The Best Automatic Litter Box of 2026: Petkit and Litter-Robot

Compare Our Picks

Others We Tested

Photograph: Kat Merck

Litter-Robot 5 for $799: While on a latest journey, I acquired an pressing message from my home sitter. “I think I broke the cat turd tilt-a-wheel,” it learn. I knew he hadn’t damaged the Litter-Robot, however I additionally knew it was doing what it at all times does, even after I’m at residence: throwing arbitrary error codes. Laser Board Fault, Extended Scale Activity, Overloaded Globe … I by no means know why these codes are triggered, solely that they’re frequent and virtually at all times incorrect. They additionally cease the machine’s operation till somebody can bodily go troubleshoot on the LR’s LCD display, since these errors aren’t resolvable within the app. But other than this problem, the bottom mannequin Litter-Robot 5 does provide some enhancements and design tweaks over the bottom Litter-Robot 4: simpler meeting and waste elimination; the aforementioned LCD display; and, when you have a Whisker+ subscription, a brand new WasteID function, which is meant to tell apart between feces and urine. Unfortunately, this has solely labored intermittently in my 4 months of testing, as has the LR’s capability to inform my cats aside by their weights, that are totally different. I imagine the firmware on the 5 nonetheless has a methods to go, however should you’re keen to attend it out, LR confirms enhancements are already in progress and rolling out quickly. I’ll preserve testing to see if this occurs, as I do desire Litter-Robot’s bigger opening to Petkit’s, the convenience of cleansing, and the very fact it might probably maintain per week’s value of waste from my two cats earlier than needing to be emptied. —Kat Merck

Petcove PurrTek Covered Self Cleaning Litter Box for $288: I used to be stunned when my two massive cats simply took to this very small automated litter field. I wasn’t even certain my 16-pound cat would be capable of match inside. Set up was tremendous straightforward, simply insert the step (my cats most well-liked to make use of it with out as a result of they’re so massive and it took up precious actual property inside), plug in, obtain the linked app, and join the field to Wi-Fi. The waste bag was already put in, and there have been additionally massive buttons on the entrance to manually management settings like auto- or manual-cleaning, deodorization, auto leveling, waste or litter emptying, and sensing. I’ve grown to actually respect straightforward outdoors buttons, that are a game-changer when the usually buggy app crashes, otherwise you aren’t close to your cellphone. Like many automated litter containers I check, this product could be vastly improved with a greater app interface and extra clear english translations. It was very laborious to determine what the settings had been asking or even when they had been set, largely due to the poor translation. Waste bin calibration could possibly be set from zero to fifteen, and litter leveling setting could possibly be set from zero to 6, seemingly arbitrary numbers that didn’t appear to vary settings. ‘Do not disturb’ mode could possibly be set, however just for a particular clock time, like 11:30 pm, fairly than a span of time, which nullified the impact. It took an egregiously very long time to scrub, at virtually 4 and a half minutes for the entire cycle. I want the waste bin was on the backside of the gadget, as a result of emptying and refilling the bag was typically messy and had litter leakage. The gadget labored with out problem general and my cats appreciated it, however for $400, I’d get the Petkit PuraMax 2, which is identical worth however works so a lot better.

Els Pet Orbitie for $280: This is without doubt one of the least costly automated litter containers, nevertheless it features very like the costlier fashions, with an inside 65-liter-capacity orb that rotates and catches clumps with a plastic grate, depositing them right into a bag-lined field under. The opening is a beneficiant 12 by 12 inches—lots sufficiently big for my two 7-year-old cats, who took to it virtually instantly regardless of by no means having seen something however a standard litter field. The accompanying Orbitie app doesn’t provide an in depth quantity of knowledge; it tells the consumer the quantity of litter and what step of the cleansing section the field is presently in, in addition to what number of occasions the field has been used and at what occasions. The first check unit I acquired was defective—it despatched a number of phantom alerts to the app, letting me comprehend it had cleaned itself as many as 36 occasions a day, which I knew for a truth was not true. The substitute unit, nonetheless, works simply as meant, although the bin beneath fills up quick (about each different day with my two cats), and it sometimes must be disassembled and cleaned, as tiny items of cat litter tend to get within the gears beneath the orb (and make a loud grinding noise). However, this isn’t an uncommon prevalence even with pricier containers. Online evaluations panned an earlier model of this field, however Orbitie says that is an improved model. Thankfully, like the larger manufacturers, Orbitie additionally gives a 90-day money-back assure should you’re on the fence. —Kat Merck

FurryTail Automatic Litter Box Pro for $270: I used to be stunned by how shortly and simply my cats took to this gadget—even my bigger cat, who hates change, began utilizing it immediately. Setup was tremendous straightforward, and the field comes with a yr’s provide of waste bag liners, an extra grate attachment, and a mat to cut back litter monitoring. Similar to many fashions, the spherical orb rotates, sifting soiled litter right into a waste bag, which, on this mannequin, is on prime of the machine fairly than under. The field has each a guide show and buttons on the machine, in addition to an app to regulate settings. I’d embrace this mannequin in our prime picks due to how straightforward it was to arrange and use, in addition to how a lot my cats appreciated it, however the app was mainly ineffective. Through the app, you’ll be able to alter settings like timed cleanings and do-not-disturb modes, manually clear, and monitor waste ranges. However, the app by no means tracked utilization or weight, and for almost all of the time, did not clear after I manually instructed it to. The sensors would sense ghost cats and refuse to scrub, with the gadget not routinely biking for almost all of the day (which type of defeats the aim). This automated field has tons of potential, however I can not totally advocate it till the kinks (particularly within the app) are ironed out.

