The Best Automatic Litter Boxes of 2023 - We Tried 20 So You Don't Have To! 

You got yours out before me! Oh well! You've summed up the biggest problem, the warranty. Until Petkit etc, offers more than a year, and ideally parts for self-repair, they will always be a gamble. The other problem is the LR4 isn't out in Europe or most of the world, so that is a big consideration. Part 3 of my series will be out on Sunday and is a deep dive into the Chinese machines. 😱

honestly was going to skim through this video since this is a niche topic im looking up currently but when a video essentially starts with "hey ive tested the top 20 and they're all shit, but heres whats alright" Im now inclined to watch the whole video as it seems like im going to get the most realistic, informative, and unbiased review possible. ty

Something very important that I did not see mentioned about the Cat Genie AI: it is illegal to flush cat waste in some states. Not all waste treatment facilities are capable of removing toxoplasmosis from the water if you flush your cat's waste in the toilet.

Thank you for your reviews. They save me from spending hours researching automatic litter boxes. You also saved me a ton of money cause I will keep doing it the old fashioned way.

Litter-Robot is the industry leader hands down. They are the benchmark.

Litter Robot 4 costs $1500 here in Australia. I'm not usually frugal, I spend money like it's water but $1500 for a rotating box and a grate is insane to me.......

We have to agree about the Litter Robot 3 versus 4. The Litter Robot 3 is almost perfect. Thank you for your channel!! You do a great service to cat servants.

I have the PetSafe Scoop Free, and I was shocked when you basically described my exact upgrade route with the reusable tray and the Fresh Step litter. Looks like I picked right!

We greatly appreciate your honesty! We also greatly appreciate your time and effort invested.

Mallory: Hey look, guys, another automatic litter box to test out! Forest & Wessie: NOOOOO! Not another one!

Are automatic litter boxes expensive. Yes. Of course. But for me it was well worth it and I don't regret it for a minute. Not having to scoop 6 litter boxes 3x a day was such a blessing. More free time for me was worth the investment. Especially knowing that they will more than likely last for years.. I've had 2 LR3s for 4 years. Only had to replace 1 sensor and 1 globe. Both under warranty. No other issues.

Love this channel and love your honesty, thank you for giving such in depth reviews! 🐈‍⬛

Thank you so much for watching this video! I hope you've found it helpful. Let us know in the comments if you've tried any of these automatic litter boxes and what you think of them.

Thank you for posting this. This is helpful as it can be very daunting to figure out which one to get.

I purchased my LR3 in Jan 2020. Although I was super irritated that it started acting up recently, flashing yellow light for no reason, no troubleshooting worked. I must say, the customer service is IMPECCABLE. They gave me 3 options to replace, get my machine fixed. The emails with tech support started on Sunday and by Monday afternoon, I had a new base ordered. It’s now Tuesday night and I received fedex tracking showing it will be here Thursday! The new base will come with a 90 day return window and 1 year warranty. I was very very impressed and the customer service honestly won me over with how responsive and the options given to get my machine back up and running outside the warranty window. If for some reason the new base does not do the trick, I would get another LR3 or upgrade to the LR4. Either way, LR fan for life ❤

Thank you so much for the honest and detailed reviews. Incredibly helpful!!!

Thank you so much for your reviews! As always they are very informative and helpful.

Thank you for the quick peek. It helped tremendously

Thank you so much for the reviews. Ordering the 3 for Kat now😊

Thank you so much for this comprehensive comparison. I have had a Litter robot 3 for a few years and am SO frustrated with constantly running into sensor issues, especially the pinch sensor.

I love my litter robot 4. I have one cat. I literally only have to add litter and empty it once a week. This thing is a game changer. Plus the app keeps you notified about use or if there are any issues. Pricey but completely worth it. I have been using mine since November 2022. Love it !

Thank you so much for doing this! Extremely helpful.

this is the best and most honest review i found, thank you!

Thank you for your informative reviews. Very helpful!

My partner and I are expecting and looking for something not only for our house but also his work shop so this video was so incredibly helpful! Thanks so much for helping make this an easier search!

