The Best co*posting Toilets of 2025, Tested and Reviewed
[html]Portable, eco-friendly, and waterless, we found the top toilets for co*posting waste
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Approximately 2.5 billion people worldwide and 4 million people in the United States live without a flushing toilet. In Alaska, about 22 percent of the population — just over 160,000 people — live without running water. In fact, in my small co*munity of 800 people, about half live without flush toilets and instead use an outhouse. This means my wife and I venture outside whenever nature calls — even in the winter time, fully donned in parkas.
co*posting toilets can solve this dilemma. Some can be used inside for convenience, and it can be better for the environment. Human waste co*post has nutrients that can help your garden. For this piece, I looked at a few different models of co*posting toilets. Some need power; some do not. I talked with people who own and use these different toilets to learn the pros and cons of each one. I personally own the Trelino Evo co*posting Toilet, which we use during the winter months. The best co*posting toilets provide an eco-friendly solution to a lack of indoor plumbing.
How We Chose the Best co*posting Toilets
I live without running water and use an outhouse or my Trelino Evo co*posting Toilet. For this piece, I did research on what products were available and co*pared them to each other. I also surveyed other co*posting toilet users about their favorite products. A majority of folks I spoke to swore by the SunMar or Nature’s Head brands.
Best co*posting Toilets: Reviews & Reco*mendations
Pros
- Simple set up and installation
- Easy to clean
- No foul odors
Cons
- You can only sit (no standing to pee)
- Have to remove the whole toilet to empty solids
- Needs a power source
Key Features
- Weight: 28 pounds
- Capacity: 60-80 solid uses
- 19 x 20 x 17.75 inches
- Five-year warranty
- $995
Nature’s Head co*posting Toilet is a crowd favorite among RVers, boaters, and everyday home owners. This is a waterless toilet that has a separator for liquids and solids. It is designed for up to four people and if you were using it on a full-time basis, you would need to empty it every two weeks to a month (60-80 solid uses). The liquid container holds 2.2 gallons and should be emptied every two to four days, depending on use. There is a trap door that you maneuver to direct liquids or solids to their specific container.
Before using the solid bin you need to add a co*posting material like peat moss or coconut fiber. This allows better breakdown. You can put your toilet paper in the solid bin, but it does take longer to break down than your waste. This model does require a venting fan (included) that draws 1.7 amps per day, and is anticipated to cost about 4 cents per month.
Although it is easy to clean, you do need to remove the whole toilet to empty the solids, as the model does not have a drawer to pull out to empty. You can empty the solids into a 13-gallon garbage bag.
There is no liftable toilet seat, but rather the seat is attached to the base making it sturdier, easier to clean and unbreakable. That being said, this toilet is best for sitting only, even for men.
Sherry Wykes of Northwestern Ontario has owned and used a Nature’s Head co*posting Toilet for more than 5 years and loves it. She has replaced the main gasket as well as the fan, and her only gripe is that the location of the turn crank to mix the solids with the moss is on the bottom side of the toilet and is hard to reach.
Joolca
Pros
- No smell
- Separator for liquids and solids
- Level indicator for liquids and solids
- Bag liner securing system
- Included accessories (poker and spray bottle) with storage
- Portable and lightweight
Cons
- The solid level indicator only works with the chemical cassette
- Separator holes are a bit small
- Liftable toilet seat unnecessary
Key Features
- No electricity needed
- Weight: 16.9 pounds
- Capacity 1.2 gallons of liquid and 2.5 gallons solids (eco cassette)
- 16.9 x 14.9 x 16.5 inches
- Price: $251
When it co*es to portable toilets, the adjective “feature-rich” usually doesn’t apply. However, attributes like a separator for liquids and solids (with a clipped in bag for the solids to boot), a slide cover to contain the smells, a capacity indicator, and cleaning accessories, make the Joolca stand out. The only thing that perplexed me a bit was having a liftable toilet seat, as it felt like one more part to break and unnecessary. Both the male and female testers sat to pee (and the hole for liquids is so small it wouldn’t make sense to stand and aim perfectly).
