I switched to dryer balls several years ago and haven’t looked back. I do still have an old box of dryer sheets that I sometimes use with extremely static-causing things but the balls are usually enough. Some people like to soak a few drops of essential oil into the balls as well if you like a little fragrance.

I haven’t noticed any issues with the balls banging into more delicate clothes. If you worry about delicates or piling, I would recommend line drying or using a garment bag to wash and dry them. For piling you can also use a fabric shaver designed to trim them off.

But ultimately, clothes just wear out especially when washing, piling and fading are signs of wear. Clothes I want to preserve I wash on delicate, use the fancy detergent (Woolite), try to skip a wash or two by just hang things to “air out” a bit between washes, and hang to dry.