Olivia Lin

Olivia Lin

Vancouver

Tech journalist covering smart home, wearables, and consumer electronics. Former editor at TechCrunch.

Articles by Olivia Lin

Best Robot Vacuums in 2026: The Definitive Buyer's Guide
Smart Home

Best Robot Vacuums in 2026: The Definitive Buyer's Guide

Let's be honest—nobody enjoys vacuuming. It's one of those chores that eats into your weekend, and no matter how often you do it, the floors never stay clean for long. That's exactly why robot vacuums have gone from novelty gadgets to genuine household essentials.

Best Robot Vacuum Without Mop in 2026: Simple, Powerful, No Gimmicks
Smart Home

Best Robot Vacuum Without Mop in 2026: Simple, Powerful, No Gimmicks

Not everyone needs a robot that vacuums and mops. If your home is mostly carpet, if you already have a Swiffer or steam mop you like, or if you just want a robot that does one thing really well—vacuuming—then a vacuum-only robot is the smarter buy. You'll spend less, deal with less maintenance, a...

Best Robot Vacuum Under $300 CAD in 2026: Affordable Automation That Works
Smart Home

Best Robot Vacuum Under $300 CAD in 2026: Affordable Automation That Works

You don't need to spend $700+ to get a capable robot vacuum. Under $300 CAD, you can get a robot that handles daily cleaning on hardwood, tile, and low-pile carpet. You'll sacrifice features like self-emptying docks, advanced navigation, and high suction power, but for basic daily maintenance, th...

Best Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo in 2026: Two Jobs, One Machine
Smart Home

Best Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo in 2026: Two Jobs, One Machine

Vacuuming and mopping are two separate chores that eat into your free time. A robot vacuum and mop combo handles both in a single pass—vacuum up the dust and debris, then mop the floors right behind it. For Canadians with hardwood, tile, or laminate floors (which is most of us), this is a game-ch...

Best Robot Vacuum for Tile Floors in 2026: Clean Grout Lines and All
Smart Home

Best Robot Vacuum for Tile Floors in 2026: Clean Grout Lines and All

Tile floors are low-maintenance compared to carpet, but they come with their own cleaning challenge: grout lines. Dust, crumbs, and pet hair settle into those tiny grooves and stay there. A robot vacuum that works great on smooth hardwood might skip right over debris trapped in grout. You need su...

Best Robot Vacuum for Thick Carpet in 2026: Suction That Goes Deep
Smart Home

Best Robot Vacuum for Thick Carpet in 2026: Suction That Goes Deep

Thick carpet is the ultimate test for a robot vacuum. Low-pile carpet and hardwood are easy—most robots handle them fine. But medium and high-pile carpet traps dirt, pet hair, and allergens deep in the fibers where weak suction can't reach. If your Canadian home has plush carpet in bedrooms or a ...

Best Robot Vacuum for Stairs in 2026: The Honest Truth About Cleaning Stairs Automatically
Smart Home

Best Robot Vacuum for Stairs in 2026: The Honest Truth About Cleaning Stairs Automatically

Let's get this out of the way: no robot vacuum cleans stairs. Not a single one. Robot vacuums are designed for flat surfaces—they use cliff sensors specifically to *avoid* falling down stairs. If you've been searching for a robot vacuum that climbs stairs, you're looking for something that doesn'...

Best Smart Watch: Your Wrist's New Best Friend
Wearables

Best Smart Watch: Your Wrist's New Best Friend

A smartwatch does more than tell time—it tracks your health, delivers notifications, controls your music, and keeps you connected without pulling out your...

Best Robot Vacuum for Small Apartment in 2026: Compact Cleaning for Compact Spaces
Smart Home

Best Robot Vacuum for Small Apartment in 2026: Compact Cleaning for Compact Spaces

Small apartments don't need a $1,800 flagship robot vacuum with a dock the size of a mini-fridge. What you need is a compact, affordable robot that navigates tight spaces, fits under furniture, and doesn't take up precious floor space with a massive base station.

Apple HomeKit Compatible Devices: The Complete Guide
Smart Home

Apple HomeKit Compatible Devices: The Complete Guide

If you're invested in the Apple ecosystem, HomeKit is the natural choice for smart home control. Siri voice commands, the Home app on every Apple device,...

Best Robot Vacuum for Multiple Floors in 2026: One Robot, Every Level
Smart Home

Best Robot Vacuum for Multiple Floors in 2026: One Robot, Every Level

Most Canadian homes have at least two floors—main floor and basement, or main floor and upstairs bedrooms. A robot vacuum that handles multiple floors saves you from buying separate robots for each level. The best multi-floor robots save maps for each floor, recognize which level they're on, and ...

Best Robot Vacuum for Long Hair in 2026: No More Tangled Brushes
Smart Home

Best Robot Vacuum for Long Hair in 2026: No More Tangled Brushes

Long human hair is a robot vacuum's worst enemy. It wraps around the brush roll, tangles in the bearings, and reduces suction over time. If you or someone in your household has long hair, you've probably spent more time cutting hair off your robot's brush than you'd like to admit.