- Fresh Step Fresh Scented Non-Clumping Crystal Cat Litter
- Can be used with any litterbox
- Help lock in odor
- Slightly scented
- Can last up to one month
- Frisco Summer Clean Scented Non-Clumping Crystal Cat Litter
- Lock in moisture on contact
- Non-clumping
- Low-dust and lightweight
- Minimizes messes
- Alpha Paw Genius Litter with Health Indicator Cat Litter
- Track your cat’s health using its urine pH
- Urine is quickly absorbed
- Lightly scented
- The litter is low-tracking
- Frisco Micro Crystal Unscented Non-Clumping Crystal Cat Litter
- Advanced odor control
- Non-clumping litter
- The crystals are soft on the paws
- One bag can last up to a month
Check Chewy
- Ultra Unscented Clumping Crystal Cat Litter
- Includes silica gel to clump
- Help prevent odors
- 70% lighter than clay litter
- Sand-like texture
- Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Unscented Non-Clumping Crystal Cat Litter
- Specifically for older felines
- Hypoallergenic and non-toxic
- Trap urine and prevent bacterial growth
- Dehydrate feces
- Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Unscented Non-Clumping Crystal Cat Litter
- Specifically for older felines
- Hypoallergenic and non-toxic
- Trap urine and prevent bacterial growth
- Dehydrate fecesThis litter includes long-lasting crystals that help lock in odor without scooping. Therefore, this litter is easier to care for than other options. They absorb moisture on content and are slightly scented so that they continue to smell fresh even after use.These crystals can last up to one month in a litter box with litter care. When it is time to change the litter, the formula is low-dust and lightweight.
2. Best Budget Option: Frisco Summer Clean Scented Crystal Cat Litter
Despite being cheaper than most options out there, this crystal cat litter by Frisco performs excellently in most situations. The crystals lock in moisture on contact and prevent odors from forming. It is non-clumping, which typically means less work on your part. You have to do is mix up the litter occasionally to ensure that the newer crystals are spread throughout the used ones.
The crystal’s ability to lock in odors is an excellent option for multi-cat households. If your felines fight over their litter boxes, these odor-fighting crystals may be what you’re looking for.
One bag lasts a month for one cat. Therefore, you’re also getting a lot of value for a lower cost.
Like most crystal cat litters, this option is also low-dust and lightweight. It minimizes messes when cleaning and protects your home’s air quality. Plus, crystals are much less likely to be tracked around your house than silicone litter.
3. Best Health Indicating: Alpha Paw Genius Litter with Health Indicator
Crystal cat litter is best known for its ability to track your cat’s health using its urine pH. However, this is not a trait for all crystal cat litters. Genius Litter by Alpha Paws is the best of the few options that offer this feature.
It is a bit more expensive, but you’re paying for the ability to track your cat’s health. This litter responds to deviating variables in your cat’s urine that can hint at their current health status.
The urine is quickly absorbed by the crystals so that it does not produce odors. Plus, the crystals are also lightly scented to block out any odors. This litter is also low-tracking, which helps keep the litterbox area clean.
4. Best Unscented: Frisco Micro Crystal Unscented Cat Litter
If you need to use an unscented cat litter for one reason or another, you may consider this option by Frisco. We’ve already included one Frisco option on this list, but this one is entirely unscented.
Instead of being artificially scented, this option uses advanced odor control to prevent odors from occurring, to begin with. The crystals quickly soak up any urine and lock in the scent, preventing bacterial growth that often causes odors.
One bag can last up to a month for a single cat. However, you’ll have to purchase more than one bag in multi-cat households.
The non-clumping litter is pretty easy to take care of and only requires occasional mixing. We loved that the crystals are soft on the paws, making this litter more suitable for sensitive cats.
5. Best Clumping: Ultra Unscented Clumping Crystal Cat Litter
Most crystal cat litter does not clump. However, this litter by Ultra is one of the few on the market that does. The litter quickly soaks up urine scents and prevents bacterial growth. However, it also includes silica gel to allow it to clump.
