Dryer balls are no joke... for some anyway

Dryer balls are amongst a slew of As Seen On TV products that promise to save you time and money. According to advertisements, dryer balls are a natural alternative to chemical fabric softeners. But do they really work? ConsumerSearch analyzes user reviews and ratings to see if dryer balls live up to the hype.

Dryer balls cost about $10 per pair and are said to withstand hundreds of uses. Manufacturers claim they will eliminate the need for fabric softener and dryer sheets, as well as reduce drying time. The balls are made of plastic or rubber and covered with little spines to pummel fabric and combat static. You can toss them into your dryer along with a load of laundry. In theory, dryer balls will prevent your clothes from clinging as they tumble; the air exchange that occurs between the clothes results in a faster drying time. 

Dryer balls are made by several different companies, but they're all designed with the same concept in mind. Eighteen users review The Original Dryer Balls on Amazon.com, where they receive an average rating of 3.5 stars.  Some owners are very pleased and say the balls work great. Yet others are dissatisfied: One user says they're really noisy, while another reports that they fell apart after a week.

Dryer Max Dryer Balls get comparable feedback at Viewpoints.com, earning an average rating of 3.54 out of 5 stars. Reviews are a mixed bag here too. Some owners love them, especially allergy sufferers and those who dislike the smell of fabric softener. Other users were disappointed, saying the balls actually created more static in their clothing and made too much noise in their dryers.

Nellie's Dryer Balls earn an average four-star rating on Amazon.com after 25 users weigh in. Reviews for this brand follow the same pattern: Some owners say they do a great job of softening and fluffing clothes, yet others say they fell apart or split in half - after just a few uses in some cases.

Since reviews are pretty evenly split down the middle, it's difficult to draw any solid conclusions. Dryer balls work great for some, but not for others. If you don't mind dropping $10, it couldn't hurt to give them a try. One thing is probably certain: You'll either love 'em or hate 'em.

 We'll be taking a closer look at dryer balls, dryer sheets and liquids in our upcoming report on fabric softeners.