Thanks for your review and video! ❤

I don't ever see myself living a life without cats and investing in one of these bad Boys has been great. We have been loving our LR 4 , It definitely works well with our situation and our cats Thank you for your informative reviews

Thanks for all the work you put in to these reviews!!

This was very helpful. Thank you so much for making this review

This is an amazingly informative video. Thank you very much for making this. It was helpful in my decision for my kitty. ☺

Thank you for this video! Your videos are so helpful as I navigate purchasing my first cat. 😊 I was shocked and disappointed to see that the Leo’s Loo Too was in your list of not recommended litter boxes. I’ve been deciding between this and the Litter Robot 4. Do you have a video that does a deeper dive into the Leo’s Loo Too, so I can see what issues you had? Thanks!😊

Thank you - have one litter robot and love it going to order a second now!

Thank you very much wicked appreciate it. Fantastic job and all the reviews I think I’ve been with choice. Thank you again.

I adopted two kittens last week and had to use a litter box until the LR4 arrived and the kittens used it immediately! The set up was easy, the app is great and I even moved the LR4 to a different location and the kittens had no problems. Seems like my back appreciates the LR4 too lol. It’s only been a week so I’ll come back for another update later.

thank you for your reviews! i’ve had the LR4 for almost a year now and it’s the best thing i’ve ever invested for my boy! i was weary beforehand due to so many negative reviews but decided to try it out regardless and i am incredibly glad i did so. no issues with the actual thing itself and lucked out on getting it for way cheaper (got it off of FB marketplace brand new never used; the seller was moving and didnt have the space to bring it with them) i wouldn’t say its perfect by any means (i dont think there would be anything “perfect”) but the positives definitely outweigh the negatives but i wouldnt even consider them that negative considering i havent had any problems (fingers crossed i dont). also very lucky that my boy immediately used it once i set it up. i will say that despite it being bigger than the LR3, its still not as tall as i would prefer (my cat is a long boy, 13 lbs) so it is a bit cramped for him but i thing because the opening is way bigger than the LR3 it isn’t too much of an issue.

Thanks for your thoughts and tried opinions. Very helpful!

Very helpful! Thank you

I have TWO LR3s for 7 cats. I LOVE THEM. Has made life manageable again. 🐈‍⬛ 🐈 🐈‍⬛ 🐈‍⬛ 🐈 🐈 🐈‍⬛

You've been very helpful in define to get one or not. Thank you for your through reviews.

Literally been waiting for this video. Now I can save for my next cat to have a nice box ❤

Great video. Have had a Petkit Pura max for 2 years now. It's been great! No issues thankfully

Ty for the reviews. Already own one of the ScoopFree models. Gonna look into a reusable tray and buying the crystals in bulk 👍

Thank you for the info in this video - very helpful. All the automatic litter boxes over-promise and underdeliver it seems. For hundreds of dollars, I would want these things to work perfectly.

I’m still going strong with an OG Litter Robot. If you treat em right they’ll lays YEARS. Been over a decade at this point I think

After watching this i’m really happy with my diy setup. I have made a chest with a flip up lid and a hole in the top for top entry for the cats and then just a regular deep plastic container as the litter box. I use good quality clay litter and there’s space in the chest for a little bin with a lid and the scooper. I just flip the lid, scoop into the little bun once a day and it’s very low smell and keeps the loose litter on the surrounding floor to a minimum.

Was about to pull the trigger on the Pura Max then saw your review. Thanks for the honesty and saving me money and frustration. Just gonna get a stainless steel box and try to be a better cat dad with the up keep

Thanks for the info. I am thinking about purchasing a litter robot and appreciate your clear explanations on how they work etc.

We just got the litter box 3 after watching this and made sure to use your affiliate link. Thanks so much!

I had the LR 1 for a few years, but had trouble getting new / larger cats to use it, so I bought the Open Air model (2?) It's issue was small bin capacity, and the litter just piled up on the left side, using less than half the total space unless I pulled the bin and shook it flat periodically. I finally built a stand that it sits on that holds a 5 gallon cat food bucket, and made a chute that extends from the dump port through the bottom of the LR into the stand where it dumps into the bucket. It also has a low speed fan that ventilates the bucket enclosure to outdoors, eliminating smell. A laser distance measures the litter level in the bucket and turns on a light when it gets too full. It will run about 2 months, after which I pull out the bucket, tie off the standard garbage can bag lining it, and replace with a new one (much easier than lining the original bin.)

