Choosing the best cat litter scoop is as important as choosing the right litter box and litter.
A good cat litter scoop will make your life a lot easier when you come to scooping the litter box.
So, in this article, we’re going to show you the best cat poop scoopers.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
iPrimio Non-Stick Litter Scooper: The Best of the Best
5.0 out of 5.0 stars (5)
Durable, easy to use and easy to clean, this non-stick litter scoop makes scooping even stuck on clay litter so much easier.
DuraScoop Litter Scoop: A Good, Cheaper Alternative
4.5 out of 5.0 stars (4.5)
If you don’t want to fork out the cost of the iPrimio, the DuraScoop is also an excellent scoop.
SunGrow Cat Litter Scoop: Best For Non-Clumping & Organic Litters
4.2 out of 5.0 stars (4.2)
If you use non-clumping or organic litters, you don’t need to spend as much on a super tough scoop. The SunGrow works very well.
iPrimio Monster: Best Long-Handled Litter Scoop
4.8 out of 5.0 stars (4.8)
If you can’t (or don’t want to) get close to your cat’s litter box, this long-handled scoop is brilliant.
BasicForm Wire Litter Scoop: Best For Pellet-Based Litter
3.5 out of 5.0 stars (3.5)
If you use pellet-based litter, the BasicForm wire litter scoop is the only one we could find that sieves pellets well.
PetFusion Large Litter Scoop: Best Budget Choice
4.0 out of 5.0 stars (4.0)
If you’re on a budget, the PetFusion large plastic litter scoop is cheap, durable and works well.
Why Trust Us?
At Pet Checkers, we’ve been scooping litter boxes since 2013 so we’ve used all kinds of litter scoopers.
Some of these make scooping litter quick and easy, others make it a nightmare. We know what it’s like to try and scrape litter that’s welded to the bottom of the box with a cheap, crappy scoop that bends. We’ve broken litter scoops before because they just weren’t up to the job.
And it’s not only our experience we lean on. Being ‘in the trade’ so to speak, we get the thoughts of;
- Thousands of pet owners
- Hundreds of our own clients
- Other pat carers
- Pet trainers and behaviourists
- Vets, and
- Pet charities
That puts us in a good position to test and review these products. Both as pet owners and from a professional perspective.
We’ve tested and reviewed all kinds of cat litter-related products too;
- Best cat litter
- Best kitten litter
- Best eco-friendly cat litter
- Best litter boxes
- Best self-cleaning litter boxes
- Best litter mats
- Best cat litter deodorizers
- Best cat litter bins
- Best cat litter enclosures
So, it’s safe to say, we’ve got quite a lot of experience!
How We Picked Which Products to Test
Choosing which cat litter scoops to test was pretty easy.
First, we looked at the products our customers used. We use these all the time so we knew which ones we liked and which we didn’t.
Then we asked our customers for their thoughts on their scoops. We asked what they liked and didn’t like.
After that, we looked on Amazon, Zooplus and Pets at Home to look at customer reviews. We found many products were the same, just with different logos, so we were able to discount a lot of them.
Finally, we spoke with other pet carers, vets and a local cat fosterer to get their thoughts.
This gave us 23 products to test.
How We Tested
We bought the 23 scoops we wanted to test (£267.46 on litter scoops!) and gave one each to 23 trusted clients.
We ran our initial test for 6 weeks. Then, every day for 6 weeks, we visited each customer, twice a day. Once in the morning and again in the evening to scoop and clean their litter boxes.
We graded each scoop on;
- Price
- Sturdiness
- Comfort, and
- How well it scooped
Every time we see a new scoop or a customer recommends one, we put it through the same test. This keeps our list fresh and up to date.
Cat Litter Scoop Reviews: A Closer Look at Our Top Picks
After testing 23 different products, we narrowed our choices down to 6. We have to admit, some of them are quite expensive for a cat litter scoop. But when you consider how much easier they made our lives, it was money well spent.
1. iPrimio Non-Stick Litter Scooper Review: The Best of the Best
If you’re looking for the very best cat litter scooper, the iPrimio non-stick litter scooper is it.
