Open-top~$380

Neakasa

Neakasa M1 Plus

Name: Neakasa M1 Plus
Brand: Neakasa
Price: 380 USD
Availability: InStock

Automate from ~2.2 lb / ~3 monthsAnti-pinch protectionRated for large breeds (to 33 lb)

Neakasa's current M1 keeps the open top that made the original popular with owners of big cats, and rates it for cats from 2.2 to about 33 lb. The Plus revision raises detection to six sets of sweeping infrared sensors alongside four weight sensors, and adds air circulation to the odour system. Its 11.23-litre bin is rated for up to 14 days with one cat.

Approx. price

~$380

maker's store, not a live price

Kitten gate

2.2 lb / 3 mo

detects cats from 2.2 lb

Days between emptying

~16 days

one cat, from the drawer volume

Max. cat weight

33 lb

Open design — no entry to squeeze through

Running cost

No consumable

Runs on clumping litter from any brand the maker allows

Warranty

2 yr

standard, before extensions

Best for: Maine Coons and other large cats, or cats that avoid covered boxes

See it at Neakasa

Price and stock there may differ from the figure above.

Kittens and small cats

Neakasa says the sensor detects cats from 2.2 lb. At the usual rate of about a pound a month, that means leaving automatic cleaning off until roughly 3 months. Below the threshold, a kitten may not register at all, and the box could start a cycle with it inside.

Detection: weight, infrared / radar. The maker states anti-pinch protection on the moving part, by sensor or by design.

How minimum weights work, and what to do below them

Days between emptying

1 cat: ~16; days
2 cats: ~8; days
3 cats: ~5; days

11.23 L ÷ (cats × 0.7 L a day). The maker claims up to 14 days for one cat, within reach of the arithmetic. Where 0.7 L comes from.

Specifications

Approx. price: ~$380
Type: Open-top
Kitten gate: Automate from ~2.2 lb / ~3 months
Min. detection weight: 2.2 lb
Max. cat weight: 33 lb
Big-cat fit: Rated for large breeds (to 33 lb)
Entry step: 13.86 in off the floor
Footprint: 22.83 × 19.69 in × 26.83 in tall
Drawer volume: 11.23 L
Days between emptying: ~16 / 8 / 5 days for 1 / 2 / 3 cats
Maker's drawer claim: Up to 14 days, one cat
Litter system: Clumping litter
Litters listed: clumping clay
Litters to avoid: non-clumping, paper, pellets
Weight sensor: Yes
Anti-pinch protection: Stated by the maker
Infrared / radar: Yes
Camera: No
Noise: 50 dB (maker's rating)
Wi-Fi app: Yes
Running cost: No required consumable
Bags / liners: Neakasa pull-and-wrap bags (from $19.99 for 2 rolls)
Warranty: 2 years
First listed: 2024

Features

Open-top chamber, 13.86-inch entry height
Six infrared sensor sets and four weight sensors
11.23-litre bin with pull-and-wrap bagging
Five-layer odour system with air circulation
Two-year limited warranty

What it does well

The 33 lb ceiling matches the highest rating in the catalog
An open top removes the entry-size question for large breeds
Detects cats from 2.2 lb, one of the lowest published floors
Large 11.23-litre bin with a published volume

What it gives up

Rated at up to 50 dB, the loudest published figure among the boxes that give one
Clay and mineral litters only; wood pellets and paper jam it
Neakasa's own sealing bags cost extra
Open design lets litter scatter over the rim

The two lists above are drawn from the maker’s own pages, manuals and prices, not from owner reports. Where owner discussion has been read it appears in its own section below, so the two are never mistaken for each other.

What owners say

The M1 Plus inherits the open-top design of the M1, and most of the owner reports here are about the M1 family as a whole. Owners switching from Litter-Robots cite the open top, easier cleaning and a lower price, and a six-cat owner credits the visit tracking with catching a sick cat early.

The weak points are the ones an open design invites. Owners report litter scatter, odour escaping after each cycle (one M1 Plus owner points at the removed waste-bin door), a bin whose plastic seems to hold smell, and clumps sticking where cats aim at the edge. None of these stop the box working, but they decide whether it suits a small apartment.

The M1 has a safety history owners discuss openly. In May 2025 Neakasa pushed a mandatory firmware update, saying it had received owner reports of the chamber over-rotating from late April and referring to an incident in Vietnam; owners in that thread relay reports of one cat seriously injured and another killed, and explain the fault as the front magnet in the pad failing. Neakasa later offered a revised drive gear, and owners describe the M1 Plus as the version with that gear and no trap door. It was a firmware update and a replacement part, not a recall. Large cats and cats that refuse hoods are the best fit, in a room where some scatter and a brief smell after cycling are acceptable.

What owners like

The open top is why owners switch to it: one sold two Litter-Robot 4s because their cats would not go inside the globe, and an M1 Plus owner with five cats says all of them love it
Visit tracking in the app earns real praise: an owner with six cats spotted one cat's diarrhoea quickly because the app showed her visiting more often and staying longer
It covers short absences: that same owner, who otherwise went back to ordinary boxes, keeps it for trips of two or three days with nobody to scoop
Two owners coming from a Litter-Robot 4 describe cleaning as far easier: one just wipes the surface where waste falls, and the other has had no waste smears with the same litter
It often sells below list, and three owners say a sale or the lower price is why they chose it

Common complaints

Smell is the most repeated complaint: two owners say the room smells for 15 to 20 minutes after each cycle, others say it smells all day, and one M1 Plus owner suspects the redesign that removed the waste-bin door; two five-cat owners report little or no smell
Two owners say the waste bin's plastic holds odour that washing does not remove; owners add activated carbon or baking soda to the bin
Litter scatter is heavy with some cats, to the point that one owner cleaned up a mess every morning; Neakasa now sells a fence for the purpose
Clumps stick to the sides of the liner when cats pee against the edge rather than the middle
Litter use can be high: one two-kitten household filled the bin every other day and went through a 5 kg bag in five days
One buyer who ordered the M1 Plus through a marketplace listing received the previous M1 with its older gear, and Neakasa told them that ordering from its own store was the only way to be sure; others got boxes labelled M1 or Lite that turned out to hold the Plus

Questions owners ask about the Neakasa M1 Plus

What is the difference between the Neakasa M1 and M1 Plus?

Owners describe the M1 Plus as dropping the waste-bin trap door and using a revised gear with teeth removed so the chamber cannot rotate far enough to trap a cat. One owner also notes a felt odour seal on the Plus.

Does the M1 Plus smell?

It depends on the room. Two owners notice smell for 15 to 20 minutes after a cycle, others smell it all day, and two find the waste bin plastic holds odour. Owners reduce it with activated carbon or baking soda in the bin, a litter with activated charcoal, emptying more often and an air purifier nearby.

Was there a safety problem with the Neakasa M1?

Yes. In May 2025 Neakasa pushed a mandatory firmware update, 1.0.7-0019, after owner reports of the chamber over-rotating, and later offered a modified gear. Owners explain the fault as the pad's front magnet failing or coming loose. It was a firmware update, not a recall. Check the firmware version in the app and that the pad's magnets are in place.

How do I stop litter going everywhere?

Owners add Neakasa's fence (or a third-party one) or a step. The open top is part of why it scatters more than an enclosed globe.

Where should I buy the M1 Plus to be sure I get it?

One buyer who ordered the Plus through a marketplace listing received the older M1 and returned it; Neakasa told them the only way to be certain was to buy from its own store. Owners who keep an older M1 say Neakasa ships the updated gear at no cost.