Compost tumblers are sealed barrels that are rotated to combine composting materials like kitchen scraps or yard waste. Generally made of recycled plastic, a compost tumbler contains the heat generated by the composting process within, which in turn makes the composting process faster.
At a Glance: Our Top 10 Picks for The Best Compost Tumblers
- Envirocycle Systems Composter – Our Top Pick
- Lifetime 50 Gal. Compost Tumbler
- IM4000 Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter
- Miracle-Gro Large Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler
- EJWOX Garden Compost Bin – Dual Rotating Outdoor Composting Tumblers
- Yimby Tumbler Composter
- Spin Bin 60 Gal. Outdoor Compost Tumbler
- VIVOSUN Tumbling Composter Dual Rotating Batch Compost Bin
- Goplus Compost Tumbler Outdoor Garden Waste Bin
- MaxWorks 80699 Garden Compost Bin Tumbler
Ideally, it takes under three weeks for sealed composting tumblers to convert waste into finished home compost. They are much better than compost bins and have several advantages, including:
- Speeding up the composting process
- Keeping pests like rodents and raccoons away from compost mix
- Eliminating composting odors
- Tidy and useful for any gardener
Compost tumblers can be vertical, horizontal, or spherical. There are many sizes available, ranging from large bins with a high holding capacity to small tumblers built for back porch use.
In this article, we list ten of the best compost tumblers to help you choose the right fit for your gardening needs.
1. Envirocycle The Most Beautiful Composter in The World: Composting Tumbler Bin and Compost Tea Maker
The special feature of the Envirocycle Composter is that it was the first composting tumbler to accumulate liquid compost tea.
Liquid compost tea is a potent fertilizer that is produced by obtaining useful microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and microarthropods from composting materials.
It has a unique two-in-one build to quicken the process of producing nutrient-rich humus. Operating it is simple – you just have to rotate the drum a few times and the compost will be well-combined due to the eight built-in rollers. Moreover, the 3.8-gallon base design will concurrently collect compost tea, providing you with two excellent fertilizers.
Merely spinning the compost tumbler a minimum of three times a week and adding the right blend of organic matter, will produce dark, rich, odorless nutrient-rich compost in four to six weeks. This compost can be used for houseplants, outdoor plants, trees, lawns, or gardens.
The composting tumbler is constructed entirely out of recycled plastics and requires no assembly. With a capacity of seven cubic feet, the tumbler can be placed on patios, gardens, lawns, or in garages too.
2. Lifetime 50 Gal. Compost Tumbler
With a fifty-gallon capacity, the Lifetime Compost Tumbler is the perfect addition to your backyard if you require a large compost tumbler. It can be loaded with lawn or garden debris, along with organic waste like kitchen scraps.
The unique build of this tumbler easily spins and provides balanced rotation. Additionally, the in-built aeration bar processes compost and gives it sufficient airflow.
Composed of high-density polyethylene, this compost tumbler is a sturdy, ultraviolet-safe option. It has darkened double-wall panels to absorb and retain maximum heat, which further speeds up the composting process.
For user convenience, there is a removable lid for easy loading and a mechanism to lock the rotation during spinning. The locks also help keep rodents out. Moreover, these features eliminate the hassle that comes with turning a compost heap.
The dimensions of this compost tumbler mean that it can conveniently be placed in any spot of your garden, lawn, patio, or backyard.
Above all, the tumbler comes with a five-year limited manufacturer warranty.
3. IM4000 Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter
The IM400 compost tumbler is made in North America, and it has an original eight sided dual-chambered tumbling build.
With this tumbler, you can avoid digging and processing your compost heap by hand. Every two or three days, simply close the door and spin it five to six times.
In optimal conditions and with the proper balance of composting materials, the nutrient-rich humus can be ready in as little as 2 weeks.
The simple usage mechanism makes it the perfect choice for beginners. There are large openings and a removable door to make loading the tumbler easy.
There are special deep fins on the body that act as great handholds. Even better, there are two separate compost chambers to allow twice the amount of compost production, making it one of the best compost tumblers on this list.
