Believe it or not, finding the best composting toilet for a cabin, RV, or off grid home is easy. Unlike the limited selection a few decades ago, composting toilets are widely available and come in various sizes.
The biggest challenge is finding the right one that suits your needs and style.
Someone looking for a composting toilet in a cabin might want a toilet that is a standard size while someone in an RV might be looking for a compact composting toilet.
In this article we’ll explore the characteristics of the best composting toilet and we’ll share a few different sizes and styles. We hope this article provides you with the information you need to choose the right toilet!
What Are Composting Toilets and How Do They Work
The first composting toilet I ever used was in Africa. I was at a swanky resort and the composting toilet was supposed to be environmentally friendly.
I was excited to try it out and minimize my impact on the environment.
I imagined there’d be less water and the waste would harmoniously blend back into the landscape. I was right!
The compost toilet had instructions next to it that said “after using the toilet sprinkle ash and leaves in the toilet – no flush”.
I learned later that the toilet was actually a hole in the ground but the addition of ash and leaves helped remove the smell, keep flies away, and it was less harsh on the soil. I thought it was cool!
This method of composting toilet is the original and the most simple way but don’t worry, this is not the type of composting toilets we’re covering today!
Modern composting toilets are much more than just a hole in the ground. In fact, they’re pretty high tech yet simple to use.
Most composting toilets have two chambers. 1 chamber for urine which must be emptied every few days and 1 chamber for poo which is emptied less frequently (sometimes once a month depending on how many people use it).
Surprisingly, the urine chamber is the more stinky of the two (if you’re in a RV or living in a cabin I’d suggest just going outside to pee).
For poo, a composting toilet uses an organic substance (peatmoss, rockwool, perlite, or coconut hair) that absorbs the moisture. Considering that poo is mostly moisture and the moisture is what makes it stink, removing the moisture greatly reduces the mass and smell.
Thus, the poo chamber in a composting toilet is easy to manage! When the poo chamber needs to be emptied the organic matter can be bagged, placed in a trash can or buried in the ground.
The waste will be dry and it won’t stink much. If you’re poo chamber is wet it means you didn’t put enough absorbent material or waited too long to empty it.
Pros of Compost Toilets:
- Don’t have to go to dump stations (RVs, tiny houses)
- Environmentally friendly
- Urine and poo collected separately and urine can be used as fertilizer
Cons of Compost Toilets
- Have to empty
- Have to maintain cleanliness
- Takes a few tries to learn the process
- Need compost material (example: coconut fiber)
Do You Need Water For Composting Toilets
Water is not needed for a composting toilet, however, when preparing the organic matter for the poo chamber you’ll want to moisten it so it breaks up and covers the chamber.
When emptying the chambers I usually rinse and wash the components outside. This is only done once a month so water in not needed to use the device.
There will be a considerable amount of water output – in the form of urine. If you have a garden, trees, or bushes nearby, the urine can be returned to the ground without a problem.
Best Absorbing Material for Compost Toilet
You’ll need to have a absorbing material to make sure your compost toilet works properly. As we mentioned above, the most common organic materials are:
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Coconut hair (coir)
Coconut hair, also known as coir, is a renewable resource as a by product of coconut. The outer husk is a fibrous hair that is thrown away or ground into a soil amendment.
This is my favorite composting bedding because it is highly absorbent, inexpensive, and natural.
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Peat moss
Peat moss is renewable and it grows in abundance in the U.S. and across the world. Peat moss is often used as an organic additive to gardens and looks great on top of soil to conserve moisture.
Peat moss is great for composting toilets and the waste can be returned to nature!
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Rockwool
Rockwool is an inorganic material found in commercial uses such as insulation and soundproofing.
It works great for composting toilets because it absorbs waste, but it’s not environmentally conscious.
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Perlite
Perlite is an interesting organic glass that is volcanic. It occurs naturally and expands a lot when heated – this characteristic makes it perfect for absorbing warm waste.
It has wide commercial use but it’s non-renewable with makes it a good but not ideal organic matter for composting toilets.
These materials are highly absorbent and perfect for eliminating moisture from your waste. Coconut hair has an earthy smell that will make your waste smell like wet dirt.
Peat moss, perlite, and coconut hair are my preferred compost toilet bedding because they are 100% natural. If you’re taking the initiative to buy a compost toilet, you might as well use a natural bedding too!
