The best Amazon Prime Day robot vacuum deals end tonight: Save on machines from Shark, iRobot, Dyson and others
Eufy 11S Max robot vacuum for $140 (50 percent off): A favorite budget robot vacuum of ours, the 11S Max has a slim profile that allows it to easily get other some furniture that other robovacs can't reach. It does a good job of sucking up dirt and debris, and even though it doesn't have Wi-Fi connectivity, it comes with a remote control that gives you most of the functions an app would have.
Shark AV2501S AI Ultra robot vacuum for $250 (55 percent off): A version of our favorite robot vacuum, this Shark machine has strong suction power and won't choke at the first sight of pet hair or big dust bunnies. Its self-emptying base is bagless as well, which means you won't have to buy propriety bags to refill it with over time. This auto-empty base has a 30-day capacity, but you can spend a bit more if you want a model with a 60-day capacity.
Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro robot vacuum and mop for $700 (42 percent off): This Shark machine is one of our favorites in part because it truly lives up to its name. Thanks to its self-emptying dock that handles vacuumed debris along with clean and dirty mopping water, you really don't have to touch the thing for at least 30 days in between cleanings. We found it to be a solid autonomous dirt sucker, and its mopping capabilities are quite good to match.
Roborock Q7 M5+ for $250 (42 percent off): This robovac has 10,000Pa suction power, LiDAR navigation, an anti-tangle brush design and Wi-Fi connectivity. It also comes with a self-cleaning base that can hold up to seven weeks of debris before it needs to be emptied.
Dyson V15 Detect Plus for $570 ($180 off): You can't get much better than a Dyson if you're on the market for a cordless stick vacuum, and the V15 Detect delivers. It's our current top pick for the best cordless vacuum overall thanks to its excellent suction power, lightweight design, good battery life and the included Fluffy Optic cleaning head that uses a laser to show you where all the debris is while you're using it.
Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum for $300 (36 percent off): This Dyson stick vacuum has 40 minutes of runtime, a lightweight design and two power modes to choose from. It comes with four attachments, including the Motorbar cleaner head that works on all floor types, and it can easily convert to a more compact handheld vacuum to take out to your car when it needs a cleaning.
Tineco Pure One Station Furfree cordless vacuum for $299 (25 percent off): This cordless vacuum has its own self-emptying base, and it comes with attachments to groom your pets. It has solid suction power and the built-in iLoop smart sensor automatically adjust suction power depending on the messes in its path.
Tineco Pure One Station 5 for $320 (30 percent off): One of our favorite cordless vacuums, the Pure One Station 5 has excellent suction power and good handling, plus a self-emptying base that makes it ultra-convenient. It also sports a single-button start and Tineco's iLoop smart sensor.
Shark PowerDetect Clean & Empty cordless vacuum for $400 (33 percent off): Shark's cordless vacuums are just as good as their robot vacuums, and you can usually find them on sale for less than other major brands. This one has great suction power and a relatively lightweight design, but the fact that it comes with a self-emptying base makes it an ultra-convenient choice.
