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With its trademark Swedish minimalist design, the Pilo fabric shaver from Steamery is one of the most popular lint removers on the market today. So does it live up to the hype? To help you decide we’ve created an in-depth review of how it performs on a number of different fabrics, what it’s like to set up and how easy it is to use. Enjoy…
Here’s a quick overview of what we liked and disliked about the Steamery Pilo and what we think could be improved.
Here’s what’s included in the box:
Here is a list of specifications provided by the manufacturer:
Steamery offers a 1-year warranty for any products purchased via their website, but also make it clear that this warranty is in addition to consumer law. Any products with cosmetic damage or damage that was the result of use that’s not in accordance with the operating manual will not be covered.
Steamery, at their own discretion, will either repair or replace the product.
Is the Steamery Pilo noisy when used? Well, no, not really and certainly no noisier than other fabric shavers we’ve tested or other small electronic devices such as electronic toothbrushes or razors.
Testing with an ambient room volume of 30dB, the Pilo measure at 69dB when turned on and 71dB when in use. If anything, this model is a little quieter than the others we’ve measured. Not a significant difference, but certainly something you would expect with the additional cost compared to the Philips GC026 fabric shaver as an example.
So, does the Steamery Pilo Fabric Shaver live up to the hype? Overall, we think it does and is one of the most impressive fabric shaver’s on the market today. Here’s why…
Steamery makes a point in the market materials that the Pilo is suitable for multiple different fabric types and we certainly can’t disagree with this. Testing the quality of pill removal on a woollen jumper the Pilo removed almost 90% of pills on the first pass and virtually 100% after a couple more quick shaves. This makes it one of the most efficient shavers we’ve seen.
The second fabric we tested was a more delicate cashmere cardigan and again the Pilo performed efficiently on this type of fabric. However, the one thing that we want to highlight is that the Pilo didn’t impact, rough up or affect the delicate cashmere in any way. So, again Steamery is correct in their claims that the Pilo fabric shaver is suitable for use on all types of fabrics, even the most delicate ones.
From a very practical point of view, the Pilo performs well, but it should be mentioned that the lint pill container isn’t the largest and you do need to remember to regularly empty the pills. Obviously, not a problem for most garments but if you’re wanting to remove bobbling from sofas or items with large surface areas it could be a bit tiresome.
The amount of charge provided by the rechargeable battery (charged via the provided USB cable) is good and lasts for just under an hour, so you won’t need to make sure to remember to charge after each use.
Unlike some other fabric shavers, the Steamery Pilo doesn’t come with a replacement blade, but we don’t see this as being a big downside. Having used the shaver a lot and having read a number of consumer reviews it seems that the blade retains its sharpness for a long time. In fact, Steamery references on their website that they’ve never had anyone complain about the quality of blades.
We obviously can’t finish reviewing this product without mentioning the quality of design and aesthetics. Steamery pride itself on their approach to design across their range of clothing-care products and the Pilo is no exception. The minimalist design, shape and overall aesthetics really make this product and explain why it’s so popular despite its higher than the standard price tag.
We certainly believe so. Not only is the Pilo fabric shaver beautifully designed, but it really performs and does a great job of removing bobbles from all types of fabric. It’s by no means the cheapest shaver on the market, but it’s certainly worth the money for someone looking for a stylish device that works.
For anyone looking to find out about other fabric shavers on the market today, here’s our review of the best fabric shavers for 2022.
Our editors have independently selected and reviewed all of the products you see here. The reviews can contain links from affiliates, which means we may receive a small commission on editorially chosen products purchased through our links.
