The Only Three Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes We Recommend (2024)

This is our favorite, full stop. We've tested the Litter-Robot 4 in multiple homes and with old and young cats, and felines took to it with minimal suspicion. With previous models, kittens under 5 pounds didn't always trigger the sensor, but that's been fixed with the latest model. The Litter-Robot is also the most often recommended self-cleaning litter box on Reddit, where many users simply refer to it as "LR." It has excellent odor control, works smoothly and is meant for households with multiple cats. Fill it with any clumping litter for best results. The brand recommends unscented clay litter; Fresh Step Advanced Unscented is one that works for many.

"When it arrived, I thought it was HUGE — and it is. But after having it for a few months now, I could never go back to another litter box," said our most recent 2024 tester. (For the record, it's about 30 inches tall.) "It fits in my decor pretty well. It's definitely not discreet, but I don't mind after all the hours it's saved me of 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: After your cat triggers the sensor by jumping in and then triggers it again by jumping out, the machine waits 7 minutes and then the entire globe 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 and just seemed way more than you need. But it’s a fantastic machine that works brilliantly," said Lynn Redmile, a contributing product analyst for the Good Housekeeping Institute. The corresponding app is beneficial in helping 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. If you want to make dumping the bin a fast and easy process, consider the brand's waste drawer liners.

Bells and whistles include an adjustable night light, sleep mode and a customizable cycle timer (for instance, you could opt to have the box clean itself twice a day instead of each time the cat uses it). Although the Litter Robot 4 can be used without the app, if you'd prefer no app connectivity at all, we also like the previous model, the Litter-Robot 3. It can't connect to the app and is only for cats who weigh 5 pounds or more, so it's $200 less.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW: The Litter-Robot 4

Size and age restrictions: None | Dimensions: 22" x 27" x 29.5" | Entryway: 15.75" in diameter

Our open-top value pick, for those looking to spend under $200, is about the size of a regular litter box and works with the PetSafe brand of crystal cat litter — you actually sit it 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 each time a cat has used the box, 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 for pet owners who travel a few nights at a time and want to ensure their kitty's box stays clean. Plenty of people also praise the lightweight crystal litter as a nice break from 14-pound boxes of heavy 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 starts to get costly. When we tested it in two-cat households, the tray had to be swapped out more often, sometimes every 10 days, so it can be a costly system if you have multiple cats.

Also, we (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 cats under 15 pounds, so it's not suitable for larger felines. It's also not for kittens under 6 months.

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"

We're adding this one in, 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.) What's improved: It's a couple of inches smaller than the giant Litter-Robot and $100 cheaper, which is not insignificant. But the entryway is much smaller, which will 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.

Size and age restrictions: Cats must weigh more than 3 lbs | Dimensions: 24" x 22" x 27.5" | Entryway: 8" in diameter

Looking beyond self-cleaning options:

Best Litter Box for Large Cats: Catit Airsift Jumbo Hooded Cat Litter Pan

• For big cats, like a Maine Coon or a chonky kitty, the Litter-Robot's wide opening does work, in our opinion, but if you're nervous about spending the money, this jumbo option is much less expensive and gives your large cat room to turn around and do their business. It's 18.3" x 19.7" whereas a standard size is more like 19" x 15". Leave the swinging door in place for privacy and odor control or remove it if your cat prefers. You will be back to scooping this litter box though; it's not self-cleaning.

Best Budget Litter Box on Amazon: Van Ness High Sides Cat Litter Pan

• Our Good Housekeeping Institute Lab experts have used this $11 litter pan to test cat litters. The high sides help control dust when you pour new litter in (pictured) and they add a measure of privacy for skittish cats. The high sides also help if you have a cat who kicks the litter out. Now one of our writers uses this at home for her two cats, though it requires daily scooping. Still: $11!

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.

✔️ Litter: "Cat litter is a crucial element to ensuring your automatic or self-cleaning litter box is as effective as possible," Dr. Miller said. "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 great tips on how to get a nervous cat used to the new machine. Many, for instance, suggest you actually keep the self-cleaning litter box turned off for a few days, and scoop it like a normal box, before you turn on the cleaning function and let your cat get used to it.

"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 said. "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 generally 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 all the packaging to make that easier.

Dr. Miller lists these benefits:

• 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 said.

• 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 said. 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, however.

• Odor control: "Regular automatic cleaning and a sealed waste compartment reduces odor," Dr. Miller said. If your box is connected to an app you'll be notified when to empty the receptacle and when to top up the litter. You can also see at a glance if you're getting close to needing more litter so you can purchase it ahead of time.

• Supporting multi-cat households: "Some cats will refuse to use a litter box that has waste from another cat," Dr. Miller said. "Automatic litter boxes solve this problem by cleaning after each use."

These are electronic devices that must be plugged in, which means they can't go just anywhere — they must be near an outlet. 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.

The Good Housekeeping Institute has evaluated some 30,000 consumer products in the past two years alone. Stories specific to cats and the people who love them include 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 has two cats at home, one pictured "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.