The Best Automatic Cat Litter Box (But We Don’t Recommend It)

Litter-Robot III Open Air

The best automatic litter box (but we don’t recommend it)

We don’t recommend buying an automatic litter box, but if you really want one, this model scooped the most waste without jamming.

Buying Options

$450 from Litter-Robot

May be out of stock

The Litter-Robot III Open Air holds enough waste that you need to empty it only about once a week (for a single cat). It also jams less frequently than most other models, and it was the second fastest of the self-cleaning litter boxes we tested. But it’s enormous on the outside and too small for most cats on the inside. It’s also expensive, and it can still malfunction more often than is acceptable for something that costs $450 up front plus $65 a year to maintain.

As an alternative, nothing beats a traditional litter box, like the Nature’s Miracle High Sided Litter Box. For the price of a Litter-Robot, you can get a simple box that is easier to clean and has more space for your cat, plus five to seven years’ worth of litter. If you prefer something more contemporary, you can always upgrade to the Modkat Flip Litter Box for less money than you’d pay for most automatic designs.