Litter Robot vs ChillX AutoEgg – Purchased and Tested

In most of our product comparisons, each product has certain advantages and disadvantages compared to the other. One is good for one type of person, and the other will suit someone else.

When it comes to the ChillX Auto Egg and the Litter-Robot III, though, there’s no comparison. Not only is the ChillX AutoEgg an inferior product, it’s sold by a company with a history of deceptive marketing tactics.

The AutoEgg comes up short in major categories like build category, cleaning performance, and cat comfort. And while we initially wanted to give this brand the benefit of the doubt, we’ve come to realize that performance issues are just the beginning for ChillX.

After we published a YouTube review of the product, we were visited by a flood of supposed Egg fans with accounts made that day or the day before. Our contact at the company

In this detailed comparison, we’ll briefly discuss the background of these two products and go into depth about what makes the Litter-Robot a much better choice than the ChillX AutoEgg.

Head To Head Comparison

Background On The Litter-Robot III Connect

Mallory Crusta / Cats.com

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Ratings

• Ease of Cleaning – 10/10
• Odor Control – 10/10
• Appearance – 9.5/10
• Construction – 9/10
• Price – 7/10

Overall Score: 9.1/10

Originally released by Auto Pets in 2000, the Litter-Robot is currently in its third iteration – the Litter-Robot III Connect. This is an automatic, self-cleaning litter box that is WiFi-enabled with smartphone connectivity available through the Whisker app.

Mallory Crusta, our Head of Content, tested the Litter-Robot III in mid-2020 and I tested it myself earlier that year. Check out Mallory’s in-depth video review of the Litter-Robot III on the Cats.com YouTube channel.

The Litter-Robot III features a globular design. The main body of the litter box is globe-shaped while the entry to the litter bed is ovular, extending vertically almost the entire diameter of the globe. The total footprint of this litter box is about 30x25x27 inches.

This self-cleaning litter box utilizes gravity to separate dirty litter from clean litter. It is equipped with weight sensors that automatically detect your cat’s presence and initiate the cleaning cycle after a preset period of time. During the cleaning cycle, the globe rotates, sifting clean litter into a storage compartment and separating waste and clumps into an enclosed waste compartment.

While the primary benefit of the Litter-Robot III is its self-cleaning capability, its enclosed design also helps control odor. With the Whisker app, this litter box enables you to keep tabs on your cat’s litter box activity as well and it offers remote maintenance.

We’re covering the Litter-Robot III in this comparison, but it’s worth noting that Litter-Robot has recently released the fourth iteration of their automatic, self-cleaning litter box. This model features improvements to the sensor system, more in-depth app readouts, and a larger entryway that makes the Litter-Robot more appropriate for larger cats.

Check out Mallory’s in-depth video review of the Litter-Robot 4

Background On The Chillx AutoEgg

Mallory Crusta / Cats.com

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Ratings

• Ease of Cleaning – 4/10
• Odor Control – 4/10
• Appearance – 10/10
• Construction – 3/10
• Price – 4/10

Overall Score: 5/10

In contrast to the Litter-Robot’s globular design, the ChillX AutoEgg is ovular – as you might reasonably assume based on the name. This litter box is equipped with a raking mechanism that sifts waste into an enclosed compartment. It also offers a limited health monitoring system.

Mallory Crusta, our Head of Content, tested the older model of the ChillX AutoEgg Self-Cleaning Litter Box in the winter of 2020. I tested it myself in the summer of 2021. Check out Mallory’s in-depth video review of the ChillX AutoEgg on our YouTube channel.

The ChillX AutoEgg measures roughly 30 inches long by 19 inches wide and 17 inches high. The front of the litter box is open and the entry into the litter bed makes up half of the opening. The other half is a litter-catching component that also functions as a step down into the litter box.

This litter box features a cleaning rake that moves across the litter bed, sifting dirty litter into an enclosed compartment at the back of the unit before returning to its original position. It utilizes weight sensors to detect your cat’s presence in the box and automatically initiates a cleaning cycle after a 5-minute waiting period. It also runs four automatic cleaning cycles spaced throughout the day.

