The best worm composters, compared.
Top pick: Relaxdays in-ground worm composter, 5 L, terracotta Best value: UNIFAMILY in-ground metal worm bins, pack of 2 – £11.59 is the lowest price among listings with reviews, at 3.8 from 14, but the 30 litre line conflicts with the dimensions and lids bend in reviews. Updated October 2026.
A worm composter, also called a wormery, is a bin in which composting worms turn a small flow of kitchen scraps into castings and a liquid you dilute for plants. The Royal Horticultural Society says it is not a substitute for a conventional compost heap, and it is not a hot bin, a tumbler or a mealworm box. This page decides which of seven amazon.co.uk worm composters suits a bed you can dig and which suits a patio or balcony. On 15 October 2026 the shelf prices ran from £8.79 to £56.90. We compared type, whether the stated litres agree with the centimetres, and the UK star rating and review count. None of the seven listings states that worms are included. The MidingChai underground worm farm, 8 L, pack of 2, is the top pick for a raised bed or border. The UNIFAMILY in-ground metal worm bins, pack of 2, are the best value at £11.59, with 14 reviews and a capacity line that conflicts with the dimensions. Scores use listing data and review text, not a laboratory test. The [worm composter buying guide](/hub/fertiliser-soil-and-bark-mulch/worm-composter/sub/worm-composter-buying-guide) sets out the decision order before the table.
A worm composter, also called a wormery, is a bin in which composting worms turn a small flow of kitchen scraps into castings and a liquid you dilute for plants.
26 products checked · 62 hrs invested · +21,400 readers
Swipe for more
1-2 of 7
Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where will the bin sit?
The 5 litre Relaxdays is a lidded terracotta cylinder, about 22 x 22 x 26 cm and 1.6 kg, for burying on a balcony or in a garden bed. It has a 5.0 rating, but that is four reviews, and the only review text says the order was fine overall. There is therefore no evidence about lid fit, how it copes with rats or how long the clay lasts. At £56.90 it is the most expensive listing in this comparison, and you still need to buy worms because none are listed. The listing does not say whether it works indoors, and there is no tap. A star rating from four buyers is thinner evidence than 4.8 from 10, so the pot is one to open only if you want terracotta rather than plastic.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who wants clay rather than plastic in a bed or planter, and accepts a thin review base
Less suitable: Budget buyers, anyone who wants proof of durability, and those who need a tap or indoor use
Specifications
Common questions
Are worms included?
The listing asks and does not answer. Worms are not named in the contents.
Can I use it indoors?
That question is on the listing and is not answered. The bullets say balcony and garden.
Does it have a handle?
The listing asks whether it has a handle and does not say. No handle is named in the specification.
This is a pack of two buried PVC tubes, each listed at 8 litres and measuring about 24 x 24 x 27.5 cm, which you sink into a bed and feed through a screw lid. The 4.8 rating comes from 10 amazon.co.uk reviews, and buyers describe thick plastic, a lid that locks and a bin that disappears once it is buried. Slots and vents let liquid out and worms in, so the tube works as a pocket of compost inside the soil rather than a container you empty. The recurring complaint is rats: reviewers report bins dug up and plastic chewed, which leaves fragments in the soil. One reviewer also sees flies unless soil is mixed in with the scraps, and the lid is not described as child-proof. The title says starter kit, but worms are not listed in the contents, so you need to buy composting worms separately. The 4 litre pack carries almost identical review text, so the two MidingChai packs are not two independent samples.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A raised bed, border or deep planter that you can dig into, where waste should stay in the soil
Less suitable: Rat-prone gardens, balconies with no soil or planter depth, and anyone who wants castings to carry away
Specifications
Common questions
Are worms included?
The listing does not say that composting worms are in the box. The title calls it a starter kit, and the contents named are the two bins and lids.
Can I use it indoors?
The listing describes outdoor use in a garden, raised bed or greenhouse. It does not state that the bin is for indoor use.
Does it need tools to set up?
The listing says there is no installation. You bury the bin and add scraps through the screw lid.
The 4 litre MidingChai pack is two small buried PVC tubes measuring about 17.8 x 17.8 x 18.8 cm each and weighing 450 g in total. It has the same 4.8 rating from 10 reviews as the 8 litre pack, and the review text is very similar, so it is better read as one sample shared by two listings. Reviewers like the thick plastic, the locking lid and the way a tube fits in a tiny bed, a courtyard planter or a deep window box. One reviewer needed only one shovel depth and several call it good value for the build. The same weaknesses apply: rats dig the tubes up and chew the plastic, flies appear unless soil goes in with the scraps, and one buyer describes the bin as nearer 3.5 litres than 4. At £24.99 for two it costs almost as much as the 8 litre pack, which makes it the weaker buy unless an 18 cm tube is all your planter can hold.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A deep planter or tiny bed where an 8 litre tube will not fit
Less suitable: Households that want the best volume for the money, gardens with rats and anyone who needs a tap
Specifications
Common questions
Are worms included?
The listing does not say that worms are supplied. Reviews of this listing say the leaflet suggests adding worms and does not name the species.
