There’s nothing pleasant about having a pile of leaves, garden clippings and food waste in a big lump in your garden or allotment. However, if you have green fingers, sticking them all in a well-designed compost bin can speed up the time it takes to turn this debris into a great resource for your plants and vegetables.
So, to help you find your future gardening buddy we’ve put together a buying guide to show you what to look out for. We’ve also included some recommendations of our favourites on Amazon, eBay and Argos. From small kitchen counter designs to large outdoor canisters that will store hundreds of litres, we’ve got a bin for every home and every budget.
Quick List - Top Compost Bins
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Table of Contents
Stationary bins are the most basic of the options and are cheap and simple to fill, plus they will produce enough compost (depending on size and speed of decomposition) to be emptied a couple of times a year. They can be made from either plastic or wood and due to coming with a lid, they're safe from rodents or insects.
Nevertheless, they aren’t perfect. This style is often difficult to aerate, particularly if the container doesn’t have any in-built ventilation. Also, they can be more cumbersome to empty once full - there will be some heavy lifting involved.
Tumbling bins are much more efficient. They’re easy to use thanks to the ability to turn the contents, which also has the added advantage of decomposing the materials inside the box more quickly. The sealed container will also protect the contents from rainfall and rodents.
The downside is that to get the most from this style of containers it is best to add all the ingredients at the same time, which may be difficult without storing them somewhere else first. They also require turning regularly, so you have to be committed.
This might be the time to research the best garden fork to invest in!
Plastics have somewhat of a monopoly in the composting game because of their ability to preserve heat and moisture, which are both essential to composting. So, using a bin made of this would likely speed up the decomposition process.
However, you can also find wooden bins and these will likely have superior ventilation. This has the dual advantage of again speeding up the process, but also reducing odour. The issue is that they can suffer from rotting themselves eventually, so you might find that the container progressively becomes compost itself!
It may seem irrelevant, but the shape and colour will affect the performance of the compost bin. When it comes to shape, it’s always worth looking for containers without corners - often termed 'cold corners'. This is because cold spots will slow down the process in these areas. However, this can be forgotten if you pick up a tumbling composter, as you'll be constantly be moving the contents around.
The colour is another factor to consider. You’ll want to look for dark-coloured plastics like blacks or dark greens as they are better at absorbing heat. Which, in turn, will speed up the process of decomposition once again.
Your container should contain some form of ventilation, such as slits or holes, to provide proper air circulation. After all, the bacteria that is breaking down the materials need it to survive! Without adequate airing the process will take much longer, resulting in a less-than-adequate compost at the end that's slimy, smelly and could upset close neighbours.
Last but not least, consider the dimensions and capacity of your purchase. If you have a large garden with a lot of organic waste, then a small-capacity bin isn’t going to work out. It will be overflowing before it’s had time to cook. Plus, small bins can dry out faster and are more influenced by the temperature outside. But a large bin in small garden will take up too much room and be intrusive.
It is difficult to judge the ideal size as each person’s needs are completely different. The recommendations state that if you want 100 L of compost, then you should look for a bin that can hold up to 200 L. This extra space makes it easier for materials to be broken down when composting.
If you're feeling particularly green-fingered, take a look at our favourite outdoor hanging baskets too.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lifetime Compost Tumbler | ![]() | A Top-Quality Tumbling Bin With an Extra-Large Removable Lid | |
2 | Blackwell Green Composter Converter | ![]() | Ensure No Cold Corners With This Circular Design | |
3 | Easipet Wooden Compost Bin | ![]() | The Wooden Exterior Looks Attractive and Promotes Airflow | |
4 | WormBox Wormery Composter | ![]() | A Wormery With Wheels for Easy Manoeuvrability And Room to Grow | |
5 | Garden Point Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter Bin | ![]() | Dual Chambers Allow You to Have More Than One Compost on the Go | |
6 | 4smile Garden Composter | ![]() | Affordable and Straightforward to Set Up | |
7 | Draper Compost Tumbler|07212 | ![]() | Double-Ended Access Makes This Bin a Breeze to Empty | |
8 | Selections Wooden Slatted Garden Composter | ![]() | Perfect for Those With a Big Garden | |
9 | Toomax 260L Plastic Garden Composter | ![]() | An Inconspicuous Black Box You Can Tuck Away in the Corner of Your Garden | |
10 | Joseph Joseph Intelligent Waste | ![]() | A Small Bin Designed for Indoor Use |
Lifetime have produced a superb product compost bin here. The design has black double-walled panels which absorb and retain heat at a much higher rate than other boxes. It also has an extra-large removable lid that grants easy access, and the height and balance of the design is perfect.
