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$560 $488 (13% off) Amazon Best Connected AppWhisker Litter-Robot 4Read more$699 Litter-Robot Best Basic Automatic Litter Box for Most PeoplePetkit PuraMax 2Read more$380 Amazon Best Budget Automatic Litter Box With an AppLesure 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 July 2026: We've added the Oneisall Ease S1 Self-Cleaning Litter Box and Lesure Self-Cleaning Electronic Litter Box and updated links and prices throughout. Compare Our PicksOthers We TestedNot RecommendedFrequently Asked QuestionsBest Automatic Litter BoxPhotograph: Molly HigginsCourtesy of PetkitChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistPetkit The Purobot Max Pro 2 is the newest model from Petkit. It has 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 capture video of the cat using the box and 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 bigger: It stores up to 17 days of waste for one cat, and it's self-sealing for easy disposal. The Petkit app sends an alert when the waste basket is full, and two odor eliminator cartridges help to help keep smells at bay. You get Petkit's premium Care+ service for a free trial period, which detects if there's been unusual activity, like howling; logs weight and use frequency; and sends an alert if your cat’s weight has seen a consistent increase or decrease (which is 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 movableBest Connected AppPhotograph: Molly HigginsCourtesy of WhiskerChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistWhisker This previous model of the Litter-Robot (the new Litter-Robot 5 line was released in fall 2025; see our preliminary thoughts about the Litter-Robot 5 Pro and Litter-Robot 5 below) has been a consistent favorite, largely due to its well-designed app. 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. The large, front-facing hole is not as easy to fill as Petkit's rotating hole, and over time, my model has increasingly sensed ghost cats and stopped repeatedly during cleaning cycles. This had been my top pick, mostly because of the super-convenient optional LitterHopper auto-refill attachment—until it stopped working after about seven months, and I've had to manually refill the litter ever since. Without the attachment, I think Petkit's new model (our curre

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

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

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