How is it different from the 8 litre MidingChai pack?
This listing states 4 litres and 17.8 x 17.8 x 18.8 cm. The other MidingChai pack states 8 litres and 24 x 24 x 27.5 cm. Both are packs of two buried PVC bins.
Does it have a tap for liquid?
No tap is listed. The bin is vented, and a review says slots let wet material out into the surrounding soil.
The DIVCHI is the only stacking wormery in this comparison, with three trays, an airflow lid, a moisture mat and a drainage tap, at £38.99. The listing says it can be used indoors and outdoors, including a patio, balcony or utility area, and the push-fit assembly needs no tools. It scores 4.0 from five reviews, and one buyer says it does the composting job and that worms did not easily escape. The main complaint is fit: the trays and lid do not line up, the lid leaves gaps and one reviewer superglued the legs to make it stable. Another calls it flimsy while still using it, and a reviewer advises keeping it under cover. The page gives no litre figure and prints a weight of 250 g beside 50 x 37 x 74 cm, which cannot both be right. Worms are not listed in the contents.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A patio, balcony or utility area with no soil to bury a tube in, or someone who wants liquid from a tap
Less suitable: Buyers who want a rugged bin left uncovered in the rain, or anyone who needs a stated capacity before buying
Specifications
Common questions
Are worms included?
The listing asks whether worms are included and does not answer. Worms are not in the contents, which name the lid, trays, moisture mat and drain tap.
Can I keep it indoors?
The listing says the bin is for indoor and outdoor use, including a utility area, patio, balcony, garden and greenhouse.
Does it need tools?
The listing says assembly is push-fit and needs no tools. Reviews also say the trays and lid can fit poorly, and one reviewer glued the legs.
This UNIFAMILY set is two small metal tubes with lids for burying in a raised bed, priced at £11.59 for the pair. The listing prints 30 L, but the same page gives about 9 x 9 x 30 cm and bullet sizes of about 31 x 10 x 10 cm and 30 x 9 x 9 cm, so 30 here reads as a length in centimetres, not a volume. It has a 3.8 rating from 14 reviews. One buyer kept a two-person household's scraps out of the kitchen caddy between collections and saw compost in a couple of months, and another says the steel wire kept rodents out. The complaints are practical: the tubes are too small, one lid was very tight and then stuck, and a reviewer says it bent and the buried tube had to be lifted out to open it. Worms are not listed, there is no tap and it is built for outdoor use only.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A cheap trial in a raised bed for one or two people who accept a very small working volume
Less suitable: Households with a full caddy, anyone expecting 30 litres and buyers who dislike fiddly lids
Specifications
Common questions
Is the capacity 30 litres?
The specification block says 30 litres. The same listing gives item dimensions of 9 x 9 x 30 cm and bullet sizes of about 30 x 9 x 9 cm and 31 x 10 x 10 cm. Those figures do not describe the same volume. Reviews call the bins small.
Are worms included?
The listing does not say that worms are in the pack.
Will the lid stay usable once it is buried?
Reviews report a lid that was too tight, bent, and then would not open, including one that had to be dug back out. Another review says the wire kept rodents off.
This Relaxdays pot is a single lidded terracotta cylinder, about 11 x 11 x 11.5 cm and 360 g, with openings so worms can move between the pot and the soil. It costs £35.78 and has a 3.6 rating from five reviews. One reviewer measured a little over 600 ml with a jug, well short of the listed 1 litre. Another found it too small, because the worms stayed in the raised bed rather than using the pot. The first parcel reached one buyer broken and rattling, although the refund was quick and the replacement arrived intact. Reviewers who liked it used it as a trial in a small raised bed, and one added composting worms bought separately. At that price per litre, it only makes sense as a small trial pot, not as a way to process a household's peelings.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A trial in a small raised bed, where a clay pot looks better than a plastic tube
Less suitable: Households with a full kitchen caddy, and anyone who wants real capacity for the price
Specifications
Common questions
Does it really hold 1 litre?
The listing says 1 litre and about 11.5 cm high by 11 cm across. One reviewer measured a little over 600 ml with a jug of the same diameter.
Are worms included?
Worms are not listed in the box. A reviewer bought composting worms separately.
Can I use it indoors?
The listing does not answer that question. It describes the pot for a balcony and a garden.
The SUNNEE is a single white plastic in-ground bin with a screw lid, listed at £8.79, which is the lowest price in this comparison. No rating or review text was captured for it, so there is nothing from buyers about durability, smell or pests. The listing gives no capacity and prints 8 x 5 x 1 cm and 50 g, which does not describe a bin you could bury and feed. It says the bin is moisture-proof and that the lid stays on in wind and keeps wild animals out, but no review confirms either claim. Questions about bury depth, worm size and clay soil are unanswered on the page, and worms are not listed in the contents.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Someone happy to gamble a few pounds on an unreviewed bin and check the delivered size straight away
Less suitable: Anyone who needs proven performance, a known capacity or a bin they can rely on in a rat-prone garden
Specifications
Common questions
How big is it?
The listing prints 8 x 5 x 1 cm and 50 g. It does not state a litre capacity.
