Outsunny 65L Compost Bin 12 Month Review

From our garden · 12 months of use

A year of turning scraps into something useful

A closer look inside my Outsunny 65L tumbler: kitchen peelings, garden waste and the material gradually breaking down beneath them.

Read my verdict ↓

Fresh vegetable peelings alongside darker decomposing material inside the Outsunny compost bin — Inside the bin: fresh additions and older material together.

Used for 12 monthsPurchased for the garden and used for household kitchen scraps and garden waste.

A compact 65L tumblerThe capacity has suited our household of two adults and a child.

Still breaking downThe photos show composting in progress, with recognisable scraps remaining.

I’ve been using the Outsunny 65L Compost Bin for around 12 months now, and I’ll admit that when I first bought it, I wasn’t entirely convinced it would work.

Could a relatively small compost tumbler sitting in the corner of the garden really turn our kitchen scraps and garden waste into usable compost?

A year later, I have my answer.

It works remarkably well.

My bin is now around three-quarters full of composting material, which I’m planning to mix with soil and use around the garden when I start planting in spring.

More importantly, it’s completely changed how I look at kitchen waste.

Instead of automatically throwing vegetable peelings and other suitable organic scraps in the bin, I’m now turning them into something I can put back into the garden.

Here’s how I’ve got on with the Outsunny after a full year of use.

What Is the Outsunny 65L Compost Bin?

The Outsunny is a compact 65-litre rotating compost tumbler.

Rather than having a traditional compost heap at the bottom of the garden, you put your compostable material inside the barrel and periodically rotate it to mix everything together.

The barrel sits on a steel frame and rotates through 360 degrees, while ventilation holes allow air into the mixture.

At approximately 60cm long, 49cm wide and 77cm high, it’s considerably more compact than a traditional large compost bin.

That was one of the main attractions for me.

What I’ve Been Putting in Mine

I live with my partner and son, so there’s a fairly steady supply of kitchen scraps.

Over the last year we’ve added suitable organic kitchen waste to the composter rather than simply throwing it away.

I’ve also added garden material, including:

Grass clippings
Fallen leaves
Small twigs and branches
Other suitable garden waste

It’s been satisfying seeing material that would otherwise have gone into the household or garden waste gradually turn into something useful.

That’s probably my favourite thing about owning it.

You’re essentially recycling waste from your house and garden to help grow something new.

Fresh grass clippings in the open Outsunny compost tumbler — Garden additions: a layer of fresh grass clippings in the open bin.

Grass clippings and kitchen scraps beside older composting material — A wider view of the mix, with fresh greens beside darker material.

Does a 65L Compost Bin Hold Enough?

This was one of my concerns before buying it.

65 litres doesn’t sound enormous.

But for our household of two adults and a child, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much it handles.

We’ve been adding kitchen scraps throughout the year as well as grass clippings and garden waste during the warmer months, and after around 12 months mine is approximately three-quarters full.

Of course, every household will produce different amounts of compostable waste, but for us the capacity has been absolutely fine.

I’d describe it as particularly well suited to a small or medium-sized garden where you want to compost household waste without dedicating a large area to a traditional compost heap.

How Long Did It Take to Start Making Compost?

This was the part I was most sceptical about.

When you first start throwing vegetable peelings, leaves and grass into a plastic barrel, it’s difficult to imagine them eventually becoming compost.

But after around three to four months, I could clearly see that the material inside was breaking down and beginning to resemble compost.

That was the point when I realised the system was genuinely working.

After a year, I’ve now built up a substantial amount.

I’m going to leave it to continue breaking down over winter before mixing the finished compost with soil ready for spring planting.

There’s something very satisfying about knowing that some of the material I’ll be growing plants in next year started life as scraps from our kitchen.

Dark decomposing garden waste with recognisable leaves and vegetable scraps in the Outsunny tumbler — Breaking down: the material looks darker, but leaves, roots and scraps are still visible.

