We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Shopping Home Products The Best Wool Dryer Balls of 2024 for Static-Free Laundry in Less Time The fastest route to soft, wrinkle-free laundry By Lizzy Briskin Lizzy Briskin Lizzy Briskin is a contributing writer and product reviewer for PEOPLE. She's the former food editor at Real Simple and Food Network Magazines and has a culinary arts degree from Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. She's been a food, travel and lifestyle writer for nearly a decade and her work has appeared in Wirecutter, Bon Appetit, Insider, Women's Health, SELF, and other publications. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 12, 2024 04:39PM EST In This Article View All In This Article Our Top Picks What to Know Behind the Scenes Why Trust PEOPLE? What Is PEOPLE Tested? Photo: People / Henry Wortock Let’s face it: Most of us are more likely to procrastinate a mounting pile of laundry than look forward to working through it. So any product that promises to make the chore faster, more effective, and easier on my clothes has my attention. The answer? Wool dryer balls. Once you see how a great set of wool dryer balls can speed up your laundry routine while leaving your clothes smooth and wrinkle-free, you’ll be hooked. The More You Know If you’re wondering how dryer balls work, it’s all about airflow, cleaning expert Alicia Sokolowski tells PEOPLE. “Dryer balls help separate clothes in the dryer,” she says. This “allows the hot air to circulate more efficiently, reducing drying time by 25 to 50 percent.” Ultimately, a shorter drying time means less energy, lower costs, and that your clothes are fresh and ready to wear faster. We put six best-selling sets of wool dryer balls to the test in our lab. After washing and drying dozens of bath towels, we concluded that all six dryer ball sets are worth tossing into your machine. Our testers discovered that the products helped their wet towels dry more evenly and, in several cases, significantly faster than a cycle without them. Our Top Picks Handy Laundry Wool Dryer Balls, Set of 6, $13 (orig. $20); amazon.com Smart Sheep Wool Dryer Balls, Set of 6, $18 with coupon (orig. $20); amazon.com Friendsheep Wool Dryer Balls, Set of 6, $32; amazon.com Everspring Wool Dryer Balls, Set of 3, $10; target.com Woolite Wool Dryer Balls, Set of 6, $18 (orig. $30); amazon.com Grove Co. Wool Dryer Balls, Set of 3, $15 (orig. $20); grove.co Handy Laundry Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 6) People / Henry Wortock $20 $13 at Amazon Star Qualities Cheaper than the competition Maintain their original shape and texture after use Red Flags Towels were slightly scratchy after dry cycle The wool dryer balls from Handy Laundry are the least expensive set we tested and performed just as well as comparable pricier options. They’re also the top seller at Amazon, and after putting them to the test, we can see why. Wet towels lost 3.38 lbs. after a 30-minute drying cycle with these dryer balls. The towels were still slightly damp, but they were static-free, and the dryer balls held up well — our tester reported them as looking “good as new” after the cycle. These dryer balls come in a set of six for less than $15, and they proved to be durable and effective. We found the towels dried with these to be just a touch scratchy after the cycle — not incredibly fluffy or soft — but the texture wasn’t a deal-breaker. PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock Experts Say “Wool dryer balls usually last for about 1,000 loads, or approximately 2-3 years, depending on the usage. Replace them when they start to unravel, lose their shape, feel soft, or show a decrease in effectiveness. Plastic or rubber dryer balls typically last even longer but should be replaced if they develop cracks, lose shape, or become less effective.” —Alicia Sokolowski Smart Sheep Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 6) People / Henry Wortock $20 $18 at Amazon Star Qualities Dried towels about 90 percent in 30 minutes Reduced towel weight by 2.88 lbs. in one cycle Red Flags Not as dry as other dryer balls after a cycle Smart Sheep's wool dryer balls performed similarly to the Handy Laundry set and cost just a few dollars more ($20 for a set of six). The dryer balls are sturdy and inflexible, even after a cycle in the dryer, which our tester took as a sign of long-term durability. Compared to the Handy Laundry balls, Smart Sheep dryer balls are incredibly absorbent and slightly speedier, drying our towels by 90 percent in a 30-minute cycle. The dryer balls were slightly more damp than the Handy Laundry ones after the cycle, but otherwise looked and felt the same as when they went in. The Smart Sheep dryer balls may not come in the flashiest packaging or have the special add-ons of some other products, like a storage bag, but given their reasonable price and effectiveness at drying a heavy load of wet towels, these are a smart buy that will likely last for years of laundry loads. PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock The More You Know “Using wool dryer balls in high-heat settings may cause wool balls to break down faster, which, over time, reduces their effectiveness and lifespan.” —Alicia Sokolowski Friendsheep Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 6) People / Henry Wortock $32 at Amazon Star Qualities Held up well during dry cycles Cute sloth design Red Flags Reduced towel weight less than other dryer balls If you want to add some fun to your laundry routine, why not go with this set of six dryer balls printed with adorable sloth faces? Not only are they the cutest we tested, but the Friendsheep wool dryer balls also felt highly durable. They were a touch fuzzier after a dry cycle but otherwise came out looking brand new. They left our towels slightly damp after a 30-minute cycle, but the towels were lint-free and evenly dried. The company claims that the dryer balls will last for up to 1,000 loads, and it makes a point of using sustainable materials and labor practices. Friendsheep is a member of 1% For the Planet and plants a tree for every product sold. If you want to invest in a set with a commitment to a noble cause, these sloth-faced dryer balls are a great choice. PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock The 8 Best Washer-Dryer Sets of 2024, Tested by Real People