Automatic devices

The 5 Best Automatic Litter Boxes of 2024: An In-Depth Review and Testing

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Is it true that automatic litter boxes mean you do not have to scoop the litter? We tried 14 of them in our New York Lab and in homes with friendly cats. We checked to see how well they worked and how well they blocked odors. Real cats and fake “poop” were both used to confirm our findings.

The best one was the Smart Robotic Litter. It was even better than the old version of cat Litter-Robot, which was our favorite. Everything about this new model is better. It is simple to use, has lots of useful features, and does not make a lot of noise, so your cats will not be scared of it. It is also very simple to clean.

Others may be better for you than this one, even though we liked this one the most. They are either smaller or less expensive.

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Ease of Use 5/5
Capacity 4.5/5
Design 5/5
Ease of Cleaning  4.5/5
Odor Elimination  4.5/5

What We Like

  • Intuitive interface
  • Small and take not much space
  • Very easy to clean
  • Operates quietly
  • Large, inviting opening
  • Useful Smart app
  • Thoughtful features, like infrared detection

What We Don’t Like

  • Take little more time to full cleaning

Discover the Intelligent Robotic Litter

The Smart Robotic Litter Box from Petkit Market is the best automatic cat litter box and way better than the old version. We discovered that we loved its many features and design improvements after going through weeks of real cat trials at home followed by lab testing.

And the thing we adore the most is that the price is reasonable despite the sophisticated features. Additionally, getting started is quite simple. Inside the box, the Smart Robotic Litter is fully operational. Simply plug it in, then launch the Smart app.

How it Is Designed and Operates

The first thing you’ll notice about the Smart Robotic Litter is how it looks. Its entrance is round and wide. That is far superior to the smaller entryway of the previous model. Our in-home tester reported that their kitties were eager to investigate the attractive automatic cat litter box.

“My kitties quickly adapted to it. “When it started moving on its own, they were a little scared and confused at first,” our tester remarked.

A layer of litter is maintained on a sturdy fabric base by the Smart Robotic Litter. When your cat urinates, the internal mechanism slowly rotates. The litter is fed through a sifter, which separates the solid waste from the clean litter and returns it. Waste is deposited into a tray underneath.

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Smart Features

Sensors in the entrance watch for motion and weight, so the Smart Cat Litter Box won’t start cleaning with a cat inside. It can even determine the amount of waste it removes and distinguish between cats based on weight. You can use a button to manually clean your kitten’s space until they reach a certain weight if they weigh less than three pounds.

The Smart Robotic Litter’s control panel features large, vibrant LED buttons. There are buttons for power, cycle, reset, empty, and connecting to WiFi. Every button has multiple functions. An LED beneath the buttons indicates when a feature is paused or if a cat has been left inside for an extended period of time. It is not difficult, but it does take some getting used to.

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Easy to Clean

It is very simple to clean the Smart Robotic Litter. Even when the tray is completely full, you can simply lift the edges and tie it up because the bags are tall enough. The bottom of the tray has a QR code that links to a website where you can purchase additional bags, filters, and litter (you can use any kind of litter; we tested it with a store brand and it worked perfectly).

The components are robust and durable. Despite its sleek appearance, the Smart Robotic Litter is robust rather than delicate. If desired, you can even remove the entire interior component and give it a thorough rinse. It is equally simple to remove and clean the tray underneath.

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Enjoyable Experience

Everything about the design, including the integrated night light, is thoughtfully done. The Smart Robotic Litter was enjoyable to use, despite its unusual appearance. We were impressed at every turn.

The problem of bad smell is a problem with a lot of automatic litter boxes because they separate the waste from the litter, which usually absorbs the smell. The Smart Robotic Litter uses a carbon filter in the waste drawer to reduce the strong smell; it eliminates 99.8% of odors, ensuring a fresh environment for both cats and their owners. 

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The Smart Robotic Litter from Petkit Market is worth considering for any cat owner. Imagine not having to worry about scooping litter every day when you return home to a clean litter box. Purchase a Smart Robotic Litter right away for a simpler, cleaner, and more joyful home for pet owners!

Price at time of publish: $449.95

Dimensions: 29.5 x 22 x 27 inches | Entry: 15.75 inches | Weight: 24 pounds

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Ease of Use 4.5/5
Capacity 4.8/5
Design 4/5
Ease of Cleaning  4/5
Odor Elimination  4/5

Price at time of publish: $699

Read the full review : Litter-Robot 3 Connect Review

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Ease of Use 5/5
Capacity 3.8/5
Design 3/5
Ease of Cleaning  3.5/5
Odor Elimination  4/5

What We Like

  • Cool, minimalist design
  • App with lots of data
  • Fantastic odor control
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What We Don’t Like

  • The design is not comfortable for cats

  • Not easy to clean

The PETKIT Pura X – A Solid Choice

The PETKIT Pura X is a lot like our top pick, the Robotic Litter. It removes the waste and sorts the litter using a revolving internal component. It can be programmed to do this manually, on a timer, or immediately after your cat is finished.

How Effective It Is

The Pura X performed as well in our tests as we had anticipated. It looks good, is quiet, and requires some cleaning. Your cat may even appear to be operating a tiny spacecraft at times!

The only problem we found was the smaller entrance, which is only about half as big as the one on the smart robotic litter. The Pura X may not be the best option if your cat is very large. Although it works well for cats weighing up to eighteen pounds, one of our testers who had four different-sized cats found it difficult to get them all to use it.

