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- No need to air your dirty laundry: Instead, corral it in a suitable basket or hamper.
- We checked out the best-selling and most recommended laundry totes, and Sterilite's White Stackable Laundry Basket is the best of the best.
At some point, it happens to all of us: We reach the age where "storing" our dirty laundry on our bedroom or closet floor just isn't acceptable any longer. For some, that day arrives in childhood. For others, not until college and a shared dorm room. And for the rest, not until an annoyed significant other complains, "Can't you ever pick up your dirty socks?"
Luckily, choosing a satisfactory laundry basket or hamper isn't rocket science; it's mostly a matter of preference, along with a hefty dollop of utility and logistics. If you do laundry in your own home, it's easier to worry about appearance. If you tote a heavy load of dirty clothing to a laundromat, a community laundry room, or your parents' home, portability becomes a bigger issue.
Having said all that, some laundry baskets hold up better than others, and we've narrowed down the field to the very best ones you can buy, but first, let's get into all the things you should look for in a laundry basket or hamper.
What's the difference between a basket and a hamper?
While there is no hard-and-fast definition of these two often-interchangeable words, generally, a laundry basket has a low and wide shape with an open top. Laundry hampers are typically tall and narrow, may have a lid, or be divided into sections for sorting. Neither is necessarily better: The right choice depends on your needs and preferences.
There are a few things to consider when it's time to wrangle that mountain of laundry into the perfect basket.
- Size and shape: The sweet spot here largely depends on where you'll be using the basket. A tall, thin hamper is a good choice for a dorm room or tiny apartment. A wide, low basket fits nicely in the average-or-larger sized bedroom closet. A cute, round basket is nice in the baby's nursery, while a multi-sectioned, large, rolling laundry hamper will make life easier if you have a large family or a designated laundry room. If you have to haul your laundry up and down stairs, you're least likely to lose your step carrying a laundry bag.
- Material: Inexpensive, basic laundry baskets and hampers are typically heavy-duty plastic. Folding or rolling units are often cloth on a metal frame. Woven baskets are the most attractive choice. None of these materials are necessarily better than the rest: It simply depends on what you are looking for.
- Portability: If you transport your laundry, you'll appreciate a folding hamper, a sorter on wheels, or a hamper with a removable laundry bag.
- Sorters: A laundry sorter cuts down on time come laundry day. Clothes are divided up the way you want them (darks, lights, cold water, hot water) as they are dropped into the basket's sections, instead of as you divvy up loads for the washing machine. Still, not everyone has the space or the need for these types of hampers.
Here are the best laundry baskets you can buy in 2019:
- Best laundry basket overall: White Stackable Laundry Basket
- Best laundry hamper: Household Essentials Double Hamper
- Best wheeled laundry sorter: Heavy-Duty 3-Bag Laundry Sorter
- Best pop-up laundry hamper: Household Essentials Pop-Up Mesh Hamper
- Best attractive laundry hamper: Seville Classics Water Hyacinth Oval Double Hamper
Updated on 06/12/2019 by Les Shu: Updated prices, links, and formatting.
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