6 Eco-Friendly Wool Dryer Balls -Set of Six 100% Handmade, Natural and Unscented

So far so good. I like that they are made in the USA.

First, let me start by saying, I am not a novice to wool dryer balls. I have been using them exclusively for about a year and I am a big fan! I think I have merely been spoiled by the objects of my first experience, which were called Wooly Rounds when I bought them, but which I have subsequently learned are now called Loo-hoo. I purchased the two of those that I have on ecomom.com with a plum district voucher, so while they seem more expensive at $8 each, remember that I really only paid about $4 each, less than the unit price of the Green Bee ones on Amazon. I would have bought more, but they always seemed to sell out so quickly, and there is a reason why. (Also, there may have been a shortage during their name change last year, and which is why I did not recognize the name when I first saw them. Since I couldn't easily and affordably obtain more, I turned to amazon and decided to give the Little Green Bee ones a try based on the positive reviews, and seemingly good price point, since two reviews mentioned the handwritten note, I also felt compelled to support a company with a human behind it, so to speak. (Though I will also point out that I visited Loo-Hoo's website tonight, and they have $4 flat rated shipping, which is less than I paid for shipping the Little Green Bee ones. :( AND, though there is a handwritten note on the bottom of the instructions and a discount code, it is obviously photocopied and just put there to LOOK sincere, it just says "Hi!" It's not really to me, they had my name from the order.)I thought that since they were both handmade and wool, their couldn't be much difference, but that is not the case.What makes the LooHoo ones so superior? First of all, they are about 1/3 larger than the Little Green Bee ones, and MUCH denser, completely spherical, feel really solid, and as if all the wool is consistent through out. The Little Green Bee ones are smaller, don't hold their shape, are full of air, and you can kind of see inconsistencies in the wool fibers. There is MUCH less wool that goes into them, for sure, and that probably accounts for the regular price differential. So, I also want to say that I guess I was expecting the Green Bee ones to be a natural color as that is how they are pictured, and maybe natural wool dye is expensive and a time consuming process, but the Wooly Rounds/Loo Hoo ones are truly works of art. The ones I have are rich heathered purple and teal, and I display them when not in use in a pottery bowl on a shelf above my dryer, as the simple beauty adds joy to the chore of laundry, but I have also seen the natural color of them, and it is more of an oatmeal color, so that is what I was expecting with the Little Green Bee ones. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. They are just a bland off-white.I think it makes sense to just store these in the empty dryer when not in use, so you don't forget to throw them in, but I see that they come with a free reusable bag in other sets, and I gather from reading a few blog postings about LooHoo which also includes such a bag in some sets, that it is a drawstring cotton/burlap/cheese cloth bag meant for storing or traveling with the balls. I think that is a classy, memorable touch, and I would have liked to have such a bag, though I would have used it most likely for something else. I am just getting into plastic free living, and while I appreciate that they came in a paper envelope, I think it would have made more sense to ship them in the reusable bag, or perhaps in a recycled, compostable carton sleeve like Woolzies brand. It seemed silly and annoying that I got them in plastic wrap within the paper envelope.Also, the tips sheet which comes with these says that the more pilling the more surface friction, and the better they work. Well, in a year of use, my Wooly Rounds/LooHoo ones have no pills, and I have never had a bit of static, and reviews for these Little Green Bee ones do mention static. My colored dryer balls have had a couple pills from time to time which brushed off easily, and I assumed that the pills came from my fleece rather than the balls themselves, but I do wonder if there may not be a point in what Little Green Bee is saying, as prior to using wool dryer balls, I used Nellie's PVC-free ones, and they have lots of nubs, and also holes for airflow, which seems to make sense, since the point of dryer balls is to create space for airflow to all sides of fabric for faster drying, so maybe air should flow through the balls as well. Also, the balls I first purchased have been criticized for being very loud on other sites, so maybe these less dense Little Green Bee ones are quieter and allow for more airflow. I will be fair and give them a shot, to see for myself if this proves out. I did not contact the seller about it, because then I might think they were just attempting to rationalize the differences. A blogger reviewing wool dryer balls also weighed her dry ones before putting them in her dryer with a wet load, and immediately after the clothes were dry, when balls seemed slightly damp, and found that they were several grams heavier, and thus must take some of the wetness up from the clothes. If this is the case, then the airspace may be a good thing with the Little Green Bee balls, as towels with thicker nap absorb more, and which is why paper towels are sometimes manufactured with "pockets" and "air pillows".Finally, another pitfall I forsee with these balls is finding them easily when the load is done. My Wooly Rounds/LooHoo balls occasionally wind up in a sweatshirt sleeve or such, but because they are so heavy, they either fall right out, or you notice it immediately. These being so much smaller and more malleable, I worry about them getting stuck in more places and being less noticeable, and since I now have a greater number of balls to keep track of, that could be problematic. That did tend to happen with the Nellie's green balls more often, which were lighter and an oval shape.

I LOVE these. I ordered six and loved them so much that I ordered eight more. I have read that the more you use the faster your dry time and the better they work - this appears to be accurate. My dry time has definitely been shortened.I can not say enough about how much I LOVE the SMELL I get from my laundry now! I have switched to using these wool dryer balls and to using Allen's laundry detergent (Amazon - you need to carry this detergent!) as I am preparing to use cloth diapers. I am not sure if the smell is coming from the detergent, or the dryer balls, or a combination of both, but regardless I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! The closest comparison I can think of is like that of line drying your laundry in the sunshine; there is certain smell that comes from doing so that leaves your laundry with a very distinct and lovely smell that only comes from line drying. The smell from these is similar to that but with its own uniqueness. And I have to say it is one of the most heavenly smells, so much so that I can't resist smelling my laundry (especially my towels) every time I walk past.I wash a lot, and am meticulous in making sure that things get clean, however, after the first day (if you're lucky) any good smell is always gone, not matter what I do, how I wash or what I use. The most noticeable are the towels; which I am guessing is because they are the ones that are closest and most frequently by my face. Quite frankly, I think they stink most of the time, even though they are freshly laundered, and they are frequently tossed right back in the laundry though they have just been washed.With using the Allen's and the dryer balls everything smells marvelous! And not just immediately after washing. Days and weeks have gone by and I can still walk past my linen closet (which is open and without doors, which means lots of air circulating), grab any towel, washcloth or blanket, smell it and smile. I literally sigh when I do this because it smells so incredibly yummy!I wish I had discovered these sooner, but I am so happy that I have them now.Cons: By the way, the only downside I have found is that I do have a lot of static immediately upon removing them from the dryer; however, I have not noticed it afterwards at all. I can live with the static 'cause I now have truly clean laundry without the harsh and damaging chemicals, the expense and having to re-do everything. I LOVE my dryer balls.And A Little Green Bee sent a simple, yet appreciated thank you note with the order and a coupon for savings on my net order. Woo hoo!

Don't notice a difference. Clothes still end up static. Glad I have them but I still need to use sheets and don't notice a shorter drying time.