Why You Need a Reliable Broom and Dustpan for the Home
Brooms and dustpans are two of the most essential home-cleaning tools. While you may prefer vacuum cleaning, certain materials (like glass, fine particles, hair and anything stick) are not vacuum-friendly because they can cause clogs and damage other compartments of your vacuum cleaner.
Studies have shown that regularly sweeping your home can considerably improve your health and mood and increase focus and productivity. This is closely linked to dirty houses being home to pests and insects, and in some cases, fertile breeding grounds for microbes.
Brooms sweep up debris and substances that usually would attract rodents and insects and make the work easier for your vacuum cleaner or mop afterward.
How Brooms Work: A Simple Explanation
Broom and dust pans are complementary cleaning tools. Brooms are designed to brush dirt and debris, dry or wet, while dustpans carry the dirt to an appropriate receptacle. They are incredibly versatile due to their applications in homes, construction sites, gardens, homes and offices.
Where and how they are used depends on their bristles. Soft bristles are suitable for cleaning up hardwood and laminate floors in homes and offices, and hard-bristle brooms are made to sweep harder and larger amounts of dirt you usually would find in gardens and construction.
Brooms and dustpans are simple tools with a basic build. A typical broom consists of a broom head connected to a pole. You can find dust pans with and without handles.
Different Types of Household Brooms
There are several types of household brooms, but here are six of the most common ones:
Standard Broom
Standard brooms are one of the most commonly found and used brooms. They are best suited for indoor living spaces because they can collect dust and sweep small and large debris. Standard brooms are the “first aid” for dirty floors; they should be the first thing that comes to mind when you see dirt lying around.
However, we advise against using standard brooms as the primary cleaning tool in large homes because cleaning with them can be time-wasting. You can find standard brooms in your local convenience stores and supermarkets.
Angled Broom
As the name implies, the angled broom has its bristles cut at different but uniform and increasing angles. Angle brooms are designed to reach corners and dirt that the standard broom wouldn’t usually reach. They are ideal for rooms where obstacles, like pieces of furniture, are in the way, and items are more likely to fall into the small spaces between the “obstacles.”
Push Broom
Push brooms are the workhorses of brooms. They are used to push large debris and particles you usually wouldn’t with the standard or angle broom. Because they have sizable sweeping broom heads, you cover more ground with a pass than other broom types. This makes them the most convenient option for spacious areas like garages and sidewalks. Push brooms are not for routine sweeps due to their sturdy brittles.
Straw Broom
The bristles of straw brooms are made from corn husks; hence, they are often referred to as corn brooms. Straw brooms cover large areas and can move large objects and debris. They are very versatile brooms, thanks to their incredible dirt removal. However, you’ll find better dust-removal properties in other brooms.
Rubber Broom
Rubber brooms are best known for their sweeping ability and durability. If you are in the market for a broom that nails these traits properly while also being suitable for any floor type or activity, then the rubber broom is ideal. Despite that, they are poor dust collectors. We advise you to wash rubber brooms occasionally to prevent dirt transfer because their bristles accumulate oily over time.
Dust Devil
Dirt devil brooms are also commonly known as stick vacuums. Think of the dust devil like the sweet pot and the perfect compromise between brooms and vacuums. They are ideal for people in small apartments because they are easy to store and take up little storing space. Unlike conventional brooms, dust devils have easily adjustable handles.
The Best Broom and Dustpan Sets for Your Home
The word “best” is thrown around too often and loosely on the internet. We curated lists from reputable sources to help with your buying decisions.
NYTimes.com’s Best Brooms, Dustpans, and Dust Mops
The New York Times list of best brooms and dustpans includes a dust mop, which we’re not ranking on the post, but they keep their list simple and to the point.
- Casabella Wayclean Wide Angle Broom
- OXO Good Grips Clip-On Dustpan
- Libman Large Precision Angle Broom with Dustpan
- Target Up & Up Dustpan Set
Realsimple.com’s Best Brooms List
Realsimple.com kept their list only to brooms designed to sweep your floors and specified which applications are ideal for each broom.
- O-cedar Pet Pro Broom and Step-on Dustpan (Overall)
- Everiholder Pet Hair Removal Broom (Pet Hair)
- Black & Decker Cordless Powered Floor Sweeper (Electric)
- Yocada Push Broom (Outdoor)
- Casabella Broom and Dustpan (Tile and Hardwood Floors)
- Quickie Multi-surface Push Broom (Push)
- Oxo Any-angle Broom (Fine Dust)
TheSpruce.com’s Best Brooms of 2022
With 2022 just now in the rearview, this list is still relevant if you’re looking to upgrade your broom or dustpan combo in the next year. Similar to Realsimple.com, TheSpruce.com has rated their brooms and dustpans according to specific applications or features.
