When you leave the house for the shops, the usual mantra is ‘card, keys, phone’. When you’re leaving home for a much-needed rural break with friends or family, it might be more ‘card, keys, phone, tent, food, wine’. But what if something else was missing all along? What if your arrival at your camp or caravan site is overshadowed by a cold chill down your spine as you realise the portable washing machine-shaped hole in your packed belongings?
Silliness aside, the portable washing machine is indeed a niche appliance, and not likely one you’ve given much thought to before – until necessity brought you here.
Though niche, there’s more demand for these little things, as domestic camping and caravanning holidays continue to win back favour over expensive getaways, and as the phenomenon of tiny living continues to gain traction. Van conversions, eco-houses, narrowboats; all are homes that would benefit from something smaller, sleeker and capable of cleaning your whites.
What to look for in a portable washer
This is tough to answer, as it depends on what exactly you’re after. If you need a swift clothes-washing solution for family camping, you’ll prefer portability over capacity. If you’re a van-lifer looking for a compact alternative to a home washing machine, then you’ll be looking for something that’s small but mighty.
Generally speaking, weight will be a key consideration. There’s no point bringing something bulky along for the ride, whatever your situation. It’s important to remember that lighter doesn’t always mean weaker, either. There are plenty of cleverly-designed machines with collapsible rubber basins that are not only light but durable as well.
A pint-sized market
The portable washing machine industry is, unsurprisingly, not the largest of industries. Niche as it is, the industry is flooded with identikit no-name models from Chinese manufacturers – the kind of products you would expect to find in various dropshippers’ online storefronts, and again for pence on the pound in Aliexpress’ boundless search results.
A few such models have made it into this list, for being at once practical, affordable and easily available. Other models reflect a little more thought into portable washing machine design, and indeed into the needs of those on the look out for one.
Best portable washing machines to buy at a glance
- Best overall: Leisurewize Manual Crank Washing Machine - £43, Amazon
- Best for eco-friendly deep-cleaning: W’air Fabric Care System - £199, Currys
- Best for family camping: Costway Twin Tub Portable Washing Machine - £129.95, Amazon
- Best for twin-tub all-in-one washing and drying: Leisurewize Plus Twin Washing Machine - £149.84, Amazon
- Best for contemporary aesthetics: OFCASA 2 in 1 Portable Washing Machine - £52.99, Amazon
- Best for clean-looking cleaning: COSVALVE 4.5 KG Mini Portable Washing Machine - £78.99, Amazon
- Best for stowing away for emergencies: Leisurewize Collapsible Washing Machine - £77.99, Robert Dyas
- Best for powerful small-scale washing: Camry Premium CR 8054 Top-Load Washing Machine - £59.89, Euro Electronics
- Best for inexpensive super-portability: SUCIKORIO 4.5L Mini Washing Machine - £23.99, Amazon
- Best for restrictive budgets: Dpofirs 5L Mini Portable Washing Machine - £13.97, Amazon
Whether you’re tiny-home living, prepping for a camping trip, or simply trying to save water, space and money for a bit, there’ll be something for you below.
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Leisurewize Manual Crank Washing Machine
Best: overall
Have you ever wanted a salad strainer for your clothes? Well, look no further!
Jests aside, the Leisurewize Manual Crank Washing Machine is a highly practical portable washing machine and the only one on this list that does not rely on access to electricity. You can use this thing anywhere, and the limits of its cleaning potential are purely the limits of your biceps’ and triceps’ potential.
This hand-cranked washing machine uses the same essential principle that serves most machines on the market – centrifugal force – to macerate and agitate your clothes in a wash cycle, as well as to spin them dry a là your favourite lettuce leaves. It’s a simple design, one which breaks down easily for storage and transport.
This is an indispensable item for any off-grid camper, caravaner or electricity non-haver, even if it’s a bit of work to use.
Buy now £43.00, Amazon
W’air Fabric Care System
Best for: eco-friendly deep-cleaning
This piece of portable preening paraphernalia may seem unusual against a strong list of spin-washing tumble-bins, but could be one of the most powerful cleaning solutions of the lot. The W’air Fabric Care system is a handy, carriable pressure-washing/steaming device, that can be used to target stains, deep-clean your delicates or simply refresh some non-machine-washable items between dry-cleanings.
The major USP of the W’air is its ecological credentials, using far less water and detergent per clothing item. For our purposes, though, it is an astonishingly powerful alternative to the conventional portable washing machine. It takes up less space, uses less water and guarantees a thorough clean. The trade-off is that you’ll be washing clothes one-by-one, which may not be practical for family trips. That said, this is a great haul for the semi-permanent van-lifer.
Buy now £199.00, Currys
Costway Twin Tub Portable Washing Machine
Best for: family camping
Costway’s Twin Tub Portable Washing Machine is a dual-purpose unit, with a dedicated spin-drying tub that can significantly reduce air-drying time for your washables. This is a practical unit above all, taking an austere approach to external design and making usefulness its primary modus operandi.
The washing portion of the machine can handle 6.5kg washing, while the spin-dryer can handle 2kg; while not ideal, this does allow you to speed up the drying of key, larger clothing items. A built-in drain pump trivialises emptying out the water, and a lint filter keeps your machine from clogging. It’s a practical, easy-to-use twin-purpose portable washer that’s also quiet – a god-send for family camping.
Buy now £129.95, Amazon
Leisurewize Plus Twin Washing Machine
Best for: twin-tub all-in-one washing and drying
The Leisurewize Plus is a twin tub washing machine that means business. Though not the most capacious of units, it is a powerful one, with 280W of washing power that can blast 3.5kg of your washing clean in a matter of minutes – and a 140W motor for spinning 2.5kg of said clothes dry thereafter.
