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11 Best Unscented Cat Litters in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Written by: Codee Chessher

Last Updated on March 26, 2024 by Catster Editorial Team

Person hand removing and cleaning cat toilet tray or litter box at home

11 Best Unscented Cat Litters in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Person hand removing and cleaning cat toilet tray or litter box at home Nobody likes scooping or changing the cat litter, but choosing the right type of litter can make cleaning up that much easier for everyone! Nowadays, there are countless types of unscented cat litter for owners to choose from, each with their own unique pros and cons you have to weigh. Some clump, some don’t, some come in larger packages, some have better odor control, and so on. However, since cats can be so sensitive to smells, many owners opt for unscented cat litter. So, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the best unscented cat litters you can order today so you can have an easier time cleaning your cat’s litter.

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A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Tidy Cats Free & Clean Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter Tidy Cats Free & Clean Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter
  • Clumps well for litter box longevity
  • Contains activated charcoal for superior odor control
  • Low dust
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Frisco Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter Frisco Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter
  • Odor neutralizing for smelly multi-cat homes
  • Locks away moisture to keep litter fresh for longer
  • Unscented formula
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    World's Best Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Corn Cat Litter World's Best Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Corn Cat Litter
  • Corn-based litter absorbs more moisture
  • Corn and all-natural plant ingredients suppress bad odors
  • Flushable and septic-safe
  • Naturally Fresh Unscented Clumping Walnut Cat Litter Naturally Fresh Unscented Clumping Walnut Cat Litter
  • Biodegradable
  • Soft texture
  • Minimal tracking
  • Fresh Step Clean Paws Simply Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter Fresh Step Clean Paws Simply Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter
  • Activated charcoal and minerals keep litter fresh for 10 days
  • Paw-approved soft texture
  • Low-dust formula
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    The 10 Best Unscented Cat Litters

    1. Tidy Cats Free & Clean Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter – Best Overall

    Tidy Cats Free & Clean Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter

    Litter material: Clay w/ activated charcoal
    Product size: 35 pounds
    Litter features: Clumping, low-dust

    Our choice for top unscented cat litter is definitely Tidy Cats Free & Clean Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter, which comes in several sizes and a large 35-pound pail for huge cost savings. This litter is made from fine-grained clay with the power of activated charcoal working overtime to lock away offensive litter odors after your cat does their business. The grains are just fine enough to clump together well, forming tight clumps that prolong the life of your litter. This litter is formulated to produce less dust than your average clay litter and doesn’t have any artificial fragrances or strong odors.

    The only problem to speak of with this litter is that some reviewers state they had problems with the litter not clumping. It sounds like a case of questionable quality control to us, but your mileage may vary – it’s a stellar litter overall. The litter may also track if your cats are messy. Despite this, it’s still our pick for the best overall unscented cat litter on the market.

    Pros
    • Multiple product sizes available for cost savings
    • Clumps well for litter box longevity
    • Contains activated charcoal for superior odor control
    • Low dust

    Cons
    • Clumping power may vary
    • Tracks easily


    2. Frisco Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter – Best Value

    Frisco Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter

    Litter material: Clay
    Product size: 40 pounds
    Litter features: Clumping, odor neutralizing

    If you’re looking to save money in a multi-cat household, Frisco Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter might be the litter for you. This fine-grained clay litter is formulated with odor-neutralizer technology to immediately lock odors and moisture in tight scoopable clumps. Even better, the litter helps to prevent moisture from collecting on the bottom of the box. Lastly, you don’t have to worry about allergens or strong odors, as it’s formulated to be hypoallergenic. To keep multi-cat homes happy, healthy, and clean, this litter packs a big punch for relatively little money, making it the best unscented cat litter for the money.

    If we have a nitpick, it’s the packaging. It’s not very user-friendly and doesn’t have a carrying handle or hole to make pouring easier—you have to lift the whole bag each time you fill the litter box.

    Pros
    • Odor neutralizing for smelly multi-cat homes
    • Locks away moisture to keep litter fresh for longer
    • Unscented formula

    Cons
    • No carrying mechanism


    3. World’s Best Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Corn Cat Litter – Premium Choice

    World's Best Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Corn Cat Litter

    Litter material: Corn w/ all-natural plant ingredients
    Product size: 28 pounds
    Litter features: Odor control, flushable, & 99% dust-free

    If you’re tired of clay litters advertised as low-dust but they’re not, you may find a corn-based litter like this one from World’s Best would be an improvement. This corn litter is 99% dust-free so you can breathe easier, and the corn contains added all-natural plant ingredients to help control odor without introducing fragrances. The litter itself is softer on the paws than clay, so kittens and older cats may like it better. This litter absorbs a lot of moisture and clumps tightly for less frequent litter cleanings and an easier litter experience overall.

    The one thing we don’t like much is that this litter can get brittle and messy once it absorbs enough moisture, unlike clay. If odor control is important to you and you change the litter often anyway, that may not be such a big deal. 

