The Best Portable Washing Machines: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)

RBE top pick

BLACK+DECKER BPWM16W 1.6 Cu. Ft. Portable Washer

For most buyers the BLACK+DECKER BPWM16W is the pick: the largest tub here, fully automatic operation, and a recognized US brand standing behind the warranty. Choose the COMFEE' 0.9 cu. ft. if you want the same set-and-forget convenience in the smallest, cheapest footprint.

See why it wins Compare all

A portable washer earns its place in a small apartment, dorm, or RV only if it actually cleans, spins clothes dry enough to hang, and doesn't leak or throw error codes after a few months. Across independent testing and long-run owner reports, full-automatic units win on convenience while twin-tubs win on raw cleaning power and price. Below are two we'd buy, one twin-tub that depends entirely on how hands-on you're willing to be, and one popular full-automatic we'd steer most buyers away from.

RBE top pick

BLACK+DECKER

BLACK+DECKER BPWM16W 1.6 Cu. Ft. Portable Washer

Buy it

The closest a portable gets to a real apartment washer, with a recognized US brand behind the warranty.

Best for: Apartment and condo dwellers who want the largest, most set-and-forget portable and value real brand support.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Roomy 1.6 cu. ft. tub handles a genuine small-household load, not just a few shirts
• Fully automatic: fill, wash, rinse, and spin run on their own once it's hooked to a faucet
• Backed by a mainstream US brand with parts and warranty support owners can actually reach

Know before buying

• Bigger and heavier than 0.9 cu. ft. compacts, so it's less grab-and-go portable
• Spin leaves clothes damp compared with a high-RPM twin-tub spinner

Check current price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

COMFEE'

COMFEE' 0.9 Cu. Ft. Portable Washing Machine

Buy it

A slim, efficient full-automatic that slides into a closet or under a counter and just works.

Best for: Solo dwellers and couples who want a quiet, no-fuss automatic washer in the smallest possible footprint.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• Compact 0.9 cu. ft. footprint with built-in rollers fits dorms, RVs, and tight kitchens
• Full-automatic cycles plus a built-in lint filter and drain pump keep daily use simple
• Energy- and water-efficient design that owners report sipping resources on small loads

Know before buying

• Small tub means frequent loads for anything beyond one or two people
• 840 RPM spin gets clothes damp-dry, not the near-dry a strong spinner delivers

Check current price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Auertech

Auertech Twin Tub Portable Washing Machine (28 lbs)

It depends

The cleaning and spin-dryness champ of the group - if you don't mind babysitting every load.

Best for: Hands-on users, campers, and big-load washers who prioritize cleaning power and dryness over convenience.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• Separate wash and spin tubs let you wash one batch while spinning another, halving total time
• Powerful high-RPM spinner wrings clothes far drier than any full-automatic here
• Large combined capacity and a low price make it the value pick for heavy laundry days

Know before buying

• Semi-automatic: you fill it, move wet clothes tub-to-tub, and drain it by hand every time
• Noticeably louder and more plasticky than the full-automatics, with a shorter expected lifespan

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We'd skip it

Giantex

Giantex 1.5 Cu. Ft. Full-Automatic Portable Washing Machine

Skip it

A feature-packed spec sheet undercut by recurring reports of leaks, error codes, and thin support.

Best for: Almost no one at this price - the brand-supported BLACK+DECKER or budget COMFEE' is the safer buy.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Generous 1.5 cu. ft. tub with a long list of programs and water levels on paper
• Full-automatic operation with child lock and auto unbalance detection

Know before buying

• Owners repeatedly report leaks, drain-pump failures, and error codes within months
• Lightweight build and hard-to-reach support make problems costly to resolve
• A same-size, brand-backed automatic like the BLACK+DECKER exists at a similar tier

Check current price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

A portable washer only matters if it cleans a real load, spins clothes dry enough to hang, hooks up to an ordinary faucet without drama, and keeps doing it for years without leaking or erroring out. We weighted cleaning performance, spin dryness, day-to-day effort, noise, and - heavily - reliability and how reachable the brand’s support is, over long spec-sheet lists of programs and water levels. RBE does not run its own laundry lab; we synthesize independent testing and long-run owner reports, and we weigh recurring failure complaints as heavily as feature counts. For most people the BLACK+DECKER BPWM16W is the pick, with the COMFEE’ 0.9 cu. ft. the runner-up for tighter spaces.

BLACK+DECKER BPWM16W 1.6 Cu. Ft. Portable Washer - Buy

The BLACK+DECKER BPWM16W is the closest thing here to a scaled-down apartment washer. At 1.6 cu. ft. it swallows a genuine small-household load rather than a token handful of shirts, and it runs fully automatically: connect the quick-connect adapter to a faucet, pick a cycle, and it fills, washes, rinses, and spins on its own. Owners like the capacity, the clear lid and LED display, and - the quiet differentiator - that a mainstream US brand stands behind it, so parts and warranty help are actually reachable when something goes wrong. What they like less is the size: it’s heavier and less grab-and-go than a 0.9 cu. ft. compact, and its spin leaves clothes damp rather than the near-dry you get from a high-RPM twin-tub spinner. It’s the right pick for renters and small households who want the largest, most set-and-forget portable and value dependable support; it’s the wrong pick if you need something you can lift and stash in a closet weekly.

