Table of Content
We then whittled the list down to 22 models to test in my home—making our choices based on availability, reviews, and recommendations by current Wirecutter staff. However, after a third wash, the Velcro tabs that secure the bag to the hanging metal rods became less effective, causing the tabs to pop open and drop the bag askew the next time I was carrying a load of laundry to the washer. If you need a hands-free way to carry your laundry, get the Azhido Laundry Backpack Bag.
I had high hopes for the Mind Reader 40-liter clothes basket, which has a sleek, contemporary design and is an interior designers’ favorite for photo shoots of gleaming new laundry rooms. However, the sharp plastic handles dug into my hands and made the basket unpleasant to carry when fully loaded. The Yamazaki Steel Basket comes fully assembled and is made of powder-coated white steel and ash veneer handles. The Mind Reader Hamper does not have as ample ventilation as our basket picks, but it still provides decent airflow. The faux woven pattern was easy enough to clean and wipe down, but we could see gunk or dust getting trapped in the “weave”—we’ll keep an eye on this as we continue using the hamper long-term. The washable Azhido Laundry Backpack Bag easily stows 115 liters, which is about two extra-large loads of even the bulkiest laundry items—plus, it has a front Velcro-secured pocket for stowing detergent and dryer sheets.
From our testing in 2022:
If you have more room, or a dedicated space for laundry, and want to pre-sort your items, the Honey-Can-Do SRT Heavy-Duty Triple Laundry Sorter is the pick for you. The sturdy metal frame on wheels holds three removable polyester-cotton cloth laundry bags on metal rods, and they can be lifted out with ease for loading the contents straight into a washer. Each bag can hold about a large (11 pound-ish) load of laundry, for a total of over 30 pounds. While not huge, this sorter is not the most compact of our picks, so if you don’t have a ton of space or have no need to sort and wheel your laundry, you may be better off with a single hamper or basket. The Sterilite 1.25 Bushel Ultra HipHold Laundry Basket is curved on one side to make it easier for some people to prop the basket’s weight on their hip. We also think that those with short arms may be able to grip under one arm more easily than they would our straight-sided Sterilite pick.
Two of the casters also lock in place for when you need it to stay put. I’ve been writing about residential design and interiors for more than a decade. The Dalykate Laundry Backpack carried up to 44 pounds of laundry and doubled as a hanging hamper for the back of a door, but the outer stitches dissolved on the third wash. The Container Store Grey Montauk Round Hamper was beautiful to look at, concealed a week’s worth of laundry for one individual, offered excellent ventilation, and came with a liner. However, the liner quickly ripped and the woven polypropylene began to come undone after more than a month of daily use. The Azhido backpack has adjustable straps to be worn like a backpack, but it also comes with a sturdy loop handle for hanging it or moving it around.
Picking up
The padded straps can be adjusted to make it comfortable for college students or city dwellers to walk long distances to a laundromat, with their hands free to grip stair railings or push a stroller. This petite steel basket isn’t cheap, but its minimalist design is great for leaving out on display and for those who run small loads of laundry. This plastic basket reliably carries a large load of laundry, lasts for years, has superb ventilation, and easily wipes clean.
I assessed whether the handle dug into my palms in an irritating or uncomfortable way as I carried a full basket or a hamper up and down four flights of stairs. In several instances, the handles literally broke off, and in other cases the handles felt dangerously loose, raising doubt about long-term reliability. The West Elm Bamboo Storage Hamper checked all the boxes on paper—with its attractive minimalist design, divider for easy sorting, and ample volume. However, it was impossible to clean the fabric and the fabric-coated hamper top felt flimsy.
Best laundry basket
The woven-style plastic, lidded Mind Reader 50 Liter Laundry Hamper can hold about an extra-large load of laundry or 21 pounds and is virtually indestructible. We were able to tote it to the laundry room easily enough using the two sturdy, built-in handles on the sides, but the tall shape could make it a little harder to maneuver. After this basket’s being a pick for over five years, we know that it is extremely durable. In my own testing, over the course of two months, I toted around canned goods, a tiny child, library books, and other 40-pound loads, all without the basket cracking or buckling.
