Smart Sheep Wool XL Dryer Balls Review 2020 | Zero Waste Wool Dryer Balls
The Top Line:
BUY. Smart Sheep Wool Dryer Balls in XL were one of our first eco-friendly, zero-waste purchases. We wanted to get away from the scent heavy options at the drug store, while also saving money and not adding to landfills. These dryer balls have retained their shape over two years (no saggy balls here!) and help with removing static and un-bundling our laundry. They are a BUY from us.
[Original 19 March 2020; Update as of 18 August 2021]: As we wrote the Friendsheep Eco Dryer Balls, we reflected on these trusties and dusted off a few numbers. We have been using this set for OVER 3 years, and the balls have not yet warped. We still have the original 6 balls, 3 of which we still haven’t even used! We love using dryer balls as a switch from traditional dyer sheets — and our wallet does too.
The Breakdown:
Cost & Products: $16.95 for 6 balls on Amazon
How ‘Clean’ Is This? 100% wool
Packaging: Sadly, they came in a clear plastic bag — but we have not purchased dryer sheets ever since!!
Purchasing & Shipping: Amazon…
Good to Know: Seems like other brands may warp and our experience is that it does not happen for Smart Sheep’s Dryer Balls.
Coupons: Nah.. It’s Amazon.
What’s Your Impact? No more dryer sheet discarded and no more plastic film covering your clothes!
The Efficacy
We have used Seventh Generation, Bounce, and aluminum balls (We thought aluminum was fabulous, but we would have to change the ball every 10 loads or so). Here’s our experience with Smart Sheep:
We use 3 balls per load
Helps with tumbling clothes
None of that waxy chemical stuff
Sadly, not the most amazing for static removal
Can add a scent by adding essential oil to the balls
No waste since they are used over and over again
Made of 100% NZ wool
We saw reviews of some dryer ball brands that deform — we’ve had ours for OVER 3 years and they’ve been fabulous
The Cost
We assumed that the average family of four will do laundry 364 times per year (yikes!). Even though we have had ours for OVER 3 years (~4-6 loads a week) and are in super condition, we are going to assume that Smart Sheep Wool only last 3 years for the average family. We compared to Bounce, Seventh Generation, Friendhsheep, and Downy:
Money Thoughts: Definitely the cheapest option! And the greenest! We think these will last way longer than 3 years for the average household, which brings your cost down even more.
The Good:
✔ Really, really eco friendly
✔ Last a long time
✔ Great size for clothes and bulky items
✔ Actually zero waste!
✔ Can customize your own scent — or use them scent free like us (we’re a little lazy)
The Bad:
✗ Leave a bit of static
Our Recommendation:
BUY. As one of our very first waste-free and chemical-free purchases, we love Smart Sheep’s Wool Dryer balls. We are going on year 3 of using them with no looking back. While not as perfectly static free as when using a plastic sheet covered with waxy residue, we will take that over chemicals and daily laundry waste any way. These are a BUY.
We're on a mission to reduce our personal carbon footprint with small, hopefully easy, changes in our home to fight against climate change. This means we're looking for products that may be all natural, ideally zero waste, reusable or compostable -- while still being affordable!