Benefits of the Pura X PETKIT

However, the PETKIT Pura X also has some advantages. The area at the top where fresh litter can be added was one feature we really enjoyed. This eliminates the need for you to stoop as low to maintain the box’s functionality.

The Pura X actually outperformed our top pick in terms of scent. It places the waste in a sealed tray at the bottom, just like the smart robotic litter. However, it uses an automatic deodorant spray in place of a carbon filter. It was far more effective than any other box we tried at controlling odors.

Our tester exclaimed, “It was amazing that there was no smell coming from the box; I kept this in my living room for testing.”

Design and Usability

Choosing between the Pura X and the smart robotic litter depends in part on your personal preferences because of the differences between them. The controls on the box itself are one notable distinction. While the smart robotic litter has big, colorful lights and lots of buttons, the Pura X is more simple. It only has two buttons and a small OLED display on the front. Our tester found it okay, but a bit too limited.

“It would be nice if the menu icons had text with them,” our tester said. “It’s hard to remember if you don’t use them often or don’t have the manual.”

We also liked the Whisker app more than the PETKIT one, but the Pura X app does give you a lot of helpful information. It tracks your cat’s weight, bathroom times, and more.

Price at time of publish: $799

Dimensions: 25.4 x 21 x 19.9 inches | Entry: 8.6 inches | Weight: 33 pounds | Colors: White

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Ease of Use 5/5
Capacity 3.0/5
Design 2.5/5
Ease of Cleaning  4.0/5
Odor Elimination  3.5/5

What We Like

  • Quiet cleaning
  • Odor absorbing filter
  • Good, if barebones, features
  • Much more affordable than many automatic boxes
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What We Don’t Like

  • No place to store
  • included scoop
  • Bags could fit waste reservoir better
  • Very small pieces of waste sometimes slip through rake
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Pet Zone Smart Scoop Automatic Litter Box – Simple and Effective

The Pet Zone Smart Scoop Automatic Litter Box is a smart device that knows when your cat has done its business. After 30 minutes, it starts cleaning. A rake moves across the box, gathering any clumps, and then drops them into a storage area.

As one tester put it, the Pet Zone Smart Scoop Automatic Litter Box “may not have lots of fancy features, but it does its job perfectly.”

Quiet and Efficient

This litter box from Pet Zone is surprisingly quiet. Its slow raking cycle does a great job of collecting most waste. The box comes with six plastic bags to get you started and a carbon zeolite filter, which you attach under the lid of the waste storage area.

Quality and Performance

While our tester at home wasn’t thrilled with the quality of the materials, saying it was made of average plastic, she was quite pleased with how it worked overall. “It may not look very fancy, but it does its job well and it’s worth what you pay for it.”

She wished it had a place to keep extra bags and the scoop that came with it. But the features that the Pet Zone Smart Scoop Automatic Litter Box does have all work well, including the smell filter. Our tester didn’t notice any bad smells even after weeks of use.

Price at time of publish: $166

Dimensions: 26.5 x 16.88 x 7.63 inches | Weight: 9.3 pounds | Colors: Gray & green

Ease of Use 5/5
Capacity 3.0/5
Design 2.5/5
Ease of Cleaning  4.0/5
Odor Elimination  4.0/5

What We Like

  • Fantastic at deodorizing
  • App enables remote control and tracks usage
  • Doesn’t take up much more space than a standard litter box
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What We Don’t Like

  • Not all cats like crystal litter
  • Replacing tray or emptying reservoir is an unwieldy task
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PetSafe ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Automatic Litter Box – A Smart Choice

In 2020, we reviewed an older model of the PetSafe ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box, and many of our initial thoughts still apply. The most important thing you’ll need to decide is if your cat is okay with crystal kitty litter. This type of litter uses silica beads that soak up liquids instead of forming clumps. Crystal litter is great for controlling odors and doesn’t create dust or grit. However, not all cats like it, so there might be a time of adjustment. Also, crystal litter is usually more expensive.

Taking Advantage of Crystal Litter

If you know your cat is fine with crystal litter, the PetSafe ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Automatic Litter Box is a great way to use it. The smart Automatic litter box has a rake that goes through the litter 20 minutes after your cat is finished, moving the solid waste into a separate section. The silica crystals take care of absorbing the urine and any bad smells. If you have one cat, you just need to remove the whole tray once a month, put a lid on it, and toss it out. The cleaning process is very quiet and the comb slowly sifts out the solid waste. You don’t even have to see or touch your cat’s waste.

The Cost of Convenience

This does mean that you’ll have to buy a new tray of crystal litter every month, or possibly more often. While the PetSafe ScoopFree is cheaper than our top pick for automatic litter boxes, the monthly expense of using high-priced litter can add up quickly. Our tester found it possible to empty the waste area without having to change the whole litter tray, but it was a difficult task, as it meant lifting off the entire top section of the device.

Effective Cleaning and Compact Design

In a home environment, the PetSafe ScoopFree did an excellent job of cleaning itself and controlling odors. Plus, unlike the Automatic cat litter Box – Cat Litter-Robot, the PetSafe doesn’t take up a lot of room, so it’s a great choice for people living in apartments.

Price at time of publish: $230

Dimensions: 27.6 x 19.1 x 15.7 inches | Weight: 19.3 pounds | Entry: 8.7 x 9.3 inches | Colors: Gray

As a cat parent, your furry friend’s health and well-being are your top priority. That’s where our shop comes in, offering a wide range of products specifically designed to nurture your cat and make their life as joyful and comfortable as possible.

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