Smooth clothes: 5 best lint removers & brushes
It’s like voodoo magic.
Just when you thought you have stopped the lint invasion, the pesky fuzz-balls manage to pop up again!
Now that me and Greg are back in the US, things are a bit better. But especially when we traveled around Asia, it was a nightmare. A special “boo” for Japanese washers’ lint trap efficiency!
One of our best decisions was to simply get this Conair lint remover. We had to move around a lot (and frequently) – a cordless fabric shaver was a must.
It helped us avoid sorry sights like this:
I know some people prefer lint brushes. I tried one just like this model. While it did the job, I think I find lint shavers more convenient.
Based on our experiences and some chats with what our friends have used, I present you some reviews on the best lint fabric shavers lint brushes. Stay around for a few tips after that!
- Conair Defuzzer
- Best for:
3-setting distance control for custom lint removal depending on the fabric. Gorgeous designs. - Shaving surface:
2" - Power:
★★★★ - Ergonomics:
Standard U-shape with a more prominent handle for better grip. - Size & weight:
Standard size, 7.2 ounces
★★★★
- WonderLint Shaver
- Best for:
Powerful, multipurpose piling remover with bigger shaver head. Can be used for furniture or curtains too. - Shaving surface:
2.5" - Power:
★★★★★ - Ergonomics:
Standard U-shape with a bigger handle for better grip. - Size & weight:
Standard size, 5.1 ounces
★★★★
- Remington FuzzAway
- Best for:
Portable, lightweight lint shaver. Perfect for traveling and has surprising power for its size. - Shaving surface:
1.1" - Power:
★★★★ - Ergonomics:
Rounder shape for less space taken and good ergonomics. - Size & weight:
Only 2.1" x 2.2" x 5" and 3.2 ounces!
★★★★★
- Evercare Magik
- Best for:
Budget two-sided brush that can be used with both hands. Reasonable lint removal capability. - Bristle quality:
★★★★ - Materials:
Plastic with gentle red fabric. - Ergonomics:
Well-designed handle for any hand. - Size & weight:
Around 9 1/2", brush itself being half of it!
- Miscly Brush
- Best for:
Premium brush that can be used as lint remover and normal clothes brush. Boar hair, paired with beech wood excellence. - Bristle quality:
★★★★★ - Materials:
Exquisite beech wood and boar hair. - Ergonomics:
Lightweight, balanced design. - Size & weight:
Around 11", a bit bigger.
The 3 best lint removers
1. Most popular lint remover:
Conair Fabric Defuzzer
Usually I don’t like Conair’s products much, but their pilling remover is a top choice. Now, it sure conforms to fabric shaver standards with its 3 blades and a close to 2” shaving surface.
Alright. Then what’s the big secret it hides in its ergonomic, portable body?
It’s the 3-setting distance control you can adjust in line with your specific needs at the moment of removing pilling.
Does it matter that much? Absolutely.
For more delicate materials (like using a lint remover on cashmere clothes), you want more distance between shaver and material. Conair makes it easy to preserve the integrity of your tender pieces of clothing.
Aside from this, I really love two things with this clothing depiller. First, it’s the bigger handle – good size, with great ergonomics. If you’ll be going through a lot of clothes, you surely want to have that.
Second, with the easily detachable lint catcher you can clean it in no time. Pop the head and you’re done in just a few moments.
As a finishing touch, you also have quite a few designs to pick from. I’m not sure if that matters that much to you, but it always feels great to have attractive colors in your accessories. Why should it be different for household tools?
What I wish was a bit better is the clogging that occurs if you go through clothes with a lot of fuzz on them. Then again, most models have small “fluff bags” and head holes, so that’s not limited to the Conair fabric shaver.
Keep in mind that this is an electric lint remover. You need to plug 2 AA batteries so it actually runs – they don’t come with the defuzzer tool.
2. Best multipurpose fabric shaver [Curtains, sheets etc]:
House of Wonderful
Sometimes you need a more powerful clothing depiller with bigger capacity.
While a bit more expensive, this lint remover machine packs a whole 5W inside its stylish black body. The shaver head, covered with thin metal is also bigger at around 2.5”.
In line with fluff remover standards, once again you’ll find 3 sharp blades that still preserve fabrics.
There’s two main things I want to note about this model.
First, due do its bigger surface and more powerful operation, it extends beyond clothes. You can easily go through curtains, sheets (even the heavier ones for cold winter nights), blankets and upholstered fabrics with it. It’ll do a nice fabric shave on them.
Second, you’re getting the premium treatment here. Not only will you receive it in a pretty drawstring bag made of plush…You’ll also grab a cleaning brush and 2x spare steel blades.
So yes, you’ll be paying a bit more…But you’re also getting quite a few benefits for that. You can even choose whether to use it corded or cordless. Once again, if you go wireless, you need 2 batteries (not included in the purchase.)
Is there a catch with this otherwise best fabric shaver?
For me, it would’ve been even more awesome if it had a distance control like the Conair model. It would make things a bit more customizable, especially if you go through very delicate materials.