The ChillX AutoEgg functions primarily as a self-cleaning litter box, though it has some limited health monitoring capability. The unit includes an LED screen that displays and records your cat’s weight as well as the date, time, and duration of each use.

Now, Let’s Take A Look At How The Litter-Robot III Compares With The Chillx AutoEgg

Though we’ve already made it clear that the Litter-Robot outranks the ChillX AutoEgg in nearly every category, we’d like to go into detail about exactly what led us to this conclusion.

Both of these litter boxes exist to accomplish a single goal: to save cat owners from constantly cleaning the litter box. They utilize very different technology, however, to perform this function and there are some significant differences in features and add-ons.

Let’s dive into the details in each of these categories.

1. Size And Setup

Both the Litter-Robot III and the ChillX AutoEgg take up considerable floor space, though the Litter-Robot consumes more vertical space.

The Litter-Robot III measures about 30x25x27 inches while the ChillX AutoEgg measures about 30x19x17 inches. The length of both units is about the same but there is significant difference in the width and height. The ChillX AutoEgg offers a slimmer profile, but the interior vertical space is much more limited which makes it a challenge for larger cats.

The newly redesigned Litter-Robot 4 is a little bit smaller than the III, measuring about 22 inches across, 27 inches deep, and 29.5 inches tall. The opening is much larger as well.

Both of these self-cleaning litter boxes are thoughtfully packaged, though the Litter-Robot’s box is considerably larger.

The Litter-Robot III comes fully assembled – all you need to do is place the litter mat on the step and add a waste drawer liner before filling it with litter. The ChillX AutoEgg is also fairly quick to assemble – you simply need to put the top and bottom together. Unfortunately, the two pieces don’t always fit together perfectly and the cleaning rake may fall out of position during shipping and require adjustment.

As long as everything goes according to plan, neither litter box should take more than 5 minutes to assemble. That being said, the process generally seems to be smoother with the Litter-Robot III.

One thing worth noting is that the litter bed is fairly small for both units. The Litter-Robot offers more interior height but still may not be comfortable for a very large cat. The ChillX is recommended for cats between 4.4 and 15.4 pounds. If your cat is very small and doesn’t mind a shallow litter bed, it may not be too much of a problem.

Size And Setup Winner: Litter-Robot

2. Operation And Performance

While both the Litter-Robot and the ChillX litter boxes are automatic and self-cleaning, they function in very different ways.

The Litter-Robot III is a gravity-based system. When the cleaning cycle begins, the globe rotates and the litter tumbles toward a sifting grate. Clean litter falls through the grate into a storage compartment while clumps continue to slide down into a covered waste compartment

The ChillX AutoEgg features a mechanical rake that moves across the litter bed, leaving clean litter in place while pushing clumps into the waste compartment.

The end result for these two litter boxes is the same: clean litter stays where it’s supposed to and dirty litter is deposited in a waste compartment. Both models are equipped with weight sensors that automatically detect your cat’s presence and initiate a cleaning cycle after he exits the litter box.

The difference here is that while the ChillX automatically activates 5 minutes after your cat uses the litter box, the Litter-Robot’s delay timer can be adjusted between 3 and 15 minutes. Both boxes have the option to manually activate a cleaning cycle but only the Litter-Robot offers remote activation through WiFi connectivity with the Whisker app.

Now that you understand the basics of each model’s performance, let’s take a look at how well they actually work.

Both Mallory and I had very positive experiences when testing the Litter-Robot III Connect. Not only was setup a breeze, but the unit worked smoothly – just as it is intended to. The cleaning cycle lasts about three minutes in total. The newly redesigned Litter-Robot 4 is just as easy to set up and offers wait times between 3 and 30 minutes – the default is 7 minutes.

The ChillX AutoEgg left much to be desired in terms of both setup and performance. It didn’t take any longer to assemble, but the parts didn’t come together smoothly. The rake also tended to leave small pieces of dirty litter behind, and there were no alternative programming options for the cleaning cycle.

