Stop scooping. Start comparing.
The box cleans itself. Choosing it shouldn’t be the chore.
CatboxLab researches self-cleaning litter boxes from the spec sheets out: waste capacity, sensor stacks, cat weight limits, and what each box really costs in trays, liners, and filters every year you own it. You get the running-cost math, an honest account of litter lock-in, and scores built from manufacturer data and owner-feedback patterns — never fake hands-on testing.
8 boxes scored head-to-head, /100 · $229.99–$799 verified price band · ~$294/yr the tray bill hiding behind the cheapest sticker
Start with what decides it
Boxes are the easy part. Capacity, cat fit, and consumables decide what a self-cleaning litter box really costs you.
Globes & Drums
Rotating sifters from Whisker, PETKIT, CATLINK, and Casa Leo compared on waste capacity, entry height, and the weight range your cat actually fits.
Open-Top & Tray Systems
Neakasa’s open-top answer for cats who refuse enclosed boxes, and PetSafe’s rake-and-tray system — plus the consumable bill each one signs you up for.
Running Costs
Trays vs. liners vs. any-bag systems, priced per year at one cat and at three. The sticker lies politely; the consumables page doesn’t.
Buying Guides
Head-to-head comparisons scored /100 on cleaning & safety, capacity, app tracking, and running cost — starting with the flagship eight.
How CatboxLab works
We’re a research desk, not a litter-box store and not a test lab. Nobody pays for placement. Every box is scored out of 100 on the same published rubric, and every cost figure traces to a source we name and date.
Specs, verified
Dimensions, capacities, and weight limits checked against manufacturer spec sheets and store pages — never marketing roundups.
Costs, totaled
Sticker plus the consumables you’ll actually buy — trays, liners, filters — at the maker’s own replacement pace, per year and per cat count.
Scores, /100
Cleaning & safety 30, capacity & fit 25, app & tracking 20, running cost 25. The rubric is public, and it explains every upset.
Updated, dated
Every page carries its last-verified date. Prices are read on the manufacturer’s store; when a store page and a launch price disagree, we print neither until they reconcile.
Disclosure: CatboxLab may earn a commission through links on this site (Amazon Associates, catboxlab-20, and direct programs where noted) at no extra cost to you. Commissions never change a score.