All Crystal Cat Litters
Updated by Brandon F. on May 15, 2020
Crystal cat litters are typically considered one of the higher-end materials that one go choose for a cat litter. The “crystals” aren’t a crystal, but rather various types of materials such as silica gel. These special materials can exhibit fantastic odor control and moisture absorption while avoiding the sometimes off-putting litter smell that clay cat litters and other formulas can emit and the dust issues that they might deal with.
However, oftentimes the crystal cat litters don’t actually clump, and you are instead expected to remove the cat waste as necessary, and simply dump out the contents and refill when it becomes exhausted from too much urine being absorbed.
Some people swear by crystal cat litters while other people don’t see the justification for paying that much for a product. We encourage you to try at least try a crystal cat litter once and see if it is something that you enjoy.
Below we have listed all cat litters that we have reviewed and ranked that are either 100% crystals or contain some sort of crystals in them. Hopefully, it helps you in deciding your next purchase!
Pretty Litter
Our Rating:
A very unique silica gel cat litter that has a feature that makes the litter change colors depending on certain health conditions that may exist in your cat. In addition, there is a really cool subscription service that takes all of the headaches out of cat litter shopping. You will also enjoy great odor control and easy cleanup but it does come at a higher asking price.
Pros: Unique color-changing ability, Awesome odor control, Delivered monthly
Cons: Quite expensive, Tracks quite a bit
UltraPet Crystal Clear Litter Pearls
Our Rating:
A very unique crystal approach with phenomenal odor control, but for a phenomenal price. The beads will be gentle on cat paws and attack waste smells like no other, but are you ok spending this much on a cat litter? It is available in 7 pound bags, is comprised of silica gel, and is available in the premium-price tier.
Pros: Extremely good at locking in odor smells, quite absorbent, no litter smell
Cons: Somewhat dusty, expensive
UltraPet Ultra Micro Crystals
Our Rating:
For challenging odor control scenarios or cats with sensitive paws this might be the answer. Coincidentally the owners will likely have to have a rather large cat litter budget! A premium litter for those willing to spend the money for the unique odor control that exists with crystals. It is available in 5 pound bags, is comprised of silica gel, and is available in the premium-price tier.
Pros: Great job at sealing in strong cat odors, soaks up moisture like a sponge, no litter scent
Cons: Beads are easily kicked around and tracked, very expensive
UltraPet Litter Pearls Micro Crystals
Our Rating:
These micro crystals will feel great on cat paws (albeit track easily) and will stop odor with great ease but, like other similar crystal litters, it comes with a hefty price tag. It is available in 3.5 and 7 pound bags, is comprised of silica gel, and is available in the premium-price range.
Pros: Handles both feces and urine odors with ease, locks in odors for days at a time, low maintenance
Cons: Very expensive, beards are tiny so they are kicked around and tracked easily
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 in the premium-price category.
Pros: No overpowering litter smell, locks odors in for several days, not overly dusty
Cons: Clumps are too soft, tracks extremely easy, quite 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
Precious Cat Long Haired
Our Rating:
This is one of the most expensive non-clumping litters on the market. This is simply the cost of admission when you go with some of the more exotic materials such as silica gel. However, if your cat has long hair and has struggled with other litters you might not have a choice. The odor control is very good, but it does track a bit too much for our liking. It is available in 8-pound jugs, is comprised of silica gel, and is available in the premium price tier.
Pros: Does not stick to cat fur even on long-haired cats, acceptable litter smell
Cons: Can be a messy cleanup, cat smells are easily kicked up, very expensive
UltraPet Better Way Flushable
Our Rating:
We were really disappointed with this litter. The clumps just don’t seem to form as we would like and this in turn makes it struggle with odor control. Furthermore, it is rather dusty and cleanup can be a huge headache. It would be one thing if this was a super affordable example but it can be in the premium category depending on where you buy it! Definitely try another option. It is available in 12 pound bags, is comprised of zeolite, and is available in the mid to premium-price tiers.
Pros: Subtle litter smell
Cons: Soft gooey clumps, struggles with odors especially urine, dusty and sticks to litter box easily
Precious Cat Senior
Our Rating:
The high price is the only thing that really stands out to us with this product. For the benefits it has for older cats, you might be willing to look over the relatively poor odor control and high dust levels. However, unless your cat absolutely needs those features there are much better choices on the market. It is available in 8-pound bags, is comprised of silica gel, and is available in the premium-price area.
