Your Cart is Empty
Nature's Head vs Separett Villa: Self-Contained vs Bag System
Key Takeaways
- These are fundamentally different systems. Nature's Head composts waste inside the unit. Separett Villa collects waste in sealed bags — composting happens externally.
- Separett routes urine via a drain hose — no internal bottle. The hose connects to a separate container, leach bed, or gray water system. Nature's Head is fully self-contained with a removable 2.2-gallon bottle.
- Separett's bag system means no touching compost. You remove a single sealed bag from the container — no scooping, no loose material. Some people strongly prefer this.
- Nature's Head is more portable and versatile. Separett is better for permanent cabin or home installations.
- Separett has ongoing bag costs (~$0.75–1.00 per bag). Nature's Head only needs coco coir (~$5–10 per cycle).
Related reading:
Nature's Head Composting Toilets ·
Separett Villa 9215 ·
Full Composting Toilet Collection ·
How Nature's Head Works ·
Composting Toilet vs Septic ·
Benefits of Composting Toilets
Nature's Head vs Separett Villa: Two Very Different Approaches
Comparing the Nature's Head to the Separett Villa 9215 isn't like comparing two similar products — it's comparing two fundamentally different approaches to waterless sanitation. One composts waste in the unit. The other collects waste in bags for composting elsewhere.
Understanding this distinction is the key to choosing between them. Here's the full comparison.
How Each System Works
Nature's Head: Self-Contained Composting
Solids drop into a composting chamber filled with coco coir. You turn a crank handle to mix the medium with waste, creating the aerobic conditions needed for decomposition. A 12V fan runs continuously, drying the material and exhausting any trace odors through a vent hose. Urine separates into a 2.2-gallon removable bottle.
The waste actually breaks down inside the unit over 3–4 weeks. When you empty, the contents look and smell like damp garden soil.
Separett Villa 9215: Bag Collection + External Composting
Solids drop into a single biodegradable bag lining a removable container inside the unit. When you sit down, a weight-activated trap door opens automatically — no cranking, no latches. The container rotates slightly as it fills to distribute waste evenly. A small amount of bulking material (wood shavings or coco coir) can be added after each use.
When the container is full — typically around 3 weeks for a family of four — you remove the bag, tie it off, and place it in an external compost bin to finish breaking down. No composting happens inside the Separett itself.
Urine is separated at the bowl and drained via a hose — there is no internal collection bottle. The drain hose routes to a separate collection container, a leach bed, or a gray water system. No connection to household plumbing is required.
Side-by-Side Specifications
The Core Trade-Off: Convenience vs Versatility
Separett's Advantage: No Touching Compost
The Separett Villa's bag system is its biggest selling point. When it's time to empty, you lift out sealed bags — no scooping, no contact with composted material, no mess. Tie the bag, place it in an outdoor compost bin, done.
For people who are uncomfortable with the idea of handling composted waste — even though properly composted material looks and smells like soil — the Separett removes that step entirely.
The weight-activated trap door is also a genuinely elegant touch. Sit down and it opens automatically. Stand up and it closes. No fumbling with a latch, no extra step to remember.
The Separett Villa is a premium, hands-off system that brings Scandinavian engineering and genuine ease-of-use to any permanent off-grid or alternative sanitation setup.
Nature's Head's Advantage: Self-Contained and Portable
Nature's Head is fully self-contained by default — urine goes in a removable 2.2-gallon bottle, solids compost inside the unit, and you don't need to route a drain line anywhere. That said, Nature's Head also offers an optional urine diverter kit that lets you hose urine directly to a holding tank or drainage area if you'd prefer not to empty the bottle manually. Either way, you're in control of how you manage it.
- Vans and RVs: Drop it in, bolt it down, connect the fan, done. No plumbing modifications.
- Boats: Self-contained means no through-hull fittings for urine drainage.
- Temporary installations: You can move it between locations easily.
- Emergency preparedness: Works anywhere with zero infrastructure.
The Separett requires routing a urine drain hose to an external destination — a separate container, leach bed, or gray water system — which makes it better suited to permanent or semi-permanent installations. The Nature's Head eliminates that requirement entirely.
Nature's Head is a battle-tested, American-made workhorse trusted by van lifers, boaters, homesteaders, and off-gridders worldwide.
