The UK's bestCompost Bins2022 Review

If you find the process of turning compost taxing, the Garden Point Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter Bin will immediately appeal to you. This innovative compost bin stands out from the rest – not only in terms of appearance, but also when it comes to features. 

Although there are a fair amount of pieces to put together, assembly only took me about 20 minutes. I did have to use quite a bit of force when connecting the panels though; something to bear in mind if you struggle with hand strength.

Once assembled, I was left with a beautifully-designed compost bin with two plastic drums, each capable of holding 70 litres of material. A steel axel runs through the middle, allowing you to spin the drums and turn the compost.

There are many tumbling composters out there with just one drum, but having two is a real benefit. When the first is full, you can start filling the second whilst the material in the first breaks down.

There are ventilation holes in both drums. They’re large enough to let air through, but small enough to keep rodents out. 

As I expected, this compost bin was easy and convenient to use. It’s a bit too small for bulk amounts of garden waste, because the barrels and doors are a little small, but it’s perfect for kitchen scraps.

The sliding doors are easy to open and the tumbling mechanism is very useful, making it quick to turn compost. 

Understandably, some may be put off by the price of this compost bin; however, I personally think it’s great value for money, even though it’s more expensive than standard bins. This model offers so much more in terms of convenience. It’s also a quality product – it may be a plastic compost bin, but it feels strong and sturdy, rather than cheap and flimsy.

Overall, I couldn’t have been more impressed with this option and it’s the best compost bin that I tested. There’s nothing about its design that I would change, but if you’re searching for a large compost bin then you’ll probably be better off with a different model.

However, if you only plan on adding small amounts of food waste, or want somewhere secure to empty your food waste caddy, then the Garden Point Dual Chamber Composting Tumbler is, in my opinion, the best option out there.

If you browse through the many different compost bins available online, you’ll see several that look just like the Blackwall Composter. It has a classic, popular design, so I was eager to put it to the test on my farm.

As soon as I unwrapped this compost bin, I was instantly delighted. Why? Because it’s the only one out of the five I tested that didn’t require any assembly whatsoever. Easy!

It has a conical shape, which gives it a sturdy feel. This is helped by the fact that the plastic is both strong and flexible. Even better, the plastic is actually made from recycled materials. As a result, it’s a more eco-friendly option, easing some of the guilt about buying new plastic products for your garden. 

The bin has a capacity of 220 litres. It has a removable lid and front hatch, and comes without a base, which makes it ideal for placing onto soil or grass. 

I found this compost bin a lot easier to use than some of the others that I tested. The removable lid means that you can fill it from every angle, and the robust plastic stands strong when it’s hit with a garden fork.

One of the only flaws in the design is that the bin opening is pretty small. It would have benefitted from being larger – not only to make filling the bin easier, but also turning the contents. However, this wasn’t a major issue, more a minor niggle. 

Although this is a plastic compost bin, it’s priced marginally higher than many others. When you consider the strength of the plastic, and the fact that it won’t break as easily as some of the others out there, it seems reasonable to pay a little extra.

However, if you live in an exposed and windy area, I would recommend choosing another model. Although this one is supposedly windproof, it flies off around my farm at every given opportunity, and there isn’t really an effective way to peg it down (or even lock the lid in place for that matter!). Nevertheless, if you’re able to keep it sheltered from the wind, then you shouldn’t have any problems.

Buying plastic compost bins can be a bit of a hit-or-miss experience – some are cheap and flimsy, while others are well-made and durable. The Blackwall Composter fits into the latter category. As long as it doesn’t have to deal with strong winds, it’s sturdy, well-designed, and easy to use. It’s also one of the best compost bins to go for if you don’t want to mess around with assembly, and want a more eco-friendly plastic option.

Designed to hold both kitchen and garden waste, the 4smile Garden Compost Bin looks like a pretty traditional compost bin at first. However, there are a few extra features that help set this bin apart from its competition. 

It comes flat-packed but only takes about 10 minutes to assemble. Even better, you won’t need any tools – everything clicks together easily. That said, once you start assembling this bin, you’ll notice how thin and brittle the plastic is – be gentle, otherwise you’ll end up snapping parts of it off. Unfortunately, I broke a clip during assembly.

Once together, I was initially dubious about the sturdiness of this compost bin – but it soon proved itself. It weighs just under 5 kg, which is handy if you plan on moving it around your garden, but it didn’t feel very robust. 

However, what changed my mind was that it managed to stay standing through Storm Arwen – which is more than can be said for the others that I tested! The strong winds managed to take out mature trees and large sheds, but this bin held strong, which was very impressive!