Everspring Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 3) People / Henry Wortock $10 at Target Star Qualities Reduced towel weight by 2.81 lbs. in one cycle No pilling after dry cycle Red Flags More expensive than six-pack options Everspring, the eco-friendly cleaning line from Target, sells these wool dryer balls in sets of three. They’re in the mid-price range of the products we tested, at about $20 for six dryer balls, and also performed well in our tests. The towels were still slightly damp after 30 minutes in the dryer but were evenly dried. After the cycle, the dryer balls looked “essentially brand new,” according to our tester, with just a slight fuzziness but no major pilling. Everspring makes no claims about how many loads you can expect from these dryer balls, but they come in recyclable packaging and are biodegradable, which is a big plus. PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock Experts Say “Don’t overload your dryer, as this significantly reduces the efficiency of the dryer balls.” —Alicia Sokolowski Woolite Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 6) People / Henry Wortock $30 $18 at Amazon Star Qualities Reduced towel weight by 1.38 lbs. in one cycle Includes canvas storage bag Red Flags About ½ inch smaller than other dryer balls This set of six wool dryer balls from the trusted cleaning brand Woolite dried our towels by about 75 percent in 30 minutes. The towels were evenly dried, and no lint or fabric accumulated on the surface of the dryer balls. They did, however, come out of the dryer slightly stiffer than when they went in. We also noticed that most of the lint in the lint trap after the drying cycle was the same color as the dryer balls, leading us to believe that they were shedding a bit. This could be a sign that the Woolite dryer balls aren’t quite as durable as the others we tested. That said, the effective drying and moderate price make these a great buy for anyone looking to speed up their dry times. PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock Grove Co. Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 3) People / Henry Wortock $20 $15 at Grove.co Star Qualities Reduced towel weight by 3.75 lbs. in first cycle Helps fabric dry more evenly 100 percent plastic-free Red Flags Pricier than other options Less effective on second use If you have a more compact dryer or only do small loads, you may appreciate that these Grove Co. wool dryer balls come in sets of three rather than six. For consistency’s sake, we tested six of these dryer balls. During their first use, they dried our towels by 90 percent in one 30-minute cycle. However, on their second cycle with the same wet towels, the fabric was still quite damp after the same dry cycle. Our tester estimated that the towels, though not dripping wet, still needed another 30 minutes or more to dry fully. Still, the towels dried more evenly than without the dryer balls. We also noticed some light fuzzy pilling on the surface after their cycle, but otherwise, they had the same shape as when they went in. PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock What to Know About Wool Dryer Balls Types of Dryer Balls There are three main types of dryer balls: wool, plastic, or rubber. One major benefit of wool dryer balls over plastic and rubber is that they’re quieter when tumbling around in your machine. In addition to noise level, Sokolowski prefers wool dryer balls for a few reasons. “Wool softens fabrics without the need for chemicals, reduces static, and absorbs moisture. Wool dryer balls are also very environmentally friendly because it’s a renewable, biodegradable material,” she says. Of course, if you’re allergic to wool, rubber or plastic dryer balls are a solid alternative. Quantity We tested sets of six wool dryer balls for this test. Sokolowski recommends using at least three dryer balls and up to six per load of laundry. If you’re running smaller laundry cycles with a more compact apartment-sized dryer, for example, three may be sufficient, but Sokolowski says “using multiple dryer balls in a load improves their effectiveness.” Sustainability and Materials One of the main benefits of using dryer balls is that they increase the efficiency of your drying cycles, reducing energy usage at home. Several brands we tested go a step further by using sustainable packaging and materials. Sokolowski recommends avoiding dryer balls made with synthetic materials or chemical additives such as fragrances. “Additives can cause skin irritation and reduce the eco-friendliness of the product,” she says. People / Henry Wortock Behind the Scenes We tested six sets of wool dryer balls from popular cleaning and laundry brands like Grove Co., Everspring, and Woolite, as well as dryer balls from smaller brands with many positive customer reviews. We used six dryer balls from each brand, and our testers followed a standardized procedure that included washing towels and weighing them before and after the drying cycle. Our testers used the same household LG washer and dryer and bath towel sets for every test. Each product was graded using a standardized rubric to assess noise level, performance, durability, and value. The testers who use dryer balls or sheets regularly also compared the tested products to their at-home experiences. What We Learned All of the wool dryer balls were noisy when run through the dryer without clothes. The sound level was reduced to what most testers described as white noise when we added towels. Therefore, noise level was not a highly weighted metric for scoring. Why Trust PEOPLE? Lizzy Briskin is a contributing commerce writer for PEOPLE and a freelance writer and product tester for Wirecutter, Best Reviews, The Kitchn, and other outlets. She’s a former editor at Real Simple and Food Network magazines. For this article on the best wool dryer balls, she interviewed laundry experts and synthesized testing results from four different testers who spent hours laundering, weighing, and assessing towels with each set of dryer balls. Our Expert Panel Alicia Sokolowski is a cleaning and laundry expert with over 15 years of experience. She is the president and co-CEO of Aspen Clean. What Is PEOPLE Tested? We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs. But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square. In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.