# ELS PET Orbitie Review (2026): Safety, Pros & Cons > ELS PET Orbitie review: tilting drum self-cleaning box for cats up to 21 lb. Safety sensors, running costs, pros, cons and our 7.2/10 verdict. - Source: https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/litter-boxes/els-pet-orbitie/ - Markdown version: https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/litter-boxes/els-pet-orbitie.md - Last updated: 2026-11-12 --- - [Home](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/) - [Compare litter boxes](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/litter-boxes/) - ELS PET Orbitie Self-Cleaning Litter Box 7.2 ![ELS PET Orbitie Self-Cleaning Litter Box](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/_astro/els-pet-orbitie.Cbn-Hh0r_ZarTdz.webp) ELS PET · Budget # ELS PET Orbitie Self-Cleaning Litter Box Review Budget buyers who want a hooded globe with a generous entry and accept some fiddling. - Tilting drum - Cats up to 21 lb - Clumping litter $$$$ Budget Price tier: Budget price tier · see Amazon for today's price [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GL8MSKZX?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20)[Safe for my cat?](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/tools/cat-safety-checker/#model=els-pet-orbitie) Opens Amazon in a new tab. By [Self-Cleaning Litter Box Guide Editorial Team](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/about/) · Updated November 12, 2026 · [How we score](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/how-we-research/) We haven't tested this box ourselves. Our score comes from maker specs and manuals, named hands-on reviews and owner reports; where a test result appears, we name the outlet. ## The verdict The Orbitie is a cheap way into a hooded globe box, and the 12 in opening suits average cats. WIRED's experience is the warning, though. The first unit was faulty, the replacement needs monthly cleaning to stop grinding, and ELS PET publishes no minimum cat weight we could find. If your budget stretches to about $390, the PuraMax 2 is the safer buy. ### What we like - Generous 12 × 12 in opening; WIRED's two cats took to it almost at once - Behaves like pricier globe boxes for about $260–$290 - 90-day money-back guarantee (WIRED) - Simple setup with a supply of bags (Tom's Guide) ### Watch out for - WIRED's first unit was faulty and logged phantom cleanings up to 36 times a day - Litter gets into the gears, causing grinding; needs a monthly teardown (WIRED) - Bin fills fast with two cats - No published minimum cat weight ## Score breakdown Cat safety 7.2 Cleaning & odor 7 Ease & reliability 6.6 Value 8 Tilting drum · cats up to 21 lb · Weight, Infrared ## ELS PET Orbitie specs | Brand | ELS PET | | --- | --- | | Mechanism | Tilting drum | | Cat weight (automatic mode) | up to 21 lb. Tom's Guide lists 10–21 lb. We couldn't confirm a minimum from ELS PET. | | Cats per box | The maker gives no number | | Kittens & small cats | No minimum weight published that we could confirm; don't run it automatically for kittens. | | Safety sensors | Weight, Infrared. Gravity (weight) and infrared safety sensors (Amazon listing). | | Entrance during cleaning | Not confirmed by the maker or a named review | | Litter | Clumping. Clumping litter. | | Waste drawer | WIRED's bin filled about every other day with two cats. | | Entry | 12 × 12 in. 12 × 12 in opening (WIRED, Amazon listing). | | App / Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi (Orbitie app)) | | Odor control | Bag-lined drawer under a 65 L orb. | | Consumables | Drawstring bags (Tom's Guide's unit came with a four-month supply). | | Warranty | Not stated on the listing — confirm before buying | | Price tier | $ Budget (under $300). WIRED lists it at $260 (Nov 2026); a Walmart snapshot showed $289.99. | - The Amazon listing (first listed February 2026) describes an Orbitie with a 12 in entry, app control and gravity plus infrared sensors. WIRED notes ELS PET calls this an improved version of an earlier, poorly reviewed box. Running costs: with our defaults, consumables for one cat come to about $4.30 a month plus litter. See the full breakdown in the [cost calculator](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/tools/litter-box-cost-calculator/). Specs are compiled from manufacturer pages, Amazon listings and independent reviews and can change between production runs. Confirm the weight range and what's in the box on the Amazon page before buying. We haven’t tested the ELS PET Orbitie ourselves. This review draws on WIRED, which tested two units with two cats, and on Tom’s Guide, which included the Orbitie in a four-box comparison. Specs come from the Amazon listing. The Orbitie is a budget hooded globe: a 65 L orb that turns to sift clumps into a bag-lined drawer, with a generous 12 × 12 in opening, an app, and gravity (weight) plus infrared safety sensors. WIRED lists it at $260, and a Walmart snapshot showed $289.99. That makes it one of the cheapest enclosed self-cleaning boxes we cover. [Check the price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GL8MSKZX?