All Clay Hybrid Cat Litters
Last Updated by Brandon F. on May 14, 2020
This is a list of all clay hybrid cat litters that we have reviewed and ranked. We define a clay hybrid litter as being a product that contains clay plus the addition of something else. Clay is by far the most common type of material used in cat litters for various reasons but it does have its own shortcomings.
To combat these shortcomings, some litter companies have adding other “stuff” to the clay to help with the smell, performance, etc. Common additives are ingredients like baking soda, silicon gel, corn, and many others. More often than not these clay hybrid cat litters end up being a bit more expensive than conventional all-clay cat litters so it is up to the individual to decide if the extra cost is worth the added benefits. We hope if you decide to give a clay hybrid a try that our site helps in making your decision!
Arm & Hammer Clump and Seal with MicroGuard
Our Rating:
This is a fantastic cat litter that truly does what it says it does. The strong clumping and odor control of clay is combined with baking soda and the new MicroGuard technology to create an awesome 1-2-3 punch that will stop cat litter odors in its tracks for several days. There is also no overwhelming cat litter scent and prices are reasonable. Other than a bit of tracking we have nothing negative to say about this product.
Pros: Very good clumping, long-lasting odor control, no overwhelming scent
Cons: Minor tracking
Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Naturals
Our Rating:
This product does great in all aspects and has an impressive price point to match. Any issues that we have with it are minor easily overlooked. It is available in 8-pound bags, is comprised of wood, minerals, plants, and baking soda, and is available in the mid-price range
Pros: Great clumping, locks in odors, easy cleanup
Cons: Somewhat poor tracking, time-sensitive performance
Arm & Hammer Multi-Cat Unscented
Our Rating:
This litter manages to do everything relatively well and without any major flaws. However, for being a multi-cat solution we do wish the odor fighting was a bit more aggressive. But for the price, we can’t complain too much. It is available in 20, 26.3, and 28-pound boxes, is comprised of clay and baking soda, and is available in the budget-price range.
Pros: Reasonably priced, little dust, no odor from litter itself
Cons: Relatively soft clumps
Arm & Hammer Double Duty Clumping
Our Rating:
While the clumping is quite good with this product and they are easily disposed of, the litter smell is simply too intense. The asking price is reasonable but there are other choices with similar cost and clumping performance the don’t put out the pungent smells. It is available in 14, 26.3, and 37-pound boxes and 9-pound bags, is comprised of clay, crystals, and baking soda, and is available in the budget-price range.
Pros: Good clumping, little dust
Cons: Pungent scent
Arm & Hammer Ultra Last
Our Rating:
This product has pretty good clumping and while it has a bit of caking, cleanup is, for the most part, a breeze. However, the litter smell is simply way too much. If you can handle the scent or decide to wear a gas mask around the litter (might need one for your cat as well) then it isn’t a terrible deal. It is available in 20, 26.3, 31, 37, 40, and 50-pound boxes, is comprised of clay and baking soda, and is in the mid to premium-price range.
Pros: Good clumping, little to no caking on box
Cons: Very off-putting litter smell, somewhat pricey for a clay litter
Fresh Step Multi-Cat Unscented Scoopable
Our Rating:
A decent option from the clumping ability alone. The dust levels and the fact that for an unscented litter it does have a pretty powerful smell bump it down some but it will still be serviceable in this price range. It is available in 20 and 25 pound boxes , is comprised of clay and plant extracts and is available in the mid-priced tier.
Pros: Very effective at clumping, holds in cat smells for several days without concern
Cons: Clumps can sometime cake, quite dusty
Arm & Hammer Multi-Cat Extra Strength
Our Rating:
This product is the textbook definition of average. It does nothing particularly well but also doesn’t fail miserably at anything either. If it didn’t struggle with clumping we might bump it up to a soft buy given the good price. But even for the near budget price, we would still like to see better and there is better to choose from. It is available in 20, 26.3, and 40-pound boxes, is comprised of clay and baking soda, and is available in the budget to mid-priced range.
Pros: Decent at masking odors
Cons: Clumps tend to fall apart, tracking can be an issue
Fresh Step Multi-Cat Scented Scoopable
Our Rating:
We are a bit underwhelmed with the performance of this product, given the price. The only bright spot is the clumping but everything else is average at best, with certain issues actually being below average. It is available in 14, 20, 25, 34, and 38-pound boxes and 42-pound bags, is comprised of clay, activated carbon, and plant extracts and is available in the premium-priced tier.
Pros: Pretty good odor blocking, above average clumping
Cons: Very dusty, strong chemical smell, pretty expensive for what you are getting
Fresh Step Fast Acting Scoopable
Our Rating:
A very average-performing litter than unfortunately comes at an above average price. While it doesn’t necessarily do anything terrible (other than having a rather high dust content) if you are willing to spend this kind of money are much better options out there. It is available in 25 pound boxes, is comprised of clay and plant extracts, and is available in the premium-price area.
