5 Best Sifting Litter Boxes For Odor Control

Cats May 12, 2022
Written by | Updated Oct 25, 2024
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Sifting Litter Box

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5 Best Sifting Litter Boxes For Odor Control

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With a lift, a shake, a spin, and a stack, sifting litter boxes promise to make scoops obsolete and cut your litter cleaning time in half. Visions of a cleaner box and an easier life, however, are often replaced by a smelly reality. A sifting litter box has to be done just right or it becomes more of a hassle than a help.

The best sifting litter boxes for odor control are those with elegant designs that allow you to sift more thoroughly than you can scoop. They don’t get clogged and they don’t allow a lot of odors to build up. They’re compatible with the type of litter you use, whether that’s clumping clay or wood pellets. Finally, they’re large enough to accommodate digging and turning.

That’s why we recommend Frisco Sifting Cat Litter Box as the best sifting litter box you can buy. This affordable box is roomy enough for most cats and appears to be one of the most efficient sifters on the market.

While the Frisco sifting litter pan is an outstanding option, it’s not right for everyone. To help you find the right box for your home, we’ve also recommended four more star sifters. You’ll find something hooded, something that works with your existing litter boxes, and another litter box that works as well with wood pellets as it does clumping clay. Let’s get into it!

At A Glance: Best Sifting Litter Boxes for Odor Control To Buy

We highly recommend looking at the comparison table we have below where we highlighted the features of each product. You’ll also find more detailed information about each product later in the article.

Compare Best Sifting Litter Boxes For Odor Control

Overall Best
Frisco Sifting Cat Litter Box

1. Frisco Sifting Cat Litter Box

Best For Multiple Cat Homes
SiftEase Litter Box Cleaner Litter Sifter

2. SiftEase Litter Box Cleaner Litter Sifter

Best For People Who Hate Messes
SpeedySift Cat Litter Box

3. SpeedySift Cat Litter Box

Best For Wood Pellet Litter
Pet Mate Arm & Hammer Large Sifting Litter Pan

4. Pet Mate Arm & Hammer Large Sifting Litter Pan

Best Covered Sifting Litter Box
Omega Paw Roll'N Clean Cat Litter Box

5. Omega Paw Roll'N Clean Cat Litter Box

Dimensions
22.4” x 15.38” x 8”
Dimensions
14.5” x 7.5” x 16.75”
Dimensions
20.9 x 17.9 x 4.9 inches
Dimensions
18.9” x 15.2” x 7.9”
Dimensions
23 x 20 x 19 inches
Key Strengths
One of the most spacious and effective sifting litter boxes
Key Strengths
A sifting device that you can use with any litter box
Key Strengths
Uses sifting liners, allowing you to throw away messes as soon as they appear
Key Strengths
An all-around well-designed sifter that is compatible with pellet litter
Key Strengths
An all-around well-designed sifter that is compatible with pellet litter
Works With
Any clumping litter
Works With
Any clumping litter
Works With
Any clumping litter
Works With
Any clumping litter, wood pellets
Works With
Any clumping litter
Ideal For
People who want to eliminate litter box odors
Ideal For
People who want to simplify scooping but don’t want to buy new litter boxes
Ideal For
People who hate the idea of a messy litter box
Ideal For
People using pine pellets or another type of wood pellet cat litter
Ideal For
People who hate the idea of a messy litter box

How Do You Choose The Best Sifting Litter Boxes For Odor Control?

Design Is (Almost) Everything.

Sifting litter boxes rely on excellent design.

Most feature multiple nested pans, making it essential that the design effectively separates dirty from clean litter and doesn’t let the dirty clods stick in the slots or between the layers. Sifting litter boxes seem to work best when the sifting try is placed between two solid trays, preventing urine from seeping through and clogging the slots.

Just like some litter scoops work more smoothly than others, the design of the grate influences how well a sifting litter box will work.

The Best Sifting Boxes Are All-around Good Litter Boxes.

In addition to a great sifting design, the best sifting litter boxes should cover basic requirements for litter box excellence. They’re roomy enough for your cat to turn around in, deep enough to handle vigorous digging, and made from sturdy materials.

Non-stick, Antimicrobial Coatings Can Help.

Like any litter box, sifting litter boxes work best when dirty litter doesn’t stick to them. That non-stick surface is vital when you don’t have a scoop to help you clean up. Great sifting litter boxes start with a smooth interior surface and add antimicrobial and non-stick coatings to ensure that nothing clings after a sift.

Our Top Picks For The Best Sifting Litter Boxes For Odor Control

Now that you have a better understanding of how we came to our top picks, you’re probably eager to see them! Here are our top 5 picks for best sifting litter boxes for odor control:

Overall Best
1.

Frisco Sifting Cat Litter Box

Product Info

  • Dimensions: 22.4” x 15.38” x 8”
  • Key Strengths: One of the most spacious and effective sifting litter boxes
  • Works With: Any clumping litter
  • Ideal For: People who want to eliminate litter box odors
Pros
  • Highly-polished, stain-resistant surfaces help this litter box stay clean
  • One of the most affordable sifting litter boxes you can buy
  • Larger than most sifting boxes, giving your cat room to turn, dig and stand comfortably
Cons
  • A relatively shallow litter box, meaning that some cats will go over the edge or kick litter onto the floor
  • When assembled according to the manufacturer’s instructions, the litter box tends to accumulate waste and doesn’t stay clean for long
With a smooth, non-stick surface, a well-designed grate for smooth litter flow, and more space than most sifting litter boxes, this Frisco box is one of the better sifting units you can buy.

Though it has a lot of strengths straight out of the box, customer reviews suggest that it works best with a simple modification.

