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Litter-Robot 4 review

The Litter-Robot got a makeover—and we're loving every minute of it

Piper the cat in the Litter Robot 4 Credit: Camryn Rabideau/Reviewed

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  1. Product image of Whisker Litter-Robot 4

    Whisker Litter-Robot 4

    Pros

    • No odor or scooping

    • App makes it easy to monitor litter

    • Fits 4, all-size cats

    Cons

    • Expensive

    • Short warranty

    • Issues with cat sensor

    Buy now at Chewy

It might sound dramatic, but when I was introduced to the Litter-Robot 3 several years ago, my life was changed for the better. Gone were the days of scooping my cat's waste—instead, I simply emptied the automatic litter box once a week. A dream! Despite the gadget's $500+ price tag, I was absolutely in love with my Litter-Robot, and I went on to recommend it to two other friends, both of whom eventually bought it and became just as obsessed as I was.

That's not to say that the Litter-Robot 3 was perfect. It was bulky and somewhat noisy, and its odor-reduction could definitely stand to be improved. So when I heard that Whisker was releasing the new and improved Litter-Robot 4, I knew I wanted to test it out to see how it compared to the original. After a month of testing, here's what I found. 

$699 at Litter-Robot

$799 at Chewy

What is the Litter-Robot 4?

litter robot app on phone
Credit: Camryn Rabideau/Reviewed

I loved how easy the Litter-Robot app was to use.

If you haven't heard of the Litter-Robot, it's arguably one of the best self-cleaning litter boxes available today. It's made by the brand Whisker (previously AutoPets), which also sells a variety of other cat products, including the Feeder-Robot and a line of surprisingly stylish cat furniture.

The Litter-Robot has a fairly simple design: It features a rotating upper sphere that holds the litter, which is mounted on top of a stationary base where the waste is collected. When the machine senses your cat inside, it waits a few minutes, then automatically cycles. During this process, the top portion of the litter box slowly rotates, and its patented sifting process separates waste from the clean litter. Waste is dropped into the lined drawer in the base, and then the clean litter is returned into the sphere. Simple, yet effective.

Both the Litter-Robot 3 and 4 are Wi-Fi connected, allowing you to monitor their status from your phone. The box will send you alerts when it cycles and if the waste drawer needs to be emptied, as well as if it's stuck and needs intervention. 

What we like about the Litter-Robot 4

litter robot in home
Credit: Camryn Rabideau/Reviewed

The Litter-Robot 4 is quieter and smaller than its predecessor.

The design is smaller and sleeker

One of my biggest complaints about the Litter-Robot 3 was the sheer size of the unit. The older model certainly isn't a gadget you can tuck discreetly into a corner of your home—it's really bulky and ends up being the focal point of any room. I'm guessing I wasn't the only person who didn't love the appearance of the Litter-Robot 3, either, because the new Litter-Robot 4 got a total makeover, and the new design is so much better.

The dimensions of the Litter-Robot 4 are actually quite similar—it's a few inches narrower than the previous version, but the height and depth are the same. However, the unit has a much smaller base, and it doesn't look nearly as big as its predecessor. It also has a much larger opening, making it easier for your cat to climb inside to do their business.

I was nervous that the smaller base would mean I had to empty the waste drawer more frequently, but the new design is deeper, allowing it to hold just as much waste as the previous version. (At least from what I could tell.) I only ended up needing to empty it once every seven to 10 days during testing.

It's quieter during operation

Right away, I noticed that the new Litter-Robot is much quieter than the previous model. I was always able to hear when the Litter-Robot 3 was cycling, as it made a humming noise as it rotated. However, the Litter-Robot 4 is virtually silent—the only noise you hear is the litter as it moves around in the machine.

I placed the Litter-Robot 4 in my office, and the quiet operation is ideal for those times my cat decides to use the bathroom while I'm taking phone calls. This feature would also be useful if you have a small home or apartment, as you won't have to listen to it hum while it gets rid of your pet's waste. 

It's almost fully self-sufficient 

I tested the Litter-Robot 4 for around three weeks in total, and in that time, I only needed to intervene with its operation once. (The time in question, my cat had knocked loose the barrier that keeps litter from being kicked out of the sphere, and it had fallen into the waste drawer, blocking the unit from cycling.) Besides that one incident, the unit was able to complete every cycle on its own—definitely an improvement over the Litter-Robot 3, which often needed to be reset.