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Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
The 5 best robot vacuum and mop combos in 2025 for every home and budget
A robot vacuum and mop combo, is the perfect one-two punch for hands-free cleaning. Keeping dirty messes from getting caked on with daily mopping can make a huge difference in the look and feel of your floors while simultaneously vacuuming rids floors of dust, hair, and other small debris. Robot mopping has improved greatly over the last several years, from its navigation prowess to overall cleaning effectiveness, so it's a feature worth seriously considering if you have hard flooring. Having the water capabilities usually doesn't increase the price much either, but if you're really against it, then we also tested the best robot vacuums. To get a sense of the best vacuum and mop combos, I tested and compared eight recently released models. I've also tested dozens of units over the last several years, from the high-end Roborock Saros Z70 with a robotic arm to the uniquely shaped Matic. All of this helps inform my understanding of the cleaning industry, which is ripe with innovation and continues to evolve rapidly. With the specific eight models considered in this testing round, vacuum and mopping performance were the main considerations, but everything from physical size, self-cleaning abilities, and smart features to app design was considered to recommend the best picks across a range of budgets and needs. As the dust settled, it became clear that the top pick should be the Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo because it combines effective wet and dry cleaning with an easy-to-use experience. Its mid-range price point, combined with some high-end features, makes it a terrific value for a wide range of people. If you're looking to truly upgrade, and want all the latest technological features, we recommend the Roborock Saros 10R because of its sophisticated navigation and the detailed settings available in its mobile app. Our picks of the best robot vacuum and mops Best overall: Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro - See at Amazon Best overall Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro Robot Vacuum The Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro packs a cleaning punch, vacuuming and mopping with a ferocity few robots can muster. And it does so at a reasonable price. Check price at Amazon Check price at Best Buy Check price at Shark What we like Excellent scrubbing and thorough vacuuming Detaches mop pad automatically when not needed Raises mop pad raises higher than most other robots around carpets What we don't like Noisy Oversimplified app Water reservoirs are smaller than competitors The Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro is a cleaning powerhouse masked as a generic-looking robot. It has solid vacuuming and mopping performance, along with nearly unmatched spot cleaning thoroughness. When I had it cleaning specific messes in my kitchen on hardwood floors, it picked up nearly 100% of the coffee grounds, flour, and crushed cereal pieces. It refused to be outdone by crumbs. The robot wasn't the quickest to finish spot cleans compared to other robots, but that's because it covered every inch of space, spinning around 360 degrees throughout, to make sure it wasn't leaving any spot untouched. Beyond its ability to tackle specific messes, I really liked that this value-priced cleaning assistant would leave its mopping pad behind at its docking station when it was only tasked with vacuuming duty. That's a feature previously reserved for higher-priced premium units. When it was tackling wet and dry tasks at the same time, it automatically lifted and angled its damp pad much higher than other devices when crossing over carpet. It cleaned corners well, getting nearly all of the test debris I put in a taped-off corner off the hardwood floors. It was better in this area than nearly all the other units I've used, minus the pricey Roborock Z70. While I can't vouch for its handling of pet hair, it avoided getting human hair tangled in its brushes. The PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro's base station is fully stacked with features, too. It accommodates liquid cleaning solution in the water tank (sold with one bottle) and has room for an odor-neutralizing pod (one included), but the station remains relatively compact. It's NeverTouch moniker isn't just for show. The station will wash and dry the mop pad. While this is an excellent cleaner with a lot of nice touches, it isn't flawless. I found it to be a little noisy, both when it's actually working and after it's returned to its dock. It didn't register the loudest decibel level compared to other units, but its plastic is a little creaky with noise coming from the wheels and moving parts, beyond the sound of suction. The Shark mobile app is another area where it could use a few tweaks. I like that the app tries to simplify the experience. Still, I wish it offered more control over settings like choosing the suction level and amount of