The Newest Litter-Robot Is Blowing Everything Else Out of the Water
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There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder — do they really work? In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do.
The Product on Trial
The Tester
Eunice Lucero-Lee, cat overlord wench, poop-scooping enemy
The Brief
I’ve had The Litter-Robot 3 since I got my cat in 2019, and suffice to say, it has changed my life. Aside from the usual benefits much rhapsodized upon its initial, revolutionary release — no more poop-scooping or messy liner replacing — it also meant that I could do away with having an eyesore of an actual litter box in my living room and minimized having to frequently replace kitty litter, too.
Despite the expense — something I initially balked at — nothing really beats the convenience of having a cat toilet that virtually does all of the (dreaded) work for you. And really, is there any job more thankless than manually cleaning up something else’s poop for the rest of eternity? (No, there isn’t, my furball smirks at me from her tower, all rent-exempt and worry-free). I was already a snack and toy wench, so I had to draw the line somewhere.
So, What Is It?
The Litter-Robot is an automatic, self-cleaning litter box for cats. As many pet owners will attest, cleaning out the litter box is one of the least appealing aspects of having a cat, especially for one that’s kept — and therefore, poops — indoors. There are countless products dedicated to making litter box chores easier and more sustainable for pet owners — from color-changing litter that can detect the health of your pet to flushable litter made of walnut shells that are safe for apartment plumbing — but few can compare to freedom from scooping and odors that the self-cleaning Litter-Robot offered.
Its concept is simple: You simply fill the globe-looking contraption with clumping litter as you would any regular, manual litter box, and it rotates a few minutes after each use, sifting away any clean litter back into the globe and dumping any used litter and waste into a dedicated waste bin configured into its base — pretty much like a drawer you pulled open and emptied every week or so. This waste bin is lined with a transparent liner, and lining the bin is a simple process that requires you to tuck in a clear plastic bag (which you could purchase from their website, or replace with a trash bag in a pinch) onto dedicated clips on each corner. An indicator light on the Litter-Robot flashes if the bin is full and needs to be emptied.
For a one-cat household, the waste bin typically takes around less than 2 weeks (around 10 days) to fill, meaning you only need to empty the bin twice a month — a far, far cry from the daily poop-scooping and waste disposal that experts recommend for a clean, hygienic litter box. Emptying the bin entails just removing the liner, pulling its drawstrings shut to secure, and disposing of the entire bag into your regular trash. Simple and straightforward.
Aside from the hands-off convenience for humans, an automatic litter box also ensured that cats always had a clean, fresh batch of litter with each use, doing away with many bathroom issues and accidents. Any smell or offensive odors would also be contained in the waste bin and further controlled by a replaceable carbon filter, as opposed to out in the open. This carbon filter is also to be replaced periodically for best results.
The Setup
The main components — the rotating globe and the base, which held the waste bin — came fully assembled, and the waste bin already had a liner and carbon filter strip pre-placed inside for first use. The next step was syncing it up with our Wi-Fi and filling it up with litter, which we just did with our regular clumping clay-type litter.
The brand recommends a set level of litter to be present in the globe at all times; it has an indicator line on the inside that’s easy to follow, literally like a measuring cup. This level obviously decreases each time litter is sifted and thrown into the bin, so you’d have to top up maybe once or twice a month just to keep the level optimal.
It’s also recommended to completely empty the litter into the waste bin and replace it with an entirely fresh batch of litter every 1-2 months, and to disassemble the globe every few months to a year for a full hose-down clean.
The Proof Is In the Kitty
Litter-Robot gives you a lot of safety guidelines as well as instructions on how to introduce your cat to the machine for the first time, but we didn’t really have any issues getting her to use it. The moment I plugged it in and turned it on, her curiosity (surprise!) got the best of her, and in she went, purring with excitement. It was pretty much smooth sailing after that, and being app-connected meant that I could check in on her habits as often as I wanted to, even while I was away.
I immediately understood what other cat owners were telling me about how it would “change your life.” The mere fact that I didn’t have to freshen up her litter every 1-2 days was already a huge improvement, not to mention instantly noticing the significant decrease in pet odor and litter tracking in my living room. It also strongly recommends that cats be at least 5 pounds before using the Litter-Robot to accurately activate the machine’s cat sensor while it is in automatic mode.
The convenience was worth every penny we had invested in it. My cat literally rubbed my leg the moment I set it up for her before making a beeline into the globe, so that, too, made me rest assured.
