Whether you like it or not, laundry day is inevitable. A good laundry basket or hamper can make laundry a lot easier, whether it’s helping you organize your laundry or easing the load when loading and unloading your washing machine (seriously!).
But choosing the right-sized laundry basket can be a challenge, whether you do your laundry weekly or just let it pile up. “Look at your laundry chair or whatever pile of laundry you want to organize, wherever it is. You can use that to gauge what size you need,” says laundry expert Patrick Richardson, author of The Love of Laundry.
Laundry baskets are great for storing clothes so they can be easily removed from the washing machine, but you may prefer a larger option, like a laundry hamper or clothes sorter. Laundry baskets have a large capacity and can help you organize your laundry, but if you just need a place to store dirty clothes, a laundry basket is a better option.
We tested 30 laundry baskets in our homes and rated them for usability, design, and durability. Whether you need a basket to store dirty laundry or a small basket to move laundry around the house, we found tried-and-true recommendations that are perfect for every home.
We evaluated 30 laundry baskets and bins for usability, design, and durability. For more information on how we test laundry baskets and bins, see our testing procedures below.
Finding a place to store your laundry basket can be a headache in any home. These collapsible laundry baskets are perfect for small spaces, as they are only 3 inches tall, allowing you to store them neatly and neatly in your closet or laundry room. The set includes two laundry baskets that can be stacked to save even more space.
During testing, each basket easily held a full load of laundry, but we were concerned that the basket might overflow if the load was larger. While the basket isn’t large enough to hold multiple buckets of laundry, the set includes two baskets to make sorting your laundry easier.
Weighing just five pounds, this basket is easy to carry in and out of the laundry room. During testing, we felt like we could easily carry it up two flights of stairs. We liked that the basket has a third handle on the side that fits snugly against your hip, making it easy to carry.
The set comes in 16 colors, including fun options like bright blue and pink, as well as neutrals like black and white. Whether you want to fold them up and put them away or keep them on display in the laundry room, there’s a perfect pair for you.
Product Details: Capacity: 41 liters | Weight: 5.4 pounds | Dimensions: 17.9 x 22.8 x 10.5 inches | Material: Polypropylene
If you’re looking for a large laundry basket that’s not too bulky, we recommend this model from HomeHacks. It comes with two baskets that can be used to store clothes in different rooms of the house. In our testing, we were able to fit a large amount of laundry in each basket.
We think this laundry basket is lightweight and easy to carry up and down stairs. The bag has long handles and durable stitching, so you don’t have to worry about the handles breaking when carrying heavy items. The fabric is water-resistant, so it won’t get moldy even if it has wet clothes or towels on it. The laundry basket is made of stain-resistant polyester, making it easy to clean even if it gets wet or dirty.
The sturdy metal frame keeps the basket upright even when empty, and it can be folded for storage when not in use. The basket is only available in plain grey and white, but we think the design is cute enough to fit into any decor.
Product Details: Capacity: 75 liters | Weight: 1.54 pounds | Dimensions: 15.7 x 11.8 x 24.4 inches | Material: Cotton and polyester
If you have the space, a sorter can make your laundry routine a lot easier. It comes with four removable bags, making it easy to sort and transport your clothes. In our tests, each bag easily held a moderate amount of clothes. Each bag can hold light clothes, dark clothes, colored clothes, and towels at the same time.
The bags also have metal handles, making it easy to remove the laundry from the sorter and to easily pour it directly into the washing machine. The bag has a plastic lining, so you don’t have to worry about wet or dirty laundry ruining your clothes.
The steel frame makes this laundry cart very stable, whether empty or full of laundry. In our testing, we found the wheels to be very sturdy and made it easy to roll the laundry basket around the house. Two of the wheels can also be locked to keep the laundry basket in place when not in use.
This laundry cart takes up more space than our other models, but we don’t mind having it in our laundry room. It comes in a stylish black color that will fit perfectly with any interior style. We also love using it as a laundry basket to sort and organize clothes right after we wear them, avoiding chaos on laundry day.
Product Details: Capacity: 140 liters | Weight: 13.4 pounds | Dimensions: 16 x 29.1 x 37.4 inches | Material: Polyester
After testing 30 laundry baskets at home, we chose the SAMMART 2-Piece Folding Plastic Laundry Basket with 3 Handles because of its foldable design and easy-to-carry handles. We also like the HomeHacks Large 2-Piece Laundry Basket because it holds a lot of laundry and is a great choice.
During a two-week test, our testers thoroughly cleaned 30 laundry baskets and racks after each wash. They use these laundry baskets or laundry hampers for small loads of laundry, as well as for carrying laundry up and down stairs and cleaning the laundry baskets and laundry hampers according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
We rated each product on four factors: ease of use, design, durability, and value for money. For ease of use, we rated the basket or laundry basket based on how portable it was, how lightweight it was, and how comfortable the handles were and how easy they were to hold, even when loaded with a lot of laundry.
