The 5 Best Laundry Baskets and Hampers of 2026 | Reviews by Wirecutter
FYI
Our longtime top pick, the , has been discontinued. We’ve made our runner-up pick, the , the new top pick.
December 2026
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.
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.
Everything we recommend
Top pick
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.
(pack of six)
May be out of stock
May be out of stock
(pack of six)
Also great
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.
May be out of stock
Top pick
This well-ventilated hamper has a lid to keep the mess out of sight but offers the portability of a basket.
Also great
This petite steel basket isn’t cheap, but its minimalist design is great for leaving out on display and for those who run small (or frequent) loads of laundry.
Also great
This sturdy laundry backpack has padded, adjustable straps to comfortably fit many body types, and it holds more than an extra-large load of laundry.
Top pick
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.
(pack of six)
May be out of stock
May be out of stock
(pack of six)
With three sturdy handles and a curved rim on one side, the plastic gives you two options for holding it. The curve makes it comfortable to prop the laundry’s weight on your hip—an arrangement that makes carrying a fully loaded basket (44 liters, or about 21 pounds for an extra-large load) up flights of stairs less of a chore.
Also great
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.
May be out of stock
If you have more room, or a dedicated space for laundry, and want to pre-sort your items, the 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.
Top pick
This well-ventilated hamper has a lid to keep the mess out of sight but offers the portability of a basket.
While hampers may be able to transport laundry like a basket, they are usually taller and meant for tossing your clothes away and out of sight during the week. The woven-style plastic, lidded can hold about an extra-large load of laundry or 21 pounds (similar to our basket picks) 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.
Also great
This petite steel basket isn’t cheap, but its minimalist design is great for leaving out on display and for those who run small (or frequent) loads of laundry.
The moveable handles on the powder-coated white 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.
Also great
This sturdy laundry backpack has padded, adjustable straps to comfortably fit many body types, and it holds more than an extra-large load of laundry.
The washable easily stows 115 liters, which is about two of even the bulkiest laundry items—plus, it has a front Velcro-secured pocket for stowing detergent and dryer sheets. 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.
Why you should trust us
I’ve been writing about residential design and interiors for more than a decade. During that time, I’ve done laundry in a variety of setups, including tiny studio apartments with shared basement laundry facilities, a coin-operated laundromat in a long-term residence hotel, and most recently in a single-family home in Massachusetts with a cramped and outdated laundry closet. As a mom, I also run an average of 11 loads of laundry per week—and lots of them are invariably muddy, sticky, or germy.
To make this guide more inclusive and useful, I researched the best way to do laundry while living in a college , how users unload and put away laundry, and how to do laundry while . 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.
Baskets vs. hampers
While it’s true that baskets and hampers can do the same tasks, they differ in shape and intended function. Baskets are open on top and usually wider than tall, and they are intended for transporting laundry from one place to another.
Hampers, on the other hand, tend to live in closets and bedrooms and are meant to collect your dirty laundry day-to-day. They are also usually taller, with a smaller footprint than baskets, and can sometimes have lids.
You may choose to buy a hamper if you do laundry only once a week (or even less frequently) and want to “hide” it under a lid. The best hampers offer some form of breathable ventilation but still mask the sight and lingering scent of sweaty workout clothes. With a wider variety of textures and materials available, they also tend to be more attractive than baskets.
And for some folks, the right answer might be to purchase multiple baskets and hampers—and maybe even a laundry sorter on wheels for separating out a baby’s laundry, work or school uniforms, or items by color.
How we picked and tested
For this guide, I sifted through a daunting stack of comments on our basket and hamper picks over the years, as well as reviews on Reddit, Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
When searching through reviews and product specifications, we found the following features to be non-negotiable when it comes to choosing a long-lasting laundry basket or hamper:
Materials: Heavy loads can put a lot of strain on stitching, seams, and handles. That means the laundry basket or hamper that carries this weight needs to be made from a material that is sturdy enough not to buckle, rip, or crack under sustained pressure.
Portability: We looked for baskets and hampers that can be moved painlessly by people of different sizes and ages. A big dealbreaker were weak handles, which are bearing the brunt of the stress and need to not only be firmly affixed but also sit comfortably in your hands.
Easy to clean: Mold is a fungus that loves damp laundry. The easiest way to avoid it is to dry out wet, dirty clothing before putting it in a hamper or basket, but not everyone has the space or time to do that for every kid explosion or snowy sock. We prioritized hampers and baskets with adequate ventilation that can be wiped down or easily.