Casa Leo Leo’s Loo Too Automatic Litter Box for $800: This automated litter field was a prime choose for a very long time, nevertheless it’s expensive and a bit cramped for some cats. We nonetheless prefer it, however suppose the choices above are higher for most individuals (and cats). There are 4 weight sensors contained in the barrel to detect when a cat remains to be inside (it wants simply 1 pound of weight to detect your cat), an anti-pinch sensor (for fingers and paws), and a radar system that detects when anybody, feline or human, is close to it. For additional cleanliness, it additionally makes use of ultraviolet gentle for additional sanitation. The Smarty Pear app alerts you when the drawer is full (about as soon as per week), data the occasions your cat makes use of it and the cat’s weight, and you may set it to routinely clear six seconds to twenty minutes after your cat makes use of it. You can begin a cleansing session manually from the app or use your voice should you join the field to Alexa or Google Assistant. Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano’s greatest battle utilizing the Loo Too was pouring new litter into it, which could be difficult due to the small entry gap. The barrel can be fairly cramped, particularly for her 12-pound cat.

PetSafe ScoopFree SmartSpin Self-Cleaning Litter Box for $370: This primary automated litter field is round half the value however has an analogous design to costlier fashions. This futuristic-looking pod on legs has a rubbery backside, a weight detector that units off the cleansing cycle a couple of minutes after your cat has carried out its enterprise, and a slide-out tray within the backside. After they’ve been, the physique rotates, and a mesh catches the clumps and deposits them within the tray, the place there’s a bag with a wee deodorizer unit that smells like watermelon. You can join it to Wi-Fi and assessment your cat’s rest room visits within the app in your cellphone, the place every entry shows the time they went, their weight, and bathroom journey length. This self-cleaning field was straightforward to construct and works surprisingly effectively, although it feels kinda low cost. Ultimately, as a comparatively inexpensive self-cleaning gadget, the PetSafe ScoopFree SmartSpin is value a glance. —Simon Hill

Not Recommended

Petlibro Luma Smart Litter Box for $600: I’m a giant fan of Petlibro’s automated feeders and fountains, however I’ve discovered that the model’s different tech merchandise, like this automated litter field and AI-enabled pet digicam, aren’t on the identical degree. First, we can’t advocate any mannequin that closes utterly throughout cleansing cycles. The Luma is outfitted with tons of sensors to stop cleansing whereas a cat (or any object) is inside or close to the doorway, and I extremely doubt harm would happen. But the globe spins back and forth, fairly than clockwise and counterclockwise, that means that the doorway is closed throughout biking. If a sensing malfunction occurred, the cat could be trapped inside. I appreciated the button controls on the skin prime, which permit for guide management. However, they’re on a touchscreen above the digicam. So, oftentimes, after I tried to manually reset, the digicam caught me and would not proceed the cleansing or management I requested of it, as a result of the security options would forestall motion contained in the field. It was very irritating. When I went out of city, it obtained caught in the course of the cleansing cycle for 2 days as a result of it stored sensing a ghost cat. The globe was mid-cycle, and the doorway was coated; I could not bypass through the app to maintain cleansing. (Thank God I had a second litter field for my cats accessible, or I’d’ve been SOL.) The auto-deodorizing function goes off routinely for 5 minutes after every use and appears like an airplane engine. There’s no method to flip it off; you’ll be able to flip the facility right down to a decrease degree, nevertheless it’s nonetheless egregiously loud. Right now, I can not advocate this mannequin (largely for security causes), however plenty of the design flaws could possibly be mounted in future iterations to make it a strong alternative.

PetSnowy Snow+ Self-Cleaning Litter Box for $530: This field appears like one thing from Kubrick’s visions of area journey, or if Eames began making plastic litter containers. It takes up fairly a little bit of horizontal ground area, so it will not be excellent for these in cramped flats seeking to preserve area. Unlike all others on this listing, this globe is closed throughout cleansing, which might trigger harm if the machine malfunctioned and didn’t sense a cat. The field additionally doesn’t let you know when the litter’s low or must be refilled. My cats had a very laborious time utilizing it—they simply couldn’t perceive that it was a litter field. Older cats might have a troublesome time leaping into it, and the smaller opening could possibly be an issue when you have larger cats. It is perhaps nice for somebody who desires to maintain issues tidy—it’s extraordinarily clear, smells good, and massively reduces litter monitoring. However, we simply cannot advocate the gadget because it’s closed throughout cleansing, which isn’t secure.

The Pet Zone Smart Scoop for $166: This might be the least “smart” automated litter field we have examined—it is a typical rectangular plastic field with an automated arm that acts as a rake and scoops the clumped (dirty) litter right into a small bin on the opposite facet. Once the cat leaves, it begins a 15-minute countdown and the rake slides over the size of the field, (ideally) scooping up the waste and lifting it into the receptacle. You’re solely allowed to fill the gadget with about an inch and a half of litter, which my cats didn’t like (they like a number of inches to actually bury it). The rake doesn’t cease when it is within the cleansing cycle—even when one thing jumps in, which is doubtlessly harmful. My cats are likely to pee on the facet of the litter field, which, due to the rake’s placement, means it misses an inch on both facet—I nonetheless needed to scrape the caked-on litter from the sides. The cycle timing can’t be adjusted, so the litter didn’t have time to clump utterly, and the rake would instantly break it down into smaller clumps that will then be missed as a result of they had been too small. For me, the trouble’s not value it, and I’d fairly simply scoop it myself.

Power up with limitless entry to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and unique subscriber content material that is too essential to disregard. Subscribe Today.