This Laundry Day Must-Have Is So Easy to Carry (Great for Dorms & Apartments!)

Don’t make the same mistake I did and forget to bring a laundry bag to the dorm! Carrying dirty clothes in your arms to and from the laundry room can become very monotonous very fast, so finding the best laundry bag for college is key to making your daily life a little easier.

There are a lot of options, and you want to make sure that you find one that’s durable and easy to carry. Thankfully, the college students we surveyed have two highly-rated recommendations, and they’re very similar in price and size. Plus, they both have a front pocket for detergent! So check out our winning laundry bag and the runner-up to find out which will be your go-to on laundry day.

Dorm Therapy is dedicated to helping students at every point of their college experience, and that includes shopping for their dorms! We’re a website powered by real college student contributors (who have recently experienced dorm living) and experienced editors, creating service-first content about navigating life at school and sharing vetted product recommendations for dorms and college apartments.

We went straight to the source to determine our winners for the Dorm Therapy Awards 2025, surveying more than 360 college students and recent grads to learn about their absolute favorite products they used in their dorms. 

For the winning laundry bag, we first looked at how many students recommended specific products, and we chose the top two most popular picks. Students ranked their recommendations on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being a product they loved and would “definitely recommend.” Both products were recommended by nearly the same number of students, and the winning product was selected because it had a higher overall rating. 

This $17.99 laundry essential was our clear winner because of the many high ratings from students — it averaged an 8. This backpack-style laundry bag is made of nylon, and has a drawstring cord at the top to secure the laundry when full. The shoulder straps are adjustable, and there is an external pocket for detergent and dryer sheets, as well as an internal pocket for a phone or keys. 

• “I LOVED how efficient, large, and affordable the laundry backpack is. I would recommend it to anyone living in a dorm.” —Alyssa F., University of Arkansas, Class of 2027
• “Have been using for two years now no issues love it. Personally like that it’s a backpack because I can carry it a lot easier and it takes up a lot less space in my room. Can hold detergent in the pocket too. Also affordable and durable good quality. Holds a lot of laundry I use it when I go home and it fits all my sheets, comforter, and clothes.” —Brianna F., Roger Williams University, Class of 2027
• “Large, easy to carry, waterproof bottom, closes and keeps smell in, holds laundry detergent and other mists in the side pocket.” —Anna S., Tulane University, Class of 2028

Students also loved this very similar backpack hamper from Target. The Brightroom Backpack Laundry Bag costs $13, and students rated it a 7.7. Just like the winner, this laundry bag has an external pocket, drawstring, and adjustable straps. Where it differs, though, is that this bag is polyester and doesn’t have an internal pocket.

• “This laundry bag has worked absolutely perfect for me! I hang it up in my closet and then am able to wear it like a backpack to carry easily to the washer and dryer downstairs! It was adorable and I even found it in my school colors!” —Katelyn K., Michigan State University, Class of 2027
• “This laundry bag fits a lot and it is pretty cheap! It’s good quality and easy to transport. I like how I can put my detergent on the pouch on the outside section.” —Isabella F., University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley, Class of 2027
• “This was amazing! This was probably my best dorm find. It was so easy to hang on the corner of my bed and just throw my clothes in it. The laundry room was in a different building so it was super convenient to just throw it on my back and to bring it down there. I love the little front pouch that holds all of my detergent. I would highly recommend this for any freshman.” —Samantha G., Louisiana State University, Class of 2028

This post originally appeared on Dorm Therapy. See it there: Make Laundry Day So Much Easier With This Dorm Must-Have (It “Holds a Lot!”)