Rubbermaid Laundry Basket Review

Laundry baskets are normally a dime a dozen, and most of the time you could exchange one for another and not even know the difference. Well picking up one of the two baskets I have now (this being the first purchase) I decided that if I was going to go with a basic basket, that I would at least go with a recognized brand. For me that brand was Rubbermaid, as I have used many of their products in the past, and almost always come away with a great experience as a result. This time it wouldn't be quite as perfect, but at the same time it wasn't disastrous.

This Rubbermaid Laundry basic goes by no specific name, nor does it have any added bells or whistles to set it apart from other brands. It measures about 22.5 inches long by 11 inches wide, and has a depth (area for the clothes) or 16.5 inches. This makes for a relatively large basket, all constructed of a white plastic, and criss-crossed by white plastic strips and rounded edges to hold it all together. The inside of the basket is a smooth plastic so that the clothes don't have anything to catch on, and makes it easy to wipe down lint after or before use.

The bottom of the basket is slightly thicker than the edges, giving it more stability when you carry it around so that it doesn't sag at all when it is packed with clothing or anything else you might want to toss in there. On the rims (or edges) of the basket, the plastic comes out, and it rounded down to provide an area in which to grip the basket as you are carrying it. Now this is where one of my problems with the basket comes into play, as on each of the four sides, handles are built into the basic frame of the basket. This causes problems, because when the load is heavy, the handles have no give, and thus can bend with the basket frame.

After having the basket for a little while, I began to resent the purchase, because while the edges are rounded at the top, when you place your hands under the handles, it creates pressure on your hands. These edges seem to almost cut into your hands, and make it hard to carry the basket any type of distance. So, if you are planning on taking something like this to a Laundromat like I have in the past, you are in for a little pain. To make matters worse, some of the connecting pieces of plastic started to come apart a little bit on the sides directly beneath the handles, thus making it have some minor jagged edges.

Now this basket does admittedly have some issues, and there were times that I was very frustrated with it, but the basket as a whole was definitely on the durable side of things. It has been able to survive for several years now, and still hauls clothes around despite the discomfort it causes in transit and the plastic pieces that have become a little detached from the basket itself. With that admission of the problems, I still find myself giving this basket a recommendation because of the life it has led, and knowing that I have issued warnings I am willing to state that this is a decent "basic" laundry basket. However, if you are really looking for a great laundry basket, you should give The Rubbermaid HipHugger a try instead.


Cost: Just under $4.00 most places they are sold.