If you are considering investing in a compost bin or tumbler, there are many great choices out there. Here are some of our best picks worth checking out:
190 Litre Heavy Duty Garden Tumbling Composter
This compost tumbler comes with a great price -especially for a composter – while also sporting a range of handy features that make it well worth buying.
For one thing, the metal frame has wheels for easy transportation around the garden. This is quite useful for when the compost is ready, allowing it to be easily dispersed throughout the garden as needed.
Not only that, but the steel frame is rust-resistance, making it durable as well as strong!
The drum is made from 90% recycled materials yet remains impressively strong. It sits horizontally and has a total capacity of 190 litres, and when filled it’s recommended that you turn it a few times a week for optimal aeration.
There’s a huge hatch at the centre of the barrel, so it’s certainly easy enough to access for putting waste in and removing any finished compost.
It does require self-assembly however, so be mindful of this if you think it could an issue building it once it arrives. Reading the instructions should make this easy enough, although it can be a bit of a hassle all things considered.
But, at this price it’s hard to complain, as this is a fantastic compost tumbler that cost far less than most other tumblers.
Our Rating:
300 Litre Garden Composter Bin Waste Box Recycling Eco Compost
Anyone looking for a large composter with a low price will certainly want to check this fantastic compost bin. With capacity of 300 litres, this is one of the best-priced compost bins of this size, making it a great choice for anyone looking to produce high volumes of compost.
Accessing the bin is easy enough thanks to the hinged lid, offering a huge opening to dump high quantities of waste as needed. Given the large size of the compost bin, you can expect compost to develop at the base in time, which can be easily accessed through the hinged door at the bottom of the bin.
Made from a weatherproof plastic, it features ample ventilation holes while also retaining high levels of heat. This all combines to create the perfect composting conditions, so you can expect compost to develop at some impressive speeds, even for a bin.
While it needs to be self-assembled, the plastic sections easily click into position with little effort so it’s certainly easy to build, while remaining impressively sturdy once completed. Pests won’t get into the bin either, and it works very well at minimising that fragrant compost odour.
Considering the size and quality plastic materials, it’s quite surprising at how affordable this compost bin is. A great choice for anyone looking for cheap but effective compost bin!
Our Rating:
Keter 470L Composter
The Keter 470L Composter is fine choice for those seeking compost bin that is on the larger side. With a whopping 470 litre capacity, this is a compost bin for those that have large volumes of garden cuttings and kitchen waste they want to recycle into compost.
There are plenty of great features included with the compost bin, such as watering access point at the top of the bin to help maintain optimum moisture levels and detachable doors that double as leaf collectors.
It’s got a rather standard compost bin design, with a large opening at the top for adding materials and smaller hatch near the base for extracting the compost when ready. Plus, the Keter 470L Composter sports a robust boxed shape that has ample venting at the sides for aeration, with the plastic material being made partially from recycled materials.
As it comes flat packed, the bin does need to be self-assembled, but you won’t have to use any tools so it’s pretty straight-forward to put together.
The Keter 470L Composter is one of the best-priced large compost bins out there. It’s nothing innovative, but certainly an effective composter that can hold huge volumes of waste, making it especially appealing to those that want to make plenty of compost year-round!
Our Rating:
Wooden Compost Bin 328L in BeeHive Style 337
Many compost bins aren’t easy on the eyes, which can be quite off-putting for gardeners that take pride in the aesthetics of their outdoor space. Should you want to enjoy the benefits of compost but want a composter with a stylish design, then this wooden BeeHive style compost bin is a must.
Of course, using wood materials is a risky choice unless suitable for the job, but this bin is made from the famously strong Fir. Not only is it a strong wood, but one of the most durable out there, being resistant to rotting and vermin – perfect for a compost bin!
The capacity of this bin is also impressive, with the ability to hold as much as 328 litres. This makes it on the larger side, so if you’re looking to make plenty of compost throughout the year it’s a fine choice.
Accessing the bin is also easy thanks to the hinged roof, which should be a lot more stable compared to plastic hinged roofs thanks to the heavier weight of the wood. So, you needn’t worry about the roof blowing away on windy days!
Moisture and air levels should be optimal, as there are slats throughout the bin to help regulate these, while wood is naturally a good insulator. Fir will change in colour over time however, and it’s recommended that you apply a wood treatment every year to ensure longevity.
Our Rating:
ebertSankey 4170 Ecomax Compost Bin
The Ecomax Compost bin has a lot to like, including a simple yet effective design, easy access for adding waste, and an impressive capacity – all for a reasonable price.
A notable design feature with the compost bin is the overall shape. Narrower at the top with a wide base, it’s the ideal shape for efficient composting by providing ample room for microbial action. This is finished nicely with a spacious hatch that allows for easy access once the compost is ready for use.
While the top of the compost bin is narrow, there is still enough space to make adding your green and brown materials, and there is enough room to use a tool to stir your newly added scraps. A lid covers the opening of the bin, fitting securely enough to ensure heat retention is optimal.
Speaking of heat retention, the bin is made from 100% recycled plastics, so it’s not just ideal for maintaining the temperature inside but also eco-friendly. It’s the correct thickness for heat retention, which is made better by the black colour of the bin.