Both litter boxes are intended to be used with clumping cat litter, so performance may depend to some degree on which type you choose. Hard-clumping litter will certainly be less likely to leave pieces behind, though the gravity function of the Litter-Robot is likely to always be more effective than the ChillX AutoEgg’s rake system.

Operation And Performance Winner: Litter-Robot

3. Odor Control And Tracking

The main benefit of any self-cleaning litter box is that it saves you from scooping. Both the Litter-Robot and the ChillX AutoEgg offer another benefit, however, in terms of odor control.

Both of these litter boxes are enclosed which helps keep litter odor from spreading beyond the box.

To boost odor control, the Litter-Robot is equipped with a carbon filter. The ChillX has no such filter. However, ChillX has a blog on their site to address the issue. The brand claims that the enclosed design combined with the tightly concealed waste compartment and frequent cleanings is sufficient to control odor.

All that being said, both units seem to offer similar odor control performance.

Though both of these litter boxes excel in odor control, tracking is another matter. Both are equipped with a litter mat outside the entry to help catch loose litter, but neither works perfectly. The litter mat on the Litter-Robot III is fairly small, but the company has addressed this issue with the Litter-Robot 4, expanding the litter mat to match the width of the wider opening.

The ChillX AutoEgg features a cellular tracking step that does a fairly good job of catching litter. However, it’s really the enclosed design that does the work of containing scatter. Cats who like to dig are more likely to kick litter through the Litter-Robot’s opening than the ChillX AutoEgg’s – especially with the Litter-Robot 4’s much wider entryway.

To help contain scatter and urine spray, the Litter-Robot 4 does come with a plastic shield you can place on the bottom of the opening. In testing, Mallory found that the combination of this shield and the enlarged litter mat was pretty effective in controlling scatter and tracking.

That being said, we’d recommend placing a litter mat on the floor with both units.

Odor Control And Tracking Winner: Tie

4. Maintenance

When selecting a self-cleaning litter box, maintenance is an important factor to consider. In this area, the Litter-Robot III and the ChillX AutoEgg are fairly similar.

Both units can be used with any type of clumping litter, though ChillX recommends clay litter above all else. Clumping clay litter may be a little more expensive than non-clumping, but the cost certainly isn’t prohibitive. Maintenance costs are likely to be similar for both units.

The other area in which these litter boxes are similar is in the emptying of the unit. Both are designed with an enclosed waste drawer that collects dirty litter. All you have to do is line the drawer with a plastic bag and empty it as needed.

One thing worth noting in this category is that the Litter-Robot’s waste drawer is more conveniently located on the front of the unit – it’s also larger than the drawer on the ChillX. The ChillX waste drawer is at the back, so you may have to move the unit to access it for emptying.

Other upgrades Litter-Robot has made to their 4^th model make the unit a little bit easier to deep clean than the III. The main pieces of the litter box come apart easily, but the 4^th model features a handle on the top of the globe which makes removal and reassembly more comfortable.

Maintenance Winner: Litter-Robot

5. Health Monitoring

Another feature that makes the Litter-Robot a much more preferable choice against the ChillX is the advanced health monitoring system. Both the Litter-Robot III Connect and the Litter-Robot 4 are WiFi enabled so you can control and monitor the unit remotely through the Whisker app.

This app enables you to set cleaning schedules and track your cat’s usage. You can also check the waste compartment level and activate push notifications sent to your phone when it needs to be emptied.

The ChillX AutoEgg offers a limited degree of health monitoring. Not only does it track your cat’s litter box usage, but it also tracks his weight. The information is displayed on an LED screen after your cat uses the box, though storage capability is limited.

The ChillX litter box isn’t WiFi enabled and there’s no way to download or store the health data.

The Litter-Robot’s health monitoring system gives you the ability to access health information remotely and it offers much more extensive storage. Being able to track your cat’s litter box usage can help you identify changes such as increased or decreased usage which could indicate a developing health problem.

