9 Best Fabric Softeners 2023, Reviewed by Experts

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The nice, long-lasting smell is a great bonus.

By now you probably know that doing the laundry isn't as simple as tossing your dirty duds into the washing machine and hitting start. For best results, it's important to use the right strategies, like separating clothes by color, turning zippered items inside out and putting delicates into a mesh laundry bag. Of course, the right products — both high-performing detergent and laundry softener — are key, too.

Softener, you say? It's not a necessary step, but think of it this way: fabric softener is to your clothes what conditioner is to your hair. It makes fabrics feel softer, reduces wrinkles and static, plus leaves behind a nice, long-lasting scent.

Like detergent, there are tons of options on the market, including both sheets and liquids. At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we test dozens of new laundry products each year from smart washing machines and dryers to laundry detergents and dryer balls. In fact, laundry products are some of our most frequently tested products in the Cleaning Lab. We have years of collective experience testing laundry products, including several fabric softeners, and we know exactly what makes a fabric softener a standout.

An old standby for a good reason, this fabric conditioner earned the Good Housekeeping Seal and always imparts the most softness in our tests. It has a strong and long-lasting floral smell that users tend to love, though it may actually be too potent for anyone who is sensitive to fragrances. The brand claims the softener protects clothes from stretching, fading and fuzz, ultimately adding to the longevity of your favorite items.

It's a budget-friendly pick — and one that's widely available at just about any grocery store. To add to the convenience, Downy's fabric softener is compatible with most machines, including top- and front-loading washers, as well as high-efficiency appliances.

For those with babies and little kids or anyone sensitive to dyes and fragrances, Downy makes a Free and Gentle version of its beloved fabric softener. It's dye-free and perfume-free and also boasts a Good Housekeeping Seal.

Our Lab tests consistently show that no fabric softener leaves clothes as soft as Downy, and that's true for the Free and Gentle formula as well. And a little goes a long way — all you need is a small capful — so even the (slightly) more expensive fragrance-free formula still offers good value.

A winner of a 2023 Good Housekeeping Best Cleaning & Organizing Award, these dryer sheets are touted as a more eco-friendly alternative to conventional dryer sheets. The product is a 99% USDA Certified Biobased Product, which means it's recognized as fully derived from biological materials like plants. The non-woven sheet is made from renewable fibers and the softening agents are plant-based.

Both our Lab and consumer testers were impressed by the results, too. We noted ample softening and static control without any waxy residue. “I liked the long-lasting, natural scent," a tester told us. "It leaves clothes smelling very clean and fresh, but without the perfume-y smell that I am so accustomed to with typical dryer sheets.”

Though these single-use products are inherently less eco-friendly than liquid fabric softeners, you can't beat the convenience. For starters, there's no heavy bottle to lug around — great for anyone who heads to the laundromat to do their wash. Simply slip one or two sheets into the dryer while your clothes tumble. (The manufacturer recommends two per load for best results.)

You can use them in both regular and high-efficiency machines, and the results are similar to what you'd expect from a liquid conditioner. The sheets work hard to not only minimize wrinkles and static but also add a fresh, clean scent.

Those who claim not to like fabric softener usually do so because they don't like the waxy, coated feeling some softeners can leave in their wake. Ensueño leaves no such residue behind. In our tests, this plant-based formula — a recent winner of a 2023 Good Housekeeping Best Cleaning & Organizing Award — softened without leaving items feeling slippery. And one tester praised the product for how well it reduced static.

Those who like a long-lasting smell should take note, too. The liquid fabric softener uses essential oils to deliver and release scent even weeks after washing. Just note: Some reviewers complained that the product is very thick and concentrated, although we didn't find so in our testing — just make sure you're following package instructions to avoid using too much product.

It may not technically be a fabric softener, but this laundry product gets added to the fabric softener dispenser like a traditional conditioner would. The difference: It contains citric acid to rinse away hard water and other build-up, which inherently softens and refreshes stiff, smelly items. It's safe on all fabrics — even those you can't typically use fabric softener on, like athletic wear, towels and flame-resistant clothing.

The manufacturer claims the lavender-scented product has three times the odor-eliminating power of detergent. And the slightly floral, slightly fresh scent leaves behind is praised by users as "amazing."

