Articles by Rebecca Spear

When you live in a home with pets, it’s not uncommon to find tumbleweeds of fur collecting in different areas of the house. Cats and dogs never seem to stop shedding, which makes cleaning up a bit of a hassle. The best way to keep your home clean is with a reliable robot vacuum like the iRobot Roomba i7+ that takes care of the furry mess every day. We’ve done our research and gathered a list of the best robot vacuums for pets, which varies from our picks for best robot vacuum overall. See which one fits your needs.

Best Overall: iRobot Roomba i7+

This is most definitely an expensive choice for your home, but it’s also one of the only robot vacuums on the market that can dump its dustbin load and continue working. When you spring for the i7+, you get the vacuum and the Clean Base where dustbin loads are stored. You can also purchase a less expensive i7 vacuum on its own, but it won’t be compatible with the Clean Base. iRobot designed the Clean Base’s bags to hold up to 30 bins wor…

The Echo Dot is a super affordable way to have Alexa in your home, but when you want to tuck it out of the way, you want to make sure that you have one of the best Echo Dot mounts available. This can keep your counters and surfaces decluttered so that you can catch up on the latest news, put items on your shopping list, listen to music, play audiobooks, and so much more without needlessly taking up counter space. We’ve gathered the best Echo Dot mounting options to make your home sleek and tidy. Don’t worry; we organized them by generation so you can quickly find the one you need.

Made for Echo Dot 3rd Gen

Everyman (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Gen)

EchoGear Outlet Shelf

Staff pick

This universal mount is designed to be used by every Echo Dot made to date, including 1st Gen. It installs over an outlet and provides a perch to keep your Alexa device out of the way, so the other half of the outlet is usable. Since it’s so close to the plug, you won’t have to worry about unsightly cables rea…

Since there are so many options, it can be difficult choosing the right Alexa display in 2020. We’ve broken down the pros and cons of the Echo Show 5 vs. the Echo Show (2nd Gen) to determine which is a better fit for most people.

Echo Show 5

The right price

$70 at Amazon

Pros

Inexpensive
Camera shutter for privacy
Can turn off the microphone
Compact

Cons

Small screen
Low camera resolution
Lower sound quality

This is the least expensive Alexa display currently offered by Amazon. The 5.5-inch screen is the size of an average smartphone. It features a front-facing camera, speakers, and a microphone. You can turn the microphone off and use the built-in camera cover for more privacy. Use this device to surf the internet, make video calls, check the news, listen to music, control your smart home, and much more.

Echo Show (2nd Gen)

The splurge

$180 at Amazon

Pros

Larger screen
Good audio quality
Better camera

Cons

Expensive
No camera cover

With a 10-inch screen,…

Buying one of the best Echo Spot Stands can really help enhance your use of the device. Amazon’s Echo Spot is the original compact Alexa display that allows you to stream Amazon Prime shows, listen to music, order items, check the news, and more. Since the speakers are on the bottom of the device, it’s best to use a stand if you want decent audio. Some stands also make it so you can adjust the screen up and down or make it swivel for a better viewing experience. See which one works for you.

Little astronaut

BMK Echo Spot Stand

Staff pick

In addition to a 360-degree swiveling stand, the adorable astronaut body raises the screen higher into the air so you don’t have to bend down as far to view it. You can also angle the screen up or down for a better viewing experience.

$32 at Amazon

Wall buddy

HumanCentric Wall Mount

Looking to save some counterspace and bring the screen closer to your face? Why not mount it on a wall somewhere. HumanCentric’s wall mount allows you to rota…

While this isn’t the most expensive tablet around, it isn’t cheap either, so you’ll want to protect yours from potential damages with one of the best Amazon Fire HD 10 cases. We love how easy the Fire HD 10 tablet makes it to look up recipes, watch your favorite shows, surf the internet, play games, or purchase items from Amazon. We’ve done our research and determine which were the best Fire Tablet cases on the market. See which one fits your needs.

All the colors

MoKo Case for Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet

Staff pick

Give your Fire Tablet an elegant-looking, protective covering with this slim-fold design. The front cover doubles as a stand so you can watch YouTube videos and Prime Video shows hands-free. There’s even a hand strap inside so you can hold your tablet more securely. Choose from 35 different designs to pick the one that best matches your style.

