So, by now, you’ve heard about composting toilets and how they are causing a splash in the world of eco-living, right?

From the waterless models, to the dry flush systems, and the low flow types, you are spoilt for choice.

Yet you don’t know where to begin in choosing the best composting toilet for your home.

What should you look out for? 

Which brands are the most trusted, and what are the waterless toilet brand costs?

Where can you find them, and which accessories, cleaning or otherwise, can you use with composting toilets?

Worry not, this article is for you.

Here we have reviewed the top composting toilet brands and the accessories you can use with these facilities.

But first things first.

How Do Composting Toilets Work?

Composting toilets are waterless systems that are the darling of most green living enthusiasts. Like its name suggests, the toilet works by turning human waste into compost through a biological process known as decomposition that uses natural bacteria.

The compost can then be sterilized and used to enrich the soil in the garden and grow crops. If unsterilized, the compost cannot be used in edible gardens. Instead, it should be used on non-edible plants, flowers, and shrubs.

The process of decomposition of human wastes takes place in the composting chamber of the composting toilet. In most cases, the chamber is installed below the toilet or in a nearby location not far from the facility.

The toilets have vents while others have built-in fans to promote sufficient air circulation making offensive smells a non-issue.

Sawdust and peat moss are some of the locally available materials that help to hasten the decomposition process and ensure a stink-free toilet space.

If you are trapped in Fear Ville at the thought of a stinky composting toilet and the likelihood of crawling pests, just snap out of it!

With proper care and maintenance, you can keep your waterless composting toilet completely odorless, and you will have nothing to worry about. We promise.

Why Should You Consider A Composting Toilet For Your Home?

The environment. It all boils down to that, really.

For the longest time, Mother Nature endured so much abuse from human activities and is fighting back to regain her balance, if today’s climate change is anything to go by.

Industrial pollution, the release of harmful chemicals into water bodies killing aquatic life, cutting down forest cover, and destroying the water catchment areas; the list is endless.

If you care about our planet, the least you can do is to embrace green living. And a waterless composting toilet is a good place to start.

However, this is not the only reason you should have a composting toilet in your home.

The Benefits

• The toilet is resourceful and cuts down on utility bills by saving water
• Composting toilets are affordable and cost-effective in terms of installation and maintenance. They don’t require expensive and complicated septic hookups.
• Human wastes can be decomposed and treated on-site, making the process cost-friendly.
• The toilet is safe to use and eliminates the risk of wastewater draining into nearby streams, rivers, and other water bodies.
• Humanure, the by-product of compost, can safely be used in gardens to make soil fertile and grow crops.
• The toilet allows the use of locally available materials in its system to enhance the decomposition of wastes.
• The toilet is as hygienic as the traditional flush toilet.

The composting toilet has its limitations as well.

The Downside

• If not well maintained, the waterless composting toilet can be your biggest nightmare. Extra care is necessary for this kind of toilet. Here are great tips on the complete care and maintenance guide for composting toilets.
• Poor hygiene in a waterless composting toilet poses a serious threat of harmful pests and deadly diseases.
• Foul odor may be difficult to eliminate if the facility is poorly maintained.
• Waterless composting toilets might cost you more money than the micro-flush or low flow toilets.

What to Look For In a Composting Toilet

Before going out searching for the best composting toilet to buy, you should know what to look for if you are to make the best purchase decision. Composting toilet costs can be relatively high, so it’s important that you make the right decision the first time you make a purchase.

It will be impossible to get all the qualities you desire in one particular brand, but knowing what you want brings you closer to your dream toilet.

I. Available Toilet Space

How big is your home? Do you have sufficient toilet space for a waterless composting toilet? You have to consider the toilet space onto which the facility will be fixed and the amount of space under the floor where the composting vat will be installed.

Getting the toilet dimensions is necessary to avoid a situation where you have too large a toilet for a too small space.

 II.   Use and Capacity of the Composting Toilet

The number of people using a composting toilet and the duration the toilet will be in use is of utmost importance when making a purchase decision. A composting toilet that is put to frequent use will have a larger capacity than a toilet with fewer users.

It might help to know the event and purpose for which the toilet is intended. Is it an indoor waterless toilet? For an outdoor event, perhaps? Is the toilet to be used on a boat? Are you looking for a toilet that’s ideal for cabin use, or is it for RVs and campers?

A small toilet fills up pretty fast. So, if you don’t wish to engage in emptying and dumping activities frequently, then keep the toilet’s size, use, and capacity in mind.

 III. On-grid and Off-grid Usage

Some waterless composting toilets require electricity to operate efficiently, while others do quite well without electric power. Therefore, it is important to determine the location the toilet will be installed and the availability of electricity in the area.

For instance, if you are looking for a composting toilet to be used in a cabin deep in the woods or in a rural area, it is advisable to purchase a waterless composting toilet that does not require electricity to work. However, there are models with both AC (electric powered) and DC (solar or battery powered) ports. These can come in handy regardless of your location or proximity to electricity.

IV. Local Laws

Knowing and reviewing the laws and regulations that your local authorities have laid down regarding waste disposal is mandatory. You definitely wouldn’t want to invest in a waterless composting toilet only for your municipality to dismiss it because it goes against the laid down regulations.

Not all locations have embraced composting toilets; therefore, you might run into roadblocks where no legislation has been passed on the same. Most existing laws on waste disposal are majorly around conventional flush toilets with septic hookups.

Double-check and seek your local authority’s advice and chart a way forward on the installation and use of indoor waterless composting toilets.