    Pros
    • Corn-based litter absorbs more moisture
    • Corn and all-natural plant ingredients suppress bad odors
    • Flushable and septic-safe

    Cons
    • Needs to be changed often


    4. Naturally Fresh Unscented Clumping Walnut Cat Litter

    Naturally Fresh Unscented Clumping Walnut Cat Litter

    Litter material: Walnut
    Product size: 26 pounds
    Litter features: Dust-free, clumping, biodegradable

    Made from crushed walnut shells, this litter from Naturally Fresh absorbs three times the moisture of your typical clay litter while clumping as fast as 15 minutes. The litter has a soft texture your cat will appreciate, and the walnut has a subtly nutty scent that’s not quite unscented—it covers up ammonia quite well, though! We love that there’s no dust for zero tracking or respiratory distress as well. With great clumping ability, moisture control, and odor control, this walnut litter could be a great change from clay for your kitty.

    The main caveat to point out is that this litter is a little more expensive than other litter, so it may be too expensive if you have multiple cats. 

    Pros
    • Biodegradable
    • Soft texture
    • Minimal tracking

    Cons
    • Expensive


    5. Fresh Step Clean Paws Simply Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter

    Fresh Step Clean Paws Simply Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter

    Litter material: Clay with activated charcoal and added minerals
    Product size:  22.5 pounds
    Litter features: Non-clumping, dust-free

    Ditch dirty litter box smells with 10 days of on-contact freshness from this clay litter from Fresh Step. This fine clay litter does not clump to help maximize the litter’s lifespan. The activated charcoal and added minerals neutralize potent cat ammonia smells while helping the litter stay as fresh as possible over time. Designed with a 99% dust-free formula, you’ll spend less time vacuuming cat litter and more time enjoying your kitties. Their paws will like the soft texture, too.

    Some folks don’t like non-clumping cat litter, however, and that’s this product’s biggest weakness. The litter gets very muddy and hard to scoop when saturated. To avoid this, scoop more frequently.

    Pros
    • Activated charcoal and minerals keep litter fresh for 10 days
    • Paw-approved soft texture
    • Low-dust formula

    Cons
    • Needs to be changed before it gets too wet


    6. Dr. Elsey’s Premium Clumping Cat Litter

    Dr. Elsey’s Premium Clumping Cat Litter

    Litter material: Clay
    Product size: 35 pounds
    Litter features: Non-clumping, dust-free

    Owned and formulated by a vet, the much-lauded Dr. Elsey’s Premium Clumping Cat Litter is a fan-favorite for good reason! The litter is formed from a mix of fine-grained and medium-textured bentonite clay to quickly seal and clump away moisture into shockingly tight scoopable lumps. This helps preserve the litter over time in multi-cat homes, and unspecified natural additives help to keep the litter odorless. As a side effect of the medium and fine formula, this litter also tracks much less than the average clay litter. If you want a more premium clay litter, you could do a lot worse than this product!

    Our only gripe is that the litter gets muddy and sticks to the box, which makes cleaning a headache. The good news is you can avoid that by scooping more often, but it’s still annoying. 

    Pros
    • Fine and medium-textured clay for a tighter clumping litter
    • Helps prolong usable litter in the box
    • Natural additives help quash odors

    Cons
    • Litter gets muddy and hard to clean


    7. So Phresh Pine Pellet Non-Clumping Cat Litter

    So Phresh Pine Pellet Non-Clumping Cat Litter

    Litter material: Pine
    Product size: 20 pounds
    Litter features: Non-clumping, odor control

    If you’d prefer an eco-friendly non-clumping litter, this pine-based litter from So Phresh could be the litter for your cat. Made from 99.9% pine wood, this litter comes in tiny pellets that are soft on the feet and highly absorbent. After use, they break down into a looser sawdust-like consistency that’s easy to sift with a scooper. Our favorite feature is the pine fresh scent that’s from the wood itself, which covers up litter odors without being overbearing like artificial fragrances. It’s a subtle piney note that you’ll come to enjoy, if you even notice it at all!

    Again, not everyone likes non-clumping litters, and this one is no exception. It needs to be scooped and cleaned more often than clumping litter to stay fresh and clean.

    Pros
    • Eco-friendly pine litter breaks down for an easier time cleaning
    • Masks litter smell with fresh pine
    • Pleasingly soft texture

    Cons
    • Needs more frequent scooping and cleaning


    8. Purina Yesterday’s News Non Clumping Paper Cat Litter

    Purina Yesterday's News Non Clumping Paper Cat Litter

    Litter material: Paper
    Product size: 30 pounds
    Litter features: Dust-free, non-clumping

    Some cats are finicky about their litter and won’t step on litter that hurts their sensitive paws, so this litter from Purina is for them. Formed from recycled paper, these paper pellets are three times as absorbent as clay by weight, and without the dust to boot! There are no artificial fragrances or other additives, making this one of the safest litters for tender-footed kittens or senior cats. It’s also notably cheaper than other types of litter by weight.