Pros: Captures fluids before they can make it to the bottom, odor eliminated for long periods
Cons: Clumps can fall apart over time, very dusty, pretty pricey
Fresh Step Plus Dual Action Crystals
Our Rating:
We understand that generally crystal-based litters run more expensive than conventional clay. However, the product in question doesn’t necessarily do anything better than many other clay litters that are half the price. It doesn’t completely miss the mark in any regard, but why pay so much for something that is so ordinary? It is available in 14 and 25 pound boxes, is comprised of clay and crystals, and is available in the premium-price tier.
Pros: Locks in nearly all cat smells for a long time, decent at clumping
Cons: Very expensive, not as strong at clumping as conventional clay, tracking and dust can be an issue
Premium Choice Multi-cat
Our Rating:
Even with the great price, there are a lot of issues with this product. The clumps are serviceable but it really struggles to obscure cat odors, and can also be quite messy at times If you are trying to be frugal it should work well enough but otherwise shop around for something better. It is available in 16 pound jugs and 25 pound bags, is comprised of clay and baking soda, and is available in the budget-tier.
Pros: Acceptable clumping, reasonably priced
Cons: Clumps can fall apart in high traffic areas, strong artificial scent, potentially messy cleanup
UltraPet Ultra Lite
Our Rating:
The combination of unique ingredients plus the lightweight formula makes for a poorly-clumping and messy concoction. However, it does a reasonably good job of stopping odors. We are pretty neutral on this product overall. It is available in 5 and 10 pound bags, is comprised of clay and silica gel, and is available for in the premium-price tier.
Pros: No overpowering litter smell, locks odors in for several days, not overly dusty
Cons: Clumps are too soft, tracks extremely easy, quite pricey
Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Lightweight Multi-Cat
Our Rating:
Subpar clumping, off-putting scents, extreme dust and stickiness, and a somewhat high sticker price make this a litter to avoid in our opinion. There are many other options in this price range that will suit you much better. It is available in 9 and 15 pound boxes, is comprised of clay and baking soda, and is available in the mid-price tier.
Pros: Lightweight
Cons: Poor Clumping, Struggles with Odor Control, Overwhelming Scent, Messy
Read Review of Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Lightweight Multi-Cat
Perfect Litter
Our Rating:
Don’t let the “perfect litter” name fool you. While we do enjoy the lightweight characteristics of the product, the cool ability to detect warning signs of FLUTD, and the inclusion of some really unique materials, it just doesn’t come together into a viable litter. There are definitely some pros here but there are some kinks they need to work out before we can justify this for the price. Obviously, if you are using it for the detection capabilities then price won’t be as big of an issue. It is available in 4 and 10-pound boxes, is comprised of vermiculite, perlite, guar gum, and proprietary materials, and is available in the premium-price area.
Pros: Unique ability to detect FLUTD, decent clumping, scentless litter smell
Cons: Can’t handle a lot of fluids, easily tracked, extremely expensive
Fresh Step Extreme Lightweight Scented
Our Rating:
An expensive option that fails in just about every area. Your cat, your patience, and your pocketbook will thank you if you go with one of the many better options that can be had for this price. It is available in 15.4, 20.8, 23.4 and 25.8 pound boxes , is comprised of clay and carbon, and is available in the premium-price area.
Pros: Relatively lightweight
Cons: Extremely weak clumps that fall apart, powerful artificial perfume scent, struggles to retain cat odors, extremely mess, very expensive
Arm & Hammer Super Scoop Fresh Scent
Our Rating:
The clumping is the bright point in this product, and the clumps are also easy to dispose of. We aren’t a huge fan of the litter smell, but it does lock in cat odors. In addition, the price is more than reasonable for just about any budget. It is available in 14, 20, and 28-pound boxes, is comprised of clay and baking soda crystal, and is available in the budget-price range.
Pros: Affordable, stellar clumping, decent odor control
Cons: Intense artificial fragrance
Fresh Step Extreme Odor Control Unscented
Our Rating:
Good clumping ability and odor fighting from the CarbonPLUS feature make this a buy. It is a bit on the pricey side but if you should not be disappointed with how it performs and neither should your cat. It is available in 20 and 25 pound boxes, is comprised of clay, carbon, and antimicrobial agents, and is available in the mid to premium-price tier.
Pros: Great small clumps, excellent at sealing in cat odors
Cons: Somewhat dusty, a little pricey
Arm & Hammer Essentials Double Duty Natural
Our Rating:
This litter does nothing wrong but at the same time doesn’t knock it out of the park on anything, either. We feel this type of description should come with a more “average” price as well. Unfortunately the sticker shock associated with this doesn’t make it a great buy, despite being a decent performer overall. For those of you looking for a more natural choice litter choice and willing to spend extra for it, however, we wouldn’t fault you for giving this a go. It is available in 9 pound bags, is comprised of corn fiber and baking soda, and is available in the premium-price area.
Pros: Quickly clumps, more natural smell, lightweight
Cons: clumps don’t stay hard for very long, unique materials cause tracking
Scoop Away Multi-Cat Plus Crystals
Our Rating:
This is one of the few budget (or near budget) litters on the market that are able to incorporate crystals. Generally the crystal-based litters cost substantially higher so this is one of the few opportunities to experience the benefits of crystals without opening up your pocket books deeply. It does an average to slightly above average job in clumping and odor blocking and is about average messiness. Not the best thing in the world but worth a try. It is available in 25 pound boxes, is comprised of clay and crystals, and is available in the budget to mid-price tiers.