 V. Ease of Maintenance

To make the best composting toilet purchase decision, you cannot overlook the facility’s ease of maintenance. Ordinarily, you will have to put in more maintenance work with a waterless composting toilet than you would the traditional flush toilet. Just ensure the toilet is user-friendly and comes with a manual to help you navigate its care and maintenance.

The best composting toilet brands are those that churn out sufficient information about their products, have a strong online presence, and offer exceptional customer service.

Now that you have pointers to a good composting toilet, below are some of the popular composting toilet brands based on expert and customer reviews.

1.   Nature’s Head

If you are hosting a workshop and need a toilet with a large capacity, Nature’s Head is your go-to brand. It boasts of a wide range of toilets large enough to sustain a large crowd of users. And its supplementary composting facilities make it suitable for use in busy setups.

Since the toilets are big, you should not consider them for tiny homes. Ensure you have sufficient space to accommodate the sturdy designs.

You can also get less bulky designs that are portable as well. The toilets can be installed both on land, indoors and outdoors, and in marine environs. The toilets are well suited for barns, yurts, and RVs.

Nature’s Head is an American brand and can be purchased for shipping on Amazon.

·   Nature’s Head Dry Composting Toilet with Standard Crank Handle

This dry composting toilet was designed to ideally serve RVs and campers. It is one of the favorite composting toilets for people spending days or even months on the road.

The best bit about this Nature’s Head composting toilet design is its ability to hasten the composting process thanks to the hand crank agitator built in its base. This makes it better for use in RVs and campers since users can dump the composted human waste and travel lighter.

Attributes of the toilet

1.      The design is ready-made

2.      A self-contained model

3.      Runs on urine separating technology

4.      12v power plug

5.      Bottle cap and a 5′ vent hose

6.      Low volume ventilator for air circulation

7.      19.8 x 20.8 x 20.5 inches in L x W x H

8.      27.2  Pounds

The advantages and limitations of this model are:

Advantages

·         Dry flush means it’s completely waterless

·         Can be easily installed since it is already molded

·         Using and operating the toilet is stress-free

·         A detailed manual makes its maintenance pretty straight-forward

·         Stink-free system

·         Robust frame makes it durable

·         No piping and septic setups are necessary  

Limitations

·         The urine container fills up really quick, prompting regular emptying to avoid spillovers

·         Toilet seat is narrower than regular toilets most users are accustomed to

2.   Sun-Mar

For composting toilet brands that offer both electric and non-electric designs, Sun-Mar takes the lead. The non-electric models are either battery or solar-powered, making them accessible to rural folks as well.

Since these designs operate on minimal power, they help cut down utility bills in the home and can ideally serve remote households and cabins. Despite being non-electric, the toilet is efficient in operation, with the 12v fan increasing its resourcefulness.

The electric designs are suited for on-grid applications, and proximity to electric power should be the biggest factor to consider if you choose Sun-Mar’s self-contained electric composting toilet.

Sun-Mar is a Canadian brand with facilities in New York, USA, and can be purchased for shipping on Amazon.

·   Sun-Mar Excel Self-Contained Composting Toilet, Model# Excel

This is one of the best stench-free self-contained composting toilets in the market today, with its bio-drum aiding in hastening the decomposition process and keeping out offensive smells.

This model can serve a wide range of users, including RVs and campers.

Attributes of the Excel Model

1.      The toilet has a large capacity and can serve a fairly high number of users at a go. If it is set up indoors in a residential setting, it can be used continuously by 3-4 persons. The number of users is even higher if it’s installed in a cabin. 6-8 people can make use of it over a weekend.

2.      A clip-on footrest is available, making it accessible and comfortable for short people as well.

3.      The model is pest proof

4.      Its low profile makes it blend in any bathroom.

5.      Stress-free maintenance

6.      Is NSF/ANSI Certified

7.      Includes emergency drain to avoid overflows

8.      Availability of a venting kit

9.      Fitted with a fan to boost air circulation

10.  33 x 22 1/2 x 33 in L x W x H

11.  Weighs 100 lbs.

The advantages and limitations of this model are:

Advantages

·         Operates on Waterless technology

·         Environmentally friendly

·         100% non-polluting

·         Is an Odorless composting toilet

·         Keeps of pests and other crawling insects

·         No piping or expensive septic tanks

Limitations

·         Risks of hazardous leaks are high where thorough maintenance is not upheld

·         Dumping or emptying the bio-drum can be cumbersome and messy

Composting Toilet Accessories

There’s really no limit on accessories for use to specific brands of composting toilets. And here, by accessories, we mean toilet cleaning accessories: sanitizers, deodorizers, and detergents. Although, there are other accessories like the waterless toilet floor tiles.

All composting systems require proper cleaning and hygiene practices to keep off pests and diseases. However, there are toilet accessories ideally manufactured for use in these composting systems. You cannot use the regular cleaning agents used in traditional flush toilets to clean composting systems.

Here is a comprehensive review of the Must-Have Composting Toilet Cleaning Accessories- Detergents, Sanitizers, and Deodorizers, and the cost of waterless toilet accessories.

Wrapping Up

There are many composting toilets in the market, with more brands being introduced every other day. The list above is nowhere near exhaustive. A composting toilet’s functionality is key, yet some brands have wonderful concepts but poor performance.

As the end-user of these products, here’s a piece of advice: take your time, shop around, and seek customer and expert reviews before you finally make that purchase decision.

Given the waterless toilet brand costs, you can’t afford to pour your money into a dysfunctional composting toilet; it’s too costly a mistake.