10 of the best laundry baskets and hampers for families

There are so many different laundry baskets to choose from. You can get large wicker ones, laundry bags which can be folded and stored away, laundry baskets with sections to help you separate your whites from your handwashing and so many more different styles.

There is no best laundry basket, but there is a best one for your family and we think you will find exactly what you're looking for within our round-up. To help you choose, we asked parents in our Top Testers Club which laundry basket they use and recommend and why. When testing and selecting the best laundry baskets, we considered, size, capacity, sections to sort laundry, appearance, practicality and value.

For more laundry products, take a look at our round-up of the best irons and ironing boards and our pick of the best tumble dryers.

Best laundry baskets at a glance

• Best laundry basket for large families: Joseph Joseph Tota 90L Separation Basket, £110
• Best laundry basket for children: John Lewis Lion Knitted Storage Basket, £22
• Best laundry basket for sorting laundry: Imagine Orange Large Foldable Laundry Basket 3 Compartments, £29.99
• Best budget laundry basket: 75L Large Capacity Laundry Basket, £6.79
• Best laundry basket for nappies: Bells Bumz Nappy Pail, £9.95
• Best sustainable laundry bag: Set of 2 Dotty Laundry Bags, £7
• Best ventilated laundry basket: Brabantia Laundry Bin 60L, £105
• Best stylish laundry basket: John Lewis Rattan Laundry Basket, £90
• Best laundry basket with wheels: ALINK 86L Tall Collapsible Laundry Basket with 5- Wheels, £23.99
• Best laundry basket for lack of space: Addis Fold Flat Laundry Basket, £12

What to consider when choosing a laundry basket

Size/capacity – When choosing a laundry basket, it's important to ensure that it's going to fit suitably in your home but also that it will hold enough laundry to suit your family. If you have a larger family then it can be difficult to find a laundry basket that ticks both boxes here. However, fortunately, you can get some very large baskets which are collapsible, meaning they can be put away when not in use and consequently, help save space.

Sections – It can be very useful to be able to sort your laundry as you put it in the basket. Many laundry baskets now have sections to allow you to separate your darks, lights and colours. This makes it easy to quickly grab your laundry and pop it in the washing machine. If you hate having to sort your laundry and have the space, then it might be a good idea to get a laundry basket with multiple sections.

Appearance – A laundry basket is quite a large item in your home. Therefore, you want something that fits well with your décor and looks nice. Sometimes you do have to compromise with practicality, but there are many aesthetically pleasing laundry baskets available to buy.

Practicality – There are lots of different features to consider when buying a laundry basket which help make the laundry process easier. One, which is slightly less common is wheels, which makes the transportation of your laundry from the basket to the washing machine incredibly easy and is great for those with accessibility issues. Another feature is a waterproof, machine washable lining, this is great for keeping everything clean and prevents smells from occurring. Folding or collapsible laundry baskets are also a great space-saving feature too.

Our pick of the best laundry baskets and hampers for families...

1. Joseph Joseph Tota 90L Laundry Separation Basket, £110

– Best for large families

Size: H71cm x W56cm x D39.5cm| Sections: 2 | Capacity: 90L (2 x 45L)

This handy laundry basket has 2 x 45 litre baskets, meaning there's enough room for a larger family's laundry.

Parent tester Andrea recommends this laundry basket, "We have a Joseph Joseph laundry basket with 2 compartments, I use one for colour and one for white. It's the 90L one so it's the perfect size for a family of 4."

It has 2 easy-carry tote bags so you can easily separate your washing and take each bag straight to the washing machine.

The tote bags are machine washable and you can wipe the lids, rims and frame down with a cloth.

The practical laundry basket is also stylish and subtle so should fit nicely in any bedroom, bathroom or utility room. You can get the basket in Ecru, Grey and Black.

Pros: Good size for large families, can separate laundry, easy-to-carry tote bags, machine washable bags, stylish, available in colours
Cons: Quite expensive, may be too big for some people

Available from: Joseph Joseph, John Lewis and Lakeland

2. John Lewis Lion Knitted Storage Basket, £22

– Best for children

Size: H42cm x Dia.34cm | Sections: 1 | Capacity: N/A

Many parents in our Top Testers Club said how they like to have a separate laundry basket for their child.

