We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.
Tackle quick cleanups with our favorites. large soft bristle broom
Brittany VanDerBill is a writer for Better Homes & Gardens with 9 years of experience. Brittany is skilled in writing about a variety of topics, but her specialties are shopping, home, and travel.
Sweeping up messes with a broom can often be easier than reaching for a vacuum. And of course, brooms are quieter than noisy vacuums that wake the whole household. Though shopping for a new broom doesn’t have to be complicated, it’s helpful to put some thought into it ahead of time.
You’ll find various types of brooms, from traditional, angled brooms to a push broom for large areas. You’ll also want to consider bristle types, handle lengths, and of course, how well a broom clears debris. To find the best on the market, we tested a variety of broom and considered these factors and more. Plus, we consulted Chris Randall, owner and CEO of Sweep LLC and Beth Erwin, director of category management at Norwex for insight.
We tested 21 different brooms in our testing lab, considering factors like effectiveness at picking up debris, comfort, ease of use, and more. For more information on how we tested brooms, check out our testing process below.
It’s a sturdy option with dense yet flexible bristles that capture 90% of all debris, and it comes with a step-on dustpan.
The metal handle is heavier than other options, and the broom didn’t capture finer debris, like flour and sawdust, quite as well.
This O-Cedar broom earned top marks in all four categories for plenty of reasons. First, the angled plastic bristles are sturdy yet flexible enough to efficiently capture most dirt and debris. Even after use, the densely packed bristles stayed perfectly in place—no sticking out at awkward angles.
Though the broom didn’t quite capture all of the flour and sawdust during testing, it picked up about 90% of our debris mixture. Hair tended to get stuck in the bristles, but it was easy to remove by hand. And the bristles are nice and soft, making them easier to handle.
The 46-inch metal handle is sturdy, which does make the broom slightly heavier than other options. Maneuvering the broom was a snap since it easily swept up debris around a kitchen table and chairs.
A rubber-edged dustpan is included with the broom and can be clipped onto the handle for easy storage. The dustpan’s handle is angled, which allowed us to step on it to keep it in place, and the attached comb at the top of the pan helps remove any leftover hair and debris from the broom’s bristles.
Product Details: Handle Length: 46 in. | Weight: 2 lbs. | Bristle Material: Plastic
Flexible yet firm, angled bristles easily grab debris from nooks and crannies whether sweeping outside or indoors.
You may have to make a few passes to ensure all dust is picked up on hard surfaces.
This indoor/outdoor broom is another pick that earned five stars in all four categories. In fact, we struggled to find anything we disliked about it during testing.
Its bristles are the ideal combination of flexible yet firm so they kept their shape during use, even when molded around tables and chairs. Its angled shape and medium-soft bristles are perfect for grabbing debris from corners or other tight spaces.
Though lightweight at under two pounds, this is a sturdy broom. It comes with a dustpan that snaps onto the broom handle and stays put, even when we shook it. Plus, the dustpan is slightly angled so debris catches in the pan and stays in place, though not as well as the step dustpan included in our top pick. It’s also easy to empty the dustpan into the trash.
The hole at the top of the handle is a convenient feature for easy storage on a hook or peg. While the broom cleaned up 95% of our debris during testing, we had to make a couple of passes to be sure hard surfaces were free of dust.
Product Details: Handle Length: 53.25 in. | Weight: 1.6 lbs. | Bristle Material: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
The broom has an easily adjustable handle.
You’ll want to be mindful while storing the broom in the dustpan to prevent the bristles from getting tangled or bent in the attached comb.
Having to track down a dustpan after sweeping is a pain. This sweep set solves that by pairing a broom with a handled dustpan, preventing the need to bend down to toss the debris. The broom's soft, flexible bristles are slightly angled and they hugged our furniture and walls to pick up more debris.
The broom swept up 95% of all sizes and types of our debris mixture during tests. A bit of dust remained stuck in the bristles and the broom left a slight trail of dust on the first pass, but after two more passes the dirt was gone.
The aluminum handle is extendable from 35 to 54 inches, providing an ergonomic sweep for just about every height. Extending or shortening the handle is as simple as a quick twist of the orange fastener.
The folding dustpan was quite comfortable to hold thanks to the handle. Meanwhile, the attached comb removed any lingering debris from the broom. Keep in mind, the broom's bristles caught on the comb when placing the broom in the dustpan and folding it up for storage. This caused a few bristles to bend and stick out, and doing this too many times would make the broom less effective.
The cost is higher than many other models, but the set is sturdy and effective and provides good value overall.
Product Details: Handle Length: 35-54 in. | Weight: 2.2 lbs. | Bristle Material: Plastic
This broom removed nearly all our test hair from carpeting, and it can be used as a floor squeegee in wet conditions.
The rubber bristles make it less effective on hard floors, so this is best saved for hair removal on carpet or rugs.