So appreciate the reviews, thank you. We have been looking at a Popur X5 but have not found any independent reviews of it. Wondering if you have done one or are familiar with this unit.Thank you.

Thanks for the affirmation! Two years now with our LR3 and I'm still loving it, only needing to empty it weekly (2 cats). My only gripe is that it over-estimates how full it is, sometimes showing 80% or higher within a day or two of emptying, which is inaccurate. But a simple shake of the litter drawer to redistribute the contents (and a reset from the app) seems to address the issue well enough.

Thank you for the reviews. I have been. Thinking of buying one. 😻🐈‍⬛🐈🐾

I’ve had my LR4 for a few months and I love it. It does what I bought it 4. Sensors work great, sifts wonderfully and my cats love it. If the app gets more features that’s great. All I want it for is a clean box every time. I have 3 cats and the litter I will save over time will pay for itself.

I have an LR2 and its been working for me for over 10 years. I'll be finally replacing the ball soon as my kitty finally scratched a hole through the rubber bottom, but regardless, it's the best automatic litter box, if a little loud.

Thank you for sharing, This was very informative! If I got an automated litter box, it would have to be enclosed. I have a non-squatting male cat 😊 Someone gave us a raking litter box, but he never ended up peeing in the litter but out the back. 😹

Thanks for the reviews. I have been searching for automatic litter boxes for some time. I have 9 cats of my own and 6 foster cats at the moment. I spend about 2 hours a day cleaning litter boxes and I just can’t keep doing it. According to Whiskers, I would need 4 litter robots to accommodate all of the cats (including the fosters) which is a whole lot of money to invest. My brother loves his litter robot 3 so I was thinking about getting one. After watching a bunch of your videos I think I’ll get one of the litter robots and test it out with the foster kittens first. If all goes well, I’ll be adding more litter robots to my home 😊

awesome very helpful video tysm!

Thank you so much for this. I had watched your previous LR4 review and many other automated litter box reviews on RU-vid before I ordered my LR4 last week. Now, of course, as my LR4 sits in its box downstairs, waiting for someone to come by who can help me get it upstairs, the first review I watch, comparing Leo's Loo Too with the LR4, rates the LLT as hands down the winner by a landslide. Oh, no! I did my research! I was careful. Did I just buy a paper weight that I can't even lift? (Readers, don't worry. I don't think it's really that heavy. I'm just old and recently out of the hospital.) So I did some searching for additional reviews by folks I know and saw your "Ten Things To Know" (very imformative) and then this one (amazingly reassuring while still being realistic). I'm excited again for some muscles to show up so the cats and I can try it out. Both cats willinglg used the one you showed with the crystals (LitterMate?). The problem is that it didn't work for me. I started out of the gate with the reusable tray and alternate litter. But the refuse tray wasn't big enough for my two cats--or, more accurately, for my cleaning schecule preferences even though I have two cats. But worst was that the cry😊stals didn't seem to control the urine odor at all. Keeping a fan blowing on it all the time helped quite a bit, but it wasn't convenient and took up a lot of space; maybe it was just too humid here. It also was very expensive, even with the alternate litter. I think the LR4 will help better match my needs to the cats' needs--who don't appreciate me falling down on the job during, or more importantly after, each hospitalization while I recover. A friend's daughter or our neighbor each do an admirable job of covering for me while I'm gone. But my hope is that moving it up here where the current boxes sit will help the cats aclimate before we move to a SINGLE-STORY house later this summer, with no more stairs to climb with heavy boxes. Again, many thanks for this and all the other videos I've watched and never commented.

Great stuff once again M!

