{"id":3045,"date":"2026-07-01T12:01:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T12:01:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=3045"},"modified":"2026-07-01T12:01:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T12:01:07","slug":"best-automatic-cat-litter-boxes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=3045","title":{"rendered":"The Best Automatic Litter Box of 2026: Petkit and Litter-Robot"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Compare Our Picks<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

Others We Tested<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Photograph: Kat Merck<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

Litter-Robot 5 for $799<\/strong><\/a>: The base model Litter-Robot 5 offers several improvements and design tweaks over the base Litter-Robot 4: easier assembly and waste removal; an LCD screen; and, if you have a\u00a0Whisker+ subscription<\/a>, a new WasteID feature that is supposed to distinguish between feces and urine. This only worked intermittently in the first four months of testing, as did the LR\u2019s ability to tell my cats apart by their weights. However, the firmware on the 5 was recently updated and seems to have improved greatly over the past few weeks, with fewer error codes and more consistent WasteID readings. I will continue to update my observations over time. Note that I very much prefer Litter-Robot\u2019s larger opening to Petkit\u2019s, the ease of cleaning, and the fact it can hold a week\u2019s worth of waste from my two cats before needing to be emptied. \u2014Kat Merck<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

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Photograph: Molly Higgins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Petcove PurrTek Covered Self-Cleaning Litter Box for $360<\/strong>:<\/a> I was surprised when my two large cats easily took to this very small automatic litter box. I wasn\u2019t even sure my 16-pound cat would be able to fit inside. Set up was super easy: Just insert the step (my cats preferred to use it without because they\u2019re so large and it took up valuable real estate inside), plug in, download the connected app, and connect the box to Wi-Fi. The waste bag was already installed, and there were also large buttons on the front to manually control settings like auto- or manual-cleaning, deodorization, auto-leveling, waste or litter emptying, and sensing. I\u2019ve grown to really appreciate easy outside buttons, which are a game-changer when the often buggy app crashes or you aren\u2019t near your phone. Like many automatic litter boxes I test, this product would be vastly improved with a better app interface and clearer English translations. It was very hard to figure out what the settings were asking or even if they were set, mostly because of the poor translation. Waste bin calibration could be set from zero to 15, and litter leveling setting could be set from zero to six, seemingly arbitrary numbers that didn\u2019t seem to change settings. \u201cDo not disturb\u201d mode could be set, but only for a specific clock time, such as 11:30 pm, rather than a time span, which wasn’t useful. It also took an egregiously long time to sift the waste, at almost four and a half minutes for the whole cycle. I wish the waste bin were at the bottom of the device, because emptying and refilling the bag was often messy and had litter leakage. The device worked without issue overall, and my cats liked it, but for almost $400, I\u2019d get the Petkit PuraMax 2<\/a>, which fluctuates at a similar price but works so much better.<\/p>\n

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Photograph: Kat Merck<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Els Pet Orbitie for $300<\/strong><\/a>: This is one of the least expensive automatic litter boxes, but it functions much like the more expensive models, with an internal 65-liter-capacity orb that rotates and catches clumps with a plastic grate, depositing them into a bag-lined box below. The opening is a generous 12 by 12 inches\u2014plenty big enough for my two 8-year-old cats, who took to it almost immediately despite never having seen anything but a traditional litter box. The accompanying Orbitie app doesn\u2019t offer an extensive amount of information; it tells the user the volume of litter and what step of the cleaning phase the box is currently in, as well as how many times the box has been used and at what times. The first test unit I received was faulty\u2014it sent multiple phantom alerts to the app, letting me know it had cleaned itself as many as 36 times a day, which I knew for a fact was not true. The replacement unit, however, works just as intended, though the bin beneath fills up fast (about every other day with my two cats), and it needs to be disassembled and cleaned every month or so, as tiny pieces of cat litter have a tendency to get in the gears beneath the orb and make a loud grinding noise. Online reviews panned an earlier version of this box, but Orbitie says this is an improved version. Thankfully, like the bigger brands, Orbitie also offers a 90-day money-back guarantee if you\u2019re on the fence. \u2014Kat Merck<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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Photograph: Molly Higgins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

