Best Portable Washing Machine · With Spin Dryer

Best Portable Washing Machine with Spin Dryer

If you want a washer with a built-in spin dryer, choose a twin tub: our top pick is the Giantex 20 lb, which NBC Select named its best twin tub. You wash in one tub, move the clothes to the other and spin out most of the water. That makes clothes far less wet than hand washing, but a spin dryer is not a heated dryer, so clothes still need to hang or tumble dry.

Twin tub portable washer with both lids open, clothes in the wash tub and a spin basket on the right

Our top 3

Top picks at a glance

Best twin tub#1
Giantex 20 lb Twin Tub Washer washer

Giantex 20 lb Twin Tub Washer

Budget price range

Giantex rates it at 12 lb wash and 8 lb spin, with a 1,350 RPM spinner.

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Best with a drain pump#2
COSTWAY 26 lb Twin Tub with Drain Pump washer

COSTWAY 26 lb Twin Tub with Drain Pump

Budget price range

The largest twin tub here, 18 lb wash and 8 lb spin, with a pump that reaches a sink.

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Best budget twin tub#3
SUPER DEAL 9.9 lb Twin Tub Washer washer

SUPER DEAL 9.9 lb Twin Tub Washer

Budget price range

HGTV’s best budget pick: 9.9 lb wash and 4.4 lb spin at about 22 lb.

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In detail

Who each one suits

Specifications and capacities are each brand’s own; awards are credited to the publishers that gave them. We did not test these machines ourselves.

Best twin tub#1

Giantex 20 lb Twin Tub Washer

The twin tub most often recommended by editors: NBC Select named it its best twin tub. You wash in the left tub, then move clothes to the right tub to spin. It is light, cheap to buy, needs no drain pump, and drains by gravity into a tub, shower or floor drain.

Why it stands out

  • Separate wash and spin tubs with their own timers, so you can wash one load while spinning another.
  • Giantex rates it at 12 lb wash and 8 lb spin, with a 1,350 RPM spin (other listings print 11 + 6.6 lb).
  • About 28–32 lb, light enough to carry to the bathroom and back.
TypeTwin tub: wash tub + spin tub
Capacity (brand)12 lb wash + 8 lb spin
Weight28–32 lb
Fill & drainFaucet hose or fill by hand; gravity drain (no pump)
Hot waterWater up to 129°F (brand limit)

Good fit if

  • You have a tub, shower or floor drain lower than the machine.
  • You do not mind standing by: NBC Select warns it does not stop filling on its own.
  • You want the most wash-and-spin for the money in an apartment, RV or garage.

Skip it if

  • You need water pushed up into a sink: there is no pump.
  • You want to load it and walk away.
  • You plan to use water hotter than 129°F, the brand’s limit.
Best with a drain pump#2

COSTWAY 26 lb Twin Tub with Drain Pump

The biggest twin tub on our list, and one of the few with a built-in drain pump, so it can push water up into a sink instead of needing a floor-level drain. COSTWAY rates it at 18 lb wash and 8 lb spin.

Why it stands out

  • Drain pump plus a 52.5-inch drain hose.
  • Gentle, normal and drain modes with 15-minute wash and 5-minute spin timers.
  • Only about 34 lb for its capacity.
TypeTwin tub with drain pump
Capacity (brand)18 lb wash + 8 lb spin
Weight34 lb
Fill & drainFaucet hose; built-in drain pump
Hot waterBrand gives no temperature limit

Good fit if

  • You wash for a family or do one big laundry day a week.
  • Your drain point is a sink, higher than the machine.

Skip it if

  • You want a fully automatic washer.
  • You only wash a few items at a time.
Best budget twin tub#3

SUPER DEAL 9.9 lb Twin Tub Washer

HGTV’s best budget pick, and the simplest way to get an electric wash and spin for very little money. It is a small twin tub (9.9 lb wash, 4.4 lb spin by the listing’s numbers) that weighs about 22 lb and drains by gravity.

