The Circle Zero Litter Box Vs The Litter Robot. Which is the better automatic litter box?
Short on time? We recommend Litter Robot over Circle Zero.
Anyone who owns a cat can probably agree that the least enjoyable part of cat ownership is cleaning the litterbox. Even if you only have a single indoor cat, you are still looking at daily maintenance on your cat’s sandy poop oasis.
Likewise, if you own a cat, you’ve probably done some research about easier methods to keep your cat’s litter fresh and clean. One of the best ways to do that is by automating the entire process.
There are a couple automatic litter boxes on the market. For this article we are going to compare two of the more popular options.
The Circle Zero Litter Box
The Circle Zero is the brainchild of Pluto Electronics. It started as an idea on the crowdfunding site, Indiegogo, where it quickly acquired its full funding in under 1 hour. From there it was off to the races to get production started and start shipping orders.
The Circle Zero is still in its infancy and not many consumers have received theirs yet. But there are still several reviews out there that we can go from.
How The Circle Zero Works
- After your cat does its business, the Circle Zero waits 7 minutes and then starts its process.
- The device rotates 360 degrees, while a scooping claw picks up all the clumped-up ‘pees’ and ‘poops’ and drops them into the back chamber of the unit.
- It then goes in reverse, rotating back to make sure the litter inside the unit is even and flat.
The Circle Zero uses sensors to know when your cat has entered and exited the litter box. The sensor also prevents the device from rotating if it detects a cat is still inside. So you don’t have to worry about Fluffy going for a ride in her own litter box.
Cleaning The Circle Zero Automatic Litter Box
The Circle Zero should only need a good cleaning about once a week. You can simply clean the scooper arm, waste chamber, and any other areas with warm water.
You can use any plastic bag or trash bag in the waste compartment, for easy disposal of your cat’s business.
Is There A Weight Limit For The Circle Zero?
The weight limit for the Circle Zero is 15 lbs. If your cat is heavier than that, you might want to check his/her diet.
How Many Cats Can Use The Circle Zero?
The Circle Zero is rate for as many as 4 cats. If you have more cats than that you can still use the automatic litter box, you’ll just need to up your regular cleaning and maintenance.
Does The Circle Zero Smell?
the Circle Zero is designed to cut down on the odor that regular litter boxes have. Since it scoops and removes your cat’s pee and poop after each use, there is nothing to sit and stink up the litter.
As long as you remove and dispose of the droppings in the waste bag, there should be no issues with an odor.
How Much Does The Circle Zero Cost?
The Circle Zero is still hard to find online, as it is a new product. You can pick one up here for $500.
Final Thoughts On The Circle Zero Litter Box
The Circle Zero is a new contender in the automatic litter box market, for sure. It is sleek, modern, and does a great job at automating the cleaning of your cat’s litter box.
It does, however, kind of copy most aspects of it’s competitor, the Litter Robot. The outward appearance even resembles the Little Robot, even if it is a bit more oblong than the competing model.
The Circle Zero litter box is still in its infancy and is yet to be determined if it can go head to head with the likes of the Litter Robot. At first glance, the Circle Zero does seem pretty impressive and those that have tried it out have given it glowing marks. Time will tell on this automated litter box.
The Litter Robot Automatic Litter Box
The Litter Robot has been around for a while now and has even gone through a few stages of evolution.
What started as a basic concept of autonomously emptying your cat’s litter box, has developed into a WIFI-connected smart litter box for multiple cats in your home.
How The Litter Robot Works
- Fluffy does her business.
- Sensors in the Litter Robot let the device know that the cat has left the unit. It then waits a few extra minutes before starting the cleaning process.
- The main chamber rotates, while the clumped litter inside starts to get collected by the mechanical claw.
- The dirty stuff is emptied into a removable bag and the clean litter is recycled back into the litter box.
Cleaning The Litter Robot
Cleaning the Litter Robot isn’t much different than the Circle Zero. You remove the collected waste and toss it. You can use warm water to wipe out the inside of the main chamber, to make sure any leftover gunk or residue is taken care of.
You can also take apart the scooping arm to make sure it is kept clean and working properly.
Is There A Weight Limit For The Litter Robot?
Unlike the Circle Zero, the Litter Robot does not report to have a specific limit on weight.
Obviously, if you have a 30 lbs. cat, it might slow down the machine over time. But your average cat should have no issues using the Litter Robot.
Can The Litter Robot Be Used For Multiple Cats?
Yep, you can easily use the Litter Robot for up to 4 feline friends. If you have more than that, you can certainly still have them use the device, you’ll just need to up your scheduled maintenance.
Does The Litter Robot Smell?
If you perform the regular weekly maintenance and cleaning, the Litter Robot should not smell up your room.
But keep in mind, your cat is pooping and peeing in this device, so if you let it set for too long, there will obviously be an odor build up.
How Much Is The Litter Robot?
If you want to automate your cat’s litter box, it isn’t going to be cheap. The Litter Robot can be purchased from their website for $499.
Final Thoughts On The Litter Robot
The Litter Robot has been around the block and perfected their system with a few new models. Overall, the device has excellent reviews and seems to really do the job well.
Again, like the Circle Zero, you are going to pay a hefty price upfront. You just have to decide if the added value is there to offset that initial sticker shock. Personally, I think it is a no brainer.
Circle Zero Vs Litter Robot – Which Is Better?
Both the Circle Zero and the Litter Robot work pretty much the same way.
- Cat goes in.
- Poops/Pees.
- Cat comes out.
- Chamber rotates.
- Arm/Scooper picks up the clumps and moves them to waste chamber.
That really is about it. They aren’t too different when it comes to functionality.Even the appearance really isn’t that different. They both kind of have the same modern, minimalistic look to them.Even on price, they are remarkably similar. You can expect to pay right around $500 for either model.
So what really sets these automatic litter boxes apart?
The age of the company making them. That is really about it, from what I can tell.
Litter Robot has been around for years and had time to perfect their system a bit more.
Circle Zero is still very young and hasn’t really had a chance to flush out of the bugs and quirks that come with any new piece of technology.
That is the main reason why, if it were my money, I’d be picking the Litter Robot for my cat’s litter box.
What are your thoughts? Do you own either of these. If so, what do you like or dislike about it?
If you are interested in other ideas for automating your litter experience, check out my recent article on the Litter Robot Vs the popular Cat Genie.
See what I think about those 2 when they are matched head to head.
Thanks for reading and please be sure to share this article if you found it helpful. Thanks!
