Ecovacs Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro review: the robotic mower with a string trimmer

Gareth Whitcombe • September 16, 2026 07:01

A string trimmer on a boundary-wire-free robotic mower is certainly a bold idea. With the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro, Ecovacs says it has solved one of these machines’ last shortcomings: the few centimetres of grass left beside 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 mowers have broadened their capabilities at a remarkable pace. Most can now map a garden automatically and avoid numerous types of obstacle, in addition to operating without an RTK antenna. They can also tackle steep slopes or provide a live video feed, as we explain in our guide to choosing a robotic mower in 2026.

Yet one issue has remained: edges. The reason is straightforward. Their cutting disc sits beneath the chassis, so it can never reach right up against a fence, flowerbed or patio. Until now, manufacturers have mainly sought to shrink this strip of grass through more accurate routes, twin discs and dedicated modes. The aim has always been to bring the main blades as close to the edge as possible.

Ecovacs has taken a different approach with its Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro. The manufacturer has fitted a genuine string trimmer directly to the side of the robot, with line that deploys and retracts automatically. Called TruEdge, the feature cuts what the main blades cannot reach. Its promise is simple: no more final lap of the garden with a hand-held edge trimmer.

The question is whether this solution truly changes edge trimming and whether, beyond this innovation, the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro is equally convincing in the rest of its job.

What we liked about the Ecovacs Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro

An edge trimmer that finally delivers

Before it can tackle your borders, you need to fit this unusual attachment to the robot’s left side. It is a quick task: secure the module with three screws, then clip on the brush. The brush prevents cut grass from collecting around the string trimmer. Importantly, this feature never operates at the same time as the main blades. Edge cutting is therefore a separate task in the Ecovacs Home app.

The first option is to schedule a dedicated automatic run. This is the one we favoured alongside walls and wire fencing. The robot then independently repeats the route around the selected edges. The string trimmer greatly reduces the strip of remaining grass, although physics inevitably sets limits. Since the chassis meets vertical obstacles, a few blades remain. However, this is minimal: only 2 or 3 centimetres.

There is also a manual mode. Its principle is similar to that offered by models such as the Mova ViAX 250, where you remotely steer the robot to revisit edges. Here, however, the side-mounted line reaches grass well beyond the disc concealed beneath the machine.

We primarily used this mode around traversable edges, such as our flush patio or certain gravel paths. By remotely guiding the robot, you can let it extend slightly onto the hard surface. The line can then trim the entire boundary closely.

Across our large 586 m² area, the two methods worked perfectly together. Automatic trimming is enough for most of the perimeter, while manual control refines certain edges. Admittedly, that means extra work. Nevertheless, of every robot we have tested over the past two years, none has proved as capable at this task.

Ecovacs Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro navigation is simply outstanding

As is often the case with Ecovacs robotic mowers, setting up the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro does not take an afternoon. Once the station is anchored to the ground and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections have been made, mapping can begin straight away.

In areas with clearly defined boundaries, automatic mapping handled the job independently, requiring just two or three minor adjustments afterwards. For more complex plots, such as the section divided by a narrow passage at the bottom of our garden, we preferred taking control with the joystick to trace the boundaries manually. We recommend this approach whenever outlines are less clear.

For orientation, the Goat relies on two LiDAR sensors. The rotating dome on its cover scans the surroundings through 360 degrees and creates the garden map, while a second front sensor measures what is directly ahead at short range. An AI camera completes this setup, identifying encountered obstacles in greater detail, with more than 200 categories supported.

The results continued to impress us throughout the weeks. In two months, we never had to go out and free it even once. Beneath our trees, beside walls and through the narrowest passages, the machine always retained its bearings.

Even when foliage obscures much of the sky, its route remains neat and consistent. It spots obstacles early enough, including small items left on the lawn. It then passes very close around them without ever making contact.

A wide cut with settings tailored to each square metre

Tidying edges is valuable, but the rest of the lawn still needs proper coverage. To achieve this, the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro uses two decks, each fitted with three pivoting blades. Together, they provide a cutting width of 33 centimetres. That size makes sense given the robot’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.

