Sara Baird investigates a portable alternative in composting toilets with the Compo Closet Cuddy.
This summer I wrote about testing out a composting toilet and the freedom it provided when we went tent camping. I loved having the same freedom from using an outhouse or waiting in line for the bathrooms we had when camping in a Camper with a bathroom without the hassle of hauling a camper.
The precious composting toilet I reviewed was small and designed for portability, it worked perfectly for camping for a few days and as a backup when a full bathroom was not available. I had considered using it in our camper remodel but when we travel in our camper we often stay places where we completely rely on our camper bathroom and while it would work I didn’t think it would be ideal.
When Compo Closet reached out to see if I wanted to try out their Cuddy Composting toilet, I thought it could be the solution that we were looking for.
Compo Closet
Richard Peter dreamed up Compo Closet during his time as a traveler. As he explored options for toilets in their self-converted van he fell in love with composting toilets and found all of the existing models left him wanting. He then designed the Cuddy Composting Toilet and Compo Closet was formed. Compo Closet strives to support its customers in living a sustainable and adventurous lifestyle.
The Cuddy Composting Toilet
Compo Closet sells two versions of the Cuddy Composting Toilet, the Cuddy, which comes with an agitator, and the Cuddy Light which has all the features of the Cuddy without an agitator. The Cuddy Composting Toilet. The Cuddy is built to be compact and portable. It is 16.3 inches high, 15.1 inches wide, and 16.8 inches deep and has stainless steel hinges that allow you to place the toilet flush with a wall. It weighs 21 pounds.
The Cuddy is full of features. It has a 1.7-gallon liquid container with an LED liquid level indicator to indicate when the liquid container is full. The solids container is 3.9 gallons and has an agitator to mix waste with your chosen medium to start the composting process and reduce any smell. It also has a carbon filter to eliminate smell and a fan that allows it to be vented outside.
The Cuddy is designed for easy installation: “Put it down, plug in the power, and done!” The only power sources needed are a 9-volt battery for the liquid indicator and an 11 volt for the fan. Both of these are not required to use the toilet.
How Composting Toilets Work
Composting toilets separate urine and solid waste to prevent smell and make disposal easier. To dispose of the waste you can either dump the urine into a toilet or outhouse or dilute it and put it in your garden. The solid waste can be composted or thrown into a garbage can.
Composting toilets do not require any chemicals, making them environmentally friendly. The solids container can be filled with fill of your choice. Choices include wood shavings, peat moss, coco peat, or litter. The Cuddy has an agitator so you would simply add your fill and then mix it after each use to begin the composting process. The Cuddy Light does not have the agitator so you would add some fill and then add more fill after each use.
The advantages of a composting toilet are that you do not need to deal with a black tank in a camper, portability since it does not need to be plumbed in, and it does not require chemicals like other portable toilet options.
How it Works
To install the cuddy you simply install the batteries, add medium to the solids bin, and ensure that the correct valve is on the liquids container. Then you can simply place it where you would like it and begin to use it. You can use it in a cabin, a camper, or even a tent. Depending on where you use it you may choose to vent the toilet outside or not, instructions are provided on how to do this.
Testing It Out
The Cuddy arrived in October and I was hoping to get in a fall camping trip to test it out but bad weather and illness foiled our plans. Instead, I played around with it at home to figure out all the features. I found the batteries and filter easy to install and needed to remove the cardboard from the agitator for the Cuddy to be fully set up. Compo Closet was even nice enough to send some Coco Noir for me to use as a medium in the solids container. It was super simple to hydrate the coco noir and add it to the solids container.
The seat of the Cuddy was very comfortable and felt very much like sitting on a regular toilet. The height is lower than a standard toilet but not extremely low. I poured in water to test out the liquid container. I noticed that it was not at all hard to send the liquids into the liquid container. The diverter is deep enough that it can tolerate some amount of unlevel ground and still divert the liquid into the correct container.
I was intimidated by the idea of dumping the solids container into a bag rather than just having it bagged up. I decided to give it a dry run and see how difficult it was to empty the coco noir into a bag. It is nice that the container pulls right out and is easy to handle. There is no need to move the toilet. It was not difficult to put a bag over the container and empty it.
My Recommendation
My main interest in a composting toilet was to determine if it would be a good fit for our 5th-wheel camper remodel. We often camp in places where we rely on the bathroom in our camper and occasionally it can be challenging to find a dump station. There are also times when the black tank is full and we don’t want to move. I would be happy with the Cuddy in our camper. I found it was comfortable and easy to use. Since I did not get to test it out on the road, I read reviews of others who have them and found that people didn’t have issues with smell and were happy with the Cuddy.
I appreciated that is it comfortable to use and that it is compact and can be placed flush with the wall. The diverter was designed well and works as it should. The size of the Cuddy is large enough that it can be used regularly without constantly needing to empty it but not so large that it can’t be portable. It would fit in a cabin, camper, van, or even an option when tent camping in a car.
I was very impressed by the customer service offered by Compo Closet when I picked out the model. They even offered to send me to “potty training” to ensure I knew how to use the toilet correctly. There is also a Facebook group for Cuddy owners to discuss experiences and Compo Closet staff are active on the site providing support as needed.
My only reservation about the Cuddy is that I’m not sure I want an agitator. I would feel better about using a compostable bag to line the solids container. I think this is only something that I will be able to figure out with use. I think while traveling I would prefer a liner but could see how an agitator would be helpful when using it in a cabin or when stationary. The cool thing is that I can purchase a solids container without the agitator for only $35 from Cuddy and use that in place of the agitator. That way I can use either option as it fits my comfort level.
Have you used a composting toilet or would you consider one for your van, camper, or rustic cabin? I would love to hear your thoughts. You can check out the Cuddy at https://compocloset.com/product/cuddy/
Sara Baird
I am an adventurer at heart, always looking for the next opportunity to learn something new. I spend my winter days working with high school students to explore their interests and develop passions.
I spend my evenings and summers developing new hobbies and being outdoors as much as possible. I enjoy camping, hiking, cross country skiing, and biking.
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