The 11 best brooms for every type of job

Brooms are often overlooked among household tools, but when it comes time to clean up an unexpected mess, or the family pet's hair is swirling around the floor, they're essential to keeping your home clean.

There are many styles of brooms with multiple purposes, depending on the size of the job and the type of flooring to be swept. Most brooms are affordable and can be conveniently stored on a wall mount, in a closet or a dustpan station. 

In this article: Oxo Good Grips Large Extendable Broom, O-Cedar Heavy-Duty Corn Broom and Libman Rough Surface Heavy-Duty Push Broom.

What are the different types of brooms?

There are four primary types of brooms:

• Angle brooms are lightweight, with slanted bristles that make it easy to reach tight spaces. They are also called lobby brooms.
• Push brooms feature wider sweeping heads for covering larger areas such as driveways, workshops and factory floors. They are made with heavy-duty material that works on different surfaces.
• Corn brooms, also called Amish brooms, are sturdy and stiff. They are made from corn straw and can be used both indoors and outside.
• Whisk brooms are short brooms without handles, designed to easily sweep a collection of dirt and debris into a dustpan. They also can be used in small spaces where a long handle would get in the way.

What are the different bristles?

The two main types of bristles are flagged and unflagged.

• Flagged bristles are frayed at the end to collect small particles and dust.
• Unflagged bristles are stiff and straight, designed for larger sweeping jobs in open spaces. 

Bristles are made from a wide variety of materials such as polypropylene, nylon and other synthetic fibers. Other bristles are made from natural materials such as horsehair, corn straw or Tampico fibers. Each material has it own advantages, based on the type of floor and debris that you are sweeping. 

How do you clean a broom?

Brooms should be cleaned on a regular basis to keep from spreading dirt and germs around your home. Soak the bristles in soapy water and remove built-up dirt and dust with your hands or a cloth. The dust pan and handle can be cleaned with a disinfectant spray. 

Best brooms

Oxo Good Grips Large Extendable Broom

This retractable broom extends to full size with an easy twist and when retracted is the ideal size for sweeping into the included dustpan. The flagged bristles easily collect dust over a wide area. 

Sold by Amazon

O-Cedar Heavy-Duty Corn Broom

This extra-strong corn broom is 56 inches tall with an 8-inch swath of wire-bound bristles, reinforced by polytwine stitching. It works indoors or outdoors for commercial or residential uses. 

Sold by Amazon

Libman Rough Surface Heavy-Duty Push Broom

This heavy-duty push broom has a 59-inch handle with a 24-inch head of sturdy unflagged plastic bristles. It has resin brackets to reinforce the downward force when sweeping. It is excellent for both commercial and residential applications.

Sold by Amazon

HDX Large Angle Broom

This affordable angle broom sweeps a 10- to 12-inch path with angled bristles that reach under furniture and into tight spaces. It can double as a whisk broom with a removable handle. It includes a handle hole for easy hanging.

Sold by Home Depot

Lola Products Whisk Broom

This handheld whisk broom is 4 inches wide with a 9.5-inch handle that works great on dust and dirt. The nylon bristles are extra strong and can be easily cleaned with water. It offers a five-year guarantee. 

Sold by Amazon

Yocada Push Broom

Ergonomically designed for less effort, this 24-inch push broom has an adjustable pole between 51 to 65 inches. It works well on large areas with durable angled bristles designed for garages, driveways and industrial floors. 

Sold by Amazon

Rubbermaid Commercial Angle Broom

Designed for hard-to-reach areas, this angle broom features stain resistant bristles made from durable polypropylene that won't pull out. It has a 55-inch handle with a 9-inch sweeping head.

Sold by Home Depot

Yanxus Broom and Dustpan Set

With a 52-inch heavy-duty broom and rubber-edged dustpan, this set stands conveniently in a holder that can sit on the floor or be mounted to the wall. It has built-in comb teeth for catching hair.

Sold by Amazon

Quickie Job Site Indoor/Outdoor Push Broom

With a large 24-inch sweeping head, this push broom is ideal for basements, garages and cement floors. It has soft outer and hard inner fibers for sweeping medium levels of dirt, along with a 60-inch hardwood handle and steel braces.

Sold by Home Depot

Jehonn Long Handle Rotating Broom

This lightweight but sturdy broom has an extendable handle up to 46.5 inches. It has a 180-degree rotating head that can reach underneath furniture, beds and tables to sweep blind areas. It comes with an upright dustbin stand. 

Sold by Amazon

Worth checking out

• If you have a lot of pet hair to sweep on a regular basis, consider the O-Cedar Pet Pro Angle Broom, with a V shape and bristle design that pick up three times as much hair from your furry friend. 
• For removing pet hair from carpet, try the Conliwell Rubber Broom Carpet Rake with sturdy rubber bristles that ball up pet hair instead of spreading it around.
• To easily store your brooms, use Command Broom Gripper Wall Hooks, which hold up to 1-inch-diameter brooms, without damaging the wall when you remove them. 

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Steve Ganger writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

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