We recently tested four different tools made specifically for removing pet hair from laundry and couldn't find any that worked as well as these dryer sheets. After covering a fluffy sweater with a heavy handful of faux pet hair and washing in a regular cycle, we placed the sweater into a dryer with half of one of these mega sheets for a 20-minute cycle. When the cycle was complete, the sweater was nearly free from any pet hair.

And while this hair-removing ability is the product's claim to fame, our tests proved it still does a great job softening fabric at the same time. On the downside, like all dryer sheets, they can only be used once, but you can extend their lifespan by using them to swipe dust from baseboards, furniture and other surfaces.

Though you generally shouldn't use fabric softener on items like towels and workout apparel, this formula is an exception to the rule. That's because it's specially designed to be thinner than other fabric conditioners to prevent buildup and maintain the fabric's absorbency and moisture-wicking properties.

The manufacturer says this conditioner is gentler on skin too. Though it does have a subtle "fresh and clean" scent, it's made with sensitive skin in mind — no heavy fragrances or irritants. Depending on your preferences, the scent may not be long-lasting enough. It does, however, work in all types of washing machines, plus, it claims to have a biodegradable formula, though we haven't tested that claim in our Lab.

For those who count wrinkles among their biggest laundry dilemmas, enter this specialized fabric softener from Downy. We have tested this in our Lab with noticeable wrinkle improving benefits, but for the most wrinkle resistance, you need to add the maximum amount. The brand claims this particular product will do even more to soften and relax fabric, which improves the flexibility and resiliency of clothing, leading to fewer wrinkles.

It's safe to use in all types of machines — front- and top-loaders, as well as high-efficiency washers. Don't count on it for much of a scent, though. It's labeled "fresh," but users say they don't notice much — if any — fragrance, which might be a good or a bad thing depending on your preferences.

While most fabric softeners can be used to smooth wrinkles, reduce static and impart fresh scent on any number of laundry items, there are still a few things to consider when choosing the best fabric softener for your home:

✔️ Type: Liquid and sheets are the two main types of fabric softener, and your choice is largely dependent on preference. Liquid fabric softeners, which are typically added to the rinse cycle of the wash, tend to be more potent conditioners than sheets. Sheets provide light softening, as well as static control to help prevent items from clinging together in the dryer or attracting hair or lint.

✔️ Machine compatibility: Just as you would with any laundry detergent you're considering, make sure to read package instructions to ensure the product is safe to use with your appliance. If you have a high-efficiency (HE) washer, make sure any liquid fabric softener is also labeled as such. And never use more than is indicated in usage guidelines, since this can lead to unnecessary buildup on clothes and inside the machine. Remove and clean your machine’s fabric softener dispenser regularly to scrub away any residue that may build up there too.

✔️ Scent: Some fabric softeners have a very potent and long-lasting scent. While some users may like this, those with babies, skin sensitivities or allergies should seek out free and gentle formulas that don't contain harsh fragrances and dyes.

As far as laundry products go, fabric softener is fairly polarizing — some swear by it, while others never touch the stuff. The choice is really up to you. While fabric softener does serve a purpose, it's not a necessary step in the process.

Think of fabric softener as conditioner for your clothes. It penetrates and coats the fiber to smooth them out and better align them, so fabrics feel softer. It also makes fibers more pliable and less prone to creasing, which helps reduce static and wrinkles. The long-lasting scent it imparts is a nice bonus.

There are, however, some instances when you're better off skipping fabric softener altogether — in the case of towels and athletic wear, for example. Because it coats fibers, it can impact absorbency and wicking properties. It can also impact the flame resistance of certain fabrics, so it’s not recommended for children’s sleepwear or fleece clothing items, either.

Brigitt Earley is a writer and editor with over 15 years of experience writing about products in the home, including laundry detergent and fabric softeners. To research and review the fabric softeners recommended in this story, she worked under the close guidance of Carolyn Forté, Home Care & Cleaning Lab Executive Director and a consumer products expert with over 40 years of experience in textiles.

Brigitt is a writer, editor and craft stylist with nearly 15 years of experience. She specializes in lifestyle topics, including home, health, parenting, beauty, style, food, entertaining, travel and weddings. She has written for Glamour, People, Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, Real Simple, Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy, The Spruce, and more.

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