Take a Tumble: 6 Best Compost Bin Tumblers for Your Money
Globally, one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions is food waste. Individually, changing food habits and how we dispose of scraps is a ‘green goal’ I found to be very achievable!
The reduction of home-based organic matter wastage is a quick and easy way to enhance our family’s sustainability. To say that I have become a keen composter is an understatement!
However, with the best will in the world, not all food waste can be eliminated – I blame my fussy eater kids -, and not all wasted food can be donated. So, what is one to do when left with excess kitchen scraps?
Well, for the eco-aware family, a compost pile, or more pressingly, a composting bin, can provide the answer. While I use a combination of different composting methods – Bokashi, worms (my kids love worms), and traditional decompostion – my compost tumbler is an essential tool that helps me reduce my water to close to zero.
While not everyone has the space for a tumbler, for those who have, a tumbler bin is an ideal tool to help push your family towards its zero-waste goals.
But which compost bin tumbler suits your family’s needs best and which is the best compost bin tumbler overall?
Here, we’ll evaluate, rate, and pick the best compost tumblers in the market today – a perfect addition for any eco-minded family home. Let’s start with our top overall pick, the VIVOSUN Outdoor Tumbling Composter. With its twin chambers, outstanding aeration, and durable, ergonomic design, we found that this composter can meet the needs of most family units.
Don’t stop here though! We’ve listed more for you to choose from so read on and pick the one most suited for your home. Let’s get started!
Best Compost Bin Tumbler 2024
Best Overall – VIVOSUN Outdoor Tumbling Composter
Like the majority of bins we’ve featured, VIVOSUN Outdoor Tumbling Composter has dual chambers too. This feature is important as it allows sustainable-savvy families to maintain a constant supply of compost, allowing one side to mature while filling the other with fresh kitchen scraps.
Next, to aid the composting process, this tumbling composter has fantastic adjustable air vents and deep interior fins, which help circulate air throughout the developing mix and break up large clumps that form within the chambers.
Combined with an intuitive rotating design, this compost tumbler makes the composting process much more easy and efficient, yielding healthy, nutritious compost within a matter of weeks.
This compost bin tumbler is made of durable galvanized steel and polypropylene (PP) plastic making it resistant to both weather and corrosion.
Ultimately, this compost tumbler truly does tick all the boxes as the perfect family compost bin – in less than $100, we find it represents sustainable value for money!
Best User-Friendly Option – FCMP Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter
FCMP Outdoor’s Dual Chamber Composter is ideal for composters of all experience levels – with a simple tumbling mechanism, it makes turning your mulch effortless. In fact, even kids can help fill it up thanks to its large openings, removable doors, and deep fins!
What truly sets this apart from the other items on our list, however, is its separate chambers.
While the presence of two chambers enables users to maintain a constant supply of compost, the fact that the FCMP’s can move independently from one another makes rotation less of an arduous task and lets users mix their compost with precision.
Collectively, the BPA-free, 37 gallons, UV inhibited recycled PP plastic chambers and corrosion-resistant frame of galvanized steel mean you should have plenty of compost on tap for years to come.
So, all things considered, this tumbling composter made by FCMP Outdoor matched the one made by VIVOSUN at every stage (save for the adjustable air vents).
Best Budget – Miracle-Gro Compact Single Chamber Composter
Budgeting is a key part of achieving environmental sustainability, but what of those who’d like to budget their finances as well as food waste?
Well, the Miracle-Gro Compact Single Chamber Composter might just provide the answer. This affordable and easy-to-use compost tumbler doubles its value by means of its compact size – a perfect option for those who want to save space AND money!
Admittedly, this is the only compost tumbler on our list that doesn’t have a twin drum set up. Instead, it has a single, 27.7-gallon chamber. But don’t let that put you off. This small composter has an internal mixing bar aeration system designed to produce compost quickly. That means your compost can be ready to use within 4 weeks, which is impressive for a one-chamber compost bin.
Also, this mini composter is made from resilient BPA-free, food-grade UV-protected plastic, and comes with a sturdy side-lock system to make loading and unloading a seamless process. So, you won’t have to worry about unwanted access or degradation.
Thus, if you’re looking for a composter on a budget, this compost tumbler is worth your consideration. You’ll even receive some multi-purpose gloves to boot!
Best for Beginners – Yimby Tumbler Composter
If you’re new to composting, or are a busy parent who is worried about finding the time to compost, never fear because Yimby Tumbler Composter has got you covered. This one is specifically made for beginners yet comes fitted with dual chambers, enabling you to maintain a constant supply of premium-quality compost.
With its easy-to-use large openings and removable floor, busy parents will spend a minimal amount of time and effort putting in fresh organic material, and extracting lush homemade compost from the 37 gallons (combined capacity) bins.
What’s more, it’s designed to heighten the quality of your compost more easily and thus boasts deep interior fins which act as ergonomic handholds for the user. So, even if you’ve got a child in one hand, rotating your compost bin is simple.