Installation Complexity
Nature's Head: Bolt to floor, connect 12V fan, route vent hose to exterior. That's it. Most people complete installation in 1–2 hours. No plumbing or drain routing required.
Separett Villa: Bolt to floor, connect fan (12V or 110V), route vent hose to exterior, AND route a urine drain hose to an external destination — a separate container, leach bed, or gray water system. The drain adds meaningful complexity: you need to plan the routing, ensure proper slope for gravity flow, and decide where the urine is going. For a cabin with no existing drainage setup, this can be a significant project. For a cabin that already has a gray water system or a simple outdoor container in place, it's straightforward.
Ongoing Costs
Nature's Head's only consumable is composting medium. A compressed coco coir brick costs $5–10 and lasts one full cycle (3–4 weeks for two people). Annual cost: roughly $65–130.
Separett requires proprietary biodegradable bags at approximately $15–20 per pack of 20. At roughly 1 bag per week for two people, that's about $40–50 per year in bags alone, plus bulking material. Not a prohibitive cost, but it's a recurring expense that Nature's Head doesn't have.
Odor Control
Both systems are odor-free when properly maintained. The Separett arguably has a slight edge here — the sealed bags contain waste more completely, and the weight-activated trap door minimizes exposure time. But in practice, users of both systems report the same result: no bathroom smell in the living space.
Who Should Choose Which?
Choose Nature's Head If:
- You need a portable, self-contained solution (van, RV, boat)
- You don't want to route a urine drain line — or you do, and want the flexibility of an optional diverter kit
- Lower ongoing costs matter (coco coir only, no bags)
- You want USA manufacturing
- Installation simplicity is a priority
- You need 12V-only power
Choose Separett Villa If:
- You're doing a permanent cabin or tiny home installation
- You strongly prefer not handling composted material (sealed bags only)
- You have a location for the urine drain — a container, leach bed, or gray water system
- You want 110V AC power (no 12V wiring needed)
- The weight-activated trap door appeals to you
- Swedish engineering and build quality matter to you
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a Separett in a van or RV?
For the Separett Villa, it's not the ideal fit — routing a urine drain hose to an external container adds real complexity in a mobile setup. However, Separett does make a model specifically designed for vans, RVs, and boats: the Separett Tiny, which has a built-in self-contained urine container. So if you're drawn to the Separett system but need it mobile, the Tiny is worth a look. For a fully self-contained composting solution, Nature's Head remains the go-to choice among van lifers and boaters.
Which lasts longer?
Both carry 5-year warranties. Nature's Head has been on the market since approximately 2009 with users reporting 10+ years of reliable daily use. Separett has been manufacturing composting toilets in Sweden since the 1970s (though the Villa 9215 is a newer model). Both are well-built for long-term use.
Does the Separett actually compost?
Not inside the unit. The Separett collects waste in bags. Composting happens after you remove the bags and place them in an external compost bin. Nature's Head handles the full composting cycle internally — the material in the solids bin is actively composting during use.
Which is better for a cabin?
For a permanent cabin installation where you can set up a urine drain to a container, leach bed, or gray water system, the Separett Villa is a strong choice — clean bag removal, 110V option, and the weight-activated seat are well-suited to a home-like setting. For a seasonal cabin where simplicity matters and you don't want to deal with drain routing, Nature's Head is easier to install and maintain. See our guide to composting toilets for off-grid living for more context.
Do I need to buy specific bags for the Separett?
Separett recommends their proprietary Bio Drain bags. Compatible compostable bags from other brands may work, but using non-approved bags risks tearing inside the unit. This is an ongoing cost (~$15–20 per pack of 20) that Nature's Head doesn't have.
The Bottom Line
These aren't competing products — they're designed for different situations. Nature's Head is the versatile, self-contained option that works anywhere: vans, boats, cabins, and emergencies. The Separett Villa is the clean, bag-based option designed for permanent home and cabin installations where routing a drain to a container or leach bed is feasible.
Both are excellent toilets. The right one depends entirely on your setup.
Shop the Nature's Head Composting Toilet or the Separett Villa 9215 — or browse our full Composting Toilet Collection to compare all options.
Leave a comment
Comments will be approved before showing up.