I Tested And Ranked The Best Portable Washing Machines In 2023
Whether you live in an apartment, dorm, boat or RV, the smallest portable washing machine is a wonderful alternative to a full-sized model. I tested and ranked the 3 most popular options you can find on Amazon right now.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. BLACK+DECKERĀ - 0.9 Cubic Feet with 5 Cycles
Top-rated: 3,303 ratings | 531 answered questionsĀ
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Can be transported from room to room via two rollers, two side handles, and a front adjustable leveling leg.
Helpful review: "Years ago, I found out about portable washers. But at the time I had a roommate that disagreed on getting one because of our limited space. Fast forward and I have my own place now, and I bought this and I'm so happy with this purchase!Ā I have never in my life had the privilege of having a washer and/or dryer in my home.
At first, I was a bit distraught, as the included attachment didn't fit on my bathroom faucet (it's a weird faucet). I was able to purchase an adapter kit, which still didn't work with my bathroom faucet, and then I found out that the right combo of 3 of the adapters put together fits on my shower hose just right. I've been able to do laundry that way. It does take a few minutes to set up and I have it drain out into the shower tub which I think is better than the sink (because my tub has a hair/lint catcher already).
Anyway, I have to say I'm fascinated by how this machine cleans my clothes so well. I have had it for a bit over a month now and recently purchased the Panda dryer. Although I can't put all my clothes into one load, it still saves me the hassle of lugging my stuff to the laundromat and spending $15-$30 every week.
I have been able to wash all my clothes, jackets, throw blankets, bed sheets, large towels, small towels, a thin COMFORTER and even my BATH MATS! I use less soap, and since it's just me, I no longer have to add laundry sanitizer which I did previously because of the shared machines at the laundromat. So there are even more savings!
I was also able to purchase the dolly. Even though I leave the washer in my bathroom next to the tub (because its a rather large bathroom), it's nice to be able to move it around when I need to mop underneath, or if I need to move it closer to the shower hose and outlet when in use.
I keep up with the maintenance of the machine cause I want it to last for a long time, so after every use I wipe it down and make sure that the inside of the lid edge is all clean.Ā I unscrew the little filter in the back and drain it and make sure it's clean. I clean the inside of the drum lint filter as well as. It gets FULL of lint and cat fur.
Something else I found really helpful was... because the machine is on the dolly, it makes it way taller than my sink and tub. So I had noticed at first that when I had the drainage tube set up over the tub, draining into it, it would drain while also filling up. So I thought that I got a doozy. BUT in order for the drum to fill up, you just have to make sure the drainage tube is set where it's either higher than the machine or at the same level, and not way down below the drum. Once I set it up in the tub properly, all was good and the drum was able to fill up properly.
I did a lot of research before purchasing the machine (water usage, electricity usage, etc...), and I watched a ton of YouTube videos to see how they set it up and worked with. It and made me more confident with the purchase, since it was a bit of a bigger purchase for me.
I did the same with the panda dryer and I've been happy with both. If it means not being at a dirty, loud, disgusting laundromat, I am happy. I would 100% recommend this machine.Ā It arrived within 2 days, set up was easy, doesn't take much water, and uses minimal amount of electricity. It does what a normal washing machine would, only this one is smaller and more compact. I love it!" ā SuzyĀ
Get it from Amazon now: $284.99Ā & FREE Returns
Ā
2. Auertech - 18lbs Washing + 10lbs Spinning
Top-rated: 1,065 ratings | 125 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Equipped with an upgraded drainage pump.
Helpful review: "I live in an apartment right now. I am about to move into a small camper. So I cannot utilize a full size washer or dryer. This is the second portable washer I have purchased from Amazon. The first one was a little bit smaller than this, and felt even cheaper.
This machine is made mostly from plastic. Because of the poor way they have set it up to hold the water inlet hose onto your faucet, I had to rig a system with zip ties. And this one was better than the last one lol. The last one was literally just a plastic cone that was supposed to somehow magically fit and stay on everyone's faucet?
