3 Best Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes, Tested in Our Homes
After testing 10 different models, our team found only a few worth recommending.
Tested by Lynn RedmileContributing Product Reviews Analyst
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As much as we adore our cats, scooping the litter box is one of the ickier aspects of pet care. Even with litter brands that claim to stay fresh for days, you don't want your cat stepping in a mess and tracking it through the house. If daily scooping isn’t your thing, a self-cleaning litter box could be the solution. These high-tech devices automatically whisk away waste, sparing you the chore. But be warned: good models are rare and often pricey. After testing 10 automatic litter boxes in the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab and in our homes, we found only three worth recommending.
You also need to know that transitioning to a self-cleaning litter box requires patience. "Cats need to transition to an automatic litter box slowly," advises Whitney Miller, D.V.M., M.B.A., DACVPM, chief veterinarian at Petco. "Start by placing the new litter box near the old one while your cat is out of the room. Let them explore it before activating the automatic cleaning feature, and ensure they have access to their old box during the transition." Trust me — I learned the hard way how important it is to be present during this adjustment phase.
Pros
- Good for multiple cats
- Almost silent, automatic cleaning operation
- Hides odors well
- App tracks every use and alerts you when the bin is full
- Works well with any clay clumping litter
- Many customizable controls
Cons
- Expensive
- 30-inch height is very tall
Size and age restrictions: None | Dimensions: 22" x 27" x 29.5" | Entryway: 15.75" in diameter
This is our top pick, full stop. We've tested the Litter-Robot 4 in five homes, with old and young cats, and found that felines took to it with minimal suspicion. It's also great if you have multiple cats.
With previous models, kittens under 5 pounds didn't always trigger the sensor, but that's been fixed with the latest model. It has excellent odor control and is meant for households with multiple cats. Fill it with clumping litter for best results. (The brand recommends unscented clay litter such as Fresh Step Advanced Unscented.)
"First off, it's huge — but after using it for a few months, I could never go back to any other litter box," said a tester. (For the record, it's about 30 inches tall.) "It fits in with my decor pretty well. It's definitely not discreet, but I don't mind given all the hours it's saved me from scooping. I have two cats, both 12, and they had no problem transitioning to it. Once I set it up, they didn't want to use their old one."
Here's how it cleans: Your cat triggers the sensor by jumping in and then triggers it again by jumping out; the machine waits 7 minutes and then quietly rotates. The wet or poopy clumps separate and fall into a lined bin at the bottom. Then the globe moves back into place, covering the bin and its odors, clean and ready for the next customer.
"I was initially put off because it's expensive, but it’s a fantastic machine that works brilliantly," said Lynn Redmile, a contributing product analyst for the Good Housekeeping Institute. The app helps you track when you need to empty the bin. "It also records the weight of each cat that uses it, so you can tell which cat is going most often in a multi-cat environment," Redmile said.
Based on feedback from Redmile and our consumer testers, I expected my two cats to transition to the Litter-Robot 4 quickly. They did not. In fact, they ignored it. I then moved their regular litter box outside to "force" them to use it while I went away for a weekend, and they staged a boycott. I decided to reach out to Whisker customer service, and as I was emailing, my younger cat, Azula, got in and used it, probably to make me look like a liar.
I'll cut to the chase: After two weeks, they are now both using the Litter-Robot 4, but it's been a journey. Azula saw it cleaning one day and freaked out. She also pees with her rear end almost out the door, so I have to use the included fence piece on the front to keep her pee inside. Whisker customer service and Reddit have both been super useful in addressing my Litter-Robot hurdles. And I'm thrilled to leave the scoop behind.
Other Litter-Robot bells and whistles include a night light (my cats hate it, so I keep it off), sleep mode and a customizable cycle timer (you can opt to have the box clean itself twice a day, say, instead of after every use). Although the Litter-Robot 4 can be used without the app, if you'd prefer no app connectivity at all, we also recommend the Litter-Robot 3. Since it doesn't track use and is only for cats who weigh 5 pounds or more, it's $200 less. Either way, if you want to make dumping the bin a fast and easy process, consider the brand's waste drawer liners.
READ OUR FULL REVIEW: Litter-Robot 4
The Litter-Robot 4 box when it arrived at my home (placed next to my office chair for scale).
Azula, freaking out after witnessing a cleaning cycle. Her skeptical mood didn't last, and she went back to using it quickly.
When inside, Azula pees toward the front of the globe. It was getting on the step and making a mess. Now I use the brand's fence piece on to help (it comes with the Litter-Robot 4). The plastic tucked under it is a hack I learned on Reddit for additional pee protection. The Litter-Robot forum (r/litterrobot, 32,000 members) is full of tips, and Whiskers' customer service is excellent.