@cats Based on one of your previous videos I decided to get a Litter Robot and it was going to be the Litter Robot 3 but when I went to the shop I opted for the litter robot 4 because it was the newer one and I figured it would probably be better. The problems I have experienced with the LR4 are: 1) cant put it on carpet. Solved by putting it on planks. 2) It is very finicky if you move it after setting it up. I had planned to move it gradually to a new place in the house that was more discreet. But after moving it the first time, the device was stubborn to continue working without error codes. It took 3 hours of troubleshooting and quite a bit of yuckyness but I did finally get it working again and from then on I haven't tried to move it again out of fear it would malfunction again. 3) The device seems to misdetect that a cat was in it from time to time, this might be due to lighting changes from people walking by. I guess that is ok. 4) The motor really seems like it is straining or underpowered when it is running, but it is working fine. Despite these issues, the product is working, and it IS a tremendous boon to skipping the yucky parts of having a cat. I went from scooping litter every day, to changing litter once a week. So I do endorse the Litter Robot 4. It has certainly been worth it. And I wanted to thank you for your review back a couple years ago. You are my most trusted source of reviews for cat stuff. Keep up the good work.

Thank-you for your knowledge and helpful advice. I have 4 cats and recently bought 2 automatic litter boxes and on the fence to buy the Litter Robot 4 I have the instchew purrclean, and Pura Max. The instachew works but is not as good as the Pura Max. The Pura Max is wonderful. The only flaw I have with it is the weight of the cats. It gets confused on which cat is using the litter box. I like the Dump litter feature. I base my reviews on that option, plus other features.. The Leo's loo does not have that, so I had to take it off my list. I am excited about the Robot Litter 4. It has all the features. I hope that they iron out the bugs.

I love my Litter Robot 4. ❤❤❤❤With three cats, we have to empty it every 2-3 days but it sure beats scooping 2-3 times a day!

Great video. We are on our 2nd Leo's Loo. Both failed after a few months. So looking for something better.

Great job, Mallory!! Thank you for the information 🙏

I will have owned my LR 3 for two years next month, and I love it!! I was eyeing the LR 4 but with all the complaints I've seen about it on Tik Tok, I'll stick with what works lol! Hopefully in the future they fine a way to add a scale to the LR3! That's really all I need 😭

I love my catgenie. It is the older model. I have it down in the basement and hook the hose to the house drain. The only problem I have is that you still have to tear it down occasionally and clean it out of dried urine and possibly litter that went down the hose. The solution is proprietary, as is the litter. But I have a computer chip installed that allows me to use any cleaning solution - it disengages the counting of the flushes - and I can refill the cartridges with another cleaning solution. It isn't perfect, but my cats use it (even the shy, easily scared ones).

I bought the litter robot 4 and I truly am more then satisfied I have 3 cats now and they all love it really lightens my workload and helps keep them happy Thank you for the recommendation

Good video, very informative. It is all our dreams to have an automatic litter box that actually works or a maid LOL

Thank you for your reviews! I’ve had a LR3 for a couple of weeks but my cats aren’t taking to it well. I was looking at maybe this new snow+ from pet snowy. Have you tried that one?

I had the PetSafe Scoop Free when my kitty was still alive. I had a second automatic litter box, but can't remember the name pf it. The PetSafe 100% lasted Gypsy a month, or longer, honestly. I do know you're supposed to keep 1 more litter box then cats in the house, (so, 1 cat 2 litter boxes, 2 cats 3 litter boxes. etc.) So, I'm sure that plays a part in how long they last. Anyway, thank you for the comprehensive review, you always give such good ones.

Would you please review the PetSnowy Cloud+ litter box? I’ve heard and seen great things but out of all the reviews I’ve seen, you have been the most thorough and really break down the pros and cons accurately. Thank you!

I've had a LR3 for several years, and I'm constantly having trouble with false stops where I have to go manually make it cycle. If your sensor isn't working, it isn't as simple as just pressing cycle either, as that will only go for about 3 seconds and stop again. Also one of my cats keeps peeing out the front hole. I'm switching to the Popur to see if that does any better.

Thank you for your reviews. I would love to try the LR4 but am concerned about cleaning. How difficult is it to clean the drum and underneath it? How often does this need to be done? Monthly washing of my manual litter boxes is difficult in my wash tub because of their size. I appreciate any info on this. Thank you.

It is 3:00 a.m. EST. I couldn't sleep because I got my cat a water fountain and I'm trying to teach her to use it. But I came across this and I am so glad I have not spent any money on an electric cat litter box. Thank you very much😮

Thanks for all the reviews. But I would love to see them be a lot more quieter.

