A laundry basket or hamper can bring order to a mountain of dirty clothes, allowing you to be prepared not only for laundry but also for the chaos of everyday life.
We spent over 50 hours researching and testing 22 different sizes and materials of laundry baskets, bins, sorters and backpacks.
Ultimately, we’ve selected six of the most durable, breathable, washable, and portable options to make countless laundry days as easy and simple as possible.
This plastic basket holds large amounts of laundry securely, is long lasting, well ventilated and easy to clean.
This affordable and durable plastic curved basket not only holds a lot of laundry, but is also super easy to clean, making it a favorite among those who like the curved, hip-hugging style.
Three reinforced clothing compartments make it easy to sort items by type, and the wheels are ideal for those who push rather than lift heavy items.
This well-ventilated laundry basket features a lid that keeps clutter out of sight while still allowing the basket to be portable.
This compact steel basket isn’t cheap, but its simple design is perfect for display and for those who do small (or frequent) loads of laundry.
This durable laundry backpack features adjustable, padded shoulder straps to provide a comfortable fit for all body sizes and accommodate a large amount of clothing.
This plastic basket holds large amounts of laundry securely, is long lasting, well ventilated and easy to clean.
Since 2017, Wirecutter staffers have raved about the Sterilite Plastic Laundry Hamper. It holds 1.5 bushels/53 liters, more than enough for a load of laundry (about 21 pounds), is well-ventilated, and is easy to wipe down with a damp cloth to keep it looking like new. The flexible, extended handle makes it easier to hold a full hamper, minimizing trips to the washer on wash day.
This affordable and durable plastic curved basket not only holds a lot of laundry, but is also super easy to clean, making it a favorite among those who like the curved, hip-hugging style.
The Sterilite Ultra HipHold 1.25 Bushel Plastic Laundry Basket features three sturdy handles and a curved edge on one side, allowing you to hold the basket in two ways. The curved design allows you to easily support the weight of your clothes on your hips, so carrying a full basket of clothes (44 liters or about 21 pounds with the larger capacity) up the stairs is no longer a chore.
Three reinforced clothing compartments make it easy to sort items by type, and the wheels are ideal for those who push rather than lift heavy items.
If you have more space or a dedicated laundry area and want to pre-sort your laundry, the Honey-Can-Do SRT-01235 Heavy-Duty Three-Compartment Laundry Sorter is your best bet. The sturdy metal frame with wheels holds three removable poly-cotton laundry bags that sit on metal rods, making it easy to lift them out and load your laundry straight into the washer. Each bag holds about 11 pounds of laundry, for a total of over 30 pounds. While this sorter isn’t the largest, it’s not the most compact of our picks, so if you’re short on space or don’t need to sort and reorganize your laundry, you might be better off with a single laundry bin or bin.
This well-ventilated laundry basket features a lid that keeps clutter out of sight while still allowing the basket to be portable.
While laundry baskets can carry laundry in the same way as hampers, they are typically taller and used to throw away clothes during the workday, away from prying eyes. The Mind Reader 50-quart wicker plastic laundry basket holds a very large load—about 21 pounds of laundry (similar to the basket we chose)—and is virtually indestructible. We were able to easily carry it to the laundry room using the two sturdy built-in handles on the sides, but its tall shape can make it a bit of a hassle to move.
This compact steel basket isn’t cheap, but its simple design is perfect for display and for those who do small (or frequent) loads of laundry.
The Yamazaki Tosca Large Wire Laundry Hamper is powder coated white and features a removable handle that can be easily wrapped around the crook of your elbow, freeing up your hands for carrying small loads of laundry. This laundry hamper is also a great option for those who live in a small space and want a basket that can hold groceries, mail, or diapers. It’s the smallest of our options, with a capacity of 33 liters (about 8.8 pounds), which is plenty for storing the average amount of clothing. Unlike our plastic laundry hamper, it doesn’t have a solid bottom, so it’s not ideal for carrying wet laundry.
This durable laundry backpack features adjustable, padded shoulder straps to provide a comfortable fit for all body sizes and accommodate a large amount of clothing.
The Azhido Washable Laundry Backpack easily holds 115 liters, enough for two large buckets of even the bulkiest laundry. It also features a front Velcro pocket for detergent and dryer sheets. The padded shoulder straps are adjustable, allowing a college student or city dweller to comfortably walk the long distance to the laundry room, leaving both hands free to hold onto a stair railing or push a stroller.
I’ve been writing about home and interior design for more than a decade. During that time, I’ve done laundry in a variety of places, including small studio apartments and shared basement laundry rooms, coin-operated laundromats at long-term hotels, and most recently, a single-family home in Massachusetts with a cramped, outdated laundry room. As a mom, I do an average of 11 loads of laundry a week, many of which are covered in dirt, sticky stains, or bacteria.
To make this guide comprehensive and useful, I researched the best ways to do laundry while living in student housing, ways wheelchair users can unload and put away laundry, and ways to do laundry while aging in place. This guide also builds on work done by Chris Heinonen in 2017, who evaluated more than 30 models and tested eight hampers and linen bins.