water used for mopping, before a user-initiated job, like most other units do. Those are minor complaints, however, and I was more than satisfied to let it handle the wet and dry cleaning as it saw fit. For a retail price of $999, and often on sale for cheaper, the Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro is a terrific value and worth adding to most homes. Best budget iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo Robot The Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo ditches the base station in favor of a dustbin made to pack dirt in tightly. This approach isn't perfect, but this robot can help schedule routine cleaning work. Check price at iRobot What we like Strong vacuuming performance No bulky base station and can handle weeks of dust collection onboard What we don't like Mopping attachment takes effort to attach and refill Dustbin can be tricky to empty New Roomba app is a step back from old version Thicker profile keeps it from going under low profiles Specifics Suction:Not listed; four levels Dustbin:Up to 60 days Mop type:Single pad Self-cleaning:No Battery:120 minutes Navigation:LiDar App:iOS, Android Warranty:1 year The new iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo is a new leaf turning over for the company as it tries to be more economical in building cleaning robots. This model is a good example as it ditches a base station to keep the product smaller and cheaper. Instead, it uses a dust bin compression system that allows it to house up to 60 days' worth of dirt inside the robot. The ultimate benefit is that it doesn't have multiple components taking up extra space. That means it can then be tucked into more areas around your home. In practice, I found this allowed it to be placed in my kitchen, where no other models with their stations were able to fit previously. In terms of cleaning performance, the Roomba 205 Combo busted my initial hesitations and ran through vacuuming and mopping tests with a high skill level. The mopping was its weakest point since it essentially drags a pad behind it. And yet, even in its basic form, it could still remove messes from dirty floors. In the wet and dry test with flour, coffee grounds, and crushed cereal, it removed almost 100% of the items. Of course, without a base station, there is more manual work associated with mopping. I found the exercise of hooking the microfiber mop pad and its water tank into the bottom of the unit annoying, and cleaning it mildly infuriating. For one thing, you'll need to be careful getting the pad to the sink, not dropping the dirt stuck to it. While the dust compression system is notable, and did work to stuff more dirt into its bin than normal, I had some initial hiccups with it. The most common was my inability to understand its orientation and correctly open it. There were a few times I separated the container from the wrong side, and the contents spilled out. That might be on me, but it's hard to remember how to use it when it happens so infrequently. The Roomba 205 Combo uses a brand new mobile app that's a step back from the previous one. It can now track real-time location of the robot in your home, but the app's layout could use a design overhaul. The functionality is there, but I found the new app's terminology and placement of items to be confusing. The 205 Combo will be best for people with more carpeted area than hard flooring, but who still want the ability to run a damp mop pad around occasionally. This device has regularly been on sale for $300. We think that's a reasonable price for some of its shortcomings but wouldn't recommend paying more for it. Instead, waiting for one of the other picks to go on sale will probably be a better value. Best mid-range The Roborock Qrevo Series, specifically the QV 35A, blends strong suction with a reliable mopping system and advanced navigation. It's ideal for households with mixed surfaces. The Roborock's overall performance and mid-range $599 price make it a killer combo without breaking the bank. The QV 35A often tackled testing challenges with the skills of more costly units. While vacuuming and mopping hardwood kitchen floors, the QV 35A cleaned coffee grounds, flour, and crushed cereal thoroughly. It managed to clear more than 90% in each of the staged food tests. Its mopping pads don't extend out, but they had enough force to clear normal kid spills. The downside is that it doesn't lift the pads very high when traversing carpet. Medium and high piles will probably touch the damp pads. You can get around that by having it vacuum before mopping. Its vacuum-only tests across a carpet had nearly identical results. It wasn't perfect with cleaning corners, grabbing around 70% of the test flour, but it did better than average. Its lack of extending brushes or pads might be a reason to consider pricier Roborock units with those. The base station can automatically wash the mop pads and air-dry them. Using cold air takes longer than hot air, so expect six to 10 hours, compared with two or three for hot air. When it comes time to perform some inevitable manual