Let’s be honest: Nobody really likes doing laundry. It’s a particularly major pain point for me and my husband, given that one of us typically handles all the laundry at once. Every week, one of us is tasked with separating all the dirty clothes, determining what should and shouldn’t be dried, bringing it back upstairs and sorting through it all before it gets put away. While laundry is a pretty unavoidable chore, I’m a firm believer that it shouldn’t be this tedious.
My commitment to improving this very specific pain point of my life led me down a rabbit hole of laundry bags and baskets. I wanted one that could realistically fit a week’s worth of laundry without being an eyesore; my husband wanted one with wheels and multiple sections. Fortunately, Amazon had just what we were both looking for: the Songmics Three-Section Laundry Hamper with Lid.
This laundry hamper checked all our boxes. Made from synthetic rattan for durability and waterproofness, this hamper has a lid to keep your dirty clothes out of sight, an inner liner bag with three different sections, four locking wheels, a pull handle and a hanging side pocket to store your laundry essentials.
What I liked about it
It has a stylish and versatile design
One of the main things that stopped me from investing in a hamper was that they were either total eyesores or too small. The Songmics hamper comes in two neutral colors, and the synthetic rattan material gives it a natural look that’s versatile enough to fit in with tons of different decor styles.
You can also close the lid to keep your laundry out of sight and out of mind. Not having to look at your dirty clothes every day is definitely a little luxury —?particularly in smaller homes and apartments where you don’t have the option to keep your laundry in a bathroom or closet.
It fits a lot but isn’t unwieldy
The Songmics hamper is available in two different sizes: 140 and 160 liters. The 160-liter option would be best for larger families or anyone who regularly does a lot of laundry. I opted for the smaller one since we’re a household of two without a lot of space, and it’s still very roomy. I’m always amazed at how much it can fit. If needed, we could go almost two weeks without doing laundry before it gets full. We usually don’t wait that long, but it’s nice for those laundry-heavy weeks to prevent dirty clothing, bedding and towels from overflowing into other parts of the house.
Plus, the locking wheels mean it can sit in one place throughout the week and easily be rolled to your laundry room. While wheeling it all the way isn’t possible for anyone who takes the stairs or goes to another building to get their laundry done, it’s still much easier than carrying bulky plastic containers or heavy bags.
It saves so much time on laundry day
The very best part about this hamper is how it’s streamlined my entire laundry process. Throughout the week, my husband and I sort our laundry into the three different compartments: darks, lights and gym clothes. Then once a week, one of us wheels the hamper down to our basement and throws each of the three compartments into a separate washer. No sorting through dirty clothes necessary! After everything has been washed, the light and dark loads go into separate dryers. (Our gym clothes go back upstairs to hang dry.)
When everything is done in the dryer, I use the hamper to sort once again: a section for my clean clothes, a section for my husband’s clean clothes and a miscellaneous section for things like towels and bedding. It saves so much time when putting the laundry away and makes the entire chore much more manageable.
I also love how the different compartments and features of the hamper can be customized to your individual needs. In addition to using the three main compartments, the laundry hamper comes with a hanging side pocket that many reviewers use for delicates. We actually use it to hold our laundry essentials, like our laundry card, detergent and dryer balls. It’s great to have everything easily accessible and in one place (no getting down to the laundry room only to realize you forgot something upstairs!).
What I didn’t like about it
The quality could be better
While the functionality of this laundry hamper is near perfect, the quality of certain elements could be improved. For example, the inner cloth bag is lightweight, breathable and easy to keep clean, but it is a little flimsy and isn’t well attached to the outer wicker basket. It’s only connected by a couple of ties, so it moves around and I have to frequently readjust or retie it while I’m doing my laundry. It’s definitely not a deal breaker, but it’s something to keep in mind.
The wheels are okay considering the price of the hamper, but they definitely don’t compare to those of a nice suitcase. For example, they get stuck and can’t make it over my entryway mat, so I have to lift the hamper whenever there’s any sort of bump in the road.
Finally, the synthetic rattan material, while sturdy and practical for laundry purposes, definitely doesn’t compare to natural rattan. As such, it looks and feels a little plasticky when examined closely.
I wish it came in more sizes and shapes
The horizontal, rectangular-shaped hamper was a good fit for my space, but I’d love to see the brand expand into more sizes and shapes to accommodate different spaces. For example, I could see a taller, vertical option fitting well inside closets or between two other pieces of furniture for a more discreet look.
Bottom line
If you’re looking for an attractive hamper that fits a lot of laundry and keeps you organized throughout the week, the Songmics Laundry Hamper is a great option that’s worth the investment. It’s stylish and extremely functional, thanks to its three compartments, making it a total game changer if you, like me, typically dread doing laundry.
