Portable shower caddies are ideal for keeping your toiletries organised, whether you’re camping or living in a shared space like a dorm. Often there just isn’t room for everyone's shampoo, soap and so on, so finding one that's easily transported from bedroom to bathroom is a sure-fire way of ensuring you’ve got what you need when it’s time to cleanse.
There are a few different styles of shower caddies, from mesh hanging bags with a hook to plastic baskets with handles, so we’ve put together a quick buying guide to help identify the various options available to you. From there, we’ll go on to show you our top ten must-buys available to order from Amazon, eBay and John Lewis.
Quick List - Top Portable Shower Caddies
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While a portable shower caddy might seem a straightforward buy, there are a few things to consider first such as material and capacity. In our buying guide, we look to bring these to your attention so you can hopefully make a better-informed decision when it’s time to purchase.
The first contemplation should certainly be the style of the caddy. The first option is a simple, hard plastic basket with handles, similar to what you'd use for cleaning supplies. They often have draining holes throughout to ensure that no water pools inside and they don't end up mouldy.
This style is best suited to those who have a shared bathroom but don’t intend on taking their caddy out of the home, as they cannot fold away. Moreover, it’s worth noting that this style of basket often only has a couple of large compartments.
Hanging shower caddies, on the other hand, tend to be much more malleable, so they’re capable of working in both a shared living space and for travel. They are hung either with a coat-hanger-like hook or suction cups and will be made from polyester, mesh or both while having anywhere between one and eight compartments.
When it comes to the materials, there are two standout performers – plastic and mesh. Plastic is generally used with handle-style caddies and, being sturdy, it will keep bottles and other items upright. However, the baskets do stay wet for a little longer, meaning that once back in your tent or room, they'll take longer to dry.
Mesh caddies, however, don’t retain any water whatsoever. Therefore, although they hang directly under the stream of the shower, they drain practically instantly, so you won't be carrying a trail of water back to your room. Mesh is also more flexible, meaning that they can hang and fit in several different places, which is handy if you’re using a smaller or uniquely shaped shower.
Different caddies have different numbers of compartments, with options ranging from one to around eight. While bigger might seem better, we’d always recommend looking for something that suits your needs instead of picking up the biggest.
With that in mind, it’s worth considering what toiletries you have and how you’d like to separate them into groups if you could. For instance, shampoo and conditioner, brushes, moisturisers and creams, razors, and so on. Once you understand how many sections you’ll need, look for a caddy that can provide this.
Also, don't forget that not all compartments will be the same size. Generally, the manufacturers will provide at least one generous section, which will fit large bottles, but many are often medium to small-sized. Sadly, these dimensions are not provided, but looking at product images can help.
Last but not least, the dimensions of the caddy. If you’re opting for a hanging bag, then this isn’t as pertinent as it doesn’t have to sit on the shower floor or the side of the bath. However, it is still worth double-checking that it'll fit on the showerhead and that you’ll be able to access it comfortably. If it's got to fit in a camping backpack, you'll want to note its size too.
For handled caddies, looking into the dimensions will also be important as they require a space in the bathroom. Of course, where it fits best will depend on the layout. So you might want to measure various spots where it would be accessible before trying to find a caddy that will fit there comfortably.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Design de Valeur Mesh Shower Caddy | ![]() | Great Price, Great Looks and Great Functionality | |
2 | Misslo Mesh Shower Caddy Organiser | ![]() | The Armoury for Your Toiletry Army | |
3 | Vaszola Bathroom Shower Tote | ![]() | Aesthetically Pleasing, Flexible Baskets | |
4 | YuCool 2-Pack Portable Mesh Shower Caddies | ![]() | Strong, Sturdy and Sure to Stay Put | |
5 | iDesign Orbz Divided Tote|79141 | ![]() | A Rare Handled Caddy With Multiple Compartments | |
6 | Terra Home Portable Shower Caddy | ![]() | Just Ideal for Camping Trips and Travel | |
7 | FishMM Hanging Mesh Shower Caddy With Hooks | ![]() | A Compact Pick for Those Who Don’t Need Much | |
8 | iDesign Bath Basket for Shower|61206 | ![]() | Find the Ideal Colour to Suit Your Decor | |
9 | Shanghai Yijue International Trade Co. 2-Pack Quick-Dry Mesh Shower Caddies | ![]() | For Those Who Value Function Over Style | |
10 | John Lewis & Partners ANYDAY Bathroom Suction Basket | ![]() | A Simple Bag That Hangs up With Suction Pads |
Taking our number one spot is this sleek, hanging-style number from Design de Valeur. The shape is similar to that of the conventional tote bag, meaning it's a little more aesthetically pleasing than those bag for life options we found earlier in the ranking.
