12 Best Tried and True Japanese Carpet Rollers in 2022 (Nitoms, Yamazen, and More)
Sometimes you have a mess to clean up but don't want to drag out the vacuum cleaner. So you go for an adhesive carpet roller, but which one is the best?
Our editors searched Japanese e-commerce sites for the best lint rollers available online. We then picked out the most popular products and tested them. We looked at 10 sticky tape rollers, and 2 washable ones.
We focused on 3 things:
- Adhesive strength
- Ease of use
- Case design
We then ranked the products and put what we learned into a buying guide to help you choose the best Japanese lint rollers available online. And at the end, we have even more cleaning products to recommend!
Quick List - Top Japanese Carpet Rollers
Nitoms
The Best Carpet Roller with an Adjustable-Length Handle
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How to Choose Japanese Carpet Rollers
We recommend considering 4 points before buying an adhesive roller.
① Choose the Right Level of Stickiness
The stickier it is, the more dirt it will pick up quickly, but something that's too sticky can damage some types of flooring.
You want to be extra careful when choosing a product for tatami mats, laminated flooring, or rubber floor mats. You can buy rolls made especially for these types of flooring. If you plan to use the roller on carpet, super-sticky is the way to go.
② Consider How Easy it is to Use
Not only should it work well, but it should be quick to remove used sheets (or to wash if it's that kind.) Look for something that has marks or perforations to make it easier to tear off the dirty sheet and expose a clean one.
Even if it picks up debris well, if it takes time to get the next sheet ready, your chores will take longer than necessary.
③ Take the Case into Account
Where are you planning to keep the roller? Hidden away in a broom closet? In a drawer? Right next to the sofa for easy reach? This will determine how important the case appearance is to you.
You also want a case that is easy to open and close, because if it's too much trouble to put the roller back in the case, it'll get dirty unnecessarily. For storing it out in the open, we like a case that stands up and can be used from either side.
④ Take into Account the Cost of Replacing the Rolls
If the holder is a standard size, you'll be able to use replacement rolls from any manufacturer. In Japan, the standard length of a roll is 160 mm (a bit over 6 inches) and the inner diameter is 38 mm (1 1/2 inches.)
You can also consider a reusable roller. We evaluated two this time. They can be washed, which takes longer than tearing off a new adhesive sheet, but they can then be reused thousands of times. This makes them super cost-effective!
5 Best Japanese Carpet Rollers Ranking
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nitoms Colocolo Colorful | | mybest's Top Choice! Great at Cleaning, and a Stylish Case! | |
2 | Nitoms Colocolo Flooring Small Size | | The Simplest and Most Versatile Carpet Roller | |
3 | Nitoms Colocolo Flooring Joint Tray (Long-Handled Type) | | The Best Carpet Roller with an Adjustable-Length Handle | |
4 | Iris Ohyama Carpet Cleaner Regular Diagonal Cut | | Recommended to Easily Clean Clothes and Bedding | |
5 | Sarasa Design Sarasa Carpet Cleaner | | The Most Aesthetically Pleasing Carpet Roller |
mybest's Top Choice! Great at Cleaning, and a Stylish Case!
Our favorite adhesive carpet roller picked up dirt with ease! Although some dirt remained on the roll when the sheet was torn off, we didn't have any trouble while using it. The adhesive is strong and the sheets are sturdy.
We were very impressed with the case, too. It comes in brown, white, lime green, bright red and wine red, and is a nice shape that goes with any decor.
The handle takes a universal size roll, so you can switch to different sheets after the included roll is done to save money.
NitomsColocolo Flooring Small Size
The Simplest and Most Versatile Carpet Roller
The basic product of the Nitoms line, this has an adhesive which we ranked as first-class but is gentle enough to use on any type of flooring from carpet to vinyl to tatami. You can use other kinds too if you want, because the handle takes a standard size.
The case is simple but useful. It doesn't get in the way of the handle during storage, and it's designed so that it's easy to tell which side is the front and which is the back.
NitomsColocolo Flooring Joint Tray (Long-Handled Type)
The Best Carpet Roller with an Adjustable-Length Handle
This is great if you need a longer handle! Maybe you don't want to crawl around on the floor, or your back hurts from bending down. You can also use it to reach high places like your dusty ceiling or walls.
The adhesive is a special ridged pattern with alternating strength, so this can be used on any surfaces without damaging them.
The handle folds for storage, although if you try to store it full-length in its case, it'll tip over. You'll have to lean it against a wall.
Iris OhyamaCarpet Cleaner Regular Diagonal Cut
Recommended to Easily Clean Clothes and Bedding
The adhesive strength was not great, so we don't think it would work well to remove bigger messes on carpet.
But the diagonally-cut tape is SO easy to change - even if it's covered in garbage - that we'd use it for bedding or clothes in a heartbeat. There are mini-sized rolls available too, so you can choose based on what you need it for.
The main thing we didn't like was the case - it wasn't easy to use at all. But this is still a very convenient option.
Sarasa DesignSarasa Carpet Cleaner
The Most Aesthetically Pleasing Carpet Roller
This product was the winner of the Reddot Design Award, and it looks very stylish and high-end for a carpet tape roller! It comes in two colors that will suit any interior.
The diagonally-cut tape is very easy to use, but adhesion could have been a lot better. Still, the compact and easy-to-hold grip would make this perfect for using in cars, clothes, or bedding.
2 Best Japanese Reusable/Washable Carpet Rollers
We also decided to look at two Japanese reusable and washable carpet rollers. If you want something you can reuse thousands of times, take a look at our results!
How We Tested the Carpet Rollers
We put each of the products through 3 tests.
Test ① Did It Pick Up Dirt Well?
First, we tested how the effective the rollers were at picking up debris. 5 ounces of cereal (to mimic tiny and large pieces) were scattered on a carpet, and each product was rolled over it 10 times. The resulting number shows how many ounces of debris remained after use.
We found that sheets which could be used on many surfaces had the best adhesion, in spite of the fact that they were gentle on flooring such as tatami mats. Nitto products all performed well, as did the reusable rollers.
Test ② Was it Easy to Use?
Next, we checked to see how easy each product was to use. For the sticky tape rollers, we looked at how it was to tear off the old sheet and expose a new one. We ranked them on a scale of D to A+.
The diagonally-cut sheets were definitely the easiest, but ones with markings to show where to tear were also acceptable.
For the reusable rollers, we considered how easy it was to wash off the debris.
Test ③ Was the Case Designed Well?
We ranked each product's case for how easy it was to remove the product, and how nicely it stored it. Products ranked B or higher could be used without difficulty. Products graded D or C were hard to use.
Our favorite case to use was Azuma's, because it's attached to the roller, but we liked some of the designs of the others better as far as looks go.
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Author, Photos: Nao Kondo/Translation: Susan Lucier-Ogawa
Top 5 Japanese Carpet Rollers
No. 1: Nitoms｜Colocolo Colorful
No. 2: Nitoms｜Colocolo Flooring Small Size
No. 3: Nitoms｜Colocolo Flooring Joint Tray (Long-Handled Type)
No. 4: Iris Ohyama｜Carpet Cleaner Regular Diagonal Cut
No. 5: Sarasa Design｜Sarasa Carpet Cleaner
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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