I also have a wooden dowel, but this swiffer handle is excellent. Its light weight, compact (for storage), extendable from 12" to at least 48", without sacrificing rigidity. It has a wide grip handle, and at the end of each section is a threaded rod on which you can attach a threaded wooden ball or anything that has a threaded hole of the same size. Here is the Swiffer website, if you are really interested:
http://www.homemadesimple.com/swiffe...ucts/dry.shtml. I just started using it, and I still laugh at myself for being so 'frugal'.
David