This little lion basket is ideal for this. Thanks to its cute design and handy size, it will look good in their bedroom and won't take up too much room.

The faux-leather handles make it easy to carry the laundry to the washing machine or the main laundry basket.

Pros: Cute design for children, handles to carry, won't take up much room
Cons: Fairly small so can't hold lots of laundry

Available from: John Lewis

3. Imagine Orange Large Foldable Laundry Basket 3 Compartments, £29.99

– Best for sorting laundry

Size: H60m x L68cm x W38cm | Sections: 3 | Capacity: 135L (3 x 45L)

This laundry basket is great for sorting your laundry. The basket has 3 sections; light, dark and colour (spelt the US way, which is annoying unless you are from the US). This makes it super easy to just grab your washing, there's no need to go through the time-consuming task of sorting it. Parent tester Violaine recommended this laundry basket and said, "I love our 3-compartment laundry basket. I do colours, whites and kids. It folds so it's really easy to move around."

It's made of sturdy Oxford cloth, making it durable and lightweight. The bags are water resistant so you can put wet or damp clothes in. At the back of the baskets there are 3 smaller compartments, great for smaller clothing and underwear.

Much like the Joseph Joseph laundry basket, it has handles so you can easily carry it.

If you're short on space then you can collapse the basket, thanks to its handy foldable design.

Pros: 3 sections to sort laundry, affordable, water resistant, smaller compartments too, handles to carry laundry bags, collapsible
Cons: Quite large

Available from: Amazon

4. 75L Large Capacity Laundry Basket, £6.79

– Best budget buy

Size: H62m x L40cm x W30cm | Sections: 1 | Capacity: 75L

If you just want a simple, affordable laundry basket then this one will do you just fine. It has a large capacity, so it should fit all your family's laundry.

It has 2 handles so you can easily carry it around the house. When it's not in use it can be folded away and stored in a cupboard,

Thanks to its waterproof lining, you can also store wet clothes in the basket. However, it's not machine washable so you can only wipe it down.

Pros: Affordable, large capacity, handles, waterproof lining, can be folded away
Cons: Not machine washable

Available from: Amazon

5. Bells Bumz Nappy Pail, £9.95

– Best for nappies

Size: H70cm x L40cm | Sections: 1 | Capacity: 30 nappies

A nappy pail is a great idea if you use cloth nappies. You probably don't want your regular dirty laundry mixing with dirty nappies. This nappy pail is a great size, fitting up to 30 nappies.

Parent tester Sarah recommends this nappy pail, "They're a large wet bag that I use for cloth nappies. Each pail holds exactly one load for my machine so it's a perfect way to tell when the wash needs to go on."

It has 2 strong handles, making it easy to carry the heavy load straight to the washing machine. The handles also mean you could hang the bag on the back of a door or wherever is convenient for you. There's a small zip pocket to store clean nappies too.

There are also a variety of lovely designs to choose from, including; diggers, zebras, hippos and more.

Pros: Great for nappies, waterproof, fun designs, good size, strong handles
Cons: Not suitable for all laundry

Available from: The Nappy Gurus

6. Set of 2 Dotty Laundry Bags, £7

– Best for sustainability

Size: W46cm x H60cm and W40cm x H50cm | Sections: 2 bags | Capacity: N/A

These cute dotty laundry bags are made from recycled plastic, making it a great option for the eco-conscious.

I have these laundry bags and love that it's a set of 2. I use the black bag for darks and the white bag for lights. It has a drawstring fastening, ensuring none of your smalls fall out. The bags are soft and durable and can be stored anywhere. I choose to store mine in the wardrobe so they're out of the way.

The bag style makes it easy to carry your laundry downstairs. I find one full bag fits into my washing machine perfectly and once the laundry is washed, I put it back in the laundry bag to carry it to the airer.