COMFEE’ 0.9 Cu. Ft. Portable Washing Machine - Buy

The COMFEE’ 0.9 cu. ft. trades capacity for footprint and efficiency. It’s a slim full-automatic on built-in rollers that tucks under a counter or into a closet, hooks to a faucet like the BLACK+DECKER, and runs its cycles without babysitting. A built-in lint filter and drain pump keep upkeep simple, and owners report it uses little water and power on the small loads it’s built for. The catch is exactly that smallness: the tub is fine for one or two people but means frequent loads for anyone else, and its roughly 840 RPM spin leaves laundry damp-dry, so plan on hanging or a dryer. It’s the right choice for solo dwellers, couples, dorms, and RVs that want a quiet, efficient automatic in the least possible space; it’s the wrong one if you regularly wash for a household or want bigger batches.

Auertech Twin Tub Portable Washing Machine (28 lbs) - It depends

The Auertech twin-tub is the cleaning and dryness champion of this group, and also the most work. Its separate wash and spin tubs let you wash one batch while spinning another, roughly halving total laundry time, and the high-RPM spinner wrings clothes far drier than any full-automatic here - a real win if you air-dry. Combined capacity is large and the price is low, so for heavy laundry days it’s the value play. The reason it’s an “it depends” rather than a clear buy is the workflow: it’s semi-automatic, so every load means filling it, physically moving wet clothes from wash tub to spin tub, and draining by hand. It’s also louder and more plasticky than the automatics, with a shorter expected lifespan. It suits hands-on users, campers, and big-load washers who prize cleaning power and near-dry spins; it’s wrong for anyone who wants to press start and walk away.

Giantex 1.5 Cu. Ft. Full-Automatic Portable Washing Machine - Skip

The Giantex 1.5 cu. ft. is tempting on paper: a large tub, a long list of programs and water levels, child lock, and auto unbalance detection at a mid-range tier. In practice the concrete skip reason is reliability. Independent owner reports repeatedly describe leaks, drain-pump failures, and error codes appearing within months, and the lightweight build plus hard-to-reach support turn those faults into costly headaches rather than quick fixes. What buyers do like when it behaves is the capacity and the full-automatic convenience. But at this price a same-size, brand-backed automatic - the BLACK+DECKER - already exists, and a proven budget automatic - the COMFEE’ - costs less. Unless you find it heavily discounted and accept the risk, the safer money goes elsewhere.

BLACK+DECKER BPWM16W vs COMFEE’ 0.9 cu. ft.: which should you buy?

Both are quiet, faucet-connected full-automatics, so the decision is size versus space. The BLACK+DECKER BPWM16W is the better everyday machine for an apartment or small household: its 1.6 cu. ft. tub means fewer loads, and the mainstream-brand warranty is reassurance the no-name units can’t match - at the cost of a larger, heavier body. The COMFEE’ 0.9 cu. ft. is built for the tightest spaces and budgets, sliding into a dorm, RV, or closet and sipping water and power, but its small tub and modest spin mean more frequent, damper loads. Choose the BLACK+DECKER if capacity and support matter most; choose the COMFEE’ if footprint and price come first.

What to look for

Get the BLACK+DECKER BPWM16W if you want the largest, most set-and-forget portable and value being able to reach real support; its size is the only real trade-off. Get the COMFEE’ 0.9 cu. ft. instead if space and budget lead your list and you wash small loads - just expect damp-dry results and frequent cycles. Consider the Auertech twin-tub if cleaning power and near-dry spins outrank convenience and you’ll accept filling, transferring, and draining by hand each load. Across all of them, confirm your faucet fits the included adapter and you have somewhere to drain, check the spin speed if you air-dry, and weigh the brand’s support and owner track record as heavily as the program list. Skip spec-sheet-rich but failure-prone units like the Giantex when a brand-backed automatic sits at the same price.

Our final take

For most homes the BLACK+DECKER BPWM16W is the sensible pick: the biggest tub here, fully automatic, and backed by a brand you can actually call. Step down to the COMFEE’ 0.9 cu. ft. for the smallest, most efficient footprint, or reach for the Auertech twin-tub if you want the strongest cleaning and driest spin and don’t mind the hands-on routine. Skip the Giantex unless it’s deeply discounted and you accept the reliability risk. Whichever you choose, measure your faucet and drain setup first, and match the capacity to how often you’re willing to run a load.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: BLACK+DECKER BPWM16W 1.6 Cu. Ft. Portable Washer vs COMFEE' 0.9 Cu. Ft. Portable Washing Machine.

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