The Leisurewize Plus is large and ruggedly built, but not overweight for its size. It’s easy to manoeuvre thanks to some ergonomic carry handles either side, and easy to use thanks to its comprehensive control face above the compartments. There’s no drain pump, which may be missed in some circumstances, but this is otherwise a useful addition to a larger RV or long-wheelbased van.
Buy now £149.84, Amazon
OFCASA 2 in 1 Portable Washing Machine
Best for: contemporary aesthetics
The OFCASA 2 in 1 Portable Washing Machine is a mid-priced unit, and one of the most attractive mid-priced units around. I mean, just look at that sleek trim, surrounding and separating the matte black lid and control surface from the clean white basin below! Aesthetically speaking, this 3kg-capacity machine screams ‘executive’, especially when regarded against less-flattering designs by camping-forward manufacturers.
The ‘2 in 1’ bit of the name refers to its wash and spin-dry capabilities, with 15- and 5-minute cycles respectively. The motor is quiet, and drainage via the accompanying tube is simple. Portable as this may be, it isn’t the ideal shape and size for the camping individual; this would be far better suited taking pride of place under a campervan sink.
Buy now £52.99, Amazon
COSVALVE 4.5 KG Mini Portable Washing Machine
Best for: clean-looking cleaning
The COSVALVE 4.5KG Mini Washing Machine is one of those wholesale dropshippy products, but by no means akin to the inexpensive tat that give such products a bad name. Indeed, this is a premium iteration, leagues ahead of the entry level and with some essential conveniences.
For starters, the COSVALVE is nearly as much of a looker as a portable washing machine can get; you won’t begrudge setting this up in your home, let alone in a camper. Built-in intake and outflow tubes make filling and emptying a cinch, and the dial controls under the lid are as simple and effective as can be. Spin-drying is also a feature here, though not as effective given the machine’s single-tub design. Get this for a sleek, pedal-bin-sized machine that’ll handle your hankies with grace.
Buy now £78.99, Amazon
Leisurewize Collapsible Washing Machine
Best for: stowing away for emergencies
Though it looks more ‘soup pot’ than ‘portable washing machine’, Leisurewize’s collapsible washing machine does more than keep your clothes at a pre-set ambient temperature. This is a high-powered portable affair with a collapsible 15-litre part-rubber basin, that makes the unit supremely easy to pack down between uses.
The motor is capable of 400RPM, and does a marvellous job on the move despite being relatively low-wattage. Between uses, the basin folds down into itself, and over the motor mechanism in the unit’s base. The control surface couldn’t be simpler, for being a single dial – and draining couldn’t be simpler, either. This is a great stowaway option for emergency cleaning, though it won’t spin-dry things for you as well.
Buy now £77.99, Robert Dyas
Camry Premium CR 8054 Top-Load Washing Machine
Best for: powerful small-scale washing
The Camry Premium CR 8054 is a compact number, and an all-in-one number at that. This little thing can both wash and spin your clothing, without the need for a second motor or tub. Though it can’t quite keep up with other portable washing machines in capacity – with a washing capacity of 3kg and a spin-dry capacity of just 1kg – this unit may be much more practical in terms of space.
It also has many of the modern conveniences that larger portable machines afford, from built-in drainage piping to easily-accessed dial controls. Though smaller, it is also more powerful than most, with a 400W max power setting for the dirtiest of garms. Further, it has a modesty-protecting smoky plastic shrouding, so you can watch your washing progress without being faced with the grim truth of your clothes’ dirt levels.
Buy now £59.89, EuroElectronics
SUCIKORIO 4.5L Mini Washing Machine
Best for: inexpensive super-portability
This diminutive number is easily the most portable portable washing machine in this whole round-up of portable washing machines. This is thanks to a nifty collapsible bucket design, wherein the motor and basket occupy a central well at the bottom of the bucket, and the surroundings collapse around it.
The uniform colour and texture of the exterior is an aesthetically-pleasing tonic, where other portable machines seem to revel in looking as ungainly as possible. The SUCIKORIO’s control interface blends seamlessly into the basin, making for a sleek and attractive thing to chuck in the boot along with your wellies and camp-chairs.
It’s not the most stable of machines, and you will need to find mains power for it in spite of its collapsibility, but it remains a space-savingly useful thing with a powerful motor for its price.
Buy now £23.99, Amazon
Dpofirs 5L Mini Portable Washing Machine
Best for: restrictive budgets
Here we have the cheapest portable washing machine of the bunch, being one of the most simply designed; it is, after all, a water bucket bundled with a familiar-looking 5V motor and a suction cup. Choosing between portable washing machines at this price range is much of a muchness, with parts often being shared between products. This one differs from the rest for being a solid 5-litre bucket, and hence giving some rigidity to your clothes-washing.
The Dpofirs washing machine bundle may be better-suited to slightly heavier clothes, even if the motor might occasionally struggle to agitate them properly. Ultimately, this is the ultra-budget option, and a great starting-point for a modular washing set-up given its frankly ridiculous level of cheapness.
Buy now £13.97, Amazon
Verdict
The W’air Fabric Care System is a surprise smash on this list of portable washing machines, providing precision power in an eco-friendly format. It’s a great short-term solution for impromptu getaways.
Despite all the powered machines on this list, the number one spot goes to the Leisurewize Manual Crank Washing Machine – a cheap, simple, well-designed washer that doesn’t require mains access to work as intended.
