Whether you live in an apartment, dorm, boat or RV, a compact portable washing machine is a wonderful alternative to a full-sized model. I tested the best options you can get on Amazon right now.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. BLACK+DECKER - 0.9 Cubic Feet with 5 Cycles
Highlight: Easily move via two rollers, two side handles, and a front adjustable leveling leg.
Helpful review: When I first heard about portable washers, I WANTED one. So bad. I grew up poor, so the idea of having my own washer and dryer was everything to me. When I finally moved into my own place, I bit the bullet and bought one, and I couldn’t be happier. Sionare laundromats, hello endless days of laundry and the smell of Tide wafting through my home.
Now, I came here to give an honest review and that’s what I plan to do.
I was annoyed at first because the included attachment didn't fit my oddly shaped bathroom faucet. I ended up buying an adapter kit, which didn’t fit either, but eventually I figured out that combining three of the adapters worked perfectly with my shower hose.
It takes a minute to set up, and I let it drain into the shower tub, but it works great since there's already a lint trap there. If you don’t have a lint trap, this could get tricky, so if you do it this way, I recommend getting one.
I know this isn’t your typical washer, but seriously, I’m amazed how well this thing cleans my clothes. I've had it for just over a month now and I loved it so much, I ended up getting the Panda dryer to go with it. While I can't fit everything in one go, it's still a breeze compared to dragging my laundry to the laundromat and shelling out fifteen to thirty dollars weekly.
Not only that, but this baby can wash everything. All my clothes, yeah, but even more. Blankets, bath mats, you name it. I use less detergent now, and now that I don’t have to worry about other people using the same machine at the laundromat I've stopped using laundry sanitizer altogether. That’s even more money saved!
Although it stays in my bathroom next to the tub, I ended up getting a dolly to set it on so I can move it around when I need to clean underneath it.
In terms of maintenance, after every time I use it, I give it a good deep clean and wipe down the lid edges, and double check that I’m draining the small filter at the back. I honestly think this will help it last longer, but whatever you do, make sure you clear out the drum’s lint filter—I have three cats, so it grabs a lot of fur on top of the normal stuff.
Just a side note, sitting on the dolly makes it a little taller, and at first I had issues with the drainage tube. Eventually I figured out that to fill the drum correctly, I just needed to make sure the drainage tube wasn't too low. Once I adjusted that, it worked like a charm.
As an extra cherry on top, both of these machines don’t use that much water and electricity, which saves me even more mula. It’s seriously so worth it. Oh, and it was delivered in two days and was super easy to set up. It’s just like a normal washer and dryer, except smaller and more compact. It’s really all I need, and I’ve never been happier. — Rita J. Green
Get it from Amazon now: $284.99 & FREE Returns
2. Auertech - 18lbs Washing + 10lbs Spinning
Highlight: Equipped with an upgraded drainage pump.
Helpful review: I’m in the process of moving out of my apartment and into a small camper to work as a freelancer while I travel. It’s a big change, but one of the biggest is giving up my normal size washer and dryer. This is my second portable washer I bought from Amazon. The first was a little too small to my liking and didn’t feel super durable.
This new one is mainly plastic, but because it has a weird design where the water inlet connects to the faucet. I ended up having to create my own contraption using zip ties, although it’s still better than the last model.
Honestly, these machines feel more like a kid’s toy and than an actual appliance for adults. Still, it beats washing clothes by hand. After adding a piece of fabric to the lint catcher, it started actually working. But I still wouldn’t drain this stuff into my home plumbing, but if you do, I’d recommend keeping a close eye on it to avoid clogging your drains. On the pro side, it’s pretty easy to move around and I can keep it on my cooler for quick access.
After washing the clothes with detergent, I rinse them three to four times depending on how dirty they were and how clean the water still is. It usually takes about four cycles before I put them in a spinner, set it for five minutes, and sit back and let it do its job.
Most of the time, the clothes come out almost dry, maybe a little damp, but I can pretty much wear them after a few hours of hanging. I really wish the manufacturers hadn’t assembled plastic wrap beneath the exterior parts. I had to disassemble the entire unit to remove it, which seems stupid, honestly.
After comparing similar products on Amazon, it seems that there’s just a lack of a good system for attaching the water inlet hose to your faucet. Thankfully, this one included a lint catcher, which helped. It’s also one of the largest portable washers I found. As a single middle-aged guy, I pretty much wear the same clothes on repeat, and they don’t get dirty enough for me to justify using a laundromat.
Though it still requires some effort, it’s preferable over having to go elsewhere to do my laundry. Oh, and the small round plastic piece that sits on the clothes in the spinner is pretty much useless. At least this one fits inside the spinner, unlike the first one I bought.
Just a pro-tip: When you drain it, more water tends to come out, even when it seems done. It annoyed me at first, but it makes sense. The water’s just getting backlogged in the drain hose. Unlike some models that are entirely gravity-fed, this one operates like a full-size unit with a motor that actively pushes the water out when you turn the knob to drain. I actually bought this mainly because of this reason.
