Litter-Robot 4: Specs, Real Costs and Alternatives

The Litter-Robot 4 is Whisker’s enclosed, rotating-globe self-cleaning litter box. It lists at $699 as of November 2, 2026, with no sale on the standalone unit that day. Whisker rates it for cats that weigh 3–25 lb and says one unit “supports up to 4 cats.” Below are the official specs, what it costs to run each year at Whisker’s prices, and how it compares with Whisker’s other models and three non-Whisker alternatives.

Litter-Robot 4 specs

Spec	Litter-Robot 4
Price (list)	$699, as of 2026-11-02
Design	Enclosed rotating globe
Cat weight range	3–25 lb
Cats per unit (Whisker’s claim)	Up to 4
Footprint	22” x 27”
Exterior height	29.5”
Entryway	15.75” x 15.75”
Interior globe height	16.5”
Step height	6.9”
Weight (empty)	24 lb
Power	15 Volt DC
Waste drawer	“as low as once every 8 days” between emptyings
Litter	Clumping clay recommended
App	Yes (2.4 GHz Wi-Fi required)
Warranty	1 year included; 3-year plan offered at $129
Trial	90-day in-home trial

Whisker publishes no drawer volume in liters and no power draw in watts.

What Whisker says it does

Whisker’s descriptions, not our findings:

Sifting: after a cat leaves, the globe rotates and sifts clumps into a drawer in the base. Whisker says the delay before a cycle can be extended “up to 30 minutes” for skittish cats.
Quiet cycles: Whisker says “QuietSift® self-cleaning cycles benefit skittish cats.”
Litter use: Whisker says owners can save time “by not scooping and using up to 50% less cat litter.” Whisker does not say what that comparison is based on.
App: Whisker says the app gives “a 7-day look at your cats’ visits and individual cat weights,” and that a paid Whisker+ membership extends history to “up to 2 years.” Whisker also notes that its SmartScale weight readings are “most accurate on a firm surface, not carpeting,” and sells a Carpet Tray for thick carpet.
Litter: Whisker says “The best litter for Litter-Robot is clumping clay litter.” It does not recommend translucent or white crystal litter in the LR4, because that can affect the litter-level and drawer-full readings. Non-clumping, loose-clumping, newspaper and absorbent wood pellet litters are listed as not working.
Kittens: under 3 lb, Whisker recommends semi-automatic mode instead of automatic cycling.

App weight and visit data is a record, not a diagnosis; take questions about it to a veterinarian.

Yearly running costs at Whisker’s prices

Whisker publishes pack prices and replacement intervals, so some yearly costs can be worked out. These figures use regular prices (Whisker’s Autoship shows 30% off the first order) and Whisker’s own intervals:

Item	Whisker price	Whisker’s interval	Per year
Carbon filters	$30 per 6-pack ($12 per 2-pack)	“Replace carbon filter every month (recommended)”	12 filters = $60
Waste drawer liners	$35 per 50 ($25 per 25, $12 per 10)	One per emptying; “as low as once every 8 days”	about 46 liners, about $32 (minimum)
OdorTrap packs (optional)	$15 per 3-pack	“Replace pack every two weeks”	26 packs, about $130

The liner figure is a floor. Whisker says emptying frequency “depends on the number and size of your cats,” and the 8-day figure is a minimum. More cats means more emptyings and more liners.
On the reconditioned LR4 page, Whisker says you can “Use any clumping cat litter and regular trash bag,” so branded liners are optional.
Whisker’s LR4 FAQ suggests replacing the filter and OdorTrap packs “every 2-4 weeks.” At four-week intervals, OdorTrap packs cost about half the figure in the table.
Litter is the biggest variable, and no authoritative pounds-per-cat figure exists. Enter your own usage in the cost calculator. For supply details, see running costs and litter for the Litter-Robot.

Who it fits, by spec

Cats from 3 to 25 lb. The 15.75” entryway and 16.5” interior height are Whisker’s published dimensions for large cats. Cats over 25 lb are outside Whisker’s stated range for the LR4. See large cats.
Homes with up to 4 cats, by Whisker’s claim. See multiple cats.
Rooms that can fit a 22” x 27” footprint and 29.5” of height.
Owners with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (required for the app).

LR4 vs Litter-Robot 5 vs EVO

Whisker currently sells three Litter-Robot models. The Litter-Robot 3 Connect has been discontinued; see Litter-Robot 3 vs 4.

Spec (Whisker)	Litter-Robot EVO	Litter-Robot 4	Litter-Robot 5
Price (list, 2026-11-02)	$599	$699	$799
Cat weight	3–19 lb	3–25 lb	3–30 lb
Cats claimed	1–2	Up to 4	Up to 5
Footprint	20.6” x 24.3”	22” x 27”	22” x 27”
Height	27.6”	29.5”	29.9”
Globe opening	14.85”	15.75”	15.75”
Weight (empty)	21.5 lb	24 lb	28.7 lb
Drawer emptying (1 cat)	≈ every 7 days	≈ every 8 days	≈ every 10 days
3-year plan	$99	$129	$149

Whisker calls the EVO “a more compact version of Litter-Robot 4,” aimed at one- or two-cat homes. The LR5 adds WasteID, which Whisker says “distinguishes #1 vs #2,” along with a wider weight range. The camera is only on the LR5 Pro.

Alternatives to the Litter-Robot 4

Prices as of 2026-11-02, from each maker’s U.S. store.

Spec	Neakasa M1 Plus	PETKIT Purobot Max 3	PetSafe ScoopFree SmartSpin
Price	$399.99 sale / $549.99 list	$399.99 sale / $499.99 list	$399.99 list
Design	Open top, rotating	Enclosed, rotating	Enclosed, spherical
Cat weight	2.2 lb to “around 33 lbs”	3.3–22 lb (6+ months)	Up to 25 lb
Waste capacity	11.23 L, “up to 14 days” (1 cat)	7 L, “up to 15 days” (1 cat)	6 L, “up to 2 weeks”
Litter	Fast-clumping clay or mineral	“99% of clumping litters” incl. tofu, corn	Clumping or non-clumping (clumping recommended)
App	Yes	Yes	Yes
Warranty	2-year limited	2 years (models bought from 2025-01-01)	Not stated on page

The M1 Plus has the highest stated weight limit here and is the only open-top design; see Neakasa M1.

For more models side by side, see Litter-Robot alternatives or the comparison table.

Bottom line

The Litter-Robot 4 lists at $699 and is rated by Whisker for cats of 3–25 lb and up to 4 cats. At Whisker’s prices and intervals, carbon filters and liners alone come to roughly $90 or more a year, before litter and optional OdorTrap packs. The EVO costs less but has a lower weight limit. The LR5 costs more and raises the limit to 30 lb. Of the alternatives, the Neakasa M1 Plus is open-top with a higher stated weight limit; the PETKIT and PetSafe models are lower-priced enclosed designs. Check costs in the cost calculator.