Get Quartz in your inbox

Free daily briefing on global business news.

The best cat litter boxes in 2026: Consumer Reports

A messy litter box turns daily cleanup into an unpleasant chore. Consumer Reports tested litter boxes with real cats and owners

A messy litter box that traps odors, sticks with clumped litter or spooks a nervous cat turns a daily chore into a bigger hassle than it needs to be. Automatic, stainless steel, plastic and enclosed designs each come with their own tradeoffs in cleaning effort, cat acceptance and how well they control mess.

Consumer Reports evaluated cat litter boxes with a panel of staffers and their cats, testing ease of cleaning, cat reactions and overall design.

Whisker Litter Robot 4

The Whisker Litter Robot 4 costs $699 and earned Consumer Reports' Editor's Choice distinction as a pricey but worthwhile self-cleaning litter box. CR found the automatic cycling mechanism, which rotates several minutes after a cat exits to sift clumps into a waste drawer, required virtually no daily cleanup and worked well as a set-it-and-forget-it option between litter changes, though the manufacturer specifies compatible litter types and testers found grain size affected operating noise. Testers noted the machine's large footprint, at 22 inches wide and 27 inches deep, ruled out several preferred litter box spots and required an outlet nearby, and found cat acceptance varied, with one older cat........

© Quartz