Cleaning the litter box is a daily chore that comes along with cat ownership, and while we love our kitties, it would be quite a stretch to say that we enjoy the smell of their litter. Simply throwing litter waste into your traditional garbage after scooping out the box can leave the house smelling less than desirable.

So, what can you do about it? Well, you can either take a trip to the outside dumpster every time you clean the litter box or you can invest in a cat litter disposal system. Cat litter disposal receptacles have become popular because they are a way for cat owners to reduce constant trips to the outside dumpster while maintaining a fresh-smelling home.

The two most popular litter disposal systems are the Litter Champ and the Litter Genie. Unfortunately, since the original publication date, the Litter Champ cat litter disposal system has been discontinued by the manufacturer and is no longer available for purchase through major retailers. While some units and refill bags may still be found through third-party sellers, availability is not guaranteed, and prices may vary. For those of you who already have a system, you could give the hack explained in this video a try, although it is not as practical as the original refill. If you are looking for a suitable replacement, the Litter Genie offers similar functionalities; here is how they compare.

A Quick Comparison

Brief History of Litter Champ

Litter Champ is part of Lucky Champ, a brand that operates under the parent company, Janibell Inc. Janibell is headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, California and has been around since 1985. They are a global distributor of waste disposal and recycling systems.

Janibell’s main goal is to produce high-quality products for its consumers that will stand the test of time. All of their products, including the Litter Champ come with a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty to stand by their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.

Brief History of Litter Genie

Litter Genie falls under the parent company, Angelcare which was founded in 1997 by Maurice Pinsonnault. The company got its start when Maurice and his wife desired a more state-of-the-art baby monitor that could detect subtleties for their newborn child.

By 2005 Angelcare developed the very popular diaper pail system. They partnered up with Playtex to market the new innovative disposal system, the Diaper Genie. This system was designed to control diaper odors in a secure disposal system, which ultimately set the stage for the Litter Genie, which of course is geared toward cat owners.

Litter Genie supports shelters throughout the country and has donated more than 3000 pails since 2017. They are always seeking out new partners to be part of their shelter program. They also have a “Healthy Cats” program where they team up with veterinary facilities.

Litter Champ Manufacturing

Though Janibell Inc. is headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, California, they do not give any specific information about the locations of their Lucky Champ manufacturing plants. They do advise they are a global producer and the products under their Litter Champ product line do list the country of origin as the Republic of Korea, under the product details on Amazon.

Litter Genie Manufacturing

Angelcare has six locations across the globe, including Canada, The United States, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, and Barbados. They sell their products in over 50 countries worldwide, and though they do not disclose the exact manufacturing location of the Litter Genie specifically, the product descriptions do list the country of origin as the United States.

Litter Champ Disposal System

Litter Champ has one disposal system that is cylindrical and measures  9.45 x 9.45 x 18.82 inches. This system has a 4-gallon capacity and is made with durable ABS resin. The triple seal system is what keeps the cat litter odors locked away.

Litter champ features a childproof lock on the lid to ensure no children or pets can get into the unit. There is also a hands-free foot pedal to open up the lid so that clean-up can be as hygienic as possible, and a spring-loaded top that can be locked in place.

This cat litter disposal is sleek and modern looking and only comes in gray. The litter scoop can be conveniently hung from the hook that is located on the side.

The biggest flaws that are reported about Litter Champ from cat owners are that they feel the opening is too small for the job and that after a while, it seems the smell leeches into the plastic.

Litter Genie Disposal System

Litter Genie Standard Pail

The Litter Genie Standard Pail is the original Litter Genie. It features a compact design and a multi-layer refill for odor protection. It has a 7-liter capacity and holds up to 14 days worth of cat litter. This pail is compatible with the Litter Genie standard refills, which last about 8 weeks.

This pail is designed for apartments or small homes. The biggest complaints among consumers are they feel the container is flimsy and the latch is not sturdy and will not lock in place, causing the unit to open up easily and not contain smells very well. There is no foot pedal on the Litter Genie, so it must be opened up by hand.

Litter Genie Plus Pail

The Litter Genie Plus Pail is much like the Standard Pail but with an additional antimicrobial feature. This pail has the same 7-liter capacity and uses standard refills. This pail can be bought in either silver or black and is the only option that features antimicrobial benefits.

It also holds about 14 days’ worth of cat litter, depending on your situation. As with the standard version of the Litter Genie, this product had complaints for being too flimsy and the latch will not lock into place, causing the unit to easily pop open and expose the smells you are trying to control.

Litter Genie XL Pail

The Litter Genie XL Pail works just like the others but has a much larger capacity and is great for multiple cat households. It can hold up to 21 days worth of litter and has 50%  more capacity than the standard plus pails.

It still features the same compact design, so it is easy to fit into small spaces. There were also numerous complaints about this product being too flimsy and awkward. Many latch issues were reported with this version as well.

Litter Champ vs. Litter Genie: Price

• Litter Champ

Litter Champ is an affordable cat litter disposal system that comes with an excellent warranty to go along with it. The most expensive part of owning the Litter Champ is the liners that will need to be replaced regularly.

• Litter Genie

None of the Litter Genie pails are expensive. They are one of the most affordable litter disposal systems on the market and cost much less than diaper disposal systems. Each Litter Genie product is affordable for the single disposal system with the Litter Genie Standard Pail being the least expensive of the three. The more costly part of the Litter Genie is the constant need for refills for the pail.

Litter Champ vs Litter Genie: Warranty

• Litter Champ

Litter Champ backs up its product with a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty. This is very rare with these kinds of products, so kudos to Litter Champ for standing behind their product and their customers. You will need to register your new Litter Champ once you’ve purchased it.

