10 best laundry baskets that are functional and stylish

We love the fact this design features three compartments, making it easy to separate colourful, dark and white laundry. Convenient handles are included, so each compartment can be lifted out of the main basket, before being whisked over to the washing machine, and then slotted back into place again. We applaud Joseph Joseph for including handles on the bottom of each compartment, too, as this helped when it came to emptying laundry into the washing machine.

Despite its imposing size, it looks modern, stylish and streamlined. A high-quality edition to our space, it comes in black, grey and light beige. Assembling the basket took a little while but was easy enough – no tools are required but we recommend taking a moment to watch the short instructional video.

If three compartments seem a bit excessive for your own laundry needs, a two compartment version is also available (£90, Josephjoseph.com).

When every inch of floor space counts, this relatively budget-friendly option from Habitat will help you save on space. It fits snugly into corners, thanks to its triangular form – although, it is one of the less stable options, owing to the small base. The lid is attached to the main basket, so you don’t need to worry about finding somewhere to pop it down while you sort through your smalls.

This is one of the more lightweight baskets in this review, and, as it has handles, carrying the whole thing (even when it’s full) to the washing machine isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Though it is a little bit fiddly to tie it back up again, the washable cotton liner can be removed, which means you can also transport clothes using just the liner. With its woven finish and 40l capacity, it’s a natural-looking basket that’s ideal for one-person households.

We’d go as far as to say this could be one of the most convenient laundry baskets we tested. Offering the best of both worlds, this basket is a breeze to carry around – thanks to its lightweight design and handles – without compromising on capacity. The material is pliable – it collapses down but somehow maintains its shape incredibly well, even when empty. Plus, despite its lack of structure, it won’t topple over, even when full to the brim. It’s easy to freshen it up with a damp cloth, too. The white and black pattern complemented our bathroom decor, and, overall, it’s a stylish find for less than £30.

With a rustic-chic look, this woven basket feels robust and well-made – a stylish addition to our bedroom, it kept clothes neatly out of sight. The basket’s oval shape is visually pleasing as well as being practical, as the basket fits neatly into corners, and feels stable.

More capacious than its 51cm x 33cm footprint would suggest, the basket held a full load of laundry, and then some. Though it doesn’t have handles and is very heavy when full, the basket features a cotton lining that can be removed to make carrying laundry a doddle. The lining does need to be hand washed or dry cleaned, rather than machine washed, however, which is something to keep in mind. Overall, though, this is a good-looking, robust offering for those who like a natural look.

The pièce de résistance of this roomy, utilitarian-style bag (a dream for minimalists) is its shape-shifting lid. With a hole to post laundry through, the lid also unfolds, so it can be used as handles, ready for your next trip to the washing machine. Despite the wide, flat shape of the handles, they’re surprisingly comfortable to hold, for short journeys, at least. If you find it more comfortable, you can even feed your arm through the hole and carry it around like a large tote bag. Note the design of the lid means your laundry won’t be concealed completely.

The bag can only be wiped clean, which is something to think about, and we needed to open the lid when we wanted to chuck larger items (sheets, towels and dressing gowns) inside. All in all, though, this is a versatile all-rounder for a good price – and aiming socks into the hole is quite fun, too.

Nodding to Scandinavian design, this large, stylish and well-considered option from Copenhagen-based Ferm Living is one you’ll be proud to have on display. The strong lines of the frame (made from a dark powder-coated metal) stand out against the natural cotton canvas bag, while the brown leather cord around the top of the frame shows the brand has put effort into the finer details, too.

The canvas material creates a seamless cover that’s convenient to flip on and off – we liked that it worked well when the basket was slightly overfilled, too. One thing to note is the bag isn’t removable from the frame, which makes it harder to clean. It is expensive but, if you’re after a chic addition to your living space, this is a great option. The frame is collapsible, too – snapping down flat when not in use.

Moving laundry to the machine is a breeze with smaller bags like this one. Even better, it’s collapsible, which is fantastic news for anyone short on space – it unfolds in an instant but lies completely flat when you need it to. Lightweight, and with handles that are comfortable to hold, it’s much easier to carry this bag than it is to lug around the inner lining of some other laundry baskets. Plus, as this design is water-repellent, we were able to use it to ferry wet laundry to our clothes airer, if needed. However, we found it can occasionally collapse slightly, particularly when piling in clothes. It does hold its shape when it has laundry inside it, though, and its hard base means it always feels sturdy in transit.

Although the multicoloured Jonathan Lawes design we tested is currently out of stock, the bag is still available in grey.

It may be expensive but this laundry bin ticks a lot of boxes. Best of all, it has two compartments, so you can separate your laundry. The distinctive design sees the compartments elevated on four legs, which meant we didn’t need to stoop as much as we did when fishing laundry out of some other baskets.

With a sleek steel finish and clean lines, it looks contemporary and utilitarian. The lid (which features a hole to chuck clothes through) partially conceals the basket’s contents, so everything looks neat and contained. Meanwhile, ventilation holes keep mustiness at bay.

The only downside is the two compartments can’t be removed separately from each other, meaning you’ll have to carry both to the washing machine, making the load unnecessarily heavy. All in all, though, this is a robust all-rounder.

Trust Zara Home to make a laundry basket a stylish addition to your interiors. This round design is crafted with an iron frame covered in “resilient paper”, for a rattan look, adding some natural texture to your space. We love the fabric lining (a cotton and polyester blend), which pokes out under the lid for some texture contrast and is machine washable, to ensure your basket stays fresh. Generously sized, it is, however, super lightweight, so it can be carried with ease to the washing machine. Laundry days have never been so chic.

With its scalloped detailing and choice of light beige or blue hue, we’d imagine this basket would be popular with older kids, as well as adults with a penchant for charming looking decor. The weaving is made of plastic, meaning that, while it doesn't look or feel as rustic as a basket made with natural materials, it is a lot more hardwearing. This is ideal if longevity of the basket and easy cleaning are important to you.

Falling within the mid-range price bracket for a basket of this size, it comes with an inner bag which can be removed for easy cleaning. However, we'd warn against doing this until you absolutely have to, as feeding the straps, which attach with velcro, back into the weave is incredibly fiddly. And, ideally, we'd have liked the basket to have handles. That being said, we like that the lid can be flipped open and closed with ease, and that it keeps our laundry pile discreetly out of sight.