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20) before you buy. ## Who it’s for (and who should skip it) It’s for budget buyers who want a hooded globe with a roomy entry and can accept some fiddling. WIRED’s two cats took to it almost at once, and Tom’s Guide found setup simple, with a supply of bags in the box. Skip it if you want a box you can set up and forget. WIRED’s experience is the warning here: a faulty first unit and a replacement that needs monthly cleaning to stop grinding. Skip it for kittens and small cats as well, because ELS PET publishes no minimum weight we could find. If your budget stretches to about $390, the [PETKIT PuraMax 2](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/litter-boxes/petkit-puramax-2/) is the safer buy. For about $250, the open-top [Lesure](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/litter-boxes/lesure-open-top/) is WIRED’s best budget pick. ## How it cleans, and how safe it is According to the Amazon listing, gravity (weight) and infrared safety sensors detect the cat. Whether the entry stays open through the whole cycle is not confirmed. Neither ELS PET nor a named review in our sources says so, and that matters for any enclosed rotating design. WIRED won’t recommend boxes that close completely during cycling. Watch the first cycles yourself before you leave the box running unattended. The bigger gap is the minimum weight. We couldn’t confirm one from ELS PET. Tom’s Guide lists 10–21 lb, but that’s not a maker figure we could verify. Don’t run it automatically for kittens. Our [cat safety checker](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/tools/cat-safety-checker/#model=els-pet-orbitie) will show what it can and can’t confirm for your cat. WIRED also notes that ELS PET calls this an improved version of an earlier, poorly reviewed box. The current Amazon listing first appeared in February 2026. Tom’s Guide’s roundup was last updated in April 2025, so its unit may not match today’s exactly. ## Living with it ### The faulty first unit WIRED’s first Orbitie was faulty and logged phantom cleaning alerts up to 36 times a day. WIRED went on to test a replacement, but the episode is worth remembering. Treat the first weeks as a trial and keep the box’s packaging. WIRED notes a 90-day money-back guarantee. For common symptoms and fixes, see our [troubleshooting guide](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/posts/automatic-litter-box-troubleshooting/). ### Grinding and maintenance WIRED found litter got into the gears, causing grinding, and needed to take the box apart monthly to stop it. Plan for it. ### Emptying With two cats, WIRED’s bin filled about every other day. One cat will stretch that, but the drawer is the limiting factor. Tom’s Guide’s unit came with a four-month supply of bags. ### Litter and app It uses clumping litter. See [best litter for self-cleaning litter boxes](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/posts/best-litter-for-self-cleaning-litter-boxes/). The Orbitie app controls the box over Wi-Fi. ## Running costs The Orbitie takes drawstring bags. Our cost model uses Whisker’s $1-per-liner price as a stand-in at about one bag per cat per week, plus Dr. Elsey’s Ultra at $22.99 for 40 lb from Chewy, at 10 lb per cat per month. That’s about $10 a month, or roughly $121 a year, for one cat. Over five years, with the box at $260, we estimate about $863 for one cat and about $1,466 for two. Treat the two-cat figure as a floor. If the bin fills every other day, as it did for WIRED, you’ll use far more than one bag per cat per week. Enter your own bag count and price in the [cost calculator](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/tools/litter-box-cost-calculator/). ## What you’ll need beyond the box - **Litter:** [Dr. Elsey’s Ultra unscented, 40 lb](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009X29WK?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20). - **Bags:** generic drawstring bags once the included supply runs out. Measure the drawer first, since we couldn’t confirm a specific fit. - **Mat:** a [Gorilla Grip 35 × 23 in mat](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HKN7HMP?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20). - **Cleaning time:** a monthly teardown, per WIRED. We couldn’t confirm the Orbitie’s warranty term. ## Bottom line The Orbitie is a cheap way into a hooded globe, and the 12 × 12 in opening suits average cats. WIRED’s experience is the caution: a faulty first unit, a replacement that needs monthly cleaning to stop grinding, and a bin that fills fast with two cats. ELS PET also publishes no minimum cat weight we could find, and we couldn’t confirm that the entry stays open during cycling. If you buy one, use the 90-day window to make sure yours works. If you can spend about $130 more, the PuraMax 2 is the safer choice. Compare options in [best budget self-cleaning litter box](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/posts/best-budget-self-cleaning-litter-box/), try the [litter box matcher](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/tools/litter-box-matcher/), or [check the Orbitie price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GL8MSKZX?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20). Ready to buy? · 7.2/10 ELS PET Orbitie Self-Cleaning Litter Box $$$$ Budget Price tier: Budget · Tilting drum · cats up to 21 lb [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GL8MSKZX?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20) ## Litter and supplies for the ELS PET Orbitie Litter, liners, odor refills and mats sold on Amazon that fit this box. Check the listing confirms your exact model before you buy. - Litter**Dr. Elsey's Ultra unscented clumping clay cat litter, 40 lb**Compatible, third-partyUnscented, hard-clumping, standard-weight clay: the type Whisker recommends and most globe and drum boxes are tuned for. Not for ScoopFree crystal trays. Check your box's sifter: PETKIT asks for granules under 0.5 in.[Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009X29WK?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20) - Litter mat**Gorilla Grip cat litter mat, 35 × 23 in**Universal fitBig enough to catch scatter from most globe boxes; textured backing stays put.[Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HKN7HMP?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20) - Litter mat**Gorilla Grip cat litter mat, extra large, 40 × 28 in**Universal fitThe size we'd put under open-top boxes, which both WIRED and Tom's Guide found fling more litter.[Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QNCB6YF?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20) - Litter mat**iPrimio jumbo cat litter trapper mat, 32 × 30 in**Universal fitHoneycomb two-layer mat with a waterproof layer, for cats that kick litter far.[Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AUU90IW?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20) Compatibility checked November 2026. More in our [litter and supplies guide](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/accessories/). ## ELS PET Orbitie FAQ ### What's the minimum cat weight for the ELS PET Orbitie? We couldn't confirm one from ELS PET. Tom's Guide lists 10–21 lb. Without a published minimum, don't run it automatically for kittens or small cats. Scoop by hand or choose a box with a stated minimum, such as the PETKIT PuraMax 2 (3.3 lb). ### Can two cats share the Orbitie? WIRED's two cats took to it almost at once, but the bin filled about every other day. If you have two cats, expect frequent emptying and more bags than our cost model assumes. ### What maintenance does the Orbitie need? WIRED found litter got into the gears and caused grinding, and it had to take the box apart monthly to stop it. Budget time for a monthly teardown and cleaning. ### What if my Orbitie is faulty? WIRED's first unit was faulty and logged phantom cleanings up to 36 times a day. WIRED notes a 90-day money-back guarantee, so run the box closely in the first weeks and keep your packaging and receipt until you're sure it works. ## Sources - [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GL8MSKZX?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20) - [wired.com](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-automatic-cat-litter-boxes/) - [tomsguide.com](https://www.tomsguide.com/home/smart-home/my-cats-have-tested-these-robotic-litter-boxes-for-months-heres-the-one-they-use-the-most) Not sold yet? ## Alternatives to the ELS PET Orbitie ![PetSafe ScoopFree SmartSpin Self-Cleaning Litter Box](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/_astro/petsafe-scoopfree-smartspin.BIyzfviQ_Z2dYtaz.webp) ### [PetSafe ScoopFree SmartSpin Self-Cleaning Litter Box](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/litter-boxes/petsafe-scoopfree-smartspin/) 7.9 - Tilting drum - 2.5–25 lb Owners who want a big-brand globe box with app tracking under $400. $$$$ Mid-range Price tier: Mid-range typical street price; check Amazon for today's [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4GHS7V6?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20)[Read the full review](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/litter-boxes/petsafe-scoopfree-smartspin/) ### [PETKIT PuraMax 2](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/litter-boxes/petkit-puramax-2/) 8.5 - Tilting drum - 3.3–22 lb - Entry stays open Most one- to three-cat homes with average-size cats: the best value among the well-reviewed boxes. $$$$ Mid-range Price tier: Mid-range typical street price; check Amazon for today's [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFYF2D7D?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20)[Read the full review](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/litter-boxes/petkit-puramax-2/) ![PETKIT Purobot Max Pro 2](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/_astro/petkit-purobot-max-pro-2.tJpodhLt_opqwl.webp) ### [PETKIT Purobot Max Pro 2](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/litter-boxes/petkit-purobot-max-pro-2/) 8.6 - Tilting drum - 3.3–22 lb - Entry stays open Large cats and camera fans: WIRED's 17-lb tester used it easily. $$$$ Mid-range Price tier: Mid-range typical street price; check Amazon for today's [Check price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFYLFFG1?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20)[Read the full review](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/litter-boxes/petkit-purobot-max-pro-2/) [Compare all 14 litter boxes →](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/litter-boxes/) ## Helpful guides [Top picks ### The 8 Best Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes of 2026, Ranked for Safety and Value The best self-cleaning litter boxes of 2026, ranked: Litter-Robot 4, PETKIT PuraMax 2, Purobot Max Pro 2, Neakasa M1 and more, with safety and cost notes. Updated Nov 12, 2026](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/posts/best-self-cleaning-litter-boxes-2026/)[Multi-cat ### The Best Self-Cleaning Litter Box for Multiple Cats in 2026 The best self-cleaning litter boxes for two to five cats: maker cat limits, real drawer capacity, weight-based cat ID, and why the n+1 box rule still applies. Updated Nov 12, 2026](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/posts/best-self-cleaning-litter-box-for-multiple-cats/)[Large cats ### The Best Self-Cleaning Litter Box for Large Cats in 2026 The best self-cleaning litter boxes for big cats, compared on what matters: maker weight limits, entry size, interior height, step-up height and open tops. Updated Nov 12, 2026](https://selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com/posts/best-self-cleaning-litter-box-for-large-cats/) ELS PET Orbitie $$$$ Budget Price tier: Budget [Check price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GL8MSKZX?tag=selfcleaninglitterboxguide.com-20)