Amazon offers many products, but as we all know, not all are worth it. This one is decent. It’s not the best thing I’ve ever bought, but it works, and if you’re thinking about taking the plunge for a portable washer, this is the one you should get. — Brody Gabriel
Get it from Amazon now: $189.99 & FREE Returns
3. COMFEE’ - 1.6 Cubic Feet with 6 Wash Programs
Top-rated: 5,200 ratings
Highlight: Conveniently features six common programs found on regular washers.
Helpful review: First off, the delivery was super fast–three days after ordering. They even delivered it up the stairs, straight to my door. I do recommend cutting the box instead of trying to dump it out. But the whole thing was fast–I had my first round of clothes going in thirty minutes. The machine was brand new and packed really well. I did so many loads of laundry that first day, so I’m pretty much an expert on answering this.
To answer some commonly asked questions:
Yep. It hooks to the kitchen sink. It includes a connector that attaches to the faucet to create an adapter for the sink. It has hot and cold hoses for water–and you can even use the bathroom sink, too.. Control panel was easy to read, and nope, doesn’t leak as long as you make sure it's secured. It spins great, but it’s not loud, an awesome benefit. Overall, it took about forty five minutes for a larger load of laundry and fifteen to thirty for a smaller load. It weighs about seventy five pounds, but it comes with handles to help move it. Mine didn’t come with wheels, but it’s really not hard to move.
To give you an idea of size, it’s about as tall and wide as a typical kitchen counter. Inside is stainless steel, but there’s like a cover over the top so you can’t really see your clothes inside, especially if you’re using hot water, as it steams the lid. A nice perk though? You can throw more clothes in whenever you want without it stopping.
Even if you don’t have hot and cold hookup for water, you can still use both and just switch them out whenever you need to. It also tells you if you have the wrong hose connected, which I thought was cool.
Oh, and there’s a warranty, and an instruction manual, so you’ve got your bases covered. It comes with a drain hose too!
It comes with a power cord and a regular outlet is more than enough for it to work.
When you’re actually getting started, I would try out a couple different load sizes just to make sure you don’t overfill it. Still, I think this is definitely big enough for more than one person. I could wash my full sized bed covers with zero issues, but anything bigger may be a little difficult. That being said, it’s great for towels and rugs–except I’d be careful not to put huge rugs in here.
It takes both liquid and powdered detergent and fabric softener, so that’s a plus, and although there’s a separate area to put this in, you can also do what I did, and it directly in. That works too. You’re going to love this washer, trust me. I did a lot of research and after receiving it I couldn’t be happier. I know you will too. — Buckeye Baby
Get it from Amazon now: $349.99 & FREE Returns
4. Giantex - 12lbs Washing + 8lbs Spinning
Highlight: The perfect compact washer for small loads.
Helpful review: After owning this for almost a month, I officially figured out the cheat codes. I put it in my bathtub, use some sponges, to keep it level, and wah lah! I got a diverter for my shower head and an adapter to make sure it worked. Any hardware store will sell it. The hose does come with the washer, so that’s nice. It’s so easy just connecting to the shower and letting it do its thing.
This way you don’t have to keep bending over, and you can just rinse it afterwards to get the soap out. I’d recommend putting less in then you think you should, just to stay on the safe side. If your clothes aren’t swirling around, then you probably have too much in.
You can even spin it and wash it together. If you fill it too much, it’s going to end up draining so just keep that in mind. It sounds like an A/C unit and you’ll get some vibrations, more so if it’s unstable.
I usually keep the water inside and then just top it off with hot water. It can look dirty, but once I add soap, it’s just cleaning it either way. Honestly, my whites are brighter from this than at the laundromat.
I was really over saving up the change to go back and forth to the laundromat, so after doing the research, I just took the plunge. This one was in my budget and had great reviews. I got it shipped within a few days, taking it out of the box was simple, and it came with an instruction manual, although it didn’t really make much sense. In other words, google translate was definitely used.
So here’s my step by step to make your life easier.
Step 1: Make sure it’s plugged in. Seems obvious, but I forgot.
Step 2: Splash a tablespoon of soap inside.
Step 3: Put clothing in one piece at a time, but separate loads based on type, whites, denim, etc. For your basic clothes, over half full works. The heavier stuff should be in smaller groups.
Step 4: Set the dial to normal and let it fill up with water. You’ll need an adapter for the inlet hose and I didn’t have one so I just used a bucket to fill it up over half full.
Step 4: Put wash to fifteen minutes, but keep it mind it doesn’t beep when it’s complete. There might be a slight burning smell, but I guess that’s the new motor kicking to life.
Step 5: Turn the dial to drain out of the drain hose. Remember, there’s no pump so let gravity help you out.
Step 6: Put a few items evenly in the spinner basin, and then put the plastic insert on top, and hit spin to five. If you got an adapter for your inlet hose this will help spin and drain it, but if not you can still spin the soap out and repeat it again in clean water. It vibrates so don't be surprised, but if during the spin cycle it sounds a little too loud, just move stuff around. It’s going to be damp, but definitely not wet.