Instead of assembling it with the off-white sifting tray on top, reviewers recommend that you place the sifting tray in between the two solid trays. Doing so prevents damp, clumped litter from clogging the sifting holes.

To sift, pull the top solid tray from the stack, pour the litter onto the grated tray, lift out the waste, and dump it into the trash before re-stacking the trays.
Best For Multiple Cat Homes
2.

SiftEase Litter Box Cleaner Litter Sifter

Product Info

  • Dimensions: 14.5” x 7.5” x 16.75”
  • Key Strengths: A sifting device that you can use with any litter box
  • Works With: Any clumping litter
  • Ideal For: People who want to simplify scooping but don’t want to buy new litter boxes
Pros
  • Allows you to quickly sift without buying a new litter box
  • Litter doesn’t stick in the sifting slots
  • Gets excellent customer reviews
Cons
  • Some reviewers say that particles of dirty litter still make their way through the sifter
  • More expensive than most sifting litter boxes
Especially if you have multiple cats, replacing all of your litter boxes can be an expensive move. This litter sifter strips the sifting litter box concept to its essence, allowing you to quickly sift every litter box in the house. It’s, essentially, a giant litter scoop that catches all of your clumps and clods in one swoop.

Instead of putting the sifter in the litter box, this contraption has a holding bin of its own. Pour litter from any litter box through the sifter and into the bin, discard the clumps that remain in the sifter, and then transfer the clean litter back into your litter boxes.

It’s a simple solution that eliminates the sticking problem common among sifting litter boxes and makes litter cleanup easy without demanding that you buy a new litter box.
Best For People Who Hate Messes
3.

SpeedySift Cat Litter Box

Product Info

  • Dimensions: 20.9 x 17.9 x 4.9 inches
  • Key Strengths: Uses sifting liners, allowing you to throw away messes as soon as they appear
  • Works With: Any clumping litter
  • Ideal For: People who hate the idea of a messy litter box
Pros
  • One of the cleanest ways to freshen up your litter box
  • Allows you to clean that litter box without touching anything that came into contact with your cat’s waste
  • Cats love the litter box’s design
  • Deep enough to contain kicked litter
Cons
  • Uses disposable plastic sifting liners—wasteful and expensive compared to traditional solutions
Though sifting boxes initially look like a clean alternative to inefficient scooping, a poorly-designed sifting box is messier than a traditional litter box.

This litter box addresses everything that makes a sifting box messy. Instead of a sieve tray, it uses sifting liners. This allows you to toss out the sifter after every cleaning, yielding better odor control and quicker cleaning.

The frame of the litter box is unconventional, too. It’s made from corrugated plastic and looks a bit like a kitty castle. The box’s high sides help to contain litter, preventing it from scattering across the room.

Reviewers say that the entire system is effective, easy-to-use, and cat-friendly.
Best For Wood Pellet Litter
4.

Pet Mate Arm & Hammer Large Sifting Litter Pan

Product Info

  • Dimensions: 18.9” x 15.2” x 7.9”
  • Key Strengths: An all-around well-designed sifter that is compatible with pellet litter
  • Works With: Any clumping litter, wood pellets
  • Ideal For: People using pine pellets or another type of wood pellet cat litter
Pros
  • Works excellently with wood pellet cat litter
  • One of the most popular sifting litter boxes on the market
  • Features a non-stick antimicrobial coating
Cons
  • Several reviewers say the litter box is too small for their cats
  • Has a ridged interior, which isn’t ideal for easy cleaning
Pet Mate’s Arm & Hammer litter box is one of the most popular sifting boxes on the market. Customers appreciate its efficient sifting, non-stick design, and its ability to sift a wide variety of litter types, including wood pellets.

Of the litter boxes on this list, the Pet Mate Arm & Hammer sifting litter pan has the strongest track record with pine or wood pellet litter. Its grating is the right size and shape for both clumping clay litter and wood pellets.

Though this litter box has the most reviews on this list and is one of the most popular on the market, it doesn’t earn a higher ranking due to its relatively small size. Customers say that it’s both too small for their cats and too shallow to prevent litter scatter.
Best Covered Sifting Litter Box
5.

Omega Paw Roll'N Clean Cat Litter Box

Product Info

  • Dimensions: 23 x 20 x 19 inches
  • Key Strengths: An all-around well-designed sifter that is compatible with pellet litter
  • Works With: Any clumping litter
  • Ideal For: People who hate the idea of a messy litter box
Pros
  • Most reviewers say that the roll-and-sift function works well
  • A good option for people who prefer enclosed litter boxes
  • Gets primarily positive customer reviews
Cons
  • This relatively small litter box may be too cramped for larger cats
The Omega Paw Roll n’ Sift allows you to clean your cat’s litter with a roll rather than a scoop.

When you roll the box, the litter passes through a grate, which separates the clods from the clean litter. Clumps are contained in a drawer and clean litter returns to the litter pan. This litter box works a little bit like the Litter Robot—the only differences are that the Omega Paw isn’t automated and doesn’t cost anything close to $500.

Though the roll-and-sift functionality usually works well, some reviewers say that dirty litter gets stuck on the grate and that cleaning it up is a challenge.

The Roll n’ Sift’s second flaw is its size. The interior of the box is relatively small, making it a cramped option for larger cats.

Final Thoughts

These sifting litter boxes will help, but what you put inside is what really counts.

Even the best sifting litter boxes for odor control will reek if you don’t fill them with the right litter. That’s why it’s vital that you choose a hard-clumping, odor-zapping litter that shows the full potential of your sifting litter box.

Click here to read our complete guide to the best clumping cat litter on the market.

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