There is plenty of capacity for several days with 1.2 gallons of liquids — which is measured by an outside indicator to let you know when to empty, rather than having to look into the hole or shake to see if it’s full. My female testers did note that the liquid area was a bit small, so there was splashing both in front and in back, even where the solids go.
The solid container co*es in two options: an eco cassette or a chemical cassette. Before you do your solid business, there is a slide handle that opens the hole to drop the goods off, then you can close it to contain the smells. The eco cassette (2.5 gallons) has an ingenious way to clip the bag with a secure plastic liner into the bucket. Then when you lift the top off, the bag co*es with it. The next step is a simple twist of the bag several times with the lid to remove the solids without even seeing or smelling them (or worse — spil*ing them).
The chemical cassette (2.9 gallons) is sealed and has a spout to pour the solids out with a venting switch. The other difference is the chemical cassette doesn’t have a solids level indicator. The solid hole is also small, so staining can happen around the edges. Luckily, the included spray bottle and poker allow you clean up after.
Pros
- Has a heater and fan
- No separation of liquids and solids
- You can stand or sit
- Needs emptying a few times per year
Cons
- Needs a power source
- Expensive
Key Features
- Weight: 60 pounds
- Capacity: Empty every four months
- 36 x 28 x 36 inches
- co*es in two colors (bone and white)
- $1,965
This is as close as you are going to get to a normal flush toilet, although it uses no water. With a larger capacity and the ability to mix solids and liquids with a heating element, it is ideal for home use and multiple people as it does not need to be emptied often. The SunMar Excel co*posting Toilet has no separator, so you use it just like a traditional toilet and mix the solids and liquids. All you need to do is use the rotating arm that extends from the base to turn the drum about every other day. It is stationary, so all you need to do is empty the co*post drawer below the seat anywhere from once to every other month per year depending on use.
This toilet uses power for a fan and heater. The heater—along with added co*posting medium, like peat moss or coconut core—adds in faster deco*position than a model with only a fan or no fan at all. It does have an emergency drain in the rear in case excess liquids need to be emptied.
The ding is obviously the high price, but I spoke with Nate who has been using SunMar toilets for five years on his yurt property in Hawaii and claims the cost is worth every penny.
Trelino
Pros
- Separator for liquids and solids
- Soft-closing lid
- co*es with spare lid for liquid bottle and 10 co*postable bags
- Large openings
Cons
- Not best for large groups or families
- co*posting process does not occur in the toilet
- Solid opening is always open
Key Features
- No electricity needed
- co*es in three sizes
- Weight 8.6 to 10.8 pounds (empty)
- Capacity: 1.1-2.6 gallons of liquid and 1.6-2.6 gallons of solids
- $350-550
This is a lightweight and sleek design that is easy to empty, clean, and move. The Trelino Evo co*posting Toilet is perfect for home, a van, boat, or even at camp. It is intuitive to set up and very light and easy to move as a whole unit. My wife and I personally own one for our dry cabin, and it is small enough to fit, easy to clean and empty, and aesthetically looks very nice. It really doesn’t look like a toilet but rather a white box.
There are separate containers for liquid and solid to allow solids to better co*post after emptying.
There is a separate canister for liquids and solids, and the liquid canister is leak proof. The solid canister is like a small garbage bin and you put your co*posting bag in there. We empty the liquids every five days and the solids about once a week.
You do add a layer of co*posting medium, however it doesn’t break down the solids. As long as you use co*postable toilet paper or place it in another container, you can add the bag of solids to your co*post. The solid bin co*es with a lid if you need to secure it while traveling, but it is not necessary as the lid of the toilet stays on very tightly, but when you open the lid to do your business you could get a smell and see everything. This is different than the Joolca, which has a slide handle that seals the small hole after every use.
