The 8 Best Portable Washers
Updated by · How we research
Automatic, twin tub and hand-crank washers for apartments, dorms and RVs, compared on load size, hookup and drain. The Black+Decker BPWM09W is our top pick. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
No portable washer dries clothes. Even the twin tubs sold as washer and dryer combos only spin water out, so plan on a rack or a line. These machines suit renters, dorm students and RV owners without hookups: most fill from a kitchen faucet and drain into the sink, and many leases ban them, so check yours first.
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The Black+Decker BPWM09W keeps the top spot. It's still sold, it runs a whole cycle without help, and it remains the first choice of the home-improvement roundups we read. Seven of the ten earlier picks didn't make it. The Lavario 1204, Garatic Compact, Kuppet Mini and Della GM-48215 can't be bought new, the Panda PAN50SW and Giantex EP22757 have disappeared, and the old Ninja Mini listing now sells a spin dryer. GE has stopped making the GNW128PSMWW, so that special honor is out.
The Giantex EP21684 and The Laundry Alternative Wonderwash stay. The additions answer the questions readers bring: the Comfee CLV09N1AMG with its drain pump, the Black+Decker BPW30MW and BPWM20W for hot water and bigger loads, the Auertech AU8590 for a large twin tub and the Super Deal SD2304 for a tight budget. No lab compares these washers side by side, so the Black+Decker manual, with its cold-water-only rule and drain-height advice, plus owner reports of leaks and early failures, carried the most weight. We stopped at eight because the other twin tubs are near copies of these and the newer automatic brands publish too little to judge.
Earlier notes
November 5, 2020, by Alexander Rennie:
We removed the Costway 23104-CYWH due to concerns about its sturdiness, particularly relating to its spinning function. We replaced it with a similar compact model, the Kuppet Mini. This model also weighs only 12.2 pounds, making it even more portable than most of its competitors.
We also removed the Best Choice SKY2767 because of availability issues. We replaced it with the Garatic Compact, another twin-tub model that provides separate drying capabilities. This model has a nice straightforward operation, with its control knobs and water inlet valve right on top of the unit.
Although manual options like the Lavario 1204 and The Laundry Alternative Wonderwash, are attractive because they don't require a power source, make sure to consider all aspects of their operation. You might be fine with the physical aspect of it, but they can be less convenient due to the space you need to operate them. In extra-small spaces like RVs, it may be frustrating to pump or spin these yourself, when you're in an already pretty cramped space.
For anyone choosing a non-drying option, like the Lavario 1204, you may want to purchase a portable clothes dryer as well. These options are compact like the washers here, many of which can operate without a power supply.
Or, if you have enough room for one, a combination washer dryer might be better suited to your needs. These are still economical when it comes to conserving space, but they do tend to take longer to wash and dry than typical standalone machines.
November 7, 2019, by Brett Dvoretz:
As evidenced by our list, portable washers come in many different shapes and capacities. Since no two users have the exact same laundering needs, we did our best to select the best models that represent all the variety this category has to offer.
Anyone familiar with our previous selections will immediately notice there were a lot of changes made during this update. In fact, we replaced more than 50 percent of our previous recommendations. While much of this was due to newer and better options being offered, there were some that were removed due to quality issues. For example, the Pyle Pure Clean was found to have some durability problems, often not lasting more than a year or so. Another model is the Panda XPB52A, which had reports of being difficult to fully drain.
During our research, we found that some manufacturers were offering portable washers that very much resembled their stationary counterparts in design and features. The Black + Decker BPWM09W is one example of these. It has five cycle options, allowing you to handle any kind of clothes, whether they be delicate garments or heavily-soiled jeans, and it has a sleek control panel. Another example is the Panda PAN50SW, however it is worth mentioning that it weighs roughly 70 pounds and would be difficult for the average person to move on their own.
Truly epitomizing the portable nature of this category is The Laundry Alternative Wonderwash and Lavario 1204. Both of these work on elbow grease alone, so you don't need to worry about having access to power, and require less water and detergent than their electric counterparts.
We would be remiss if we didn't also highlight the The Laundry Alternative Ninja Mini for its smart design. Despite taking up less floor space than many of the other models, it has one of the largest capacities.
One last note we would like to leave you with regarding these machines is about their spin drying feature. It is important to understand that these don't use hot air like stationary models. Rather they simply use centrifugal force to squeeze as much water out as possible. Your garments will still need to be hung up to fully dry.
