There's nothing worse than pulling your favorite sweater out of your closet only to realize that it's covered in lint. Or seeing your beloved cat roll all over your white couch right before guests come over.
Things like lint, dust and fur are a normal part of life. However, when they accumulate on our furniture and clothing, not only can they be an eyesore, but they can also be pretty tough to remove.
That's where lint rollers come in handy. They're not all made equal, so that's why Shop TODAY editor Amanda Fama (with the help of her cat, Zev) tried out multiple models on fur- and lint-covered surfaces to see which ones could clean up tough messes.
Overall best lint roller
Reusability: 5/5 | Portability: 4/5 | Effectiveness: 4/5 | Overall rating: 4.3/5
Reusability: According to Fama, this roller is "extremely reusable." It features a sticky gel on the inside, which can be washed to remove lint and dirt. “Once the sticky part was run under water, it only took a few seconds for the lint to disappear. I’m extremely impressed,” Fama adds.
Portability: While she shares that the roller is "very portable" and is small enough to fit in your bag or purse, it's a little too large to fit in a pocket.
It even has a cover to protect the inside part when you’re not using it "so it won’t stick to anything in your bag while you’re on the go," Fama says.
Effectiveness: "This was extremely sticky upon use," Fama says. "After wetting it, the stickiness briefly went away, but it came back quickly and was able to be used again."
When used on a shirt covered in lint and cat hair, it took about 20 swipes to completely clean it. Still, she chose it as her overall top choice because "it performs well, is reusable (without getting other things sticky thanks to the cover) and is portable." She adds, "Out of the washable options, this one offers a larger, oval-shaped roller that picks up more debris in one swipe."
More lint rollers, as tested by an editor
Best portable:
Reusability: 5/5 | Portability: 5/5 | Effectiveness: 3/5 | Overall rating: 4.3/5
Reusability: Much like the above option, this one features a covered roller that can be washed off. "This is reusable and very simple to wash by running it under water," Fama says.
Portability: "This is by far the most portable option on the list," Fama shares. "It's tiny, has a carrying handle and even a lint cover to keep it protected while not in use."
Effectiveness: "This was very sticky to start; I was shocked at how much cat hair and debris was picked up by it," Fama says. "It works well, but it's so tiny that it's not really practical for large surfaces." During the shirt test, it took over 25 swipes to clear off the lint and dirt.
Best for small areas:
Reusability: 5/5 | Portability: 4/5 | Effectiveness: 3/5 | Overall rating: 4/5
Reusability: Much like the above options, this lint roller is sticky and just needs water to be cleaned. "Since you can wet this roller and continue using it as many times as you'd like, it's extremely reusable. It also has a cover so you can keep it clean in between uses."
Portability: While Fama says it might not fit in your pocket, it can easily fit in a purse or bag.
Effectiveness: On the T-shirt test, this roller took over 25 swipes and multiple cleanings. "This roller is super sticky to begin with, but after four swipes, it quickly lost its stick and had to be washed. Since it's so tiny, this probably wouldn't be best for large garments or surface areas; it would take a lot of swiping. However, this is perfect for small areas since the circular shape allows for more precise swiping," she shares.
Best for pets:
Reusability: 4/5 | Portability: 2/5 | Effectiveness: 5/5 | Overall rating: 3.6/5
Reusability: This option is not totally reusable, since the sheets are disposable, but Fama says she was "really impressed with how much lint and debris one sheet picked up in four swipes." She adds, "I think these sheets could definitely last more than one use each."
Portability: "I wouldn't consider this to be a super portable option," she says. "Of course, you could throw it in a bag or backpack if you needed to, but it would probably stick to things in the pack. It's not so big or heavy that you can't take it with you, though."
Effectiveness: When it comes to effectiveness, this roller got a perfect score. It cleared off the lint and pet hair in just 10 swipes. "These sheets are extremely sticky, even after picking up lint and cat hair. Overall, I was seriously impressed by this Reddit find. Thanks to the sticky sheets and the large surface area, I could see this being a go-to lint roller for various surfaces. Dirty sheets are super easy to remove, too! They tear right off."