Pros
- Cheaper than many other self-cleaning boxes
- Crystal litter eliminates dust and tracking, and is lightweight
- Poop stays out of sight
- No app is a plus for those who don't want more tech
Cons
- Ongoing expense of the brand's crystal litter and trays
- Reviews are mixed on whether this controls odors well
Size and age restrictions: Cats must weigh less than 15 lbs and be older than 6 months | Dimensions: 20.4" x 28" x 7.1" | Interior dimensions: 14" x 14"
For those looking to spend under $200, this open-top pick is roughly the size of a standard litter box and works with the PetSafe brand of crystal cat litter — you sit the device on top of a prepackaged tray of the litter crystals.
Plug it in and a sensor reads when your cat has entered and left. Twenty minutes after your cat's departure, a rake moves the solid waste to a bin, while the crystals absorb your cat's urine. If you have a single cat, you'll want to empty the bin weekly and swap out the entire tray once a month. You can buy extra trays sold in three packs.
With crystal cat litter, there are almost no tracking problems and no dust. This model is easy to set up and doesn't connect to an app, a plus for those tired of needing their phones for everything. For those who want an app that tracks usage, check out the app-enabled version of this box for $100 more. (It has a cover, too.)
This system is popular with squeamish cat owners who want to see as little poop as possible. The tray has a lid that you can clamp down when changing so you barely have to glimpse the gross stuff. It's useful for people with limited mobility who can't bend down to scoop a box every few days. It's also a more affordable self-cleaning box. Plenty of users also praise the lightweight crystal litter as a nice break from lugging 14-pound containers of clay-clumping litter.
That said, there were a few issues with this product in our tester households — for the people, not the cats. The ScoopFree only comes with one disposable litter tray, and buying a new one each month gets costly. "I have three cats, so the life of the pre-filled crystal litter doesn't last long and this is expensive to maintain," one of our testers said. "That said, it's tidier than a regular litter box."
Also, our testers (and many online reviewers) had trouble with the crystals not hiding odors. It's less of a problem with solid waste, which gets raked into the bin, but it can be an issue if your cat pees a lot, since the moisture gets absorbed but not contained. Still, others say they never smell this litter box, so for some, it provides odor-free relief. The noise from the mechanical rake was minimal for our testers. PetSafe marks this as best for pets under 15 pounds, so it's not suitable for large cats. It's also not for kittens under 6 months.
It looks like this if you add the $30 privacy hood.
Pros
- Smaller version of a rotating self-cleaning litter box
- Costs a little less than others
- UV sanitizing light and filters to fight odors
- Very quiet operation
- Aesthetically pleasing
Cons
- Smaller entryway for cats
Size and age restrictions: Cats must weigh more than 3 lbs | Dimensions: 24" x 22" x 27.5" | Entryway: 8" in diameter
We're recommending this product too, as it works virtually the same as the Litter-Robot for a little less money. What's the same: It works with clumping cat litter and has a globe that rotates to drop waste into a bin at the bottom. The brand recommends small-particle clumping cat litter. (Tidy Cat Lightweight could be one to try.)
It's a couple of inches smaller than the Litter-Robot and $100 cheaper, which is not insignificant. But the entryway is much smaller, which may work for some cats who crave privacy but could be an issue if you have a very large cat.
Leo's Loo uses odor-controlling filters and a UV sanitizing light meant to reduce odors and bacteria. We are still testing this in homes to determine how we feel about both of those features. Meanwhile, some online reviewers say that the filters and UV lights help but don't completely knock out all smells with some cats. You can buy the lavender-scented drawer liners to further fight odors and to make the once-weekly emptying of the bin nice and easy.
There's an app for Leo's Loo that you can use on iOS or Android. It can also be connected to Alexa or Google — for instance, you can ask Alexa to run a cleaning cycle before guests come over. The cleaning function is very quiet. Sensors will keep the box from rotating if your cat is too close. This one will wait for your cat to move away before the cleaning cycle runs, rather than Litter-Robot which waits a set amount of time.
Buy the Loo with the standard gray drum or one in a pastel color like pink or blue. It's only the entryway color that changes, the main device is always white.
Our consumer tester's cat seemed to like the privacy of Leo's Loo Too.
How we test self-cleaning litter boxes
We've tested 10 self-cleaning litter boxes over the past six years, both in our Lab and in multi-cat households. To mimic pet waste in the Lab, we poured water onto litter and used a small weight to simulate a cat entering and leaving the litter box to trigger the mechanism. But we get our best feedback after a model has been used in a tester's home with real cats. Our consumer testers fill out a survey to tell us how their cats responded to the litter box, and, of course, how well each litter box cleans up real waste.
What to look for when shopping
If you're ready to move from an old-fashioned litter box to one that employs automatic scooping technology, consider:
✔️ Size: Take into account the size of the box (footprint, height and entrance opening) and the size of your cat. A larger cat needs a larger box so it can easily turn around, and some self-cleaning litter boxes have weight restrictions with their sensors that make them not work with either too-big cats or too-small kittens. Also, measure your space to be sure that your chosen litter box will fit.