But what of durability?
A galvanized frame of steel and BPA-free, UV inhibited drum made from 100% post-consumer recycled PP plastic means that Yimbly’s tumbler composter is weatherproof, UV-proof, AND childproof.
Best Dual Chamber – Miracle-Gro Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler
The Miracle-Gro Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler boasts a superior locking system and can rotate independently of one another.
The sliding compartment doors are both sealed with anti-pest locking systems and the chambers also benefit from lockable stoppers, enabling users to manipulate their compost with precision without the risk of finding a nasty surprise within.
Like our other dual-chambered compost tumblers, the Miracle-Gro allows families to maintain a steady supply of premium compost. However, unlike most, it also contains internal mixing bars to enhance the oxygenation and mixing process.
Finally, with a heavy-duty stainless steel frame and UV-resistant, BPA-free plastic, 37-gallon chambers, this bin will last a lifetime.
Best Sizeable Option – SQUEEZE Master Compost Bin
When searching for large capacity compost tumblers, the SQUEEZE Master Compost Bin will be your best choice. Its dual compartments come in a standard volume of 43 gallons and can bear a maximum load of 352lb. However, despite its size, it’s still a very simple to use, efficient compost bin.
Easy to rotate, thanks to its in-built handles, and sporting a unique air hole aeration system, mixing your compost materials couldn’t be simpler no matter how full this titanic bin is.
Moreover, this compost bin tumbler is as durable as it is large, consisting of heat & UV resistant, waterproof BPA-free PP plastic, and corrosion-resistant stainless steel. As such, whatever the weather, you can continue to produce high-quality compost all year round.
So, if you have a large family (with a larger food-waste output) or a large outdoor space, we would recommend the SQUEEZE Master Compost Bin as a solid starting point in your hunt for the best compost tumbler.
What to Consider When Buying a Compost Bin Tumbler
Material
Compost tumblers need to be durable as they spend all year outside, exposed to the elements.
Admittedly, their material requirements may differ depending on your climate. However, as a general rule, it’s a good idea to make sure that yours meets the following two credentials:
- Stainless Steel (weather-proof and corrosion-resistant)
- BPA-free, UV-resistant polypropylene
All of the products we’ve listed here meet the demands listed above. However, for extra sustainability, you could select a compost bin made from recycled plastic such as HOTFROG’s FCMP Dual Chamber Composter.
Ventilation
Oxygenation is a key factor in speeding up composting. Not only does it encourage the breakdown of organic materials, but it also helps to produce compost of finer quality.
There are two main methods by which you can ventilate your compost: The first is rotating or mixing it, thus allowing oxygen to penetrate through the mulch, and the second is through ventilating holes that allow fresh oxygen to enter the mix.
Capacity
The required capacity of your compost tumbler depends on the size of the area that you require compost for and also the organic waste output of your home.
The larger the space or waste output, the larger the capacity needed to accommodate them.
Odor
All compost bins inevitably have an odor due to the nature of the bacterial and microbial respiration required to break down organic material.
However, if you wish to control this odor, maintaining a balance of nitrogen and carbon within your composting materials should help stave off the worst.
You can do this by adding 1/4 nitrogen-rich materials (green materials such as grass clippings) and 3/4s carbon-rich material (brown materials such as wood chips).
Pest Control
Producing your own compost mixture requires the aid and activity of small invertebrates.
However, pests such as rats and mice may find their way into poorly secured compost bins. Thus, it’s important to choose a tumbler or bin that has an efficient locking system.
Ease of Use
All of the tumblers we have listed are relatively simple to operate. However, perhaps the most simple is the Yimbly Compost Tumbler due to its large openings and removable doors.
Single vs Dual Chamber Design
The main difference between a single and dual chamber design is the flow of finished compost that they can provide.
A dual chamber offers users the opportunity to time the maturity of either chamber to maintain a constant supply of compost.
A single chamber, though still effective, does not offer the same level of consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best compost bin tumbler on the market?
The leading outdoor compost bin tumbler will be based on your needs and circumstance – even better if it has dual bins so that you can separate green and brown materials.
However, if we’re to be asked which of the products featured in this article is better, we thought that the VIVOSUN Outdoor Composter would be the best all-around compost bin as it had all the features required of top outdoor compost bins.
How do compost tumblers work?
Compost tumblers work by supporting the chambers of a compost bin on a rotating axis. As the user fills said chambers with organic material, such as food and garden waste, bio-organic organisms break down the compost piles over time.
This is where the composter tumbler comes into its own, as the action of rotating the mulch can speed up and refine this process by oxygenating and mixing the mulch at a higher rate.
What is compost tea?
In its most base form, compost tea is the result of diffusing fully matured compost in water – you just have to place some mature compost in a semi-permeable bag and lower the bag into the water.
Over time, the water takes on the nutritional, microbial, and bacterial benefits of the compost, thus producing liquid compost.
Last update on 2024-09-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
