The 7 Best Compost Tumblers in 2024

Ready to get started with one of the best compost tumblers? That’s fantastic! There are so many benefits to making your own compost, like saving money, reducing your carbon footprint, and providing excellent nutrients for your garden. 

The simplest, fastest, and least-smelly way to make compost is to use a compost tumbler. Requiring no power except an occasional manual spin, these ingenious devices harness the power of sun, oxygen and moisture to turn waste into nutrient-rich compost. 

And here’s the kicker: a self-contained compost tumbler can produce compost in half the time of a traditional compost pile.

Read on to discover which easy and convenient compost tumbler is right for you!

Our Top Picks

A Closer Look: Best Compost Tumblers

We’ve sifted out the competition and compiled our top picks. For the nutrient rich goodies, continue reading below for our reasoning.

A few dual-chamber composters made our best compost bin tumblers list. One, however, stood out from the pack due to its unique features that make composting easier. 

It has all the basic components that make for a good compost tumbler, like adjustable air vents, sliding doors, and ample capacity. It’s made of black, BPA-free plastic that aids in quicker heating and breakdown of content, and offers plenty of room to empty finished compost from the bottom of the unit. There are tons of online composting tumbler reviews, and the MAZE is one of the best rated compost tumblers we came across. 

But what sets the RSI MAZE apart are two things. First, its large rotating handle. Most tumblers have indented handholds, which are fine, but a crank handle makes turning heavy, wet compost much easier!

Second, this tumbler has an (optional) compost cart, which features a large handle and two wheels for easy mobility. While most compost tumblers just advise using whatever bucket or tarp you may already have on hand to collect your finished compost, this easy-to-maneuver cart is designed to fit underneath the tumbler perfectly. This results in dramatically more convenient and cleaner compost collection at the end of your composting journey. 

Finally, most compost tumblers aren’t exactly winning any beauty contests, but we think the MAZE’s modern design, which features a round profile and cheerful green handle and door rails, is more attractive than some. 

Footnote: the RSI MAZE is available both with and without a cart, depending on the retailer — so make sure you’re getting whichever version you intend to.       

Maybe it’s more accurate to say our best affordable compost tumbler is really more like our best overall runner-up that happens to be under a hundred dollars. Because this medium-capacity budget pick has the best features of a good compost tumbler, including:

• Two chambers for uninterrupted composting
• Large openings and removable doors
• BPA free, UV inhibited, 100% post-consumer recycled polypropylene construction
• Corrosion-resistant galvanized steel frame
• Ergonomic handholds
• Adjustable air vents and deep fins for effective mixing and aeration

So while the FCMP IM4000 — otherwise known as the “Yimby” — isn’t the cheapest model you can find on the market, it’s one of the best, and also very easy to find. 

The majority of compost tumblers are horizontally mounted. Still, there are also vertical barrels, like this Spin Bin, which are mounted with a central post through their sides and hatches at both ends.

Since many of the double chamber compost tumblers on our list can be converted to a single chamber depending on preference, we wanted to include a vertical compost tumbler as another single chamber option.

You can fill the Spin Bin at either end, close it up and then tumble your way to fertile compost for your garden. It has a ribbed interior with 20 ventilation holes for consistent aeration.

Unlike a double-tumbler, this one is for composting in batches rather than continuously. The Spin Bin is a good option for those who prefer to compost in spurts, or who use multiple single chamber tumblers to create a continuous composting cycle. 

Looking at different compost tumblers on the market, one thing becomes clear: the dual chamber design is the way to go for most gardeners. With a single chamber, it’s difficult to add more scraps as you go along without interrupting the breakdown process. Two chambers result in even continuous composting and a better end result. 

The EJWOX offers a 43-gallon capacity — which is more compact than our #1 best compost bin tumbler but a little bigger than our #2 dual compost tumbler pick. The EJWOX also offers a “rodent proof” design, a convenient loading height, and galvanized steel feet. It doesn’t hurt that the EJWOX also costs less than a hundred bucks, making it one of the best priced compost tumblers on our list.

