The Best Wool Dryer Balls for Static-Free Laundry in Less Time

Mar. 15, 2025

In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleOur Top PicksWhat to KnowBehind the ScenesWhy Trust PEOPLE?What Is PEOPLE Tested?

In This ArticleView All

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In This Article

Our Top Picks

What to Know

Behind the Scenes

Why Trust PEOPLE?

What Is PEOPLE Tested?

Photo:People / Henry Wortock

People / Henry Wortock

Let’s face it: Most of us are more likely to procrastinate amounting pile of laundrythan 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. (As much as we love ourclothes steamer, we’re always happy to use it less.)

The More You Know

We put six best-selling sets of wool dryer balls to the test in our lab. After washing and drying dozens ofbath 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.

Handy Laundry Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 6)

$20$13 at Amazon

Star QualitiesCheaper than the competitionMaintain their original shape and texture after useRed FlagsTowels were slightly scratchy after dry cycle

Star QualitiesCheaper than the competitionMaintain their original shape and texture after use

Cheaper than the competition

Maintain their original shape and texture after use

Red FlagsTowels were slightly scratchy after dry cycle

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 WortockPHOTO: People / Henry WortockPHOTO: People / Henry WortockPHOTO: 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

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)

$20$18 at Amazon

Dried towels about 90 percent in 30 minutes

Red FlagsNot as dry as other dryer balls after a cycle

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.

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 WortockPHOTO: People / Henry WortockPHOTO: 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

“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)

$32 at Amazon

Star QualitiesHeld up well during dry cyclesCute sloth designRed FlagsReduced towel weight less than other dryer balls

Star QualitiesHeld up well during dry cyclesCute sloth design

Held up well during dry cycles

Cute sloth design

Red FlagsReduced towel weight less than other dryer balls

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.

Everspring Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 3)

$10 at Target

No pilling after dry cycle

Red FlagsMore expensive than six-pack options

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.

Experts Say“Don’t overload your dryer, as this significantly reduces the efficiency of the dryer balls.” —Alicia Sokolowski

“Don’t overload your dryer, as this significantly reduces the efficiency of the dryer balls.” —Alicia Sokolowski

Woolite Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 6)

$30$18 at Amazon

Includes canvas storage bag

Red FlagsAbout ½ inch smaller than other dryer balls

About ½ inch smaller than other dryer balls

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.

Grove Co. Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 3)

$20$15 at Grove.co

Helps fabric dry more evenly

100 percent plastic-free

Red FlagsPricier than other optionsLess effective on second use

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.

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.

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

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 LearnedAll 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.

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.

Lizzy Briskinis a contributing writer for PEOPLE and a 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 PanelAlicia Sokolowskiis a cleaning and laundry expert with over 15 years of experience. She is the president and co-CEO ofAspen Clean.

Our Expert Panel

Alicia Sokolowskiis a cleaning and laundry expert with over 15 years of experience. She is the president and co-CEO ofAspen Clean.

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source: people.com