It also has some extra features that make it convenient to use. There are tabs that keep the lid locked, a removable hatch that gives easy access to finished compost, and plenty of holes for ventilation around the bin. 

Nevertheless, there are a few flaws in the design as well, so it’s not quite as easy to use as I was first expecting. For starters, you can’t prop the lid up, so it keeps falling back down whilst you’re filling the bin. A removable lid, like the Amos 220 Litre Composter has, would have been much better.

The brittle plastic also makes it near-impossible to use a fork to turn the compost without piercing a hole in the bin, but, if you get your layers right to begin with, then turning may not be necessary. 

Although there are a few flaws to this product, I would still say that it offers fantastic value for money. 

Although, at first, I thought that this compost bin was way too flimsy to withstand the elements, I was happy to be proven wrong.

It is a little inconvenient to turn the compost, but it’s one of the best compost bins if you’re someone who likes to fill a bin and then leave the contents to break down on their own.

Plus, you’ve got to keep its low price in mind – this bin is well worth what it costs, and it would be a fantastic addition to most gardens.

Wire mesh compost bins, like the GR8 Garden Metal Wire Mesh Compost Bin, are perfect for composting leaves. 

My heart sank a little when I saw that the bin came flat packed. However, compared to some of the other compost bins that I tested, assembly was pretty simple and only took about 10 minutes. The spring connectors are a little fiddly to attach – if you’re short on patience, cable ties will work just as well (or possibly even better!). 

Once assembled, it feels pretty sturdy. The wire mesh panels are good quality (they’re made from powder-coated metal), and it has a capacity of 458 litres. Therefore, if you’re after a bigger bin, it’s worth nothing that this is the largest of the compost bins that I tested.

If you’re wondering whether this bin has been designed to take kitchen and garden waste in addition to leaves, the realistic answer is no. The gaps in the mesh-panel sides measure 10 x 4 cm; they’re the perfect size for holding leaves, but would be too large for most kitchen scraps. 

Overall, this outdoor compost bin is very easy to use. There aren’t any lids to hold up or hatches to slide open – you simply dump leaves in at the top! The more leaves you put in, the sturdier the bin feels.

I’d say that this composting bin was able to hold the most of the leaves from 2-3 mature sycamore trees. It didn’t seem like it would be large enough for that at first, but the leaves compact down with each new load added in. 

Compared to other compost bins, this one is a very reasonable price. It can also be made bigger by simply buying another unit and connecting them together. This makes it an even more worthwhile buy, in my opinion.

Whilst I wouldn’t recommend this model for anyone hoping to make compost from kitchen and garden waste, it’s one of the best compost options for making leaf mould. The whole thing is very simple, from assembly, to design, to ease of use, and that’s exactly why I appreciated it so much.

In fact, I’ll most likely buy a few more of these next year to place near the other groups of deciduous trees around my farm.

It’s fair to say that compost bins aren’t generally very attractive; however, wooden compost bins like the Easipet Wooden Compost Bin definitely have increased aesthetic appeal. So, how will it compare to the others in terms of functionality?

Let’s start at the beginning: assembling the compost bin. This took just under half an hour, which is significantly longer than some of the other bins that I tested. You’ll need a Phillips screwdriver – the sides slot into place but the hinged lid needs to be screwed together.

Once assembled, the effort certainly seems worthwhile. The wooden beehive-style design is very attractive. The hinged roof is a nice touch, and the removable panel at the base, which gives you access to the finished compost, easily locks into place. The capacity is roughly 328 litres, ideal for most gardens.

One of the only downsides of this bin is the spacing of the slats – they’re a little too wide apart for my liking, making it unsuitable for very small pieces of kitchen waste.

The other problem with these gaps is that animals can access the compost, so if disposing of food waste you may find that it attracts rodents or pets. 

However, there are other features of this compost bin that make it very convenient to use. The fact that the lid props up may not seem revolutionary, but not all compost bins have this feature. The bin also feels very sturdy once full – it should hold up well against strong winds.

When it comes to price, this bin does cost more than many of the plastic compost bins out there. However, when it comes to this particular model, you’re not just paying for a compost bin either – you’re also gaining an attractive wooden feature for the garden.

You’ll even be able to paint it so that it really fits in, and this will help to protect the wood too. 

If you’re looking one of the best compost bins, with good aesthetic appeal, this is a great option to go for. It’s attractive enough to be placed in a prominent part of the garden, and is useful for getting rid of green garden waste and turning it into usable compost. Although not all waste is suitable for this bin (i.e. kitchen waste due to the slatted design), it’s nevertheless a useful and attractive model to consider.