- Treelen Upright Broom and Dustpan (Overall)
- Amazonbasics Heavy-duty Broom (Budget)
- Oxo Any-angle Broom (Angled)
- Evriholder Pet Hair Removal Broom (Rubber)
- O-cedar Heavy-duty Corn Broom (Corn)
- Swopt Straight Brooms for Smooth Surfaces (Hardwood)
- Yocada Heavy-duty Outdoor Broom (Outdoor)
- Swopt Push Broom (Push)
- Libman Whisk Broom With Hanger Hole (Whisk)
Ohsospotless.com’s Best Brooms and Dustpans of 2022
Ohsospotless.com’s list of best brooms and dustpans features only products that come in a set. Their list is one of the most useful that we were able to find.
- Yanxus Broom and Dustpan Set (Pet Hair)
- Treelen Combo (Assembly)
- Cm Concepts Set (All Around the House)
- Sangfor Upright (Extendable Handle)
- Primica Self-cleaning (Families)
- Ollsdire Broom and Dustpan (Bristles)
- Oxo Extendable Broom (Dustpan)
The Ultimate List of Best Brooms and Dustpans for the Home
There are a lot of differing opinions out there on the best individual broom or dustpan and the best combo for the home. So we did the hard work of boiling all of those different website rankings down into one ultimate list.
Similar to the lists above, we also noted which feature or application this broom/dustpan is the best for.
Best Overall: Treelen Broom and Dustpan
Broom with handle lengths ranging from 40.5″ to 52″, suitable for use by people of different heights without requiring excessive bending. Includes a 38.5″ Dustpan with teeth to remove dirt from broom bristles, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The dustpan that can be locked in an open position for easy emptying and a broom that snaps into the dustpan for upright, compact storage. Broom and dustpan set featuring a full-size broom and large dustpan, ideal for any sweeping task, with the broom able to retract with a quick twist to easily transfer dirt piles into the dustpan.
Best Angled Broom: OXO Any-angle Broom
The Any-Angle Broom allows you to easily sweep in hard-to-reach places such as behind the refrigerator, under furniture, and in tight corners. The broom head can be adjusted by pressing with your foot and will click into place to remain stable while you sweep. The flexible bristles have feathered tips that are designed to prevent dust from being scattered while you sweep.
Best for Homes with Pets: Everiholder Pet Hair Removal Broom
This rubber cleaning broom features a built-in squeegee and can be used both wet and dry. It is effective at attracting dirt, hair, dust, and garden leaves, making it a versatile tool for cleaning various surfaces. It can be used indoors on carpets, tiles, linoleum, hardwood floors, and even shower floors, and outdoors on patios, garage floors, and more. This broom has been patented for its unique design and cleaning capabilities.
Best Electric Sweeper: Black & Decker Cordless Powered Floor Sweeper
The BLACK+DECKER floor sweeper is powered by a lithium ion battery and has a sleek, lightweight design that allows for easy one-handed cleaning. It has a runtime of up to 50 minutes and a smooth-swiveling head that helps you steer around and under furniture. The sweeper lies flat for easy access under furniture and beds and has a built-in LED that shows the battery status. It can be emptied directly into the trash without getting your hands dirty, and its self-standing design allows for convenient cleaning and storage. It can be stored standing upright, lying flat, or hanging by its loop handle. This sweeper is backed by a BLACK+DECKER 2-year warranty and comes with a jack plug charger and a brush bar cleaning tool.
Best Broom/Dustpan Set: CM Concepts Broom And Dustpan Set With Self Cleaning Bristles (Indoor)
The All-in-One Complete Broom and Dustpan Set is a comprehensive cleaning solution for sweeping hard surfaces both indoors and outdoors. The 10.5″ wide dustpan has a special self-cleaning feature that allows you to easily remove dirt, dust particles, and hair from the broom bristles by sliding them through the “scraper.” The broom and dustpan have adjustable stainless steel handles that can be extended to 51″ in length for comfortable use and easy storage. The set is made with high-quality plastic and stainless steel components for durability and practicality. The broom brush is 10″ wide, and the dustpan is 10.5″ deep, making it suitable for cleaning large areas and collecting a significant amount of dirt. The dustpan is also designed to fold and clip onto the broom for easy storage and is only 4″ wide in the upright position when not in use. It can be hung on a wall or stored in a cleaning cabinet, making it a super lightweight and convenient cleaning solution.
Best Outdoor Broom: Yocada Heavy-duty Outdoor Broom
This list considers and reflects the average homeowner’s needs, who prioritizes convenience but wants to avoid the added responsibility of charging brooms before sweeping.
