Whatever Happened To VaBroom After Shark Tank?

If you've found a way to sweep everything into the dustpan in one go, sign up for the Avengers because you clearly have a superpower. For the rest of us, however, conventional sweeping can be a tedious and inefficient way of taking care of small messes. But that may no longer be a problem with the advent of the VaBroom. 

As its name might suggest, the VaBroom combines a vacuum and broom to create the ultimate cleaning machine. The majority of the device functions like a regular broom, but sitting next to the broom bristles is a small tube that vacuums up mess that can be disposed of later. While never equalling the power of a conventional vacuum cleaner, the VaBroom is nevertheless a nifty and convenient tool for tackling quick clean-ups that would otherwise take forever to fully clean using a broom and dustpan. 

The idea originated from the minds of John Vadnais and Trevor Lambert. As explained on "Shark Tank," Lambert started Enhance Innovations in 2010, a design firm that assists inventors and companies in developing their ideas. Vadnais had already launched a product under the team when he came to them with his concept for the VaBroom. In 2019, they started a Kickstarter for the VaBroom that managed to receive full funding within its first week. By the end of the campaign, the project received over $74,000 from more than 1,300 backers, far exceeding its initial $50,000 goal. Some delays were experienced as the COVID-19 pandemic was ramping up in early 2020, but the team managed to get all orders fulfilled by October of that year. 

Trevor Lambert and John Vadnais enter "Shark Tank" Season 13 looking for an investment of $350,000 for only 2.5% of the VaBroom. After presenting the product, Kevin O'Leary gives it a try and is impressed while the other sharks inspect their own provided samples. 

With such a mighty valuation, the team is fortunate enough to come in with some equally significant sales. Within the past year, VaBroom has brought in $3.1 million with roughly $300,000 in profits. Additionally, they are projecting $5 million by year's end. Most of their sales are direct-to-consumer through their website, but the VaBroom also recently sold out in Bed, Bath & Beyond after a two-month promo. The product itself costs $17 to make, with a wholesale price of $37 and a retail cost of $59.99. Lori Greiner worries that the VaBroom is not much different from a dust buster or similar items. However, the duo informs her that many of their customers enjoy not having to bend down to clean, particularly those with mobility and back issues. 

Lambert explains that VaBroom has a 5% royalty deal with Enhance Innovations, which intrigues O'Leary. The other sharks don't bite, either not agreeing with the business model or the valuation. O'Leary is willing to go in, but he wants a $3 royalty for each VaBroom sold alongside a 2.5% equity stake in the design firm itself, seeing potential in helping them with any follow-up products. The duo tries negotiating for more money, but Mr. Wonderful stands firm on his offer. Lambert and Vadnais ultimately take the deal, as O'Leary was the investor they were hoping to get on board. 

While the sharks had plenty of respect for VaBroom and the team behind the quick cleaning product, not all of them saw much need for the item. This sentiment was largely shared by those who saw the episode when it aired on January 14, 2022. Viewers took to Twitter, where many questioned the product's usefulness, such as @AmyNaas who asked, "The #VaBroom is fun to say, but is it necessary?! #ImOut" and @MidnightM who shared, "You'll be unclogging that thing constantly no thx." Similar to some of the sharks, others didn't feel that the need was there, especially for such a price point, with @hleeracer saying, "I can get a broom and a dust pan for $2 at the dollar store." 

As of this writing, there's no evidence that the deal with Kevin O'Leary went through. Finalizing deals on "Shark Tank" can be a lengthy process in the show's aftermath, which wouldn't be a surprise in this case given the many add-ons of O'Leary's proposition. Even then, the brand received notoriety elsewhere. Not long after its "Shark Tank" airing, a TikTok video showing @notaliciazam  using the VaBroom went somewhat viral, garnering nearly 5 million likes and over 267,000 shares. This got VaBroom additional exposure on both social media and outlets such as House Digest and the Today Show.

VaBroom is available through various outlets. It sells for $79.99 on the official website, which also has plenty of helpful resources such as tutorial videos and customer reviews. The VaBroom can also be found through major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Lowe's, and Bed, Bath & Beyond, where it sells for between $59.98 and $79.99.

Reviews from across the internet vary. On Amazon, the product carries a 3.5-star average rating. Many like the suction power and overall convenience, but don't enjoy the difficulty involved in positioning the vacuum tube. A YouTube review from Cortree TV suggests that the VaBroom is a good pick for wheelchair users, although some have had trouble applying pressure to activate the vacuum tube. On the podcast "Mikey and Bob," co-host Michael Dougherty shared that he bought a VaBroom and was pleased by how well it cleaned up cat litter in particular. Despite these benefits, he jokingly pointed out that the purchase was largely unnecessary, commenting, "Now that I say it out loud, I paid $60 for a broom that also vacuums when I have, like, three vacuums and multiple brooms in my house."

Nevertheless, the product has received high marks and recommendations from such sources as USA Today, Apartment Therapy, BuzzFeed, and the Today Show. The company isn't very active or widespread on social media, only possessing an Instagram and Facebook account, with neither being updated since September 2022. Currently, VaBroom is estimated to bring in $5 million a year in sales and is valued at a $10 million net worth.

Even despite conflicting viewpoints on whether VaBroom is a necessity or not, the brand has done very well for itself since its time on "Shark Tank." Hopefully, the team is taking note of the complaints brought up by users, as much of VaBroom's success can be attributed to it being a viral trend across social media. If the company hopes to keep its product relevant after the hype dies down, it'll have to tackle these issues head-on. 

At the moment, this doesn't seem to be a major priority for either Trevor Lambert or John Vadnais. According to their LinkedIn accounts, Lambert remains the CEO of Enhance Innovations, the firm responsible for bringing VaBroom to the market, while Vadnais is listed as a part-time company founder. Along with the VaBroom, the team has a vast portfolio of creative products at hand such as a five-finger deshedding glove for pet owners, a two-spatula product that grounds meat with ease, and even an automatic toilet tank cleaner. These brands are available in various retailers including Walmart, The Home Depot, Petsmart, Target, Walgreens, and more. 

Enhance's latest project is Migration Mars, a tabletop game that challenges users to build a civilization on Mars. Much like the VaBroom, Migration Mars had a Kickstarter campaign that blew all expectations out of the water, bringing in over $130,000 on a $10,000 goal. That's no small feat, but it's another game-changing step from the team behind VaBroom.