Bounce that toxic single use dryer sheet out of your life, because these natural, eco-friendly dryer balls offer a more sustainable and safer alternative.
Usually made from absorbent materials like wool, placing a set of dryer balls in your dryer creates warm air pockets, which helps the balls to soak up water in wet clothes. This means reduced drying time and saving you a hefty amount of energy (and bills!). Considering the average family does more than 300 laundry loads annually, that’s good news for your carbon emissions and your wallet.
Reusable dryer balls work for thousands of loads of laundry, during which they also reduce static cling, collect pet hair, and act as an fabric softener alternative, so you can forget the extra plastic jug of chemicals. When they’ve finally tumbled through their last load, 100% wool or other organic dryer ball options are fully compostable.
These non-toxic alternatives are really a no-brainer, and that’s why we’ve rounded up our favorite options that are made of responsible materials, using green business practices and low-waste packaging.
Our new Brand Rating System now extends our consideration set to 22 different criteria including things like waste management, chemical use and climate impact. To learn more about this new system, read here and look out for the brands on the list below that have gone through the process to get rated.
We independently research all featured brands, and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. We explain this further in our Terms of Use.
The Best Eco-Friendly Dryer Balls
We love using Blueland’s heavy-duty compostable dryer balls as they reduced our average drying time by around one third. Blueland is carbon neutral certified, a B Corp and has a bunch of other noteworthy sustainability initiatives in place. Blueland has been comprehensively rated by us on their sustainability credentials – find the full rating here.
Friendsheep Wool’s set of dryer balls not only help provide women and disabled folks with safe and sustainable employment in Nepal but they’re also made of Leaping Bunny-certified New Zealand wool.
Index: Reusable Dryer Balls
- Blueland Jump to brand
- EcoRoots Jump to brand
- Friendsheep Wool Jump to brand
- Kind Laundry Jump to brand
- Dropps Jump to brand
Blueland
Carbon Neutral
Brand has been certified as Carbon Neutral.
Cruelty-free
Products are not test on animals at any stage in their production.
Ethical Sourcing
Raw materials have been sourced ethically with people and planet in mind.
Minority Owned
Brand is owned by Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color.
Non-toxic
All products are made with ingredients or materials that are currently considered non-toxic
PFAS Free
Products have been tested and verified to be free of PFAS
Plastic-free
All products are entirely plastic-free
Refillable
Product packaging can be refilled with more product, either at a physical store or via a return program.
Thoughtful packaging
Product packaging has been designed and created with the end of life outcome in mind and can be easily recycled or composted.
Vegan
This brand does not use any animal products or by-products in their products
Woman Owned
This brand is owned by a woman or a group of women.
B Corp
Climate Neutral Certified
Cradle to Cradle
EPA Safer Choice
EWG
Leaping Bunny
MADE SAFE®
USDA BioPreferred
B Corp
The B Corp Certification, administered by the nonprofit B Lab, recognizes companies that meet high standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Certified B Corps balance profit with purpose, committing to responsible practices that benefit workers, communities, customers, and the planet while embedding sustainability into their business model.Cradle to Cradle
The Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard, administered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, evaluates products for their safety, circularity, and sustainability across five key categories: material health, product circularity, clean air & climate protection, water & soil stewardship, and social fairness. Products earn certification levels (Bronze to Platinum) based on how well they meet these rigorous criteria.EPA Safer Choice
The EPA Safer Choice label, managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, identifies products made with ingredients that are safer for human health and the environment. Every ingredient is reviewed by the EPA’s scientific team to ensure it meets strict safety and performance standards, meaning products with this label are effective, low in toxicity, and formulated to reduce pollution and environmental impact.EWG
The EWG Verified® mark, issued by the Environmental Working Group, identifies products that meet the organization’s strictest standards for health and transparency. To earn the label, products must avoid ingredients of concern, fully disclose all ingredients (including fragrance components), and follow good manufacturing practices.Leaping Bunny
The Leaping Bunny certification, managed by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC), is the globally recognized gold standard for cruelty-free products. It ensures that neither a company’s finished products nor their ingredients are tested on animals at any stage of development. Brands must also agree to independent audits and supplier monitoring, guaranteeing genuine cruelty-free commitment across their entire supply chain.MADE SAFE®
The MADE SAFE® certification is a comprehensive non-toxic seal that verifies products are made with safe ingredients not known or suspected to harm human health, animals, or ecosystems. Overseen by the MADE SAFE nonprofit, it screens every ingredient against a database of toxicological and environmental science criteria.USDA BioPreferred
The USDA Certified Biobased Product label, part of the BioPreferred® Program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, identifies products made from renewable biological ingredients. It displays the percentage of biobased content verified by the USDA.Price Range: $18 for 3
Blueland’s dryer balls save on drying time, cost, and waste. Their 3-pack is made of New Zealand wool which is sustainably sourced by ethical suppliers who do not participate in mulesing.
They can replace more than 1000 harmful plastic-based dryer sheets, and are fully compostable at end-of-life.
You can actually revamp your whole laundry routine with the Laundry Essentials Kit (which we tested – stamp of approval!), which includes 60 laundry detergent. tablets (no PVA), oxi laundry booster powder, and three wool dryer balls
The Certified B Corp offers a ton of cruelty-free and mostly vegan cleaning options, from personal care essentials to cleaners. Conscious of reducing their footprint, Blueland is Climate Neutral Certified, Cradle2Cradle Certified, prioritizes efficient energy and water usage, and ensures worker safety and happiness. All packaging is compostable and/or recyclable, and all shipped orders are fully carbon offset.
Blueland has been rated by Sustainable Jungle. Find the full rating here.
