Neakasa
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
Best for: Maine Coons and other large cats, or cats that avoid covered boxes
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 them11.23 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.
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.
The M1 Plus inherits the open-top design that made the M1 the usual alternative for owners whose cats will not use an enclosed globe. Owners switching from Litter-Robots cite exactly that, along with easier deep cleaning and a lower price, and multi-cat homes value the visit tracking.
The weak points are the ones an open design invites. Owners report litter scatter, odour escaping after each cycle (M1 Plus owners point 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 for what it called a rare fault, a dislodged front magnet letting the chamber over-rotate; its statement at the time said the work followed owner reports of over-rotation from late April. It later offered a revised drive gear, and owners describe the M1 Plus as the version with that gear and no trap door. Nothing has been recalled. 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.
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. Neakasa's pages also list six infrared sensor sets on the Plus.
It depends on the room. Several owners notice smell for 15 to 20 minutes after a cycle, and some find the waste bin plastic holds odour. Owners reduce it with an inner bin or liner, activated carbon in the bag, emptying more often and an air purifier nearby.
Yes. In May 2025 Neakasa issued a mandatory firmware update, 1.0.7-0019, after a rare fault where a dislodged front magnet could let the chamber over-rotate. Neakasa's statement at the time said the work followed owner reports of the chamber over-rotating, and it later offered a modified gear. It was a firmware update, not a recall. Check the firmware version in the app and that the pad's magnets are in place.
Owners add Neakasa's fence or a step, use a heavier clay litter, and put a large mat in front. The open top is part of why it scatters more than an enclosed globe.
Some buyers who ordered the Plus through a marketplace listing received the older M1. Neakasa told one owner the only way to be certain was to buy from its own store, and it offered updated parts to those who kept the older unit.
Open-top
Best for: Large cats in a home that wants the M1 design for less
Open-top
Best for: Large-breed households that want an open box
Open-top
Best for: Cats that avoid enclosed boxes, in a home that wants a big drawer