Boxio Vs Trelino Toilet Review & Comparison

Trying to decide between Boxio vs Trelino? Both are great composting toilets, but there are a few variations in options, capacity, features, dimensions and price.

If you’re looking for the cheapest option, go with Boxio. It functions well, but without any frills or additional features. If you’re ok spending a little more to get some added comfort then consider Trelino.

In this article:

• Boxio vs Trelino comparison
• Boxio toilet review
• Trelino toilet review
• Where to buy + Trelino discount codes

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Comparing Boxio Vs Trelino

This chart shows a quick overview of the differences between Boxio and Trelino toilets.

Trelino comes in multiple sizes, but for the closest comparison Boxio is most similar to Trelino S.

Get $15 Off With My Trelino Discount Code “EVERYWHERE15”

Trelino Toilet Review

There are a few primary categories to compare between Boxio vs Trelino toilets: liquids and solids holding capacity, dimensions, available features and price.

Trelino offers larger holding tanks than Boxio, which makes it more ideal for full-timers. However, you’ll need to buy the Medium or Large Trelino toilet if you want this additional storage capacity. The capacity difference between Boxio vs Trelino S is nominal.

Plan to empty your liquids container daily if you get Boxio or Trelino Small or Medium. With Trelino Large you’ll only have to dump your liquids about every other day.

Trelino offers more features than Boxio, too. Not only do you have multiple size options (small, medium, large), they also come with a soft-close lid, and sell a variety of replacement parts.

I also love that Trelino offers multiple color options: white and dark gray. Boxio only offers black.

NOTE: Trelino toilets come in two models – Origin ($545+) and Evo ($375+). The difference is aesthetics: Origin series comes with a wooden lid whereas the Evo series is all plastic. In this Trelino toilet review article I’m focusing on the Evo series.

Boxio Toilet Review

Boxio is a great alternative if you’re looking for a composting toilet that won’t break the bank. You’ll get the same robust functionality as Trelino, but with fewer features or options.

As Boxio is only available in one size, you’ll have 1.3 gallons of liquids capacity and 1.3 gallons of solids capacity. This makes Boxio comparable to Trelino Small, but much smaller than the Trelino Medium or Large options.

With 1.3 gallons of liquid capacity you’ll need to empty your liquids daily. Large solids capacity matters less, in my opinion.

1.3 gallons of solids capacity is just fine – and you’ll likely get a full week of use before needing to dump (which you’ll want to do even if it’s not full.)

Boxio does not have a soft-close lid, which helps keep it’s cost lower than Trelino. Do you even need a soft-close lid on a toilet? The downside to soft-close hinges is that they’re less robust and can break more easily.

Both Boxio and Trelino S stand less than a foot off the ground. They aren’t going to feel like a normal toilet.

If you’d prefer less of a “squatty potty” experience, Boxio sells a riser box that doubles as storage. Toilet Up is a great place to keep extra rolls of toilet paper, compost material and cleaning supplies.

Where To Buy Boxio Or Trelino Toilets

How They Work: Trelino Vs Boxio

Trelino and Boxio both work the same way – they’re composting toilets that separate solids and liquids.

When solids and liquids mix they become sewage (or black water). If they are not mixed they aren’t considered sewage, so there are far more ways to dispose of them responsibly.

Keeping them separate also means there are fewer odors. That gross sewage smell is actually produced when the two mix, but if they’re kept separate the break-down process that makes that nasty smell doesn’t happen.

It’s much easier to dump solids if they aren’t mixed with liquids. Just like throwing out a baby diaper or dog poo, you can just throw it in any trash bin.

Liquids can be disposed of just about anywhere (with a few exceptions) by following Leave No Trace principles.

One important feature that is missing from both Trelino and Boxio is an agitator. In my opinion, this isn’t a big loss. The agitator is what mixes the solids bin to help aid the composting process.

This is mostly a marketing gimmick when it comes to vans and RV toilets. To truly compost human waste it needs 6 months. I don’t know anyone who is keeping 6 months worth of solids in their camper.

I’ve found the easiest option is to throw solids away because fully composting isn’t realistic. For that reason, the agitator is unnecessary (and just gets in the way, making it harder to clean.)

If you’re looking for a composting toilet with an agitator, I recommend checking out Nature’s Head and Airhead.

Trelino & Boxio Alternatives

I think there’s one fatal flaw for both Trelino and Boxio toilets… they don’t have a “modesty cover” to close access to the solids. When you open the toilet seat you can see the solids. This is also a problem for pests (and a good way to have a ton of flies in your camper.)

Not all composting toilets have this feature, but in my opinion it’s worth having. CompoCloset offers this in their Cuddy and Cuddy Lite models.

The “modesty cover” (sometimes also called a trap door) does more than keep your partner from seeing your poo. It also helps prevent flies (which like to lay eggs that hatch into gross things you don’t want to deal with), keep odors from escaping, and redirects liquids into the correct container (because liquids in the solids is not only gross, but also causes odors from the chemical reaction.)

Curious how Trelino compares to Cuddy Lite? I’ve got an article on that here!

Trelino Vs Boxio: Which Is Better?

In terms of price, Boxio is better than Trelino… by a lot (like $200 less!)

However, if you need a toilet with larger capacity you’ll want to size up to Trelino L. That comes at a cost though — $600!

Honestly, if you’re going to spend $600 on a Trelino I would highly recommend you consider buying Cuddy Lite instead.

Cuddy Lite has more features than Trelino and if you use my Cuddy discount code (EVERYWHERE30) you can buy it for around $620.

More Campervan Toilet Resources

• The Best Van Life Toilet Options For Every Budget
• 13 Best Composting Toilets For RV & Off-Grid Life
• How Does A Composting Toilet Work?