Furthermore, it's neither too small nor too big, so there's plenty of space for the average person's toiletries. Plus, there's an extra outside pocket if you'd like to keep small accessories such as nail clippers or razors separate. With a great price, great looks and great functionality, this offering has it all.
We all know that one person who uses dozens of different lotions, serums, shampoos and whatever else, and if you don't know someone, chances are, it's you! Therefore, if you have an army of toiletries, you'll need an arsenal to keep them in.
This offering from Misslo provides just that, with eight different compartments that are all easily accessed. The design has two large pockets at the bottom, as well as six smaller ones above for any accessories or equipment you might need for your beauty regime.
Although these handled caddies will be far sturdier than a hanging option, they're incredibly flexible compared to others of the same style and are even capable of folding in half. Plus, the design incorporates a heightened base, which makes them sturdier.
Touching on the aesthetics, too, these look far more stylish than many other options with their round handles and contemporary colours. The large handles also give more scope for where you can hang them and make the basket easy to tote from bedroom to bathroom.
This set from YuCool is completely mildew-resistant due to the nature of the design. Practically the whole caddy is mesh, which means that water drains quickly and leaves it dry – a plus for travel when you might need to pack it up soon after using it.
Furthermore, the hanging handles are reported to be durable and robust, so you don't have to worry about the contents overloading them and everything falling out in the shower. This caddy proves that sometimes, it's worth paying a little more for sturdier materials.
Here we have another handle-style basket that meets the needs of those wanting something a little sturdier to keep at home. While most plastic caddies of this design contain one large compartment, this has six in total – two larger outside sections, then four small on the inside.
The dimensions show that it's on the larger side, meaning it's better suited to someone who tends to have a lot of bathroom gear. It's also available in a couple of different colours, should you want something with a touch more character.
This hanging caddy is perfect for camping. It's a little more robust than fully mesh products due to the polyester sides, yet it does have mesh panels to ensure that it dries well. Furthermore, although not big and bulky, it can still hold four shampoo bottles in its main compartment.
The unique zipped top also means that it can double up as your travel wash bag. There is one downside, though – the bottom panel of the bag doesn't have any ventilation. This will be handy when packing it away in your luggage, but it does leave the caddy open to mould growth if not dried properly after use.
While many hanging options provide plenty of different compartments, not everyone needs that organisation. If you're someone who only uses a couple of items when showering and getting ready, then this single compartment option might be perfect.
However, it's worth mentioning that the caddy is on the smaller side. Therefore, it's unlikely to carry the larger 900 ml or even 1-litre shampoo and conditioners. So, you'll want to keep that in mind if you like to buy in bulk.
This little product might be more akin to a storage basket, but it would definitely work well as a caddy. The design is perforated with drainage holes throughout, ensuring there's no build-up of water. Plus, the sturdy plastic construction means that it'll be able to keep all of your bottles upright.
The caddy comes in an array of different colours, so if you're the sort of person who likes to keep everything coordinated, then there's likely something for you here. However, the handle is supposedly a little flimsy, so you'll want to be careful of overloading the basket.
While these sacks might look more like a bag for life from your local supermarket, they are handy. Each light, foldable caddy comes with eight different compartments: one large central and seven around the outside of equal size. So, you've plenty of room for your big bottles and bathroom accessories.
The multiple sections are ideal for those who have plenty of toiletries and are looking to keep them organised whether at home or away. They might not be the best looking, but these hanging caddies do have a lot of functionality.
Getting us underway in our ranking, we have this caddy from the affordable ANYDAY range by John Lewis & Partners. The product is made from part polyester, part mesh. Thankfully, the mesh is on the lower side, ensuring that water can easily pass through.
The bag sticks to the wall with suction, meaning that you won't be required to find a nook or cranny to hang it from. However, suction cups can be unreliable at times and only really work well on smooth glass or tiles.
Heading off to uni, or realising that your current shared living setup could be better arranged? From utensils to fold-out tables, we've got lots more helpful guides to get you kitted out comfortably without dipping too much into that precious student loan.
Whether you need a caddy for your permanent shared living situation or you'd like something that can travel well, we hope that you've found our buying guide and ranking helpful. Here's to keeping your shampoo and conditioner all in one easy-to-reach place – and out of the hands of any cheeky housemates!
Author: Lewis Clark
No. 1: Design de Valeur|Mesh Shower Caddy
No. 2: Misslo|Mesh Shower Caddy Organiser
No. 3: Vaszola|Bathroom Shower Tote
No. 4: YuCool |2-Pack Portable Mesh Shower Caddies
No. 5: iDesign|Orbz Divided Tote|79141
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