7 Best Lightweight Cat Litters – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks
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If you own a cat, you already know that these pets can be quite particular about things like food and cat litter. Cats that are particular about their litter mean that you might need to try several different types before settling on a brand your cat likes. But attempting to manage bulky, heavy containers of cat litter can be a real pain.
For some people, it’s a major inconvenience, and for other people, it’s a physical impossibility. Lightweight cat litter is a fantastic option for people who struggle to manage normal cat litter. Although it is much lighter, it is still highly absorbent and functions in essentially the same way as full-weight litters.
It can be difficult to choose the right lightweight cat litter that your cat won’t immediately reject, though, especially if you’ve got a picky litter user. We’ve put together reviews of our favorite lightweight cat litters to help make the decision easier for you.
A Quick Glance at Our Favorites (2024 Update)
Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Overall | Tidy Cats Lightweight Free & Clean |
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Best Value | Fresh Step Lightweight Extreme |
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Premium Choice | Michu Tofu Cat Litter |
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Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Lightweight |
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Frisco Crystal Unscented Litter |
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The 7 Best Lightweight Cat Litters
1. Purina Tidy Cats Lightweight Cat Litter – Best Overall
Package Size: | 8.5 pounds, 17 pounds |
Scent: | Unscented |
Litter Type: | Clay |
Clumping: | Yes |
Purina Tidy Cats Lightweight Free & Clean cat litter is the best overall lightweight cat litter. It’s available in two package sizes, so you can choose which weight will be easier for you to manage. It’s unscented and 99.9% dust-free, making it ideal for cats and people with respiratory sensitivities.
This is a clumping clay litter, which is easy to scoop, and it contains activated charcoal for maximum odor control. It also contains an ammonia blocker that controls ammonia odors for up to 14 days when used as directed. Due to the light weight of this litter, it has a tendency to track, so it may be messier than heavier cat litters.
- Two package sizes available
- Unscented
- 99.9% dust-free
- Easy to scoop
- Contains activated charcoal and ammonia blocker for odor control
- May track litter outside the box
2. Fresh Step Lightweight Extreme Cat Litter – Best Value
Package Size: | 15.4 pounds |
Scent: | Febreze |
Litter Type: | Clay |
Clumping: | Yes |
The best lightweight cat litter for the money is the Fresh Step Lightweight Extreme with Febreze, although it is only available in one package size. This lightweight clay litter is 99.9% dust-free and features the fresh scent of Febreze to prevent bad smells, as well as activated charcoal.
When used as directed, this litter has a 10-day odor control guarantee. The fragrance is paw-activated, which means every time your kitty digs in the box, it will re-release the fresh scent. Due to its lighter weight, this does tend to be a high-tracking litter, but it’s formulated to clump tightly, making for easy litter box emptying.
- Great value
- 99.9% dust-free
- Contains paw-activated scent
- Activated charcoal for odor control
- 10-day odor control guarantee when used as directed
- One package size available
- May track
3. Michu Tofu Cat Litter – Premium Choice
Package Size: | 5.5 pounds |
Scent: | Peach, green tea, watermelon, ocean fresh, unscented |
Litter Type: | Tofu |
Clumping: | Yes |
The Michu Tofu Cat Litter is the premium pick for lightweight cat litters. It’s only available in one bag size, but one bag will last one cat for around 2 weeks. It’s available in four scents and an unscented version. This is a flushable litter that is made from compostable and biodegradable tofu.
It’s a low-tracking litter made to neutralize odors, but it does retail for a more premium price compared to most other lightweight litters. The pellets are small and safe for sensitive paws, making this a good option for kitties with sensitivity issues due to declawing and other problems. Although it does clump, it can be difficult to remove clumps without removing unused litter as well due to the size and shape of the pellets.
- One bag lasts one cat for up to 2 weeks
- Four scents and an unscented option
- Flushable, compostable, and biodegradable
- Low-tracking litter
- Small pellets are safe for sensitive paws
- Premium price
- May be difficult to remove clumps without removing unused litter
4. Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Lightweight Cat Litter
Package Size: | 18 pounds |
Scent: | Fresh |
Litter Type: | Clay |
Clumping: | Yes |
The Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Lightweight litter is only available in one package size, but it is a clumping clay litter that is scented. It also contains baking soda to help control odors, and it offers 7 days of odor control when used as directed. Some people report finding the scent of this litter to be too strong, so it isn’t ideal for people or cats with sensitivities to scents.
It contains moisture-activated micro-granules that trap odors, and it is 100% dust-free. It clumps together tightly for easy litter box cleaning and functions very similarly to a normal-weight cat litter.
