LitterLux Starts U.S. Sales of a $399 Self-Cleaning Litter Box

LitterLux, a direct-to-consumer pet technology brand from Austin, Texas, has begun selling its self-cleaning litter box in the United States at $399. The device is meant for households with one or two cats. The company positions it against premium automatic models, naming the Litter-Robot 4, which lists for about $699, and notes that most well-known products in the category cost $600 or more.

How it works

The box is built around a 65-liter rotating drum. Infrared and weight sensors register that a cat has left, after which the drum turns and separates clumps from clean litter. Waste falls into a sealed 9-liter drawer lined with a disposable bag. With one cat the drawer needs emptying roughly every 7 to 15 days; with two cats, more often. For safety, a 120-degree infrared sensor and the weight sensors pause the drum if a cat approaches or climbs in during a cycle. Odor is handled by a plasma sterilization module, a fresh-air system and the sealed drawer.

The litter box connects over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi to the Tuya Smart app on iOS and Android, which shows visit history, tracks each cat's weight and sends alerts. It can also be used without the app. The company's founder, who is not named in the announcement, said the aim was to let people stop scooping every day "without spending $700 to do it".

Specifications and limits

• Cats: up to two, each weighing 2.2 to 17.6 lbs (1 to 8 kg).
• Litter: clumping bentonite, tofu, crystal and mineral sand; strip-shaped litter is not recommended.
• Size: about 22.8 x 20.3 x 21.4 inches, weight about 22 lbs.
• Terms: one-year limited warranty, 30-day returns, free U.S. shipping in 1 to 3 business days.

LitterLux acknowledges that the Litter-Robot 4 can serve more cats and has been on the market longer, and says its own product is aimed at smaller households that want hands-free cleaning for less money. The litter box is sold directly through the company's website.

Source: LitterLux