Design: We took both aesthetics and functional design into account, like ventilation holes that were so wide that small laundry items fell out. We also considered how attractive a model looked if left out in the open of a bedroom or bathroom while filled with dirty laundry.
After researching laundry baskets and hampers using the above criteria, I composed a list of 41 possible models to test and 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.
I tested each basket or hamper for five loads of laundry. The average large load of laundry in the US is , 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.
I recruited another tester (a friend) to test for comfort too. I’m 5′2″ and wanted to see if she, as a taller person with longer arms, had a different assessment of portability and comfort.
Handles proved to be the biggest dealbreaker for many models. In several instances, the handles literally broke off, and in other cases the handles felt dangerously loose, raising doubt about long-term reliability.
To assess how easy they were to clean, I followed the manufacturer’s instructions (when provided) for cleaning each one after the five loads. 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.
Finally, I ran an unofficial folding test. I personally find serenity and a feeling of control in neatly folded stacks of clean laundry, and I prefer a basket that is wide enough to carry my folded laundry back to my dresser.
A curved basket: Sterilite 1.25 Bushel Ultra HipHold Laundry Basket
Top pick
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.
(pack of six)
May be out of stock
May be out of stock
(pack of six)
This loads and unloads like a dream and easily carries an extra-large load of laundry (about 21 pounds, or 44 liters)—in both dirty piles and then in clean and tidy stacks.
It's comfortable to carry. This basket is curved on one side to make it easier to prop the basket’s weight on your hip. Those with short arms may also be able to grip under one arm more easily than they would a straight-sided one.
The three handles are reinforced with gray plastic grips and provide different choices for carrying ease based on body type. I particularly like this basket’s cross-hold option for increased control over a heavy basket.
It's easy to clean. I liked how easily this basket cleans. I wiped it down with a wet, slightly soapy cloth in between each load and was able to completely remove all traces of lint and other debris.
This basket also has a solid leakproof base that during testing helped transport sopping towels and clothes both after a child’s bubble bath and a muddy hike without leaving drips across the floor; the well-placed ventilation holes prevented foul smells—even when items were left longer than 24 hours in a laundry closet.
The Sterilite Hiphold Laundry Basket has a slight curved edge to make reaching over and holding it with one arm propped on a hip more comfortable. Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter
Flaws but not dealbreakers
It has a curved rim. Even though the curved rim on this basket is subtle, some people may not like that it’s not symmetrical and rectangular. “Hip hold” or “Hip hugger” baskets, I learned from reading many , can be divisive among users. Some people find them uncomfortable, and others complain that the curved shape prevents them from packing precise stacks of clean laundry in a basket, leading to wrinkling.
Our hamper pick: Mind Reader 50 Liter Laundry Hamper
Top pick
This well-ventilated hamper has a lid to keep the mess out of sight but offers the portability of a basket.
The best hamper option we found is the . With just two parts—the basket and a hinged lid—it’s quick to assemble by simply snapping the lid onto the hamper.
It can hold about a week's worth of dirty laundry. At 21 inches tall, this hamper has ample depth to hold an extra-large load of laundry (about 21 pounds)—which for me translates to all the dirty laundry I accumulate in one week (not including linens).
It looks nice. The faux-woven pattern on this plastic hamper doesn't look bad and it's available in five color options (shown here in ivory).
It's easy to carry, despite being tall. I particularly love the comfortable built-in handles on the sides of the hamper, which makes it portable enough to be carried directly to the laundry machine. Other hampers I tested didn’t have built in handles or the handles were not as durable.
The Mind Reader 50 Liter Hamper in ivory, with the hinged lid open. Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter
Flaws but not dealbreakers
It's not very well-ventilated. 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 some gunk or dust getting trapped in the “weave”.
It's deep. I couldn’t easily place my folded clothes back into this deep hamper, so you may prefer a basket if you like doing this.
A laundry sorter built to last: Honey-Can-Do Heavy-Duty Triple Laundry Sorter
Also great
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.
May be out of stock
If you want an organized way to sort your dirty clothes, get the . This sorter has been a pick since 2017, and it continues to impress us.
It's easy to assemble. 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 (it sits on four caster wheels, two of which lock).
Unlike similar sorters with removable bags that attach to the frames with Velcro fasteners (which get linty and detach too easily), these bags are threaded directly onto steel dowels with rubber-coated hook ends (this dowel is also the bag’s handle).
