Our Final Verdict
We give Neakasa’s M1 Litter Box a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
Quality: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Ease of use: 5/5
If you own a cat, and reading this article would indicate you do, you are also the not-so-proud owner of a litter box. Beyond that, if you’re like me and share your home with five cuddly cats, you may have more than one litter tray to accommodate everyone’s preferred bathroom habits. Every cat owner can agree that litter is the least enjoyable part of owning a cat – until now.
I tried out the Neakasa M1 Automatic Cat Litter Box, and as someone who has been cleaning trays and conventional litter boxes for over ten years, at first I wasn’t sure what to expect from this robo-cat-litter-cleaner.
I had the Neakasa M1 set up within 10 minutes of unboxing and introduced Mo, Sno, Teal, Annie, and Toby to it individually. After they understood that this litter box had taken over my job as a litter launderer, they were keen to continue using it – coming to a fresh box each time.
Neakasa takes the dirty job from you and delivers real-time monitoring updates, alerts, and information on each feline’s bathroom habits.
Read on to discover more of the M1’s features and what me and my family loved about the newest addition to our cat care lineup.
About Neakasa
Neakasa’s operating offices in Shenzhen and Hong Kong have expanded from their former Neabot to Neakasa. The name is a blend of the word “neat” and a play on the Spanish word “casa,” meaning house. After seeing the M1 Automatic Cat Litter Box in action, the company’s name is quite fitting.
Neakasa (formerly known as Neabot) is a brand focused on cutting-edge technology that makes daily cleaning easier and more efficient. With an expansive home cleaning collection, Neakasa ensures your home is neat and tidy – with their kitchen composting system and two robot vacuums. Their pet supplies list includes the M1 Cat Litter Box, waste bags, cat litter, a step, and a pet hair dryer.
Operating in over 60 countries, Neakasa’s products are well-loved globally. Whether you live in Shenzhen, Switzerland, or the mountains of Canada, like myself, Neakasa’s pet care line is made to make any dirty job a little cleaner. The M1 Cat Litter Box takes the least-loved chore of cleaning cat litter, automates it, and simplifies your cat care routine.
Neakasa products have been recognized by Forbes, the Gadgeteer, Meilleure Innovations, and more.Neakasa M1 Automatic Cat Litter Box is great for any household but would undoubtedly benefit smaller homes or apartments where cat litter is often visible.
M1 Robot Cat Litter Box Overview
Here is an overview of brand pricing comparisons, what to expect, and any details you may want to know before you buy.
Pricing
Robotic, self-cleaning kitty litter is a bit of a niche market, but there are competitors to the M1 Automatic Cat Litter Box by Neakasa. Other litter boxes have sealed trays, self-cleaning capability, and a clean design. Still, Neakasa’s provides many of the same features the other companies do for a lesser or comparable price point.
How It Works
Neakasa’s M1 Automatic Cat Litter is designed with an open top, which is extremely helpful for kitties who do not like covered conventional litter.
The cat jumps into the compartment filled with litter and hops out after using it. The litter is suspended in a silicone bowl, and when the M1 indicates the cat has jumped out using five pairs of infrared sensors and four weight sensors, it begins to spin. While spinning, the clean litter empties into a storage compartment while the kitty excrement is filtered out and deposited into the tray and bag below. The spinning motion completely encloses the litter, alleviating any dust that may escape the litter during movement. Speaking of the deposited dirty litter, the 11L waste bin can accommodate up to 14 days of use before a change out is necessary. A multicat household may see shorter times between changes, of course.
After the cleaning portion, the Neakasa M1 Robot Cat Litter self-levels and resets itself with only the clean litter.
Contents & Set Up
Upon opening, the box contains the mat, the base of the litter, the four support legs, the power adapter, an instruction manual, a Quickstart guide, and two bags.
After securing all four support legs, pull the litter tray and expand the waste bin, then secure a bag in place before closing. Find a level place, and plug the unit into a power supply. After depositing litter, the Cat Litter will self-level.
The operating modes allow you to choose how often your litter is cleaned. The options range from when the litter is used, after a certain number of hours, or only when you actively select the cleaning button.
The Neakasa App
The Neakasa App can be easily downloaded on any Android or iOS operating smartphone, giving you information like litter level monitoring, real-time monitoring of excrement, waste bin levels, and weight.
It can also identify cats in a multicat home by weight to determine the bathroom habits of each individual. The Neakasa allows you to easily access operation modes from your phone when you’re away from home.
Specifications & Sizing
Note: These are the assembled dimensions of the Neakasa M1 Automatic Cat Litter, but the box it arrives in is 26” x 19.5”.
The assembled Neakasa Cat Litter stands 20.2” tall and 23.26” wide.
The bowl is open 15.75” of space to allow any size cat to jump in.
The bowl entry height is 13.86”.
Weight (when empty): 22.81 lbs.
Weight limits for cats: 2.2 lbs – 33 lbs.
