For your cabin, sailboat, or any tiny house, you should have the best composting toilet for off-grid living. It saves precious water and gives you compost fertilizer for your garden.
Lots of people have been using it for their outhouses, and it’s gaining popularity day by day.
Top 5 Composting Toilet Reviews 2022
Yes, these are cool stuff but expensive as well. So, spend a lot of time reading the following reviews. You will get a true picture of them and understand how other people feel about them.
All the brands are reputed and they are in the market for a very long time. I also arranged them in order of their popularity.
Nature’s Head: Most Popular Model
When it comes to off-grid toilets and showers, you need something dependable and trustworthy. I have so many examples where people have replaced their regular RV toilet with this one and never went back to any other models.
The fan that ventilates the odor works great without fail. More so, the fan works quietly without creating any disturbing noises.
I recommend using recyclable toilet paper.
The capacity of this model is great as well. If you are living alone in the RV, you won’t be needing to change the pee bucket in 4 days and the poo bucket in 4 weeks!
It takes 15 minutes max to empty both containers.
For 2 or 3 people, it’s still better than any of its competitors. RV with 3 people living inside has confirmed its great capacity.
The installation is very easy. More so, it’s very easier to use. If you are good at DIY projects, you can do some customization to make them completely smell-free.
Just get rid of the old saltwater head, holding tank, and smelly lines.
Yes, you heard it right, even a child can use it without any difficulty. I strongly encourage you to read some real reviews.
The company is awesome! If you face any trouble or need to know something, just email or call their number. You will get a fast response in no time!
More Features
- All the hardware is made of stainless steel. So, it’s gonna be rust-free and trouble-free for a very long time. And yes, it’s made in the U.S.A.
- Comes with a full-size elongated toilet for maximum comfort.
- You can disassemble it within a few seconds to empty the pee and poo.
- Yes, it comes with the hose and fan but depending on where you want to place it, you may need a longer hose. Don’t worry, such longer hoses are widely available. Also, you can easily unplug the fan cord when not in use.
- Pretty negligible smell. If you have previous experience using them, you won’t feel any smell at all.
- Not just RV, it’s perfect for any off-grid living like in a narrowboat.
- After lots of research and reading countless reviews, peaky people have got this and they are extremely happy! Their recommendations are priceless. You will get more than you expect.
Cons
- Cleaning is somewhat challenging. It takes more cleaning than you think.
- Pee drips while emptying the pee bucket.
Molded Design From Nature’s Head
After using it for 7+ years in the cabin on a mountain, a happy user left a review. Over these long years, he and his partner did not face any trouble.
With little maintenance, they are quite happy with their outstanding performance. Very easy to install and use.
Many have expressed their great regret for NOT having this a decade ago.
Apart from the look and great durability, this is a well-engineered one with minimal odor issues.
Don’t let other people tell you otherwise, these toilets do have the odor issue no matter which brand or how expensive model you pick.
Very comfortable to sit on it because of its perfect size and great features. The real challenge of off-grid living is that you have to save a lot of water.
And this model does it beyond your expectations.
Let me share another incident of their awesome customer service. After using it for so many years, the fan died. So my friend contacted the company to learn where he can buy the fan. Nature’s Head sent him the fan for free!
If you think a more expensive brand like SunMar will serve you better, you are dead wrong! Yes, you will get a SunMar composting toilet review later in this article.
But for now, just remember you will be better off with this one from Nature’s Head than so many expensive models out there. It’s not just me, lots of users have confirmed it.
To ensure the toilet paper decomposes properly, make sure they are septic-free and unbleached. Also, don’t forget to keep the fan running to have a totally odor-free experience.
More Features & Pros
- A true off-the-grid model and perfect for independent people.
- Budget-friendly, I am pretty sure you won’t get such a high-quality model at such a reasonable cost.
- Forget about maintaining the septic forever!
- Comes with a long vent hose (5 foot!), power plug, and bottle cap.
- Cleaning is not that hard. A lot of happy buyers have confirmed the smell is tolerable while cleaning.
- Perfect for every weather. Since the composting piece is inside unlike other brands, no matter how cold the weather is, it will stay warm.
- Lots of women have expressed their love for it.
- Highly recommended and a lot of people have confirmed that it does exactly what it says.
Cons
- Not recommended for the squeamish.
- Someone reviewed saying that the nuts and bolts are not made of stainless steel.
- A little bit higher, so you should have a step stool as well.
Nature’s Head: The New Model!