• Litter Genie

Litter Genie items can be returned in their original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of purchase as long as there is a receipt available. You cannot find specific warranty information on their website, though their parent company Angelcare is known for providing a 1-year limited manufacturer warranty on its products.

Litter Champ vs Litter Genie: Customer Service

• Litter Champ

Litter Champ has excellent customer service. While most customers end up going directly through the retailer if they need to return within 30 days of receipt, they turn to Litter Champ if it falls outside the timeframe.

Litter Champ provides a customer service phone number, email address, mailing address, and contact form that are all available on their website. They are typically highly responsive and operate during their normal business hours Monday through Friday.

• Litter Genie

Litter Genie offers a contact submission form on the Litter Genie website. The way that it is currently set up, you must click the small “Help”  prompt at the bottom right corner of the screen for the contact form to pop up. Once you fill the form out and attach any necessary attachments, you wait for them to get back in contact with you. Litter Genie did not supply a customer service phone number.

Head-to-Head: Litter Champ vs. Litter Genie Disposal Systems

• Our Verdict: Litter Champ

When putting the Litter Champ cat litter disposal up against Litter Genie products, Litter Champ is the clear winner.  Litter Genie may have the benefit of having three different options to choose from and is also slightly more affordable but Litter Champ cannot be beaten in terms of design and overall quality.

Litter Champ may only offer one product, but it is much sturdier and more conveniently constructed. Litter Genie does not have any special warranty on their products but Litter Champ surely has them beat with a 5-year warranty from the manufacturer, showing they stand by the durability of their products.

The latch on all of the Litter Genies does not lock in place, causing each one to open up easily. They also lack the convenient foot pedal and it’s more of a struggle to open up these disposals to dispose of the litter.

The Litter Genie gets quite a few complaints about being flimsy and constructed of cheap plastic, while the Litter Champ features a more rigid, durable plastic than you can even visually tell is superior.

Head-to-Head: Litter Champ Product vs. Litter Genie Litter Boxes

• Our Verdict: Draw

Both companies make their own litter boxes, which makes sense considering their target market. They each make only one litter box and  Litter Champ’s features a low entry front and a high back, so it is great for kittens and seniors to easily access the litter box while protecting litter from being slung out the backside, while Litter Genies has tall, thin walls and handles for easy portability.

Neither litter box is covered and each is made of plastic. Litter Champ’s box is much more sleek looking while Litter Genie’s is more cute and casual. Litter Champ’s Box is slightly less expensive, but many cat owners have complaints about litter easily getting tossed out from the low entry point.

Litter Genie’s litter box is much larger than it looks in the picture. It also gets a lot of reports for cracking easily. It’s a bit more difficult to scoop its curved design but it also prevents litter from scattering everywhere.

When it comes to who comes out on top with the best litter box, we give these two a tie. They are completely different designs that both have their ups and downs.

Head-to-Head: Litter Champ Product vs. Litter Genie Refills

• Our Verdict: Litter Champ

When you compare the liner bags for each of the brands, Litter Champ also takes the top spot. While they both use a continuous bag technology, Litter Champ’s lasts up to 10 weeks while Litter Genie’s is estimated at around 8.

Litter Champ’s liners are lightly scented and 100 percent biodegradable, they also feature an 18-micron thick film for extra strength and durability. Litter Genies bags are seven layers and durable. They also have a built-in odor barrier technology to keep control of odors and germs.

Litter Genie does not claim that these bags are biodegradable but they do have a black warning stripe that lets you know when it’s time to replace the bag.

Overall Brand Reputation

Performance

• Edge: Litter Champ

Both Litter Champ and Litter Genie are effective in keeping cat litter secure within the system, but Litter Champ is more secure because they do not have a loose latch system and are much simpler to operate.

They both perform well in preventing odors and keeping cat owners from having to make constant trips to the outside trash can but overall, customers are much more satisfied with Litter Champ than they are with Litter Genie.

Price

• Edge: Litter Genie

Litter Genie takes the cake for beating out Litter Champ in pricing. Even their most expensive disposal system (Litter Genie XL Pail) is less expensive than the Litter Champ. We also like that there are multiple choices available rather than just one product.

Durability

• Edge: Litter Champ

The Litter Champ litter box disposal systems are much more sturdy and easy to use. While each brand has its fair share of complaints about various features, Litter Genie’s complaints are due to the flimsiness of its products, which is a telltale sign they lack durability. When you are working with heavy cat litter, the sturdier the better. Litter Champ even backs up its durability and longevity by offering up that 5-year warranty.

Design

• Edge: Litter Champ

Both brands are compact and easy to fit into small spaces, but the between latch system flaws and the lack of foot pedal on the Litter Genie, we have to give this one to Litter Champ. The spring-loaded system in Litter Champ is also much more convenient and easy to use compared to how you must pull out to open up the pail on Litter Genie.

The Litter Genie Plus Pail may come in silver and black options, but it’s the only product that does. Litter Champ comes in only gray but it’s a sleek design that is nothing to scoff at, so we don’t feel color options give Litter Genie an edge here.

Conclusion

Litter Genie and Litter Champ are both well-known cat litter disposal systems that will keep litter smells to a minimum while reducing constant trips outdoors. Both of these products require liner refills and each of them has its flaws in design and performance. Overall, we would choose the Litter Champ as our choice as the best cat litter disposal system because it is sturdier, more convenient design, and features a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty to back it up.

• See also: Litter Genie Easy Roll Pail Review: Our Expert’s Opinion