Litter Robot III Open Air Review

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The Litter-Robot III Open Air is one of the most popular and highest rated litter boxes for cats. It is self-cleaning, meaning you don’t have to do any scooping.

It has a large and airy design, which makes it more welcoming to cats. It also includes some nice extras like an automatic nightlight, sleep mode, and a carbon filter to keep the smell out of your home.

For $50 extra, you can get the Litter-Robot III Open Air with Connect which connects to your home WiFi and allows you to monitor the litter box from your smartphone, wherever you are.

Owning a pet can be a lot of work. From vacuuming pet hair around the house to feeding them, they can take up a lot of your time. The Litter Robot III Open Air makes your work much easier…and less smelly.

The Litter Robot III is pricey for a litter box, but it’s worth it. It saves you time, money and the need to empty the litter every day.

It does have one or two flaws, but it is much better compared to most cat litter systems. There are no rakes or clogs for the waste to stick to. As long as you use good quality cat litter, the robot will do all the shifting automatically. All you have to do is collect the bag from the waste drawer.

If after reading this review you still don’t think the Litter Robot III Open Air is the right one for you, read our roundup of the best robot self-cleaning litters for more options.

Design

Cats can be fidgety about getting into closed spaces. But this robot litter is designed to be very welcoming and friendly to cats.

The oval opening is wide, allowing cats to get in without any problem. It measures 15.5” high and 10.25” wide. That’s big enough for most cats.

Once inside, the chamber is spacious enough for the cat to turn around and carry on with its business.

The control panel is on the right side with the buttons laid out neatly. There’s even a row of LED lights to tell you what’s happening inside the litter box.

The base is quite wide. You don’t have to worry about your cat or a child knocking the whole unit over.

When fully assembled, the Litter Robot III takes up more space than most litter boxes. It measures 29.5″H x 24.25″W x 27″D., But the advantage is that you don’t need any other litter box even if you have multiple cats. They can all use the same one.

Its black and white styling allows it to blend well into the house. You can place it in anywhere without appearing out of place.

How It Works

Setting up the Litter Robot III Open Air is easy. You need to assemble it and plug it in.

The automatic self-cleaning feature works through a sensor which detects when a cat has stepped into the chamber and when it has left.

The sensor detects the weight of the cat. That’s why the manufacturer recommends a minimum cat weight of 5lbs. The sensors may not pick up on a cat weight below that limit.

When the cat has finished, a timer starts counting down as it waits for the litter to clump.You can manually adjust the countdown timer to 3, 7 or 15 minutes. For instance, you can choose a longer delay if your litter clumps slower.

At the end of the countdown, the cleaning cycle starts automatically. The globe in the chamber slowly rotates. The clumps fall into the waste drawer below, and the unused litter remains in the chamber ready for the next use.

Because of its more efficient cleaning process, this robot uses less litter than most other litter boxes; up to 50% less. That’s money saved for you.

The Litter Robot III comes with several waste drawer liners that allow you to pick up the waste and dispose of it easily. But you can also use standard kitchen garbage bags.

A flashing blue light will indicate when the drawer is full and you need to empty it. If you have the version with WiFi connectivity, you can check the drawer level from your phone anytime wherever you are.

About the Litter Robot III Open Air With Connect

For $50 extra, you can get a WiFi-connected Litter Robot III Open Air Connect. It has the same features and functions as the standard version with the only difference being that you can monitor and control it from your phone.

You need to connect it to your home WiFi network (2GHz only) and download the Litter-Robot Connect app. Unfortunately, it’s available only for iOS devices. An Android version is coming soon.

Using the app, you can monitor and control one or multiple litter units from anywhere in the world. You can start the cleaning cycle, check the current status of the robot litter, receive updates and notifications and check the level of the waste drawer.

You can also adjust several settings including night light, control panel lock, countdown timer, sleep mode and power on/off.

If you’ve already bought the standard Litter Robot III and would like to use the app, there’s an upgrade kit available. The LR III Connect Upgrade Kit converts your standard litter box into one that you can control and monitor from the app.

The kit is completely DIY; you don’t need a technician to install it for you.