Living in remote places full-time with such a product can be daunting if this is the first time you are doing it. Many fear that they have to clean it constantly or it will pretty difficult to use and maintain.
Nature’s Head solved all the concerns like these and people who have already used it for years have recommended the new model a lot.
So, you won’t be having any such odor even when the lid is lifted or when you need to empty the containers for pee and poo.
It’s completely mobile, so It will bring radical but great improvements to your sailboat and motorhome and let you live your adventurous life fully.
You can now do camping for an extended period of time without worrying about water. Yes, it saves precious drinking water a lot.
The model perfectly solves the nightmare of the black tank situation forever! Since no plumbing is needed and there is no weird smell, it’s perfect for your travel trailer.
You will be saving a lot of water which is a must for long-distance living out of all modern facilities. Also, you will get more valuable compost fertilizer for free!
As I said above, it’s fairly easy and simple to install. And if you watch some cool YouTube videos, you can learn some cool tips to make it completely odorless. Lots of happy users have simply reviewed it as awesome.
And of course, always open the trap door for the number 2. While installing, do not over-tighten the fan to avoid malfunction.
Other Features
So many people have expressed their love for it and they simply love how well it works. It keeps doing operational wonders years after years. Let’s see what else it has to offer:
- A great solution for your dream compact off-grid living situation.
- Any handy person can install it without having any difficulty.
- No maintenance is required years after years. No odor as well.
- You can empty it within just a few minutes. Don’t let the urine container gets full. Empty it as recommended by the manufacturer.
- Great capacity! You may have to empty the containers after 4 to 6 weeks if two people use them all the time.
- Use coir fiber as the composting medium.
- Heavy-duty durable construction is meant to last for years after years.
- It works just like it says. Massive improvements over its previous predecessors.
- Impressive customer service as usual. In fact, the seller takes pride in their support to customers.
Cons
There is always room for improvement, right? Well, some users have expected a comfortable toilet seat design in the future.
Separett Villa 9215
Say hello to the Separett Villa that has everything you expect from a real toilet and works just like the way it is supposed to.
And it’s made in Sweden that comes with all the features of a regular toilet and offers features to exceed your expectations.
The fan moves all the odor outside perfectly, so there is no chance of having a bad smell. The size is perfect, and you won’t have any trouble having it for sure.
It’s fairly easy to use and install as well. It comes with the most in-depth installation instruction that you have seen so far.
Many people have been living with this one for many years happily. To them, this one is hard to beat when it comes to dry toilets.
The water/moisture is responsible for the odor to generate, but having this dry toilet solves the problem perfectly without using any water.
Everything happens inside, so you won’t see the dirty parts at all. The all-time running exhaust fan won’t let the odor be an issue at all.
You won’t have to change the pee/poo containers every day and what I have learned about this one is that changing these bags is not a problem at all.
In fact, many have confirmed that emptying the bags is really easy than you think. So many have confirmed that after lots of research they could not find any better solution than this!
The look of it is just awesome and perfect for setting up where there are no sewer lines or septic fields. Just perfect for camping/RV, sailing, tiny home, etc. Now, watch the useful video on how you can clean it.
More Features & Pros
- Runs on both AC/DC electricity. Probably the most trouble-free one for your dream off-grid living.
- Supports up to 20 feet of venting. And comes with all the parts for venting and drain application.
- Comes with 10 compostable bags and one waste container. But any composting bag will work just fine and you can find them anywhere. So, don’t worry about the replacement bags. Make sure the bag fits a 5-gallon bucket to ensure it fits the receptacle.
- For the average family size, you won’t be needing to empty the waste.
- Yes, it is recommended you sit on it while peeing to avoid a backsplash.
- Out-of-the-box excellent design. But the simplicity of it will make you say ‘wow!’
- Great functionalities to make your vacation super awesome.
- A wide range of happy client base with tremendous recommendations.
- Your money is fully protected. If you face any trouble, just contact the seller.
Cons
- Expensive, not within everyone’s budget.
Sun-Mar: Model# Excel-NE
It’s probably the most controversial model that I am gonna review. So people say it’s good but you can find a lot of people who have left terrible reviews.
It deserves some negative reviews but I have found some unfair reviews as well. SunMar itself is a well-known and reputed brand but this model from this brand deserves an impartial review. So, here you go!
I have found a lot of negative reviews about the urine overflow issue. The concern is real if you don’t install it properly.
If you already have this one, please make sure you have followed the manual properly.