Why it stands out

  • Electric wash and spin at a Budget-tier price.
  • Light enough at about 22 lb to store in a closet or under a counter.
  • Spin tub rated at 1,300 RPM in the manual listing.
TypeTwin tub: wash tub + spin tub
Capacity (brand)9.9 lb wash + 4.4 lb spin
Weight22 lb
Fill & drainInlet hose or fill by hand; gravity drain
Hot waterBrand gives no temperature limit

Good fit if

  • You wash small loads and have a shower, tub or floor drain to drain into.
  • You want a backup to the laundromat for underwear, gym clothes and kids’ clothes.

Skip it if

  • You want a brand with a support website: we could not find a working SUPER DEAL site.
  • You wash more than about 10 lb at a time; the spinner holds less than half the wash load.
  • You need a drain pump.
Also worth a look

Laundry Alternative Ninja Spin Dryer

A standalone spin dryer that removes water by spinning at 3,200 RPM, with no heat and no vent. The Laundry Alternative says it removes up to 90% of moisture in about 3 minutes and holds up to 22 lb of wet clothes.

Why it stands out

  • Plugs into a regular outlet; no vent hose, no heat.
  • Turns hand-washed or WonderWash clothes from dripping to damp in minutes.
  • 3-year warranty from the brand.
TypeSpin dryer, no heat
Capacity (brand)Up to 22 lb wet clothes
Weight19.7 lb
Fill & drainDrains through a spout into a tub, sink or bucket
Hot waterNot applicable

Good fit if

  • You hand-wash, use a manual washer or a twin tub with a small spinner.
  • You air-dry and want clothes to dry faster.

Skip it if

  • Your washer already spins well.
  • You have nowhere to drain the water that comes out.

Want clothes damp, not dripping?

A twin tub spins water out between washes. Plan two spins if the spinner is smaller than the wash tub.

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Tips

Three things that make the difference

01

Load the spinner evenly

The PUCWM22 twin-tub manual says to put small items in first, spread the load evenly and place the spin mat on top before setting the timer.

02

Stay with it while it fills

NBC Select warns the Giantex does not stop filling on its own, so watch the water level rather than walking away.

03

Respect the temperature limit

Giantex sets 129°F as its maximum, and the PUCWM22 manual says to keep wash water below 120°F so plastic parts do not deform.

Honest note

Twin tubs ask for your time. You set the timers, move clothes between tubs and often rinse by refilling. If you want to load the washer and walk away, a fully automatic model like the COMFEE’ 1.6 cu ft suits you better.

FAQ

Questions people ask

What is a twin tub washing machine?

A washer with two tubs: one washes and one spins. The PUCWM22 manual says the two motors let you wash and spin dry at the same time. You move the clothes between tubs by hand.

Does a spin dryer dry clothes completely?

No. It spins out water fast but uses no heat. The Laundry Alternative says its Ninja spin dryer removes up to 90% of moisture in about 3 minutes; clothes still need to air-dry or go in a dryer.

Twin tub or fully automatic: which is better?

A twin tub is cheaper, lighter and quick for small loads; a fully automatic washer does the whole cycle on its own. Choose a twin tub if price and weight matter most, and an automatic if your time does.

Do twin tubs need a drain pump?

Most use gravity, so the drain must be lower than the machine. Apartment Therapy’s reviewer had to raise a gravity-drain twin tub and ran the tube into a bathtub. The COSTWAY 26 lb has a built-in pump.

Why is the spin tub smaller than the wash tub?

Spinners hold less than the washer: Giantex rates 12 lb wash and 8 lb spin, and SUPER DEAL 9.9 lb and 4.4 lb. Spin a big wash in two batches.

How long do twin tub cycles take?

Short. The PUCWM22 laundry guide lists 5 to 10 minutes of washing and 3 to 5 minutes of spinning for colored cotton, and less for delicates.

Wash, spin and hang in under an hour

Want the full picture? See all our best portable washing machine, compared by home type, and the FAQ on hookups, drying and care.