Although laundry baskets and laundry hampers serve the same purpose, they differ in shape and purpose. A laundry basket is open at the top, is usually wider than it is tall, and is used to transport laundry from one place to another.
On the other hand, laundry baskets are usually placed in closets and bedrooms to collect daily dirty laundry. They are usually taller than hampers, take up less floor space, and sometimes have lids.
If you only do your laundry once a week (or even less) and want to “hide” it under a lid, you can buy a laundry basket. The best laundry baskets provide breathability and hide stains and lingering odors from sweaty workout clothes. Laundry baskets are usually more attractive than hampers, due to the wide variety of textures and materials they are made from.
For some, the right answer may be to purchase a few hampers and laundry bins, or even a laundry sorter on wheels to sort kids’ laundry, work or school clothes, or sort laundry by color.
To create this guide, I researched numerous shopping and gift basket reviews we’ve chosen over the years, as well as reviews on Reddit, Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
After reviewing the reviews and technical specifications of the products, we came to the conclusion that when choosing a durable laundry basket or laundry container, you need to consider the following characteristics:
Materials: Large amounts of clothing can put a lot of stress on the stitching, seams, and handles. This means that a laundry basket that can handle that much weight must be made of a material that is strong enough to not bend, tear, or break under the constant pressure.
Portability: We were looking for baskets and travel kits that could be easily moved by people of different heights and ages. The big problem is that the handles are not strong enough to bear the brunt of the load and should not only be securely attached but also fit comfortably in the hand.
Easy to clean: Mold is a fungus that loves damp clothes. The easiest way to avoid mold is to hang wet, dirty clothes outside before putting them in the laundry basket or washing powder, but not everyone has the space or time to do this every time the kid has an explosion or their socks get snowed in. We prefer laundry baskets and drawers that are well ventilated and easy to wipe down or wash.
Design: We considered both aesthetic and functional aspects, such as making the vents wide enough to allow small items of clothing to fall out. We also thought about how beautiful it would look if placed in an empty space in a bedroom or bathroom and filled with dirty clothes.
After researching laundry baskets and bins using the criteria above, I compiled a list of 41 models to test, then narrowed the list down to 22 models to test in my home, choosing them based on availability, reviews, and recommendations from current Wirecutter staffers.
I tested each laundry basket by loading it with five loads of laundry. The average weight of a large load of laundry in the U.S. is 11 pounds, so I loaded each basket with about that amount of laundry and assessed how easy it was to get up and down several flights of stairs.
I brought in another tester (a friend) to check the comfort level. I’m 5’11″ and wanted to know if she (she’s taller, has longer arms) would rate portability and comfort differently.
The biggest problem with many models was the handles. In some cases, the handles broke right away, and in other cases, they seemed loose, which called into question their long-term reliability.
To assess how easy they were to clean, I cleaned each item after five washes, following the manufacturer’s instructions (if available). I assessed whether they could be thoroughly cleaned by wiping with a damp cloth or, in the case of fabric items, how well they would hold up in the washing machine.
Finally, I did an informal folding test. Personally, I find that neatly folded clean laundry gives me a sense of calm and control, and I prefer a basket that is wide enough to fit the folded laundry back into the dresser.
This plastic basket holds large amounts of laundry securely, is long lasting, well ventilated and easy to clean.
The Sterilite Stacking Laundry Basket is an affordable, durable and quality product that easily stacks on top of each other to save space when not in use and is easy to clean with a damp, soapy cloth.
It holds a lot of clothes. The basket holds 1.5 bushels/53 liters of laundry (about 27 pounds), which is about the same volume as my standard front-loading washing machine can hold for one large and one small load.
We’ve been using it since 2017. This basket has been a Wirecutter pick since 2017, so we know it’s going to last. In two months of my own testing, I carried canned goods, a toddler, library books, and 40 pounds of other items without the basket breaking or bending.
While writing this guide, I retested the latest version to make sure nothing had changed, so we think it’s still a good choice. One of our assistant editors also tested the cart and wrote a post praising it and explaining why she liked it.
They are easy to stack and store. If you have a large home, you will need to buy several baskets that are easy to stack when not in use. You can also buy it in boxes of six.
It is well designed and easy to carry. This rectangular basket has slight curves on the sides so that it can rest on your stomach when you place it in front of you. Large square openings on all four sides provide good ventilation and prevent mold. The basket has a sturdy bottom so you can put wet or dirty items in it without worrying about spills on you or the floor when you transfer them to the washing machine.
Has a comfortable removable handle. While other baskets I tested had handles cut into the plastic, this basket’s handles are unique, removable gray handles that attach with a plastic hinge. The handle is smooth and comfortable, and because it’s removable, it can be used by people with different hand lengths and sizes. We also know from years of using these baskets that they won’t let us down.
This affordable and durable plastic curved basket not only holds a lot of laundry, but is also super easy to clean, making it a favorite among those who like the curved, hip-hugging style.
The Sterilite Ultra HipHold 1.25 bushel laundry basket is easy to load and unload and easily holds a large load (approximately 21 pounds or 44 liters) of both dirty and clean laundry.