And that’s it!
To storing: When you’re putting it away, let gravity help you with the drainage hose to empty out the water and if you keep the lid open it will keep it smelling fresher.
I recommend taking precautions when you use it. It’s gonna break if you put too much stuff in, and it’s better for maintenance and upkeep every day or two, then loading everything you own into it in one day. It’s compact and not as large as a normal washing machine, but if treated well, it will get the job done, trust me.
In the future, I’m gonna store it on a cart and get that adapter, so I’ll update in the future to let you know how it works, but overall it cleans my clothes, I’m saving money from the laundromat, and I’m happy! — Michael Yoder
Get it from Amazon now: $164.99 & FREE Returns
5. SUPER DEAL - 8lbs Washing + 5lbs Spinning
Highlight: Switch clothes between washer and spinner or use together.
Helpful review: My fiance and I are so happy we bought this, and the learning curve is pretty simple. Really, you just want to make sure you know how much to put in.
The spinner is my only issue, and that’s more because you have to equal out your clothes on both sides so it doesn’t vibrate too loud and make a knocking sound. It’s all easy to figure out though, and once you get the hang of it, you’re not going to regret buying this, We definitely didn’t.
Honestly, it’s compact, and that’s what we needed for our small apartment, and it takes like twenty minutes to do a whole wash AND spin cycle. It’s amazing. After, we just hang our clothes in the shower in front of a fan and it leaves the whole place smelling fresh. I definitely recommend using the spin cycle to get as much water out as possible first though. Really helps.
When it was first delivered, we didn't even have to put it together. It was already assembled. We were able to start washing things right away. I didn't even need an instruction manual, and I always need those. It was that easy.
I definitely recommend trying a few different ways to wash. There’s a few different options. Like if you have delicate clothes, definitely try using the softer cycle. If you want to wash your clothes fast, try out the fifteen minute timer. You don't really need a lot of detergent for that. Otherwise the clothes get kind of stiff, but fabric software definitely helps with that.
I also recommend lifting it up onto something. It helps so you can clean underneath it, but you also have to run the hoses to the faucet so having it higher up allows you to do that easier if you attach it to the sink. And if you connect it to the sink, it goes faster, but you can also use buckets of water to fill it up for larger loads.
Overall, it takes about five or six loads to do all of our clothes, but we're also two people. We can both do little loads every day and it's not an issue. Fortunately, we don't have to pay for water so that's not a problem but really it was a great investment. We no longer have to go to the laundromat or pay for an Uber and collect change. It's also pretty quiet too, except when you put it on the spin cycle, then it can get louder, but the trick to that is keeping it balanced. It's a good size. I definitely, definitely recommend it. — Danielle Dapice
Get it from Amazon now: $112.99 & FREE Returns
6. BLACK+DECKER - 1.7 Cubic Feet with 6 Cycles
Highlight: Offers a range of water temperature options from cold to super hot.
Helpful review: I consider myself a pretty intelligent person, and I'll be honest in giving this review. A lot of the bad reviews I saw on this machine are from people who clearly did not read the instruction manual. It was pretty easy if you did that.
Yeah, there's like 36 different cycle options, and there is one that can take up to two hours, but the manual explains why, and trust me it only takes two minutes to read it. The longer cycle is an eco-mode. Essentially it saves energy to wash your clothes, making it last longer. You don't even have to use that if you don't want to. Just avoid it. Problem solved. The majority of the cycles are around forty minutes–just like a normal washer.
Then there are those who argue that this product sucked because of the spinner. They added photos of their clothes wrapped around and tied up, saying that the spin cycle was too fast. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that they overloaded the machine. You can't fill it all the way. It has to stay at 3/4 otherwise this happens and it can leak. Again, this is all in the instructions that come with the machine. I've done a dozen loads so far, two of them really large and none of this is happening to me. I promise I'll update if that's the case but I doubt that's gonna happen, They also said that it lacked parts. No. It didn't. It came with everything you need to connect and adapt it to the sink.
I think a lot of these people were annoyed about shipping issues, but that’s what happens when you buy from a third-party. If you buy directly from Amazon, guess what? Any shipping issues, and they'll replace it. Mine came in great condition.
OK, so my actual thoughts:
My fiancé and I have been living in a very tiny house with no hook ups for a washer and dryer. We had a different portable washer before this one, but it was too small and it leaked all the time. After four years, I knew it was time to get a new one.
Let me tell you: This one is incredible. It holds almost double the loads of our last one–what I would consider about the same as a normal washer. All the cycle options are a huge plus in my opinion. Because it can connect to a standard washer and dryer hook up, when we eventually move to a new house, we’ll have no issue connecting it. We’ll definitely bring it with us. Like I said before ,it came with everything it needed to hook up to a standard faucet. It's a great value for the cost. If you're on the fence, trust me, ignore the negative reviews, and take the plunge. You won't regret it. — Bryan Myers
Get it from Amazon now: $354.99 & FREE Returns