maintenance, there's a removable plate that can be cleaned in the kitchen sink. The biggest downside is that its base station is among the tallest and might present logistical challenges when placed in some homes. I was pleased with the QV 35A's navigation and object avoidance. It doesn't have the latest vision system that's present on the Roborock Saros 10R (more on that below), but while maneuvering around, it managed to avoid things like couch legs and shoes just fine. People buying their first robot vacuum and mop should be ecstatic about this cleaner's capabilities. It uses Roborock's polished app and is largely self-sufficient. However, it stops short of offering the latest technologies, a small tradeoff for its competitive pricing. Best splurge Roborock Saros 10R The Roborock Saros 10R is a work horse that offers a true hands-off, automated cleaning experience. It's Roborock's thinnest design yet to easily slide under furniture and has excellent obstacle avoidance tech. Check price at Amazon Check price at Roborock What we like Low-profile design with a sleek docking station Excellent cleaning performance on hardwood floors No-tangle brushes actually work Specifics Self-emptying:Yes Mopping:Yes Suction Power:Up to 20,000 Pa Dust bin capacity:270 mL on robot, 2L on dock Water tank:3L clean, 3L dirty Battery:180 minutes run time (6400mAh) Warranty:1 year The Saros 10R is one of the most refined robot vacuum and mop combos on the market. It has a sleek profile that's able to fit through dining room chair legs and under most toe kick areas. It moves nimbly and avoids objects with ease. In my testing, I found the robot's vision technology (StarSight Autonomous System 2.0) to be excellent at avoiding thin metal end table legs, wires, and other common household items. It has more sensors that can better understand 3D space, so it's also able to get close to furniture and baseboards without being harsh or damaging. It cleans well across hardwood and carpet and can even traverse high-pile rugs thanks to its lifting mechanics. The Saros 10R features a lot of the current technologies of the even more sophisticated Saros Z70, which has a first-of-its-kind mechanical arm to pick up small objects. Still, it isn't burdened with the extra cost of that part or the growing pains of this first-generation feature. The Saros 10R has a fully loaded docking station as well. It can wash and dry the mopping pads with hot water and hot air to keep them fresher than those using cool air and water. When it isn't mopping, the unit can detach the pads and leave them in the station. It even has an auto detergent dispenser to keep things from getting smelly. On the vacuuming front, I found the 10R's split brush design to be brilliant at keeping hair from getting tangled. Long human hair has a way of getting caught in most vacuum brushes, but after several months, I could barely find a trace of it lingering on the brushes. Best for small spaces eufy Omni C20 The eufy Omni C20 is more compact, both the robot and its base station, but it doesn't sacrifice auto-emptying dirt or auto-washing its mop pads. It's a solid alternative to the growing size of some combo units, at an approachable price point. Check price at Amazon What we like Compact unit and base station Solid navigation and path planning Strong scrubbing What we don't like Doesn't lift mop high enough to avoid touching thicker rugs Obstacle avoidance isn't quite as good as some others (as evident by one accident with a plant) Felt a little flimsy Hair wrapped around brush roll The eufy Robot Vacuum Omni C20 is a compact, affordable robot vacuum and mop combo that's ideal for apartments or tight spaces. It includes all the benefits of a dedicated base station that's able to collect dust and handle clean and dirty mopping water, but sheds a lot of the bulkiness found in similar products. It's important to note that there are smaller options — the Roomba 205 is one — but those units without self-emptying stations typically require more regular maintenance. Also worth noting, the vacuum and mop bot itself is trim at 3.3 inches, almost an inch less in width and half-inch shorter than the Ecovacs T50, so it can fit through narrower spaces. The Omni C20 sucked dirt and mopped well in general, but it performed better overall across hard surfaces than on carpet. Its mopping performance was better than I expected from its basic dual mopping pads with average rotations and force. It cleaned an average of 95% of the various food items spread in the testing space. Don't expect it to be a scrubbing demon, but it handled fresh spills and debris just fine. It also did well in the corner test despite not having brushes that extended, though it had a little trouble pulling test material from a rug, likely because its body is more lightweight and petite. I also noticed visible strands of hair wrap around the brush roll, and more would probably add over measuring the vacuum's volume on its max setting, it was quite loud compared to other units. It hit a peak level of 71 decibels near the top of all the vacuums tested. However, when using