Like all iPrimio cat litter products, it’s quite expensive as far as litter scoops go. In fact, it’s the most expensive on our list. That said, it’s worth every penny.
Cleaning the litter tray is a crappy job but cleaning clogged-up litter scoops is horrible. Especially if you use clumping clay litter.
The iPrimio is very robust. You can feel how well-made it is when you handle it. The ergonomic handle is comfortable and gives you plenty of leverage to scoop and scrape. As such, it’ll take the hammer of scraping solid clumped litter off the sides of the litter box.
It has rounded corners too so there are no gaps between the corners of the scoop and the edges of the litter box. This gives you much better odds of scooping out all the waste without leaving any in the litter.
The slots in the scoop are 4mm wide. That’s plenty wide enough to let clean litter though while containing the mucky stuff.
And cleaning it is a doddle. Oftentimes, giving it a knock on the side of the litter box is enough to dislodge any stuck-on litter. If not, its non-stick coating makes wiping it clean super easy.
When we tested this iPrimio litter scoop, it made our lives so much easier. In fact, it’s the one we use at home now.
It even comes with its own hanging hook!
2. DuraScoop Cat Litter Scoop Review: An Excellent, Cheaper Alternative
If you don’t want to fork out the cost of the iPrimio, the DuraScoop cat litter scoop is also excellent.
It’s easy to use and easy to clean.
It’s made from a single piece of rust-proof aluminium. That means;
- It doesn’t bend, and
- There’s no chance of the handle snapping off while your scaping concrete-like clumped litter off the bottom of the tray
It’s comfortable to use too. It has an ergonomic handle with a thumb stop and finger grooves with a soft, non-slip handle. This does make a difference when scooping through deep piles of litter.
The scoop is wide enough to handle even the biggest of clumps (or poos!). The slots are wide enough to let clean litter sift through without small clumps escaping. That said, if you use pellet-based litter, you’ll want some with bigger holes, like this one.
Its polished, smooth aluminium makes the scoop easy to rinse and keep clean. We found that some clumping litters can stick to it but giving it a knock on the side of the litter box dislodged most of it. But if litter gets stuck on it, a scrub with soap and water will do the trick.
3. Sungrow Large Cat Litter Scoop Review: Best For Non-Clumping and Organic Litters
If you use non-clumping or organic litter like corn, wheat or wood then the Sungrow large scoop is ideal.
It’s made from aluminium, it’s quite sturdy. And compared to cheap plastic litter scoops, it feels huge.
The handle is rubber so it’s comfortable and easy to use.
With a wide scoop and decent-sized holes, it works well with most clumping litters. It lets the clean litter through while holding onto the mucky stuff, and when you’re done, it’s nice and easy to clean.
That said, it wasn’t as effective at scraping solid clumped clay litter off the bottom of the litter tray. The handle is only a third aluminium it’s not robust enough to tackle stuck-on, solid clay.
And again, if you used a pellet litter, there are better options.
All that said, this is still a very good litter scoop. Especially if you use non-clumping litter or corn-based litter.
4. iPrimio Monster Cat Litter Scooper: Best Long-Handled Scooper
If you;
- Struggle to bend down to scoop the litter box, or
- You just don’t want to get too close to it while scooping
The iPrimio monster cat litter scoop is perfect. Especially if you’re pregnant scoop the litter yourself.
In fact, it’s a beast of a scoop. The whole thing is made from aluminium so it’s super strong. The handle is a massive 17 inches (43cm) long and has a very comfortable foam grip.
The scoop is 5.6 inches wide and almost 2 inches deep so it’ll scoop even the biggest clumps. It sifts clean litter through very well too and works with most litters.
Cleaning it is a doddle too.
There are a couple of things to consider though;
First, if you have weak wrists, a long-handled scooper might not be for you. Wrestling stuck on clay litter can feel like hard work when it’s 17 inches away. That said, if you use the right amount of litter, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Second, if you have a small cat who uses a small litter tray this is more scoop than you’ll ever need.
That said, the iPrimio Monster cat litter scoop lives up to its name. It’s quite expensive but it’s worth every penny. We reckon you could shovel horse poo with this thing!