My Personal Review Of Blueland’s Dryer Balls:
“This was my first time trying dryer balls and now I wish I’d tried them sooner! I have a combo washer-dryer that dries clothes with a ventless steam function. Whilst it’s convenient and more eco-friendly, it takes AGES to dry clothes (so during the warmer months of the year, I line dry as much as possible). In the winter, though, these balls are fantastic, reducing my drying time by around 1/3! As a bonus, my clothes don’t come out feeling stiff or staticky despite not using fabric softener.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
EcoRoots
EcoRoots has not been rated.
Price Range: $35 for 6 reusable dryer balls
Natural, compostable, and made from 100% New Zealand wool, EcoRoots is helping eliminate ocean waste with their set of six zero waste dryer balls. While not vegan, the wool is ethically sourced and cruelty-free.
Simply throw four or five balls in the dryer with your wet laundry for some chemical-free softened clothing and a softened electrical bill. They’re good for 1,000 loads of laundry and safe to compost at end-of-life.
EcoRoots’ other eco-conscious offers include over fifty natural and zero waste products for self and home care, all packaged in compostable cardboard or reusable jars and shipped plastic-free.
Friendsheep Wool
Friendsheep Wool has not been rated.
Price Range: $5 for 1
Friendsheep Wool’s eco dryer balls balls are made of fair trade and organic Leaping Bunny-certified cruelty-free New Zealand wool. They reduce drying time, remove pet hair, reduce static, and soften laundry.
So far, Friendsheep Wool’s dryer lint balls have saved enough energy to power 21,100 homes for a month and prevented the use of 4.4 million bottles of fabric softener and 445 million dryer sheets—stacked in a pile that would be 143 miles tall!
They won’t break apart and leave lint—even on your darkest loads—but they will break down in your compost bin.
These laundry wool dryer balls are lovingly handmade for a fair wage by women and disabled artisans in Nepal, with safe and equitable working conditions, as are the accompanying unbleached cotton storage bags. All shipping is carbon-neutral in recyclable and compostable packaging.
Kind Laundry
Kind Laundry has not been rated.
Price Range: $20 for 3
Be kind to your clothing, your body, and the planet with Kind Laundry’s dryer balls made with 100% pure New Zealand wool. Kind Laundry offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
Toronto-based Kind Laundry founders Bernard and Angie started this laundry detergent sheet brand, because they wanted to provide people with a safe alternative to plastic jugs and chemical-laden detergents. Their products are certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny and shipped in 100% recyclable packaging.
Dropps
Dropps has not been rated.
Price Range: $29 for 4
In Dropps’ own words, “Wool does it better, and we have the balls to prove it.”
Dropp’s XL wool oversized dryer balls are made to last—with a guarantee of 10,000 laundry loads.
The New Zealand wool is sourced from happy sheep who graze outdoor pastures and are shorn yearly in a pain-free and skillful manner. They’re handmade in Nepal and contained in 100% recyclable packaging.
Dropps’s products are delivered in compostable, recyclable cardboard boxes that are shipped carbon-neutral with Clearloop.
Why Choose Non-Toxic Dryer Balls?
When comparing all-natural dryer balls vs dryer sheets, there are numerous environmental and health benefits to choose the former.
Most disposable dryer sheets are made from a non-woven polyester that is coated with a synthetic softening agent, fragrances, and other chemicals. When vented from the dryer, they release a number of unsafe pollutants and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the home, such as acetaldehyde and benzene.
In one study, five name brand dryer sheets were tested and found to emit 15 endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and chemicals associated with asthma. Evidence also suggested these EDCs could affect a person’s metabolism, developing reproductive and nervous systems, and even cancer.
That’s not even to speak of the chemicals in the fabric softener they also replace. So in other words, they’re toxic!
Swapping unhealthy dryer sheets for natural, non-toxic dryer balls will protect your loads of laundry, your home’s air quality, and your health (vs using traditional sheets).
How To (re)Use Eco-Friendly Dryer Balls
While everyone will have a slightly different answer to the question, “Do dryer balls work?” the consensus is yes. Reviews largely rave over their ability to soften clothes, remove static, and reduce dry time. The more balls you use, the more water will get absorbed and the shorter your drying time will be.
If you’re worried about whether these more sustainable dryer balls damage dryers, don’t be. They’re soft enough to never dent the inside of your wash drum or throw off the mechanisms. This isn’t necessarily the case for certain dryer ball DIY solutions, like putting lacrosse or tennis balls in the dryer.
So what is the proper way to use wool dryer balls? Luckily, it’s probably the easiest part of laundry day:
- If you want scented dryer balls, add a few drops of essential oil to each dryer ball twenty minutes before use.
- Add your wet clothing to the dryer with two to six dryer balls.
- Turn on your dryer and set a timer. Your clothing dry time should be reduced anywhere from 25–40%
- When your laundry is dry, your wool dryer balls will be wet. To get them ready for the next load, store them in a well-ventilated place, not in a sealed plastic bag or container.
- Every 100 loads of laundry, wash your dryer balls in a cotton bag with cold water.
Plus, this is one fabric softener alternative that lasts. Some say about 1000 loads, which, even for the biggest, most laundry intensive families, should mean years and years. Some felted wool dry balls might even last a lifetime. You’ll know it’s time to replace the wool kind by visually inspecting their level of deterioration. Remember, if the dryer ball is pilling, it’s doing its job.
At end-of-life, if it’s pure wool, you can shred each dryer ball apart into small pieces and compost them.
Tucked away in the mountains of BC, Canada, Shelby combines her sustainable lifestyle with a passion for writing. A nomad at heart, travelling to different countries, and provinces from the East to West Coast before settling down to raise a family, farm and write. With a love of poetry, psychology and putting nutrient dense food on a plate, her main goal is to foster connections, support local artisans, farmers, crafters, and creators to minimize her impact on the planet while maximizing her community.
