8.0

Lesure Open-Top Self-Cleaning Litter Box Review

A first automatic box on a budget, for cats who like an open pan.

  • Open-top
  • Cats 3.3–18 lb
  • Clumping litter
  • Entry stays open
Price tier: Budgetprice tier · see Amazon for today's price

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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 Lesure is WIRED's best budget automatic box. It's an open-top design for about $250, with infrared safety sensors and an app, and WIRED's cats used it without fuss. It suits small and medium cats (treat 15 lb as the real limit, since the listing disagrees with itself). Put a large mat under it, because the low sides throw litter.

What we like

  • WIRED's best budget pick: setup under five minutes, cats took to it easily
  • Open top with a wide 16 × 20.5 in opening
  • App with scheduling, child lock and adjustable delay
  • Works with any litter by swapping the sifter

Watch out for

  • Low sides: WIRED vacuumed daily because of tracking
  • App poorly translated (WIRED)
  • Listing gives two different maximum weights (15 and 18 lb)
  • Short track record

Score breakdown

Cat safety
8
Cleaning & odor
7.6
Ease & reliability
7.8
Value
8.8

Open-top · cats 3.3–18 lb · Infrared

Lesure Open-Top specs

BrandLesure
MechanismOpen-top
Cat weight (automatic mode)3.3–18 lb. Listing headline: 3.3–18 lb; the listing FAQ says 3.3–15 lb. Not for kittens under 6 months.
Minimum age6 months (maker guidance)
Cats per boxThe maker gives no number
Kittens & small catsNot for kittens under 6 months (Amazon listing).
Safety sensorsInfrared. Six infrared safety sensors plus an anti-pinch sensor (Amazon listing).
Entrance during cleaningStays open. Open-top design with no hood or door.
LitterClumping. Any litter type, by swapping the sifter panel (WIRED); two sifters included.
Waste drawer8.9 L. up to 10 days for one cat (maker claim). 7–10 days between emptying for one cat (Amazon listing).
Entry16 × 20.5 in. Open top; WIRED measured a 16 × 20.5 in opening.
Footprint23 × 19 in, 15 in tall
Unit weight27 lb
App / Wi-FiYes (2.4 GHz)
Odor controlSealed 8.9 L bin plus two deodorizing boxes.
ConsumablesLesure bag rolls and aroma diffuser boxes, or generic drawstring bags.
Warranty1 year
Price tier$ Budget (under $300). WIRED's price box: $250 at Walmart and $253 at Wayfair (Nov 2026).
  • Lesure sells accessories on Amazon under the "LitterFree L1" name (waste bags, aroma diffuser 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.

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 Lesure Open-Top ourselves. This review draws on WIRED, which named it the best budget automatic litter box after testing it with its own cats, and on the Amazon listing for specs.

The Lesure is an open-top bowl that turns to sift clumps into a sealed bin, with infrared safety sensors and an app, for about $250. WIRED’s price box showed $250 at Walmart and $253 at Wayfair in November 2026. That makes it one of the cheapest app-connected boxes we cover. Check the price before you buy.

Who it’s for (and who should skip it)

It’s for a first automatic box on a budget, for small and medium cats that like an open pan. WIRED reports setup took under five minutes and its cats took to it easily. The 16 × 20.5 in opening that WIRED measured means there’s no entry to squeeze through.

Skip it if your cat weighs more than about 15 lb. The listing gives two different maximums, and we’d go with the lower one. The Neakasa M1 is the open-top to buy for big cats. Skip it also if litter on the floor is a dealbreaker: the low sides throw it. If you’d rather have a hood, the PETKIT PuraMax 2 costs about $140 more and keeps its entrance open while cycling.

How it cleans, and how safe it is

According to the Amazon listing, six infrared safety sensors plus an anti-pinch sensor detect a cat in the box. It’s an open-top design with no hood or door, so there’s nothing to close on a cat while the bowl turns.

The lower limit is 3.3 lb, and the listing says it’s not for kittens under 6 months. The app also offers a child lock, scheduling and an adjustable delay before cleaning starts, according to WIRED. A longer delay gives a slow cat more time to move away. Check your cat with the cat safety checker, and see are self-cleaning litter boxes safe? for the wider picture.

One caution: the Lesure has a short track record, and our sources have no long-term reliability data on it yet.

