Looking to choose the right college dorm hamper for your college bound teenager?
There are so many to choose from and it’s hard to predict the future needs of your child.
It’s not as simple as one would think.
My daughter is now going into her second year of college.
She knows I wrote about the Woozoo fan and how much she loves it.
She asked me why I didn’t write about hampers and I told her that I didn’t think I could write an entire article about college dorm hampers.
So I decided to write about it with her.
In this article we’re going to go through some different types of hampers and list pros and cons, all coming from my soon-to-be college sophomore.
Note that most of these comments are from one college kid and may not be the opinion of every single college kid out there.
Option One – The Standard Basket Hamper
This basket hamper is adorable.
Pros:
- Having handles is a plus, although straps are preferred
- It is sturdy and most likely will make it the entire year
- It stands up
Cons:
- When this is full, and it will be, this will be extremely heavy
- No lid
- No additional pockets
- At 85L capacity, it doesn’t hold a ton clothes
Option 2 – The Rolling Hamper
Pros:
- You can roll this hamper and not worry about carrying it
- It stands up
- Has a lid
Cons:
- If you have stairs, you’re in trouble
- Even if you have an elevator, sometimes elevators are not working or backed up
- Rolling this hamper could make a loud noise, which is bad if you’re doing middle-of-the-night laundry
- No additional pockets
- At 75L capacity, it holds less clothes than the previous hamper
Option 3 – The Backpack Hamper
Pros:
- This backpack hamper has a pocket for detergent, which you’ll always need to take with you on your way to the laundry room
- Lid (because you can close the top)
- It has a handle long enough so that you can wear it on your shoulder
- Secret inner pocket to store some coins or whatever else
- You can carry it on your back, which is easier going up stairs or long distances
- Easy to fit through doorways
Cons:
- It doesn’t stand up straight, so you will have to bend down and open it to put clothes inside. There’s no shooting your clothes like a basketball into a hamper hoop
Side Note: This is actually the hamper my daughter had. We would be giving it 5 stars if it were able to stand up. She said it was better than her friend’s hampers but leaning down to open the bag was annoying at times.
Option 4 – The Separator
Pros:
- The removable bags are convenient
- You can separate colors
- The hamper is collapsible which makes traveling to college with it easier
- Lid
- 154L – Large capacity
- It stands up
Cons:
- Only one college kid in my daughter’s dorm separated colors
- Carrying this on your shoulder can get heavy
- No additional pockets
Option 5 – The Collapsible Plastic Hamper
Pros:
- Durable
- The fact that it’s collapsible makes it easier to travel with
- It stands up (although wide)
Cons:
- Difficult to carry
- No lid
- No additional pockets
- Takes up a decent amount of floor space
- At a capacity of a little over 40L, this hamper does not fit many clothes
Option 6 – The Standing Backpack Hamper
Pros:
- Backpack design makes it super easy to carry
- Easy to travel with as it folds down flat
- Clothes can be folded and inserted easily into the side pocket
- Zippered storage
- It stands up
- Lid
Cons:
- Eh, not really any. If the color is too bland for you, there are multiple other colors available.
College Dorm Hamper Q&A
Should I bring a hamper to college?
- 100% yes.
I don’t have much space – Should I still bring a hamper?
- The answer is still yes. Have your dorm room measurements so you can plan where your hamper will be placed. It may have to go under your clothing in the closet area or squeezed in a corner.
Is there a hamper that most kids bring to college?
- We did not experience one overall type of hamper that was brought. Everyone in the dorm had a different type, some worse than others.
I’ve heard people like rolling hampers. Is that ok?
- Yes! It’s a personal preference, really. Make sure the measurements of the hamper will fit through a doorway. Some of the rolling hampers can get quite large. Go taller, not wider.
Thoughts on a mesh hamper?
- Great for allowing clothing to get some air and keep smells to a minimum. Mesh hampers usually collapse and this is great for the car ride to campus. I’d suggest making sure it has handles. Handles that can go over the shoulder are even better.
Final Thoughts on A Dorm Hamper
My daughter watched many kids struggle with their hamper.
Any of these hampers will work. All of my daughter’s friends had different types of hampers and they still managed to get their laundry done.
I would definitely not sacrifice space in order to have a gorgeous hamper.
Don’t worry about forgetting something. We forgot things and made a trip to Target on move-in day.
It gave us a little extra time together and we were able to purchase some other items that we didn’t think my daughter would have room for, but she did.
Other items we loved:
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