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The Best Dryer Balls of 2024

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

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1
Editor's Choice Product image of Budieggs Wool Dryer Balls
Best Overall

Budieggs Wool Dryer Balls

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There were some drawbacks, but the Budieggs had better drying power than the rest of the products we tested. Read More

Pros

  • Reduced drying time
  • Durable
  • Hypoallergenic

Cons

  • Left some items damp
  • Needs high dry times for heavy loads
2
Editor's Choice Product image of Smart Sheep Wool Dryer Balls
Best Wool

Smart Sheep Wool Dryer Balls

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They were clearly high-quality and could be used over and over again, despite a few drawbacks. Read More

Pros

  • Shorter drying time
  • Highly rated
  • Soften laundry

Cons

  • Needs longer drying times
  • Left some items damp
  • Too much static
3
Product image of Whitmor Dryer Balls

Whitmor Dryer Balls

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The Whitmor balls are made of thermoplastic, making them a good alternative to wool. The plastic is durable, but it's not great at softening fabrics. Read More

Pros

  • Durable

Cons

  • Not effective at softening fabric
4
Product image of Friendsheep Wool Dryer Balls

Friendsheep Wool Dryer Balls

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Although the Friendsheep were a bit of a novelty, they were also made of soft New Zealand wool and made our t-shirts and comforters soft to the touch. Read More

Pros

  • Cute shapes
  • Fun to use
  • Softened laundry

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Left some items damp
5
Product image of SnugPad Wool Dryer Balls

SnugPad Wool Dryer Balls

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In our tests the laundry still felt damp after drying it. This could be changed by adjusting the settings, but they were the lower end of average. Read More

Pros

  • Baby safe
  • Chemical free
  • Inexpensive

Cons

  • Flimsy design
  • Cheap wool
  • Best Overall Budieggs Wool Dryer Balls
  • Best Wool Smart Sheep Wool Dryer Balls
  • Other Dryer Balls We Tested
  • How We Test Dryer Balls
  • Dryer Balls vs. Dryer Sheets
  • Dryer Ball FAQ
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

Dryer balls claim to shorten dry times and keep your clothes from clumping during the cycle. They contain far fewer chemicals, serve as a natural fabric softener, and are better for the environment than single-use dryer sheets. But do they really work?

To find out, we took to Reviewed's lab to see if dryer balls improve your laundry loads and discover the best brand to buy. Here are our results.

After multiple loads of laundry, the Budieggs Wool Dryer Balls (available at Amazon) emerged as our top pick because of their build and wool quality, as well as their ability to soften. These basic and organic eco-friendly products are the best path to keeping your laundry fresh.

These are the best dryer balls money can buy.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Budieggs Wool Dryer Ballshad better drying power than the rest of the products we tested.

Best Overall
Budieggs Wool Dryer Balls
  • Material: 100% New Zealand wool
  • Quantity: 6

Budieggs Wool Dryer Balls are durable and strong. We have no doubt that these dryer balls will last for 1,000 loads or longer. The Budieggs contain no chemicals and claim to be hypoallergenic, which is great for sensitive skin.

The Budieggs have better drying power than the rest of the products we tested and left laundry really soft. In our lab testing, the Budieggs left T-shirts slightly damp to the touch after a single load, but that was true with every product we tested. The comforter we dried was also damp in the middle, but our testing found that most comforters did not dry completely without the use of tennis balls, even with longer drying times and higher dry settings.

Pros

  • Reduced drying time

  • Durable

  • Hypoallergenic

Cons

  • Left some items damp

  • Needs high dry times for heavy loads

Buy now at Amazon
These are the best dryer balls money can buy.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Smart Sheep is made by women and minorities who are paid a living wage.

Best Wool
Smart Sheep Wool Dryer Balls
  • Material: 100% New Zealand wool
  • Quantity: 6

Smart Sheep Wool Dryer Balls, made of 100% New Zealand wool, are soft to the touch and were the most luxurious material that we tested, earning our pick as best wool dryer balls. While the Smart Sheep was on the more expensive side for dryer balls, the price can be justified by the quality of the wool and the way it's produced.

Like the Budieggs, the inside of the comforter we used in testing still felt damp and T-shirts were not completely dry, but that could be remedied with a longer dry time or higher settings. They were clearly high-quality and could be used over and over again.

Pros

  • Shorter drying time

  • Highly rated

  • Soften laundry

Cons

  • Needs longer drying times

  • Left some items damp

  • Too much static

Buy now at Amazon

Other Dryer Balls We Tested

Product image of Whitmor Dryer Balls
Whitmor Dryer Balls
  • Material: Plastic
  • Quantity: 2

The Whitmore Dryer Balls are a solid choice if you don’t want to purchase wool dryer balls. These thermoplastic dryer balls are more durable than wool and last longer than 1,000 loads. Compared with wool dryer balls we tested, there wasn’t a huge difference in terms of dampness. However, our test laundry wasn’t as soft as loads dried with wool dryer balls.

Pros

  • Durable

Cons

  • Not effective at softening fabric

$9.26 from Amazon

$10.61 from Walmart
Product image of Friendsheep Wool Dryer Balls
Friendsheep Wool Dryer Balls
  • Material: 100% organic New Zealand wool
  • Quantity: 6

Friendsheep Wool Dryer Balls were certainly the cutest product that we tested, and come in multiple designs and colors. We chose the sloth-shaped dryer balls and found them to be quite fun to use. Although the Friendsheep were a bit of a novelty, they were also made of organic New Zealand wool and made our T-shirts and comforters soft to the touch. We loved using them, but they lacked drying power.

