Is the Self-Cleaning Litter-Robot 4 Worth the Purchase? (2024)

No matter how much you love your cat, cleaning the litter box is likely not something you enjoy. Even if you find the best cat litter, there's still cleanup to do. That's why the pros at the Good Housekeeping Institute Pet Lab are obsessed with self-cleaning litter boxes. The tech detects when your cat has done their business and whisks the yuck into a waste receptacle. Of course, there is no wizardry here — you are still going to have to dump out the waste bin eventually. But in the meantime, the cat mess is hidden away, your house is odor-free and daily scooping is a thing of the past. More time to toss around cat toys and pet your best fur friend!

When it comes to self-cleaning boxes, the very latest and greatest model is the Litter-Robot 4, a Wifi-enabled upgrade to the Litter-Robot 3 and an improvement on the Litter-Robot 3 Connect. Lynn Redmile, our Cleaning Lab Testing and Product Review Analyst, tried the Litter-Robot 4 at home with her three cats after having used the previous models. She found that the features that come with the Litter-Robot 4 can be worth the hefty price tag (a whopping $699).

Now, we understand that as dreamy as these feline-friendly litter boxes seem, they often aren't that affordable for the everyday consumer. When you combine the costs of food, toys and vet bills it can be hard to justify paying for an expensive self-cleaning box when you can easily do it yourself and save some money. And besides, although unpleasant, cleaning up after your furry friend is an expected part of caring for a cat. But if you can afford it (and dread the constant cleaning out of the litter box) then the newest installment of the Litter Robot is an accessory worth investing in.

How does the Litter-Robot 4 work?

If you’ve never used an automatic cat litter box, this might help give you a visual: Your cat jumps in to do its business and a sensor registers that the cat has been in there. Nothing happens immediately, giving the cat a chance to scratch and leave, and the litter some time to clump. Then the machine rakes or sifts the litter to separate the clumps from the clean clay litter.

The Litter-Robot 4 works a little differently than others in that the entire dome rotates to do the cleaning. After the cat has used it — the default setting is seven minutes later, but you can set it to clean after only a few minutes or to wait 15 minutes — the dome slowly and almost silently rotates. The clean litter passes through a large sieve and the clumps are directed to a chute which sends them to an odor-trapping bin below the dome. The dome rotates back again, closing the waste chute and the clean litter is filtered back into the litter pan.

What's new about the Litter-Robot 4?

The Litter-Robot 3 Connect is still available, and it's over $100 cheaper than the Litter-Robot 4. These are the main differences:

• The Litter-Robot 4 is Wi-Fi enabled. You can connect the Litter-Robot 4 to the Whisker app and track your cats' usage. The sensor will recognize each cat by weight, and you can follow how often each cat visits the box and watch for trends in usage and any changes to your cat's weight. (Always share any alarming changes with your vet!) The app also shows how full the waste receptacle is, alerts you when to empty it and lets you know when you need to add more litter. Meanwhile, the Litter-Robot 3 doesn’t connect to the Internet at all, which makes it the most affordable of the bunch at $499.
• The Litter-Robot 4 is the quietest version yet. You have to be right next to it to hear it doing its job.
• This newest version is better at trapping smells and dust. A combination of a tightly sealed carbon-filtered waste receptacle and the upgraded sifter ensures no odor or dust permeates your living space.
• It has a new, wider opening. This new innovation is more inviting to cats who might be skittish about an enclosed litter box.
• The Litter-Robot 4 can be used by smaller cats. While Litter-Robot 3 Connect works with cats who weigh five pounds or more, the Litter-Robot 4 works with cats who weigh just three pounds or more.
• The waste receptacle is larger, so you can empty it less frequently.
• The controls are on the top of the dome, making them easier to access than the controls on the front of the Litter-Robot 3 Connect.

Are there any downsides?

• The Litter-Robot 4 is tall — it won’t fit under a desk and may not easily squeeze into your bathroom — but it’s not unsightly and you can’t smell it.
• It can work well in any room that has space for its 22" x 27" footprint, but it does need to be plugged into an outlet to work.
• If the Litter-Robot doesn't notice your cat in there, it won't automatically go through the cleaning cycle. If you have a new kitten too small to set off the sensor, you can turn off the automatic cycle and instead manually trigger the box to clean itself.
• If you overfill the litter dome, it won't work — but there are clear markings to help you.
• Every so often, you will still need to deep-clean the entire device with gentle soap and water. Non-electronic components can be taken outside and sprayed down with a hose. The company recommends you do this three times a year.

What’s the best litter to use with a Litter-Robot?

A Litter-Robot uses any premium clumping litter and works by sifting instead of raking, which means there is no rake to clean. The Litter-Robot doesn't require that kind of regular maintenance. You can line the waste bin with liner bags that you purchase, or you can recycle grocery bags for that purpose.

When the Litter Robot's Whisker app indicates that the waste receptacle has to be emptied, you just take out the bag, tie it up and throw it in the trash can. Then reline the tray and you're set to go again. It all feels more sanitary than scooping.

How long does litter last in Litter-Robot 4?

Most months, you can just replenish the litter to replace that which has clumped and dumped. The Litter-Robot 4 is cleared for up to four cats, but the more cats you have, the more often you will be emptying the waste receptacle. For four cats you might actually want to try having two boxes and both can be simultaneously connected to the Whiskers app.

Bottom line: Is the Litter-Robot 4 worth it?

Yes — but only if you can afford it. "You won’t be disappointed with it," Redmile says. "The design of the dome with its rubber liner makes its automatic emptying process almost infallible." A Litter-Robot is ideal for a household with multiple cats, like Redmile's. Two cats fill up one regular litter box quickly, so having one of these auto-cleaning devices saves you from daily drudgery.

Primarily what you get with the Litter-Robot 4 is your time back — plus a much more sanitary way of dealing with cat waste. The very hands-on chore of scooping the litter box becomes a thing of the past, and monitoring when you need to change litter goes on autopilot, thanks to the app.

The U.S.-based company's 20 years of research and development continually improves the Litter-Robot product offerings and its app features. "It's an impressive piece of engineering and it really works," Redmile says. That said, even with all the research, it's not worth it to go over your budget or overspend on something that isn't a required essential for your everyday life. Invest in this feline accessory for added ease, but don't forget that at the end of the day, two gloved hands, a scooper and a trash can work just fine too.

GET THE LITTER-ROBOT 4

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

For decades, the Good Housekeeping Institute has been providing expert reviews and advice on appliances, cleaning products and pet products. Lynn Redmile has been a testing and product review analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute since 2012, and has tested the Litter-Robot 3, Litter-Robot 3 Connect and the Litter-Robot 4 in her home with her three cats.

We have also tested Litter-Robot products in our Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab for setup, easy clean-up and clump removal. In our Lab, we simulated a cat using the litter box with water and a small weight to trigger the sensor and observed the cleaning process.

Journalist Jessica Hartshorn is a consultant to the GH Institute Pet Lab who uses her decades of experience as a cat owner, and decades as an editor for Parents magazine, to help evaluate pet products that families use in their homes.