The Best Compost Bin for 2023

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Compost Bin Buyer’s Guide

Now you’ve seen the top picks for the best compost bins you can buy. Which one will be the right fit for your garden?

That depends on a few important factors you should consider before making your selection.

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Types of Compost Bins

There are three main types of home composting bins: stationary, tumbling, and wormery composters.

Read on to learn about the differences between these types of compost bins and the conditions in which each does its best work.

Continuous (Stationary) Composters

Continuous composters remain stationary in one location and work in a very simple way. You load waste materials into the top and release finished compost from the bottom. Heat generates in the center of the pile, breaking down your compost gradually.

The major downside to stationary compost bins is that they tend to take about a year and a half or longer to produce usable compost.

This type of composting system is considered “passive” because it requires very little time and effort to maintain. For the most part, you’ll only need to visit your compost bin to add materials or withdraw some compost when it’s ready for use.

Batch (Tumbling) Composters

“Active” composters require more attention than stationary compost bins, but they reward you by producing usable compost much more quickly. Some batch tumblers can yield usable compost in as little as three or four weeks.

Many tumblers you can buy today are quite simple to operate, with barrels that roll easily under a light touch. So while you do need to remember to visit your tumbler frequently, the manual exertion required to rotate it can be very minimal.

Worm Bins

Worm bins are a unique kind of compost system that you can use to turn your household waste into nutrient-rich garden fertilizer in the form of worm castings.

Unlike other forms of compost, worm castings add living organic matter to your soil, increasing the population density of its microorganisms. Worm castings are also granular and absorbent, so mixing them into your garden soil will also support proper soil density, drainage, and aeration.

Maintaining a wormery, though, is definitely labor-intensive, especially when first getting started. The worms need just the right conditions to thrive, so expect to spend extra time fine-tuning your setup in the first months of your new project.

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Materials

The material that a compost bin is made of determines its durability, efficiency, ease of use, and even the quality of the compost it produces.

Keep reading to learn all about the differences between plastic and wooden compost bins.

Plastic Bins

Many of the best compost bins you can buy online and in garden stores are made of heavy-duty plastic materials.

These products are designed to withstand the elements outdoors. And they also provide the insulation and ventilation necessary for maintaining just the right amount of heat and moisture inside the composter.

Wooden Bins

Wooden compost bins are popular DIY projects that provide home gardeners with a cost-effective way to build their own continuous composters. If you have a large outdoor space, a lot of yard waste, and aren’t in a hurry to produce usable compost, a wooden bin will do the job just fine.

But building a wooden compost bin takes much more time and effort than purchasing one that comes ready to use. And your compost will break down much more slowly in a wooden bin than in an insulated plastic container.

For durability, plastic bins have the advantage as well. Even treated wood naturally deteriorates over time. Wood is also susceptible to rotting in wet conditions or drying out and splitting under dry heat.

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Selecting Features

When picking out the best compost bin for you, consider the features that each product comes with.

Ease of Use

Stationary composters are the simplest to use and require the least amount of regular maintenance.

Batch tumblers need to be rotated at least once per week, or more frequently for best results. The tumblers listed above are some of the easiest ones to operate.

Worm bins inhabit the very far end of the spectrum in terms of time and effort required for a home composting system. Wormeries are very labor-intensive, and they will only produce good results if you do your research and give your worms the TLC and careful diet they need.

Capacity

Choose a compost bin that’s the right size for your needs. You should be able to start filling it up quickly once you have a batch in progress.

Odor Control

A fully enclosed container with locking doors or lids, like a tumbler, will be the best compost bin for those concerned about odor control.

Location

Consider where your new compost bin is going to reside.

Do you want to move it around your yard, so you can dump compost directly into different areas of the garden? A wheeled tumbling composter will be best for this purpose.

By design, plastic tumblers are not liquid-tight. To maintain the right moisture level inside, the drums have small openings that allow excess liquid to drain out. So make sure to keep any kind of tumbler stored in a location where it can drain without making a big mess.

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Make the Most of Your Compost Bin

Composting is both an art and a science. There are many best practices to follow, and you also need to monitor and finesse your own system continuously to ensure its success.

Here are just a few of the best practices for making and using homemade compost.

Best Practices for Composting

When starting a new batch, add in some of your existing, well-decomposed compost. This introduces active microorganisms into the mix that help get the decomposition process started right away.

Tumbling compost bins should be rotated at least once weekly. But turning them with greater frequency will only improve the quality of the compost and speed up the process.

Though passive compost systems don’t require frequent attention, putting in a little extra labor helps them work more efficiently. Turn the compost in your large-capacity stationary bin about once a month to keep it well-mixed and promote bacterial growth.

Best Uses for Compost

You can always add compost into your garden soil when planting in the spring.

But you can also mix a thick layer of homemade compost into your garden beds in early fall. Then, your nutrient-rich fertilizer will already be well-integrated into the soil by springtime.

Another great use for compost is as a natural mulch. Layering compost mulch on top of your garden beds will slow moisture evaporation and discourage weed growth.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Compost Bins

Keep reading for answers to a few common questions you might have about compost bins.

1. Are compost bins worth the work?

You know that you need quality compost for your garden. And yes, you can purchase organic compost, worm castings, and other pricey fertilizers that will do the job.

But creating your own homemade compost is free, environmentally responsible, and probably a lot easier to pull off than you ever imagined it could be.

The key is to figure out which system for home composting will fit into your daily routine. Then you can pick out the best compost bin for your household that will be easy to use and sustainable in the long term.

2. Do compost bins attract pests?

Concerned about squirrels, raccoons, bears, or other animals in your area that might take an interest in your compost?

The best compost bin for odor control and protection from animals is one that’s fully enclosed, like a tumbler.

And while outdoor composters with open bottoms are indeed vulnerable to invasion from below, using good practices can prevent this from becoming an issue. Try placing only small quantities of food waste in the center of your compost pile. And cover green materials with a layer of paper, cardboard, or leaves to suppress any odors that could attract wildlife.

3. What can go into a compost bin?

Food scraps that are great for composting include leafy greens, tea and coffee grounds, and eggshells. Brown materials like leaves and other yard debris, cardboard, and paper are also excellent for compost.

Meat and dairy products, grease and oil, animal bones, and animal droppings should not go into the compost bin.

Worm bins in particular are very limited in terms of what can go inside. Make sure to research the proper diet for composting worms before starting up a wormery, to see if it’s a match for the type of waste materials your household needs to compost.

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Ready to Choose the Best Compost Bin for You?

Now you’ve learned all about the most important things to consider when picking out a compost bin. And you’ve seen the best products out there that you can bring home and start using right away.

All that’s left to do is to make your selection and get the best compost bin on its way to you. Then, start setting aside the yard and kitchen scraps you’ll be needing soon to fill it up!

And head over to our Composting page for more articles and resources to help get you started on your home composting journey.