You can easily remove each bag. All three bags are fully removable, which means you can carry them to the washer for easy loading and unloading. This sorter saved me time by letting me pre-sort my laundry into delicate, heavy soil, and dry cleaning.
It's very, very sturdy. The three ample laundry bags are made from a reinforced polyester-cotton blend that washed well in our tests (we washed them three times). Each bag holds roughly a large load (we estimate about 11 pounds), bringing the capacity of the entire sorter to about 30 pounds, but the manufacturer notes the total weight limit as being 70 pounds, making this sorter feel extra sturdy.
It's on wheels. For those aging in place in a single-story residence, the four rubber casters on this sorter make it possible to roll laundry from room to room without demanding much heavy lifting. Two of the casters also lock in place for when you need it to stay put.
The Honey-Can-Do Sorter has three bags that stay in place thanks to rubber-coated hooks that hang on a stainless steel rod. Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter
Flaws but not dealbreakers
It requires some assembly. While it's not difficult to do so, this sorter does require some basic assembly.
It's big. This sorter takes up more space, so it may not be ideal for those in small spaces without a dedicated laundry area.
An attractive option for smaller loads: Yamazaki Tosca Steel Wire Laundry Basket in Large
Also great
This petite steel basket isn’t cheap, but its minimalist design is great for leaving out on display and for those who run small (or frequent) loads of laundry.
The is a simple and plastic-free option if you don’t need a huge basket, or you do smaller loads more regularly.
It's perfect for small spaces. The Yamazaki holds a medium-large load of laundry (close to 9 pounds or 33 liters), 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 Yamazaki Tosca Steel Wire Laundry Basket also comes in an even smaller (which holds 6.6 pounds, or 23 liters).
It looks great. The grid pattern and minimalist, powder-coated white steel and wood palette is a respite for a product category that leans heavily toward plastic. It's attractive enough to leave out in your home, even when it’s not laundry day.
It's easy to clean and comfortable to carry. The open wire-frame is easy to wipe down and keep clean, and we like that there are no nooks or crannies where mold or dirt can hide. 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.
The large Yamazaki Wire Basket is attractive enough to leave out in the laundry room, and it efficiently handles small to medium loads. Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter
Flaws but not dealbreakers
It's a bit pricey. Hovering at around $50, this basket is not cheap—especially when you compare it with our basket picks from Sterilite, which are under $15. But you get quality materials for a good-looking basket that can be used for stashing plenty of other odds and ends besides laundry.
It has an open bottom. Unlike our basket and hamper picks, the bottom of this basket is not solid, so it’s not a good option for toting wet items.
The best laundry backpack: Azhido Laundry Backpack Bag
Also great
This sturdy laundry backpack has padded, adjustable straps to comfortably fit many body types, and it holds more than an extra-large load of laundry.
If you need a hands-free way to carry your laundry, get the .
It can hold a lot of laundry. This polyester backpack carries an immense 115 liters of laundry, making it ideal for a college student or anyone who needs to do laundry less often and wants to fit up to two extra-large loads of clothes (about 42 pounds).
It's super durable and portable. The reinforced stitching remained intact even after multiple uses and trips through the washing machine. I liked how the well-padded straps are adjustable to create a snug fit for carrying laundry several city blocks to a laundromat if necessary. The external front pocket can carry a 50-fluid-ounce detergent bottle and a bag of quarters.
This backpack would be good for someone who needs to be able to grip a stair railing or push a stroller while simultaneously moving laundry. It also comes in over a dozen colors (we tested the gray version).
The Azhido backpack, loaded here in front of a washing machine, comes in five colors, including this charcoal gray. Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter
Flaws but not dealbreakers
You'll still need a regular basket for home. You will probably still need a hamper or basket at home to toss laundry in during the week, as this backpack isn't super ventilated and clothes may become gross if left inside for too long, since its main purpose is transporting laundry off-site.
Other good hampers and baskets
If you want an easy-to-carry, tall “basket”: Consider the , which functions more like a tall basket than a hamper and whose sides are flexible enough that if it isn’t fully loaded, you can grasp the handles together to carry it one-handed. It passed all of our tests and looked adorable in mint, but we wished it had a lid. One of our editors has owned this pick for years, and she says it’s her go-to laundry solution
If you want a space-saving tote that holds a lot: Consider the —smart snappable side panels make this tote fully collapsible for times when it’s not in use, yet it can hold up to 55 pounds (or 64 liters), which is more than two extra-large loads. This was our guest tester’s favorite model. However, the bag gets very wide when filled, which may make it awkward for some to carry over their shoulders for any sort of distance. If you’re not planning on filling it to the brim, we think this versatile model could work well for some people. And because it’s collapsible, you could easily fold it flat and bring it to the laundromat for moving loads between machines.