Special Honors
The Laundry Alternative Spin Dryers The company behind the Wonderwash also makes electric spin dryers, including the Ninja 3200, that plug into a regular outlet and spin washed clothes until they're nearly dry in a few minutes, by the maker's account. They're the missing half for anyone washing by hand or in a twin tub, since no portable washer dries clothes. The company offers a three-year warranty and a 30-day return window. laundry-alternative.com
Automatic, Twin Tub Or Hand Crank
It suits a few shirts, underwear or baby clothes at a campsite or on a boat, not a family's week of laundry.
Portable washers come in three kinds, and the choice decides how much of your time laundry takes. A fully automatic washer fills, washes, rinses and spins on its own, like a small top-loader on wheels. The Black+Decker BPWM09W manual shows the routine: clip the hose to a faucet, pick a cycle and walk away. Most automatics hold under 2 cubic feet, and a cycle takes 30 to 60 minutes (Reviewed).
A twin tub is semi-automatic. You fill the wash tub with a hose or bucket, set a timer, then move the wet clothes into a small spinner beside it. It costs much less and weighs far less, and the spinner can work on one load while the next one washes. Typical twin tubs wash 10 to 15 pounds and spin 5 to 10 (This Old House).
A hand-crank washer such as the Wonderwash needs no power at all. It suits a few shirts, underwear or baby clothes at a campsite or on a boat, not a family's week of laundry.
Hooking It Up Without Flooding The Floor
Most portable washers connect to a kitchen or bathroom faucet with a quick adapter. Before buying, unscrew your faucet's aerator and check whether its threads are inside or outside: the Black+Decker manual gives a different step for each, and a pull-down sprayer faucet usually won't take an adapter at all. The faucet must sit within 4 feet of the back of the washer to reach the supplied hose.
The drain hose is where floods start. Clip it to the sink or a standpipe so it can't jump out when the pump kicks in, and never drain into a slow or plugged sink. Black+Decker recommends a standpipe about 35 inches high. A twin tub without a pump drains by gravity, so the machine has to sit higher than the drain. Reviewed suggests weighing the hose down, and points out that the sink is tied up for the whole cycle.
Plug the washer straight into a grounded outlet, never an extension cord, and turn the faucet off between loads. Read your lease first: many landlords don't allow portable washers.
Load Size, Hot Water And Getting Clothes Dry
Capacity is listed in cubic feet or pounds. Black+Decker's 0.9-cubic-foot model takes about 6.6 pounds, roughly two pairs of jeans or five shirts. Its 2.0-cubic-foot model takes 15.4 pounds and its 3.0-cubic-foot model 26.5 pounds, which is close to a standard washer. A single person can live with the small size; a family will run it every day.
Check the water hookup. The smallest automatics, including the BPWM09W, run on cold water only. The larger Black+Decker models take hot and cold hoses, which helps with greasy work clothes and bedding.
No portable washer dries clothes. Automatic spin cycles and twin-tub spinners leave them damp, and a hand-crank washer leaves them dripping, so plan on a drying rack. A separate electric spin dryer, such as the ones The Laundry Alternative sells, gets them close to dry in a few minutes. Keep the machine fresh as well: Black+Decker says to rinse the lint filter every 10 cycles, clean the pump filter monthly and run a quick cycle with bleach once a month.
How we researched this
We compared 18 portable washers, including four Black+Decker sizes and six twin tubs, read the Black+Decker BPWM09W manual and the makers' published specifications for the eight picks, read buying guides from This Old House and Reviewed, analyzed owner feedback for patterns such as leaks and early failures, and checked every brand against U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall records. No recall covers a portable washer from any brand on this list.
Frequently asked questions
Do portable washers dry clothes?
No. Automatic models spin water out at the end of the cycle, and twin tubs have a small spinner, but clothes still come out damp. Hang them up or use a separate electric spin dryer.
Can I use a portable washer in an apartment?
Usually, if your lease allows it. Most hook to a kitchen faucet with an adapter and drain into the sink, so no plumbing work is needed. Many landlords ban them because of flood risk, so ask first.
Can a portable washer use hot water?
Some can. Small automatics such as the Black+Decker BPWM09W are made for cold water only. Larger models such as the Black+Decker BPW30MW and BPWM20W take hot and cold hoses. Twin tubs take whatever water you pour in.
How long does a portable washer take?
An automatic cycle usually runs 30 to 60 minutes. A twin tub washes for up to 15 minutes and spins for up to 5, but you rinse and move the clothes yourself.
What features should I look for in a portable washing machine?
Start with the type (automatic, twin tub or hand crank), then the load size in pounds, whether it takes hot water, whether it has a drain pump or drains by gravity, and whether it has casters. Check that the faucet adapter fits your faucet.