The total capacity of the chamber is thirty-seven gallons or five cubic feet.
Few products have such a gardening-centric construction – this tumbler is constructed using bisphenol-A-free, ultraviolet-safe recycled plastics. Therefore, you can use this tumbler under direct sunlight with no issues. Its galvanized steel frame is even corrosion-resistant!
4. Miracle-Gro Large Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler – High Volume Composter with 2 Sliding Doors – (2 – 27.7gallon /105 Liter)
Miracle-Gro’s twenty-seven gallon dual-chambered spinning compost tumbler can help you produce ample amounts of compost. As one chamber finishes composting and begins to cure, you can load the second chamber and get the process started.
One of the features that make this product a great candidate for the best compost tumbler is that both the chambers can hold up to twenty-seven gallons of composting materials. As a result, you can have a constant flow of sufficient amounts of compost by swapping the chambers in use alternatively.
The tumbler is simple to load and unload. Furthermore, it is designed for faster, efficient processing and guarantees nutrient-rich compost production in under four to six weeks.
Crafted with durable locking systems, a robust galvanized steel base, and tight stoppers to keep out raccoons and rats, this tumbler is a wonderfully functional addition to any garden.
The tumbler is built with food-grade, BPA-free plastic and does not leach any harmful toxins from the compost materials. With this amazing gardening product, you also get multi-functional gardening gloves that are latex-free, water-resistant, and have a non-slip grip for both indoor and outdoor work.
5. EJWOX Garden Compost Bin – Dual Rotating Outdoor Composting Tumblers (43 Gallons)
What makes the Ejwox tumbler one of the best compost tumblers is the dual-chambered build which allows for continuous, uninterrupted composting.
Not only does it have an aerated internal bar for providing sufficient airflow to the composting materials, but it also has double layered absorption panels to retain heat and speed up the process.
The attractive design and build of this composting tumbler facilitates ease of usage and faster batch production of compost so that your plants always have nutrient-rich soil available.
This option is ideal for people who prefer to not mix the organic waste materials in the conventional compost bin. The tumbler can spin on its axis for convenient rotation, and the easy slide doors simplify the process of tracking each batch. Each door is roughly eleven inches in length and six inches in width.
The frame of this composting tumbler is built using powder-coated steel that is galvanized to prevent rusting and deterioration over time. Along with this, it has a good height that allows a cart to fit underneath the loading barrels.
6. Yimby Tumbler Composter, Color Black and Compost Starter Bag Bundle
This is a combo of the IM400 compost tumbler and an organic compost starter with Biozome that speeds up the composting process and is ideal for composting heaps.
Advantages of using a compost starter include a boosted compost that is rich in vital plant-healthy nutrients that your backyard requires. If you have a hard time achieving the balance of necessary nutrients that your plants need, using a compost starter can make the process easier.
The compost starter is a certified organic product, meaning it contains no synthetic chemicals. Additionally, it also has a proprietary microorganism archaeon present in it to break down composting materials quickly and efficiently.
The organic starter comes in a four-pound simple to use pour bag and promises to improve the overall state of the soil as well as augment disease resistance. Not to forget, it also assists in avoiding pestilence and equips the land’s soil environment for dry conditions.
We recommend using either of these organic fertilizers every four to six weeks.
As previously mentioned, the IM400 has a one-of-a-kind eight-sided twin chambered tumbler structure. With the combination of the compost starter and the IM400, your nutrient-rich compost can be ready in under two weeks!
7. Spin Bin 60 Gal. Outdoor Compost Tumbler Rotating Garden Composter Bin
This compost tumbler is made of 100 percent consumer recycled plastics, and is molded in the USA. Its dark color absorbs the heat from the sun which, in turn, helps heat the composting materials inside, speeding up the composting process.
With a capacity of sixty gallons, the tumbler is sturdy and makes about double the amount of compost as a conventional composting bin.
Within the compost bin, there are ribbed walls to provide extra strength and greater mixing power. The dual aeration bar increases the mixing action and allows for the compost to aerate with each rotation.
