WIRED Tests a Dozen Automatic Litter Boxes for 2026
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- WIRED tested a dozen automatic litter boxes over at least a week each, naming the Purobot Max Pro 2 their new favorite for its compact design and built-in monitoring camera.
- Litter-Robot 4 placed second thanks to its LitterHopper attachment that refills litter automatically, while the Petkit PuraMax 2 was singled out as a solid mainstream option.
- Litter-Robot 5 ($799) launched with a WasteID feature meant to distinguish feces from urine, but reviewer Kat Merck reported it worked intermittently for four months before a recent firmware update improved performance.
- Petcove PurrTek ($360) earned praise for fitting two 16-pound cats in a small footprint, but was dinged for poor app translations and a nearly four-and-a-half-minute sifting cycle.
- Petlibro Luma ($600) was explicitly not recommended because its globe rotates backward and forward—closing the entrance during cleaning—which WIRED said could trap a cat if the safety sensors malfunctioned.
- The guide was updated in July 2026 to add the Oneisall Ease S1 and Lesure Self-Cleaning Electronic Litter Box and refresh pricing across earlier picks.
Why it matters: WIRED's call to avoid the Petlibro Luma over entrapment risk is the standout: a litter box that closes during cycling depends entirely on its sensors, and the reviewer documented touchscreen controls frustratingly locked out by the same safety features. For shoppers, the $300–$800 price band shown across picks means the category now spans genuine budget options like the Els Pet Orbitie to nearly four-figure flagship units, with Whisker's recent firmware fix on the Litter-Robot 5's WasteID showing the model is still a work in progress.