5. BasicForm Metal Cat Litter Scoop: Best For Pellet Litters
If you use pellet-based litter like wood, paper or tofu, the BasicForm metal scoop is the best we could find.
It looks almost like a wire basket and the gaps between the holes are quite wide 6mm. This means it lets most clean pellets fall through while keeping hold of the soiled.
During our tests, it worked well for tofu and paper pellets. That said, if you use wood pellets that break down into sawdust when wet, it’ll fall right through. Because wood pellets are big when they’re dry and turn to sawdust when they get wet, there is no perfect scoop. The size difference is too big.
It has a big wide handle which is comfy enough when scooping pellets. But it’s horrible if you have to scrape solid clumps of clay litter off the bottom of the litter box. In fact, if you use clumping clay litter, this isn’t the scoop for you. Choose one of our other picks.
Cleaning it is easy though when using pellet-based litters, a quick rinse and wipe down is all it needs.
6. Pet Fusion Large Litter Scoop: The Best Budget Choice
If you’re on a budget and don’t want to break the bank, the PetFusion large plastic litter scoop is the best we’ve found.
It’s made from ABS plastic. That means it’s much stronger than other plastic scoops that use polypropylene. It also has a microbial coating which makes it more hygienic than standard plastic.
The handle is reasonably comfortable and it has a flat bottom with a sharp edge on the front. This makes scaping stuck on clumped clay litter surprisingly easy.
The sifting holes are quite wide so clean litter falls through them without even having to shake it. That said, during our tests we found that it sometimes let small clumps of clay litter through too.
Being plastic, we did find that clumping litter stuck to it more than the metal scoops we tested. It also took more of a scrub to get it off.
On the whole, though, considering the cost, we like it.
What to Look For in a Cat Litter Scoop
We must admit, we learned a lot in our quest to find the best cat litter scoop.
Believe it or not, there are certain qualities or features to look out for.
What They’re Made Of
Most cheap cat litter scoops are plastic and often flex, bend and break while you’re using them. We’ve broken dozens of them over the years.
Plastic doesn’t usually last as long as metal. Plus, metal is more hygienic too. Plastic can scratch which can then harbour bacteria and other nasties.
So, we recommend using a metal litter scoop.
That said, we have used some pretty rubbish metal litter scoops too. We’ve bent a few when we needed a little extra muscle to scrape off stuck on litter.
A sturdy metal scoop will last a lifetime. OK, some of them are quite expensive but you’ll only need to buy them once.
The Size of the Shovel
The smaller the shovel the more time you’ll spend scooping and sifting the litter. A bigger shovel will scoop more and save time.
That said, the bigger the shovel, the heavier and less manoeuvrable they are. Especially is small or covered litter boxes.
The Size of the Sifting Holes
The smaller the holes in the scoop, the more clean litter you’ll throw away. The bigger they are, there more chance there is of letting soiled litter fall back into the tray.
You should also consider the type of litter you use.
The sifting holes should be big enough to sift your litter. For example, many scoops aren’t great for pellet-based litters. That’s because the pellets are too big to fit through the holes. So, you need holes that are big enough.
On the other hand, if you use very fine litter, you’ll want a scoop with smaller holes. It’ll sift clean litter back into the box without letting small bits of soiled litter sneak through.
In Conclusion
Who knew there was so much to consider when choosing a cat litter scoop?
A good one will make scooping the litter box a hell of a lot easier. They will save you a surprising amount of time and frustration.
The very best one we found is the iPrimio Non-Stick Litter Scooper.
iPrimio Non-Stick Litter Scooper: The Best of the Best
5.0 out of 5.0 stars (5)
Durable, easy to use and easy to clean, this non-stick litter scoop makes scooping even stuck on clay litter so much easier.
If that’s beyond your budget the DuraScoop is also very good.
DuraScoop Litter Scoop: A Good, Cheaper Alternative
4.5 out of 5.0 stars (4.5)
If you don’t want to fork out the cost of the iPrimio, the DuraScoop is also an excellent scoop.
