The 7 Best Wool Dryer Balls

Also available on Walmart, $14

If you’re new to wool dryer balls and want to start with an affordable set, this pick comes with six balls made with organic New Zealand wool and it costs just $9. Each ball is reusable up to four years (or 1,000 loads of laundry, whichever comes first) and they are free of chemicals, fillers, and fragrance. They’re highly rated, too, with a 4.6-star rating and more than 28,000 reviews on Amazon.

One reviewer raved: "Using dryer sheets and clothes softener destroyed the sensor in my dryer and after costly repairs to replace the sensor I went looking for alternatives. I saw the Wool Dryer Balls that can do the same thing as the sheets and liquids with chemicals. I put the balls in the dryer and crossed my fingers. The clothes turned out great. I found I can even add my own favorite scent or essential oil to them. I am very pleased.”

Also available on Walmart, $21

These wool dryer balls by Smart Sheep are a perfect starter in the world of greener, more-eco-friendly laundry. Made with 100-percent natural wool from New Zealand, these dryer balls soften and separate laundry without any lint finding its way into your dryer. They also come in a set of six so you can tackle any size load (you'll need three balls for a small load, and six for a large one). On top of that, they're all slightly larger than a tennis ball, so you don't have to worry about losing them inside socks and blankets. These dryer balls last for a thousand loads, so you can forget about dryer sheets for the long haul. They are a really popular pick that won the 2019 “Best of the Best” product awards by Hearst Media and have a 4.6-star rating and more than 55,000 reviews.

One reviewer raved: "It’s amazing, dried our duvet and wool blanket, it came out so soft fluffy and smells so good! I decided to just leave them in the dryer to dry everything! I’m not disappointed! Much better results. And no animal hair too! Bonus!”

Also available on Walmart, $28

These wool dryer balls by Friendsheep are completely organic, fragrance-free, and hypoallergenic, making them a great choice for babies or anyone with sensitive skin. With a near-perfect 4.7-star rating on Amazon (and thousands of reviews), you can feel confident these wool dryer balls live up to the hype. According to the manufacturer, these dryer balls can even reduce drying time by up to 40% (some reviewers confirm a faster dry time as well). That means lower energy bills and way less wear and tear on your clothes and dryer. Best of all: All of Friendsheep's products are hand-stitched in ethical working conditions by Nepalese women from underprivileged communities, so you can feel good knowing that this purchase has a positive environmental and social impact on communities.

One reviewer wrote: "After buying our first dryer in 23 years (yes no dryer ever). I wanted to continue our habit of being Eco-conscious about using it. Dryer balls are a way to minimize dry times and soften clothes without lots of additives. I LOVE these balls. I must be truthful and say I've only dried two loads thus far but they seem to shorten my expected drying time. They make very little noise and are ADORABLE!"

Also available on Walmart, $14

These dryer balls are made with 100% New Zealand wool, are completely non-toxic and eco-friendly, and they also include a small tincture of essential oil for a scent boost. Just add a few drops of lavender oil to each wool ball before you pop them into the dryer and your clothes will smell heavenly without all the chemicals. And if you aren't into lavender, these also come in lemon and orange — or you can use any essential oil you already have. One note: These are organic like the pick above, but come at a slightly higher price per dryer ball.

One reviewer gushed: "I mainly bought these for the essential oil feature. I wanted a way to make my laundry smell nice without using chemical fragrances. And these balls are working wonderfully! I wash my clothes on high-speed spin, then dry on medium heat, my clothes are definitely drying faster, then once dry, drop on the essential oil and run on air dry for 10 minutes."

When you’re doing a load of darker laundry, these black wool dryer balls are safer because there’s zero chance of them leaving white wool on clothing. The set comes with six balls that you can use for more than 1,000 loads of laundry. They are a fair-trade product that is handmade in Nepal with organic New Zealand Merino wool that is free of chemicals and fragrances and they have an impressive 4.7-star rating.

One reviewer gushed: "They are really great! Perfect for my black/ dark clothing. They've cut down my drying time and made everything soft without using fabric softener. Also, I've cut out dryer sheets & fabric softener completely. It holds essential oils very well. Super happy with this product.”

Bring a bit of levity and fun to your laundry days with these practical and adorable wool dryer balls, which are designed to look like different animals. You can choose among 10 animals like penguins, dogs, and ladybugs and each is made with organic New Zealand wool and has zero chemicals or fragrances. They come with six balls in each set and have a 4.7-star rating.

One reviewer gushed: "They are large - about the size of a tennis ball - and really adorable. [...] I have been using them in my dryer and they work well in there, too! The laundry comes out soft & dries quicker.”

These gift-worthy wool dryer balls are practical and adorable, featuring designs of strawberries and cherries. The pack of six balls is hypoallergenic, free of chemicals and fragrances, and reusable for up to 1000 loads of laundry. They’re made to limit static and ease wrinkles while picking up lint and pet hair along the way.

One reviewer gushed: "I used these a few times and noticed less pet hair on my clothes after drying. I didn’t notice any kind of scent on the balls but it worked fairly well for the pet hair removal.”