LOL these look more like toys for children than actual machines for grown ups. But it's better than hand washing for sure!
So I have implemented a fabric and installed it in the lint catcher, and it actually catches some lint now. But be warned, if you're going to be draining this into your home plumbing, you will want to keep an eye on the land. You don't want your drains filling up with that mess and getting clogged! The unit is fairly easy to maneuver by itself. It doesn't weigh that much. I have it sitting on top of my cooler to make it easier to access.
What I find I have to do is wash the clothes once and detergent, then rinse them three or four times to keep them clean. I just go by how the water looks. About four washes and they are good for me. Then you put some of them in the little spinner, turn it to 5 minutes and let her bump.
The clothes come out almost dry, just a little damp. Hang them up and a few hours later they're good to go. I really really wish the manufacturers would not have done it that way. They wrapped it and then finished assembling the outside pieces, so you would literally have to disassemble this thing to get all the plastic wrap off. That's just poor design and execution only on the manufacturer's part.
Also, you can look at all the ones on Amazon like I have, and see that most of them are going to be extraordinarily lacking in the area of attaching the water inlet hose to your faucet. But at least this one has a lint catcher, so that I can get to work okay for my situation.
Another reason I bought this one is because it's the biggest one I could find. I'm a single middle-aged male, and I dress very simply. I wear the same clothes every week for work. They do not get that dirty. So for me this gets them clean as I need and I don't have to go and spend all that extra money like I was doing at the laundromat. So it still takes some time and elbow grease utilizing this machine, but at least I'm able to do it in the comfort of my home.
Oh, yeah, another thing, the small round plastic piece that is intended to go on top of the clothes while they are in the spinner is essentially useless I have found. It's not like the clothes are flying out the top, especially since there is a cover on top of it. At least this one fits inside the spinner though lol. The first one I bought that little plastic piece would not even fit inside there to go on top of the clothes so it was 100% worthless.
Either way, I do not use this on top of the clothes and the spinner and have no issues. When you use this for the first time and drain it you will think it's done because no water will come out for a good 15 to 20 seconds, but just wait there's more. It'll give one last hoorah and a lot more will drain out. When you are done with it and if you have to move it to storage, pay attention because there will be some water left in the drain hose I assure you of that.
What I do when I'm done is pick the unit up and set it on the sink, so that it will drain out. Now some of them do not have a drain engine, so they will be 100% gravity fed. This one is like a full size unit though. You turn the knob to drain and a motor engages and pushes the water out. That is a big selling point for me. Otherwise draining it would be even more tedious as you would have to have these units up and then have the drain hose in a lower position for gravity to remove the water.
Anyway I know this is a long review, I just want people to know the details. Amazon is amazing for offering us many many products, but as we all know, many of the products are not worth a crap. This one is okay. I will recommend it, hope this review helps." ā Brody Gabriel
Get it from Amazon now: $189.99 & FREE Returns
Ā
3. Giantex - 12lbs Washing + 8lbs Spinning
Top-rated: 13,427 ratings | 1000+ answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Ideal for small loads and delicates.
Helpful review: "I have had this for a couple weeks now and figured out some "hacks" and tips... I place this in my tub and found no issue with that. I use our bathroom sponge to balance the machine and ease vibrations.
I also went to my hardware store and bought a showerhead diverter, a 30-in 1/2" faucet supply hose, and a brass "barbed" adaptor. Ensure these all connect in the store before purchase! Sadly, I forgot the hose that came with the package, but I zip-tied it a couple times to get a decent seal. I always leave a little slack so any stray leaks don't get on the machine. Makes life easier just turning on the shower and filling/rinsing the machine this way. Cost of this was $30 but worth it!