Need a little compost tumbler that can squeeze into a corner or a balcony? Maybe you want the flexibility of multiple small compost tumblers? Well you’re in luck! This ‘lil FCMP Half Size is an ultra-compact compost tumbler that takes up a small amount of space, but still holds up to 19 gallons. And it’s available in a 2-pack. 

Like its larger counterparts it’s made from tough polyethylene that won’t degrade in the sun, and has plenty of aeration holes and deep fins to break up clumps inside. Unlike the others, it’s light and mobile, and comes in two different colors. It’s also one of the best compost starter tumblers for beginner composters.

For the ambitious gardener (or those with very large yards) there’s the high-capacity Lifetime Gallon Compost Tumbler. The Lifetime clocks in at an astounding 80 gallon capacity and offers some special features to make adding or removing scraps and compost extra-easy. 

Since it’s bigger and taller than most, there’s plenty of space to roll up a wheelbarrow to facilitate shoveling, dumping, spinning, etc. The Lifetime tumbler also features a handy locking mechanism to keep the tumbler from spinning when you don’t want it to (like when you’re trying to shovel something heavy in or out of it).

The number one complaint about most compost tumblers is how difficult they are to assemble. This “ground rolling” compost tumbler is a little different: instead of perching on top of a metal frame, it sits lower to the ground on top of a hollow base that collects compost tea. It also doesn’t require any assembly, so keep that in mind if you’re not handy. 

The Compost Wizard Jr. has a capacity of 52 gallons (about 7 cubic feet) and is moderately priced. Many reviewers recommend setting up some blocks or bricks underneath the unit to make it easier to fill, drain and tumble.

Footnote: this dual tumbler version is great for continuous composting, but Good Ideas also makes the “Compost Wizard Jr.”, if you prefer a single chamber batch-composter that collects compost tea. 

3 Main Types of Compost Tumblers

What to Look for in a Compost Tumbler

Horizontal, vertical, high capacity, ground-rolling, black plastic, steel, removable lid…it’s a lot to take in. So what is the best compost tumbler?? Here’s what you need to know:

• Material. First consider the material of your compost tumbler. The most common choice is black plastic, usually polypropylene (PP), or a High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). Both are BPA-free and are often at least partially recycled. The black color is intentional: it absorbs sun, generating heat to help accelerate the composting. 

You can also find large, heavy duty compost tumblers made of galvanized steel and other tough metals. The problem with these is that unlike plastic, they will always eventually rust. Metal options also tend to be expensive. 

• Single or dual chamber? Whether you opt for a single or double depends on your composting needs. If you want to simply load up your tumbler, spin it for a few weeks and have a batch of finished compost at the end, a single chamber composter will suit your needs. However, if you’d like to continuously add scraps, yard waste, etc. as you go, a dual chamber compost tumbler allows you to add to one chamber while the other one finishes composting. 

• Size/capacity. If you’re mostly using your compost tumbler for kitchen scraps and occasional yard waste, something in the 20-40 gallon range should be plenty. If you have a constant flow of scraps, yard grass clippings, manure, leaves, etc., then opt for at least a 50 gallon compost tumbler. 

Also consider: with increased capacity, comes increased weight. If you have any physical limitations, it may be best to go with a small to medium capacity tumbler that’s up off of the ground (to prevent unnecessary bending and twisting) and/or a tumbler with a crank handle, like our best overall compost tumbler recommendation

Our Process

For this guide on compost tumblers, our team spent 8 hours researching the most popular options from over 30 brands and manufacturers big and small. We then read about two hundred user reviews (both positive and negative) to discover what shoppers thought about each compost tumbler. After comparing this data, we narrowed our list down to the top 7 on the market. You can count on this research to guide you to a mindful purchasing decision.

If you enjoyed this read, sign up for our newsletter below and get special online shopping deals delivered straight to your inbox.

---

Further Reading