My kitty uses a Cat genie 120, This model is the precursor to the Cat genie AI. As you mentioned the cat genie is in a class by itself due to the need for a plumbing connection and a drain or toilet nearby, so it is not suitable for all users. You missed the two most important parts of using this contraption. 1st, the Cat genie uses proprietary soap cartridges which cost about 25 bucks each and are only available from cat genie, when this soap cartridge reaches "empty" the unit will stop functioning until the cartridge is replaced with a new one. RFI tech in the cartridges prevents the refilling of cartridges with your own soap solution. 2nd, While there are 3rd party gadgets available to work around this (IMHO) despicable "razor blade" business model They only work with the " Cat Genie 120 and some older versions and they require some mods to the unit which voids any warranty. 2nd, the issue for me is, The "AI" in the new version is specifically designed to counteract the 3rd party devices making the owners of the Cat Genie once again beholden to the company for their overpriced soap cartridges with no way around it. This marketing philosophy in my mind should be outlawed. I have one of the work around devices on my Cat genie so now I can refill my cartridges with locally available cleaning products and I am using the machine with a certain feeling of triumph over the manufacturer. That being said my cat genie is less reliable as it will occasionally fault due to the dirty water sensor but this may be due to age. I love this machine but hate the people that decided that ransom has be part of their marketing strategy.

I just purchased my little robot 4 a few days ago I still waiting for it to ship but I am very excited for when it gets here

I've had about 5 LR4's and 10+ LR3 units, and I currently have 8 cats including F1 and F2 Savannah cats and Bengals. I initially had several problems with the LR4 units mostly stemming from the litter liner being seemingly more flimsy than the LR3 model, my cats are diggers and have torn quite large holes in all the initial liter liners that shipped with the units. However, customer support has been very responsive and thus far has replaced every single one of my units globes with a "heavy duty" liter liner globe, that I have not had any problems with thus far. However, there are still two glaring design oversights that I have been able to identify thus far. The first being the openness as compared to the LR3 model. I can't quite place my finger on why, but the opening and interior space of the LR4 units seem to be significantly smaller than the LR3 units, to the point where it is basically impossible for my larger cats to use the unit with brushing against the interior of the unit, which seems to discourage them from using them. They will almost always opt for an LR3 unit if available. The second design flaw I've noticed is in the shape of the LR4 unit, it's an inverted pyramid; meaning that the base is narrower than the top of the unit, thus making the unit unstable. This may only be an issue if you have large cats, but I have come home several times to tipped over litter boxes, which is frustrating to say the least since it has never been a problem I've experienced with the LR3 units. All that being said, pretty much everything else about the LR4 unit seems to be a vast improvement over the LR3. Where the LR3 would experience numerous false pinch faults that could not be cleared, leaving you with basically a very inconvenient normal litter box, any faults I've received on the LR4 are mostly one offs and are able to be cleared. The one time I experienced a unclearable fault, after contacting whisker they informed me that they were aware of the issue and it was fixed with an over the air firmware update. The waster disposable bin functions much better than the LR3 bin did, even though it has an overall smaller volume. I found that the LR3 waste disposal bin would register as full with almost no waste actually in the bin, or it would continue to cycle well after it was actually full causing waste to smear along the outside of the globe. This is not a problem for the LR4, I'm not sure if it's simply due to the design of the water bin or better sensors, but either way if the sensors say it's full and won't rotate it's legitimately time to change the waste liner. That brings me to my final point which is the LR4's waste bin can be lined with a standard 13 gallon drawstring trash bag and actually cover the entire waste bin. where as with the LR3 model, you would have to use a much larger trash bag to actually cover the entire bin to make sure waste didn't end up between the waste bin and the trash bag. So after having the LR4 units for almost a year now, I would definitely say they are an upgrade from the LR3 unit, and agree that while not purrrfect are the most accessible and comprehensive automatic litterbox on the market, however, there is definitely still room for improvement on them.

Thanks for that informing Video 😊👌

Excellent breakdown! 🍻🇨🇦

I really like my Petkit Pura X more than my Litter Robot 3. I haven't had leakage issues.