Having pets at home is a joy, but it also tends to mean plenty of vacuuming or sweeping to keep furballs under control. We found this rubber broom to be incredibly effective, removing 99% of pet hair from rugs and carpeted areas.
Because the bristles are made of rubber, this broom didn’t sweep debris like traditional brooms, and it only picked up about 80% of debris on hard flooring. The rubber bristles didn’t maneuver around furniture well since they’re not very flexible.
The broom also has a squeegee for moving water on hard flooring. However, it was only effective when we held it nearly parallel to the floor, which quickly became tiresome.
This won’t replace your everyday broom, but it’s an effective option for removing hair from carpet. And even though it would be an additional cleaning item to store, the reasonable price and sturdiness of the broom make it an excellent value.
Product Details: Handle Length: 34-58 in. | Weight: 1.4 lbs. | Bristle Material: Rubber
It’s a functional, efficient push broom that feels secure when tackling dirt and debris.
The brush displayed a few frayed bristles before being used.
If you’ve got a large, open space that needs sweeping, like a basement or garage, a push broom is a good buy. This particular push broom earned our appreciation in a few ways, starting with its heavier construction that gives it a secure feel.
During our tests, it swept up an impressive 95% of all debris, leaving just a trace of leftover sawdust behind. It worked especially well for sweeping leaves and sand, and it would likely be quite effective at pushing light, fluffy snow off of porches or patios.
The handle has a lightly cushioned grip, though we felt the cushioning could have been increased for even more comfort. The handle is not adjustable, so it’s a basic, functional push broom.
Its bristles are dense enough to provide ample coverage. They aren’t flexible, which is typical for push brooms that generally don’t need to flex around furniture. We took note of a few frayed bristles that existed before testing, which made us question their durability a bit. However, we didn’t observe any additional wear after using the broom.
Static electricity meant that dust clung to the bristles, so this broom might require more frequent cleaning. But the price and overall performance make this a solid buy.
Product Details: Handle Length: 63 in. | Weight: 3.94 lbs. | Bristle Material: Nylon
This is a sturdy broom with nylon bristles that managed to grab everything in their path with no dirt left behind.
The cushioned grip is positioned in an odd place, rather than where a user would instinctively hold the broom.
If you find yourself reaching for a broom often, it makes sense to invest in a heavy-duty option. Though lightweight, we appreciated how sturdy this broom felt. We would even feel comfortable using this outside since it’s so sturdy but has flexible bristles.
Nylon bristles are firm yet flexible, and we could easily sweep up messes under a table without having to bend or squat excessively. Impressively, the angled broom removed 100% of the debris during testing. And none of it clung to the bristles, so it all ended up in the garbage.
The 54-inch handle hit at a nice height. However, the cushioned grip wasn’t positioned where we instinctively held the broom. Though it would have been nice if the broom came with a dustpan, we ultimately gave this five stars across the board as our favorite heavy-duty broom.
Product Details: Handle Length: 54 in. | Weight: 2.39 lbs. | Bristle Material: Nylon
We ultimately chose the O-Cedar Pet Pro Broom & Step-On Dustpan PowerCorner as our pick for best overall broom because it’s a sturdy option that efficiently sweeps up most debris. It also has dense but flexible synthetic bristles and includes a step-on dustpan, which makes for quicker cleanup.
We tested 21 brooms, including 13 traditional options that included corn and synthetic bristles, three rubber brooms, four push brooms, and one electric broom.
If assembly was required, we assembled each broom. We then measured the width of the bristles along with the length of the handle, including the shortest and longest lengths on extendable brooms.
To determine how well traditional, electric, and rubber brooms swept up debris, we sprinkled a mixture of one tablespoon each of sawdust, flour, orzo, and sand, along with one bag of wig hair (with long and short strands) on marble, vinyl, and concrete flooring. We then swept it all up and recorded the percentage of debris left behind.
We then sprinkled the same debris mixture under a kitchen table, again sweeping it up and recording the percentage of debris left on the floor. We moved kitchen chairs as necessary but left the table in place, sweeping around it and observing how well the broom reached under the table and whether the handle was long enough to capture all debris with these obstacles in place.
After our sweeping tests, we observed broom bristles for signs of damage. We also recorded whether the bristles held onto debris.
When dustpans were included in a broom set, we evaluated them as well. We filled each dustpan with 1 tablespoon of flour, then raised the back half of the dustpan by one inch and observed whether the flour stayed put or fell out. For dustpans that clipped to their brooms, we clipped them on and off to record how easy this process was. After clipping a dustpan on, we then shook the broom vigorously three times to see how well the dustpan stayed on.