the Omni C20 on its lower, default settings, I didn't find it bothersome. What else we tested Ecovacs Deebot T50 Max Pro: This is a viable contender for large homes with bumpy terrain of rugs, and modest thresholds. It ran smoothly and generally mopped and vacuumed well on hardwoods, but it has a larger size with a bulky base station, didn't handle carpets as well as expected, and minor trouble with cleaning corners, which didn't put it ahead of some of the other choices. Narwal Freo x Ultra: If you can find it on sale, this is another one worth considering. It's an older model from early 2024 that Narwal has deprioritized in favor of the Flow and Freo Z10. Yet it's still highly capable (with AI dirt detecting features where it will keep cleaning until it senses the floors are clean) and one of the quietest cleaning robots we've seen. Instead of the base station serving as a place to offload debris, all debris stays within the robot using a dust compression system that contributes to its unobtrusive operation. Read our full Narwal Freo x Ultra review. Eureka J15 Pro Ultra: This is a well-rounded machine that didn't perform quite as well in wet or dry tests as some of the other units. Specifically, it was worse than competitors at picking up coffee grounds and cereal on carpet and cereal on hardwood. Dreame X50 Ultra: Dreame's flagship is a smooth-driving, top-of-the-line unit. Its extending side brush is fantastic, and its moving lidar sensor helps lower its overall height to get under low profiles. Weirdly, it had trouble driving over my kitchen rug without folding it up as it drove over, despite its ability to lift itself over massive thresholds. The X50 was also one of the louder ones on its max setting. Dreame X40: The predecessor to the X50, this highly capable machine can now be frequently found for half off. It's packed full of the expected features, plus home surveillance and top-tier obstacle detection and avoidance. In our tests, it was among the best at vacuuming and mopping, but it also operated loudly and struggled in corner cleaning. Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1: Shark's mopping technology has truly evolved from the swappable pulsing mop pad of the Shark Matrix. For its price, the Shark Matrix Plus is an impressive, versatile machine that vacuums and mops. It features a bagless self-empty base, and the mop head scrubs for a deep clean while vacuuming at the same time. Our reviewer liked it overall as an affordable self-emptying vacuum/mop combo. However, she found the app was buggy and didn't like how the dustbin doesn't empty into the base when in mop mode. Read our full Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 review. Bissell SpinWave Pet: The Bissell SpinWave has been around for years at this point, and was one of the early designs to include a spinning mop attachment. It's a budget buy, with none of the self-cleaning bases of today's best models or even home mapping, though it does have the necessary ability to differentiate between flooring and carpets. It vacuumed especially well in corners and on hardwood, and it operates quietly. However, it gets stuck easily, and you can't set no-go zones. What to consider when buying a robot vacuum and mop combo Floor type: Mopping can be an important part of cleaning hard flooring types, such as wood, tile, and vinyl. If the floor plan where you'll be using the cleaner is more than 50% hard material, then having a vacuum and mop combo is probably worth the investment. However, if your space is primarily carpet, then dealing with the clean and dirty water might not be worth the minor inconveniences. Mop type: Not all mop pads are created equally. If you constantly have spilled juice or sticky food bits on your kitchen floor, you'll want to consider mopping options with the strongest down-force pressure. We found the dual spinning mop pads to be plenty effective in various tests. Typically, more rotations and stronger down pressure force will result in better scrubbing performance. More advanced devices can also return to their stations after cleaning a particular room or square footage to keep the pads fresh before cleaning again. The most basic designs are microfiber pads, which are reusable, that drag behind the robot, and likely use either downward pressure or vibrations to agitate any stuck-on mess. The newer roller mops that clean and re-wet the brush during the cleaning process — like what you see in the best wet-dry vacuums — without needing to revisit the dock, show a lot of promise for even better performance. Mop lifting: A lot of mid-range to premium-priced robots advertise being able to lift damp mopping pads during the cleaning process. We've found that most of those still drag or touch on medium pile carpet and rugs. The Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro is one example that did a great job of angling its mop pad to avoid touching. The best solution here for delicate rugs is to look for a unit that can automatically detach its mopping pads in its station or vacuum before mopping. Navigation tech: Smarter mapping