I am a 6'5" guy and I threw my back out filling the machine over and over. Plus, you can do a rinse and spin to get the suds out. With this machine, you must always think "less is more" and if it looks like enough, it's already too much. A decent load, to measure, is whatever can fit in the spin basket plus a one extra, light thing. When the wash cycle is going, you want to see a vortex... a whirlpool effect. If your clothes are floating and spinning at the top struggling to be washed, you've overloaded. Pull out items one by one until you get that whirlpool.
You can spin and wash at the same time. The spinner drains regardless of the middle knob is set to drain, and if you overfill the wash tub it will drain whatever overflows. Plan this accordingly. Noise is comparable to an AC unit, and there are vibrations depending on where you place it and how level it is. I use a sponge balance and absorb some vibrations. Not fancy, but works.
I reuse my hot water, topping off the wash tub each time. The water may look gross but it's fine as there's soap already in it. Dry cleaners reuse their chemical wash hundreds of times over and your clothes come out fine, plus you'll rinse it all. My whites come out whiter than the commercial washers too, so you're saving money and resources. I'm very happy!
Now, to the details. Where do I start? Well, I have spent a good portion of the few weeks looking at portable washing solutions as my apartment does not have a washer set-up, and I got tired of using the public washers in my apartment community. All the coins needed, going back and forth, waiting for machines to open, ensuring I had enough quarters at the time, and the entire day had to be devoted to laundry more often than not.
So, I shopped around, reading reviews and watching videos of different machines. This one stuck out as it's reasonably affordable and does a great job, according to reviews.
I live in the Bay Area and this ships for Los Angeles, so I got it within a couple days (excluding a holiday and weekend). The box was in good shape and unclipped the ties.
A whiff of "new plastic" and staring in awe, there it was, just as in the picture. Unboxing was easy, unclip the ties and lift the top part off. A brand-new washer! I grabbed the instruction manual and flipped through it. Now let me laugh a little. It's in Engrish, with such gems as "choke the dial" and "put staff not under." I tossed it aside because it's useless. Here are my instructions:
Step 1: Place a splash of soap, no more than a heaping tablespoon's worth or the soap will take forever to rinse out. You don't need to measure, but just guess and be cautious.
Step 2: Place clothing in machine, one item at a time. Sort your items keeping towels in one load, basics in another, denim in another, and so on. Fill the machine just over half full with basics. Towels and denim should be washed in smaller loads as they're heavier fabrics.
Step 3: Ensure middle dial is set to "Normal" or "Soft" and fill with water. The "inlet hose" is useless out of the box as you need an adaptor that the manufacturer assumed you had. One end has a rubber gasket and the other end does not. The gasket end is the part that would go to an adaptor, the gasket-less end goes to the machine. Why? Because if you hook the gasket to the machine, it's harder than heck to get it off without nearly destroying the hose. During the inaugural load, I did not have an adaptor, so I filled the wash basin with a bucket. Fill just slightly over half-full, any more will splash out during the agitation cycle.
Step 4: Check to see of the machine is plugged in. I forgot to do this and sat there confused. Turn the "Wash" dial to 15 minutes and the machine will hum to life. Let the machine do its thing and come back when it is done. It doesn't make any alarm when it's done, just so you know.
Step 5: You may come back to, what I would describe as a burning smell. I was alarmed at first but nothing was wrong, it's "new motor smell." Turn the middle dial to drain and the water will come pouring out of the drain hose. There is no pump, so try to have the machine elevated or set in your bathtub.
Step 6: Open the spinner basin and place a few items in, ensuring that it evenly loaded (about half of the wash load). Place the plastic insert in the bin on top of the laundry, close the lids. Is the middle dial still set to drain? Good. Leave it. Turn the "Spin" dial to 5. If you have the "inlet hose" hooked to an adaptor, this is where you can do a spin and rinse. If not, you can spin the suds out and wash again in clean water real fast, then repeat the spin.
The machine will vibrate during the spin, and if it vibrates to a point where you think it is too much, stop the spin cycle and rearrange your items. Everything comes out damp, not wet. Like others have said: "About 90% dry."
