10 Best Portable Washing Machines 2020

By A Mystery Man Writer

Last updated 12 May 2024

The best portable washing machines according to reviewers at , Home Depot, and Wayfair, plus expert-recommended picks from a New Yorker living without laundry in-unit during the pandemic, a van lifer, a tiny home builder, and more.
The best machines overall are the top-loading, single-stream machines. A few different companies make these — like the Haier I went for — but the best-reviewed one on is from Black & Decker. It doesn’t hold as much as it could, at only about six pounds, but it’ll fit in more places and run through the entire wash-rinse-drain-spin-dry cycle without you having to do anything. It also has wheels, and it’s made of metal (rather than the plastic of the cheaper models), which is more durable and allows the machine to boast a more violent and effective spin-dry cycle. This is the one I would buy if I had to do it over again.
“When I described to my boyfriend what I had purchased, he immediately envisioned me with a plunger and a five-gallon bucket washing clothes in the bathroom. But this thing is amazing. The motor really agitates! I love the power of it. And it holds a lot of clothes! The spin dryer is also amazing. While it doesn’t dry (and doesn’t claim to dry), it really wrings the clothes out a lot. We hang-dry our clothes on a line with a fan in the room, and they are dry in an hour or two after the spin-dry cycle. The water input, as other reviews have stated, does not work well, as it doesn’t fit our faucet, but I went out and purchased a handheld showerhead with a long hose and use that to fill the tub. I love this washing machine.”