Which Automatic Litter Box Is Best? We Tested Litter-Robot’s Lineup

Whisker’s Litter-Robot range expanded in 2025 with the Litter-Robot 5 Pro, Litter-Robot 5 and lower-priced EVO, while the older Litter-Robot 4 remained available. A WIRED comparison found meaningful differences in cameras, app features, waste identification and price. Choosing among them is less about buying the newest machine than matching a cat’s size, health needs and tolerance for an enclosed automatic box.

Litter-Robot 5 for most connected households

The Litter-Robot 5 was priced at $799 at the time of the review. It used an internal scale to distinguish cats by weight, supported as many as five cats and offered app-based records of visits and weight. Whisker said its redesigned drawer could hold up to ten days of waste for one cat, though real capacity varies with the animal and litter.

An optional Whisker+ subscription added WasteID, which classifies a visit as urine or faeces and adjusts the cleaning delay. The machine lacked the cameras included in the Pro model, which may appeal to people who want health trends without video inside the litter box.

What the 5 Pro adds

The $899 Litter-Robot 5 Pro added dual cameras and AI-assisted recognition. That can help a multi-cat home where two animals have similar weights, but advanced identification depended on a paid subscription. Cameras also add privacy, security and cleaning considerations and do not turn the product into a diagnostic device.

A review unit’s camera onboarding and interface were not flawless, illustrating why extra features should be judged by everyday reliability. A cat owner who will not review video or act on the data may receive little value from the higher price.

EVO and Litter-Robot 4

The $599 EVO removed some premium capabilities to offer a simpler entry to the range. The Litter-Robot 4, listed at $699, continued to stand out for a mature app and compatibility with the LitterHopper accessory, which automatically tops up clean litter. Older hardware may therefore be the better fit when refill convenience matters more than the newest sensing features.

Prices, bundles and subscription terms can change, so buyers should check the manufacturer’s current listing rather than rely on figures from an April 2026 review.

Safety comes before convenience

An automatic litter box should stop when a cat enters or approaches the mechanism. Owners should follow minimum weight and age guidance, supervise the transition and keep a conventional tray available until every cat uses the machine comfortably. A product that fully closes during a cleaning cycle creates a more serious entrapment risk and should be approached with particular caution.

Some cats dislike the sound, movement or enclosed globe. Never force a cat inside. Clean sensors and inspect the unit regularly, because litter dust, a poorly placed liner or a full drawer can interfere with operation.

Health data has limits

Visit frequency and weight trends can help an owner notice change, especially in a multi-cat home where habits are otherwise difficult to observe. They cannot identify the cause. Straining, blood, repeated unsuccessful visits, sudden reduced urination or marked behavioural change can require prompt veterinary attention rather than waiting for the app to interpret a trend.

A practical buying decision

Measure the available floor space and entry height, confirm litter compatibility and calculate the full cost of liners, filters, accessories and subscriptions. Consider whether every cat can be reliably distinguished and whether household members will actually maintain the device.

The Litter-Robot 5 offered the strongest balance of current features in WIRED’s lineup comparison, the 5 Pro targeted data-heavy multi-cat homes, EVO reduced the initial cost and the 4 retained a useful refill advantage. The best choice remains the model a cat will safely use and an owner will consistently clean.