Steamery Pilo No. 2 Fabric Shaver review: is the stylish lint remover worth it?

Price on writing: £55 | Buy now from Selfridges

How we tested

Mumsnet editor Poppy tested the Steamery Pilo 2 on a number of bobbled items of clothing. Taking detailed notes on effectiveness, user-friendliness and efficiency, the fabric shaver was pitted against:

• A cotton sweatshirt

• An acrylic knitted cardigan

• A 100% wool jumper

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Steamery Pilo No. 2 Fabric Shaver: our verdict

Performance: 14/15

Quality and durability: 15/15

Ease of use: 15/15

Value for money: 10/15

Ergonomics: 10/10

Battery life: 8/10

Fabric care: 10/10

Ease of maintenance: 8/10

Total: 90/100

Often named one of the best lint removers by users of the Mumsnet forums, the Steamery Pilo No. 2 is an updated version of the Steamery Pilo 1 Fabric Shaver. The Pilo 2 has 3 more razor blades and a larger nozzle than its predecessor, allowing you to cover a larger surface area of fabric more quickly. Its shape, charging time and capacity have also been upgraded.

I was really impressed by the ease with which the Pilo 2 ridded my clothing of bobbles, especially my beloved grey marl cotton sweatshirt. It performed less well on the larger bobbles that plague my knitted garments, so I'd recommend a pilling comb for these items over a fabric shaver.

The rotating blades are safely inside the shaver, so you don't need to worry about damaging your fabrics (or your fingers). It comes with a tiny little brush to help get all the bits of flick and lint out of the shaver, which came in really handy.

Taking 2.5 hours to fully charge, the fabric shaver can keep going for 2 hours of intense bobble-mageddon. While it did take some elbow grease, I was able to transform a severely bobbled sweatshirt, leaving a smooth and great-looking surface to the fabric. If you're looking to revive old clothes, I'd recommend the Pilo 2 to get the job done.

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How easy is the Steamery Pilo 2 to set up and start using?

The fabric shaver arrived fully charged, so I was able to use it straight out of the box. It takes 2.5 hours to charge from zero to full, giving you 2 hours of uninterrupted debobbling time. Chunky and comfortable to hold, the debobbler has just one on/off button, so it's super simple to use.

The shaver side has a diameter of 11cm, giving a generous surface area. I stretched the fabric of my clothing over my knee and pressed the shaver onto it, seeing immediate results.

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How effective is the Steamery Pilo No. 2?

While it took a bit of patience and effort to debobble a heavily pilled cotton sweatshirt, the Steamery Pilo 2 is certainly effective. It felt like a precision instrument, expertly plucking each bobble off my sweatshirt, without leaving a trace of damage on the fabric.

I tested the Pilo 2 on chunkier, knitted items and found it less impressive - I'd put this down to the size of the bobbles being so much bigger than the cotton ones.

In short, the Pilo 2 is very effective on woven fabrics like cotton, jersey, viscose, silk and linen but less so on knitted fabrics.

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How easy is the Steamery Pilo No. 2 to keep clean?

As the lint is stored within the fabric shaver, it gets less effective as it gets filled up, as the rotating blades become covered in lint. Because of this, you'll need to empty it every now and again.

The shaver is easy to open with a simple twist mechanism. The blades sort of float around inside, so you can carefully pick them out and shake the lint out into a bin.

Giving the shaver a more thorough clean is a bit fiddlier, but there's a tiny brush included in the box which makes getting into the debobbler's nooks and crannies a doddle.

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Does the Steamery Pilo 2 offer good value for money?

At £55, the Steamery Pilo 2 is at the premium end of the lint remover market. However, compared to budget alternative Philips Fabric Shaver (RRP £16), the Pilo 2 has the edge in a number of ways - including USB charging, a larger shaving surface area and longer run time.

Put simply, the Pilo 2 will debobble your clothing faster than cheaper alternatives, so if you're looking to revive items regularly or have a number of clothes in need of attention, it makes sense to spend that bit more.

About the author

Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She researches and reviews the products Mumsnetters swear by, with a particular focus on home essentials, laundry and fans. From a highly-recommended retractable washing line to the best quiet fans money can buy, and Mumsnet's favourite dehumidifier to the steam generator iron that'll cut your ironing time in half, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the very best products on the market.

Holding an MA in Creative Writing and a PGCert in Lifestyle Journalism, Poppy's written about parenting topics for The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Mirror and The Sun. She's a best-selling, award-winning author, and her books for children and parents have been translated into 12 languages.

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