When designing, we considered whether the basket was large enough to accommodate standard or oversized items, whether it could be easily stored when not in use, what special features it had (such as wheels, padding, or a folding design), whether it looked presentable enough to be left outside, and whether it could be used for a variety of purposes.
In terms of durability, we assessed how stain-resistant the basket was, how easy it was to clean, how the handles did not tear, break, or crack during testing, and how well it stored wet clothes. In terms of value for money, we assessed whether the product’s price reflected its usefulness and functionality, and whether users were willing to pay that price (or more) for it.
Finally, we also note what we like most about the laundry basket, what improvements we would make to it, and whether we would recommend it to friends and family. We then aggregate the results to determine the best laundry baskets and laundry bins in 10 categories, as well as the best laundry basket overall.
When choosing the right size laundry basket, consider the square footage of your home and how often you do laundry. Households often require larger laundry baskets because they can quickly accommodate clothes, towels, and sheets. If you have children at home or often go several days without doing laundry, consider purchasing a larger laundry basket, such as the HomeHacks Large 2-Piece Laundry Basket.
If you have a large load of laundry to do, we recommend using a laundry basket with a minimum capacity of 50 liters. However, smaller baskets, such as the SAMMART Collapsible Laundry Basket, are still useful as they will help you store laundry on top without it piling up. “There is no need to buy the biggest laundry basket you can buy,” Richardson said.
The material a laundry basket is made of affects its weight, so if you plan to carry it around a lot, choose a lightweight material. Richardson prefers canvas laundry bags because they’re lightweight and won’t tear when filled with laundry.
Laundry baskets made from wicker or water hyacinth are also very durable and can hold a large amount of laundry, but they are less convenient to carry around the house. If you don’t have to carry a laundry basket very often, we recommend the SONGMICS 4-Bag Laundry Sorting Cart, which is heavier than our other recommendations but has wheels so it can be easily moved from room to room.
Most plastic laundry baskets are small enough to fit anywhere in your home. But if space is at a premium, the SAMMART 2-Pack Folding Plastic Laundry Baskets with Three Handles is the perfect option because they fold almost flat for easy storage.
Laundry baskets and clothes sorters are larger than laundry baskets, so they are not as convenient to store. However, they are usually more presentable and will fit in the laundry room. Clothes sorters may take up more space than a laundry basket, but they make it easier to organize your laundry on laundry day.
This CleverMade Collapsible Fabric Laundry Hamper features a collapsible design with a wire frame that slides out when you need it. It folds almost flat and can be stored in the small space between your washer and dryer. The laundry hamper is made of lightweight polyester fabric, making it easy to carry even when full of clothes. However, the fabric is not breathable, so we do not recommend using it to store wet clothes.
This wicker laundry basket from Seville Classics has a large capacity and looks great in your home. We were able to fit two weeks’ worth of laundry for one person in this divided laundry basket, so it’s perfect if you don’t do laundry very often. The laundry basket itself can be a little tricky to carry around by the handle. However, it does come with a removable liner that will make it easier to carry your clothes.
While the Pottery Barn laundry basket is one of the more expensive ones we tested, we really liked its large capacity. We could easily separate light and dark items into different areas, and the lids were handy for hiding dirty items. The laundry basket is made of hand-woven rattan and has a sleek design that will look great in your laundry room.
This Simple Houseware laundry hamper has made our laundry routine easier with dividers and two removable laundry bags. We love that we can put towels on one side and clothes on the other. However, assembling the hamper after it arrives requires several steps. Folding it for storage can take a while, so we recommend leaving it as is.
Most laundry baskets cost around $30, but prices can vary depending on the material they’re made from. All of the baskets and laundry hampers we tested ranged in price from $6 to $300.
Clothes sorting baskets or laundry baskets are usually more expensive than standard laundry baskets. A high-quality laundry basket will cost around $60 to $100. However, some laundry baskets, such as the Pottery Barn Tava Handwoven Rattan Divider Laundry Basket, will cost more because they are made from high-quality or decorative materials.
Laundry baskets are typically smaller and are used to move laundry around the house, such as from the washing machine to the closet. Laundry baskets are larger and hold more laundry, but they are not as easy to move. “The real purpose of a laundry basket is to store your clothes after you take them off. You can throw clothes in the basket until you need to wash them,” Richardson said.
Laundry baskets are more suitable for single people or small households, as they are not large enough to accommodate the needs of an entire family. If you need to do laundry for several people, we recommend using a laundry basket or clothes sorter, such as the SONGMICS Four-Bag Laundry Sorting Cart.
Molly Blanco is a senior writer at Better Homes & Gardens. For this article, she tested several laundry baskets and evaluated the testing recommendations provided by our home testers. She also spoke with Patrick Richardson, host of HGTV’s The Laundry Masters and author of The Love of Laundry, about how to choose the best laundry basket.
You may have noticed that all of the products on this list have our BHG Recommended certification next to them. Products that have received this certification have undergone rigorous testing to ensure they are worthy of a place in your home. We purchase and test most of our products ourselves, but sometimes companies provide samples if purchasing is not an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria that we use when testing products we purchase.