Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers and tests essential home tech like vacuums and TVs, plus eco-friendly hacks. Her ever-evolving experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.
The robot vacuum beat in particular has cemented itself as Leah's main ~thing~ since 2019. Her robot vac expertise is bolstered by keeping a meticulous eye on robot vacuum deals and new releases, and most importantly, the constant hands-on testing of robot vacuums in her own home. (She's tested nearly 30 so far, but that number has probably gone up by the time you're reading this.) That at-home testing is standardized through Mashable's robot testing guide — a granular scoring rubric for assessing all aspects of owning and using a robot vacuum on the daily — that Leah created herself.
Leah graduated from Penn State University in 2016 with dual degrees in Sociology and Media Studies. When she's not writing about shopping (or shopping online for herself), she's almost definitely watching a horror movie, "RuPaul's Drag Race," or "The Office." You can follow her on X at @notleah or email her at [email protected].
Areas of Expertise
Author Recommended
I found the best robot vacuums for every floor, budget, and level of laziness (after testing 30+ models)
Cross one chore off your to-do list for good.
By Leah Stodart
Shark CryoGlow mask review after 10 months: The only way I'll ever stop using this is if Shark releases a new one
My skin has responded so well to the Shark face mask that it's been permanently baked into my weekly routine.
By Leah Stodart
As tariffs invade the apparel market, selling your clothes online is the move — here's how
Selling your old stuff is an easy way to make extra cash, even if you're new to selling apps.
By Leah Stodart
What to look for when buying a TV, as told through this easy TV specs guide
Chaotic Amazon TV descriptions are about to be way less confusing.
By Leah Stodart
Latest From Leah Stodart
25+ unique Valentine's Day gift for your wife: How to spoil your forever best friend
Stumped on how to get creative this year? We're not.
By Leah Stodart and Miller Kern
TCL QM6K mini LED review: An impressive TV between the super cheap and super expensive
Even if you're pretty chill about TV specs, this upgrade is worth it.
By Leah Stodart
Amazon has curated its top 100 Valentine's Day gifts. Here are our 10 favorites from the list.
If it comes in red or pink, it's automatically a Valentine's Day gift.
By Leah Stodart
30+ trendy gifts for teen girls in 2026, according to teenage girls IRL and online
If they haven't dropped any ultra-specific hints, TikTok definitely has.
By Leah Stodart
Sony drops 2 new Bluetooth turntables for the first time in forever, days after pivoting away from TVs
TCL may be in charge of Sony TVs and soundbars now, but Sony isn't giving up on vinyl.
By Leah Stodart
Best Valentine's Day gifts for her: How to skip the clichés without skipping the romance
Candy and flowers are cute add-ons, but the cutest thing you could do is find something unique.
By Leah Stodart and Nicole Cammorata
Best 65-inch+ TVs for watching in dark and bright rooms
So you've decided that you hate your current TV. We'll help you decide how to upgrade.
By Leah Stodart
TCL's brightest mini LED TV from 2025 is 50% off at Best Buy — get the 65-inch QM9K for $1,499.99
It's a step up from the QM8K, our pick for the best QLED TV for most people.
By Leah Stodart
Dreame doesn't just want to be a top vacuum brand. It wants to be a top everything brand.
Kitchen appliances, TVs, and health wearables are just a few markets that Dreame is eyeing.
By Leah Stodart
The Shark vs. Roomba debate is old news. Here's how both robot vacuum brands got dethroned.
They're not the main brands to consider after neither released a memorable robot vacuum last year.
By Leah Stodart
What is the best Shark robot vacuum? Here are my top 3 picks after testing at home.
Shark needs to release some new robot vacuums soon, but these three are still solid performers.
By Leah Stodart
Roborock's first CES 2026 robot vacuum is out and on sale: Get the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow for $849.99
That's a great price for a self-cleaning roller mop and a livestream pet camera.
By Leah Stodart
The 8 best tablets of 2026: I compared iPads, the Microsoft Surface Pro, and Amazon Fire
Yes, we love iPads, but there are great alternatives out there.
How to get 4 free heart-shaped bowls at Le Creuset's massive winter sale
Yes, the Heart Cocette is on sale.
By Leah Stodart
Samsung's new OLED TVs will probably be expensive. Meanwhile, the 2025 S90F OLED is almost 50% off.
If you're buying an OLED for the first time, this is a great option for your rite of passage.
By Leah Stodart
A tale of two robot vacuums with arms: How the Dreame Cyber 10 could beat the Roborock Saros Z70
A year ago, the Saros Z70's arm grabbed everyone's attention — and then lost it. Dreame thinks it can do a better job.
By Leah Stodart
10+ gadgets from CES 2026 that you can buy right now: Dell, Xreal, Samsung, more
These freshly-announced gadgets aren't "coming soon" — they're up for grabs now.
By Leah Stodart
CES 2026: All of the big robot vacuum announcements, from new suction power records to... another arm
35,000 Pa is the new suction power number to beat.
By Leah Stodart
4 coolest TVs at CES 2026 are from Samsung, LG, and TCL and feature wildly different tech
New RGB tech, new art TVs, and new takes on quantum dots — different, but inarguably cool.
By Leah Stodart
This Roborock at record-low pricing is one of the most powerful robot vacuums under $600
It's great at corner mopping and washes its own mopping pads.
By Leah Stodart
Roborock dropped 3 new robot vacuums at CES 2026. Of course they set a new suction power record.
I'll take this surge in suction power and mopping precision over last year's grabby arm any day.
By Leah Stodart
Southwest is having its first sale of the year: Up to 30% off flights between Jan. and May
The promo code works on select one-way or roundtrip flights within the continental U.S.
By Leah Stodart
CES 2026: TCL's new X11L SQD-Mini LED TV is a flagship that could rival Samsung and LG's Micro RGB
The goal is still to achieve QLED-level brightness and OLED-level contrast.
By Leah Stodart
CES 2026 TV trends to watch: Everyone's releasing an RGB TV, and 85 is the new 65 inches
OLED has been the pinnacle of TV tech for years. That's finally changing.
By Leah Stodart
Last chance to score a month of DirecTV for $50: NFL playoff games live, plus Disney+ and Hulu
Watch the games leading up the big one on Feb. 8, plus check out Hulu's packed Jan. 2026 roster.
By Leah Stodart