We really like Nature’s Footprint and customers give the product rave reviews. Nature’s Footprint Coir Block comes in 5kg packs and will last a few loads(check Coco Coir price on Amazon).
The cost is less than the cost of water if you were using a traditional toilet.
The Best Composting Toilets for Cabins, RVs, and Off-Grid Homes
Sun-Mar Composting Toilet
The Sun-Mar toilet is a great option for people who want a toilet ready to install. It requires no plumbing as it’s self-contained.
This model uses heat and a fan to help dehydrate the waste so you should plan on having the toilet hooked up to electricity.
There’s a hand lever to help rotate the compost and a container near the bottom for easy access and removal. I really like the design and that it’s easy to install (check price and options on Amazon).
Sun-Mar compost toilet measures 28.5 x 21.5 x 33 inches and weighs around 90 pounds so it might be too large for an RV. It’s perfect for cabins and off-grid homes!
Nature’s Head Composting Toilet
I really like Nature’s Head toilets for 2 reasons. One reason is it’s made in the U.S.A – we love supporting American companies.
The second reason is it looks good and is easy to use. If you’re looking for an RV composting toilet or a cabin this toilet does the job and it’s easy to use – the only electricity needed is for the fan and it comes with a 5’ vent hose, cap, and 12v power plug.
The urine chamber is easy to remove and comes with a nifty handle. Another perk of this toilet is the elongated toilet seat. If you’ve read other articles the elongated toilet seat is best for tall folks like me!
With over 100 positive reviews, Nature’s Head is doing something right. Customers like that it’s adaptable for homes, RVs, and cabins (check Nature’s Head and reviews on Amazon).
Some customers are even using the toilet on their sailboat – great idea, right? The size is reasonable and measures 22 x 20.5 x 21.7 inches and only weighs 28 pounds (that’s lightweight for a toilet).
For a couple, you can expect the urine chamber to need emptying once every 2 days and the poo chamber to be emptied once a month.
Nature’s Head also makes another option for composting toilets. Rather than the spider handle mentioned above, they offer the crank handle.
This option comes down to preference and space as some bathrooms might be more suitable for one handle than another. The other components of the toilet work similarly and both have excellent reviews.
How Do I Clean A Composting Toilet
Ok, it sounds like a nasty job. You’ll be pleasantly surprised that it’s actually simple and the easiest part is the poo chamber.
The worst part? It’s the urine chamber because urine will stink and it must be emptied more often. Adding a sugar packet to the urine container after emptying will help limit the smell.
Cleaning doesn’t need to be done that often. A simple rinse of the container with water once a month will suffice and a more thorough cleaning should be once every few months.
To be honest, there isn’t too much to clean with these composting toilets!
How Big Are Composting Toilets Compared To Regular
Composting toilets are comparable in size to regular toilets. You’ll notice there’s a larger area under the toilet where the urine and poo is stored. Traditional toilets don’t need this storage space.
The seat area of composting toilets is very similar to a standard toilet so they work well in small bathrooms, RVs, and cabins. We’ll share the measurements of the composting toilets we recommend.
How Much Are Composting Toilets
Composting toilets aren’t cheap. The design is more complex and sophisticated compared to a traditional toilet.
The other problem with composting toilets is there are only a few brands on the market. A limited supply usually means that prices will be slightly higher.
Conclusion
In this article we shared the best compost toilets for cabins, RVs, and off grid houses. Compost toilets aren’t just for roughing it, they can be used in residential homes too.
There are a few different types of compost toilets to be aware of. Some toilets use heat and a fan while others simply use a fan – the fan usually plugs into a standard outlet and is essential to remove the gas associated with the waste.
We’ve mentioned two of the best composting toilets and if we had to pick one it would be Nature’s Head. The company makes a good looking toilet that is easy to use and easy to install.
Contrary to popular belief, composting toilets don’t smell and can be easily kept clean. Best of all they use almost no water which is the biggest problem with traditional toilets. Organic waste can be buried outdoors (if in a forest) or placed in a bag and in the trash.
We need to get the word out about the benefits of compost toilets. If you have suggestions let us know in the comments. We appreciate you stopping by to read our article and we hope you find this blog useful.