Laundry Basket Dimensions (with Pictures)

When it comes to doing laundry, it probably ranks among the least favorite of chores. But, when you think about it, you have machines that do the actual washing and drying for you. The real work comes in during the sorting, folding, and putting away phases, making a good laundry basket essential.

Laundry baskets and hampers come in an array of sizes, shapes, and styles, and you probably need more than one. A standard plastic laundry basket is roughly 23 inches long, 17 to 19 inches wide, and approximately 10.5 inches tall. However, you can find options both smaller and larger than this, so there’s certainly no set size.

Therefore, when choosing the best laundry basket for you, consider things like available space and how you do laundry. For example, do you fold all of your clothes in the laundry room or relocate to another room? Also, do you have to lug baskets up or downstairs to put everything away?

Also, consider how much you can fit into the laundry basket at one time. A standard capacity for a basket is about 1.6 bushels.

For those unfamiliar with a bushel, it’s a term of measurement used to measure dry goods. It is equal to roughly 35 liters, making a typical laundry basket about 60 liters.

While size and function should be your top priorities, you don’t need to settle for style. There are so many options; you can find a material and color that suits your design and personal preference. These 13 laundry room curtain ideas suit any style.

For a basic, no-frills laundry basket, you have the typical plastic version with multiple holes. The holes serve a dual purpose, keeping the basket lightweight while allowing clothes and fabric to breathe.

If you allow wet fabric to sit for too long, it can develop musty odors and mildew. Mold growth can occur in as little as 24 hours; therefore, proper ventilation is vital.

This basic Rubbermaid laundry basket is 23.5 inches long by 18.6 inches wide. It has a depth of 10.2 inches and weighs under 2 pounds, making it lightweight and easy to handle.

The usual size for these inexpensive go-tos is about 23 inches long, 17 to 19 inches wide, and 10 to 11 inches tall. You can find them completely bare-bones style, or some have more ergonomic features like padded handles. The most popular color is white, but you can find it available in other colors as well as different shapes.

For example, simple basics come in square shapes, round versions, or even ovals, like this one.

However, this oval basket is only 14 inches wide, making its capacity slightly less than average at 40 liters.

If you don’t want to take up valuable space with a bulky laundry basket, consider a collapsible version. They come in various styles, including ones that look like the standard basket mentioned above.

For example, the SAMMART Collapsible Basket shares the same typical dimensions as a standard basket when it’s expanded. However, it’s only about 2.7 inches tall when you collapse it, making it easy to hide away.

With such a slim profile when collapsed, you could easily hang it on the back of your laundry room door. Or, you could even slide it under your bed or tuck it away on a shelf. When it’s expanded, its height is 10.6 inches. Take a look at these 35 laundry room ideas.

If you need to lug your laundry around the house or to a shared laundry area, a rolling basket is for you. It takes the strain off of your back, arms, and shoulders. These rolling laundry baskets share a similar design to rolling suitcases, featuring wheels and an easy pull handle.

Rolling baskets are also a good idea if you usually do extra-large loads of laundry. The larger the load, the heavier it will be to handle. At 21.125” x 16.75” x 22.125”, this Sterilite rolling basket can handle 1.75 bushels (62 liters).

If you do a lot of laundry in your household or have many people under one roof, consider a sorter. While you can still use simple laundry baskets for transporting some loads around, a sorter can help you stay organized.

Plus, a sorter like this one from Storage Maniac on Amazon features three removable bags. Therefore, each bag can act as a laundry basket. The entire unit is 16.92 inches deep, 29.52 inches wide, and 31.49 inches tall.

Each bag holds up to 25 pounds, and durable bars keep the unit stable. An individual bag is 21.65 inches tall, 14.76 inches wide, and 8.66 inches deep.

More decorative laundry baskets are a great choice when you have to hide your laundry in plain sight. However, be extra cautious of ventilation with these. Since they are designed to hide away your items, they aren’t always as generous with ventilation holes.

Therefore, make sure not to store wet clothing in the basket. Decorative baskets come in a wide array of sizes, styles, and materials, especially woven baskets.

The Oiahomy woven rope basket from Amazon features an extra-large capacity, holding up to a whopping 105 liters. This is primarily thanks to its tall 25.59-inch height. It is 19.29 inches across and weighs roughly 3.9 pounds.

Related Questions

Is there an ideal number of laundry baskets to have?

The quick answer is not really. If you live alone, you probably only need one. But, conversely, if you are part of a family of 6, you might want several. Many households get enough laundry baskets to have one per person so everyone can do their own laundry.For example, you can sort clean clothes into the different baskets by person, and each person can take their basket. This way, you can get the clothes out of the laundry area and at least to the rooms where they belong.For others, they choose how many baskets they need based on how many loads they usually do at one time. Or, if you separate your lights, darks, towels, delicates, etc., you might opt to have a few baskets. If you do end up getting more than two baskets, it’s highly recommended to consider some collapsible versions. You could also opt for a sorter with several removable compartments. Otherwise, you’ll quickly run out of storage space.

How much does a laundry basket cost?

As with most things, the price of a laundry basket is not standard. There are so many sizes, shapes, styles, etc., that prices reflect this variety. A basic basket can cost about $5, while a more substantial basic version can cost closer to $12 or $15. Collapsible baskets can also cost between $10 and $20 depending on how they are constructed. Rolling baskets can cost anywhere from $15 to $60, depending on the quality, durability, and features. Decorative baskets could be as much as $35 or more, especially if you shop at a high-end home store.A laundry sorter typically costs about $25 to $70. The price varies based on how many compartments the sorter has, if it’s lidded, and the materials.