Pros: No overpowering litter smell, gentle for older cats
Cons: Poor clumping, struggles with feces odors after a couple days, can be messy during cleanup, expensive
ProSense Fresh Results Crystal
Our Rating:
A silica-gel based cat litter that performs very similar to other types on the market made of similar material. You can expect great odor control and little litter smell but you do sacrifice clumping ability, higher tracking levels, and a premium price tag.
Pros: Great at Locking in Odor, Very little litter smell
Cons: Tracks very easily, Quite expensive
PetSafe ScoopFree Crystal
Our Rating:
One of the more affordable crystal cat litters, PetSafe ScoopFree Crystal Cat Litter manages to capture much of the magic of a silica gel-based litter but in a more budget-friendly package. The dust levels are kept in check and there are even a few different scents to choose from.
Pros: Good odor fighting, Multiple scents to choose from
Cons: Prone to 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-priced 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
UltraPet Ultra Pearls
Our Rating:
Crystal-based litters are a unique and pricey approach, and this is no different. Some of the best odor control in the market is here but it is extremely expensive. Whether this is worth it to someone is on a case by case basis. It is available in 5 pound bags, is comprised of silica gel, and is available in the premium-price category.
Pros: Excellent at concealing urine and feces odors, beads are comfortable on cat paws, absorbs all moisture
Cons: Some tracking issues, incredibly expensive
Nature’s Miracle Just for Cats Easy Care Crystal
Our Rating:
A low-maintenance choice for those that would rather avoid having to scoop out cat waste. Compared to other crystal litters it performs average, but it definitely comes at a hefty price. It is available in 8 pound bags, is comprised of crystals, and is available in the premium-price tier.
Pros: Great job of locking away odors for several days, very absorbent, little dust
Cons: Crystals can break down and be tracked, very expensive
Read Review of Nature's Miracle Just for Cats Easy Care Crystals
Precious Cat R&R Respiratory Relief Silica Gel
Our Rating:
This is a specialty litter intended for cats with medical issues, and as such you are primarily paying for that aspect and not particularly the odor neutralizing or cleanup specifics. For someone who doesn’t have a cat that has these specific respiratory problems you would be crazy to spend this kind of money on what is honestly an average at best offering. It is available in 7.5 pound bags, is comprised of silica gel, and is available in the premium-price tier.
Pros: Very little litter smell, decent odor control, no dust
Cons: Urine can easily overwhelm, extremely expensive
Read Review of Precious Cat R&R Respiratory Relief Silica Gel
So Phresh Odor-Lock Crystal
Our Rating:
For the high price the sale points just aren’t there. The fact that this litter doesn’t clump is a big reason, but even beyond that the crystals don’t do a significant enough of a job in locking in odor to warrant the sticker and other problems. It is available in 8, 15, and 30 pound bags, is comprised of silica gel, and is available in the premium-price tier.
Pros: Handles feces and urine odors for several days, crystals absorb most of the moisture
Cons: Can easily be overwhelmed if litter box is used too much, pretty expensive
UltraPet Trackless Litter Pearls
Our Rating:
We weren’t as impressed with this product as other crystal litters. The odor control is still good but comparably lower than equivalent examples and the mess is a bit more than we like. While the price is a “little” lower than some of the other options the performance took a big enough hit that we feel it needs to be even lower to be an easily justifiable purchase. It is available in 3.5, 7, and 10.5 pound bags, is comprised of silica gel, and is available in the premium-price tier.
Pros: Great odor control, pretty absorbent
Cons: Still tracks, crystals are sharp and can cause scratches, expensive
So Phresh Dual Odor Guard
Our Rating:
For being a dual odor guard, we were a bit disappointed in the struggles that it when clumps fall apart, which they can sometimes do with this litter. If this wasn’t an issue we would have rated it much higher. There is also some tracking issues but this is quite common with the litters that have crystals mixed in with them. It is available in 16 and 20 pound tubs, is comprised of mineral crystals, and is available in the mid to premium-price tier.
Pros: Good moisture absorption, good at capturing urine smells
Cons: Clumps could be a bit better, tracks easily, can struggle with combating feces odors