The Two Best Brooms We Tested Cost Less Than $20

In our lab, I tested seven brooms and four dustpans. I swept up dry oats, cereal, rice, dusty cat litter, and human hair. I also had a few of my taller colleagues (I’m 4 feet, 9 inches) test each broom for comfort and noted how easy it was to clean post-sweep jobs.

I never really gave much thought to what to look for in a broom, but testing seven of them side by side changed that. What I learned is that the perfect broom is a tall order: Some have bristles that are either too stiff or too soft, some come with terrible dustpans, and some have handles that felt unwieldy in my hands.