To make this guide more inclusive and useful, I researched the best way to do laundry while living in a college dorm, how wheelchair users unload and put away laundry, and how to do laundry while aging in place. This guide also builds on existing work done in 2017 by Chris Heinonen, who evaluated more than 30 models and tested eight baskets and hampers. This affordable, reliable plastic curved basket holds more than a large load of laundry, cleans like a dream, and is a favorite among those who prefer a curved “hip hold” model.
If you want an organized way to sort your dirty clothes, get the Honey-Can-Do Heavy-Duty Triple Laundry Sorter. This sorter has been a pick since 2017, and it continues to impress us. In 2022, we ordered a new one to make sure the quality was still up to par. Using the small wrench provided, I was able to assemble this sorter’s chrome-finished steel base within 15 minutes, and it was extremely stable . The three ample laundry bags are made from a reinforced polyester-cotton blend that washed well in our tests .
The moveable handles on the powder-coated white Yamazaki Tosca Steel Wire Laundry Basket in Large easily loop over the crook of the elbow for hands-free schlepping of a compact load of laundry. This basket is also good for those living in small spaces who want a laundry basket that can hold produce, mail, or diapers too. It’s the smallest of our picks, with a capacity of 33 liters (about 8.8 pounds), which is about a medium load of laundry. Unlike our plastic picks, it doesn’t have a solid bottom, so it wouldn’t be ideal for toting dripping-wet laundry. If you’re going to buy a laundry basket it should make you feel organized and work for its intended purpose every time you transport a pile of dirty clothes to the washing machine.
While other baskets I tested had handles carved into the plastic, this basket has uniquely movable gray handles connected with plastic hinges. The handles are smooth and comfortable to hold, and because they move they can accommodate people of different arm lengths and sizes. In a previous version of this guide, our tester did everything he could to stress-test these handles, attempting to make them pop out, and failed. We tested the newest version to make sure nothing had changed, and several people on staff own an older model, so we’re confident that the handles are securely attached. It has also passed the test with one of our deputy editors, who wrote an ode to this basket and why she loves it. The Sterilite Stacking Laundry Basket is affordable, reliable, can be easily stacked to save space when not in use, and cleans perfectly with a damp, soapy cloth.
Ultimately, we landed on the six most durable, breathable, washable, and portable options to make doing endless loads of laundry as stress-free and straightforward as possible. I lined the models up next to my laundry closet and systematically tested each basket or hamper for five loads of laundry. I had to cross off several different models from my list after they broke during testing. The average large load of laundry in the US is 11 pounds, and I filled each basket or hamper with that approximate weight and then assessed how easy it was to carry up and down multiple flights of stairs.
It holds a medium-large load of laundry , and it really shines for transporting small loads like dish towels or baby items. It could also be useful for people living in small spaces or those who don’t need to carry large quantities. The gridlike pattern and minimalist, powder-coated white steel and wood palette is a respite for a product category that leans heavily toward plastic. I particularly liked how the two wooden handles are smooth and rounded, don’t cut into hands, and are wide enough to ride on the crook of my elbow for a hands-free carry.
Four handles integrated into the rim allow for comfortable carrying from all sides, making it easy to transport large loads to and from the laundry room. Its generous 2 bushel capacity is perfect for large families and is ideal for collecting dirty laundry and sorting a full household of clothing, towels or sheets. The overall assembled dimensions of this item are 27 3/8" L x 18 5/8" W x 12 3/8" H. A laundry basket or hamper can bring order to a mountain of dirty clothing and make you feel ready to take on not only laundry day, but the chaos of daily life in general. We spent more than 50 hours researching and testing 22 laundry baskets, hampers, sorters, and backpacks—in a variety of sizes and materials.
The best laundry backpack
I evaluated if they could be fully cleaned by wiping them down with a wet cloth or in the case of the fabric models, how they held up in the laundry machine. Three reinforced cloth compartments make it simple to sort laundry by type, while the wheels are great for people who need to scoot, rather than lift, heavy loads. The Whitmor Chrome Laundry Sorter has mesh bags to help prevent mold and mildew on dirty clothes, but reviews indicate that the bags are weak and fall apart fast. As far as hampers go, the Seville Classics 3-Bag Laundry Sorter might look like a pretty good option, but the slightly smaller wheels and fewer long-term reviews made the Honey-Can-Do a better pick. Even though the curved rim on this basket is subtle, some people may not like that it’s not symmetrical and rectangular like the Sterilite White Stackable Laundry Basket.
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