It does a good job of drying and finishing composting efficiently. Add more peat or sawdust, and you will be amazed having no smell at all!
Some people have been using this for 12+years and they are happy about it. So, you may be wondering why there are so many negative reviews out there.
Well, the main reason that I have come up with is the difficulty of setting up properly. It’s really complex to follow the manual that I have reviewed above.
Lots of negative reviews are about the poor-quality step stool. Now, the step stool is a must because it sits higher due to the drum.
But if you buy a good-quality Rubbermaid step stool, it can be a pretty cool one for your entire family members in your tiny home.
More Features
- Recommended for medium to higher usage. Perfect for 5 to 7 people living in a cabin.
- Comes with everything you need to install it properly like the venting kit. Once installed properly, it will have a dimension of 33” L x 22 ½ W x 32 H inches.
- Pure white color as you can see in the picture.
- Self-contained and completely non-electric.
- Though it has very bad reviews, it is still great if you are not mechanically challenged. I know some of the happy users of it have recommended this to their friends and they are happy as well.
Cons
- It’s true the fan dies too fast.
- The footstool is more or less worthless.
- You need to be a handyman or hire one to set it up properly.
How To Get The Right Composting Toilet For Off-Grid Living?
Off-grid living requires some hard work and more endeavor for survival. You have to save precious water and such toilets are just great to do that. But it comes with some challenges.
If you pick the wrong one, you will be depressed. Don’t forget, this stuff are really expensive. So, you must consider the following factors first before you make up your investment decision.
- Customer Reviews
I put this as the main considering factor whatever you buy from online stores. Read some reviews and understand their feedback.
Considering the huge price of such units, you should read as many reviews as you can to have a clear understanding of what you are buying. Check their regrets carefully!
- Capacity
A low capacity one will have the urine overflow problem along with repeated emptying of the waste containers. No matter how odorless it is, this is something almost everyone hates.
A larger capacity will require fewer emptying of the pee and poo containers. Maybe once a month. It won’t bother you doing so.
For family residence, I always recommend having a larger capacity because lots of people will use it several times a day. But for living in a cabin alone or with your partner, a smaller capacity will do.
- Cleaning & Maintenance
It’s not actual maintenance, but more of a regular checkup. Because less maintenance work is the beauty of such toilets.
And if you have a non-electrical one, there is no maintenance work at all except cleaning the bowl and taking out the trash at regular intervals.
However, electrical kinds require more attention because the failure of a single component like the fan may result in the malfunctioning of the toilet. If you use the solar panels to power it up, make the panels are getting enough sunlight.
- Easy Installation
It is easier to install such units than their regular standard-size toilets. Normally, you would hire a plumber to set it up but you can do the installation yourself when it comes to such composting units.
Just follow the guidelines and make sure to correctly install the ventilation pipe and you are good to go!
- Size
That’s something you need to consider seriously. Don’t forget they usually come in larger sizes than their regular counterparts.
So, installing a larger one in your tiny home will make it tight to live in. Check the dimension again and make sure it is still great for your adventurous life.
- Weight
Believe it or not, some of them weigh more than 100 pounds! Well, this is problematic because you have to carry it to places where transportation is not great. Lightweight models are always preferable so that you can move them easily when required.
- Electrical or Non-electrical?
I don’t recommend the non-electrical models because the composting process takes a longer time.
Most of the electrical models support solar power, so no matter how remote the location is, you can still get the best benefit out of an electrical one. The electricity keeps the fan running which in turn ensures no smell at all.
- Safety
Safety concerns were raised from the compost itself and the electric connections. If the model is not high-quality or it is not functioning well, there might be harmful bacteria or pathogens in the waste.
While emptying the containers, you may get affected! Also, the fan is always running using electricity, so it’s important you check and maintain your unit on a regular basis.
- Price
They are expensive! But don’t think a higher cost means higher quality in this case. You must read all the features and notice what materials are used for all the hardware parts, and so on.
Also, there is no reason to be demotivated seeing their higher costs. Because you will be saving a lot in terms of cost and you will have precious compost soil for your garden.
- Warranty
Usually, all the reputed brands offer 3 to 5 years of warranty for their units. Within this time, you will get your return on your initial investment. Make sure you have the warranty paper well-preserved.
Conclusion
Not just for living in the cabin, people are becoming environmentally conscious day by day and you can contribute to having the best composting toilet for off-grid living.
This will save a countless amount of water and give the earth’s soil the most precious fertilizers for free!