FurryTail Automatic Litter Box Pro for $280<\/a>:<\/strong> I was surprised by how quickly and easily my cats took to this device\u2014even my larger cat, who hates change, started using it right away. Setup was super easy, and the box comes with a year’s supply of waste bag liners, an additional grate attachment, and a mat to reduce litter tracking. Similar to many models, the spherical orb rotates, sifting dirty litter into a waste bag, which, on this model, is on top of the machine rather than below. The box has both a manual display and buttons on the machine, as well as an app to adjust settings. I’d include this model in our top picks because of how easy it was to set up and use, as well as how much my cats liked it, but the app was basically useless. Through the app, you can adjust settings like timed cleanings and do-not-disturb modes, manually clean, and monitor waste levels. However, the app never tracked usage or weight, and for the majority of the time, didn’t clean when I manually instructed it to. The sensors would sense ghost cats and refuse to clean, with the device not automatically cycling for the majority of the day (which sort of defeats the purpose). This automatic box has tons of potential, but I can’t fully recommend it until the kinks (especially in the app) are ironed out.<\/p>\n

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Courtesy of Smarty Pear<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Casa Leo Leo’s Loo Too Automatic Litter Box for $650<\/strong><\/a>: This automatic litter box was a top pick for a long time<\/a>, but it’s pricey and a bit cramped for some cats. We still like it, but think the options above are better for most people (and cats). There are four weight sensors inside the barrel to detect when a cat is still inside (it needs just 1 pound of weight to detect your cat), an anti-pinch sensor (for fingers and paws), and a radar system that detects when anyone, feline or human, is near it. For extra cleanliness, it also uses ultraviolet light<\/a> for extra sanitation. The Smarty Pear app alerts you when the drawer is full (about once a week), records the times your cat uses it and the cat’s weight, and you can set it to automatically clean six seconds to 20 minutes after your cat uses it. You can start a cleaning session manually from the app or use your voice if you connect the box to Alexa or Google Assistant. Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano<\/a>\u2019s biggest struggle using the Loo Too was pouring new litter into it, which can be tricky because of the small entry hole. The barrel is also pretty cramped, especially for her 12-pound cat.<\/p>\n

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Photograph: Simon Hill<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

PetSafe ScoopFree SmartSpin Self-Cleaning Litter Box for $386<\/strong><\/a>: This basic automatic litter box is around half the price but has a similar design to more expensive models. This futuristic-looking pod on legs has a rubbery bottom, a weight detector that sets off the cleaning cycle a few minutes after your cat has done its business, and a slide-out tray in the bottom. After they\u2019ve been, the body rotates, and a mesh catches the clumps and deposits them in the tray, where there\u2019s a bag with a wee deodorizer unit that smells like watermelon. You can connect it to Wi-Fi and review your cat\u2019s toilet visits in the app on your phone, where each entry displays the time they went, their weight, and toilet trip duration. This self-cleaning box was easy to build and works surprisingly well, even though it feels kinda cheap. Ultimately, as a relatively affordable self-cleaning device, the PetSafe ScoopFree SmartSpin is worth a look. \u2014Simon Hill<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Not Recommended<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Petlibro Luma Smart Litter Box for $600<\/strong><\/a>: I’m a big fan of Petlibro’s\u00a0automatic feeders<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0fountains<\/a>, but I’ve found that the brand’s other tech products, like this automatic litter box and\u00a0AI-enabled pet camera<\/a>, aren’t on the same level. First, we cannot recommend any model that closes completely during cleaning cycles. The Luma is outfitted with tons of sensors to prevent cleaning while a cat (or any object) is inside or near the entrance, and I highly doubt injury would occur. But the globe spins backward and forward, rather than clockwise and counterclockwise, meaning that the entrance is closed during cycling. If a sensing malfunction happened, the cat would be trapped inside. I appreciated the button controls on the outside top, which allow for manual control. However, they’re on a touchscreen above the camera. So, oftentimes, when I tried to manually reset, the camera caught me and wouldn’t continue the cleaning or control I asked of it, because the safety features would prevent action inside the box. It was very frustrating. When I went out of town, it got stuck in the middle of the cleaning cycle for two days because it kept sensing a ghost cat. The globe was mid-cycle, and the entrance was covered; I couldn’t bypass via the app to keep cleaning. (Thank God I had a second litter box for my cats available, or I would’ve been out of luck.) The auto-deodorizing feature goes off automatically for five minutes after each use and sounds like an airplane engine. There’s no way to turn it off; you can turn the power down to a lower level, but it’s still egregiously loud. Right now, I can’t recommend this model (mostly for safety reasons), but a lot of the design flaws could be fixed in future iterations to make it a solid choice.<\/p>\n

