Which bio-toilet is the best for a summer house or private home?

A bio-toilet is indispensable when traveling, at summer cottages and private homes, it is suitable for the elderly and people with limited mobility, and many models are compact enough to fit in the trunk of a car.

In this article I will tell you about the top ten bio-toilets for home, cottage and trips. We will talk about peat or compost and liquid or chemical options, as the most unpretentious in maintenance.

Important: together with a liquid biotoilet, you need to buy liquids for the lower tank (where its contents decompose) and the upper tank (for deodorization). And for a peat toilet, you need to buy peat filler. And the paper for the biotoilet needs to be biodegradable.

Which is better: a peat or liquid biotoilet?

If you live in a house with a plot of land and do not plan to move the bio-toilet from place to place often, it is better to choose a peat toilet. This is a full replacement for a regular toilet.

  • The biomass that is formed during its operation is suitable for fertilizing the soil, but not immediately, but after the composting process, which takes about a year.
  • The peat mixture, which is necessary for dry flushing in such toilets, prevents the appearance of unpleasant odor and starts the process of biological decomposition of feces. It is ecologically friendly and safe for the environment.
  • A peat toilet needs to be cleaned less often than a liquid toilet – a 100-liter tank needs to be taken out once every couple of months for a family of 3. And it can be used all year round.

Peat toilet models should be installed in a well-ventilated room, and care should be taken to remove liquid (into the sewer, soil, cesspool) from the storage tank through a drainage hose.

A liquid or chemical biotoilet does not require ventilation, is hermetically sealed, compact, so you can easily move it from place to place. If emptied in a timely manner (once every 4-5 days for a family of 2 adults and 1 child), the biotoilet does not emit unpleasant odors.

However, liquids for chemical biotoilets are expensive (500 rubles on average) and they need to be emptied much more often than peat ones. And the liquid from the bottom tank cannot be used as fertilizer. In addition, a liquid toilet needs to be installed in a warm room, otherwise it freezes in winter and stops performing its functions.

Brief conclusion: if you need a seasonal toilet for a summer house or a private home, choose a peat model. If you need a compact and easy-to-maintain toilet for trips during the warm season or for an apartment for a person with limited mobility, a liquid toilet would be the ideal option.

10. Separett Camping 1165

  • compost peat
  • portable
  • polypropylene body
  • hose length: 1 m
  • weight 4 kg
  • size: 43x67.2x54.1 cm

What you see here is a rare portable version of a composting bio-toilet. According to the manufacturer, it is ideal for camping (as reflected in the name), and is also suitable for travelers, use at construction sites, and other tasks that require mobility.

Thanks to its light weight and the presence of a nylon carrying bag, the Separett Camping 1165 is easy to move from place to place. Liquid waste comes out through a flexible hose, which is included in the kit. And solid waste goes into a biodegradable bag (there are 10 of them in the kit). Waste does not mix, and there is no sharp unpleasant smell from the toilet.

There is no exact data on the maximum load, but in one of the reviews the user writes about 100 kg.

9. Kekkila Ecomatic 50

  • compost peat
  • stationary
  • storage tank: 50 l
  • period of use: 30 days
  • designed for 4 people.
  • case material combined
  • 50x47x51 cm

One of the best peat biotoilets for a summer house has a removable bottom tank, which makes it easy to move for emptying. Kekkila Ekomatik 50 users appreciated its nice appearance, good build quality and ease of installation.

With economical use of peat filler and daily use of Kekkila Ekomatik 50 as intended, the tank volume will be enough for a family of 4 for a month. But if you do not spare the peat and pour it even after going "little", then you will have to take out the tank more often - once a week.

This model has a slope for liquid drainage. Therefore, the floor in the toilet cubicle must be perfectly level. Otherwise, the liquid will not drain well into the drainage.

8. EcoProm Rostok

  • compost peat
  • stationary
  • Upper tank: 30 l
  • storage tank: 100 l
  • dry flush
  • polyethylene body
  • seat height: 50.8 cm
  • 5x82x79 cm

If you are looking for a composting toilet that can turn almost any space into a private restroom, take a look at the EcoProm Rostok. This is a beautiful and quite roomy peat composting toilet that looks and is exactly the same height as a regular toilet.

According to user reviews, this model is easy to assemble, convenient to use and easy to clean. EcoProm Rostok is made of durable plastic and can withstand a user weighing up to 150 kg.

7. Piteco 506

  • compost peat
  • stationary
  • Upper tank: 11 l
  • storage tank: 44 l
  • maximum load: 150 kg
  • dry flush
  • polypropylene body
  • seat height: 42 cm
  • 39x59x71 cm

A small and inexpensive peat toilet is ideal for a family of two or three people. It needs to be cleaned no more than once a month, for which a 50-liter bag of peat filler is enough.