leads to more efficient cleaning and better coverage. Most companies have coalesced around LiDAR technology, which bounces light off objects to map rooms, but none are exactly the same. We've found Roborock to be one of the best at mapping and object avoidance, as its newest devices each year have more insights into the environment around them. Maintenance: Especially with a mopping combo unit, the first step to reducing manual maintenance is to get a unit with a self-emptying base station with water reservoirs. Adding air drying and other automated features can further push off the time that regular maintenance happens. Units without self-cleaning or warm air drying will need to be addressed directly after each mopping cycle to prevent any mold growth or bacteria from forming. Dust bin and water tank size: A larger tank can clean more space without refilling. Although this aspect is worth considering, nearly all of the models we've tested provided at least a week of modest mopping without needing to return. The self-cleaning robots have separate clean and dirty water tanks; the clean tanks are for mopping water and flushing the mop pads, while the dirty water tanks collect all the dirty water from the cleaning process. Special features: The coolest features will cost extra, but they can add new dimensions to your robot experience. The Saros 10R can patrol your house, without cleaning and use its camera for surveillance. This could be used for checking in on an animal, instead of buying a dedicated pet cam. Using voice assistants to initiate cleaning tasks is a popular bonus feature, although I've rarely had success remembering the exact commands or when to use them. The latest trend is to inject AI into robot cleaning. The most common is determining what rooms need to be cleaned, how often, and with which settings, or dirt detection features, like the ability to determine if a floor is clean based on water color. In fact, it's getting harder to avoid having the devices take over the cleaning order. How we tested I've been testing and writing about tech products since 2013. Since the rise of smart home appliances, I've covered dozens of robot vacuums. In addition to testing them and putting them through their paces, I've had the chance to talk with company representatives about these machines and ask probing questions. I've talked with consumers about these products to better understand their experiences and what's important to them. Either I or members of the Business Insider Reviews team have personally used all of these models we evaluated. Carpet cleaning: We poured a tablespoon each of flour, coffee grounds, and kitty litter (or crushed cereal) on 18-inch-square sections of carpeting. We also collected hair to place on the carpeting. We ran the vacuums on their most powerful mode for two cleaning cycles and compared before-and-after photos to estimate the percentage of each material picked up. Hardwood floor cleaning: This is the same as the carpet cleaning test on hardwood flooring. Corner cleaning: We poured a teaspoon of flour in a 4-inch radius in a hardwood corner. We photographed the messes before and after running the robot vacuums for two cleaning cycles to compare how much flour was left and how close to the corner each unit got. Mopping: When testing robots with mopping capabilities, we poured two ounces of sugary soda on linoleum and allowed it to dry overnight. Then, we compared photos before and after running the vacuums through two mopping cycles to determine how much soda they picked up. We also noted if the floor was sticky afterward. Obstacle avoidance: A stuck robot vacuum is annoying because you need to intervene to get it unstuck. Meanwhile, it makes error sounds and sends you notifications. Not to mention, running over a charging cable or sock can ruin both the robot and your items. Our test areas feature several obstacles, including stairs and a table with chairs. Noise: We used a sound meter to measure the decibel output of the vacuums from 12 inches away as they ran on the lowest and highest settings. Battery life: We ran each fully charged unit on its highest setting during long cleaning runs. Then, based on the time consumed and percentage remaining, we calculated the actual runtime to ensure it matched the manufacturer's estimates. Special features: Scheduling and automatically returning to the charging dock are must-have features. All of the tested bots include these features. We also looked for common higher-end options, including no-go zone programming, zoned cleaning, multi-floor mapping, self-emptying docks, self-cleaning, and home surveillance. Robot vacuum and mop FAQs What is a robot vacuum and mop combo? A vacuum and mop combo is a device that can perform both cleaning functions. Generally, these combo units can vacuum and mop simultaneously, or do them in various orders. Are robot vacuum and mop combos safe for hardwood floors? These devices can be used with pretty much every kind of flooring. The higher-end models can detect the type of flooring they're working on and adjust their mopping pressure and