During our weeks of mowing, we never found missed strips or height differences between parts of the same area. On this plot, the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro performs properly partly thanks to its extensive mowing settings.

Every zone can be assigned individual settings through the app. Cutting height from 3 to 9 centimetres, travelling speed and stripe direction can all be adjusted rather than fixed across the whole garden.

This breadth of options is particularly useful for protecting a more fragile section of garden or one that receives too much sun. Conversely, you can keep grass slightly longer beneath trees and in shaded areas.

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

What we liked less about the Ecovacs Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro

Two-wheel drive and separately priced 4G

The robot is driven solely by its two treaded rear wheels, with the two front castors simply following along. The manufacturer nevertheless claims it can manage slopes of up to 50% and clear 4-centimetre obstacles. On dry ground, it does indeed climb without difficulty. After several days of rain, however, its 17.8 kg weight sinks in and even a modestly steep incline becomes challenging.

If your garden has seriously steep sections and retains water, four-wheel drive would be the better choice. For the same budget, Mammotion offers this type of drive with the Luba Mini 2 AWD 1000 (€1,499), while Segway has the Navimow i210 LiDAR Pro (€1,599) for slightly more. 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 moves too far from your router, live video and anti-theft location tracking require a €150 module. At that price, however, a SIM card is not even included. You must therefore pay for a subscription suitable for connected devices.

Mammotion’s 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 €29.99 per year.

Disappointing battery life, only just rescued by fast charging

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

On our largest area (586 m²), it consistently needed more than three cycles to finish the job. The many app settings can also alter the outcome further. Fortunately, the Goat does not linger at its charging base.

In our measurements, around 50 minutes was enough for it to resume work. That is particularly 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 stated by Ecovacs, you should therefore expect more than eight runs. With standard settings and including charging time, covering that area will require 15 to 16 hours. This estimate will inevitably vary according to cutting height, speed and the spacing selected between passes.

Remember that the string trimmer works in separate sessions. Its own operating time must therefore be added to that total, meaning mowing will take longer and work will need to be spread across several zones.

A bulky and noisy string trimmer

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

The other consequence is audible. When the string trimmer starts operating, Ecovacs quotes a noise level of 82 dB. The manufacturer is not understating that figure: the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro makes quite a racket when dealing with edges. It is 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 competition

Launched at €1,499, the Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro sits in the middle of Ecovacs’ LiDAR Pro range. The manufacturer also sells the more compact O1200 LiDAR Pro for gardens of up to 1,200 m², plus the A3000 LiDAR Pro for larger properties of up to 3,000 m². Crucially, the A1600 is not the only model with a string trimmer, as this feature is also found on those two models.

There is no shortage of competition at this price. The Segway Navimow i215 LiDAR (€1,399) covers 1,500 m², but has no string edge trimmer. For buyers who prioritise 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 a reduced 1,000 m² coverage area.

Our verdict on the Ecovacs Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro robotic mower

Ecovacs is not the first manufacturer to address the edge problem, but it is among the few to offer such a radical solution. Attaching a genuine string trimmer to a robotic mower might have seemed excessive. After two months, though, its effectiveness is difficult to deny. On traversable boundaries, it genuinely allows you to put the manual edge trimmer away, while along walls and fences it reduces the remaining work to an absolute minimum. This is an innovation-and, above all, a genuine hardware gamble-that deserves recognition.

However, this good idea still needs refinement. The string trimmer is genuinely loud in use and adds more bulk to an already large robot. More broadly, battery life is slightly disappointing for a model rated for 1,600 m². Its two-wheel drive also sometimes reaches its limits on steep slopes, while the price of the 4G module is somewhat frustrating.

The Goat A1600 LiDAR Pro will therefore suit larger, relatively flat gardens where edges require considerable finishing work. On very hilly, frequently muddy or especially fragmented land, a four-wheel-drive model will be more suitable.

Otherwise, there is little to criticise. Its dual LiDAR delivers remarkable navigation, mapping is quick, and its two decks provide a combined 33 cm cutting width for a neat, even finish. It fully deserves a place in our comparison of the best robotic mowers of 2026. Ultimately, the most interesting point may not be that Ecovacs added a string trimmer to its robot, but that it managed to do so without sacrificing too much elsewhere.