Before Barebones made a single lantern, it made emergency shelters. Robert Workman — the guy behind the brand — spent years doing humanitarian work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo alongside his wife Ange, figuring out the most basic things people needed to survive: shelter, food, water, light. That work became a non-profit called Tifie, then a solar company called Goal Zero, and eventually Barebones. The name comes directly from those shelters. Bare bones. The minimum a person needs.

What came out of that is a range of tools and objects built on the same thinking — that things worth making are worth making properly. Cast iron. Wax canvas. Edison-style lanterns. Garden tools with ash handles. Nothing disposable, nothing designed to be replaced next season.

We carry brands because of how they think, not just how they look. And Barebones has a pretty good story to tell in that department. There's something about picking up one of their lanterns — the weight of it, the warmth of the light, the fact that it looks exactly like what it is. No fuss, no trend-chasing. Just a well-made thing that'll still be around in ten years. That works for us.

And it turns out, a millet broom just sweeps better. The natural bristles have a weight and flex that collect dust and debris rather than scattering it — and they hold their shape over years of use, outlasting synthetic alternatives by a long way. When they've finally done their job, they're fully compostable. The whole thing goes back to the earth.

The range covers most sweeping needs — heavier brooms for outdoor surfaces like pavers and concrete, lighter ones for timber floors and tiles indoors, and smaller handheld styles for tight corners, rugs and outdoor furniture.