I was especially impressed at the Robot's ability to handle mid-cycle interruptions. My kitten, Piper, was fascinated by the machine, and she regularly climbed into the sphere after it had started spinning. Any time this happened, the machine would automatically stop and wait for her to leave, then resume its cycling. One time she even climbed all the way into the waste drawer—yes, really—but the machine simply waited for her to stop being so curious before finishing its task.

It gave me peace of mind to know that the machine automatically stops whenever it senses an interruption, and I loved that it was able to finish the cycle without intervention on my part. 

It collects an impressive amount of data

The Litter-Robot 3 collected some data, mostly just logging the number of times your pet used the bathroom each day and keeping track of the waste bin level. However, the Litter-Robot 4 offers even more helpful insights within the app.

The new version of the litter box features OmniSense Detection, which uses lasers and weight sensors to provide more accurate activity detection, litter levels, and waste drawer levels. It can even tell if your cat simply climbed inside or actually went to the bathroom. There's also a built-in scale that takes your cat's measurement every time they enter the litter box—this was particularly cool for my kitten, as I was able to track her growth over the course of testing. The Litter-Robot 4 is even able to distinguish between different animals in multi-cat homes, providing individual insights and usage tracking for each pet. 

What we don't like about the Litter-Robot 4

odor trap pack in front of litter robot
Credit: Camryn Rabideau/Reviewed

I did not love how often I had to change the filters on the Litter-Robot 4.

That price tag—ouch!

If you thought the Litter-Robot 3 was expensive at $549, you'll definitely have sticker shock when you see that the Litter-Robot 4 costs a whopping $699. I know I did. Even with its sleek new design and improved features, it's really, really expensive for a litter box. 

The warranty is only one year

Considering the high price point of the Litter-Robot 4, I don't love that it only comes with a one-year warranty. There are a lot of things that can go wrong with all the sensors, lasers, and moving components, and I would definitely be upset if something broke after 18 months and the brand wouldn't replace it.

You do have the option to purchase an extended three-year warranty on your Litter-Robot, but it will cost you an extra $100, bringing your total investment to a cool $800. Personally, I think this longer warranty should come standard with your purchase.

The odor filters need to be replaced frequently

Another new feature on the Litter-Robot 4 is its OdorTrap System, which allows you to use either the brand's OdorTrap Packs (which contain an odor-eliminating gel) or carbon filters to reduce odors from your cat's waster. To install a filter, you can either use the "Replace Filter" setting in the app or hold down the "Empty" button on the control panel for three seconds. The robot will rotate to give you access to the filter compartment, and you simply open the back of the sphere and pop them into place.

Considering that our Litter-Robot is located in my office, its odor-reducing abilities are definitely important to me. I used the OdorTrap packs that came with the unit, but after a week or so, I could tell they were beginning to lose their effectiveness. It turns out the packs are only good for around two weeks, so you're ideally supposed to replace them twice a month. Each set of two packs costs $15, which means you'll end up shelling out $30 a month on them. Alternatively, you can buy a six-pack of them for $30, which will save you a little money, but it's still pricey.

Personally, I'd probably opt to use the carbon filters instead. These cost $30 for a pack of six, and you only have to replace them once a month. However, I wasn't able to test out one of these filters, so I can't confirm how well they work.

Should you buy it?

cat climbing out of litter robot
Credit: Camryn Rabideau/Reviewed

The Litter-Robot 4 is expensive—but worth it.

If you can stomach the price tag, yes. 

Purely from a design standpoint, I was really impressed with the Litter-Robot 4. The brand addressed a lot of the most common painpoints from the precious design, making it smaller, sleeker, and quieter, as well as adding in new smart features and improved odor control. The Litter-Robot 4 even managed to handle the worst of my kitten's antics, giving me peace of mind that she wouldn't get hurt while messing around inside the Robot mid-cycle.

However, $700 is an exorbitant price for a litter box, and because it's such a new release, chances are that it won't be on sale any time soon. It's definitely a splurge, but if you have the funds to spare, I do think it's worth it for those who hate scooping the litter box or even for households with multiple cats.

If you simply can't justify spending that much, you can always go with the Litter-Robot 3, which is still available from the brand. It costs around $200 less, and while it's bulkier and a bit noisier, it still works extremely well to keep your cat's litter box clean, no scooping needed. 

Get the Litter-Robot 4 for $699 from Whisker

$799 at Chewy

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