Longtime readers may know that we purchased two Litter-Robots over three years ago for our multi-cat household. And today, we’re excited to share that we were selected as beta testers for the brand new Whisker Litter-Robot 4, which has now been announced to the public.
This review has been updated on April 1, 2023, August 20, 2023, and March 1, 2024 with new information.
***Read our newest review (October 6, 2023) for our latest thoughts on Litter-Robot 4.
In this Litter-Robot review, we’ll go over:
- The all-new design of the Litter-Robot 4
- Compare Litter-Robot 4 vs. Litter-Robot 3
- Give our thoughts on whether to upgrade or not
- Provide readers $50 off!
- NEW: Littter-Robot color options!
Disclosure: We purchased two Litter-Robot 3 units in January 2019 and later posted a review here on the blog. In November 2020, due to the popularity of our review, Litter-Robot allowed us to provide readers with $25.00 off via an affiliate link. As an affiliate, we received the Litter-Robot 4 for free from Whisker as part of a beta program to test and give our feedback. Whisker is not responsible for the contents of this review. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using an affiliate link, Three Chatty Cats will earn a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay for the item.
Unboxing Litter-Robot 4
If you haven’t heard of Litter-Robot before, it’s an automatic, self-cleaning litter box that has been around for 20+ years in various forms. Litter-Robot 4 by Whisker is the latest model.
Setting up the Litter-Robot 4 is as easy as taking it out of the box and plugging it in. It comes fully assembled! The only thing you need to do regarding assembly (besides adding litter) is to put in the carbon filter. The unit comes all nicely wrapped up like a gift basket!
Woodrow and Harley were on hand to supervise the unboxing, of course.
Litter-Robot 4 Standard Features
The Litter-Robot 4 has many of the same features as the previous model.
- It self-cleans after each use by using apatented sifting system to deposit waste into the drawer at the base of the unit.
- It can be used with multiple cats.
- The litter box is WiFi-enabled to connect to your smartphone (iOS and Android). You can control which notifications you receive on your phone. You can even control the unit remotely through the app.
- There is a built-in nightlight.
- The unit uses less litter than a standard litter box. You must use clumping litter.
The New Features
Now, onto the exciting changes with the reimagined Litter-Robot 4!
I was most excited to learn that the Litter Robot 4 has weight sensors. So, if you have a multi-cat household as we do, you’ll be able to keep track of which cat used the litter via the app. Fortunately, our cats each weigh a different enough amount for us to know who used the litter.
Another new feature is that the rotating globe that sifts the litter is now enclosed in the unit, making it safer for your cat. The new model has what Whisker refers to as the SafeCat™ System, which includes OmniSense™ cat detection, with optical and weight sensors.
The various sensors do the following:
- Tells the unit when your cat is inside the globe, so it doesn’t rotate while they’re using the litter
- Notifies if something is pinched while rotating, so it stops cycling
- Notifies when the waste drawer is full
- Keeps track of the litter level
- Knows when to turn on the night light
The Waste Drawer
While the Litter-Robot 4 comes with a few waste drawer liners, you can also use traditional garage bags as well. Here’s a photo showing a 13-gallon trash bag instead of their provided liner.
The Whisker App
If you have a smartphone, you can download the Whisker App and remotely control the Litter-Robot 4. You can also choose to receive notifications. The app shows how full the waste drawer is and if the litter level is sufficient. You can also review usage history. I personally don’t check the app often, but I do keep notifications on.
One area where the Whisker App may come in handy is monitoring the health of your cat since you’ll be able to check when and how often your cat uses the litter. And the weight sensors will also be able to track your cat’s weight over time, letting you know if your cat has gained or lost weight.
App Update: August 16, 2023
Whisker sent out an email on August 16, 2023 to advise that they made updates to the Whisker App and Litter-Robot 4 operating system with Firmware 2.85.
The new updates to the app include:
Fewer Interrupted Cycles: Whisker advises they have improved the ability for the unit to accurately detect your cat vs. another object (like natural dust and fur), so you will notice fewer interrupted cycles.
‘Always Go Home’ Mode: Another improved functionality is for the Litter-Robot 4 to always return to the home position.
SmartScale®: This is Whisker’s new feature, where the unit can track weight data for each cat that differs in weight by one pound.
Litter-Robot 3 vs. Litter-Robot 4
As I mentioned, we’ve been using the Litter-Robot 3 in our house for the past few years. So, I was definitely interested to see how the new Litter-Robot 4 stacked up against the Litter-Robot 3.
Size Difference
The photos below show that the models are fairly similar in size. A noticeable difference is the entryway to the litter – it’s much larger in the Litter-Robot 4.
Fully assembled, here are the dimensions.
