire along the edge of the lawn and secure it with the supplied pegs. Switch on the robot mower, follow the simple steps on the display and the mower is ready for use.

Specifications

Lawn size: 500 - 1250 m2 
Cutting width: 22 cm
Mulching function: Yes
Theft protection: Yes
Rain sensor: Yes
Docking station: Yes
Battery voltage: 18 V
Battery charging time: 60 min.
Maximum battery life: 65 min.

Gardena Sileno+ specifications and features

The Gardena Sileno+ is a quiet robot mower that tidies lawns up to 2000 m2. After installing your robot mower, select the desired program, set the cutting height between 20 and 60 millimetres and, if you wish, switch on the timer. You can also control Sileno+ robot mowers with the Gardena Smart app. The app connects to the mower via the internet, allowing you to operate it from anywhere. It mows for about 60 minutes on a single battery charge. When the battery is empty, the mower automatically returns to the base station. Even in the rain and on slopes of up to 35 percent it mows without any problems. Theft protection and collision sensors complete the package.
If your lawn is larger than 2000 m2, Gardena is not the best solution. In that case you will find better options for maintaining such a large lawn.

Specifications

Lawn size: 1250 - 2000 m2 
Cutting width: 22 cm
Cutting height: 20 - 60 mm
Mulching function: Yes
Maximum noise level: 60 dB
Maximum slope: 35 %
Battery voltage: 18 V
Battery charging time: 60 min.
Maximum battery life: 60 min.

Gardena SMART system

With the Gardena smart app you can easily take care of your garden remotely in a single system: watering solutions, lawn care and more. You benefit from more comfort and freedom while maintaining maximum control over your garden from a distance. This Gardena smart app is available for iOS, Android and the web and can be downloaded for free so you can create an account. You then start garden care with a single tap on your screen. Whether you want to control the robot mower, garden lighting, sprinkler or soil moisture sensor, everything can be operated remotely via the Smart function – ideal.
This smart system is also accessible for other compatible devices from other brands, so you can truly handle all your garden maintenance.
All Gardena Sileno robot mowers are also available as smart models. The extra cost for a smart application on the city, life or + is minimal, while the added convenience is significant.

Safety

For Gardena, safety of and around the robot mowers comes first. Thanks to the built-in safety feature, you can easily lift or turn the mower over while it is working. The blades stop immediately to prevent injuries. The robot mower can also be stopped instantly by pressing the large stop button. The boundary wire reliably defines the mowing area, so the robot mower knows exactly where to go. A very sensitive collision sensor ensures the mower is not obstructed by obstacles in the garden. Dogs and cats are not at risk, though it is not recommended to let children play on the lawn while the mower is operating. By using the automatic timer you can make sure the mower is parked in its charging station when the children are playing outside. In short: everything is in place to guarantee safety!

Why buy a Gardena Sileno robot mower?

• It is the quietest in all classes, you can barely hear it when it is mowing;
• Wind and rain, downhill or up a little hill – where other robot mowers struggle, the Sileno keeps running smoothly;
• Mows the narrowest passages and smallest corners with reliable precision;
• Thanks to the guide wire, the mower navigates reliably across the lawn, through narrow passages and takes the shortest route back to the charging station. That leaves more energy for mowing;
• Thanks to the Gardena boundary wire, the robot mower knows exactly where it has to mow – accurate to the centimetre. The boundary and guide wires don’t need to be buried; after a few weeks they become invisible in the lawn;
• The charging station can also be placed outside the mowing area;
• Extremely safe thanks to the collision, lift and tilt sensors;
• Even difficult or narrow passages from 60 cm wide are no problem for the Sileno city and life, thanks to the CorridorCut function;
• A special mowing pattern ensures an evenly cut, streak-free and dense lawn;
• The mulching function leaves fine grass clippings as a natural fertilizer, giving you a beautiful, green and healthy lawn;
• All models are equipped with the SensorControl function: the intelligent mowing system automatically adjusts the mowing frequency to the growth rate of the grass;
• SpotCutting, a spiral mowing function, also ensures that hard-to-reach places such as under trampolines or garden furniture are mown;
• As soon as the outside temperature approaches freezing point, the robot mower’s schedule is suspended and the lawn is protected;
• Easy installation in no time thanks to the manual, quick-start guide and/or handy videos.

Which Sileno City, Sileno Life and Sileno+ models are available and which one should you buy?

Each type of robot mower comes in several models. The main difference is the maximum lawn size – 250, for example, stands for max. 250 m2 of lawn – and whether or not it has a Smart function. Once you know which type of Sileno suits you best, take your time to go through and compare the models. This way you can quickly and easily determine which Gardena Sileno is most suitable for maintaining your lawn and which robot mower you should buy.