- Contains baking soda for up to 7 days of odor control
- Fresh scent
- Clumps together tightly
- Moisture-activated micro-granules trap odors
- 100% dust-free
- One package size available
- Scent may be too strong for people and cats with sensitivities
5. Frisco Micro Crystal Unscented Cat Litter
Package Size: | 7 pounds |
Scent: | Unscented |
Litter Type: | Silica crystals |
Clumping: | No |
The Frisco Micro Crystal Unscented Cat Litter is a silica crystal litter that does not clump. It is unscented, making it a good option for cats and people with sensitivities, but some people do report finding this litter to be highly dusty and trackable.
It’s only available in one package size, but a 7-pound bag can last one cat up to 30 days. Silica crystal litters are highly absorbent, so they absorb urine and moisture from stools, making it easier to remove from the box. It prevents urine pooling in the box when used as directed. Its sand-like texture is easy on sensitive paws.
- Unscented
- One bag lasts up to 30 days for one cat
- Highly absorbent silica crystals prevent urine pooling
- Makes it easy to remove solid waste
- Low tracking and soft on paws
- One package size available
- Dusty
- May track
6. Pioneer Pet SmartCat Lightweight Cat Litter
Package Size: | 10 pounds |
Scent: | Unscented |
Litter Type: | Clay |
Clumping: | Yes |
The Pioneer Pet SmartCat Lightweight Cat Litter is unscented and available in one package size. This budget-friendly clay litter forms tight, hard clumps that are easy to scoop. It starts controlling odors by beginning to clump on contact, but odors may begin to build up in the litter within a few days, even with the removal of clumps. You may need to replace the full box of litter more regularly than some other litter.
This litter tends to be highly trackable, so it may be messier than many other litters. Although this is listed as a 99% dust-free litter, many people report finding it to be very dusty, so it may not be ideal for people and kitties with respiratory sensitivities.
- Unscented
- Budget-friendly option
- Forms tight, hard clumps
- Begins controlling odors on contact
- One package size is available
- May track
- Dusty
7. Frisco Lightweight Scented Clumping Cat Litter
Package Size: | 9 pounds |
Scent: | Fresh |
Litter Type: | Clay |
Clumping: | Yes |
The Frisco Lightweight Scented Clumping Cat Litter has a fresh scent and is available in one package size. It’s a budget-friendly option that is ultra-absorbent and quickly forms clumps upon contact with moisture, allowing you to clean the box immediately after your kitty leaves it.
Some people do report finding this litter forms looser clumps than some other clumping litters, so it may take a little more effort to properly scoop than some other litter options. This is a high-tracking litter that many people report is also quite dusty, so it may not be ideal for all home situations.
- Fresh scent
- Budget-friendly option
- Ultra-absorbent
- Quickly forms clumps when in contact with moisture
- One package size is available
- May form looser clumps than other litters
- May track
- Dusty
Buyer’s Guide: Picking the Best Lightweight Cat Litter
Choosing the Right Lightweight Litter for Your Cat
We all know just how picky cats can be about their litter, so it may take a few tries to find the perfect lightweight litter to appease your furry friend. When choosing a litter to transition to, you’re likely to have the most success if you choose a litter that isn’t too different from what you’re already using. This means trying to find a litter with a similar texture and smell. It is also ideal to stick to the same type of litter your cat is used to, which means if you already use a clay litter, try a lightweight clay litter. If your kitty is used to something pellet-shaped or sandy, then a natural or silica crystal litter may be best.
Keep in mind that you can slowly transition your cat over to a new type of litter later down the road, but it is best to make small changes to cat litter at a time. Otherwise, your cat may rebel and start avoiding the litter box altogether!
Sometimes even the best litter box setup needs a helping hand in combating invasive smells. Our Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Cat Litter Deodorizer naturally breaks down odors at the source. This effective litter additive can help all types of cat litter last longer, saving you money, and is safe for all life stages. Best of all, it's 100% biodegradable and fragrance-free.
- Bio Enzymatic Cat Litter Freshener - Smart formulation uses natural ingredients eliminating cat...
- Save Money - Stuff for cats isn’t the cheapest. With this litter box odor eliminator, you’ll...
Conclusion
We hope these reviews helped you find the perfect starting point in your lightweight cat litter journey. The top lightweight cat litter we love is the Tidy Cats Lightweight Cat Litter, which is an unscented litter that is 99.9% dust-free and available in two package sizes. The more budget-friendly option is the Fresh Step Lightweight Extreme Cat Litter, which offers great odor control at a low price. The more premium-priced pick is the Michu Tofu Cat Litter, available in an unscented version and four scented versions.
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