The Best Automatic Litter Box of 2026: Petkit and Litter-Robot

LoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyFeatured in this articleBest Automatic Litter BoxPetkit Purobot Max Pro 2Read more$550 $500 (9% off) Amazon

My Personal Favorite Automatic Litter BoxWhisker Litter-Robot 4Read more$699 Litter-Robot

Best Basic Automatic Litter Box for Most PeoplePetkit PuraMax 2Read more$390 $300 (23% off) Amazon

Best Budget Automatic Litter Box (With a Connected App!)Lesure Self-Cleaning Electronic Litter BoxRead more$250 Amazon

I can confidently say that having an automatic litter box has been the biggest game changer for me when it comes to cat ownership. I can't recommend them enough. They can be pricey, but never having to scoop poop again is priceless.

We at WIRED—well, our WIRED cats—tested a dozen of the highest-rated and most technologically advanced automatic litter boxes on the market for at least a week, often more (using standard clay clumping litter unless otherwise indicated), to see if they were really worth the money—or the hype. Our new favorite automatic litter box is the Purobot Max Pro 2 because of its compact design and camera for monitoring. The Litter-Robot 4 is a close second, mostly because of its LitterHopper attachment that easily refills litter for you. Plus, we still love the more basic Petkit PuraMax 2 (and think it's a great option for most people).

Check out our related guides, like the Best Automatic Feeders, Best Cat Water Fountains, Best Pet Cameras, and Best Cat Toys. More of a dog person? We've got you covered; see our Best Dog Accessories.

Updated September 2026: We've added the PetPivot AutoScooper 12 and Whisker Litter-Robot EVO, and updated links and prices throughout.

Compare Our PicksOthers We TestedNot RecommendedHow Do Automatic Litter Boxes Work?Are Automatic Litter Boxes Safe?Where Should I Put the Automatic Litter Box?What Should You Look for When Shopping?History of the Automatic Litter BoxHow Does WIRED Select Models to Be Reviewed?How Does WIRED Acquire the Boxes?What Does WIRED Do With Them After Testing?History of the Automatic Litter BoxWhat I'm Testing NextLove WIRED? Add us as a preferred source on Google to see more of us.

Photograph: Molly HigginsCourtesy of PetkitChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistPetkit

The Purobot Max Pro 2 is the newest model from Petkit. It features a built-in 1080p camera with a 210-degree wide-angle view. The AI-enabled camera supports multi-cat face recognition, usage tracking (via a companion app), audio recording, night vision, and 2.4-GHz and 5.0-GHz Wi-Fi networks. The camera can also record video of the cat using the box and of their stool or urine.

This model has a 43 percent larger opening than the previous one, the PuraMax Pro, making it ideal for large cats like my 16-pound tabby, Basil. The waste bag is also larger: It stores up to 17 days of waste for one cat and is self-sealing for easy disposal. The Petkit app sends an alert when the waste basket is full, and two odor-eliminator cartridges help keep odors at bay.

You get Petkit's premium Care+ service for a free trial period. It detects unusual activity, like howling; logs weight and use frequency; and sends an alert if your cat’s weight shows a consistent increase or decrease (a great way to monitor your cat's overall health). When Care+ ended, it still could tell my cats apart, but reviewer Kat Merck and others have complained that it got their cats confused. Petkit's app still could use some work to be more intuitive, and it's overcrowded with ads. Overall, though, my cats took to this right away (which isn't always the case), and even my large cat was able to use this automatic litter box easily. I'm still not sure we need to be watching our cats defecate, but it is an incredible way to monitor your pets' health more closely.

WIREDCamera inside records videos of both your cat and its waste being scoopedApp tracks usage and weight changesWorks with both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-FiTIREDApp got cats confused once the free Care+ subscription was overCamera isn’t movableMy Personal Favorite Automatic Litter BoxPhotograph: Molly HigginsCourtesy of WhiskerChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistWhisker

I've tested over 30 automatic litter boxes, but I still go back to this old model from Whisker. This previous model of the Litter-Robot (the new Litter-Robot 5 line was released in fall 2025; see our thoughts about the new 5 Pro, 5, and EVO models below) has been a consistent favorite, largely due to its well-designed app and auto-refill Hopper (more on that below). Unlike Petkit, which has great automatic litter boxes with subpar apps that are crowded with ads for other products in the brand's lineup, the Whisker app (available for Android and iOS) is simple and intuitive. It logs usage and weight daily and historically, and it monitors litter and waste levels, alerting you when either is low. You can also adjust things like lights, manually start cycles, and set “Do Not Disturb” schedules so it won't cycle during certain periods.

After continued testing, it sometimes senses ghost cats and stops repeatedly during cleaning cycles, and alerts that the waste drawer is full when it's barely 20 percent filled. But this remains a favorite and a top pick, in part because of the super-convenient optional LitterHopper auto-refill attachment, which acts as a clean litter resivoir and refills litter to perfect levels. No more bending, scooping, or pouring clean litter multiple times a week! Without the attachment, I think Petkit's new model (our current top pick) is the best automatic litter box for most people, but I still think Litter-Robot is a great choice (and is the model I use at home with my cats) because of the connected app and LitterHopper auto-refill attachment.

WIREDIntuitive connected appCompatible with LitterHopper refill attachmentMeasures and notifies when litter level is low or waste drawer is fullTIREDOpening can be hard to refillSensors get buggy over timeBest Basic Automatic Litter Box for Most PeoplePhotograph: Molly HigginsPhotograph: PetkitChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistPetkit

This is a great option for most people—cheaper than some of our other picks, easy to use, and compact. Perhaps best of all, when it's time to refill with clean litter, the box rotates so the hole is on top for easier filling. Not only does this litter box smell neutral, dare I say it smells … good? This box has triple odor control: a sealed waste bin, an odor-eliminator attachment that sits in the waste bin, and a citrusy deodorizing spray that goes off after every cleaning and randomly throughout the day to ensure the litter box stays fresh. When the cat enters the box, their weight is displayed on the front, and the app logs every time it is used, for how long, when the cleaning cycle begins and ends, and when the deodorizing spray was deployed. Owners can also change settings manually via the buttons on the front.

My only complaints are that the app could be better—it's overcrowded with ads for other Petkit products, and unlike the Litter-Robot 4, the box doesn’t have sensors to tell you when the litter’s low or needs to be refilled—that has to be manually checked (or you can add manual reminders via the app). One of my cats, who is 17 pounds, didn't like using it as much because the opening was cramped for him, so if you have bigger cats, this may be a problem.

WIREDOdor-eliminator attachment in the waste bin, and has a deodorizing spray that goes off periodicallyOpening rotates up vertically for easier litter fillingTIREDNo sensors to tell you when the litter’s low or needs to be refilledOvercrowded, sometimes buggy appBest Budget Automatic Litter Box (With a Connected App!)Photograph: Molly HigginsPhotograph: Molly HigginsCourtesy of LesureChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistLesure

This automatic litter box use