Living with it

Litter and scatter

WIRED says it handles any litter type if you swap the sifter panel, and two sifters come in the box. A standard clumping clay is the easy default (see best litter for self-cleaning litter boxes). The trade-off is mess. With low sides, WIRED’s tester vacuumed daily because of tracking.

Emptying and odor

The 8.9 L bin needs emptying every 7–10 days for one cat, according to the listing. Two deodorizing boxes come with it, along with a roll of bags. Two cats will fill it faster. For ways to keep smells down between changes, see self-cleaning litter box odor fixes.

App and size

The app connects over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and WIRED found it poorly translated. It works, but expect some odd wording. The box measures 23 × 19 × 15 in and weighs 27 lb. At 15 in tall, it’s far lower than the hooded globes we cover.

Running costs

The Lesure takes Lesure’s own bag rolls or generic drawstring bags. We couldn’t confirm Lesure’s bag price, so our cost model uses Whisker’s $1-per-liner price as a stand-in at about one bag per cat per week. Litter is 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 $250, we estimate about $853 for one cat and about $1,456 for two. That’s among the lowest five-year totals we’ve modeled. Adjust the inputs in the cost calculator.

What you’ll need beyond the box

The warranty is one year.

A note on pricing

WIRED’s Wayfair price box showed the Lesure at $253 as “70% off $834”. That reference price is inflated. Judge the deal against the roughly $250 the box usually sells for, not the claimed discount. Our Black Friday guide explains how to spot this.

Bottom line

The Lesure is WIRED’s best budget automatic box. For about $250 you get an open top, infrared safety sensors and an app, and WIRED’s cats used it without fuss. It suits small and medium cats; treat 15 lb as the real limit. Put a large mat under it and expect to vacuum.

If you want a cheaper way in with no moving bowl at all, the ScoopFree Classic costs about $100 but needs crystal trays. Compare both in best budget self-cleaning litter box and best open-top self-cleaning litter box, or check the Lesure price.

Ready to buy? · 8.0/10Lesure Open-Top Self-Cleaning Litter BoxPrice tier: Budget · Open-top · cats 3.3–18 lb
Check price on Amazon

Litter and supplies for the Lesure Open-Top

Litter, liners, odor refills and mats sold on Amazon that fit this box. Check the listing confirms your exact model before you buy.

  • Liners & bags
    Lesure LitterFree L1 waste bags, 1 rollOfficial Lesure

    Lesure's own bags for the open-top box's sealed bin.

  • Odor control
    Lesure LitterFree L1 aroma diffuser boxOfficial Lesure

    Replacement deodorizing box for the Lesure's waste bin. Scented products can put cats off; try it unscented first if your cat hesitates.

  • Litter
    Dr. Elsey's Ultra unscented clumping clay cat litter, 40 lbCompatible, third-party

    Unscented, 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.

  • Litter mat
    Gorilla Grip cat litter mat, 35 × 23 inUniversal fit

    Big enough to catch scatter from most globe boxes; textured backing stays put.

  • Litter mat
    Gorilla Grip cat litter mat, extra large, 40 × 28 inUniversal fit

    The size we'd put under open-top boxes, which both WIRED and Tom's Guide found fling more litter.

  • Litter mat
    iPrimio jumbo cat litter trapper mat, 32 × 30 inUniversal fit

    Honeycomb two-layer mat with a waterproof layer, for cats that kick litter far.

Compatibility checked November 2026. More in our litter and supplies guide.

Lesure Open-Top FAQ

What's the Lesure's real weight limit?
The Amazon listing contradicts itself: the headline says 3.3–18 lb and the listing FAQ says 3.3–15 lb. We'd treat 15 lb as the limit. For bigger cats, the open-top Neakasa M1 is rated to 33 lb.
Can kittens use the Lesure open-top box?
No. The listing says it's not for kittens under 6 months, and the minimum weight is 3.3 lb. Keep using a regular box until your kitten meets both, then introduce the Lesure with the old box still nearby.
Does the Lesure scatter litter?
Yes. The sides are low, and WIRED's tester vacuumed daily because of tracking. Put a large mat under it, at least 40 × 28 in.
What litter does the Lesure use?
WIRED says it handles any litter type if you swap the sifter panel, and the box comes with two sifters. A standard unscented clumping clay is the easiest place to start.

Sources

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