Litter capacity: 7.17L
Waste bin capacity: 11.23L
Operation noise: 50dB
In Summary
Quiet operating modes
Eliminates smell
Sleek design
Smartphone control optional
Easy set up
Sensors ensure safety
Key Features
Operating Modes
Neakasa has delivered a multi-option self-cleaning cat litter box to suit any household. For example, a single-cat home may select the M1’s cyclical hourly cleaning cycle, whereas a multi-cat home may choose the self-cleaning after-each-use option. A tidy-up option is available (to cover up any uncovered poo), or manually select the clean option.
Safety Features
Cats can be mischievous little creatures. Neakasa considered this when designing this self-cleaning litter box. If, at any point during the clean cycle, the weight sensors detect additional weight on the base, the bowl will promptly stop turning and wait for the weight to change. If your kitten is extra spunky and tries to hop into the bowl and misses the base, the infrared sensors will also cause it to stop spinning.
Smartphone App
Neakasa’s automatic cat litter box is quiet and clean enough to have in the open; however, if you prefer to have the box tucked away in a corner of the basement, the app keeps you updated on when the box needs your attention.
With alerts and live monitoring of things like waste bin level, litter level, and more, the box also determines which cat uses the litter based on weight sensors and created profiles.
Is Neakasa’s M1 Automatic Cat Litter Box a Good Value?
If you compare this Automatic Cat litter box to other regular trays on the market, it is undoubtedly higher in price. But does the product and service it provides make it worth the cost?
The product is exceptionally well made with easy-to-assemble parts and instructions. The safety features, such as the base sensors that will halt if there is any pressure on the base bottom, even if it’s in cleaning mode, make it worth the price tag.
The automatic cleaner does the job you may forget to do daily, ensuring there isn’t dirty litter, leading to accidents around the house (and more cleaning costs).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Neakasa ship to, and when will I receive my order?
Neakasa ships to the EU, the US (excluding Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico), and Canada. Some products cannot be shipped to Canada. Neakasa offers free shipping to the US and most European countries.
Neakasa offers delivery within 5-7 business days for most places they ship.
Can I return my Neakasa products?
Yes, Neakasa provides a 30-day money-back guarantee if all products and accessories are included and unused in the box. Cat litter is ineligible for return or refund. Opened pet grooming vacuum, home cleaning accessories, waste bags, and pet toys are also non-refundable and non-returnable.
Our Experience With Neakasa M1 Automatic Cat Litter Box
With 5 cats running around our home at any given time, cat litter (and whose turn it is to clean it) is a frequently discussed topic. We have always kept multiple litters available to avoid any litter mishaps if Annie doesn’t like using the same litter as Teal or Sno snubs Mo’s. Four female felines and one male can make for a picky set of kitty bathroom-goers. Then, we introduced them to the Neakasa M1 Automatic Cat Litter Box.
Initially, each cat balked at the newest gadget in their cat space, but eventually, all began to see the benefits of using the M1.
Neakasa recommends putting treats nearby, putting older litter in with the new litter, and encouraging the cat to use the new setup. I tried that approach the first few days, and one week later, we had a couple of cats frequently using this litter.
Interestingly, most of the younger cats completely ignored the box until it began to clean, and then their noses cautiously considered and investigated this new gadget. They didn’t immediately begin to use the Neakasa, but with many head scratches and love, I’d gently plop a cat in the box a few times daily to encourage its use while locked in the stable open position.
I turned the automatic clean setting to manual clean while the cats became acquainted with the litter to encourage use. Our cats are used to litter trays, so their daily use was typical.
We have trays in our basement during the transition, and even with the new spot and box design, it has enticed a few regular users. I have cats who are naturally more aloof, preferring to spend more time outdoors than in. Those cats specifically seem to opt for the private basement litter instead of the Neakasa litter box upstairs.
For our trial period, we’ve kept the litter box upstairs so I could work my kitty magic, enticing the cats with treats, as mentioned above. After the initial introduction period, I will move the Neakasa litter box downstairs to join the other litter. I hope to remove a tray or two in the basement and eventually fully transition to the Neakasa litter box only.
I should note it is a heavier/larger box, which is something to be conscious of if you’re having it delivered to an apartment or smaller space. After assembly, which was a breeze, the cat litter box is easy to move around using the side handles.
The cat litter box is so quiet; I was sitting nearby on the couch and didn’t notice it was cleaning until I saw it moving – so worry not if your set up must be in a well-trafficked room.
The Neakasa app is easy to install and navigate and works wonderfully if your M1 is out of sight with the cleaning alert.
The Neakasa cat litter mat helps catch any litter that may still be stuck to cat paws when they jump out of the M1. My favorite part of the mat is that it opens at the top, allowing any unused litter to be dumped back in the litter box.
Conclusion
Overall, Neakasa has created products that have made cleaning a breeze for years. Still, their M1 Litter box’s overall design, information flow, safety features, and multi-cat usability make owning a cat a little less littered with messy chores.
Part of owning any pet comes with the responsibility of arranging care for them while you’re away, and I thoroughly enjoy the fact when I’m away for the weekend, whoever is caring for our cat can take cat litter cleaning off the list – without coming home to a full litter that needs immediate attention.
Overall, our cats are fans of the Neakasa M1 Cat Litter Box, but my vote comes in highest as I’m usually the one cleaning it, and a mess-free cleanup after five felines if worth five/five paws up!