If you’re tall and looking for a decent backpack: Consider the , which ticked all the boxes for our testing but had excessively long straps once the pack was adjusted to fit my 5′2″ body.
The competition
The 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 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 is sturdy and can hang out of the way, but it holds very little and doesn’t breathe particularly well. Wet washcloths our tester left in it were still wet days later. It’s also small—a grown adult would likely fill this up in just a few days.
The would make for adorable and ample toy storage, but it isn’t easy enough to clean to be a long-lasting laundry basket. It also arrived with a strong chemical smell that lingered.
I had high hopes for the 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 used to be an “also great” pick in a previous version of this guide, and it almost became a pick again due to its ample capacity (it can hold a large load of laundry), its attractive design, and the fact that it can be folded when not in use. 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.
The was the top-selling hamper on Amazon at the time of testing, with a nice design and easy one-handed carrying. Unfortunately, it’s based around cardboard, and there are pictures of it failing if you happen to get it too wet. It also does not breathe well due to the design.
The laundry basket is a rectangular design, and like the , it can be stacked. In person, it is hard to stack compared to our pick and the handles pop out of place easily. It also costs more than our pick and doesn’t perform as well.
As far as hampers go, the 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.
The has a woven pattern that is attractive enough to sit out on display, and the double hamper makes it possible for you to sort your dirty clothing as you take it off, which is a time saver. However, the double liner shrank slightly with washing and was tricky to keep from falling off the hamper's rim or to replace.
The comes in a and . It’s made of a heavy-gauge steel frame and comes fully built. Each bag carries about one large load of laundry. Once you remove the bags from the frame they don’t stand upright on their own, which can be annoying for unloading or placing folded laundry back inside. The frame itself cannot be collapsed or folded, which we thought was counterintuitive to the x-frame design. At $170 for the single and $220 for the double, this hamper is definitely not cheap. So while we think it’s a well-built, breathable, and nice-looking hamper, we think it’s a bit over-engineered and just can’t justify the cost when there’s great alternatives for a quarter of the price.
has hundreds of reviews on Amazon, giving us a lot of reliability data to use. The overall design looks good, with a pocket for laundry soap and easy carry handles at the top. But more than 10% of the reviews report that it rips very easily after purchase and is cheaply made.
The is the sibling of our two top picks but lacks the hip-hold or adjustable handle features. When filled to the brim, this 71-liter basket felt too wide and heavy for me to easily carry down stairs while maintaining my balance, though it might be fine for those with longer arms. The came in a fun teal that could brighten up a dorm room, but the one we ordered arrived with busted handles that could not be fixed.
The used to be our top pick, but it's been discontinued. If you can find a used version, we still think it's a great laundry basket.
The 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.
As one of the pricier options tested, the natural, large basket offered soothing day spa vibes with its appearance, but the material was so weak that one of the basket’s thin handles snapped off the first time I lifted it, and the included liner was cheap and transparent.
The has mesh bags to help prevent mold and mildew on dirty clothes, but reviews indicate that the bags are weak and fall apart fast.
The has far less data to go off of but also an overall good rating. There are still a lot of people reporting that it falls apart easily. Many of the positive reviews come from people using it for something other than laundry, such as a butterfly habitat or chameleon transporter.
As far as tall, open hampers go, the looks attractive, but the holes were too big to keep small items like baby socks or delicate lingerie from falling out when transported around the house. The had wheels that were tricky to install and a fixed one-sided handle that made it difficult to lift, but we think it’s a good option if you plan on keeping it near the washing machine, since it can easily roll around.
This article was edited by Daniela Gorny and Christine Ryan.
Sources
, Wheelsnoheels - Gem Hubbard, June 2018
, Tide, referenced May 2026
, Aging In Place, referenced May 2026
, Her Campus, May 2026
Meet your guide
Danna Lorch
What I Cover
Danna Lorch is a freelance writer with a decade of experience covering the visual arts, design, architecture, the trades, and parenting. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Architectural Digest, and many other publications. She currently lives in Boston with her husband and son.
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