The Best Laundry Basket

Buying Guide

Laundry baskets are the silent heroes of your closet. They wait patiently and collect your clothes, then proudly carry them to the washing machine at the end of the week. Their function is simple, and any laundry basket can get the job done. But the perfect laundry basket will make your weekly trip to the washer and dryer quicker and easier. 

Laundry baskets come in a number of designs. There are classic white plastic bins, linen hampers with lids and liners, pop-up hampers for easy storage and full-on laundry rolling carts. Laundry baskets with split hampers will help you separate your colors from your whites for simpler washing and drying.

Your laundry basket won’t wash your clothes for you, but choosing the right one for your needs will make this chore more pleasant. Take a look at our Tips & Advice for more info.

• Scope out your closet and see how many clothes you own to determine what size hamper you’ll need. If your closet is bursting at the seams, look for a large basket. Some laundry baskets have capacities as large as 11 gallons. If you’re a minimalist, smaller handheld baskets will do just fine. 
• If you go with a larger basket, make sure it’s not too heavy for you to lift. You can also choose a laundry basket with wheels for easy transport around your home.
• Hard laundry baskets and soft laundry bags each have their own pros and cons. Hard baskets last longer and can safely carry heavier loads, but they can get heavy and they’re awkward to carry. Soft bags can stretch to fit extra laundry, and you can fold them up and store them in a drawer when they’re not in use. However, they can rip if you overload them or break after heavy use.
• Pop-up mesh hampers are a nice alternative to other laundry baskets if you’re low on space. They can collapse into a flat disc for storage. That feature is also helpful if you have to move and don’t want to haul a giant laundry basket to your next home.
• If you have lots of clothing or a large family, you’ll benefit from baskets with divided sections. They’re useful for separating your delicates from your bath towels, or you can give each family member their own section.
• If you buy a hardsided basket with no wheels, make sure it has a removable liner that turns into a laundry bag. This is especially helpful if you need to use a laundromat and can’t haul your whole laundry basket with you. 
• Mesh baskets and liners will help your clothes breathe and prevent odors, but they can break if you accidentally snag them on something. Make sure that the mesh is thick enough to last.
• Check for sturdy handles on any mesh bag or removable liner bag, especially if you’re using a high-capacity laundry basket. Your basket won’t be a basket anymore if the handle tears!
• You don’t have to shove your laundry hamper to the back of your closet — there are plenty of baskets that will add some oomph to your bedroom or bathroom. A lidded hamper covered in linen that complements your paint colors will turn your laundry basket into a chic decorative piece.
• Be wary of laundry baskets and basket linings that use Velcro closures. Velcro wears down over time, and it can catch on loosely knit clothing. You may want to replace the Velcro strips or buy a backup laundry bag or basket just in case.
• Make sure the laundry basket you choose is up to the challenge of your next load. Heavy blankets and sweatshirts require a hard plastic basket, while t-shirts and small towels will be fine in a light mesh or cloth laundry bag.
• If you’re the proud parent of a new baby, you’ve probably got tons of laundry to do. A wheeled basket can help you move from room to room and collect all of your family’s laundry in one fell swoop. If you’ve got a little one crawling around, make sure your wheeled laundry basket is safely out of reach. This will keep the basket’s wheels away from tiny, curious fingers, and your child won’t accidentally knock it over during play.