The Waste Drawers
Another noticeable difference is the waste drawer. And while it may initially look smaller, the new drawer (on the right) is a tad deeper and actually holds more waste.
One of the complaints I’ve heard about the Litter-Robot 3 is that the waste tends to build up on the left side of the drawer due to the way it dumps in. I’ve noticed with the Litter-Robot 4 that the waste dumps pretty much center.
The Control Panel
I like that the control panel buttons have been moved up higher on the Litter-Robot 4. They’ve also made the status indicator light much more obvious. The Litter-Robot 3 (on the left) had three separate smaller lights at the bottom of the control panel.
The Litter-Robot 4 has one big light bar that can change colors and/or flash indicators. And being higher up, it’s easier to access and read. The only downside is there are no words, so you will have to familiarize yourself with the button icons. But they’re pretty easy to understand – Power, Cycle, Reset, Empty, and WiFi Connect.
April 1, 2023 Update: Whisker updated the control panel on the unit, and the buttons are now clearly labeled. New labels are pictured below.
Loudness Comparison
While I wouldn’t say the Litter-Robot 3 is flat-out loud, I did notice that the Litter-Robot 4 is much quieter when it rotates. This video compares how loud each unit is, with the Litter-Robot 4 being noticeably quieter.
Should You Upgrade to Litter-Robot 4?
If you currently own a Litter-Robot 3, are the changes enough to upgrade to a Litter-Robot 4? The answer, of course, is that it depends. I personally love that they’ve incorporated weight sensors so I know which cat used the litter. And in a future release later in 2022, Whisker will also be adding a PetID Tag feature, further enabling it to recognize individual cats and track them with real-time insights on the app. That’s pretty neat!
But if you’re a single-cat household, there might not be enough reason to rush right out and upgrade. The main feature of both Litter-Robot models is that it’s an automatic, self-cleaning litter box. And Litter-Robot 3 gets the job done just fine.
As mentioned a few times, we’ve been using the Litter-Robot 3 model for over three years now. And in those three years, I haven’t had any issues with either unit. I’ve never had to contact customer service, and they’re both still operating without issue.
Check out the New Litter-Robot 4 Color Options!
Late in 2023, Whisker debuted different bezel color options for the Litter-Robot. They graciously sent us the purple color for free to check out! You can see all of the color options on their site. Purple is my favorite color, but it was a tough choice between purple or pink.
New to Litter-Robot? Which Model Should You Buy?
Whisker has advised that they will still be selling Litter-Robot 3 models as usual. So if you’re buying one for the first time, is the price difference worth it to go with the Litter-Robot 4? I’d say yes. (See below for pricing.)
I feel that Whisker has really upped the game with Litter-Robot 4 by adding the weight sensors, the larger waste drawer, moving the control panel higher, and the unit being so much quieter. It’s also nice to have a bigger entryway into the globe for the cats.
Ready to Buy? Here’s What’s Included
At the time of this writing, the base price of each unit is:
- Litter-Robot 4 – $649.00 (the price has since gone up)
- Litter-Robot 3 – $549.00
Both of these base prices are for non-bundled units, but they do include:
- WhiskerCare™ 1-Year Warranty
- 90-day In-Home Trial
- Free shipping in the United States (excluding AK, HI, PR)
Don’t Forget Your $25 off! (updated to $50 off!)
While I’ve never seen a Litter-Robot coupon, I can offer readers $50.00 off at the Whisker website! (Due to the success of our previous Litter-Robot review, Whisker invited us to join their affiliate program, which allows us to offer readers $50.00 off.) This is good on new models only, not reconditioned units. $50 off the Litter-Robot 4
$50 off link: $50 off the Litter-Robot 4
If you’re looking to purchase the Litter-Robot 3 model, you can do so from the Whisker site or on Amazon. Many of the accessories are also available on Amazon.
Check out Litter-Robot 3 on Amazon. (The $50 off does not apply to Amazon orders.)
I hope you’ve found this Litter-Robot 4 review helpful. Any questions? Ask in the comments and I’ll respond! Also, check out our Litter-Robot Central page.
(Sophie says, “A little privacy, please!”)
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Rachel
Rachel is the cat mom to the Three Chatty Cats. She’s a lifelong cat lover who started blogging to combine her passions of cats, writing, and photography. She’s been both a cat foster parent and volunteer, and she’s used her writing skills for a nationwide program supporting shelter cats. Three Chatty Cats is an award-winning blog, with Rachel winning 47 awards through the years for blogging, product reviews, social media, photography, and video. Rachel and her husband Ross share their home with chatty cats Dexter, Olive, Sophie, and Woodrow – and one cute pup named Guster.
