We Tried It: Helio AirBroom
Will a bristleless broom (and TikTok darling) that can sweep up liquids replace your everyday broom?
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Pulling out hair, dust, and who knows what else from your broom’s bristles has to be one of the nastiest cleaning tasks around (it’s a tie between that and removing hair with your hands from your vacuum’s roller). But we all need a broom in our homes, and we need to clean it (some people soak their broom’s bristles in soapy water once a month; experts told CR that shaking out the broom or vacuuming its bristles is substantial).
What Is the Helio AirBroom?
The Helio AirBroom is a three-piece set with a broom, dustpan, and a Helio Mini designed to clean up upholstery or small messes from counters, windows, and shower doors. I evaluated the Helio Mini only as a window squeegee but found it helpful when transferring debris into the dustpan because it’s small and easier to maneuver than the larger broom.
According to the brand, the broom is recommended for removing pet hair from all surfaces, wet or dry spills, and dust and dirt. The broom comes in three parts that must be assembled (more on that in a bit). There are no physical instructions in the box, but it’s easy to figure out what goes where, and Amazon offers online instructions if you need them. My order should have included a handgrip for the broom with a built-in storage hanging hole, but this was not in my package.
Helio claims its broom and Helio Mini are “ultra-lightweight,” and I can testify. I weighed the broom and Helio Mini at home and found that the broom weighs just 11.2 ounces (without the handgrip), and the Helio Mini weighs 1.8 ounces.
I found Helio lacking transparency on a few key features. Its “ultra flex head” is the show’s star—the piece that replaces a broom’s bristles and does all the work. However, Helio doesn’t say what the flex head is made from, and Amazon deals with this opacity by listing the blade material as “rubber, silicone, or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).” The material used to make the handle is also unknown.
I’d love to say I solved these mysteries by contacting Helio’s media department, but no such contact can be found anywhere online. Helio does list a customer service number and email on its website, though, and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
How Did the Helio AirBroom Work?
This is what you came for, so let’s get to it. Here’s what it was like to assemble the broom and how it worked on cereal and milk, oatmeal, dirt, and lint. If you’re feeling inspired to wash your windows for the first time in your life (or is that just me), we’re also going to tell you if the Helio Mini can work its magic on glass.
