The 10 Very Best Laundry Hampers and Baskets

Photo: Marcus McDonald

Having a productive laundry day comes down to the tools you use. Here at The Strategist, we’re quite obsessive about our laundry, trying out everything from actress Piper Perabo’s favorite detergent sheets to a no-rinse soap that helps slash annual dry-cleaning bills and a German bleach alternative for especially pesky stains. But I’d argue that your hamper or laundry basket is just as important as the other essentials you haul to the laundromat (or to your in-house washer and dryer). It’s a real workhorse, separating the dirty from the clean. (It’s also a superior solution to a “clothes chair.”) The right hamper should hold plenty while still being easy enough to carry, which isn’t the simplest balance to strike — I remember one of mine almost completely falling apart in a dorm-room hallway (I had to drag it back rather inelegantly). So I asked experts — including professional organizers, cleaners, and one Strategist writer — about the laundry baskets and hampers they consider favorites. Below, you’ll find recommendations ranging from a Rubbermaid hip-hugger that’s “meant to be flung around” to a handsome (and stackable) Hay basket.

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