When putting away the machine, tilt it slightly toward the direction of the drainage hose to get the rest of the water out. I set the machine aside with the lids open as to prevent a musty smell in the future.
I will say this: Don't overwhelm the machine. Do a couple washes and allow the machine to cool and rest for a couple hours, say, while your laundry is drying on a rack. If you overexert the machine, it will break. EEK! It's more for daily loads (every day or every other day) than for a single day of wash ("laundry day"). It's a great compact machine that gets your laundry as clean as most large washing machines.
It takes a bit more effort on your part to tend to each load, but it's easier than running up and down flights of stairs, digging in the sofa for coins, and fighting over the next machine.
I plan on finding a cart to place this on so I can store it easier, and find an adaptor that will fit the inlet hose. I will update this as time goes on. It's a really simple machine, gets the clothes clean, and I am saving some money from the get go compared to the few bucks it takes each wash in the laundromat." ā Michael Yoder
Get it from Amazon now: $164.99 & FREE Returns
Ā
4. COMFEEā - 1.6 Cubic Feet with 6 Wash Programs
Top-rated: 5,200 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Features 6 most commonly used programs: Normal, Quick, Heavy, Bulky, Delicate, and Spin Only.
Helpful review: "First, delivery was awesome - within 3 days of ordering. Delivery was directly from Amazon and 2 gentleman brought this washer up two flights of stairs and placed it inside the doorway of my apartment home - this was a Sunday delivery as well -so much appreciated that service! Unpacking was super easy. I chose to cut the side of the box open as opposed to pulling the machine up and out of the box.
From delivery at my door and set-up to actually washing the first load of clothes was less than 30 minutes! Again, super easy! There were NO dents, NO damage, NO errors and NO issues.
The machine was in perfect brand new condition and very well packaged! I did laundry this day from 12 noon to 10 p.m. that evening, many, many loads truly testing it out! Now, to the questions:
1. Does it hook up to kitchen sink? YES it does.
2. Does it have all the attachments you need including a sink adapter? YES it does. There is a small silver
connector you attach to the faucet first, then a simple push and pop secure connector placed over the silver connector.
3. Does it have both hot and cold water hoses included? YES it does.
4. Is it easy to read and work the control panel? YES it is.
5. Could you use it at your bathroom sink as well? YES you can.
6. Does it leak? NO it does not leak - simply ensure your hoses are securely connected.
7. Is it loud? NO it is not loud at all and will NOT disturb your neighbors.
8. Does is spin well? YES it spins exceptionally well, so well you could simply hang your clothes on hangers to dry overnight if you do not have a dryer!
9. How long does it take to do a full load of laundry? Start to finish is 44 minutes for a full large load and approx. 14 to 25 minutes for the quick smaller loads.
10. How much does the washer weigh? The washer weighs 75 pounds.
11. Are there handles to move it? YES there are grip handles on both sides of the washer. My unit did not have wheels but, it is not difficult to move on linoleum, wood or otherwise- carpet might be a little more challenging but, with an extra hand no problem!
12. How big is the washer? This is a large kitchen counter height washer - for a good depiction of height and width.
13. What is the inside drum like? The inside drum is stainless steal with no center agitator.
14. What is the washer's lid like? The lid is soft close and is "see through" but, it does have a darker cast to it even after you remove the protective covering from shipping - you cannot truly "see" your clothes washing if using hot water as it will steam the lid - with the cold water option you are able to see them slightly better.
15. Can I open the lid and add more clothes anytime I want? YES you can.
16. If I don't have hot and cold water hook ups can I still use both? YES you can, simply connect both hoses as you normally would to the back of the washer and switch them out as needed during the cycle. The machine will stop and beep an error if the correct temperature hose is not hooked up ( example would be washing hot and rinsing cold ) - when paused - simply switch out the hose and press start and the cycle will finish.
