Hampers and laundry baskets are both intended to store and transport dirty laundry, but they’re generally used at different points in the laundry process.
A hamper is typically an enclosed or open-top container designed to collect and store dirty laundry in an aesthetically pleasing way. They’re often crafted from breathable materials like wicker or a sturdy cotton fabric like canvas. Hampers are often placed in bedrooms, closets, or bathrooms — anywhere that is likely to accumulate laundry.
As opposed to a hamper, which is generally used to collect dirty laundry, a laundry basket is traditionally used to transport clean laundry from the washer or dryer to a hanging or folding location. Laundry baskets are often made of plastic, but increasingly, you can find them crafted of more design-forward materials like wicker, seagrass, and lightweight metals.