Are worms included?
Worms are not named in the contents. The listing also asks what size of worm is needed and does not answer.
Can I bury it in clay soil?
The listing asks that question and does not answer it.
We compared seven amazon.co.uk listings, their UK rating lines, review text and the public sources below. Scores weight stars, review depth, how complete the listing is, value for the stated volume, and problems named in reviews. No worm composter was used in a laboratory. A Gardeners' World Best Buy on that site refers to other models, not these seven listings.
Amazon rating
50%Stars on the amazon.co.uk listing carry half the score. A 5.0 from four reviews is not treated as stronger evidence than 4.8 from 10.
Review depth
15%The review count on that listing. Similar review text on the two MidingChai packs counts once, not as two samples. A listing with no reviews is marked down.
Listing completeness
15%Capacity, dimensions, worms, indoor use and drainage. A litre claim that conflicts with the centimetres stays a conflict, not a larger bin.
Value for stated volume
10%Shelf price against the stated volume and pack size. The cheapest listing does not qualify when it has no reviews.
Reported problems
10%Pests, lids, breakage and poor fit in the review text reduce the score even when the star average looks strong.
Start with where the bin will sit, then check that any litre claim matches the centimetres and that worms are listed only if the contents say so. A buried pot feeds the soil. A stacking tray is what you lift castings from, and it is the option when you cannot dig. Treat star ratings, review counts and conflicting dimensions as separate facts. The prices below are amazon.co.uk shelf prices from 15 October 2026.
A worm composter, or wormery, is a bin in which composting worms turn a small, steady flow of kitchen scraps into castings and a liquid you dilute and use on plants. The Royal Horticultural Society says a wormery is not a substitute for conventional composting. It is also not a hot bin, a tumbler or a mealworm box.
A wormery is not a hot bin, a tumbler or a mealworm box, and the RHS says it does not replace a conventional compost heap. Match a buried pot to soil and a stacking tray to castings you want to lift out.
The UNIFAMILY page states 30 litres and also about 9 x 9 x 30 cm. A reviewer measured the stated 1 litre Relaxdays pot at a little over 600 ml. If the centimetres and the litres disagree, do not treat the larger number as the working size.
None of these seven listings states a weight of composting worms. Use Eisenia fetida or Dendrobaena veneta if you add a colony, not lawn earthworms. Overfeeding in the first week is a separate way to spoil a new bin.
Type comes first. Stacking trays suit castings you remove. An in-ground pot suits soil or a deep planter. Wiggly Wigglers calls the buried bin fixed and lower-maintenance, and the tray kit portable enough for a balcony. This set has one tray bin, the DIVCHI at £38.99, and six buried pots. Flats and balconies need that tray, or another bin you can keep in the shade. A buried pot needs soil or a deep planter, and a neglected indoor wormery can smell. Capacity has to agree with the centimetres.
Liquid must be able to leave, and the bin wants shelter from frost and summer heat. The RHS says worms are most active around 18–25°C and slow below 10°C and above 30°C. Gardeners' World states 15–25°C and says they will not survive above 35°C. Only the DIVCHI lists a tap, so only that bin is set up to collect liquid. Buried pots in this set vent into the surrounding soil instead. Dilute collected liquid about 1:10 and do not store it for long.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You can dig into a bed, border or deep planter and want the waste to stay in the soil. The MidingChai 8 litre pair is the top pick, with a screw lid and 4.8 from 10 reviews. Reviews also report rats chewing the plastic, and worms are not in the box.
You have no soil to dig. The DIVCHI is the only three-tray wormery in this set, with a tap and a listing that states indoor and outdoor use. Reviews report trays and a lid that do not line up, and the page gives no litre capacity.
You want the lowest price that still has reviews. The UNIFAMILY pair is £11.59 with 3.8 from 14 reviews. Treat the bins as small: the 30 litre line conflicts with about 9 x 9 x 30 cm, and reviews describe lids that stick or bend.
Type, a capacity that matches the dimensions, and a real review count matter more than a starter-kit title. The MidingChai underground worm farm, 8 L, pack of 2, is the top pick: the highest score here, two buried PVC tubes listed at 8 litres, a screw lid, and 4.8 from 10 reviews. The UNIFAMILY in-ground metal worm bins, pack of 2, are the best value at £11.59 with 14 reviews, but the 30 litre line conflicts with the stated dimensions and reviews report bent lids. Worms are not listed with either bin. A balcony without soil still needs the stacking tray, not a buried tube.
UNIFAMILY in-ground metal worm bins, pack of 2
£11.59 is the lowest price among listings with reviews, at 3.8 from 14, but the 30 litre line conflicts with the dimensions and lids bend in reviews.
Editorial
Products Compared publishes British-English buying guides based on amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources. We do not run a lab and we do not invent test scores.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources used for this comparison; last accessed 15 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Lee Burkhill (Garden Ninja) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This article contains affiliate links. If you buy a product through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Our editorial assessment remains independent and is based on amazon.co.uk listing data, customer-review evidence and public sources; we did not conduct a laboratory test.