You will need to scoop this litter twice a week, less than a traditional silica litter. The crystals help prevent odors, allowing the litter to go longer between scooping.
The very fine litter is 70% lighter than your average clay litter.
6. Best for Seniors: Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Crystal Cat Litter
For sensitive senior cats, you may want to consider this cat litter specifically for older felines. It is hypoallergenic and non-toxic, which helps ensure that it doesn’t upset your older cat. It may help prevent urinary tract issues since it doesn’t include the harmful chemicals that other cat litters do.
The crystals trap urine and prevent bacterial growth, which helps prevent odors. It also dehydrates solid waste to prevent odors from escaping the box.
This litter is a bit more expensive than most, but it may be plenty worth it for older cats.
7. Best for Stress: Dr. Elsey’s Stress Protection Crystal Cat Litter
Many cats experience stress around litterbox use, especially in multi-cat households. This litter is an excellent option for these cats, as it is one of the few that tries to combat this stress.
This litter is entirely hypoallergenic. It doesn’t include any plant proteins, perfumes, or deodorants. However, it does include a few herbs that are thought to reduce stress.
The crystals help soak up urine and fight odors. Therefore, this option may be suitable for multi-cat households, where cats may not like to smell others in the litterbox.
Choosing the Best: What to Look For
Not all crystal cat litters are made the same. Therefore, you must consider certain factors when choosing a cat litter for your home. The scent, price, odor control, and clumping all affect whether or not a crystal cat litter is suitable for you.
Let’s take a look at each aspect separately.
Scent
Some crystal cat litters are scented. Some are not. There are good reasons for each of these approaches, but the right one for you will depend on your preferences. Some people and cats are sensitive to artificial scents, making unscented litter a good option. You probably don’t want scented litter if you have a sensitive nose.
With that said, scented litter tends to have better odor control. Therefore, if you aren’t sensitive to strong, artificial smells, you probably want scented litter.
Price
Litter is a consumable. Therefore, price matters a lot. You want to choose a price in your budget, considering that you’ll be replacing the litter regularly.
Luckily, cheaper options are not necessarily lower quality. We’ve included many cheaper options above that may work well for those on a strict budget. However, most specialized options are going to be more expensive.
Odor Control
Litterboxes are notoriously stinky. However, if you choose a quality litter, this doesn’t have to be the case. We highly recommend that you choose a litter designed to control odors. Odor control is not a factor that you want to skimp on.
Luckily, crystal cat litters are pretty good at controlling odors, but that doesn’t make them all equally as good.
Clumping
Most traditional cat litters clump. However, crystal cat litter does not fit into this category. In many cases, crystal cat litter does not clump at all, as it does not contain clay.
However, there are some options out there for those who particularly want a clumping litter.
This factor is dependent on preference. For most users, non-clumping litter is probably the best option, as it requires less maintenance. Usually, you have to mix crystal cat litters up to revitalize the crystals and scoop out the solid waste.
Verified Review: User Experience
No matter what crystal cat litter you’re looking at, many reviews often praise how much better this litter is than traditional clay options. For instance, one reviewer discussed Fresh Step crystal litter and said, “the odor control is just so much better.”
However, crystal cat litter does require a different maintenance approach. The same reviewer instructed readers to “stir the litter every day.” Many also suggested increasing the amount of litter you’re using to help spread the work of odor control between more crystals.
The most common complaints were dustiness. Many reported that the Frisco Summer Clean crystal litter had the biggest problem. Still, it is also one of the cheapest options out there.Most crystal litters were reported to be very good for odor control. One user stated this about Ultra clumping crystal cat litter: “Before using this stuff, I tried tons of litters and def deodorizers to control the smell of cat pee, nothing worked! This stuff is amazing a bag lasts me about 3 weeks and the smell control is AMAZING.”