There are twenty ventilation slats present in the compost bin to provide sufficient oxygen to keep the materials well-aerated and allow the compost tea to conveniently drain into the soil when the tumbler is standing upright.
Additionally, a hole on each of the four panels of the bin makes an easy-to-use port for a compost thermometer. As a result, it is convenient to get a quick temperature reading on the compost inside without having to open the bin.
What makes this product one of the best compost tumblers on this list is that the compost instructions are embossed on the inside of each lid so that you can always have a reference for which materials can and cannot be composted in the bin.
This product comes with step-by-step instructions that make it hassle-free to assemble and use.
8. VIVOSUN Tumbling Composter Dual Rotating Batch Compost Bin 43 Gallon
This compost tumbler is also twin-chambered for batch composting, which is the most effective way to yield high-quality compost. Let one chamber cure while you add fresh materials to the other chamber for an uninterrupted flow of compost production!
Every few days, you simply have to fill the tumbler up with garden debris and kitchen waste, slide the door closed, and rotate it after two days. The process is totally hands-free and beats using a traditional compost heap.
Adjustable air vents and deep fins reinforce the air circulation, helping to decompose any clumps in the chamber. Another benefit of this trait is that it combines lots of oxygen into the compost to easily produce finished compost in just a few weeks.
The tumbler is built with galvanized steel and high-quality plastic. Moreover, it is corrosion-resistant, degrade-resistant, sturdy, and lasts for a long time.
The special feature of this tumbler is that it comes with four durable ABS plastic claws, to facilitate horticultural work. And even more convincing is its latex rubber material. This assures hand-protection against cuts and broken nails. One can also not ignore how effortless it is to wash due to its waterproof nature.
9. Goplus Compost Tumbler Outdoor Garden Waste Bin Grass Food Trash Fertilizer Barrel Black (45-Gallon with Wheels)
The Goplus Compost Tumbler is made of sturdy iron and nontoxic polypropylene plastics which make it sturdy and durable. Its durability makes it capable of being used in all kinds of weather conditions for a long period of time.
The capacity of this compost tumbler is forty-five gallons and it is supremely simple to move around due to the attached wheels. Moreover, its design cuts down on the effort and time that goes into conventional composting, which means you have to spend less time toiling in your garden or backyard.
Additionally, there are holes present in the chamber to provide adequate aeration to the compost materials. This level of aeration speeds up the composting process and prevents clumping in the compost materials.
Easily rotatable to balance out the composting ingredients, it has buckle controls for stress-free handling. This compact compost tumbler is best suited for beginners to composting, as the features make it exceedingly simple to put into action. Also, you can place it anywhere – ranging from patios, gardens, backyards, lawns, or garages – due to its hardy nature.
10. MaxWorks 80699 Garden Compost Bin Tumbler 42 Gallon Capacity
The MaxWorks 80699 Garden Compost Bin is constructed from tough and durable polypropylene. The frame is made of powder-coated steel to offer years of service while maximizing its composting capacity.
Furthermore, the tumbler has multiple air vents or aeration holes with two sliding doors to allow the user to provide the desired amount of oxygen to the composting materials for better and quick results.
Designed with dual chambers to make the composting process simple and more efficient, it cures soil waste to decompose in an environmentally friendly way. The nutrient-rich compost is ready in just two to four weeks. All you have to do is rotate the compost bin five to six times every couple of days to ensure good results.
The first chamber of the bin is for preserving mature compost while the second chamber is for composting new waste and scraps. Two separate panels allow for proper rotation of the composting tumbler to help produce enriched compost.
Conclusion
Composting is a useful process to obtain nutrient-rich humus for your precious plants, and composting tumblers are a great way to convert your waste into home compost. Apart from having a flat learning curve in terms of usability, it provides a much better alternative to compost bins.
Your plants will thank you for using home compost that has been efficiently combined in a good compost tumbler. Whether you are a newbie to composting or an advanced gardener, this list is sure to guide you in the right direction to purchase your own compost tumbler.
Bonus Read: Need to build a fence around your garden? Check out these wood fence ideas for some inspiration.