Buying Guide for Fabric Shavers
Why buy a fabric shaver?
Buy a fabric shaver because the results are fabulous. If you own clothes that you want to keep for several years or hope to revive your living room sofa, a fabric shaver may be your answer. They remove the unwanted loose ends, snags, and trapped lint and fortify the fabric, all with a simple push of a button or a bit of pressure and dragging motion.
What should you look for in a fabric shaver?
- Design: There are motorized fabric shavers that run on electricity or battery power. These models often have speed settings, distance settings, and powerful suction to remove unwanted fuzz. Look for shavers with ergonomic handles, digital displays, or other features you think would benefit you most. And there are manual, motorless fabric shavers for those who like the simplicity of unnecessary features. There is no single best design; the best design is the one that works for you.
- Adjustability: If you own clothes and furniture, then you have several types of fabric that need shaving. Fabric shavers with adjustable motor speeds, distances between blades and fabric, or interchangeable razor heads all make the work easier, faster, and more effective. Some models even feature more than one method for recharging the battery.
- Bonuses: Some fabric shavers have built-in lint rollers, the sticky kind that gathers leftover fabric fluff and hair. A lint roller can be a great bonus feature if you have pets. A few models we reviewed have built-in fabric brushes for touch-ups.
Which is better? A fabric shaver or a lint roller?
Fabric shavers win if you need to decide between the two. They remove unwanted hair but also imperfections in fabrics, like pilling, fluff from worn-out sweaters, and fuzz. The removal is faster and more thorough as the razors shave surfaces cleanly. Regular use of a fabric shaver maintains the health of your favorite fabrics, while a lint roller removes only the outermost debris.
Our Picks for the Best Fabric Shavers
Pros: The Conair battery-operated fabric shaver features a three-setting controller to best address the fabric type. Use it to tackle pilling and lint from thick sweaters and fuzz from old sweatshirts. It features a large 2-inch shaving surface with a honeycomb-like mesh design to keep fingers safe. There’s a detachable lint catcher for easy fuzz disposal. It’s portable, so you can take it with you on trips.
Cons: The required two AA batteries must be purchased separately.
Bottom Line: This compact fabric shaver fits easily into a bag, drawer, or cupboard for storage. It does the job well and comes in six colors, too.
Pros: Magictec packed so much clever engineering into this compact fiber shaver that it’s hard for us to know where to begin. It’s made of a heavy-duty ABS shell with a stainless steel 65-mm honeycomb mesh cover and three razor-sharp blades, so it will surely last for years. The thin, high-performance motor can reach up to 9,000 rpm, pretty fast for a fabric shaver. Of course, a powerful motor has little importance if the suction isn’t great. But it is! These premium parts work together to create a close shave that protects fabrics from further damage. Charging the NiMH battery is easy and fast with low electric consumption.
Cons: For some users, the Magictec shaver runs too loudly.
Bottom Line: This is a powerful, well-designed fabric shaver for your clothing needs. And don’t forget the bonus item! The shaver comes with a built-in garment brush. Just remove the lid on the top side of the handle.
Pros: If you regularly fight pet hair and fuzzy, pilled clothes and furniture, you’ll be pleased to know this fabric shaver has a patented ergonomic design. The handle features a soft-molded grip and a quick-release button for easy maneuvering between the three varied edge shavers. The Gleener is a big saver, too. Use it on cashmere, wool, rayon, cotton, and more to protect your sweaters, blankets, furniture, and linens. Loose fibers weaken fabric over time if they’re not removed. Also, the shaver runs on your energy alone, so it’s easy on money and the environment.
Cons: A few users say that they’ve accidentally pressed the button to remove the razor when they gripped the handle. Apparently, this razor isn’t designed to work equally well for all hand sizes.
Bottom Line: This fabric shaver has a lot going for it, like that handy built-in lint brush and the fact it comes in six colors.
Pros: This ingenious fabric shaver goes far and beyond the rest. It’s designed to remove everything from pet hair to lint, fuzz, bread crumbs, and more. Our favorite characteristics are its simple, non-motorized design and good looks. The handle is authentic wood, and the head is a combination of metal and two copper rods. Its shaver resembles a yard rake with its angled, fan-shaped body. But instead of tines, the OJJ fabric shaver has only a fan-shaped unbroken perimeter. The hair, pill, and fluff removal magic occur as you draw the textured-copper bars across the fabric, changing angles according to the delicacy of the material you’re treating.
Cons: This fabric shaver has no sharp edges, but the textured copper is abrasive. You may need to take care of delicate fabrics and use more elbow grease on thicker materials like braided rugs.
Bottom Line: This portable, one-piece fabric shaver is easy to clean, sharp, edge-free, and recyclable. Plus, it’s so easy to store or tote that you’ll have no excuse not to use it.
Pros: If you inspect the mesh shaver surface, you’ll notice there are three hole sizes for different-sized fuzz balls. A six-leaf blade for fast and efficient shaving sits just behind the curved surface. If the mesh cover loosens or falls off, the powerful suction devices will shut off immediately. Press the speed shift button to switch between three gears to address different fabric types. The homeasy fabric shaver runs on a built-in 1,800-mAh rechargeable battery and comes with a USB Type C power cord. Check both battery charge and speed mode on the LED digital display. And yet there’s more: the 2-in-1 fabric shaver has a hidden lint roller cleverly built into the shaver’s handle.
Cons: The shaver is larger and heavier than similar models.
Bottom Line: A well-designed fabric shaver like the homeasy is a fantastic tool to have on hand. It’s effective on most fabric surfaces and a welcome functionally in homes with pets or dust.
Final Thoughts
Have a nice fabric shaver on hand to quickly fix your lint ball-covered outfit, couch, or comforter. These top picks will do a great job.