Externally, the toilet looks neat and nice. Even a woman can handle taking out a half-filled tank. However, in the reviews, users advise to set the toilet floor level or slightly tilted back so that the liquid flows well into the drainage.

Also, the included ventilation pipes are short and do not have rain protection, so be prepared to purchase additional supplies.

If the 44-litre storage tank does not suit you, there is an alternative – the Piteco 905 model, which has a tank capacity of 120 litres.

6. Biolan Biolan eco

  • compost peat
  • stationary
  • storage tank: 200 l
  • load: up to 200 kg

Need a large and reliable peat toilet that can be emptied every six months? Take a closer look at the Biolan Biolan eco model. It has a large 200-litre tank, and the one-piece cast construction eliminates the spread of unpleasant odours and is resistant to rodent teeth.

This model has ventilation inside the body, plus there is a ventilation pipe, and this system effectively copes with the spread of odor in the toilet.

Users also praise the Pehvakka thermal seat, which is comfortable to sit on during the cold season.

The Biolan Biolan eco tank has a hatch at the bottom, through which you can quickly and easily remove the finished compost.

5. ECOS OC13

  • chemical
  • portable
  • Upper tank: 20 l
  • storage tank: 24 l
  • 5x47x43.5 cm

Need a capacious and inexpensive bio-toilet? ECOS OC13 is at your service. Its storage tank holds 24 liters, and the water tank is also impressive - 20 liters.

The toilet fits in the trunk of a car, does not require installation of a drainage system and has a piston flush system. There are no bells and whistles like a tank filling indicator in the ECOS OC13, and they are not particularly needed - when you open the plug between the tanks, everything will be visible anyway.

4. Sanitation Equipment Limited Visa Potty 268

  • chemical
  • portable
  • Upper tank: 14 l
  • storage tank: 24 l
  • Lower tank full indicator
  • 8x42 cm
  • weight: 5.5 kg

This solid, large bio-toilet has two filling indicators at once - for the upper and lower tanks. It has an excellent two-way flush and a device for blocking the flush valve, which prevents the spread of unpleasant odors and leaks.

Visa Potty 268 is made of smooth, frost-resistant and dirt-repellent plastic (at least, these properties are declared by the manufacturer), which means that it is easy to care for.

3. Thetford Porta Potti 565P

  • chemical
  • portable
  • Upper tank: 15 l
  • storage tank: 21 l
  • Lower tank full indicator
  • pressure relief valve
  • maximum load: 120 kg
  • water flush
  • piston pump
  • seat height: 44.3 cm
  • 8×44.8×45 cm

The Dutch company Thetford has been manufacturing bio-toilets since the 1960s. At first, it supplied products to sea vessels, and then moved on to mass production of components and bio-toilets for ordinary consumers.

Solid experience in its field allows Thetford to create simple to use, beautifully designed and easy to maintain models, such as the Porta Potti 565P.

This liquid toilet has a full tank indicator (enough for a week for a family of 3). And its seat is large and strong enough to support a person of solid dimensions. The manual flush pump is easy to press and works reliably. At the same time, much less water is wasted than when using a regular toilet.

2. Thetford Porta Potti 145

  • chemical
  • portable
  • Upper tank: 15 l
  • storage tank: 12 l
  • pressure relief valve
  • water flush
  • bellows pump
  • seat height: 32.4 cm
  • 3x33x42.7 cm

One of the best chemical bio-toilets for a tourist or a motorist. It is very compact, and even a woman can handle the removal of the storage tank.

Thanks to its small dimensions, even a small child can sit on the Porta Potti 145.

Unlike the first place in the rating, this model does not have a storage tank filling indicator. However, by and large it is not needed, it is enough to take out the lower tank a couple of times a week.

1. Thetford Porta Potti 165 Luxe

  • chemical
  • portable
  • Upper tank: 15 l
  • storage tank: 21 l
  • Lower tank full indicator
  • pressure relief valve
  • maximum load: 250 kg
  • water flush
  • bellows pump
  • case material combined
  • seat height: 40.8 cm
  • 3×41.4×42.7 cm

This is the best bio toilet for the price and reviews. It is capacious enough to serve a family of 3 for at least 4-5 days, has a full storage tank indicator, and is made in a pleasant (and most importantly - not easily soiled) color.

Flushing is easy, although the corrugated pump is not the most reliable option and may break over time. The high seat and maximum load of 250 kg allow even large people to use this model.