Litter-Robot Review: Is This Litter Box System Worth the Price?
The Litter-Robot is a self-cleaning litter box! No more coming home to discover your house smells like a barn due to ammonia from your cat’s urine. No more finding pieces of litter everywhere around your home. No more “forgetting” to clean the litter box.
Litter boxes are not exactly cheap. Depending on where you buy it and what type you get, a good one can cost you anywhere from $20 to nearly $700 – like the Litter-Robot. But if all the features of the Litter-Robot appeal to you, then it could be well worth the price. My Litter-Robot review will help you decide.
Do your research. There are plenty of cheaper alternatives out there with similar pros and cons.
Is the Litter-Robot, the Self-Cleaning Litter Box, Worth the Price?
The current version of the Litter-Robot is listed at $649.99, so it’s not cheap.
But is it worth the price?
That depends on what you’re looking for in a litter box.
The Litter-Robot 4 is one of the most advanced and high-tech litter boxes on the market. It features a self-cleaning function that removes all waste from the box every time your cat uses it. There is also an optional OdorTrap™ pack that uses plant-based oils to attract, attach to, and destroy odor molecules to eliminate all odors from the box. The Litter-Robot 4 can be controlled remotely via its new app called Whisker.
Litter-Robot Review: Features
– Self-Cleaning – The Litter-Robot uses a rotating mechanism that sifts the clumps of litter and the waste out of the remaining litter and deposits it into a drawer below. You can set the timer for when the cleaning cycle should take place after your cat exits, so your cat won’t be disturbed by the noise.
– Auto-Adjusting – The Litter-Robot features sensors that detect when your cat has used the box and then automatically adjusts the height of the conveyor belt that sifts the litter. This ensures that no matter how big or small your cat is, they’ll be able to do their business comfortably.
– Remotely Operated – You can control the Litter-Robot through a mobile app and set it to work at any time you want. If you want to keep your cat’s litter box clean but are out of the house for long hours, the Litter-Robot can be set to work while you’re away.
– Wi-Fi Enabled – The Litter-Robot is Wi-Fi enabled and comes with a handy app that you can use to start and stop the cleaning process, check the status of the system, and set timers for cleaning.
– OdorTrap™ Pod & Packs – The Litter-Robot’s new technology uses plant-based oils to attract, attach to, and destroy odor molecules to eliminate all odors from the box.
– Dispose of Waste – The Litter-Robot comes with waste drawer liners that fit nicely and are easy to tie up when the drawer is full.
Litter-Robot 3 vs. Litter-Robot 4
I have purchased three different Litter-Robot models over the years: Litter-Robot 3, Litter-Robot 3 Connect (the first to work with an app), and most recently, Litter-Robot 4.
The newest model Litter-Robot 4 is by far the best.
Litter-Robot 3 & Litter-Robot 3 Connect – The older models (Litter-Robot 3 pictured here) have a bonnet that goes over the globe. The globe is what holds the litter and it does a full rotation in order to sift the litter and drop the waste into the lower basin/drawer.
In these models, over time, as the globe goes around, the bonnet starts to move away from the globe and is no longer fully attached. The system will detect this as an error and pause sifting until the globe is put back into place.
As a DIY repair, I put something on top of the bonnet to weigh it down enough (but not too heavy) to keep it in place. Heavy-duty tape may also work. The bonnet has to be removed when cleaning the globe or I would secure it permanently.
Another issue with older models is that the globe can sometimes get off track. There are grooves that go all the way around the globe and are supposed to stay in a track while it does the rotation. After a few years of use and cleaning, it seemed to have trouble staying on track. While rotating would slightly shift one way or the other and then would pause and need to be reset.
Even with these issues, they have still been worth every penny. I have zero regrets!
Six Reasons Why I Love the New Model – Litter-Robot 4
- The newest model is designed is updated and the bonnet is now part of the casing. I believe this must be their solution for the bonnet separating issue mentioned above.
- It has a bigger opening for the cat to enter/exit.
- The drawer at the bottom is larger and MUCH easier to put a new liner in. It is easier to add the new liner than my current $80 kitchen garbage can. I get really irritated when trying to put a new garbage bag in my garbage can. It’s actually enjoyable to add the new liner to the new Litter-Robot 4.
- The new model is SUPER QUIET. While the older models make some noise while rotating, it was never an issue for me. With the Litter-Robot 4, the noise is so low that I can barely hear it unless I’m in the same room.
- Litter-Robot 4 has a new app called Whisker. As with the Litter-Robot 3 Connect, it tracks each use and lets you know when it completes a clean cycle, or if there is an error and it’s paused. It also tracks and records the weight of your cat. I have three cats that are all different weights. This helps me determine which kitty just went potty.
- Whisker also shows how full the drawer is and will notify you to know when it’s time to replace the bag or filter. Plus, it has many more features!
Pros of the Litter-Robot 4
– Self-Cleaning – There’s no better feature than a self-cleaning litter box. You never have to touch used litter again.
– Remotely Operated – You can control when the cleaning cycle starts and ends through an app on your phone and set it to work while you’re away. There’s no better way to keep your cat’s litter box clean than this.
– Large Capacity – You don’t have to change the litter very often because the Litter-Robot has a large capacity. The app will notify you when it’s time to add some more litter. There is also a ring on the globe that clearly shows you where to fill the litter up to.
– Does Not Require Special Litter – It works well with any clumping litter, so long as it is small enough to pass through the sifting screen.
– Saves you money – Uses less litter than a traditional litter box which will save you money over time. Having a clean litter box ready at all times will also prevent your cat from finding another place to do their business.
Cons of the Litter-Robot 4
– Price – The Litter-Robot is one of the most expensive self-cleaning litter boxes on the market.
– Can be challenging to clean – It’s not as easy as hosing it off on the lawn as say a typical litter pan. It may be difficult to hand-wipe out the inside, but can be done with cleaning wipes (and a pair of gloves). However, this is a common challenge of almost all electronic litter boxes.
Conclusion
The Litter-Robot is an amazing piece of equipment that can really change the way you interact with your pet. It will make cleaning up after your cat so much easier, and it will also keep your home smelling fresh and clean. The Litter-Robot 4 isn’t cheap, but it’s definitely worth the price.
If you want the best litter box on the market, this is it.
LesbiGreen!
At LesbiGreen.com we’re always looking for ways to be mindful of our community, the earth’s environment, and our impact on it. Some cat litter boxes you choose will have negative impacts for 1,000 years or more. We’ll point out the LesbiGreen picks but remember – a cat’s litter box can be a container and litter that you buy, scoop, and clean — or it may end up being your clothes closet if your cat doesn’t like it, or it’s not cleaned often enough. Please choose the best litter box for you and your cat.
Download our Litter Box Cleaning Calendar!
We know it can be hard to remember to clean the litter box every day, so we made a cleaning calendar that you can print out and use to keep track.
Just for fun!
Although adorable, in 2012, LitterFish was unable to meet its goal of 1000 pre-orders at $159 and so it was never made.