From $19 at Amazon

Choose your orientation

Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet Case

This is one of the only cases on this list where…

Whether you’re tired of losing your keys, you’re already in the process of automating your home, or you’re setting up a B&B, a vital part of the process is choosing a smart lock that fits your needs. There are plenty of different smart locks to choose from, each with their own unique abilities. However, we recommend the August Smart Lock Pro for most people since it’s super easy to set up and comes with everything you need.

Best Overall: August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen)

Unlike many of the other smart locks that you’ll find on the market, it isn’t immediately apparent when you have an August Wi-Fi Smart Lock installed on your front door. That’s because the device only gets installed on the interior of your home, so the front, so there’s no indication of it from your front porch. The latest model is still a little bulky but is much smaller than previous generations.

One of the things that makes this particular lock so great is that buyers don’t need any additional bridges whe…

You can do so many useful things with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, whether that be watching YouTube, playing games, or surfing the web. While it isn’t as costly as some other tablets, it still costs a pretty penny. That’s why it’s important to protect the screen from damages with a protective shield. Here are our top picks for the best Galaxy S6 Tab Lite screen protectors.

Twin protection

Apiker Screen Protector (2-pack)

Staff pick

This pair of tempered glass screen protectors are easy to apply and will protect your Galaxy Tab S6 Lite’s display from damage. Plus, having a second one means that you can give one to someone else or replace the first one after it’s seen some wear.

$9 at Amazon

Triple shield

WRJ Screen Protector (3-pack)

This three-pack of tempered glass screen protectors ensures that your Galaxy Tab S6 Lite will have the shielding it needs. They each have a 9H hardness rating, are easy to apply, and are self-healing. If one wears out, use the next or give …

Ecovacs Deebot OZMO T8 AIVI

The very best

$800 at Amazon

Pros

Can view video feed from app
Up to 180 minutes of runtime
Powerful suction
Intuitive app
Casing doesn’t get very dirty

Cons

No adjustable camera cover
Object detection isn’t perfect

The Deebot OZMO T8 AIVI is a smart vacuum that learns to recognize items in your home. The camera and powerful suction allow the unit to avoid obstacles while truly cleaning your floors. It’s also a great choice for pet homes as it sucks up plenty of fur, dust, and dry pet food along the way. You can even use the app to access the vacuum’s camera and monitor your home.

Roborock S6 MaxV

Another great option

$750 at Roborock

Pros

Remembers up to four maps
Up to 180 minutes of runtime
Powerful suction
Easy to clean brushes
Intuitive app
Larger dustbin and water tank

Cons

No camera cover
Can’t see camera view from app
Casing attracts a lot of dust
Object detection isn’t perfect

The Roborock S6 MaxV is a powerful cleaner t…

An ultra-smart robot vacuum that can identify and navigate around obstacles like shoes or animal droppings. If that wasn’t enough, it can also adapt and learn.

Vacuuming is, without a doubt, the chore that I despise the most. It isn’t a difficult task, but if I’m not consistent, my house can quickly look messy. That’s why I absolutely love having a small machine that quietly and reliably vacuums up the debris from my floors on its own. However, some units are far better than others. If you don’t purchase a reliable one, you’ll just end up chasing it around the house and making sure it doesn’t fall down the stairs or suck up anything it shouldn’t.

With that being the case, I’m always eager to test out a new robot vacuum when I get the chance. I had the pleasure of testing Roborock’s new S6 MaxV for several weeks. This robot vacuum is the first one to boast a dual-camera and ReactiveAI, which Roborock states allows it to identify objects in its path and effectively vacuum around them…

Whether you’re tired of losing your keys, you’re already in the process of automating your home, or you’re setting up a B&B, a vital part of the process is choosing a smart lock that fits your needs. There are plenty of different smart locks to choose from, each with their own unique abilities. However, we recommend the August Smart Lock Pro for most people since it’s super easy to set up and comes with everything you need.

Best Overall: August Smart Lock Pro + Connect (3rd Gen)

One of the reasons we like this option so much is that from a street view, no one would know that it was a smart lock. It allows you to keep your handle and lock in place but adds a smart component that’s only visible from inside your home. It isn’t the most pleasant thing to look at from the inside, but you probably won’t be looking at it much. It’s a bit expensive. However, this particular purchase comes with a Connect Wi-Fi Bridge, which will let you control your lock using the August app or a voic…