But all in all, this is an amazing tool that extends from sweater shaver to curtain fuzz remover and anything, really.
3. Best budget sweater defuzzer:
Remington FuzzAway
Now this little guy is an amazing approach to portability in removing lint from your clothes. It has a mere 1” head, 3 blades and is extremely lightweight.
I’m not kidding – this thing is twice lighter than the Conair electric lint remover!
On top of that, the blades are T-shaped. This actually helps in removing fuzz and lint and preserves fabrics at the same time. Packs quite the power too, by the way!
If you have no space in your luggage, but still want to take a lint remover machine with you, this might be the one. Inarguably the best lint remover for traveling, this Remington will take less space than a small makeup box!
As you can guess, the drawback is tied to its size. This tiny fabric shaver for clothes also has a smaller chamber for pilling.
It might need emptying a few times per a proper lint removing session, depending on the size of the clothes you go through (and their fabric.)
Aside from this, though, this is a great portable sweater pilling shaver!
The 2 best lint brushes
Popular pick:
Evercare Magik
As I said, some people still prefer lint brushes to pilling remover machines. This one is a generic, yet pretty effective way to brush your way through fuzz-bals and lint frustration.
The greatest thing about it is the fact that it’s two-sided. Use it with whichever hand you wish, removing fluff with whatever side suits you more.
The construction is great too. Lightweight, yet sturdy – on top of that, it’s soft and feels great to brush with. The handle is ergonomic enough to not tire your hands, even if you remove lint from bigger sweaters, for example.
Between the stylish red of the velour and the practical black of the plastic, you’ll find an affordable brush for destroying the pesky lint ball invaders.
Oh, size? It’s around 9 1/2”, with the brush itself taking around half of it. Plenty of surface for a lint brush for clothes. Don’t worry, it’ll be of use to you!
Alternatively, Evercare have one of the best lint rollers for pet hair too. Head over to my guide to lint rollers if you have a dog (or cat) pal with lots of fur!
Best higher end brush for pilled clothes:
Miscly boar hair brush
In case you want a combo product that also scores high on the “Premium” factor, this is the one. A lint remover and a brush for clothes in one, it will become your go to solution to removing fluff and ensuring your clothing stays presentable.
This one’s a bit bigger at 11”, with 3/4” bristles ready to comb through any piece of clothing with gentle determination.
It might be heavier than the Evercare brush, but the handle made of beech wood is such an eye-candy! It really feels great to swap the usual plastic with some wooden beauty.
If you’re looking for lint brush for pet hair, this one will be a better choice too. It’s sturdier, the bristle hair and lint remover pack more punch than usual brushes.
Even thicker pet hair or more stubborn fuzz-balls will be properly taken care of.
At the same time, the bristles are quite gentle on fabrics (at least compared with some synthetic materials, instead of boar hair.)
All in all, a balanced, if a bit more expensive take at brushing your way through pilled clothes and the lint remnants we hate so much!
My 3 top tips when removing lint from pilled clothes
Even with the sturdier, don’t-care type of fabrics, you have to be careful when using a fabric shaver or a lint brush. With more gentle fabrics like cashmere, you have to be twice the alert.
My top tips would be:
-
Lay the fabric shaver flat when removing lint.
You want it to be properly aligned so the blades don’t “chew” on the fabric if they clean from an improper angle. Put the machine in a neutral position and avoid sharper angles. -
Control your distance.
As I said, I like the Conair model because it lets you adjust lint removing distance. With more delicate fabrics you have to go slower and not push the blades too much, maintaining proper control. -
Always clean the shaving head and the lint catching compartment.
You don’t want them getting clogged, as this will affect the performance of your fabric shaver.
How to prevent clothes from pilling?
Now, this can vary a lot across households. It’s tied to the clothes’ materials and even the model of the washing machine and how gentle/strong its cycles are.
As a whole, here are a few simple steps that might help with having clothes pill less:
-
Wash them inside out!
Yep, you heard me. It can be that simple! Sweaters, trousers, shirts…just get some inside out action going and see whether there will be any results. It won’t fully prevent lint and pilling, but this might reduce fuzz-bals a bit. - Use a fabric softener!
Proper softeners help with reducing the fuzz – and they can be naturally sourced too! Head over to my review on some favorite fabric softeners of mine that also smell nice! -
Separate your laundry.
Towels, rags, cloths and similar parts of our daily life can be a lint magnet. I suggest separating them from T shirts, trousers and all that jazz.With gentle, tender materials, you definitely want to run a separate cycle, instead of bundling them with your super thick towel that will leave quite a bit of lint behind.
-
Grab some white vinegar.
White vinegar is everywhere – Greg even mentioned it in cleaning dry erase boards with it. Are you surprised that it could help with pilling? You shouldn’t be! Add half a cup (or 1 cup, depending on your load) along with the detergent or fabric softener you’re using. It might easy your pilling clothes headaches!
Adventures, cute dogs and traveling over the world. I like writing about whatever's on my mind. Proud to have sparked Greg's interest in digital nomading 🙂
