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We de-fuzzed different materials to find the best fabric shavers for everything from sweaters to furniture.
Credit:Southern Living / Henry Wortock
Dr. Preeti Arya is an assistant professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
We tested 20 popular fabric shavers on the market to determine which worked the best for removing pills.
From electric to manual, weve found the best fabric shavers for all of your clothing and furniture needs.
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It never clogged or jammed while in use, and worked very well compared to a razor.
When we used it on flannel, wool, and acrylic, it removed all of the pilling.
Besides sweaters, we also used it on our cashmere leggings.
The Conair Fabric Shaver has a large, 2-inch head that removed 75% of pills after the first pass.Credit: Southern Living / Henry Wortock
By the time we were finished, they looked brand new, and all of the pilling was removed.
The handle was also the most comfortable to hold.
Plus, it didnt create any holes or snags.
We also like the rounded shape that fits easily in your hand for a comfortable grip.
Despite this minor issue, it never jammed.
There are three different edges to choose from, depending on your fabric.
We did find that the shaver accumulates fuzz buildup pretty easily.
While there aren’t any cleaning tools provided, this wasnt a huge setback for us.
It took about 4 minutes to remove 90% of the pilling.
And thanks to the small brush, we could easily clean the blades out and remove debris.
We didn’t experience any snags or holes in our fabric.
No batteries or power packs are necessary.
Over time, we did find that this shaver is not suitable for fluffier fabrics.
When we used it on them, it changed the texture and made them have a rougher appearance.
On the other hand, its super affordable and you get two shavers in a pack.
It just takes a bit of elbow grease , since this is a simple, manual shaver.
We found a well-loved blanket from the secondhand store and cut it into swatches.
We also brought in some of our own clothing to de-fuzz, including delicate fabrics like cashmere.
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For each blanket swatch, we used painters tape to divide the swatch in half.
We took note of the comfort and maneuverability of the fabric shaver while using it.
None of the fabric shavers we tested damaged the fabric swatch.
Credit: Southern Living
After analyzing the results, we have updated this review to include new insights.
If its a more delicate fabric, youll want something more gentle that wont cause tears.
Power Source
Fabric shavers vary from battery-powered to manual to rechargeable.
However, it did take us a bit longer to de-fuzz with this shaver than others we tested.
Questions and Answers
How much do fabric shavers cost?
Fabric shavers range from around $5 to upwards of $25.
Our testing revealed that you really dont need to spend more than that to get a quality fabric shaver.
Are fabric shavers safe to use on all types of clothing?
Check to see if theres an instruction manual that comes with your fabric shaver before using it on clothing.
As a result, the fabric becomes thin from certain areas and the durability of the garment goes down.
Soon, holes can form.
Why Trust Southern Living?
For expert insight, Ogle consulted withDr.
Credit: Amazon
Credit: Amazon
Credit: Southern Living
Credit: Amazon
Ruri’s Portable Lint Remover is more of a lint remover than a fabric shaver, but it was still able to remove some pilling.Credit: Southern Living / Henry Wortock
We cleared each fabric shavers’ fuzz collection bin during testing.Credit:Southern Living / Henry Wortock
The Rowenta Battery-Operated Lint Remover took a bit longer to de-fuzz than others we tested.Credit:Southern Living / Henry Wortock
