A light scattering of dry leaves may not stop a robot mower, but heavy leaf cover can hide boundaries, obstacles, holes, toys, and wet surfaces while also creating more material under the deck.
The practical answer
Small dry leaves can be chopped or pushed aside during mowing, but a robot mower is not a leaf-collection system. Thick layers can reduce cut quality and interfere with camera-based perception or wheel grip.
The constraint that matters most
Wet leaves are especially problematic because they can mat together, create slippery patches, and hide objects that the mower would otherwise detect.
How to set the mower up for it
Remove heavy leaf accumulations before mowing, especially around boundaries, docking paths, slopes, and narrow passages. Treat the robot as the grass-maintenance machine and use separate leaf cleanup for volume.
How we research robot mowers
We normalize manufacturer specifications around the buying constraints that actually change the decision: recommended mowing area, navigation architecture, slope capability, cutting-height range, obstacle sensing, charging behavior, multi-zone support, warranty, parts availability, and current pricing. We give more weight to property fit than to feature count.
Prices, specifications, firmware, and configuration-driven features can change. Check the current manufacturer page and local requirements before buying or installing equipment.