The Best Laundry Baskets

Taking smelly laundry and transforming it into freshly dried, ready-to-wear clothing is a breeze with a basket that doesn’t drag you down with its difficult-to-handle design or unattractive appearance. With a couple of additions, your laundry basket can help you tackle the weekly chore with ease. Here are some fantastic laundry baskets that we recommend.

Buying Guide for Laundry Baskets

Why should you buy a laundry basket?

While laundry baskets have a wide variety of uses, their optimal duty is helping you get laundry from point A to point B. If you live in an apartment or dorm where the laundry machines are located outside of your space, a laundry basket can help prevent you from dropping socks along the way. People with large families can also reap the benefits of a laundry basket that helps them keep their family members’ clothing organized while also making it easy to move into different rooms without taking multiple trips.

What should you look for in a laundry basket?

When you’re hauling dirty, smelly laundry around, you’ll want your laundry basket to make the experience as easy and comfortable as possible. Look into these factors:

• Handles: Laundry baskets with large, sturdy handles provide a better grip and won’t squeeze your fingers together when you’re transferring clothing around your home. For the most comfort, look for a laundry basket that has wide spaces for your fingers to fit through.
• Material: Plastic baskets are the most common material used for laundry baskets because they’re simple to clean and sturdy for heavy loads. Cloth baskets are more stylish, but you should opt for a fabric that doesn’t cling to odors, such as cotton, linen, or hemp.
• Features: Ventilation holes allow air circulation to reduce or prevent unwanted smells from clinging to the clothing. A lid can also help reduce the reach of the smell if you’re using the basket as temporary storage in your room. Wheels are great for transporting large amounts of dirty laundry with ease and could benefit older users.

What are the other benefits of owning a laundry basket?

Laundry baskets don’t have to only be used to transfer clothing from room to room. They’re also great for storing items such as holiday decor, old toys, or craft supplies. Their open sides let you identify the items without pulling out the entire thing, and the open top allows you to quickly access what’s inside. Laundry baskets are also great for moving general items to new spaces. This comes in handy for new college students who are moving into their dorms, or if you’re switching apartments. Storing your most needed items in a laundry basket for travel will save you the hassle of looking through boxes for items like your toothbrush.

Our Picks for the Best Laundry Baskets

Pros: This basket was designed to make moving laundry easy with its uniquely curved rim that fits perfectly onto your hip. Transfer dirty clothing from room to washing machine without discomfort, as the three sturdy handles allow for one- or two-handed holding. And you won’t have to worry about pinched fingers when carrying heavy loads with the grab-through handle design that provides a better grip. The ventilation holes allow for airflow through dirty clothing, while the plastic won’t transfer odors to clean clothing after the wash.

Cons: Compared to other available laundry baskets, this product has a pretty high price tag. Some say that the quality doesn’t live up to the money that it costs, with reports of flimsy construction and loose handles.

Bottom Line: This basket’s curved design is great for transporting large batches of laundry around your home. The three handles and ventilation holes give you almost everything that you could ask for in a laundry basket.

 

Pros: This basket is meant to disappear until your next laundry day. Standing at 22.8 inches in its expanded form, this specially designed basket collapses to just 2.7 inches tall. When this basket isn’t saving you space, the sturdy BPA-free plastic will hold dirty laundry without weakening at the sides. The three-handle design allows you to rest the basket on your side without having a handle digging into your skin.

Cons: The flexible sides can result in some instability when carrying larger loads. Additionally, the small size is great for its collapsible nature but doesn’t provide enough holding space for everyone.

Bottom Line: If you have trouble finding space in your home, this basket is a great option for keeping the laundry room uncluttered. While the higher price and smaller size aren’t for everyone, its collapsible design makes this basket disappear until it’s needed.

 

Pros: This pretty basket has a lot to offer in terms of additional features. It has two handles for easy transport and a drawstring lid to reduce odors and is collapsible. The material is thick polyester that has a waterproof coating, allowing it to withstand even the sweatiest of gym clothes. If the 18-inch model isn’t large enough for your standard laundry load, DOKEHOM offers 19- and 22-inch options.

Cons: The sizing names of medium, large, and extra-large seem to have misled some folks here. If you’re looking for a certain amount of room in the basket, select the size based on the height in order to get a better idea of its capacity. Since it stands without a wire for support, this basket sags easily when it’s not full.

Bottom Line: This is a great option for college students, as the bag collapses for storage and can be shut with the drawstring rope in order to keep odors at bay. If you’re looking for something with a large capacity, this option might leave you feeling disappointed.

 

Pros: Whether you have to take a long walk to the laundromat or want to reduce the strain of moving cumbersome baskets from room to room, this basket can help. The two-wheel design ensures that the basket remains in place when needed and then easily maneuvers around corners or through doorways for laundry day. The basket is designed with a retractable handle similar to luggage.

Cons: The basket isn’t huge, so it won’t hold a ton of laundry.

Bottom Line: The benefits of having a rolling laundry basket like this are exponential for people with heavy loads, large families, or long distances to transport their laundry.

 

Pros: Sometimes style means a sacrifice of practicality, but fashion and function collide perfectly with this super-wide laundry basket and its sturdy handles. Both soft and sturdy, these baskets can hold piles of laundry without spilling over. You can also use them to store spare blankets, pillows, or children’s toys. The added space gives you endless possibilities. And with its intricate rope pattern, there’s no need to hide away dirty laundry, as it fits right into the decor.

Cons: The cotton material of this basket isn’t compatible with wet clothing, so you’ll have to ensure that your dirty laundry is aired out before placing it in the basket. The stitching on some of the baskets might be irregular and difficult to hide given the prominence of the pattern.

Bottom Line: The beauty of this basket is in its pattern and multifunctional use. Remember that it’s just cotton rope, so it can’t handle everything that a plastic basket could, but it will look really nice and hold a lot of clothes.

Final Thoughts

Laundry is certainly a chore, but it doesn’t have to drag you down every time a new load appears in the hamper. With a laundry basket, you can easily transport your dirty clothes around the house, down a flight of stairs, or even across town. The right laundry basket will keep your hands comfortable while having the ideal capacity for your lifestyle. With so many options offering various helpful features, almost everyone could benefit from owning a laundry basket.