    The biggest downsides are pretty big: paper litter doesn’t control odors very well and needs to be changed out daily to avoid breeding nasty smells.

    Pros
    • Affordable
    • Soft on the paws
    • Low-dust formula means less tracking

    Cons
    • Must be changed often


    9. SmartCat All Natural Clumping Cat Litter

    SmartCat_All_Natural_Clumping_Cat_Litter

     

    Litter material: Grass
    Product size: 35 pounds
    Litter features: Clumping, dust-free

    Made from soft grass seed, this litter from SmartCat clumps well without any artificial nonsense that could harm your cat and their paws will enjoy the soft sandy texture too. You’ll love how lightweight and easy it is to clean since the litter doesn’t stick to the pan and weighs much less than saturated clay litter. To manage odors, the litter instantly soaks up moisture to trap the bacteria that fester and cause smells.

    As for negatives, it tracks pretty horribly and isn’t as dust-free as it advertises. If you want something that lasts a little longer than paper litter but not something as heavy as clay or wood, this could be a good fit for your cat.

    Pros
    • Eco-friendly and biodegradable
    • Lightweight and easy to clean
    • Soaks up moisture well

    Cons
    • Tracks very easily
    • Doesn’t last very long


    10. World’s Best Original Unscented Cat Litter

    World’s Best Original Unscented Cat Litter

    Litter material: Corn
    Product size: 15 pounds
    Litter features: Clumping, dust-free, flushable

    This corn-based litter made by World’s Best is a great choice if you’re tired of hard-to-clean litter. The eco-friendly corn formula tightly clumps so no mess gets stuck to the sides or bottom of the litter box. As with other corn litter, it controls odors quite well and lasts some time between litter changes. Another great benefit is how lightweight it is to change, and get this: you can just flush it! It’s septic-safe too, in case you were wondering.

    This is a great cat litter, but it’s not truly the world’s best. For one thing, it tracks, but not as badly as clay. It also runs out fast, making it more expensive if you have multiple cats.

    Pros
    • Tightly clumping means an easier time cleaning
    • Flushable and septic-safe
    • Lightweight

    Cons
    • More expensive than other litters
    • Doesn’t last long

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    Buyer’s Guide: How to Pick the Best Unscented Cat Litter

    It’s tempting to buy the cheapest and biggest bag of litter you can find at the store, but hold that thought. Doing your homework when it comes to your cat’s litter can save you not just money, but time cleaning, dust on the floor, and that infamous litter smell from permeating your home.

    No litter is perfect, but you can get pretty close by considering your home and the following major concerns: material, whether you have multiple cats, and dust. Let’s briefly break down how those affect your search for the ultimate cat litter right below.

    cat sitting on top of several litter boxes looking at another cat leaving toilet through flap
    Image Credit: Nils Jacobi, Shutterstock

    Material

    The most important thing to pay attention to when buying cat litter is what material it’s made of. The type of material affects absorbency, how the litter feels on your cat’s paws, how well it clumps, and how well it controls odors. Let’s review some of the most common litter materials we reviewed in this article.

    Cat Litter Materials:
    • Clay: Great absorbency, affordability, and clumping ability but usually tracks and is heavy when emptying the box.
    • Corn: Lightweight, biodegradable, flushable, and soft on the paws but more expensive and still tracks somewhat.
    • Wood: Manages smell and has good absorbency but doesn’t usually clump, is harder to clean, and costs more on average.
    • Paper: Affordable, highly absorbent, and soft on sensitive paws but needs to be changed often and doesn’t control odor as well as other litter.

    Multi-Cat Households

    More cats go through more cat litter, produce more waste, and make the house smellier. That means multi-cat homes need to prioritize features like odor control and clumping ability to keep the box cleaner for longer and your home smelling fresher. You should also consider tracking because litter that tracks like clay gets worse with more cats.

    oriental-shorthair-cats-relaxing
    Image Credit: VittoriaChe, Shutterstock

    Dust

    No litter is truly 100% dust-free, but some come really close. Avoid clay litter like the plague if you want minimal tracking and avoid triggering sensitive dust allergies, as they’re by far the worst when it comes to dust. Natural litter materials like wood and corn produce less dust but still track a bit, and they’re also more expensive.

    We suggest shopping around and trying various litters firsthand to see which has the least dust. The extra time spent is worth it—just imagine floors without litter particles as your motivation.

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    Conclusion

    Cat litter can be hard to choose, especially if you have multiple cats or a kitten. The best in our opinion is Tidy Cats Free & Clean Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter, but people on a budget won’t be disappointed with Frisco Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter. Even if those aren’t suitable for your home, one of the other litters reviewed here is sure to fit the bill. Make sure to read through all our reviews before making a decision so that you know the pros and cons of each.


    Featured Image Credit: Mila Naumova, Shutterstock

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