PETKIT

PETKIT Purobot Ultra Review

The Purobot Ultra is the most technically ambitious box on the market — an AI camera that identifies which cat is using it, health tracking that is genuinely useful in a multi-cat home, and the best app in the category by some distance.

Updated 2026-09-02

Verdict

The Purobot Ultra is the most technically ambitious box on the market — an AI camera that identifies which cat is using it, health tracking that is genuinely useful in a multi-cat home, and the best app in the category by some distance. It is also $899 and locked to PETKIT bag rolls, which is roughly $90 a year you cannot opt out of. Buy it for the health data, not for the scooping.

Pros

  • Camera identifies individual cats without collars
  • Best app in the category — the health data is actually actionable
  • Very strong odor performance
  • Broad litter compatibility

Cons

  • Most expensive box in this index
  • Proprietary bag rolls at roughly $90 a year
  • Camera means a privacy decision most boxes do not ask you to make
  • Fiddly to fully disassemble for deep cleaning

Best for

  • Multi-cat homes needing per-cat health data
  • Cats with a monitored medical condition
  • App-first buyers

Not ideal for

  • Anyone avoiding consumable lock-in
  • Privacy-sensitive households
  • Budget buyers

Scores

Six categories, weighted toward the two that people actually buy these for. See the method.

  • Cleaning 8.8

    How completely and reliably it clears waste on every cycle.

  • Odor control 9.0

    Seal quality, filtration, and how the room smells after a week.

  • Safety 8.9

    Sensor coverage, pinch protection, and behaviour when a cat re-enters.

  • App 9.2

    Setup, connection reliability, and whether the data is actually useful.

  • Maintenance 7.4

    How long a full clean takes and how well the unit comes apart.

  • Value 6.4

    Purchase price plus consumables against what it delivers.

Cleaning

Very good, with wide litter compatibility and a 10 L drawer. The camera also lets the app show you what it cleared, which sounds gimmicky and turns out to be the fastest way to spot a jam.

Odor control

Dual deodorisers, a carbon filter and a sealed bag roll. It is among the best that does not heat-seal, and it holds up with three cats. The bag roll seals the waste more tightly than a loose kitchen bag ever will.

Safety

The AI camera adds a genuine safety layer on top of infrared, weight sensing and anti-pinch reverse — it can see a cat the sensors might miss. Set against that, a camera in a litter box is a household privacy decision, and PETKIT processes footage in its cloud.

Noise

Around 46 dB at three feet — quiet for its size, helped by a slower, smoother drum. Quieter than both CATLINK models.

Setup

The longest setup here at close to thirty minutes, mostly because the camera wants positioning and the app wants an account, permissions and a firmware update before it will finish. Once done, it stays done.

App

The best app in this index by a clear margin. It identifies individual cats by sight, without collars or tags, and turns visit frequency and duration into per-cat health trends that are actually worth reading. If you have a cat with a monitored urinary or kidney condition, this is the reason to buy it.

Consumables

Proprietary bag rolls at roughly $90 a year, plus filters. There is no way to opt out, and that is the single biggest mark against the product.

Long-term cost

The most expensive box here to buy and near the top to run. Over five years it is roughly double the Meowant. You are paying for the health data, and the data is the only thing that justifies it.

Specifications

Size & fit

Dimensions (W x D x H)
22.4 x 25.2 x 24.8 in
Floor footprint
22.4 x 25.2 in
Entry height
8.7 in
Unit weight
30 lb
Minimum cat weight
3.3 lb
Maximum cat weight
17.6 lb

Capacity & litter

Waste drawer capacity
10 L
Litter types accepted
Clumping clay, Tofu, Mixed
Rated for multiple cats
Yes
Cats supported
Up to 4

Smart features

Wi-Fi
Yes
App
PETKIT (iOS, Android)
Power
Mains, 24 V adapter

Odor & noise

Odor system
Dual deodoriser + carbon filter + sealed bag roll
Measured noise
~46 dB at 3 ft
Cycle time
~2 min 40 s

Safety

Safety sensors
AI camera, Infrared, Weight sensor, Anti-pinch reverse

Running costs

Waste bag type
Proprietary bag roll
Bag cost per year
$90 / yr
Filter cost per year
$55 / yr
Warranty
1 year

What it costs to own

Purchase price plus $145 a year in bags and filters. Consumables are where cheap boxes get expensive.

After 1 yr2 yr3 yr4 yr5 yr
Purobot Ultra $1044$1189$1334$1479$1624
Litter-Robot 4 $789$879$969$1059$1149
Leo's Loo Too $729$809$889$969$1049
PetSnowy SNOW+ $814$979$1144$1309$1474

Alternatives

Or line them up field by field: Purobot Ultra vs Litter-Robot 4 · Purobot Ultra vs Leo's Loo Too · Purobot Ultra vs PetSnowy SNOW+