The 7 Best Portable Washing Machines of 2024
A washing machine is generally one of the larger and more expensive home appliances, so if you’re not ready to invest in one yet, have limited space in your home, or need to wash your clothes when traveling, a portable washing machine is the way to go.
Portable washers are typically smaller and less expensive than their full-sized counterparts (and also more energy efficient), albeit with a lower capacity and fewer features. Electric models are most often larger than manual options and need to be connected to an outlet and hooked up to a faucet. This is the best option if you need a washer for an apartment and regular use. Manual washers, on the other hand, are more compact, lighter, and require no water or electrical hookups. They’re great for RVs, road trips, and camping, but you need to physically agitate the clothes via a crank.
We researched dozens of the best portable washing machines on the market and reviewed them based on size, capacity, number of cycles, portability, and installation to narrow it down to the top seven options. We also sought out advice from Alan Howard, founder of the online appliance community Just Ask Al and owner of Plesser’s Appliances, on what to look for when shopping for a portable washer.
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It has a spacious 2.4-cubic-foot capacity and multiple wash cycles and water level options.
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It may be too large for small spaces and has a slightly higher price point compared to some other portable washing machines.
This Comfee portable washing machine is our best overall pick as it impressively offers many of the same perks of a full-sized washer—just in a smaller and lighter package. This option may be a little too big for those with extremely limited space, but if you do have an appropriate gap to accommodate its 37.4 by 22.2-inch size, it will cover laundry needs for a single person, couple, or small family. You can even wash sheet sets, bath towels, and jeans.
The machine’s spacious 2.4-cubic-foot capacity is quite impressive for a portable washing machine. It allows you to wash more clothes in one go, saving you both time and energy. It has eight wash cycles and three water level options, catering to different fabrics and varying soil levels. There’s a handy LED display that makes it easy to navigate through settings, a child lock for safety, an auto-clean function, and a delayed start feature so that you can schedule your laundry at a time that’s convenient for you.
It also has a turbo wash setting that ups the water flow and tempo, offering the same cleaning performance in 20% less time. We also like the soft-close black matte glass lid—no loud slams here! At just over 88 pounds, the energy-efficient Comfee portable washing machine is lighter than other similar machines, so it’s much easier to move around if need be.
Capacity: 2.4 cubic feet | Size: 21.7 by 22.2 by 37.4 inches | Weight: 88.2 pounds | Cycles: 8
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It’s affordable, has easy-to-use controls, and a decent capacity for its mini size.
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There aren’t any advanced features, and it may not be as durable as more expensive options.
This interesting contraption makes it super simple to wash up to 9 pounds of laundry in one go, even if extra space is not your home’s strong suit. Its tiny size makes it ideal for dorm rooms, studio apartments, and RVs, and since it weighs only 22 pounds, you can pack it up in the trunk and take it with you to an Airbnb or even camping (just note that it will need to be plugged into an electrical outlet).
The plastic ZenStyle Portable Washer has two tubs—one for washing and soaking the clothes at 240 watts and the other at 120 watts to spin dry before you hang them up to dry. There are three easy-to-use and intuitive control knobs: the wash timer, which can run for up to 15 minutes at a time, a cycle setting (either soft, standard, or draining), and a spin timer.
It comes with a 6.5-foot inlet hose that can be hooked up to a water source (although you can just add water manually if no hookup is nearby) and a drain hose to dispose of the dirty water. It offers peak energy efficiency because it uses minimal water and electricity, and it will save you laundry detergent money, too, since you only need to add a tablespoon for each load. This machine is extra quiet, as its motors are small and not powerful enough to make a racket.
Capacity: 1.12 cubic feet | Size: 14.6 by 22.1 by 22.7 inches | Weight: 22 pounds | Cycles: 1