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Photograph: Molly Higgins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Oneisall Ease S1 Self-Cleaning Litter Box for $205<\/strong><\/a>: Full disclosure: I tested this in a beta version before it was released to the public, so I hope my major complaints have been fixed in later manufactured models. This automatic box is constructed from hygienic stainless steel to keep things cleaner and less prone to harboring odors, it has a simple design, and it\u2019s affordable. I\u2019m generally a fan of Oneisall\u2019s pet tech; I\u2019ve been impressed by various models of the brand’s simple, affordable automatic pet fountains<\/a> and automatic pet feeders<\/a>. This model is also super simple, with a few front-facing buttons to control settings and no connected app. On the front is the status light, which will flash different colors for things like waste basket full, improper installation, and motion detection. It has buttons for turning off manual or auto-cleaning modes and leveling litter. For the first five days of \u201ctesting,\u201d the automatic box detected a cat and stayed perpetually in cleaning mode. No matter what buttons I pressed, there was no way to override or reset it; even when I unplugged and replugged, the cleaning cycle would continue without end. When leveling litter, it would sense a ghost cat and stay perpetually in a wonky position for hours, if not days. Once it eventually went into standby mode, the litter wasn\u2019t flat, and the box was slightly angled. My cats were too freaked out to use it regularly because it was always moving or at an odd angle. I love that it\u2019s affordable and simple and has hygienic stainless-steel construction, but some serious design changes need to be made\u2014primarily a way to override ghost sensing to complete a cleaning cycle, and perhaps a connected app\u2014before I can recommend this model.<\/p>\n

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Photograph: Molly Higgins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

PetSnowy Snow+ Self-Cleaning Litter Box for $529<\/strong><\/a>: This box looks like something from Kubrick\u2019s visions of space travel, or if Eames started making plastic litter boxes. It takes up quite a bit of horizontal floor space, so it may not be ideal for those in cramped apartments looking to conserve space. Unlike all others on this list, this globe is closed during cleaning, which could cause injury if the machine malfunctioned and didn\u2019t sense a cat. The box also doesn\u2019t tell you when the litter\u2019s low or needs to be refilled. My cats had a really hard time using it\u2014they just couldn\u2019t understand that it was a litter box. Older cats could have a tough time jumping into it, and the smaller opening could be a problem if you have bigger cats. It might be great for someone who wants to keep things tidy\u2014it\u2019s extremely clean, smells good, and hugely reduces litter tracking. However, we just can’t recommend the device since it’s closed during cleaning, which is not safe.<\/p>\n

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Photograph: Molly Higgins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The Pet Zone Smart Scoop for $166<\/strong><\/a>: This is probably the least \u201csmart\u201d automatic litter box we’ve tested\u2014it’s a typical rectangular plastic box with an automatic arm that acts as a rake and scoops the clumped (soiled) litter into a small bin on the other side. Once the cat leaves, it begins a 15-minute countdown and the rake slides over the length of the box, (ideally) scooping up the waste and lifting it into the receptacle. You\u2019re only allowed to fill the device with about an inch and a half of litter, which my cats didn\u2019t like (they prefer a few inches to really bury it). The rake doesn\u2019t stop when it’s in the cleaning cycle\u2014even if something jumps in, which is potentially dangerous. My cats tend to pee on the side of the litter box, which, because of the rake\u2019s placement, means it misses an inch on either side\u2014I still had to scrape the caked-on litter from the edges. The cycle timing can\u2019t be adjusted, so the litter didn\u2019t have time to clump completely, and the rake would immediately break it down into smaller clumps that would then be missed because they were too small. For me, the hassle’s not worth it, and I\u2019d rather just scoop it myself.<\/p>\n

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How Do Automatic Litter Boxes Work?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n