I travel for work so I have a lot of auto litter boxes; a LR3, 2 Petsafe scoop frees, a litter maid multi cat and a regular box. Two out of 3 cats prefer the litter robot but it sometimes gets stuck in the middle of a cycle, or won’t cycle because it thinks it’s full. I’ve learned adjusting the bonnet and making sure it’s fully attached helps for that. I use reusable trays for the scoopfree but I think the other one who doesn’t like the auto boxes likes the scoopfree. The cats rarely use the litter maid. The most used are the LR3, Traditional litter pan, and one cat likes his scoop free boxes.

I absolutely love my petree litter box. Bought it off of Amazon for 400$ you can use any clumping litter and is really easy to set up, and there have been zero leaks or poor getting underneath. Cleaning is also easy. I have alot of cats so it gets a workout. You need to put it in a spot that gets really good wifi or it won't work right. I have bad wifi where I live so I only keep one out in the main room otherwise I would have multiple.

A friend of mine has four cats and uses those litter box liners replacing them every single day between two litter boxes, cost is not so much of an issue, but smell is… I never was able to use those liners at all. My cat would cover holes in them and you would track leaders through the house carrying them out. It’s still a problem I don’t think he realizes and I’m really trying to find something nice that the cats will actually use that can take one of these daily chores off of him, and turn it into a weekly event, or at least every other day… Thank you for sharing your valuable experience without Schilling, really do appreciate the honesty. Thanks for the videos, cheers! after all, this is for the cats, not for us

@11:40 I had an outlet installed right next to the CatGenie so that I wouldn't have any wiring problems. It was actually worth it.

Great review, thank you much! We are checking possibility of getting the automatic Litter box. The question is, what exactly triggers Little Robot to start the cycle? To be more specific, is the sensor located outside of the box and triggered by approaching cat or the sensor is inside of the box?

I'm all for innovation. . and I could probably get my cats to use it eventually (if I were willing to spend that much). . . but they just look so small and cramped inside. Ajani likes a bigger litter box, he does use the smaller one I keep in the spare bedroom to have a third one available but I think he's more comfortable in the bigger ones. And Jace. . .Jace throws litter around when he digs.

I've tried most of these and popur is by far the best so far! While still not a perfect machine (there are some safety issues if you don't use the fence with a small kitten, and the liner may begin to leak over time), it is definitely the easiest to clean/maintain, actually traps odour, and my cats way prefer the open box concept.

Horray!! Just what I needed on a rough day ;-; :)))

I would have been interested to see a thorough review of the Leo's Loo Too. It didn't even rate in your top 4 but I see rave reviews of it everywhere!

hi! I came back to ask if you’ve heard about the pet snowy. It seems like a really interesting take to giving them privacy and decreasing the mess they make running out.

I have four rescued cats. They are ages 12 to 4 years. In 2020 I bought the Litter-Robot 3 Connect and the Litter-Robot 4 in 2022. After a process of getting to know the product, I am extremely satisfied. Whisker's customer service has been excellent. And most importantly, my cats love the Litter-Robots especially, Litter-Robot 4. If my babies are happy, so am I. I recommend Litter-Robot litter boxes for anyone especially if you live in an apartment.

Hi: I love your videos. Have you tried Smarty Pear or Meowant? I’ve been looking for independent reviews before buying.

Hi, thank you so much for this video! I have 3 Maine Coons. Would you say that they would "fit" in these cat litter machines? And ever considered natural type of litter such as Cat's Best or World's Best Cat Litter?

Hi, thx for the good reviews. I have another question about the smell of the catpoop. In a traditional cat litter box the smell is very much present. How about these you mentioned in you reviews ? Kind Regards, Tim Verbeeck

Popur works great and customer service

Love this video! Your videos played a huge role in helping me decide which automatic litter box to get. I did end up getting a Petkit Pura Max and do want to quickly mention that it has been amazing for my home, no leakage whatsoever. Definitely sucks that it leaks for some people but I think how the cat goes to the toilet definitely plays a role in how well the Pura Max works

Im trying to find one for my grandma she’s like 80 something years old and has a cat it’s getting harder for her to clean the box thank you for your videos! 😭💕 she loves her Morris

Can you compare the iprimio stainless steel litter box with the new Teflon non stick coated one from the same brand. I am curious if the non stick is better or to go with the original 😊

Nice breakdown