Additionally, the internal aeration bar allows for regular airflow through the contents. The design is great, the materials used are excellent, and the results are impressive, making it highly deserving of our top spot.
This large green bin might not look like anything special, but it certainly works efficiently. The circular design ensures there are no cold corners inside, which in turn ensures that the content decomposes as one. Plus, we love that there is no assembly needed. Just pop it where you like in the garden and fill it up.
The bin comes with a remarkable 10-year warranty for complete peace of mind. For those with smaller gardens, if the 330 litre size is a little too big for your needs, Blackwell also offer a smaller 220 litre option as well.
This beehive design is one of the nicer compost bins out there stylistically, and is certainly a good choice if you're conscious of the aesthetics of your garden. Thankfully, it's more than just looks, as it will adequately help recycle your garden and kitchen waste whilst it sits pretty.
The bin is a generous 328 litres so would be best for average to large-sizes gardens. It also has an open-hinged roof which keeps rain out yet provides easy access when filling. Plus there is a removable panel at the bottom for compost extraction.
This worming bin is simple to use, it can have a potted plant placed on the top for looks and it has wheels for easy manoeuvrability. It comes with three trays, which WormBox state is ideal for a 2 - 4 person household, and extra sections can be bought to add capacity - genius!
The worms need to be purchased separately, so keep that in mind if you are keen to start composting as soon as your purchase arrives. Also the worms are living creatures and need proper care and attention, so a wormery (however well designed) is a responsibility to take on board.
This dual-chamber compost bin is ideal for those that like to have a couple of composters on the go at any one time, that way you'll never run out of your compost stash. The plastic material used to build the container is resistant to extreme temperatures and won't rot or corrode.
The access to the bin is super -easy, with two sliding doors across the top, and also ventilation pockets throughout the design. These frame-mounted large tumblers can be extremely heavy to turn once full though, so bear that in mind.
One of the top-selling products on Amazon, this compost bin is as simple as they come. It has a stable hinged lid on the top for access, multiple ventilation holes throughout the build, and is quickly assembled thanks to a straightforward easy-click system.
People have found that when not sufficiently full the model can be a little lightweight, which makes it susceptible to blowing over in strong winds. Plus the shape of it means that cold corners can cause a slowing down of the decomposition.
This tumbling compost bin is made from lightweight polypropylene plastic. It has twin-ended access which makes it extremely easy to fill, and even easier to empty. The tumbling design, as we know, speeds up decomposition and the manufacturers stipulate that it should take between six to eight weeks for a full container to be ready to use.
The design does need tumbling every two to three days, so you'll need to be prepared to put in the effort. Be warned though, the legs are rather low, so you might have to bend down further than you anticipated to fill it up. Again this is not a design for those with bad-back issues.
If you've got a big garden, you're going to need a big bin. Luckily this piece of kit can hold up to 700 L of compost. The open construction means the container is easy to fill and has brilliant airflow, meaning a quicker turnover.
Another factor that we liked is that the slats at the front of the composter can be removed, making for easier access to the debris when it's time to take it out. It's only this low on the list because it's unlikely most folks need such a large capacity.
This budget-buy 260-litre polypropylene composter will fit neatly, tucked away in most gardens. It is made of recycled plastic, so will appeal to those environmentally-minded gardeners. The lid provides rain protection, ensuring your precious compost won't end up waterlogged.
However, the design will result in cold corners, so full decomposition is likely to be slower and there have been reports that the large lid is not secure enough for windy conditions.
While the rest of our products in the list are for the garden, we know some of you will be looking for something to put in the kitchen. This 4 litre number from Joseph Joseph is just that bin. Unlike other, similar products, it has ventilation holes to encourage the bacteria to get to work.
This bin can't produce enough compost to maintain even a small garden, and would rightly be used in conjunction with a bigger container outside. Still, it saves you running outside with a handful of eggshells in the pouring rain.
No. 1: Lifetime|Compost Tumbler
No. 2: Blackwell|Green Composter Converter
No. 3: Easipet|Wooden Compost Bin
No. 4: WormBox|Wormery Composter
No. 5: Garden Point|Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter Bin
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