17. Is there a warranty from the manufacturer? YES there is.
18. Is there an instruction manual included? YES there is.
19. How does the washer drain and is there a drain hose included? YES there is a drain hose included. This is a long white plastic hose connected to the bottom left when facing the washer - this hose runs up and over and into the sink, it is more than long enough for a kitchen counter and/or a bathroom counter.
20. What electrical outlet do I need? A standard home three-pronged outlet is perfect.
21. Is the power cord included? YES it is.
22. How much can I wash in this washer? This is a generous size washer drum for sure! I would NOT overload but it is more than adequate for a single or small family.
23. Can I wash sheets and blankets? YES you can. A full size or twin blanket, a Sherpa style blanket or thin larger blanket would be fine but, not a king, queen or full comforter, however sheets and pillow cases of all sizes are fine!
24. Can I wash full size towels in this washer? YES you can. I have fit all sizes of towels in this washer!
25. Can I wash rugs in this washer? YES you can but, it would depend on the size of the rugs. I was able to wash bathroom rugs (large size) runners from my hallway as well as toilet lid covering and small step out rugs from bathtub area. All my rugs have rubber backing and are nice quality thick ones from Bed, Bath and Beyond.
26. Can I use liquid detergent? YES you can.
27. Can I use powdered detergent? YES you can.
28. Can I use fabric softener? YES you can.
29. Is there a separate compartment for the detergent? YES there is however, I have used the compartment and also added detergent directly to the wash with no problems.
30. Will I love this washer? YES YOU WILL! I am exceptionally happy with this washer and after reading and reviewing quite literally every price point and every portable washer from Amazon to Home Depot to Lowes - I am confident I made the right choice and I'm certain you will be too! Hope this review helped and if so give it a thumbs up!" ā Buckeye Baby
Get it from Amazon now: $349.99 & FREE Returns
Ā
5. SUPER DEAL - 8lbs Washing + 5lbs Spinning
Top-rated: 11,123 ratings
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Move clothes from washer to spinner, or run both together.
Helpful review: "This was a great purchase for me and my fiancƩ. We washed everything, including sheets and towels. The only trick is figuring out how much you can put in at one time without overloading the machine.
The only hassle is the spinner, and thatās because you really have to balance the clothes perfectly so it doesnāt knock knock knock and sound like itās gonna break. But other than that, once you get the clothes in there the way the machine likes it, itās a real gem.
We have a small apartment and this fits in our small bathroom just fine. We love the convenience. It takes maybe 20 minutes to do the whole wash and spin cycle. Then we just hang up the clothes right in the shower and put a fan on, and within just a little bit of time our clothes are smelling fresh air clean and dry. A lot goes to the spin cycle because it really does a great job getting all the water out.
When we first got this in the box, we were really excited about the way it was put together. No assembly was needed. We just plugged it in and started washing clothes right away. We didnāt have to read any instructions. It was pretty straightforward.
We tried a few different ways to wash the clothes with the different cycles. Like on our clothes that we donāt want to be roughed up too much, we used the soft cycle.
Itās also got a 15-minute timer for a quick wash, which we use with minimum detergent because we realized if we used too much the clothes get really stiff. And sometimes, if that happens, we just wash it again. We also decided to start using a fabric softener to help with the stiffness.
By the way, when you get this machine, we recommend you put it on something. We used milk crates - just two of them - and I guess thatās pretty much how you can visualize how big the machine actually is. We have it up on the milk crates because we had to run the hose differently as it didnāt fit on our faucet. So since we donāt attach it to the sink or the faucet we fill up a bucket, and it usually takes three buckets to put in the washer for a big load.
Usually we can wash like six shirts and two pairs of pants and all of our undergarments in one load. It takes about five loads though to spin them because you want to put it in well-balanced. Otherwise you have to keep shutting it off and re-organizing the load. Itās even easy for my fiancĆ© to use, and we both can do our little loads everyday if we wanted to.