Easiest to clean:
Reusability: 5/5 | Portability: 4/5 | Effectiveness: 3/5 | Overall rating: 4/5
Reusability: This roller has a unique design — it opens up to reveal an inner brush and Fama says it's "extremely easy to clean in between uses." "All you have to do is push the lint roller into the barrel and then bring it back up. When the barrel is full, you can empty the barrel to remove any lint that has built up. It's super simple."
Portability: "This one is portable; it can fit in a pocket or purse, but it's still not as small or compact as others I've tested," she says.
Effectiveness: "This product isn't meant to be sticky," Fama says. "It didn't perform extremely well on a cotton shirt, and after four swipes, there was still cat hair, lint and debris left in the cleansed area. However, it worked great on the couch. I think this is very useful for furniture covered in pet hair or lint, and since it's simple to clean, it won't be a problem reusing it as many times as you need to."
The best types of lint rollers for pet hair
For pet hair, Doug Lynch, president and board member of textile brand Filium Corp, generally recommends using a traditional lint roller with a strong adhesive and disposable sheets, adding that ones with micro-groove patterns can better grip hair. "These work well on textured weaves like cotton twill or canvas, where hair tends to get embedded," he shares. "If you’re concerned about waste, there are reusable options — but for high-volume cleanup (like after snuggling a shedding pup), disposable sticky sheets remain the most effective."
The key, says Rechelle Balanzat, founder and CEO of Juliette Premium Dry Cleaning and Laundry Service, is quick tack and multiple passes. "For heavy-duty jobs (think: black wool coat meets white cat), look for extra sticky rollers marketed specifically for pet hair."
How we tested lint rollers
Editor Amanda Fama tested the lint rollers on two different surfaces: cotton T-shirts and her couch.
To start, she sectioned off two large cotton T-shirts into eight areas (one for each roller she was trying). Her cat, while adorable, sheds a lot, so he helped with the process. She got fur all over the shirts by rubbing the shirts against her cat and letting him lie all over them. Then, she took lint from dryers in her building and spread it in even layers across the shirts. She swiped each roller four times to see how much hair and lint it would pick up. After the test, she counted how many swipes it took to completely (or almost completely) clear the shirt of lint and hair.
She performed a similar test on her couch, letting her cat stretch and lie all over the couch and sectioning it off into eight areas. She then used each roller to see how well it worked on the couch fabric.
Frequently asked questions
"Wool, fleece and brushed knits are among the trickiest — these fabrics have a loft or nap that traps lint deep within the fibers," shares Lynch. "In these cases, I recommend a rubberized reusable roller or a fabric-safe pumice-style remover. They lift debris without damaging the fabric’s surface. Avoid ultra-sticky adhesives on delicate knits, as they can tug at the fibers over time."
"Smooth synthetics or tightly woven cottons are usually the easiest — lint sits right on the surface," Lynch says. "A standard adhesive roller (disposable or reusable) will work well here. For travel or quick fixes, I keep a compact lint roller with perforated sticky sheets in my bag. If the fabric is treated with a coating like Filium (which naturally resists buildup), you often need just a light swipe."
Washable and reusable rollers can be are a great low-waste alternative, Lynch says, "especially the gel or rubber varieties that you rinse clean." Though they are not always the most effective. That's why the experts recommend having both.
"If you’re managing a high-end wardrobe or just trying to keep pet hair off your favorite coat, a hybrid approach works best — classic sticky sheets for power-cleaning, and reusable rollers for light maintenance and eco-conscious convenience," Balanzat says.
Why trust Shop TODAY
Amanda Fama is an editor at Shop TODAY who oversees the Ranked series. She knows how to properly test products to produce fair, transparent outcomes and ratings. She previously tried six smart trash cans to determine the best overall.
The writer, Emma Stessman, has been on the Shop TODAY team since 2020 and routinely covers cleaning topics, including how often to wash and replace your bedding and the best shoe deodorizers.
Meet the experts
- Rechelle Balanzat is the founder and CEO of JULIETTE Premium Dry Cleaning and Laundry Service in New York City.
- Doug Lynch is the president and board member of Filium Corp.