Useful Features

Carbon Filter to Prevent Odors

Cat waste can get pretty smelly. In a standard litter box, the litter will prevent most of the bad odor but not completely.

The Litter Robot III Open Air uses a carbon filter to provide foolproof odor protection. The filter is integrated into the waste drawer below the chamber. Even if you leave the drawer with waste for several days, it will not smell at all.

The filter is especially handy for small living spaces such as apartments where even a slight odor can be overwhelming.

In addition to the carbon filter, the waste drawer is fully enclosed to ensure no smell escapes.

Night Light

Normally cats have excellent vision in the dark. So they can use the litter box easily even at night. But as they age, their vision deteriorates and may not see as sharply when the lights are off.

The night light is handy for such situations. It comes on automatically when it detects motion, allowing the cat to use the litter box comfortably.

You can switch off the night light on the control panel or app if you don’t need it.

Semi-Automatic Mode and Sleep Mode

As I mentioned, the Liter Robot III Open Air has a minimum weight limit of 5lbs. This is because the weight sensor, which triggers the self-cleaning cycle, can only detect the weight of 5lbs or more.

What to do if your cat weighs less than that?

Luckily, there is a manual or semi-automatic mode you can use.In this mode, you have to start the cleaning cycle every time the cat uses the chamber and turn it off when cleaning is complete.

This mode is ideal for kittens that have not yet hit the 5lbs mark.

Suitable for Multiple Cats

The Litter Robot III can be used by up to 4 cats. So if you have multiple cats, no need to get separate litter boxes for each.

Safety Lock

Since you are placing the litter box on the floor, it’s easy for curious kids or pets to press the buttons and accidentally change a setting.

To prevent that, activate the control panel lockout setting either on the control panel or the app if you have the Connect version.

When locked, the buttons will do nothing when pressed. But the litter box will continue operating automatically.

Backup Battery (Plus Other Accessories)

The Litter Robot III must be plugged into an outlet to work.In case of a power outage, it also accepts a battery which is sold separately. The backup battery can power the robot litter for up to 2 days assuming ten cleaning cycles per day.

Other accessories available separately include a washable 2-piece rug set for catching tracked litter, natural clumping litter, extra carbon filters, a ramp to help cats climb into the chamber and a fence to prevent kicked up litter from falling out of the box.

Installation and Setup

The Litter Robot III is easy to set up.

Place it on a level surface, ideally at the same position where the old litter box was. If this is the first time buying a litter box, place it where your cat will feel comfortable using it.

The unit comes fully assembled. All you need to do is add the litter and then plug it in.

You must use clumping litter. The manufacturer recommends clay-based litter. But you can also use small beads and crystals.

Add 9 to 10lbs of litter, checking that it doesn’t go above the indicated fill line in the chamber. Spread the litter evenly inside the chamber and then plug in the power adaptor into a socket at the back of the unit. Plug the other end into a wall outlet and then press the power button.

The unit will run an initial cycle of around two and a half minutes before it is ready to use.

Before leaving the unit in automatic mode, test whether your cat can set off the weight sensor. If it can’t, you’ll have to use the semi-automatic mode.

Do not force your cat to use the new litter box. Some cats will be curious and try it out immediately; others will need a couple of days to sniff out the new gizmo on the floor before stepping into it.

Placing the litter box in the same place as the old one and using the same type of litter (as long as it is the clumping type) will help the cat get comfortable with the litter box more quickly. If the cat still doesn’t use the new litter box, consider buying litter formulated specifically for litter-training.

Pros

• Wide open design that is friendly to cats.
• Can be used by multiple cats.
• Fully automatic operation.
• Remote app control and monitoring in the Connect version.
• Carbon filter and tightly sealed drawer to prevent odors.
• Large waste drawer holds plenty of litter which means you don’t have to empty it often.

Cons

• Pricey.
• The unit is large and bulky.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 29.5″H x 24.25″W x 27″D
• Weight: 24lbs
• Compatibility: Apple devices with iOS 9 and higher
• WiFi connectivity: 2.4GHz band only

Summary

The Litter Robot III Open Air is designed to make things easier for both you and your cat. It’s a pricey investment but it’s worth it. It will save you time, money and smelly messes.