✔️ Electricity: Oh right. Any self-cleaning litter box needs to be plugged in. You must place it near an outlet. One of our testers wrote, "Offering a battery back up would be nice..." but alas, that doesn't exist yet.
✔️ Litter: "Cat litter is a crucial element to ensuring your automatic or self-cleaning litter box is as effective as possible," Dr. Miller says. "Some need self-clumping litter while others need specially designed litter like silica gel crystals. If your cat is particular about what type of litter they prefer but your automatic litter box only works with a specific type, this could be a reason your cat is not accepting the automatic litter box, or that the automatic litter box is not performing as well as possible."
✔️ Adjustment period: Dr. Miller as well as the manufacturers of self-cleaning litter boxes suggest you leave your old litter box out while introducing the new one. Read the instructions carefully for tips on how to get a nervous cat used to the new machine. For instance, you might keep the self-cleaning box turned off for a few days, and scoop it like a normal box, before you turn on the cleaning function. True confession: I ignored this advice, even after having collected this tip and many others (don't be like me!).
"Pay attention to your cat’s cues, as they may be tentative to try a new litter box if they are sensitive to litter type or depth, new sounds or smells, a tight enclosed space or a change in routine," Dr. Miller says. "Ensuring your cat's litter box is clean, accessible and located in a quiet, comfortable area can help the adjustment."
✔️ Maintenance: Self-cleaning boxes still need to be cleaned. You won't have to scoop every day, but you will need to empty the bin about once a week and switch out the litter about once a month. If the box uses a mechanical rake to sweep through and clean away clumps of cat waste, you'll need to regularly clean the rake as it will get caked with crud. That's one of the reasons we prefer the rotating self-cleaning litter boxes that sift away waste without a rake.
✔️ Money-back guarantee: Self-cleaning litter boxes aren't cheap, and if you miscalculated how well it would fit in your home or aren’t happy with how well it works, it’s reassuring to know you can usually return the item within a certain window, whether following manufacturer guidelines or retailer return rules. Keep packaging to make that easier.
What are the benefits of a self-cleaning litter box?
According to Dr. Miller, these are the main benefits of a self-cleaning litter box:
• Promoting a hygienic environment: "Self-cleaning litter boxes ensure efficient waste management and minimize odors, creating a more pleasant living space. By ensuring the box is always clean, self-cleaning models help prevent health issues related to dirty litter, such as urinary tract infections or respiratory problems caused by ammonia buildup," Dr. Miller says.
• Supporting multi-cat households: "Some cats will refuse to use a litter box that has waste from another cat," Dr. Miller says. "Automatic litter boxes solve this problem by cleaning after each use."
• Odor control: "Regular automatic cleaning and a sealed waste compartment reduces odor," Dr. Miller says. If your box is connected to an app you'll be notified when to empty the receptacle and when to top up the litter.
• Health monitoring: "Many self-cleaning boxes use a weight sensor to identify when your cat uses the bathroom and determine when to clean," Dr. Miller says. If the box connects to an app, the machine can monitor things like how often a cat is using the litter box, which can help identify health issues sooner.
This all gets trickier if you have several cats who are within ounces of each other. Both of my cats are about 12 pounds so I never can tell who is using the box unless I catch them in the act.
How do self-cleaning litter boxes work?
These are electronic devices that must be plugged in. Many self-cleaning litter boxes require sandy, hard-clumping litter. Your cat does its business, buries its own waste and then the solid or liquid waste mixes with the sandy litter to form hard clumps.
When your cat jumps out, sensors detect your cat leaving, and the cleaning cycle begins. Self-cleaning litter boxes have electric motors that activate the cleaning mechanism — they are quiet but not silent. Eventually, the waste bin fills with clumps, and you empty it into the garbage. How often do you have to empty the bin? That varies depending on the number of cats you have, how often they visit the box, and the size of the bin. For one cat, you can often get away with emptying once a week.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
The Good Housekeeping Institute has evaluated some 30,000 consumer products in the past two years alone, including the best cat carriers and best cat treats.
This guide was originally written and researched by Lynn Redmile, who has been testing and evaluating cleaning products since 2012. Always driven to figure out how things work, Lynn collaborates with the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care & Cleaning Lab experts to research, test and report on the latest innovations, including self-cleaning litter boxes.
Contributing writer Jessica Hartshorn, who has two cats at home, most recently updated this article. (Her cat Azula is pictured here "assisting" with the writing process.) Prior to testing and writing about pet products for Good Housekeeping, she reviewed pet and children's products for Parents magazine.
Jessica (she/her) is a freelance writer with several decades of experience writing lifestyle content and evaluating home and parenting products. A mom of two teens and two cats, her previous work can be seen in American Baby and Parents.
Lynn Redmile (she/her) is a contributing product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she's been evaluating nutrition, fitness, travel services, beauty, textiles, home, pet, and cleaning products since 2012. She is passionate about figuring out how things work and experiencing their full potential, and brings over three decades of data analysis and project management experience to the role.
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