water usage. Other models can be manually adjusted in the app. I've used all of these models on real hardwood floors and never had one scratch or damage them. Can a robot mop replace manual mopping? While robot mops possess incredible cleaning performance, they likely aren't a replacement for the best mops. On the other hand, these machines are able to keep up consistent pressure, water flow, and rotating pads, so they may be better than doing a whole area by hand, but you should still hold on to a mop for cleaning tight areas like bathrooms or for heavy-duty targeted cleaning. Do robot mop vacuums clean carpets? The combo units will clean hard flooring, carpet, and rugs. The robots try to avoid wetting carpet and rugs by lifting their damp pads, vacuuming carpet first, before wetting the mop pads, or leaving damp mop pads behind at their base stations. How often should I clean the mop pad? For a unit like the Roomba 205, which doesn't have a base station, you'll want to manually clean the mop pad after each use by removing it and washing it in the sink. The higher-end units will clean the mopping pads with either cold, warm, or hot water, and then dry them with cool or hot air to avoid mold and bacteria. For those models, you shouldn't have to ever manually clean the mopping pads, but you will need to empty the dirty water tanks and regularly wipe the base station of any accumulated dirt. Tyler Hayes Freelance Writer Tyler has been writing professionally since 2013. In the early years, he covered the intersection of technology and music as it relates to streaming services and audio gear. Since then, he has become an expert on all kinds of consumer products, from wearables to smart home gadgets. He started writing professionally after spending a decade as a computer technician repairing computers. Since 2013, he has contributed to dozens of publications, including The New York Times, WIRED, PCMag, Vice, and of Tyler's writing revolves around service journalism and helping people understand the latest pieces of technology. But he has done featured articles about Pandora radio, NBA Top Shot, and what goes into building the perfect playlist. He has also written for the Library of Congress and submitted his own emoji proposal to Unicode. Beyond writing about technology, he has worked for Microsoft and a few startups over the years. Outside of work, he reluctantly became a daily runner during the 2020 lockdown and has been unable to quit since. Read more You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here. Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Higher prices, evolving technology complicate back-to-school shopping
Color-coded folders and notebooks. A fresh stash of pens and pencils. A new outfit. Millions of American students from preschool through college, and their (often) bankrolling parents, back-to-school shop ahead of each fall. But as prices rise, technology evolves and new products hit the shelves, families are seeking ways to keep checking off the school supply list affordable. "When I was young, I had $50 to go to the grocery store. I go now, and that's, like, three or four items," said Matt Marsh, Minneapolis managing partner at Deloitte. "Everything costs more. So families are getting squeezed a bit, and it's creating a level of anxiety." According to PwC's inaugural back-to-school survey, nearly 3 in 4 parents said they'll spend the same or more than they did last year on school supplies, even with higher prices and economic volatility. "There's still this underlying element of consumer confidence," said Kelly Pedersen, a partner at PwC. "Even though we hear a lot of uncertainty in the market, people still need to shop for back-to-school." Plan and budget Before shopping, take inventory of last year's supplies. About a third of parents plan to reuse items, according to PwC. Budgeting, paired with a specific shopping list, can prevent impulse buying. In Minneapolis, parents Deloitte surveyed expected to spend $682 per child this year. That's 20% more than the national average. Niki Kroll of Minneapolis typically starts her back-to-school shopping in July and has already noticed higher prices. Various name-brand notebooks, folders and backpacks seem to be more expensive than previous years. But she has had success finding pencils, glue sticks and other basics on sale. Those surveyed planned to spend less on clothing and more on school supplies. They also plan to spend more of their budget on tech than last year, though experts expect the total of those tech purchases to stay flat in comparison to last year's $520 per family. Assess need As kids progress in school, more advanced classes might require new tech purchases, like a different calculator model, nearly each year. Delaying that purchase if possible or downgrading it - such as buying an older or used version - can free up room for more necessities like binders, scissors and pencil cases. "Consider asking your child's teacher what's essential on day one vs. what can wait until later in the year," wrote Ted Rossman, Bankrate senior industry analyst, in an analyst