m9 review and opinions
hi everyone! i thought i’d share my experience with the new neakasa m9 litter box that launched this month, along with some of my personal opinions, in case anyone is thinking about getting one!
for some background, i previously owned the neakasa m1 for about a year and a half, and before that i had a petkit automatic litter box. i don’t remember the exact model, but it was definitely one of their earlier ones. i’ve only had the m9 for about a day, so this is more of a first impressions review. i’ll update this if i notice anything else as i use it longer!
setup and first impressions
at first glance, one of the things that really caught my attention was how easy the m9 seemed to take apart. in neakasa’s videos, the machine could be disassembled pretty quickly for cleaning, which was especially important to me. both my old m1 and petkit could be pretty tedious to take apart and deep clean, so i was really looking forward to something simpler.
connecting the m9 to the app was super easy. it probably took me less than two minutes. i just held the wifi button for about three seconds, the app immediately detected the new litter box, and it connected right away.
physically putting the litter box together, though, was a little more confusing. to be fair, this could 100% be user error because i skimmed the instructions for maybe 30 seconds and immediately started putting it together lol. attaching the outer frame to the main body and getting the waste box connected to the machine confused me at first. the sifter is also magnetic, and it took me a minute to figure out exactly what angle it needed to sit at. once i figured everything out, though, it was fine.
things i really like
- the direction it rotates!
this is probably one of my favorite changes. the m9 rotates on its x axis rather than the way the m1 rotates, and personally, that gives me a lot more peace of mind. even in the unlikely event that the sensors failed, i feel better about the overall design when it comes to my cats’ safety. there’s also a kitten guard around the waste opening, which is another nice safety feature.
- it’s easy to move around.
i’m not exactly sure what they put underneath the machine, but it almost feels like it has little wheels even though it doesn’t. it slides and turns around really easily. this is a huge plus for me because i keep my litter box inside a litter enclosure. when i need to empty the waste bin or clean around it, i can easily rotate the m9 around. my old m1 had non slip pads on the legs, so turning or repositioning it inside the enclosure took noticeably more effort.
- i really like the overall design.
the m9 has a sleek design and reminds me a little bit of a litter robot, except it feels much more open at the top. i think that’s going to make regular wipe downs and cleaning between deep cleans a lot easier.
- the carbon filter is a nice addition.
i obviously haven’t owned it long enough to say how much of a difference the carbon filter makes with odor, but i’m glad they included it. i’ll probably have a better opinion on this after i’ve used the box for a while.
- the waste opening is bigger and more functional than it looks in pictures.
this was actually one of my biggest concerns before getting the m9. from the pictures, the opening into the waste bin looked really small, and i was worried that larger clumps wouldn’t fall through properly. so far, that hasn’t been an issue at all! if you’ve been looking at pictures of the m9 and worrying about the waste opening being too small, i personally wouldn’t be too concerned about it.
- the liner isn’t silicone!
this is a small detail that i actually really appreciate. the liner feels more like a coated cloth or fabric material rather than the silicone like material in the m1. after owning my m1 for about a year and a half, i felt like the silicone liner eventually started holding onto urine odor, which i really disliked. my old petkit had a liner that felt more similar to the m9’s, and i never noticed the same issue with that one. obviously, i’ll have to see how the m9 liner holds up long term, but based on my previous experience, i actually prefer this material.
- it is shorter than the m1!
one of the main things i did not like about the m1 was the fact that it was so tall. i have a cat that is on the shorter and smaller side and we had to add a box in front of it to help her climb in. i know neakasa has come out with a step that has the air purifier and all but since i have an enclosure, there was just no way i could put that in there and have it fit. however, this is the perfect height for my cat as she can just step right in so i would totally recommend this to anyone who have senior cats, cats with joint issues or just a small cat like mine who doesnt enjoy jumping into her litter box!
now for the cons...
- litter and litter dust do stick to the inside of the bowl.
this was one of my main concerns before buying it, and unfortunately, i was semi right. i’ll admit that i’m a bit of a neat freak, so seeing litter or litter dust stuck around the inside of the bowl bothers me more than it probably bothers most people lol. it’s not horrible, and realistically, i don’t think there’s an automatic litter box on the market that can guarantee absolutely no litter will stick anywhere. but if you’re like me and like your litter box looking super clean, just know that litter and dust can stick to the inside.
- the materials don’t feel as premium as i expected.
i know i said i really like the design, and i do, but the actual build quality was probably one of my bigger disappointments when i first put it together. the whole machine feels very plastic like. i understand that the m9 is on the more affordable side compared with some of the other big name automatic litter boxes, but at $400+, i was still expecting it to feel a little sturdier and more premium. i wouldn’t necessarily call it super flimsy, but when i first assembled everything, i definitely remember thinking, “oh... i thought this would feel a little more solid.”
- the waste bin is pretty small.
if you currently have an m1, imagine a waste bin that’s maybe around half the size. it is noticeably smaller. since i literally got the m9 yesterday, i can’t say yet how often i’ll actually have to change the waste bag. for reference, i have two cats, and my m1 could usually go around a week to a week and a half before i needed to empty it. based purely on the size difference, i’m expecting the m9 to need a bag change around twice as often, maybe every half week or so, but i’ll update this once i’ve actually used it long enough to know!
- it is noticeably louder than the m1.
this is probably something i’d pay attention to if you plan on keeping the litter box in your bedroom. unfortunately, my current setup has the litter box and enclosure about five feet away from my bed until i move somewhere with more space. with the m1, i could easily sleep through a cleaning cycle and barely noticed the sound. the m9 is definitely louder. i personally notice a pretty significant difference between the two. so if you’re a light sleeper and plan on keeping your m9 in your bedroom, this is something i would seriously consider.
overall so far
overall, i do like the m9! there are definitely some things i think could have been better, especially the build quality, smaller waste bin, and noise, but there are also some improvements over the m1 that i really appreciate. the easier to clean design, how easy it is to move around, the more open interior, the different liner material, and the overall safety design are probably my favorite changes so far. again, i’ve literally only had it since yesterday, so i don’t want to make any huge claims about reliability, odor control, or how often the waste bin needs to be emptied yet. those are things i’ll have to figure out with time.
this is definitely a lengthy review, so thanks for reaching to the end of my post! i wanted to point out that when i was doing my research on this, there was barely anything on it since it was so new. the only information i could go off on it was either from neakasa themselves or the incentivized reviews on amazon. so just treat this as a fun review or something to add into your research!
if i notice anything else worth mentioning, i’ll edit this post and add updates! and if anyone is considering the m9 and has questions, feel free to ask! i’d be happy to answer anything i can based on my experience so far. :)