PHILIPS Fabric Shaver, Black, Pack of 1

 

I had one of these bobble removers before, which served three years, although rechargeable; unfortunately, I misplaced the cable, rendering it useless. I needed it to remove bobbles from a mattress that developed in one area. Even though it has always been fitted with a protector, spending ages picking them off can’t be good long-term for the material as it tends to pull more than just the lint. As the top layer is also a gel hybrid, I’d rather not poke around with scissors. I want to minimise any unnecessary damage and extend its life. Of course, I also have clothing throws, cushions, and other garments that need a freshened-up. I split my reviews into three segments: Pro, med and con for ease of reading.

Pro:
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* X2 AA Phillps branded batteries are already supplied, which is very welcomed. Although most have these at hand, there’s nothing worse than having to scour to find them and then discover they don’t work.

* With slow circular passes, it has removed all visual bobbles restoring to like new on both fabrics and items. So far, I have used it on 15-20 individual garments taking 3-5 minutes per use to complete (around an hour), and the performance and power have been consistent.

* Unlike rechargeable models, this is solely battery-operated, which has an advantage over internal batteries, all naturally degrade. In a sealed battery, the entire unit would need replacement instead of replacing external batteries periodically. Do I miss the rechargeable? Sure, but purely for convenience. However, it’s one less thing I need to worry about losing the charging cable and the internal battery inevitably failing. After using the supplied batteries, I always recommend high-quality batteries in the future.

Med:
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* The supplied brush, to me, has never been required since the shaver has an element of suction that I’d say almost all fabric is collected into the container and never behind the blades.

* The amount of paper is unnecessary. Two thick pamphlets, one page, are the required basic information. After a quick read into the recycling, it went.

* There is an element of upkeep, just like my prior. Usually, around three months, the blades become blunt and are less effective at doing their intended job. However, you can purchase these replacements third party. I haven’t come across official Phillips blades online for this particular model.

Con:
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* Does it feel like 16 worth of quality? I’d have to disagree. It feels cheaply made and plasticky. Here you are solely paying for the brand name. The build quality is unfortunate as this is something big brands usually tend to focus on, and it should be more noticeable, even a small amount of quality improvement over others. In this case, there isn’t. It feels very toy-like. Had a spare blade been given, it would have bumped the value for money. Other unbranded include these, including cheaper models.

* The battery slide compartment and the lint collection are easy to catch simultaneously. Thankfully this doesn’t happen too frequently, though frustrating when it does occur.

Conclusion
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Is it better than any unbranded one? I’d have to say no compared to my old 9, as it performed equally effectively and had better build quality. Since most unbranded shavers, both rechargeable and non, are now around the same price as this Phillips, some are drastically more expensive and do the same thing. You may as well if you always want to be brand aware and don’t mind sacrificing the ability to recharge. I also read into the negative reviews before purchasing, and most complaints related to damaging fabrics. I’m unsure if they have had the blade to an incorrect level, such as without the guard attached for a material that would require, applied too much pressure when in use, or if the device has ultimately been faulty. Still, for me, I have tried different variations of items such as cashmere, cushions, gloves, scarfs, hats, an area of a mattress, socks and wools both flat and pleated with and without the guard with no issues or damage, as of yet. Overall, it works. I wouldn’t say it’s worth 16. If you spend a little time, you could find others cheaper and of superior quality.

How I use:
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* Ensure the item is un-ironed to keep the pile in an unflattened state; otherwise, it won’t be as effective.

* Attach the guard. I recommend delicate fabrics such as cashmere always to keep this on. Just because it may work well without one cashmere garment doesn’t mean it’ll work as well without the next.

* Slowly glide and move the shaver in circular motions (like buffing). For those stubborn piles, apply a little pressure.

* For items such as pleated/flat wool, you can use a mixture of the guard on and off. I find removing the guard to be more effective without having to spend more time doing multiple passes. I’d always recommend using it in an inconspicuous area first.