For the Litter-Robot 4, the Whisker app has been updated with new features. In addition to monitoring the waste drawer level, the app also tells you how much litter is left in the unit. Like the ChillX the new Litter-Robot also tracks your cat’s weight.

The Litter-Robot 4 has only recently been released, but Litter-Robot says they intend to release a Cat ID feature in the near future. This will enable you to track the litter box usage of individual cats. This is information you might otherwise lose when you become removed from the process of litter box maintenance with an automatic box.

While both models offer some degree of health monitoring, the Litter-Robot’s system is much more advanced. The Litter-Robot 4 even incorporates the addition of weight tracking which was previously unavailable.

Health Monitoring Winner: Litter-Robot

6. Overall Impression

Both the Litter-Robot III and the ChillX AutoEgg accomplish the goal of scooping the litter box for you. However, they use different technologies and one offers more advanced features and more reliable performance.

The Litter-Robot is easier to maintain than the ChillX with the larger, more conveniently located waste compartment. It’s also less likely to leave a significant amount of dirty litter behind after the cleaning cycle. Both units do a good job of controlling odor, though both are fairly limited in terms of interior space and litter depth capacity.

As one final point, it’s a good idea to think about the return policy and warranty coverage of each unit.

The Litter-Robot comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee and a generous 18-month warranty. Both the Litter-Robot III and 4 come with a one-year warranty and you can extend it to three years for $100. The ChillX AutoEgg is covered by a 12-month warranty, but the return period is only 30 days.

How Do They Compare in Cost?

As different as the Litter-Robot III and the ChillX AutoEgg may be in terms of function, they have one thing in common: they’re expensive.

On average, an automatic self-cleaning litter box will cost you upwards of $350. The ChillX AutoEgg is much closer to that price point at $399.99. This price is similar to other models we’ve reviewed like the CatGenie 120 and the Petree Automatic Self-Cleaning Litter Box.

The Litter-Robot III Connect costs nearly $150 more than the ChillX Auto Egg, priced at $549. The standard Litter-Robot III is a little cheaper, priced at $499. The updated Litter-Robot 4 is priced even higher at $649 but offers the latest WiFi-enabled technology.

Before making your decision based on the price of the unit, think about additional factors like warranty coverage, return policies, and maintenance costs.

The Litter-Robot III and 4 have the benefit of compatibility with any hard-clumping cat litter. Clay litter certainly seems to work best, but you may have some flexibility as long as the litter clumps well and fits through the sifting screen. ChillX specifically recommends the use of hard- and fast-clumping clay cat litter.

In terms of maintenance costs, the Litter-Robot III and ChillX AutoEgg are very similar. When it comes to value, however, the Litter-Robot comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee while the ChillX return policy is limited to 30 days. The Litter-Robot’s warranty is also longer at 18 versus 12 months – plus, you have the option to double it for an extra $100.

Final Thoughts

The ChillX is cheaply made and largely ineffective. While the concept behind the design is sound in theory, the reality of the unit’s function leaves much to be desired. It’s hard to justify the $400 price tag considering the poor function and lack of added features.

But it’s not just a bad product.

Reviews on the ChillX Better Business Bureau page give it a 1 out of 5 star rating or F grade. Customers describe completely unresponsive customer support, warranty violations, and, of course, fake reviews.

We’ve noticed a pattern of bogus comments on our content related to the ChillX AutoEgg.

There’s a lot of deception revolving around the ChillX AutoEgg, including questionable customer reviews and a series of very sketchy comments on Cats.com content. This lack of integrity adds insult to the injury of a low-quality product, and we can’t, in good conscience, recommend the ChillX AutoEgg to anyone.

The Litter-Robot, on the other hand, is worth the price if you can afford it. This automatic litter box is the result of nearly two decades of research and development. The company owns its own manufacturing facilities, has the ability to innovate, and maintains a reputation for quality engineering.

The Litter-Robot isn’t perfect, but it does what it’s supposed to do, and the company doesn’t lie about it, either. This is a clear winner.

Check out our top picks for the best sifting litter boxes here.