Pros
- Versatile construction for personal needs
- Inexpensive
- No electricity needed to function
Cons
- Manual labor and time
- More work to co*post
Key Features
- Detailed explanation of co*posting
- Learn how to make your own co*posting toilet
- Free (instructions online) or $25 for paperback
The do-it-yourself method offers easy-to-follow instructions to build your own co*posting toilet with minimal costs. This paperback book ($25) or online instructions (free) teach you how to build and maintain a co*posting toilet. The cost is however much you put into the materials. For example, you can use supplies that you already have on hand for a simple box toilet you can use indoors. Or you can go as far as creating an outhouse with a roof and walls surrounding the actual toilet.
The toilet collects liquids and solids together, but if you want that to co*post, you need to do some more work beyond building the toilet. It wouldn’t not need any electricity or mixing/stirring to co*post, but you would need to add an organic co*posting medium, like sawdust, straw, or peat moss, after each use to enhance breakdown. The word “humanure” is “human manure,” meaning the fecal matter and urine can be recycled into soil. The capacity could be whatever you build, but you would need to empty and mix the toilet material into another co*post bin when it’s full in order to continue the breakdown. Proper co*posting needs a few other environmental factors, like warmth, so this is why a DIY co*posting toilet wouldn’t work in a place like where I live in Alaska.
Things to Consider When Buying One of the Best co*posting Toilets
co*fort
Make sure the toilet is co*fortable with an appropriate height for you. The last thing you want is to be feeling unco*fortable while sitting on the throne.
Cleaning
All the toilets require some sort of emptying or cleaning, so you have to decide what you are willing to put into that process. Where are you emptying it? Can you reach all the parts to clean it without taking it apart? Are there many co*ponents to clean? Do the parts separate easily if need be? Will it spil* or splash on you while cleaning? Does it have seal-proof caps to keep the liquids in while transporting?
Construction
Whether it is one of the more expensive versions or a do-it-yourself wooden one, there are many questions to consider. Is it durable? Do you need tools to install? Will it get damaged if it lets in the elements (sun, cold, rain) or if you move it? The toilet seat and lid need to be sturdy for daily use but also easily removed for cleaning.
Transporting
If you need to transport it, you’ll want to make sure it is easy to move and disassemble. If you need to move it, can you do it alone or do you need help? Does it have handles to transport it?
Rotation
Some toilets require more work than others for the co*posting to take place. Do you need to rotate the co*posting material and your solids? Is it easy to access the rotating handle? Does this handle interfere with you when you are sitting down? Is it easy to rotate on your own?
Smells
The last thing you want is a stinky toilet, and most co*posting toilets attempt to keep the smell inside. One feature that helps with that are secure seals to keep the smells in.
FAQs
Q: Should I put toilet paper in a co*posting toilet? Toilet paper is technically paper, which is from a tree, so in theory, yes you can put toilet paper in your co*posting toilet. It is best to use recycled, RV-specific or one-ply toilet paper. It does take longer to break down than your solids. You want to make sure you always put it in the solid co*partment. If you can separate it and throw it away, you will have more room in the solids bin for human waste.
Q: How do I empty a co*posting toilet? Some toilets, like the SunMar Excel co*posting Toilet, have a drawer that you can pull out and empty the co*post. Others, like the Nature’s Head co*posting Toilet, you’ll need to remove the toilet to empty. Some, such as the Trelino Evo co*posting Toilet, utilize a bucket in the base that you can remove and empty. Just make sure you do your research before buying your toilet.
Q: How long does a co*posting toilet take to work? The co*post process all depends on how often you use the toilet, how many people are using the same toilet, and what kind of heat or fan source you have. It also depends on what kind of co*posting material you add to your solids. The co*posting starts to work immediately after you do your business, but time, temperature, and conditions will determine when you are ready to use your co*post.
Final Thoughts on the Best co*posting Toilets
Not everyone has the luxury of plumbing, running water, or flush toilets. The best co*posting toilets can be an ideal and eco-friendly solution. Instead of having to find a place for waste, co*posting allows you to safely return it to the environment.
The post The Best co*posting Toilets of 2025, Tested and Reviewed appeared first on Outdoor Life.
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