How Does It Compare to the Previous Model?
As with many pieces of tech, there were a few downsides to the LR3. As efficient as it is, it's also big, heavy, and pretty damn loud. And despite the most diligent of efforts — purchasing dust-free litter, weekly liner replacements, odor-busting packets — there was still some dust and a leftover scent, especially immediately after use or when the waste tray was almost full. Definitely not like a manual litter box, but not completely 100% odor-free as you'd hope for how much space it takes up, not to mention its price tag. The app also got a bit glitchy and started needing constant rebooting. Of course, all of these were not dealbreakers; having experienced both sides, an automatic, self-cleaning litter box was obviously leaps and bounds better than the alternative for us.
Upon receiving the Litter-Robot 4 for a beta-testing opportunity, the first thing that came to mind was that I hoped they had fixed their app UX, made it a bit quieter, and made the globe easier to clean. Disassembling the machine to give it the thorough quarterly clean required was one of its major drawbacks, in my opinion, as not only was it heavy and bulky, but it was also a bit complicated to reassemble. (Also, the liner of the LR3 wasn’t as nonstick as I would have wanted.). We attempted it once and conceded to spot-cleaning with Clorox Wipes thereafter.
Unlike the heavy Litter-Robot 3, however, I was able to lift and carry the box for the Litter-Robot 4 myself with zero issues, to the amazement of my doorman (thankfully, we live in an elevator building now, but still). The design was also sleeker and … dare I say it, stylish? It has a wider, perfectly round opening (actual specs: 29.5x22x27 inches, slightly more compact than the LR3’s 29.5x24x27) that actually reminded me of mid-century-modern decor. At the risk of sounding like a crazy cat lady — how exciting is that!? This new, chic, more modern design actually went nicely with my home interiors, which I assume is a hard feat for many a litter box.
The waste bin was also bigger, meaning less frequent changes were needed; what once was a near-weekly requirement could stretch up to more than 2-3 weeks. It’s easier to refill than its predecessor’s, too, i.e., no more accidental pinching your fingers at the side clips when replacing the waste liner. It also did away with having a carbon filter altogether and replaced it with an integrated odor-neutralizing system (YES!). I didn’t use any odor-busters during the entirety of this testing period and haven’t had a whiff of pee or poop scent since my cat’s first use.
Another improvement that literally stopped me in my tracks was how quiet it was, meaning it’s virtually whisper-quiet during a spin. I’m told this new quiet sifting technology was another upgrade taken into consideration from customer feedback. Thanks, fam!
The spin upgrades also include a no-dust technology, which was another super-noticeable improvement from before. So if like every other cat parent in the world, having to clean up tracked litter is driving you nuts or triggering any allergies, you’re in luck.
Other little details that I love include the wider opening, the customizable modular design (finally — a simpler cleaning situation!), the hole in the fence accessory that allows the litter to ~geniusly~ sift back into the globe (I used to manually scoop any stray litter back in, FYI), and the stick-resistant interior liner. Plus, the nightlight is white as opposed to blue, which, for an appliance, is just prettier.
The app, now called Whisker, has a more enhanced, intuitive UX that informs you how full
the waste tray is percentage-wise (no more guesstimating or sniffing the air) and how optimal your current litter level is, has customizable settings for lighting and cycling, tracks recent activity, and — get this! — notes how much your cat currently weighs after each use! Momma is shooketh! No more wrangling at the vet trying to get my cat on a cold scale or anxiously wondering whether or not your pet is feeling lighter or heavier than usual. The app actually tells you this, full stop. 🙀
The Closing Argument
If you’ve been looking to invest in an automatic litter box, Litter-Robot is definitely at the top of the game in terms of specs and tech. At $649, the Litter-Robot 4 is $100 more than its previous versions, but the upgrades, though small, were significant in my experience — enough that my husband actually told me mid-spin that he couldn’t smell or hear a thing, whereas before we would hear it down the hall if we left our apartment door open, or knew simply by sniffing around it that the waste tray was full.
Like older models, the new one is available in both Black and White, which are both equally sexy, in my opinion. Honestly, let choosing the color be the hardest decision you ever have to make with this new model; everything else is a no-brainer. This is Litter-Robot’s first upgrade in 5 years, and, as a helicopter cat mom, let me be the first to say that it is so worth it for both your quality of life and your pet’s.
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