Pros: Great price for a litter with crystals, great job of knocking out cat waste odors
Cons: Clumps could be harder, strong perfume scent, need to be timely in clump removal
Cat’s Pride Natural Scoopable
Our Rating:
An acceptable budget choice for those who are more concerned with saving money than getting a premium product. The scent and ability to stop smells is likely the strong point, but there are no shining positives with this product. It is available in 20 pound jugs, is comprised of clay and fruit/vegetable extract, and is available in the budget-priced tier.
Pros: Little litter smell, good at masking odors, relatively affordable
Cons: Clumps tend to fall apart, dusty, tracks easily
Fresh Step Triple Action Scented
Our Rating:
The dust levels of this litter are really what do it in. The clumps are hard enough and timely enough to get a pass and the cat smells are subdued for several days which is a positive, but cleanup and general maintenance can be an absolute nightmare. Because of this we can only give it an average rating. It is available in 25 pound boxes, is comprised of activated carbon, plant extracts, and clay and is available in the mid-priced tier.
Pros: Clumps stay relatively hard, combats cat odors for several days
Cons: Clumps are rather large and use a lot of product, extremely dusty
Fresh Step Extreme Clay
Our Rating:
Generally non –clumping litters’ selling point is their ease of maintenance and low prices. Because of this, we aren’t really sure why this product is so expensive, especially considering that the rest of its aspects are nothing amazing. If the price was maybe half of what it is then we would say it is an acceptable purchase but honestly we aren’t real excited with it at the current online price. It is available in 7, 14, 21, 40 and 45 pound bags, is comprised of clay and antimicrobial agents, and is available in the mid-price tier.
Pros: Low maintenance
Cons: Struggles with cat urine smells, quite a bit of tracking, rather expensive for a non-clumping litter
LitterMaid Premium Natural Clumping
Our Rating:
Average clumping. Average odor control. Pretty good cleanup capabilities. A lot of litters have this description but not all of them are this expensive. We won’t talk you out of trying this litter if you want but we aren’t going to try to sell you on it, either. It is available in 7 pound bags, is comprised of clay and corn, and is available in the premium-priced tier.
Pros: Captures moisture quite well, very little litter smell, basically no dust
Cons: Clumping could be better, can be a bit messy, a bit expensive
Premium Choice Extra Strength with Baking Soda
Our Rating:
This litter is pretty average in most regards, and its overall rating suggests this. Sure, there are higher-performing litters on the market but the great price makes it easy to overlook its weak points. It is available in 16-pound jugs and 25 and 50-pound bags, is comprised of clay and baking soda, and is available in the budget-price area.
Pros: Handles feces smells with ease, reasonably affordable
Cons: Can struggle with urine, a bit too dusty, soft clumps that can fall apart
Read Review of Premium Choice Extra Strength with Baking Soda
Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Lightweight Fresh Scent
Our Rating:
There really isn’t anything great to say about this product other than the fact it is relatively light which helps in handling it. For the performance we would like to see it being priced at half of what it sells for at best. It is available in 9 and 15 pound boxes, is comprised of clay and baking soda, and is available in the mid-price tier.
Pros: Scent isn’t too overpowering, Good odor control early on
Cons: Clumps tend to fall apart, Easy to track out of box
Read Review of Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Lightweight Fresh Scent
Arm & Hammer Super Scoop Fragrance-Free
Our Rating:
The great price is the only saving grace of this product. The clumps fall apart quickly and easily and the litter smell is really bad. Any bright spots this has are masked by its weak points, and despite a nice price, we think there are plenty of better choices. It is available in 14, 20, and 26.3-pound boxes, is comprised of clay and baking soda, and is available in the budget-priced range.
Pros: Very little dust, relatively low price
Cons: Sand-like clumps that fall apart, extremely overwhelming litter smell, messy
Fresh Step Extreme Odor Control Scented
Our Rating:
For the high premium associated with this litter, you would expect something that performs well across the board. Instead, you get a product that struggles in most. We recommend shopping for other options. It is available in 12, 20, 25, 28, 34 and 38-pound boxes and 42-pound bags, is comprised of clay, carbon, and antimicrobial agents, and is available in the premium-priced tier.
Pros: Clumps harden easily
Cons: Goes through product very quickly, overwhelming artificial scent, very messy
UltraPet Better Way Cedar
Our Rating:
We have seen the wood-based litters struggle and this one is no exception. While it is inherently more eco-friendly, the extremely high price and poor performance (in clumping, odor neutralization, and cleanup) you pay for it just isn’t worth it in our opinion. It is available in 14 pound bags, is comprised of benonite and cedar, and is available in the budget-price tier.
Pros: Refreshing wood litter scent, odor control is alright with timely litter box maintenance
Cons: Very expensive, weak clumping, messy cleanup