Pros: Sustainably made, cute dotty design, 2 bags to separate darks and lights, drawstring close, affordable
Cons: May be too small for very large families

Available from: Dunelm

7. Brabantia Laundry Bin 60L, £105

– Best for ventilation

Size: H63.5cm x Dia.38cm | Sections: 1 | Capacity: 60L

Dirty laundry that's kept in a laundry basket for too long can start to smell a bit musty. This nifty laundry bin has ventilation holes which allow your laundry to breathe.

The bin is made of corrosion-resistant steel so it's fine to be kept in a bathroom or wherever you like. The protective plastic base also prevents any damage to your floor.

On top of the laundry bin is a plastic lid, you can use the top hole to quickly drop small bits of laundry such as pants or socks. For larger items, you will need to remove the lid.

Inside the bin is a laundry bag with a Velcro attachment. You can take this out and easily take your laundry to the washing machine.

The laundry bin has a sleek, modern design so should blend in nicely to most bathrooms.

Parent tester Nina recommends this laundry basket, "It's small and compact but holds a lot of laundry. It's a nice minimal design and colour so it is easy for it to be in any room and it just seamlessly fits in".

The 60L capacity, should be suitable to fit all your family's laundry.

Pros: Ventilation holes, made of corrosion-resistant steel, protective plastic base, small hole for smalls, Velcro laundry bag, good capacity, sleek design
Cons: Can't sort laundry, quite expensive

Available from: John Lewis, Amazon and Dunelm

8. John Lewis Rattan Laundry Basket, £90

– Best for style

Size: W45cm x H61cm x D45cm | Sections: 1 | Capacity: N/A

If your laundry basket is going to be on show, then your main priority may be its appearance. A laundry basket can take up a lot of room, so, as much as you want something practical to make washing easier, style may also come into play.

This large rattan basket, is very rustic and aesthetically pleasing. It will hold a substantial amount of laundry and it has a machine washable lining. It also has a rattan lid to keep all your laundry out of sight.

The lining sticks out the rattan basket and has a cute little bow, this goes well with the unique shape of the rattan basket.

The only downside is it only has 1 section and due to its large capacity, it will take up a fair amount of room.

Pros: Stylish, rustic, machine washable lining, good size
Cons: Can't separate laundry, no handles to carry the laundry to the washing machine

Available from: John Lewis

9. ALINK 86L Tall Collapsible Laundry Basket with 5 Wheels, £23.99

– Best for wheels

Size: L32.8cm x W32.8cm x H64.8cm | Sections: 1 | Capacity: 86L

Wheels on your laundry basket may be something you never knew you needed. It's a great feature, making it easy to get the dirty laundry to the washing machine without having to carry a heavy laundry bag as long as you are on one level.

This laundry basket has 5 wheels, making it super easy to manoeuvre. Each side of the basket has a handle so you can pull it along from wherever you like.

It has an excellent sized capacity, suitable for bigger families and a drawstring mesh cover, which keeps the clothes inside and prevents any laundry from falling out while being transported around the house.

The lining of the basket is waterproof, breathable and designed to repel any moisture. It is quite large but you can collapse it down and reassemble it when you need it again.

Pros: Wheels for transportation, handles, good capacity, mesh cover, waterproof and breathable lining, can collapse down, affordable
Cons: Quite large

Available from: Amazon

10. Addis Fold Flat Laundry Basket, £12

– Best for lack of space

Size: W70cm x L33.5cm x H39cm | Sections: 1 | Capacity: 38L

If you don't have enough room for a regular laundry basket then you could use this collapsible basket.

It folds completely flat, so when not in use, can be easily stored away in a cupboard or down the side of the washing machine. The basket has carry handles so can be used to take the laundry to the washing machine and then the basket can be used again to take the clean laundry back to where it should be.

The handy basket is available in 3 colours; cream, pink and mineral.

Although this basket is very useful, you would need to do regular washes as it only has a 38L capacity. You also, can't separate your laundry unless you buy 2 baskets.

Pros: Collapsible, space-saving, handles to carry, 3 colour choices
Cons: Small capacity, can't separate laundry

Available from: Dunelm, Amazon and Argos