For our electric and rubber brooms, we distributed wig hair on a high pile rug and worked it into the fibers to mimic natural hair fall. We collected the hair into one spot using the broom, then recorded how much hair the brooms collected and whether any hair clung to the brooms. For rubber brooms, we also poured ½ cup of water onto the floor. We pulled the liquid toward them with the broom, then observed how well the broom collected the water into one area.
With our push brooms, we distributed a mixture of ¼ cup sawdust, 10 leaves, and ¼ cup sand within an area of the floor that was equal to the width of the push broom. We made one pass with the broom, then took note of any leftover debris and whether the debris was pushed beyond the width of the broom. We then swept the remaining debris from one side of the testing area to the other and inspected bristles to record any damage.
While shopping for brooms, you’ll come across both angled and push brooms. According to Chris Randall, owner/CEO of Sweep LLC, the angled style is ideal for indoor use and especially helpful when sweeping corners and other tight areas. Opt for a push broom when you want to sweep large areas of open space—think garage floors or outdoor patios.
You’ll also spot different bristle materials, like synthetic, natural (corn), combination, and rubber. Randall explains a broom with synthetic bristles is “durable, resistant to moisture, and works well on smooth surfaces like tile and hardwood.” Randall adds that corn bristles are a “traditional” choice that work well for sweeping dry surfaces, but not for wet (they’ll likely deteriorate). We tested multiple corn broom options but all of them performed worse than other bristle types, which is why corn-bristled brooms didn’t earn a spot on our list.
Combination bristles can be used on multiple surfaces while rubber is great for pet fur as well as more “delicate” flooring, according to Randall. Plus, rubber is hypoallergenic and will be easier to clean.
Randall advises, “A good rule of thumb is to choose a handle length that’s close to your height, typically around chest height when upright. This reduces strain on your back and arms.” And when it comes to weight, keep in mind that aluminum will be lighter and generally easier to push. Wood, on the other hand, might be a bit heavier, but it also tends to be more durable.
“Choosing a lightweight, adjustable broom can make cleaning easier and more comfortable for everyone,” Erwin says.
Of course, after you do the work of sweeping, you’ll need something to pick up all that dirt and debris. Randall says to look for dustpans with rubber edges for gathering up fine particles. And to avoid having to crouch or bend over, seek out a dustpan with a long handle, like the one included in the OXO Good Grips Large Sweep Set, so you can sweep up messes while standing.
We liked the flexible, full bristles and lightweight nature of the Casabella Basics 2-Piece Angled Broom and Dustpan Cleaning Set. However, the broom wasn’t effective at clearing sawdust from under a table and the dustpan left a line of dust behind.
While the Original Broombi All-Surface Silicone Broom performed well when it came to gathering debris from hard and carpeted floors and was comfortable to use, it was difficult to use at a distance and under tables. It also spread and dripped water during our water test.
The Yocada Push Broom Brush had dense bristles and a comfortable handle, but it was not effective at picking up dust particles. Its metal and plastic construction also made it rather heavy.
Randall says electric brooms can offer a quick way to clean up a light mess, particularly in small areas. “They’re not a replacement for heavier-duty vacuums but can complement your cleaning tools,” Randall advises.
We tested the Black + Decker Lithium Powered Floor Sweeper, which didn’t perform all that well. However, it’s lightweight and easier to handle than some vacuums, plus it doesn’t require quite as much effort as it takes to operate a traditional broom. For those reasons, it may be appealing to users with limited mobility.
According to Erwin, “Rubber brooms can be your secret weapon for keeping a clean house.” She adds, “Thanks to their electrostatic action, they’re especially good at grabbing pet fur, hair, and skin cells. This works because fur and hair carry a positive charge, which is naturally attracted to the rubber’s negative charge for a deeper clean.”
We preferred rubber vacuums on carpet, but Randall also feels rubber brooms are a solid choice for hard floor, too. “Rubber brooms excel at picking up fine particles, pet hair, and even dust on hard floors," he says. "They’re gentle on delicate surfaces like laminate and hardwood, and they don’t scratch.”
Erwin says that cleaning brooms is “essential” because “not only can they collect bacteria, but if you don’t remove old dust, pet hair, and debris, you’re just putting it back into your home the next time you clean.” Erwin cleans her brooms once a month at minimum.
Randall recommends regularly rinsing synthetic and rubber brush bristles with warm soapy water, ensuring they air-dry thoroughly before sweeping again. “Natural bristles can be shaken out or lightly brushed clean," he adds.
This article was written by Brittany VanDerBill, a freelance writer for Better Homes & Gardens specializing in home shopping recommendations, specifically in organizing, cleaning, and home improvement topics. To find the best brooms, she evaluated testing insights, keeping in mind bristle material, broom type, handle length, and more. She also consulted Chris Randall, owner and CEO of Sweep LLC and Beth Erwin, director of category management at Norwex.
shiny monofilament for broom brush Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they're worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn't an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.