What these photos show

These are views inside my bin during use, rather than a dated before-and-after experiment. Fresh additions sit alongside older material, so the darker appearance alone does not mean the whole batch is finished compost.

It’s Surprisingly Good at Containing Smells

This was another pleasant surprise.

Put food scraps into a container for months and you’d understandably expect it to smell.

In my experience, that hasn’t been a problem.

The Outsunny has done a really good job of containing unpleasant odours.

Obviously, you still need to be sensible about what you compost. But I’ve never had the bin sitting in the garden producing horrible smells.

That’s important if you’re considering putting one relatively close to your house, patio or seating area.

It Doesn’t Take Over the Garden

Another thing I’ve appreciated over the last year is simply how unobtrusive it is.

Mine sits neatly in a corner of the garden.

It doesn’t dominate the space and I don’t have a big open compost heap to deal with.

For anyone with a relatively small garden, I think that’s one of the strongest reasons to consider a tumbler like this.

You can start composting without sacrificing a huge section of your outdoor space.

The Rotating Design Makes Mixing Easy

Traditional compost heaps need turning to introduce oxygen and mix the materials.

With the Outsunny, you simply rotate the barrel.

I give mine a turn periodically, which mixes everything inside without having to get a garden fork out and manually turn a pile of decomposing material.

It’s a simple feature, but one I really appreciate.

The manufacturer has also incorporated ventilation holes around the tumbler to encourage airflow through the composting material.

Close view of grass clippings, peelings and fibrous material inside the compost bin — A closer look: the mix still contains recognisable ingredients as composting continues.

What I Like Most

After living with it for a year, there are several things that stand out.

It’s compact.
It fits neatly into the corner of my garden without taking up much room.

It genuinely works.
I could see our waste turning into compost after roughly three to four months.

It reduces waste.
Kitchen scraps, leaves and some grass clippings can become useful material rather than simply being thrown away.

It’s easy to mix.
Being able to rotate the barrel is much easier than manually turning a compost heap.

It contains smells well.
I’ve been impressed by how little unpleasant odour I’ve noticed around it.

65 litres has been enough for us.
For our household of three, it has comfortably dealt with our suitable kitchen scraps alongside some garden waste.

Is There Anything I Would Change?

The biggest limitation is actually a consequence of how much I’ve enjoyed using it.

I’d like another one.

I’m seriously considering buying a second tumbler.

That would allow me to fill one while the compost in the other is left alone to mature.

Once the first batch is ready, I could empty and use it while continuing to fill the second.

For someone who gets into composting and produces a reasonable amount of kitchen and garden waste, I think a two-bin rotation could work really well.

Who Would I Recommend It To?

After 12 months, I’d particularly recommend the Outsunny 65L to someone who:

Has a small or medium-sized garden
Wants to reduce kitchen waste
Doesn’t have room for a large compost heap
Wants to make their own compost
Wants something relatively compact and tidy
Is completely new to composting

I was effectively a sceptic when I started.

Now I’m considering buying another one.

That probably tells you more about my experience with it than anything else.

My Verdict After 12 Months

The Outsunny 65L Compost Bin has turned out to be one of those simple garden purchases that I’ve ended up getting far more satisfaction from than expected.

I originally bought it because I liked the idea of recycling our kitchen waste.

Twelve months later, we’ve diverted a considerable amount of organic material from the bin, and I have a tumbler around three-quarters full of material gradually turning into compost.

Come spring, I’ll be able to put some of that material straight back into the garden and use it to help grow the next season’s plants.

It’s compact, easy to use, surprisingly good at keeping smells contained and, most importantly, it actually works.

For a small or medium-sized garden, I’d happily recommend it.

In fact, I’m seriously considering adding a second one before next year’s growing season.

Check the Outsunny 65L Compost Bin on Amazon

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of our links, Gardeners Guide may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This product was purchased and used for approximately 12 months before this review was written.

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