We donāt pay for water so I canāt tell you what the water bill would be as far as an increase, but it doesnāt take much more than a shower would. It literally was the best investment. Itās so much better than going down to the laundry mat, and paying for an Uber to get there, then paying $10 for a load of laundry.
When it comes to noise, this Machine is super quiet. The only time it's loud, and I mean super loud like itās going to blow up, is when you put the clothes once again in the wrong way on the spin side. And youāll know immediately if itās unbalanced. Trust me. Itās a simple fix but it is loud. As far as size goes, itās not too big and not too smallā¦ itās just right. I highly recommend it." ā Danielle Dapice
Get it from Amazon now: $112.99 & FREE Returns
Ā
6. BLACK+DECKER - 1.7 Cubic Feet with 6 Cycles
Top-rated: 1,300 ratings | 220 answered questions
Credit: Amazon.com
Highlight: Warm, hot, and cold water temperature options.
Helpful review: "This is an honest review from a normal, reasonably intelligent individual. First things first, the majority of the bad reviews of this product are from people who clearly lack the intelligence to read a basic instruction manual. Let me debunk a few of the common things I saw in the bad reviews prior to purchasing:
1. Yes there is ONE cycle out of about 36 different cycle options that is 2 hours long. If you take less than 2 minutes to read the basic instructions provided, it points out exactly why this specific cycle is so long. It is an eco mode that thoroughly spins your clothes in order to make the drying time significantly less, saving energy and money. If you don't want to use the eco mode, just select a different cycle setting, it's incredibly easy to avoid. Most of the cycles are between 30 and 50 minutes like a normal washer.
2. Some reviewers have posted pictures of their clothes all knotted up claiming the spin cycle is too strong. If you look at these pictures you can clearly tell they have completely overloaded the washer. You can only fill it to a maximum of 3/4 full, otherwise you might encounter issues like this and leaking. Once again, all it takes is maybe 2 minutes to read the provided instructions to avoid this. I have washed about 10 loads of laundry so far, including 2 very heavy loads, and have not experienced anything like this. I will update my review if this happens to any of my laundry, but so far every load has been completely normal.
3. Several reviews state it doesn't connect to a standard faucet and/or doesn't come with the necessary parts to connect to a standard faucet. YES, IT ABSOLUTELY DOES. It comes with everything needed and easily connects to a kitchen faucet. If you're not aware of this, yes you have to unscrew the nozzle on the faucet in order to connect the new nozzle that connects to the hose from the washer. It's incredibly simple and easy.
4. Most of the bad reviews are because of damage in shipping. If you're trying to save a few dollars by ordering from a third party seller, don't. Just buy directly from Amazon and they will replace quickly if any damage occurs during shipping. Luckily mine arrived in perfect condition and the shipping box was incredibly easy to disassemble.
Ok on to my review:
My wife and I live in a very small house in southern California. It does not have washer and dryer hookups. Prior to purchasing this washer we had the smaller (I believe) .7 cubic foot model. It leaked from the moment we got it, so much so we had to put a towel under it anytime we wanted to use it.
It was great, but it could only handle about 1/4 of a normal washer load so it would take hours to do laundry. It had other issues as well and eventually after about 4 years of use, the spin cycle stopped working. It smelled like a burning motor so we got rid of it and ordered the larger 1.7 cubic foot model.
This washer is incredible. We absolutely love it. It handles much larger loads and is exponentially quieter. It has so many cycle options.
The biggest benefit for us, knowing we will probably be moving into a larger place with standard washer and dryer hookups, is the fact it can be connected to either a standard faucet or normal washer and dryer hookups. It came with everything needed to hook it up to a standard faucet. The leg levelers on the bottom are great and very sturdy. It is such an amazing value for the price. If you're looking at other models, just go for it, it's absolutely worth it." ā Bryan Myers
Get it from Amazon now: $354.99 & FREE Returns
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