Unfortunately, the inside of the comforter we dried was still wet and our T-shirts felt slightly damp. Since the Friendsheep are pricier than other dryer balls we tested, this isn’t the best option. Then again, the cute designs may encourage your kids to help with the laundry!

Pros

  • Cute shapes

  • Fun to use

  • Softened laundry

Cons

  • Expensive

  • Left some items damp

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of SnugPad Wool Dryer Balls
SnugPad Wool Dryer Balls
  • Material: 100% organic New Zealand wool
  • Quantity: 6

SnugPad Dryer Balls, made of organic New Zealand wool, are baby-safe and chemical-free. However, they don’t score many points for quality, durability, or drying power in our tests. Laundry still felt damp after drying for 40 minutes. It is possible that this could be changed with a longer dry time or higher drying temperature.

They are, however, the least expensive of the bunch, so if you want to try out dryer balls without a huge financial investment, these wool dryer balls are a good place to start.

Pros

  • Baby safe

  • Chemical free

  • Inexpensive

Cons

  • Flimsy design

  • Cheap wool

Buy now at Amazon

$8.77 from Walmart
Product image of Woolzies Wool Dryer Balls
Woolzies Wool Dryer Balls
  • Material: 100% New Zealand wool
  • Quantity: 6

One thing that the Woolzies have going for them is that you can add a few drops of essential oils on the wool fabric to make your laundry smell delectable. The Woolzies are organic and chemical-free, but they don’t perform as well as others on our list. They actually did worse in terms of drying power—the entire comforter was still damp after drying.

Pros

  • Organic wool

  • Chemical free

  • Can be used with essential oils

Cons

  • Poor drying power

  • Overpriced

Buy now at Amazon

$35.00 from Walmart

How We Test Dryer Balls

These are the best dryer balls money can buy.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Our lab team spent weeks laundering towels, t-shirts, and a queen-size comforter to find the best dryer balls.

Our lab team spent weeks laundering towels, T-shirts, and a queen-size comforter over and over again in a Maytag washing machine and LG dryer.

Each load was weighed before and after washing and then dried for 40 minutes on a normal cycle. For every set of dryer balls, we dried each of the three loads on a timed dry cycle and measured its post-dry weight. We used the recommended number of dryer balls based on load size. For comparison, we also dried loads with a tennis ball to see how dryer ball results fared.

In addition to the more extensive lab testing, our tester brought the dryer balls home and used them in her day-to-day laundry life using her GE dryer. The testing load included multiple T-shirts, along with a few pairs of black yoga leggings covered in pet hair.

Dryer Balls vs. Dryer Sheets

When it comes to wool dryer balls versus dryer sheets, wool dryer balls win out overall. They minimize wrinkles and static when used properly. If you have sensitive skin, dryer balls are also a much better alternative to dryer sheets, as they have fewer chemicals.

Using dryer balls can also effectively lower your energy bill, too, because they can reduce your drying time by 10 to 25 percent or allow you to use lower temperatures. Using lower dryer temperatures also helps prevent damage to your clothes.

Because wet clothes take less time to dry, you should be careful about not running your dryer too long with dryer balls, which can create static electricity. We discovered that when using dryer balls, it is wise to reduce your normal drying time by 10 minutes to reduce static cling. If you’ve already over-dried your load, wetting the wool dryer balls and running your dryer for a few minutes should eliminate any residual static.

Dryer balls are capable of reducing lint and pet hair. During testing, black leggings completely covered in pet hair were completely shed free after using wool dryer balls. Your favorite essential oils also can be added to some dryer balls to make your laundry smell better.

One downside to dryer balls is that they will make quite a bit of noise in your dryer, but because they can be reused, there’s less waste than with dryer sheets.

These are the best dryer balls money can buy.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Dryer balls are capable of reducing lint and pet hair, which we found to be accurate during testing.

Dryer Ball FAQ

How Do Dryer Balls Work?

After removing bedding from a dryer, we’ve all found sopping wet pillowcases stuck inside a dry fitted sheet. Using dryer balls should help prevent this, as they aim to prevent laundry clumping.

Adding dryer balls to your dryer will effectively separate your laundry and keep clothes from wrapping around each other. All this allows more heat in, so you can dry your clothing in less time. Also, laundry that dries evenly should have fewer wrinkles.

How Do You Use Dryer Balls?

Using dryer balls is simple—just add them to your machine and watch them work. Keep in mind that dryer balls are not as effective on large loads, because they need space to work properly.

How Many Dryer Balls Per Load?

For small loads, three or fewer dryer balls should be sufficient. Six or more dryer balls may be needed for a large load.

How Long Do Dryer Balls Last?

Replace your wool dryer balls every 1,000 loads (or 2 to 3 years' time) to keep them working and looking their best.

Wool Dryer Balls vs. Plastic Dryer Balls: Which are better?

Wool dryer balls are heavier than plastic ones and separate your clothes better, which leads to shorter drying times. Plastic dryer balls will not be as noisy during drying, but they did not perform as well as the wool dryer balls in our tests. Overall, we found that the plastic dryer balls we tested left clothes damp, even with longer dry times.

Meet the tester

Cailey Lindberg

Cailey Lindberg

Staff Writer, Updates

Cailey Lindberg is a Staff Writer at Reviewed and full-time Dog Mom to @sandor_thebassethound. In her spare time, she writes about music and history for Mental Floss.

See all of Cailey Lindberg's reviews

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