Neakasa M1 Open-Top.

The Gavler Review.

Neakasa M1 Open-Top Review: For Cats That Already Walked Away From a Tunnel

The Neakasa M1 Open-Top sits at rank six on our Best Automatic Litter Boxes list with an 8.2, and it exists to solve one specific problem the rest of this list can't: a cat that has already walked away from an enclosed tunnel-style globe. Tom's Guide's John Velasco found it was the automatic box his own cats used most — 51 times in a single week, more than any competitor he tested — and Cats.com's Liz Coleman scored it a straight 4 out of 5 in hands-on testing. The trade-off for that acceptance is honest and real: an open top means visible mess and weaker odor containment than a sealed drawer. Buy it for a cat that refuses an enclosure; buy a Litter-Robot if odor control matters more than visibility.

What it actually is

Verified against Neakasa's own flagship spec sheet (M1 / M1 Plus): an open-top rotating drum measuring 23.3 by 20.7 by 20.2 inches and 22.81 pounds, with a 13.86-inch entry height and cats rated from 2.2 to 33 pounds — the highest weight ceiling on this list. It holds 7.17 liters of litter and 11.23 liters of waste, runs at roughly 50dB, and uses a "Pull & Wrap" bag-seal system for genuinely contactless waste removal, alongside infrared and weight sensors that pause the drum if a cat approaches. Unlike a sealed globe, the Neakasa's drum never fully closes during a cleaning cycle — an anti-pinch design choice, not an oversight — and it's compatible only with clumping granular litter, not pellets or paper alternatives. Street price on the brand's own site is $399.99; Amazon US listings tend to be Lite-tier colorway variants rather than the flagship SKU.

Formerly branded Neabot, the company relaunched as Neakasa in 2017 and operates out of Los Angeles and Shenzhen. The M1's defining design choice — leaving the top open rather than enclosing the cleaning chamber — was built specifically around feline behavior research: most cats prefer to scan their surroundings while eliminating, something an enclosed globe fundamentally can't offer.

In use — the acceptance problem, solved and re-created

Velasco's months-long multi-cat test is the strongest data point here: "The litter robot our cats used the most was the Neakasa M1. With an astonishing 51 times in a one-week span, this one takes the crown as our cats' favorite robotic litter box." Coleman's separate test echoed the acceptance win — "what really stands out with the Neakasa is its open design, which makes it more inviting to the average cat" — though her own senior cat, notably, gave the unit "a hard pass," forcing her to test the cleaning mechanism with water and a small weight instead.

Both reviewers flagged the same two structural issues. First, a waste bin that can misread as full: "some users noted issues with the waste bin, which occasionally declared itself 'full' when it wasn't, often due to clumps piling up in one spot. This causes the device to shut down and become inaccessible to cats — a worrisome feature if you're away and your cat doesn't have a backup option." Second, leaks: "an unsettling number of users reported urine leaks due to a small gap along the interior mat's seam. The company includes silicone stickers to seal the gap, which doesn't seem like a perfect fix." Velasco added a related mess complaint of his own: "I'm still forced to whip out the Dyson to cleanup the surrounding area when they rocket out of it," despite the included netted containment mat.

Owner reviews split along predictable lines. One two-senior-cat household on Amazon reported near-immediate adoption from one cat and a slower but successful transition for the other, adding "we LOVE not scooping, there is zero odor... we are saving money to get a second unit." A 13-pound-cat owner specifically credited the open design for solving a fit problem enclosed boxes couldn't. On the negative side, one owner whose cat refused it entirely suspected the mechanism itself had scared her; another, running two units alongside a cheaper enclosed competitor, described litter clumping against the internal separating screen badly enough to damage it over time and ultimately switched brands.

Strengths

The open-top design is a genuine, tested acceptance win for cats that reject tunnels — this isn't a marketing claim, it's the specific finding of two independent hands-on tests. The 33-pound weight rating is the highest on this list, meaningfully opening the format to larger cats a Litter-Robot or Pura Max 2 can't comfortably fit. Pull & Wrap bag-sealing is real contactless emptying, not an app gimmick, and the always-open drum is a legitimate anti-pinch safety measure rather than a compromise.

Trade-offs — who should skip it

Odor control and mess containment are the honest costs of an open top — both reviewers acknowledge this trade explicitly, and it's not fixable with settings. The false "full" bin shutdown is a real reliability concern for anyone leaving a cat unattended for a day or more without a backup box. The mat-seam leak issue, while addressable with the included stickers or aftermarket tape, shouldn't need an aftermarket fix out of the box. And the M1 leans harder on its app than some competitors — most settings simply aren't accessible from the physical control panel.

How it compares

Against the Litter-Robot 4 (rank one on this list) or the PETKIT Pura Max 2 (rank five), the calculus is enclosure, not price: both sealed designs will out-perform the M1 on odor, but only after a cat is willing to step into a tunnel. If that's the sticking point in your household, the M1 solves it; if your cat is enclosure-tolerant, the sealed options win on smell and mess containment.

The Gavler verdict

An 8.2 for solving a real problem the rest of this list can't — cats that have already rejected an enclosure. Two independent hands-on tests back the acceptance claim specifically, which is the strongest kind of evidence a review like this can point to. But go in clear-eyed about the trade: odor control, tracked litter, and the occasional false "bin full" shutdown are the price of that acceptance, not edge cases. Buy it for a cat that's already said no to a tunnel; buy a sealed globe for everyone else.

Common Questions

Is the Neakasa M1 Open-Top worth $399.99?

For a cat that has already rejected an enclosed globe like a Litter-Robot, yes. Cats.com scored it 4/5 in hands-on testing, and Tom's Guide's John Velasco ranked it the automatic litter box his own cats used most — 51 times in one week. The trade-off is real: open-top means better acceptance but worse odor containment and more visible mess than a sealed drawer.

What's the biggest complaint about the Neakasa M1?

Two recurring issues: a waste bin that occasionally reports itself 'full' when it isn't, shutting the unit down until manually reset, and urine leaks through a small gap along the interior mat's seam. Neakasa ships silicone stickers to seal that gap, and some owners report better results reinforcing it with Gorilla Tape.

Neakasa M1 vs Litter-Robot 4 — which should I buy?

Buy the Neakasa M1 if your cat has already refused a tunnel-style enclosure — its open top and 33-pound weight rating solve an acceptance problem a sealed globe can't. Buy the Litter-Robot 4 if your cat is comfortable with an enclosure and odor control matters more to you than visibility, since a sealed carbon-filtered drawer will always outperform an open-air design on smell.

Does the Neakasa M1 need its app to function?

Largely, yes. The physical control panel handles basic functions like starting a cleaning cycle or leveling litter, but most settings and monitoring — cat identification by weight, usage tracking, remote control — require the Neakasa app, a meaningfully more app-dependent design than some enclosed competitors.