note. Shop now More than a third of parents PwC surveyed said they're starting earlier this year to snag better prices and beat the rush. "There's this thought that the better deals are out there earlier before the heart of back-to-school in August," Pedersen said. Deloitte's survey found more than two-thirds of Minneapolis parents plan to finish most of their school shopping by the end of July. They were able to cash in on recent sales like Target's Circle Week and Amazon's Prime Day. But several retailers are hosting back-to-school promotions through August. Target announced Tuesday "Back-to-School-idays" discounts from July 27-Aug. 2. The retailer is maintaining its 2024 prices on key items, and some stores will have personalization stations with embroidery and patches for backpacks, lunchboxes, towels and pillows. Walmart is offering lower prices than last year on select items, such as highlighters, erasers and notebooks. Use AI One in five parents told PwC they plan to use artificial intelligence to find the best deals this season. "The biggest change we've seen with AI shopping is the agent concept, basically putting in your shopping list and budget to optimize your list and what you buy," Pedersen said. "It's really taking all of the searching work out of having to do back-to-school shopping." AI tools like app and website ChatGPT allow users to paste in a list of school supplies and make requests, like "find these items for the cheapest prices online or in-store within 20 miles of Minneapolis." Users can also ask to search specific stores and keep the total under a certain amount. Don't fall for influencers Deloitte's data shows parents who use social media are likely to spend 1½ times more on back-to-school than others. Higher education, bigger wages, better access to the internet and more leisure time spent online all play a role. "Generally, retailers are moving marketing dollars toward influencers, and influencers are creating behaviors that might result in that splurge purchase," Marsh said. More than two-thirds of Minneapolis parents said their child's preferences often steer them to spend more, and 63% are willing to spend a little extra on their child's first-day outfit compared with 57% nationally. Make it fun In Bloomington, Mall of America is hosting giveaways, limited-time promotions and events for back-to-school. Shoppers can scan the Mall of America app once per day for a chance to win a gift card or rewards points. The mall plans to give away more than $10,000 in gift cards between Aug. 11-31. Deals are also available for the Nickelodeon Universe theme park and Crayola Experience from Aug. 4-Sept. 30. "For parents and families coming to Mall of America, it's a one-stop shop," said Jill Renslow, Mall of America's chief business development and marketing officer. "It's a destination where people have that tradition of coming for not only shopping, but to go on some rides or grab lunch." Many cities also offer local events for free or low-cost school supplies, just look on city events calendars. In store vs. online Younger parents are leading a small resurgence of in-store shopping. "Every year in our stats, Gen Zs are the ones who are visiting physical stores the most," Pedersen said. "[They] value in-person experiences, and in some cases, they're willing to pay a premium price for that." Gen Z also reported a higher likelihood of buying in-store. In previous years, younger shoppers more commonly browsed stores to try on or test products but made final purchases online. Income also plays a role. Families earning under $75,000 are nearly twice as likely to shop only in-store, while higher-income households tend to prefer online shopping. Be strategic While inflation has cooled to 2.4%, prices are still up nearly 24% compared with pre-pandemic levels, according to Bankrate. "It's not like when the rate goes down, prices go down. They just don't go up as fast anymore," Marsh said. "But there's a lot of economic anxiety about pricing." Looking for generic versions of favorite brands or comparing prices across stores can save money. So can thrifting, Pedersen said. About a fifth of shoppers said they're looking to shop secondhand. Shoppers can stack discounts by combining a rewards credit card with store promotions or other available offers, which can add up to considerable savings, Rossman wrote in an analyst note. For Kroll, she enjoys letting her kids pick their most personal items, like lunchboxes. Despite higher prices, those moments are some of her family's favorite memories. "We really like shopping for backpacks and things that have more wiggle room for the kids' own style. The lists have gotten quite specific, so it's fun when they can pick out their own stuff," Kroll said. "My son knows immediately what he wants, and my daughter tries on about 10 backpacks while looking in the mirror." 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New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Beef up your workouts (and your wallet) with 30% off this weighted vest
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