Not only that, but the Ecomax Compost Bin has a sizeable capacity of 330 litres, making it very worthwhile option for anyone looking for an affordable and reliable compost bin.
Our Rating:
​
​Compost Bin Buying Guide
There is a great deal of satisfaction from creating your own compost. By recycling your food waste and plant matter from the garden, you have the ability to produce nutrient rich compost that can greatly enhance your garden soil.
By enhancing your soil, you can expect some truly amazing results when growing flowers, fruits, and vegetables. As the process of turning waste into compost takes some time, you will need a suitable composter to store everything.
Two of the most popular options for this are compost bins and compost turners.
Both are great ways of producing your own compost, although there are certain aspects of each that may appeal to different people. Not only that, but both compost bins and turners have many variations of their own, so knowing what one is best for your garden is often difficult.
Take a look at this handy compost bin and tumbler buying guide for all the information you need!
What are Composters?
Compost bins and tumblers are the main composters available today. They have some differences in terms of style and functions, but have the same goal of turning garden and kitchen waste into compost.
They do this by storing a mixture of brown (e.g. leaves) and green (e.g. veg scraps, grass clippings) materials that, when kept moist, decomposing into nutrient-rich compost. While any sort of container can do this, composters are designed to hasten the process and make it generally much easier.
Composting is much faster when done in the perfect environment. So, as a composter is typically dark, moist, and good a retaining heat, they allow the process to occur much more quickly than simply piling the waste in an open container.
What’s the Difference Between Compost Bins and Tumblers?
​
While both are highly effective at producing compost, there are certain differences between the two.
Composting Time
As a compost tumbler can be rotated regularly, it provides a much quicker composting speed. Turning all of the materials is a great way to constantly combine the waste, allowing it to aerate better and therefore decompose faster.
With a compost bin, you need to turn all the waste manually, usually with a pitchfork or shovel. This is a rather difficult and tiring process, but a necessary one as not doing so results in less aeration, and therefore a much slower composting rate.
With a tumbler, you simply turn the handle to move the drum around a few times, doing so a couple of times a week. They also tend to be designed to retain heat much better, so combined with the additional aeration, they compost a lot quicker than with a compost bin.
Capacity
Compost bins are noted for being larger than tumblers. Their capacity is therefore much higher, with volumes ranging from 100L to well above 500L while tumblers tend to have 400L or less. The main reason for the difference is that tumblers need to remain light enough to be spun.
So, bins can hold a lot more waste, allowing them to produce higher yields of compost, although it will occur at a much slower rate.
Durability
Tumblers are almost always more durable than bins, mainly due to the heavy construction involved in producing them. This is because they need to be able to hold the entire weight of the compost above the ground, so are generally made much sturdier, with strong legs and a central axis.
As a result, their frames are typically made from metal materials and the barrel a thick plastic or metal, while bins are commonly made from thin plastics – or wood on occasion.
Bins don’t have to use as sturdy materials as the weight of the compost mostly rests on the ground, so there’s no need to such a focus on support.
Thin plastic is known to become brittle in certain climates, especially when left outside for several years, and will be more susceptible to accidental damage.
Price
Compost tumblers tend to be a bit more expensive than bins. This is to be expected, as tumblers feature a more complex design and require higher quality material to be able to function. However, given their ability to last longer and compost faster, the price is certainly a fair reflection.
So, for those looking to invest in a composter without spending too much money, a compost bin is probably the better option. It’s still great at composting, just at a much slower rate. However, many gardeners are not in a particular rush for their compost, so it’s not much of an issue!
Things to Look for in a Compost Tumbler or Bin
​
Materials
Be sure to look for plastic materials in a compost bin or tumbler, as they are the best at retaining heat levels needed for composting. Most are constructed from recycled plastics, with tumblers often being a thicker material as they need to hold a lot of weight.
Bear in mind that some compost bins feature thin plastics that might be prone to breakages over time, so these may want to be avoided!
Also, some bins are made from wood, which is a great heat retainer. However, make sure it is a rot-resistant wood such as cedar, otherwise it won’t last anywhere near as long plastic compost bins.
Ventilation
Air circulation is very important for composting, so you will want to ensure your composter has sufficient ventilation. Using a tumbler places less of an emphasis on this as they are designed to provide much more ventilation, but be sure any bin has enough holes for sufficient air flow.
Size
Some gardens are lacking in space, so be sure to get a compost bin or tumbler that doesn’t take too much space. Both products are similarly sized, but it’s worth remembering that bins can hold a lot waste.
This will be important for anyone with a larger garden planning on making a lot of compost. Tumblers are often limited in their capacity, so a compost bin that is the same size will be able to hold much more.
It’s good to know whether you need a lot of space for your compost and how much you intend to fill it, as it makes finding an appropriate size easier. Read our best multi purpose compost guide to help you choose the right type for your garden.
We have written reviews on dozens of other topics including wheel bin storage and a helpful guide on which garden shredder to choose. If you need outdoor storage for wood check out our best log stores article.
Last update on 2023-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
